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Showing posts with label Easter Treasure Hunt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter Treasure Hunt. Show all posts

Friday, 29 March 2024

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2024

 


Welcome to the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop for 2024.  I am sure you all know how it works now - hop around the list of blogs and collect the letter each one has for you.  They spell out a message which you can leave in a comment here for me.  I have moderated comments so no-one will see them until 5th April.  Just to give everyone a chance to play along.

and back to me to leave the answer in a comment.


My current focus piece is a Halloween themed design with lots of black so I thought it would be nice to switch to Spring by Cricket Collection which was February's Focus and see how much I can get done.

Here's where it was at the start of the weekend:


stitched on 32 count Marie's Daffodil from Chromatic Alchemy



Here is the seasonal display in the corner of our living room with some previous finishes:


And here is my trio of framed pieces


 


Finally, don't forget to leave an encouraging comment on each blog you visit.  There wouldn't be a Hop without all the lovely participants.




Friday, 7 April 2023

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2023


Welcome to the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop for 2023.  I am sure you all know how it works now - hop around the list of blogs and collect the letter each one has for you.  They spell out a message which you can leave in a comment here for me.  I have moderated comments so no-one will see them until 14th April.  Just to give everyone a chance to play along.



and back to me for this letter:




I don't have a current Easter or Spring stitch at the moment, but here is the seasonal display in the corner of our living room with some previous finishes:


And here is my trio of framed pieces


 


Finally, don't forget to leave an encouraging comment on each blog you visit.  There wouldn't be a Hop without all the lovely participants.




Friday, 15 April 2022

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2022 and Gifted Gorgeousness Link-Up

 

Welcome to the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop for 2022.  I am sure you all know how it works now - hop around the list of blogs and collect the letter each one has for you.  They spell out a message which you can leave in a comment here for me.  I have moderated comments so no-one will see them until 22nd April.  Just to give everyone a chance to play along.


This year we are starting with:


and back to me for this letter:




But wait, there's more!

  


Welcome to the April Gifted Gorgeousness link-up. The link-up date continues to be the 15th and I will keep the link-up open until the end of each month so you have plenty of time if you are late posting.

The format remains exactly the same, there is a list of rules on the main sign-up page if you want to check what is required but basically anything connected to the word "gift" is allowed, whether it was a gift TO you or is a gift FROM you.


My main gifted project is my Halloween at Hawk Run Hollow which is my focus project for the year.  Last GG I had finished Block 3 and now I have finished Block 4!  That was slightly quicker, only 15 days.  The letters, lightning bolts and bats were much quicker than all the solid fill on Block 3.


I love how effective the backstitch is on these bats: 


Here's the whole thing so far:

stitched over one on 25 count Cassia Rose evenweave from Chromatic Alchemy


Now it is your turn to show us your Gifted Gorgeousness for the month.  Please use your name or your blog name in the field and NOT the words "April Update" so I can easily see who has linked up this month.  And link to the actual post, not just your blog.  It is easier if you copy and paste the link, rather than typing freehand.

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Finally, don't forget to leave an encouraging comment on each blog you visit.  There wouldn't be a Hop without all the lovely participants.










Friday, 2 April 2021

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2021

Spring Sampler from The Samplermaker motifs

Welcome to the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop for 2021.  I am sure you all know how it works now - hop around the list of blogs and collect the letter each one has for you.  They spell out a message which you can leave in a comment here for me.  I have moderated comments so no-one will see them until 15th April.  Just to give everyone a chance to play along.


This year we are starting with:

Not posted - letter is O
and back to me for this letter:


and this mystery new start:

stitched on 35 count cream linen


Finally, don't forget to leave a comment as you visit each blog - Happy Hopping!!

Just Nan - Small Delights Spring!











Friday, 10 April 2020

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2020 and FFO Gallery

Spring Fantasy by Just Nan


Welcome to the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop for 2020.  I am sure you all know how it works now - hop around the list of blogs and collect the letter each one has for you.  They spell out a message (in English this year) which you can leave in a comment here for me.  I have moderated comments so no-one will see them until  23rd April.  Just to give everyone a chance to play along.

