Lots to Share!

 Firstly, a message to Julie.  I've found Rosy Hope's ribbon.  She sits on my shelf with the other little bunny and I have no idea how it could have come off: so I have told them off whilst expressing flashbacks to my Enid Blyton childhood, where the toys come to life at night.  The books must have been true!!!

The ribbon is back on and both bunnies severely reprimanded!

Right, where am I at.....firstly today, I woke up to a lovely bunch of flowers. Today's my 14th wedding anniversary and only the third one we've remembered.  Yay, 14 years.  One more and I will have served a UK life sentence!  We don't really celebrate the wedding to be honest.  It was a lovely day but for me, love is being given a cup of tea each and every morning before I get out of bed. Do you agree?

Stitchywise, I have done a little more on my Halloween Sampler: not enough but tonight I'm going to treat myself to some stitching time!  I will stitch, I will!

Angela (Hooked on Stitches)  has been an online blogging friend for a long time, as long as I've been blogging I think, and she has very kindly offered to make me some more prizes for the fundraiser.

Aren't these gorgeous!

Firstly, a sweeet Christmas Ornament.

And then a really cute facecloth, in pink of course!

Thank you Angela.  You are really kind in helping me out like this and I do appreciate it.

Here's a fact for you all.  Nearly 12000 women die every year of breast cancer.  Well, I'm sorry but that is 12000 too many.  And we have to stop it and the only way we can do that is through research.  I hate having to keep bring it up but I go and get my mammogram results on Thursday (gulp) and I promise, once the fundraiser is over, I'll never mention it again.

And talking of fundraisers, Elaine sent me a photo of her lovely ' Hope' needleroll.  Isn't it gorgeous??  I love it.  Thank you for sharing it with us Elaine.  You can find details to the hope needleroll here and remember, it only costs one euro for the chart and directions xx  We have nearly raised 100 euros!  I'm so please!!

And guess what...I have started to work with a wonderful artist called Kate Scott.  I fell in love with one of her paintings, and yes it featured a hare.  I took the plunge and asked if I could licence her work for cross stitch and she kindly said yes.  I started with this one first.  Please welcome ' Raven in Purple' by Kate Scott.

This is the first in a series of seven.  I love it.  Love ravens and love  the whimsical feeling of her paintings.

And...yes, there is more. Shhhh, nearly finished.

Remember this?

Well, I finally got started on the other Ghosts.

The Ghost of Christmas Past is the second in the series of Christmas Carol Ghosts and in many ways I always found this ghost to be the scariest and at the same time the saddest. It's visual appearance changes constantly in the book, which to be honest, gave me the creeps, and add to that the fact it reminds Scrooge of loves lost, and his unhappy childhood. Who can fail to share in the sorrow which we feel Scrooge experiences as his heart begins to warm and he starts his journey into becoming a man of love and compassion?

From a design point of view, I have had to design a ghost which looks like a child whilst appearing as an aged man, with long flowing hair (so looked like a girl?). Dressed in a white tunic lined with spring flowers and at the same time holding holly, you can see how this could cause a dilemma in making what is by all accounts a Christmas chart.

The full quote from the book:

'I told you these were shadows of the things that have been,' said the Ghost. 'That they are what they are, do not blame me!'

I hope you feel I have managed it. It matches 'Marley Was Dead To Begin With' and has been stitched in colours which would look equally stunning on tea or coffee dyed fabric.

Right, off to stitch.  Well, once I've washed up.  Seems like I spend more time training my family to understand that working from home doesn't mean I am on call to their needs constantly, more than I actually get to work.  Ah well.  All good fun!

Oh, and if you haven't already signed up for the giveaway, sign here.  I will go through all the posts and write down names wherever I have mentioned the giveaway. xx