Be true to yourself

This is my first finish for 2012, Be True by Plum Street Samplers.

The winter evenings are dark and chilly right now and I feel really cozy all wrapped up by a fireplace, stitching. 

 This little sampler took just a couple of evenings to stitch and it was quite enjoyable.

I love the rustic look of it and I am now thinking of how to finish it. A pillow, an ornament or a framed piece? It will look great any way I finish it!

Sweet lavender cross stitch pattern

At this time of year I am always missing the feel of being among the endless lavender field. Just like it was during our summers on the Pacific Northwest coast of WA state.

I made this design some time ago and finally gave it a printable look.

The idea for it is based on my original watercolor.

So if you'd like to use this design for your lavender sachets or small ornaments please take a look at my listing at the AGardencottage on Etsy.

How to make a tri-fold card for your cross stitch

Home made cards are great as a gift to a friend who lives far away. They show that you care!

I like to add some stitching to my cards so I am either making window cards to put my miniature stitching in or just glue them to a piece a cardstock to decorate my card with.

Today I will show you how to make a tri-fold card.

You need:

An envelope, approximate size 3 3/8" by 5 3/4",

A decorative cardstock, approximate size 5 1/2' by 11"

Your scrapbook supplies: a cutting mat, exacto cutting knife, template for oval op
ening, ruler, rotary trimmer, small scissors and a pencil

Divide your cardstock to 3 even parts and fold sides to the middle with a help of ruler. Fold all 3 sides and check if you need to adjust the size of card. I am usually trimming cards as needed to be perfectly rectangular.

With pencil and ruler, find the center of the middle section on the back side of the card and mark it. Place your cardstock on a protective cutting mat with the back side facing you. Place your oval template so it is centered over the center point. Cut the shape with your exacto knife, then turn your card to the front and see if you like how it turned out. If it needs some adjustments make it with your small needlecraft scissors.

Fold your card, and it is ready for you to place your stitching!

Two Blue Houses

My stitching is done, finally:

I had a lot of pleasure doing it. This wonderful design Two Blue Houses by Little House Needleworks is so pretty and will suit my Holidays decor perfectly this year!

Linen and DMC threads were used to create it and I am sure happy with how it turned out!

All I have to do now is find the perfect frame ...

Mirabilia giveaway

What a wonderful chance on lovely Mirabilia kit
for those who love to stitch!

Carolyn posted this great giveaway on her blog

Taking one stitch at a time.

The giveaway is for the Miss Valentine kit.

Come and enter!

Believe!

A little miracle happened to me yesterday.

My husband and I were shopping at the our local grocery store and when we were loading our purchases to the back of our car I've suddenly heard a little bell ring, right in front of me. I looked down and I saw this tiny Christmas bell! I don't know where it could be coming from, there was not cars or other people around and I don't think a store could carry a Christmas decoration in a summer! So, of course I've picked it up and shook it a little - it made this little jingle noise again! I thought of movie, The Christmas Express, where Santa says to the little boy that Christmas will always be with him as long as he will hear the Christmas bell ... is this a good sign or just my imagination?

Whatever it is, I took the bell, brought it home and put it together with my little handmade treasures. I've also started a framing process of my Santa's stitching I've made last year. I thought of best finish for it for a long time and actually I was going to finish it as a ornament but for some reason I found a framed picture more attractive - what do you think? How would YOU finish this design?

This wonderful design is by Carol Emmer Designs and was published in Just Cross Stitch magazine.

Mr Rabbit, summer mornings and a cross stitch

When I am going into the garden on early mornings I often see this little visitor. He is often around the grass area or under the lemon tree. He is coming early enough to not get wet from sprinklers or before the dogs go out. He is just sitting quietly in a corner, enjoying his non-fat organic breakfast :) I am trying not to bother him - but he has plenty places to hide if he wants to.

I love this peaceful moments and I was so happy to find this cross stitch design from Little House Needleworks - I think it reflects my feelings! The design called Morning Berries and I loved to stitch it. It is now displayed in our living room, right next to a basket of flowers from the garden. I can have my own little piece of summer any time of year by just looking at it!

Thank you, Diane, for such a wonderful design!

Rose Garden

Finally a finish! :)
even know that it is this small :)

I used a roses motives from Rose Sampler by LHN for this one and I am very happy with the results.

I am glad I've done something nice for the last days besides all the things I HAVE to do.







I am enjoying my rose garden A LOT right now and I am enjoying stitching roses :)

Hope this very pleasant weather will stay for a while...

Back to cross stitch

I am finally back in my creative mood again. It's just too many bad things happened last winter - we lost our dog, companion of 14 years baby boy shit zhu, some friends were diagnosed with cancer and are battling it still. Not much space for creativity, hah? But we are all together and this is all what matters :)

I stitched some Angel ornaments for my friends last year - don't you love them? I should really make one for myself, this design is from Wildflower Stitchery & more and it is just too cute! Just a little lovely reminder that Angels are among us

Currently I am working on a series of my new cross stitch designs for the lavender sachets - hope you will like them! I will show it to you as soon as it will be done! Too many ideas and just so little time...

I have a passion for these little things. The sweet scent of lavender reminds me of purple summer fields in Washington State where we lived for a couple of years. I made some sketches of these at the farms and I am trying to recreate them now in my designs. Love purple :)

Winter Lavender

I had wonderful creative morning today.

I woke up at 3 AM and had plenty of time for my morning ritual: drinking coffee, talking to my husband and reading the news.

The early mornings are still cold here and suddenly I was missing summer so much! So I grabbed my linens, threads & needle and started to stitch - just a small design I've created last spring. And the smell of lavender brought back the memories of a lavender field I've visited some time ago... :)

Busy Holidays time

I can not believe I am so busy this days! I am still decorating the tree, still sending the gifts and postcards away, helping my mother with her store and stitching dozens of lavender sachets to give away! And of course, I am stitching more cards to be in time for Christmas!