This year we are starting with:

and then on to

and finally back to me for this letter:


I don't do a lot of Spring or Easter stitching but this finish has flowers so that will do!  This was my Leap Year start for 2020 and then I continued at bath-time.  The Small Boy is currently enjoying a long bath-time so I got lots done each evening!

This is Fox Few by Plum Street Samplers:

stitched on 32 count khaki evenweave

I used the DMC conversion for this with the exception of the yellow for the bees.  They recommended a brown 435 for Amber but I used 783.  I backstitched the pale blue flowers as they blended into the fabric colour.  The chart says to use a dark blue for the centres but the cover picture shows them as white.  There is a symbol for white which isn't used anywhere so I guess that is a mistake.

I also used a blend for the hillside rather than a variegated thread.  They recommend 3012 which was too close to 3011 which I used for the flower stems.  3013 was too close to the fabric colour but blending it with 3012 was perfect and makes a nice mottled effect for the grass.

Fully Finished Gallery

I didn't think I had anything for the FFO Gallery this month until I remembered my Butterfly Card.  This was the cover gift from Cross Stitcher issue 356.  I stitched it and then lost the beads.  I substituted some from my stash and then found the original ones this morning.  Which reminded me I could post it for Rachel's SAL.  Check out her blog for more organised people.


stitched on 32 count white linen

cardboard butterfly and greeting card supplied


Finally, don't forget to leave a comment as you visit each blog - Happy Hopping!!

Dewdrop Bunny by Just Nan












Tuesday, 10 March 2020

Finally Fully Finishing Fun for March

FFG SAL - 10th of each month
Hosted by Rachel the Ten Hour Stitcher

This SAL is designed to motivate us all to do something with that box of Finished pieces instead of just storing them under the bed.  We will all be linking up on Rachel's blog on or after the 10th of each month (10 Hour Stitcher - 10th of the month).

Last month I showed you the Just Nan Christmas Memories Ornament I had finished as a simple pillow with the intention of adding a trim to it.

Here is the pillow:


And here it is with the ruched ribbon trim:



Close-up of one corner:


What I did was to get a roll of ribbon and sew a running stitch down the middle of the ribbon with a matching thread colour.  I then ruched the ribbon still on the reel by pulling on the thread, ruching it towards the cut end.  I threaded a second needle with the same colour thread and stitched the cut end to the pillow.  Then I made small stitches to attach the ruched ribbon to the pillow.  As I progressed around the pillow, I did more running stitches with needle 1, then ruching, then attaching with needle 2.

It worked really well and it meant I didn't have to estimate how much ribbon I needed in advance, I simply kept unreeling it until it went all the way around.

It took me 90 minutes at my crafty coffee morning which I thought was a good use of the time.

The next two finishes are just framed pieces.  The frames are charity shop specials, painted with black emulusion and then varnished to make them shiny again.

First project is my Mirabilia Cameo from last year:


This is quite an ornate frame to suit the more ornate design:


The second frame is more plain and the design was finished back in 2013!



This was from Pixel Power although I can't find it on their website now.  The runes spell out Gandalf's speech while facing the Balrog on the bridge in the Mines of Moria - "You cannot pass.   I am a servant of the Secret Fire, Wielder of the Flame of Anor.  The Dark Fire will not avail you Flame of Udun.  Go back to the shadow.  L.O.T.R."  I charted those myself.

Because I broke the glass, I put some batting behind the fabric and made it slightly padded.

🐇 Good Friday - Friday 10th April 🐇

Finally, it's time to sign up for the Annual Easter Treasure Hunt.    If you would like to take part this year, just leave a comment here.  The week before Easter I will send you a letter of the alphabet which will form part of the mystery phrase.  On Good Friday you will post that letter along with a photo of something seasonal that you have stitched (could be Easter or Spring or just something cheerful and sunny or floral).  We all hop around like little bunnies to find the Mystery Phrase!

