My dear new stitching friend Patti is throwing a MASSIVE giveaway; JIC you haven't already heard, pop over and enter before it ends tomorrow!

From Stitchy Giveaways

This is not the giveaway (It's a whole bunch of S-T-A-S-H!!!), but is instead a pic of her "favorite thing I've ever stitched") Looks like a BBD to me--it's so charming!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!---

Get your copy of The Daily Mel!

From Stitchy Giveaways

Mel, of The Daily Mel is having a giveaway to celebrate her 8th blogging anniversary/1000th post!

Whew! Now, it's a bit of a stretch to imagine that someone might read my blog who doesn't already read hers, but just in case DO check it out! The deadline for entry is Wednesday, 26 August 2009 at 11pm (Gee; I'm not sure what time zone she is...), and the prize package is astoundingly wonderful in its bounty! Follow the link at the top of this post for full details and entry directions. :D

:::

Now, then, for stitching on the home front, I've started a few things, and even FINISHED a few things since I last made a post here on "PoPn'N" (Yes, I just randomly made up a silly acronym for my blog title...Reminds me of one of those games at Chuck E. Cheese's-type places that says, "LeeeeeEEEEtssss POP 'EM!!" Then, "HOLLLLD DA Balls!" Only it sounds like "Hold the phone". Or maybe "Bone" with a "P" so, = "Pone". Do they still have that "game", Moms of Blogland?)
But, The Camera is not cooperating. And, besides, I do kinda despise taking pics...(maybe it's just my loathing of The Camera...)

What kind of blog has no pics, you say? Well, There's one up there! ^
Mel's don't count, you say?

But, I can say this, I have finished a wonderfully watermelony summery sampler (stitching, not only eating), FOUR Christmas Ornies, and A scissors fob (which is a giftie, so no pix yet anyway). In truth, I am still contemplating adding the year to my watermelon love, so maybe I'm not QUITE finished yet. I need to take some pics and post it up for opinions from you Gentle Readers of Blogland!

Until Next Time, I Remain
Yours in Stitching,
Berit

My Halloween Biscornu!

A little before Halloween 2008 I began customizing a common biscornu pattern to have a Halloween Theme. I have to say that I simply love Halloween Stitiching!!! I truly do think it is the best one for my tastes. I could ramble on for a long time about how I made the design, and what I think about this and that, but I truly want to hurry up the post so that I can get back to stitching today! (As well as housework... >_>)


Here is the "front" which I originally hoped would be the back...the "Spooky Jack" button is so charming! This is using DMC threads, and an unknown (probably charles craft 14ct) cream aida. I started this before I knew where to buy linen! The bead is actually from the same Japanese maker who does the Mill Hill beads, but in a larger size sold in as a Jewelry-making supply.


And the back--you can see why it became to busy for the button, eh? so on this side I simply used a a purple bead with a brassy orange shine.


My dear boyfriend is afraid of these spiders!! :D


I am in love with this bat!! >_<


I worked for a long while testing out stars, and in the end couldn't decide...


...So I used both styles!




It also looks good on a dusty plum ground!!


And this side, too!

And even keeping me company beside my PowerBook! As you can see, I am like a doting parent who takes WAY too many pictures! I had been thinking of this finish for a long time, but what finally motivated me to commit to it is a desire to join the HalloSal, which seems to be a French forum dedicated to the Halloween Stitch-a-long which was organized by GenCat after last Halloween (Get it--HalloSAL?) There are many SAL groups for things regarding Christmas (That most-stitchy of holidays), but nothing much for Haloween which is gaining popularity in the stitchy world, from what I understand. I first read about this group WAAAY back on Lili's Blog (just google for xstitch blog and she's one of the first hits as "Another Cross Stitch Addict"--along with Becky SC!) So, I am eagerly hoping to be a member at least until the end of the year-long group! I will have to shake Speed up to get something ready for the first of June, when the next ornament is due to be shown.

As for the Tiny Treasures Exchange, I was a good girl and stitched up my project a few weeks ago--however I have had to wait on the finances for mailing and finishing! So, in case you have come here from that blog, fear not, I have not forgotten my commitment to you even though my blog falls silent on the subject!


Here is something else altogether, a current WIP: freebie from the Brooke's Books Interactive Yahoo group: "Winter Panty".


And one more for good measure!

P.S. Please visit Yuko's Be Happy Blog for a chance to win the lovely Lily of the Valley pin keep she has made to celebrate her 3rd Anniversary with Cross Stitch! The contest will be decided a week from Sunday, Japanese time.

P.P.S. Yuko has added yet another Lily of the Valley pinkeep in a drawing, so don't forget to enter both contests!

Monday's Child

Edgar is having yet another giveaway, this time to celebrate the second anniversary of his blog Blacksheep's Bit of the Web. It is to be a mystery prize drawn on May 9th, I believe. Be sure to visit his blog for the full details and to enter!

As for me, I'm working to finish up the stitching on my mother's gift for (you guessed it!) Mother's Day. It is LHN/CC's "Believe". I am totally not sure how to finish it. I had initially been considering a pyn keepe or mattress pincushion, but I've never tried those finishes before. Additionally, it's turning out to be a bit over 5" square--BIG, it seems to me! Pics of the finish next time!

Giveaway Shoutouts!

I really do hesitate to turn this space into an add for other blogs, but when people start giving away such great stuff how can I resist? :) So, if you somehow see them on my little corner of the XS blogosphere and don't know them, pop over to their blogs and check 'em out! Free stuffs! Great WIPs! Movie Classics Views (from Edgar)!

