Tag Archives: cross stitch. Lizzie*Kate

Sharing Is Caring: Casa Cenina & Italian Rebuilds

Posted in cross stitch, grateful, Nora Corbett by

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ll know that there are some devastating natural disasters around the world. Needlework supplier, Italian-based Casa Cenina, has gathered together some original designs especially to raise funds for the earthquake rebuild fund. Click HERE to choose. from some awesome designs.

  • Bothy Threads
  • Joan Elliot
  • Nora Corbett
  • Hands On Design
  • Little House Needleworks
  • Lizzie*Kate
  • so many more!

No points for guessing what was my first purchase…

All designers and Casa Cenina will donate the whole sale income of these e-patters to the Italian Civil Protection, for the post-disaster reconstruction.

 

 

WIP Wednesday

Posted in conversion details, cross stitch, DIY home, family, Mirabilia by

I’ve had a real up & down week. Early last week I came down with the flu, thanks to my boss and a workmate who just didn’t stay away (ugh). I crashed Wednesday (yay for scheduled posts, altho this is one I would never normally schedule), worked from home Thursday then lazed around all weekend. I think one day, in between coughing fits, napping and doing absolutely nothing, I had the massive achievement of 18% of my activity goal. Hmm. But feeling a lot better now, almost caught up on work after two days at the kitchen bench on the laptop, so here we go!

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I did get these stitched this last week. I figured that if I was giving them away, I had better stitch them first! Residence was altered to match my house – we’re at #36, it has a brown roof & beige bricks, and I have lemon & apple trees. Then I altered the colours in Stitching Forever (hubby doesn’t love the sentiment, to be fair, but hey! His laundry gets done and that’s all that counts). Lizzie*Kate designs are so easy to alter to whatever suits you so if you’re at all hesitant on converting threads, they’re ideal to start with. If you don’t like the look of something, there’s only a little to frog out. For example, I was originally going to make the initial letters to resemble illuminated letters – but that looked too odd! I’ve also deliberately duplicated some colours so that when they are hung there will be some visual “same/same”.

trees!

trees!

Also please don’t forget to enter my blog giveaway! Check it out HERE and make a comment – entries are open until next WIPocalypse!

Original Used featured
Residence
470 4045
322 as charted
924 930 door, words
3823 3782
829 839
899 3756 windows
3363 3345
windows – b/s in 839
other – b/s in 3733
lemons MH 02002
apples MH03056
Original Used featured
Stitching Forever
3740 930 lettering
309 as charted
210 309 S back
3364 4045
3363 367
3740 3021 centre letters
3364 3782 H back

IMG_20151011_125930I also made Mase some jammie pants for summer. This is the trial piece – I had to alter the Simplicity pattern to make butt/legs for a 7y.o and the waist for a 4y.o! I think the fabric is perfect – a light cotton with monkeys.

Next up is a big decision – Raven Queen, Roses of Provence or another blitz on Persephone? I do have to buy two threads to complete April’s Mira RR and while that’s on 40ct (eep!) there’s less than a week’s worth of stitching to do here. I ended up using Christmas Elegance, which is another I could start, as I do have the fabric for it, as I think the one used in the model stitch is perfect…thoughts? FB is leaning towards RQ, Instagram towards RoP. That’s no help! Please comment! 

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Raven Queen. I do have all the sparklies for her.

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Provence. I’d need to get the beads for her.

Wowzers! Be in to win!

Posted in cross stitch, embroidery, freebies, friends, grateful, High Five For Friday, me, Smalls SAL, WIPocalypse by

UPDATE 29/10/15: This competition is now closed.

When I started blogging I didn’t think that anyone other than family would notice. I’ve been blessed by your feedback and comments, and now I’d like to pay it on!

image

The prizes are:
A Lizzie*Kate snippet, Cross Stitcher in Residence plus goodies
OR another snippet,  Stitching Forever plus goodies
OR if you follow me because I read & you read, I’ll custom make you a book mark. It could be the design pictured here, or something else that depicts you or what you read (let’s keep it pg tho!).

So to enter, you need to be a blog follower and comment below with “snippet” or “bookmark”. If you comment with bookmark, let me know what genres/authors interest you, or a cross stitch designer or theme of you prefer. I’ll post wherever so this contest is open internationally.

Three winners will be announced on October 27th, two WIPocalypses away from today.

Good luck!

Dealing with Pressure – NaBloPoMo four

Posted in books, Journal, me, Mirabilia, NaBloPoMo, photos, stitching patterns by

normal

Normal by Lizzie*Kate & stitched by Claire. Pattern available here: http://www.123stitch.com/item/Lizzie-Kate-Normal-is-Just-a-Setting-Cross-Stitch-Kit/LK-K32

Sometimes I can deal with pressure like a sponge, and soak it all up. Sometimes the smallest thing will set me off. I guess everyone goes thru phases like this. After going thru a crap last six months at a previous employer, I have learnt a few things. I also know that I would rather work for someone else and be able to shut the door behind me at night.

four

  1. Have a PLAN for achieving things. If I record something, I am not only more likely to do it, I’m more likely to achieve more. Plus planning allows for movement. Urgent report? Move this to do that. Easy. Take a look at the diary offering at your local stationery/big box store or try the planner link from yesterday.
  2. Have an ESCAPE HATCH. Do something that makes you happy, be it something crafty, read a chapter, surf the web, go for a short walk. I return to work refreshed when I do one of these.
  3. While I have been known to crank up Seether, I usually listen to something softer. (Confession? I am a closet Nickelback listener, but more of their earlier stuff. Yeah I know, such little justification!) Make a playlist of your favourites, hook up the iPod/phone, find a radio station, listen to a book. I am a bit late to the party but have discovered podcasts. BBC comedy? Yes please. Lee Mack, you need to get on there more.
  4. Have something in your pod/office space that INSPIRES you. I have no outside windows so I have a few extra things. A huge Eiffel Tower canvas from Typo in Onehunga. Glass candlesticks with globes, turned to where my friend Jill is sailing presently or where friends who need prayer are (it will be showing Noo York for a while). A framed stitching piece (converted version of a Mirabilia mermaid’s compass). Inspirational quotes – we’ll get into some of those each Thursday. A Garfield coffee mug from L that holds my pens & pencils & stuff and makes me smile, as I know she was thinking of me when she brought it. Photos that bring back memories. Too many electronic devices.
  5. Nine times out of ten, a toddler is cranky ‘cause they’re hungry. The same thing applies to us too. Eat lunch away from your desk for an extra mental break. And so your keyboard doesn’t get full of crumbs and yucky stuff.

What do you have around you? What do you do to help alleviate pressure at work? Do you have any other podcast recs?

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