Here's a link to last year's hop so you can see how it all works - Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2019






Friday, 19 April 2019

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2019

Welcome to this year's Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop; the bounciest, springiest Hop of them all!

First new finish - Mill Hill Daffodil Egg


The original kit was fully beaded on perforated paper but as the chart for this was passed on to me without the supplies I used a piece of 16 count yellow aida and the DMC equivalents to stitch this.  I needed a small project for my train journey last week and this was perfect.

Now on to the Hop.

As usual, I have a list of bloggers, each one was allocated a letter which will spell out the mystery phrase when you hop round in the order below.  A little clue this year - you may be confused to start with as the letters may not seem to spell out anything you can understand but persevere and all will become clear!

The first little bunny is:

then

and finally back to me for this letter:



Hopefully you have a phrase now!  Don't forget that some people will post later than others because of time zones.  Leave a comment telling me what you think the mystery phrase is.  I have enabled comment moderation so the answers will not appear for two weeks.  Closing date is Friday 3rd May, 2019.

My second finish was a new start last Easter so it is very fitting that it was finished for this Easter.  A lovely bright Springy design from Satsuma Street officially called Nest Egg but also referred to as "Goose in a Bonnet" as a nod to the 80s when I did not stitch those sorts of designs!

stitched on 32 count Marie's Daffodil by Chromatic Alchemy

Because the fabric was paler than the recommended fabric, I decided to backstitch the goose, the basket and the eggs to make them stand out a little but more.  For a lovely version on the recommended fabric - have a look at June's blog here - Butterfly Wings

This is how I have finished the piece for my Easter display:


I bought a felt basket from The Works and cut it apart to get a nice long line of "grass" which I stuck to the edge of the frame.  Then I "planted" the Mill Hill Egg in the grass!  Because the frame is a box frame, the trim doesn't obscure the stitching.



Finally, it is IHSW - International Hop & Stitch Weekend - or Hermit, whichever you prefer!  Enjoy the Blog Hop and make time for stitching inbetween the egg hunting!  Have a wonderful weekend.  Except for Alicia, the Crafty Princess who is working all weekend.  Hope it's a quiet and peaceful weekend instead!













Monday, 18 March 2019

March IHSW



IHSW or International Hermit and Stitch Weekend always starts on the third Friday of the month.  It's a chance to lock yourself away and focus on your stitching for the weekend.  You can take part on your blog or via the Facebook page.  Links at the bottom of this post.

I was working all day on Friday so I took my current Just Nan small with me for lunchtime stitching:

Fairy Roses - stitched on 32 count Antique White linen

I stitched two of the palest pinks this time.  I've got about 2/3 of the lightest one and then some smyrna stitches to fill the centres of some of the flowers.  Then I'm done.

On Saturday I stitched The Land of Fog?


The Land of Fog (or the Foggy Islands) is a group of small islands widdershins of the continent of XXXX. Very little is known about them, partly due to their being shrouded in perpetual cloud and fog. It was missed, like everything else, by Sir Roderick Purdeigh on his voyages. What scanty reports there are indicate a mountainous terrain dotted with sheep and a few rugby players. According to legend this is where XXXX keeps the lawnmower. This legend, however, is only told on XXXX.
Annotation
A reference to New Zealand. When the Maoris first came to NZ they saw snow on the mountain tops (rather uncommon in their own previously tropical latitudes) and called this new land Aotearoa or "land of the long white cloud". Also famous for having more sheep than people and being home to The All Blacks.

Source - LSpace

I worked all day Sunday so I used Monday as the final day of my weekend and moved over to XXXX and the banner, alternating between the green and the lettering:

stitched on 32 count Murano custom dyed by Sparklies

That green will complete the island so then I can backstitch the whole place.


A few people have said that they don't do Facebook and asked if I could host a link-up for them, so here it is! Just add your name and the link to your actual IHSW post, not just your blog home page.

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The next IHSW will be 19th - 21st April so make sure you note the date in your diary or come and join us in the Facebook Group - IHSW on Facebook. If you don't do Facebook then you can check in here.