Aaand, speak of the devil--first up is Edgar, a great movie and quaker-loving guy who seems to be involved in the mail art exchanges. I don't know much about these, but everytime I see them on someone's blog it seems that the envelope, address and all was stitched up, postage added, and sent naked through the post!! What's inside? All in all, I admire the daring of these stitchers. I could no more put a "naked" piece in a postbox than I could a newborn babe, lol! Ah, but well! His stitching is great and it's fun to catch his movie opinons; classics seem to be his faves! He has recently finished that "Lo how a Rose" Sampler that's all over the 'net like brushfire, and is giving away the (christmas?) book it is contained in! Go enter for you chance! :)

Next, is one that I DO think EVERYONE knows about: Nina is celebrating her 2-year blogaversary by giving away a sweet set of box and scissor fob--I think they even have her own hand-dyed floss! Wow, would I love to win this! Wouldn't you? You'll have to be quick as the deadline is April 30th at Midnight, but check out the conditions for entry! One of them is that you show a pic of your scissor collection! This works out perfectly, as I LOVE scissors, and had been planning to show off my modest little hoard soon anyway! Anti-procrastination, Yay!

From My crow-treasures

And here they are! I feel that I really must apologise for this terrible cell phone photo. I DO have a modest little point & shoot digicam, but of course the battery wants charging! I am beginning to feel that I truly do need a new cell--in January it was time for me to get a new phone "free" (with contract renewal and all that), but the phones were either lousy, expensive (for premium models), or I just didn't like them. And I DO like my current phone just fine...except that it takes exceedingly lousy blog photos! Ten years ago, when I was in High School and my dear friend's dad got a cell for busines, I would have never guessed that I'd be contemplating getting a new cell simply because I wanted a better camera for posting pics to the internet!! Wow, what I long way we have come! Too bad it can't all be for the better, though!

I had wanted to show you my works-in-progress, but that will have to wait for me to get the mojo to charge the camera batteries! lol!

Hello, All!
I am just desperate to show you these buttons I bought from Etsy recently for my little version of Mary's Pin Pillow by Indigo Rose. They have yet to arrive, and this is the photo from the seller's site! They are size 7/8", so I think think they will be really striking!


Etsy has some AMAZING buttons for sale, so I'm hoping I don't get too addicted! I had to restrain myself and only buy buttons that "I need now" for a specific thing instead of getting ever little thing that caught my eye! I could easily have spent $50 just on buttons! And nothing to sew them to...good thing I like Biscornu so much... But, I only bought this one kind. :)

It doesn't really show so in my previous post, but there is a good bit of plum in the floss I used, so I am hoping that these buttons will really bring it out. I took those photos as a test of the camera on a friend's new phone--it has 3.2 MP!! Not sure it's colours are so good, however. But, in its defense, it WAS a rather cloudy day.

I'm so excited for these buttons to arrive!! "Hurry up, Buttons!"

Yours in Stiching,
Berit

Recent Stitching...

Hello, Everyone!

I haven't got time for a proper blog today, but I wanted to drop in and show off (or encourage, lol) regarding what I have been working on recently. When I first began this blog, I was rather (silly) sad that there were no comments or traffic on it. (This is probably because I have been spoiled by my moderately popular video game blog, which I have held for perhaps 4 years or so!)

But, I have since then been astonished by how many people have left kind comments on my gaunt little blog! Thanks to all of you so much! I was really glad--and I must come around and reciprocate soon! But, until then, I wanted to put up a new post too keep active for my follower (Hi, Patti!). :)

So, with varying success, here follows What I've Been Stitching On:

Here is my version of Mary's Pin Pillow by Indigo Rose--I'm using 32ct Belfast Natural Linen and that Crimson/Plum (I call it) DMC overdyed floss. This design is, in my humble opinion, the most perfect Biscornu chart I have ever seen, and it is a dream of mine to have one--I can only hope to do it justice. This is also my first time using tension while stitching--the Q Snaps I ordered arrived! (And some other charts as well--yay, I'll be able to do my first stash blog!)

From In-Progress Stitching

And another view to show off the Spider's Web Stitches, which are actually silk, and of that common brand; "au v___ Soie", it is. You can see what a newbie I am, as I don't know the names of things! I chose it because the LNS lady said that anything else was "Garbage that you couldn't pay her to stitch with", and I had seen that the DMC overdye wasn't so nice upon trying it to learn the Spider's web stich.

From In-Progress Stitching

And Next, Stitchie Witchie, a freebie from Brooke Nolan of Brooke's Books' Yahoo "fan group" (Wow; so little meaning in that sentence!! Someone named Megan (I think) is running a fanclub for Brooke's Books. You must use your Yahoo email addy to join the group, and then the freebees are, well, free. Really nice cute stuff!

From In-Progress Stitching

Here's a close-up to show Witchie's "Electric Blue Satin Pumps"--I sitched them using DMC's satin floss; which like all sfx threads MAY be tacky, but I like anyway. :D Hey, it's all in how tastefully you use it, right? (As if there is a tasteful way to use a lawn flamingo, lol!) I do like that satin floss, though I can't find it in the shop and it's slippery as an eel--Maybe that's what makes it fun!! And, who DOESN'T want a pair of shiny pumps, eh? Now, I have some. (^_^)

From In-Progress Stitching

EEk! And so, in the end, this post DID come out to be a bit long! For now, I've gotta dash, but until next time with best wishes to you and yours (Happy Easter!), I remain,

Yours in Stitching,
Berit