Hallowe'en Trick Or Treat Blog Hop 2015

Knotted Tree NeedleArt

Welcome to the spooky hallowe’en mystery phrase blog hop!

All you need to do is visit each of the following blogs in order, jot down the letter displayed with their Hallowe'en stitched picture then return here and leave a comment telling me the Mystery Phrase.

It'd be nice if you left a comment on their blog too, especially if it's new to you.

I've enabled "moderate comments before publishing" so no-one can copy anyone else!

There will be a small prize for one person picked at random from the guessers.  People who posted a picture  will get one chance for that and another chance if they make a guess too.

So without further ado,

start the blog hop – enter if you dare…

Justine's Cross Stitch
Jeremiah's Mom
My Little Corner of Cyberspace
Fantasy Cross Stitch
Fireflies & Cats in the Garden
Needle, Pen & Sword
Needleworker's Samplings
Sewing After Seven
Mii Stitch
A Patchwork of Crafts
Kitten Stitching
Needles, Pins and Dragonflies
Today I Found...
Jocondine
Guava Gems

and then finally back here for this letter:

T

and this design:

Just Nan Ghoulies and Ghosties

and an unfinished Witch!

Brooke's Books Trixie The Hallowe'en Witch

I've completed all the cross stitch, metallics and beading.  There are a lot of fiddly details like bows and brooms to do.  None of which work well with a Small Boy who wants you to read Peppa Pig every five minutes.  So I'll leave the finishing until he's back at school.

Don't forget, some of us are on different time zones so if you visit a blog and can't find a letter or picture yet, pop back later in the day.  

The competition is open for one week closing 00.01 hours 7th November GMT.

happy hunting!

        

all from Hyraea

Finally, the D.E.S.I.G.N. post will appear tomorrow.

Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2014

Welcome to the spooky hallowe’en mystery phrase blog hop!

All you need to do is visit each of the following blogs in order, jot down the letter displayed with their Hallowe'en stitched picture then return here and leave a comment telling me the Mystery Phrase.

It'd be nice if you left a comment on their blog too, especially if it's new to you.

I've enabled "moderate comments before publishing" for the next week so no-one can copy anyone else!

There will be a small prize for one person picked at random from the guessers.  People who posted a picture  will get one chance for that and another chance if they make a guess too.

So without further ado,

start the blog hop – enter if you dare…

A Patchwork of Crafts
All XXs
The Alchymyst's Study
Crafty Weasel
Cross Stitch Fantasy
Ishkabibble
Jocondine
Justine's Cross Stitch
Kitten Stitching
My Journey
My Little Corner of Cyberspace
Needles Pins and Dragonflies
Needleworker's Samplings
Stitch Bitch
Stitch Witch Hazel's Stitchy Musings
Today I Found
Hallowe'en Ornie SAL Blog

and then finally back here for this letter:

S

and this design:

Blackbird Designs - Spell of the Moon

stitched on 32 count Cognac linen using DMC

The moon is stitched n DMC 4090

Don't forget, some of us are on different time zones so if you visit a blog and can't find a letter or picture yet, pop back later in the day.  The competition is open for one week closing 00.01 hours 7th November GMT.

happy hunting!

        

all from Hyraea

Finally, Theme-a-licious and the Just Nan Updates will follow on All Saints' Day tomorrow.

Trick or Treat Winners

A Big Thank You to everyone who joined in with the Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop this year, whether you were a Picture Poster or a Mystery Phrase Finder.  The Mystery Phrase was chosen by the Large Boy.  He wanted his tea to feature but I pointed out that Shakespeare used Toe of Frog not Leg of Frog which was his suggestion!  So the Phrase was -

EYE OF NEWT AND TOE OF FROG

Congratulations to everyone who got it right.  All the names were allocated playing cards and we chose two at random; one Picture Poster and one Phrase Finder.  They will each receive a little something in the post.  The lucky two are:

CHRISTINE

 and

LANYBLEU

I completed Titania, Queen of the Fairies for Rachel's Large Mirabilia Round Robin, but as she is the last block I won't show a picture here until Rachel has received her back and sees her for herself.

I also made a nice new start, you know what it's like when you finish a piece you have been OAAT on for over a month, you're a little lost as to what to start first!  So I chose a fairly small piece from the JCS Hallowe'en Ornie Special, an owl.  Here is my huge progress so far:

Impressive, huh?

I also have a new button on my side bar featuring a sweet little Spanish Hobbit.  I discovered this challenge by chance.  To celebrate the release of the second Hobbit film on 13th December Crochettes is hosting a challenge to produce something related to Tolkein, not just the Hobbit but the whole realm of Tolkeinness, not just cross stitch but anything arty or crafty.  I have found a great chart already and have been busy charting some runes out.  I used to be able to read and write runes almost as easily as French or German (which says more about how poor my French and German were!) and it does come back to you quite quickly even 30 years later.  So if you'd like to join in, click on the Hobbit and he will take you there!

Finally, it is time to start looking forward to the next Blog Hop - the Advent Calendar.  Shebafudge's favourite event of the year!  As in previous years there will be 24 doors posted on my blog.  Each person who signs up will be allocated a date, on that date they must post a photo of something Festive they have stitched, either in the past or this year.  I will then copy the photo across to my post and by Christmas Eve we will have 24 Open Doors each linked to a different blog.  Last year I had more than 24 people so we had some Double Days which was great.  To take part please email me letting me know if there is a date you prefer or wish to avoid.  

Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2013

Welcome to the spooky hallowe’en mystery phrase blog hop!

All you need to do is visit each of the following blogs in order, jot down the letter displayed with their Hallowe'en stitched picture then return here and leave a comment telling me the Mystery Phrase.

It'd be nice if you left a comment on their blog too, especially if it's new to you.

I've enabled "moderate comments before publishing" for the next week so no-one can copy anyone else!

There will be a small prize for one person picked at random from the guessers.  People who posted a picture  will get one chance for that and another chance if they make a guess too.

So without further ado,

start the blog hop – enter if you dare…

Taking One Stitch at a Time

Annette's Acre

Kitten Stitching

Stitching in Sunny Cal

My Frozen Sunshine

Today I Found

My Stitching Life

Alchymyst's Study

Cabbages and Kings

Needles, Pin and Dragonflies

Back on the Wall

Colourful Memories

My Creative Corner

Dragon Stitches and Stuff

The Grey Tail

Shebafudge

Keep Calm and Cross Stitch

Thread Garden

This and That

Cross Stitch and Other Musings

and then back to me for this letter:

G

This is Fang, a Hallowe'en special from Dragon Dreams

Don't forget, some of us are on different time zones so if you visit a blog and can't find a letter or picture yet, pop back later in the day.  The competition is open for one week closing 00.01 hours 7th November GMT.

happy hunting!

        

all from Hyraea

Finally, Theme-a-licious Looking Backward and Forward X will follow on All Saints' Day tomorrow.

Sign up for the Trick or Treat Blog Hop

It's October and time to sign for the annual Trick or Treat Hallowe'en Blog Hop which will take place on the 31st October.  No surprise there for the date!

Those of you with long memories may remember last year's Blog Hop, found here.

If you'd like to host a Haunted House all you have to do is email me to let me know you want to take part.  I will allocate each person a letter of the alphabet.  On 31st October you must post your letter plus a photo of an design you have stitched on a Hallowe'en theme.

I will list all the blogs taking part in order and the Trick or Treaters can hop around collecting the letters and working out the hidden phrase.  Leave a comment back on my blog and one lucky person wins a small prize.  Woo-hoo!

You can be both a Host and a Trick or Treater too.

Still on a Hallowe'en theme, I made a small start on the Drac in a Box from this year's JCS Hallowe'en Special.  Here is how he may look once he is finished:

And here is my progress so far:

Impressive?  Shebafudge did warn me the amount of fabric they list is completely over-the-top.  For example, these side pieces are 2.25 inches square.  They recommend a 6 x 6 inch piece of fabric for each one, so a piece 18 x 12 inches.  Mine is 13.5 x 9 so roughly half the size of their's.  What a waste!  To make the box up they say cut each square with a 1/4 inch margin, so why stitch with more than a 1 inch margin?

Anyway, the boring bit is done and now I can get on with the motifs.  BTW it's a 32 count Permin linen called Star Sapphire.

Finally, could you identify the design I'm stitching for Rachel's large Mirabilia Round Robin from this photo?

This is the result of two evening's stitching which I posted on the Mirabilia Minions FB page.  Incredibly some people guessed the design from this small amount!  They are true Minions.  Just for fun I will leave revealing the answer until next time to see if any of my followers can claim to be Mira Minions too.

As One Draw Closes Another One Opens

Did you see what I did there with the title?  Clever huh?  LOL at myself.