Finally, most serendipitously, Friday 19th April is also Good Friday in England so I will be hosting my Annual Easter Treasure Hunt.   If you would like to take part this year, just leave a comment here. The week before Easter I will send you a letter of the alphabet which will form part of the mystery phrase. On Good Friday you will post that letter along with a photo of something seasonal that you have stitched (could be Easter or Spring or just something cheerful and sunny or floral). We all hop around like little bunnies to find the Mystery Phrase!

Here's a link to last year's hop so you can see how it all works - Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2018



Friday, 30 March 2018

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2018

Welcome to this year's Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop, the biggest one yet!  I was so pleased as more and more people signed up for the Hop this year.  I am sure there will be some new blogs for everyone to discover as well as some firm favourites from previous years.

I don't have any new Easter Stitching unfortunately but I do have a lovely Spring piece stitched since last Easter:

Just Nan  - Spring in the Square

I am starting the Blog Hop off this year with this letter:


Get a piece of paper, make a note of that letter and then hop round the blogs in the following order:


Each blog will feature a letter which will spell out the mystery phrase, the first line of a poem this year.  Don't forget that some people will post later than others because of time zones.  Come back here at the end and leave a comment telling me what the mystery phrase is.  I have enabled comment moderation so the answers will not appear for two weeks.  Closing date is Friday 13th April.  How auspicious!

Don't forget that everyone who enters gets another entry into my Five Peaks Blog Hop Challenge this year!



Here's another Spring finish from Just Nan:



And here is what will be an Easter new start:


The fabric was a RAK from Tiff and is a little bit more acidic than in the photo,  It's a Chromatic Alchemy Belfast called Marie's Daffodil.  I will be stitching this for the next four days so will have something nice to show you hopefully on Easter Monday.  The project bag was a gift from Lisa the Inspired Stitcher.  It is the only frog I want near me!


Finally, there will be a new Blogger of the Week post up later today so don't forget to go and visit to see who it is.  I will also be announcing the winner of the competition we hosted there recently.

Have a great Easter!



Monday, 19 February 2018

February IHSW


This weekend was International Hermit & Stitch Weekend and once again I was working on Sunday!  Never mind.  I got lots done today instead.

On Friday I went to my Crafty Coffee Morning and took Mrs Peggotty's Alice with me.  Here is where she was last IHSW:


And here is where she is now:

stitched over one on 25 count blue evenweave

The purple on the right is the start of her skirt.  The top right green stitch shows the extent of the two pages I am stitching.  In order to complete this in a year I need to stitch two pages per month but there is plenty of time to catch up and Linda had restarted her's last time I checked!

The second piece I have been stitching this weekend is my focus for the month; Gardens of London by Chatelaine.  Here is where I started on Friday:


And here is where I stopped today:

stitched on 32 count Cotton Clouds Belfast by Crafty Kitten

I have finished all the plain xxxx in this part and have started the speciality stitches.  Close up of Rhodes Stitches and Algerian Eyelets:


The next IHSW will be 16th - 18th March so make sure you note the date in your diary or come and join us in the Facebook Group - IHSW on Facebook.



Finally, our thoughts are turning towards Spring which means only one things - Chocolate Eggs!
NO - Easter Blog Hops!  As usual I will be hosting an Easter Blog Hop with a Treasure Hunt for the Mystery Phrase.  Provide your own eggs!   If you would like to take part this year, just leave a comment here.  The week before Easter I will send you a letter of the alphabet which will form part of the mystery phrase.   On Good Friday you will post that letter along with a photo of something seasonal that you have stitched (could be Easter or Spring or just something cheerful and sunny or floral).  We all hop around like little bunnies to find the Mystery Phrase!

Here's a link to last year's hop so you can see how it all works - Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2017

The Easter Hop is the second peak of our Five Hops Challenge.  Everyone who joins in with all five hops this year (either as a participant or as a commenter) will be entered into the Five Hops draw at the end of the year.