Rose Chick-Chat

And another Valerie Pfeiffer little birds cross-stitch. This one isn't framed yet, because, though it is from the same series of chick-chats, it's a bit bigger and I'll have to order a larger frame (knowing me, this might take a while :)

This is a stop-motion movie I made on the making of this cross stitch:

 

Pattern: Rose Chick-Chat
Designer: Valerie Pfeiffer
Canvass: Aida 14
Floss: DMC

On My Needles - Another Joy

Remember last summer I knit a XS size Kim Hargreaves's Joy for my daughter - and she loved it! And so did my mother - so when she asked me to knit one for her too, I was only happy to oblige.

This is probably one of the best summer cardigan designs I've encountered and I am seriously considering knitting one for me, or probably a Christina, for a change :)

I'm loving it so far - the texture is beautiful and the feel of the knit is like velvet. I'm using my usual yarn of choice for the summer - a cotton-acrylic blend in light grey:

Café Ravello

Yet another puzzle by Howard Behrens - very easy and pleasant, just 1000 pcs, assembled by my husband and mostly me in the course of a few days :)

Puzzle: Café Ravello by Educa
Artist: Howard Behrens
Size: 1000 pcs.

Blue Bell Chick-Chat

Pattern: Blue Bell Chick Chat
Designer: Valerie Pfeiffer
Canvass: Aida 14
Floss: DMC

I know - little birds and flowers, it's as corny as it gets and my husband has been making fun of me enough :).
But to me cross stitching is rarely about creating pieces of art, but more often just about pleasure, and these little cross stitch designs provide instant gratification and pleasure in loads. The first one - with the berries, is my favorite and I made it some three years ago, it has been hanging in the children's room ever since and there is even some discoloration of the frame slightly visible. The second one - with the fuchsia, followed a year later, and this third one dried this morning. I had preordered three equal frames, so this morning I finally framed the fuchsia and the blue bell birds, and the trio is ready to be hung.
But that's not all - stay tuned ... :)

The Versatile Blogger Award Nomination

What a pleasant surprise! My humble blog has been nominated for this Blog Award by Natalie from Marigold's Loft! Thank you Natalie, I'm honored and happy!

Here are the conditions of The Versatile Blogger Award: – Thank the person who gave you this award. – Include a link to their blog. – Next, select 15 bloggers that you follow regularly or have recently discovered. – Nominate those bloggers for the Versatile blogger-award. – Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

I love following the blogs of other crafting people. There are so many of them and they all deserve the nomination. But as I have to nominate only 15, here's a non-exhaustive list of my most favorite blogs in random order:

1. Carolyn @ Handmade by Carolyn - reading her witty words, always accompanied by those stunning photos of her projects, is a pure delight.
2. Sveta @ Tam, gde tzvetet lantana - She's a Russian in Australia, her blog is full of beautiful scenery photos and exquisite knitting.
3. Gail @ today's agenda: - great knitting and sewing projects and lots of nail polishing tips by a kind-hearted stylish lady.
4. Sew @ OhSewCrafty - an amazing knitting blog with thorough pattern reviews and beautiful project photos
5. Nadia @ Clementintje Knits - another great knitter with perfect photography skills
6. Veta @ Veta's knitting - her knitting is so inspiring
7. Alexandra @ Wool & Cotton - beautiful knitting projects, lots of great yarn pictures and Greece in photos - who doesn't love Greece!
8. Rene Sharp @ Living in Sunny South Africa - so many beautiful photos of her family and her crafting projects
9. Kristiina @ Frosty Lily - you don't need to read Finnish to appreciate her beautiful knitting!
10. Ewa @ Handmade by Effcia - great knitter and designer! - with beautifully photographed projects.
11. Tania Ho @ Chocolate A Chuva - knitting and traveling - a perfect lifestyle combination!
12. Veera @ 100% rain - a very creative Finnish knitting designer
13. Suvi @ 50 villapeikkoa - another great Finnish knitter and designer - beautiful photography and great knitting ideas
14. Kristen @ Knitionary - beautiful table arrangements, cooking and knitting - she is style personified
15. Hristo @ DIYFAN - well, because he's my husband and he's a genius in electronics :)

And now 7 things about myself:
1. I've loved making things with my hands ever since I was a tiny little girl. I pestered my mother to teach me knit when I was only four and a half years old, after I saw her knit for my newborn little sister. That year I knitted my first doll cardigan :)
2. I love mathematics. I solve problems with my morning coffee like other people solve Sudoku or crossword puzzles.
3. I love languages and linguistics. I regret it that with age I tend to forget foreign words quicker than I learn new words :)
4. Though I'm definitely a creature of warmth and sun, I am strangely attracted and fascinated by snow, icy deserts, the polar areas, high snowy mountains and cold and I find books and films on these topics irresistible.
5. I love traveling and visiting places.
6. I love historical ruins and reading about the history of places and people.
7. I love being on the shore of big rivers, lakes or the sea.

Rousse

Rousse is the biggest Bulgarian town on the Danube River, often called the Little Vienna because of the Neo-Baroque and Neo-Rococo architecture of its main streets. Last week my daughter took part in the final National Round of the Students' Olympiad in Biology, which was held in Rousse. This is the highest (third) level of the Olympiad and I'm so proud of my little biologist, she ranked fourth among seventh graders from all over the country. The hosts of the Olympiad had prepared a great program for the participants, including guided tours through the city and its historical museum, presentations on bird protection and a workshop, where the children made 3D birds and other interesting stuff. We had a great time in Rousse!

The Red Car Greeting Card

This is a short photo tutorial on how to make a cross stitch greeting card.

First, of course, you need the cross stitch. For this greeting card for my nephew (remember, his birthday is due soon :), I've chosen a fairly complicated pattern, which I like immensely - the Red Car Parked by Permin of Copenhagen. It has several colors, single and double stranded stitches, lots of back stitch in different colors - a real miniature.



Here's a short stop motion movie I made on the making of the cross stitch picture:



Then you also need a transparency sheet, regular and decorative scissors, a ruler, a cutter, two sheets of colored cardboard size A4, white sheet of paper (for the greeting), multi purpose glue:



Fold the first sheet of colored cardboard in half, measure and cut the window opening for the picture, cut the edges with the decorative scissors:



Measure and cut a piece of transparency sheet and glue it carefully to the opening:



Carefully gauge the position of the cross stitch picture into the opening and then glue the edges of the cross stitch to the transparency piece:



Cut the second sheet of colored cardboard about a centimeter smaller than the half of the card and carefully glue it to seal the cross stitch picture:



Cut a piece of white sheet, write your greeting and glue it to the card:



Your unique card is ready to bring joy to someone special for you: