Owl freebie kit

Another little freebie kit from Cross Stitcher completed. Lots a little finishes seem to be what I need at the moment. 

This one, the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good;
Soluble canvas :-)
I started a free kit ages ago for the Queens Jubilee (also from Cross Stitcher) but never finished it. Lost interest then lost the kit. So this was my first completed use of soluble canvas and all I can say is that I'm already planning to use it again designs picked and everything. Good stuff and it looks funky while melting. An added plus.

The bad;
The instructions for the blanket stitch to finish the kit were sadly lacking. Basically just said squash the wings in and blanket stitch around the design. Let me ask you, how the hell do you blanket stitch without an edge?

And while I do know how to blanket stitch - the one stitch other than cross I do know, their instruction if you didn't know was a little lacking. At the very least for people who cross stitch only they could include a little step diagram.

Also not mentioned was how many strands to use for the blanket stitch. I decided on 2 for that extra bit of strength.

The ugly;
A carry on from the limited instruction regarding the blanket stitch when I reached the wings and ribbon I was '???' In the end to make sure they were secure I stitched them in place then blanket stitched the blue edge on either side of the wings. It looked rough and messy but at least I know the wings are not going anywhere. The ribbon I don't mind but where the wings meet the body...blah.

*

I also added some brown blanket stitch on the edge of both wings just to make the a little more interesting.

No idea what I'm going to do with it now since anything attached to my keys needs to be significantly more robust than this little owl. Maybe a gift for someone who's a little less brutal to their stuffs?

The light's not the greatest but if I don't post it now who knows when I'd get around to it.

Hehe, I'm melting! Melting!

Timber stitch kit take 2

I really like these little timber kits by [make it], they're quick and interesting. I picked this one up today while browsing at spotlight.

I actually managed to resist buying anything else but when I saw these little hearts they ended up in my grubby little hands post-haste. 

This kit included;
*2x cut timber heart cross stitch frames
*Needle
*Pre-cut felt backing
*A selection of DMC thread
*6 design charts (flowers, parrot, mouse, stripes, rainbow and polka dots.) It also included an alphabet chart in case you wanted to put a letter in your heart and blank charts to make your own design.
*And instructions

I really needed something simple and nice to do and this kit easily fit the bill. The fact I completed it the same day I got it says something.

 

I decided to do 2 of the charts provided, the rainbow and the mouse. Though I did add a few personal touches.

For the mouse I added whiskers and and a boarder in black and pale blue. I like to think the black reflects the 'black death' and mice being the bringers of pestilence. Yes I know that the finger for that one generally points to fleas on rats, but as a rodent I'm sure mice contributed.

And for the second heart I first thought I'd do the folk flower design but the use of pastels turned me off so instead I went for the rainbow. I used four strands rather than the recommended three for added thickness and added the blue border around the heart and a red and purple boarder around the outside.

Beyond the embarrassing moment when I realised I'd just stuck the pre-cut felt backing onto the wrong side of the rainbow heart they were both simple and satisfying for a quick bit of creating.

And I finished them both off into something useful :-)

The mouse became a brooch - though the pin on the back isn't as well stuck on as I’d like. I really suck with a glue gun.

And I stole to leather cord from a cheap necklace I had floating around and turned the rainbow heart into a necklace.

The finished products

I really like the felt backing, I's a nice finishing touch.

Fenn thought the necklace should belong to him. I had to nip that in the bud. Mine!

Brought a blueberry plant - poor thing's doomed

Turns out blueberries grow on a bush. Who'da thought it. So I brought 1 last Friday after work. 

And promptly dropped it.

Fingers crossed it'll yet live. The cats have been helping me tend it. :-) And to prove it here is Dude and Fenn critiquing the new blueberry plant.

Dude is taste testing the flowers. Verdict? Wait and see.

Fenn is helping push all the loose dirt from the fall back into the pot and around the roots.

The Making Spot is closing *unhappy face*

The Making Spot website is closing.
This came as a shock to me though I suppose people who pay a bit more attention to the site might have had an idea?  I found the 'Winter wonderland' pattern on this site (see 1st July 2012 post) and for free too. It's the loss of a great resource.

So on the 11th/10th of September subscribers to the newsletter and visitors to the site were advised of the closing by the following message;

"Hello, we hope you've had a wonderful summer. Today we're sorry to announce that The Making Spot website is closing – Monday 30th September will be our last day online."

While more details would have been appreciated it's their prerogative I guess.

So getting my last lot of shopping in before the 30th of September. Lucky I have some already though magazine purchases. Though I'll still need to cull the list - have pretty much zero disposable income at the moment. :-(


***Edit:
okay $56 I did not have to spend :-( so after the cull;
the end purchases:

Made the most of the freebies:
Crochet;
*Flower power crochet
*Classic comfort

Cross Stitch;
*Pretty kitty
*Cute deer gadget cosy
*Funky fox
*Wish upon a star
*Oriental elegance
*Sweet motifs for all occasions
*Quick stitch Christmas
*Oriental beauty
*Into the wild

Knitting;
*Lazy days blanket
*Lime Queen tunic
*Cute as a kitten
*Quick Valentines gifts
*Cowl trio
*Classic lace scarf
*Damson Cowl
*Elwood had

Scrapbooking;
*Ship ahoy!

Sewing;
*learn the art of blackworking
*Strawberry sachet


And the money went to:
Crochet;
*Cherry blossom jacket

Cross Stitch;
*Nordic Noel
*Orchid dreams
*Fruit jar covers
*Honey bee gifts
*Thrift and save jars
*mice will play
*Stitch silhouette cameos
*Panda bamboo scene
*Three wise men
*Singing in the rain

Knitting;
*Pudding hat
*Red riding hood
*Winter wonderland cape

$30-
Still more than I should spend but I just can't get any less.
Hopefully I'll complete at least some of these in the future and they won't languish on my computer gathering metaphorical dust.

It's a good thing I'm not much interested in card making or scrapbooking or I'd be downloading till the 30th. And in the poor house.

***Edit2:
fruit loops, forgot to take into account the site was in GBP not AUD so $50- spent after all. I really need to make sure I do some if not all of the ones I spent money on now.

Floral Cards Kit from the July Cross Stitcher

I've had a nice box I picked up at my local craft shop sitting around for a while. I always intended to cross stitch some flowers to go in the top but hadn't yet got around to it. So when I saw the most recent copy of Cross Stitcher (to hit Australian shelves - July 2013) on the magazine rack at the start of the week with a free kit of three flowers I knew it was perfect.

I started stitching the same day I purchased the magazine. The flowers were quite quick to complete, easily manageable in a few evenings while watching a movie or 2. I didn't really like the idea of putting the finished designs on the provided cards. Dull, and I generally don't give cards so ultimately useless. So the box I fortunately had on hand was perfect.

The designs didn't quite fit the box vertically so I cut 2 strips from the cards provided with the kit and edged the design. A bit of tape and the designs trimmed down. All done.

Very happy with the end result though I may still stain the wood of the box with some colour.

Design by: Angela Poole
Design size: 4x6cm each