Stashmas Decoration

Project: Stashmas Decoration
Started: 30.08.09
Finished:31.08.09

Design: (Front) One of the Winter Escape designs by Rhona Norrie from Cross Stitch Crazy magazine issue 130. (Back) Snowflake design by Kell Smurthwaite© and lettering from 120 Cards for Every Occasion freebie booklet from WOXS magazine issue 153.
Materials: 32 count Dragon Hand Dyed Jobelan in Heavens Above; Anchor 1211 (variegated turquoise) floss (2 over 2); beads from an old necklace

I’m taking part in the Stashmas Exchange on the Cross Stitch Forum – instead of a Christmas gift, we send a Stashmas gift (worth a maximum of £10 or the monetary equivalent) of anything stitchy-related. I decided to include a small stitched gift with mine to commemorate this year’s Stashmas Exchange, so I made this little decoration.

The design for the front came from the latest Cross Stitch Crazy magazine and I added some beads from an old broken necklace that I had, just to add a little sparkle and glamour. For the reverse, I designed a little snowflake and added a commemorative message in lettering that was from a freebie booklet  that came with World of Cross Stitching magazine a while back (120 Cards for Every Occasion). I then made a tassel (to which I added another bead) and a ribbon loop for hanging. It’s all just whip-stitched together and stuffed with regular soft toy stuffing. I think it turned out quite nicely and will be a lovely addition to the Stashmas gift I send out.

Cards for Charity

Project: Cards for Charity – TOFS
Started: 06.05.09
Finished: 08.05.09

At The Cross Stitch Forum, a cards for charity drive is a regular thing and this time round it was the turn of the TOFS charity (Tracheo Oesophageal Fistula with an Oesophageal Atresia – TOFS/OA for short). I’ve never done cards before, but this is a worthy cause and I am always up for a challenge. Since these could be quick projects, I promised to do four of them. I settled on two designs to be done in two different colour schemes. The first one is a slight variation on a design I found on My Aunt’s Attic, the other was a random free chart I had found on the internet and liked (I added the lettering and the “bounce marks”), but I can’t remember where (if anyone recognises the design, please let me know so I can credit it!).

The pink and blue cards are stitched on white 12-count aida – the pink one is in Anchor 1335 variegated with peach and blue beads, and the blue is in Anchor 1375 variegated with blue and yellow-green beads. The green and orange frog cards are stitched on cream 16-count aida with flosses I got free on a magazine, so I don’t know what make they are, but the green card features a frog in light and dark green, whereas the orange card has an orange and purple frog (I thought I’d experiment and be a little exotic with that one!).

Personally, I think they turned out quite well and I will certainly be making more cards in the future, both for charity drives and for personal use.