The draw closing is the Hallowe'en Blog Hop Mystery Phrase.  The answer was, of course, Witch's Cauldron.  A Big Thank You to everyone who posted pictures and their letter, you get one entry in the prize draw for that.  Another Big Thank You to everyone who played the game, you get one entry in the prize draw for that.  The Random Number Generator Boy was pressed into service to choose the Winner -

DJH

DJH is a new blogger only starting her blog in September this year so pop over there and say Hello!  She helpfully has a first post entitled abcs of me which gives me plenty of information to decide what she has won.  I don't have an email address for you, DJH, so hopefully you'll read this and get in touch with your address so I can send a little something to you.

The next draw opening is my 300 Followers Giveaway - ta-dah!!  I have plundered my box of cover gifts to offer 300 prizes.  oops strike that!  I  will be offering 3 bundles of 3 prizes.  That's better.  All you have to do is choose your three favourites items from the following pictures and leave a comment containing something about you using the number 3 or 300.  So you might say "Congrats on 300 followers" or "I currently have 3 BAPs on the go" or "I will never stitch all my stash if I live to be 300".  Anything you like as long as it has 3 or 300 in the sentence.
Oh yes and you must be a follower!

So here are the choices:

Number 1 - Fizzy Moon Stocking kit, includes materials and chart

Number 2 - Fizzy Moon Flowers kit, includes materials and chart

Number 3 - Koala kit, includes materials and chart 

Number 4 - All Our Yesterdays, four Christmas themed charts

Number 5 - Margaret Sherry chart, includes all 26 letters not just R B and G!

Number 6 - Lickle Ted kit, includes materials and chart

Number 7 - Boofle chart only

Number 8 - Robin, includes materials and chart

Number 9 - Reindeer cards kit, includes materials and chart

Number 10 - Festive Doves kit, includes materials and chart

Number 11 - Gingham Hearts kit, includes materials and chart

Number 12 - Star Garland kit, includes materials and chart

Once I have all the names and choices I will randomly pick one person to receive their choice of three gifts, then I'll remove all the names who also choose those gifts and select a second person from the names left, then I'll remove all the names who also choose those gifts and select a third person from the names left.  That way everyone received their top three gifts.

The mathematically-minded will have spotted there will be three gifts left over.  If by some random serendipitous chance anyone has chosen those three then they will get them, if not then I'll draw names and three people will get one each.

Complicated?  Not much, just be grateful all you need to do is make a choice and leave a comment containing either 3 or 300!!  I'll concentrate on my lovely spreadsheet of names.

Finally, the Advent Calendar Blog Hop will be starting on the 1st of December, same format as last year - sign up and be allocated a date.  Post a stitched Christmas picture on your date plus a comment about the festive season.  You can email me now if you like stating if you have a preference for an early date or later in the month or any dates you can't do.  I'll be posting about it regularly and adding a logo soon!

Hallowe'en Mystery Phrase Blog Hop

Welcome to the spooky hallowe’en mystery phrase blog hop!

All you need to do is visit each of the following blogs in order, jot down the letter displayed with their Hallowe'en stitched picture then return here and leave a comment telling me the Mystery Phrase.

It'd be nice if you left a comment on their blog too, especially if it's new to you.

I've enabled "moderate comments before publishing" for the next week so no-one can copy anyone else!

There will be a small prize for one person picked at random from the guessers.  People who posted a picture  will get one chance for that and another chance if they make a guess too.

So without further ado, 

start  the blog hop – enter if you dare…

Fittingly the first blog is The Alychmyst's Study

Then onto This and That

Shebafudge

I want do one more stitch

Kitten Stitching

It's Geek to Me
Blue Star Stitcher

Stitches by Carin

Cucki's Stitching Cove

Count it All Joy

Reflections in the Pond

Cathryn's Place

Just a Little Stitchin'

and finally (just so it isn't thirteen) back to me:

Cute?

This is an old piece, stitched sometime in the 1990s.

The ABC and border came from a book by Better Homes and Gardens called "Cross Stitcher's Big Book of Alphabets and Borders".  And yes, it does exactly what it says on the tin!!  I have used this book alot.

I centralised the alphabet and changed the shape behind the L to another skull rather than a beige paper bag with a white thing sticking out the top.  The finished framed piece now lives in the Large Boy's room.

Finally, don't forget, some of us are on different time zones so if you visit a blog and can't find a letter or picture yet, pop back later in the day.  The competition is open for one week closing 00.01 hours 7th November GMT. - Competition now closed!

happy hunting!

        

all from Hyraea