New Arrivals

I’ve not been very good at blogging regularly recently but I have been a busy bee!

I had great fun at the weekend trying out my new anvil and hammers and I love the results.  Wire can be instantly transformed from a simple piece of jewellery into something beautifully textured and unique.

A lot of my latest designs seem to feature hearts but I’m a bit late for Valentine’s Day, however hearts make a wonderful gift for the one you love anytime of the year!

I’ve also been working on a side project for a friend of mine.  This uber geeky/fantabulous cross stitch features a scene from Monkey Island and is going to be turned into a cushion as a house warming gift.

The thread I’m using for the sky has been hand dyed by The Rainbow Girl – I absolutely love using her threads for their amazing blend of colours!

Valentine’s Day is Coming!

It’s not long now until the most romantic day of the year is upon us.  Show how much you care with handmade jewellery or a cross stitched Valentine’s Day Card.

www.thecandytree125.etsy.com

The Week Ahead

I posted off my custom Tartan Cross Stitch Earrings this morning.  I’m so pleased with how they turned out and love the detail in them – I just hope my giveaway winner feels that same way!

They are based on the Cameron of Erracht tartan, and considering the tiny scale I’m working to, I think they’re a fair representation.

I am planning to expand my range of tartan cross stitch earrings, but in the meantime I have also created a listing for Custom Tartan Earrings, which will make such a unique gift for friends or family (or just a cheeky treat for yourself!)

This week I am also getting back into some knitting – I’m currently working on a twisted rib pattern which is taking me quite a while… which means I’ll probably keep jumping between projects until its finally finished.  I can be quite impatient with slow patterns!

Don’t forget, there’s still a couple of days left of the Christmas in July Sale.  Head on over to my Etsy Shop and use coupon code CIJUK10 for 10% off EVERYTHING!  It may seem early, but Christmas in only a few months away, so why not get organised with some handmade gifts…

And the Winner is….

My Tartan Cross Stitch Earring giveaway has ended!

Photo by Chuck Rogers on Flickr

Congratulations go to Isobel L. who has been randomly selected as the winner!  Isobel will shortly be receiving her own pair of custom handmade cross stitch earrings featuring the Erracht Cameron tartan.

Would you like to receive a pair of custom tartan cross stitch earrings for yourself or as a unique gift for a friend?  Then get in touch – I just love custom work!

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Giveaway! Tartan Cross Stitch Earrings

Avid followers of my blog and/or shop will know that I have started creating tartan cross stitch earrings.  These miniature pieces of art are created by cross stitching the tartan pattern and mounting it onto antique silver frames and matching earwires.

I want to expand my collection (I only have three tartans at the moment!) but I’m not sure what the most popular tartans would be.

This is where you come in!

I am offering a free pair of custom tartan cross stitch earrings, stitched in your own family’s tartan.  What a unique prize (if I do say so myself!)

Here is what you need to do:

• Click on the giveaway button below to be taken to the giveaway entry page.

• Tell me what your family’s tartan is.  This may require a little research on your part and obviously not everyone will have a Scottish name.  However even if your own name isn’t Scottish, you may have Scottish ancestors so I am happy for you to enter a substitute name.  The point being I just want to find out what the most common tartans will be!

• You can also submit additional entries by following the steps on the Rafflecopter website (e.g. follow my blog, like my Facebook page etc)

This giveaway will be open for entries for one week – ending at midnight (BST) on 21 July.  The winner will be announced on Monday 22 July and it will take me one week to create the custom tartan earrings.

In the meantime you can find my current offering of Tartan Cross Stitch Earrings right here.  Remember you can use Coupon Code CIJUK10 for 10% off everything in my Etsy shop until the end of July.

Thanks in advance and good luck!

The Week Ahead – Cross Stitch Madness!

I’ve finally prepared my series of cross stitched Christmas cards and I’ve been listing them in my Etsy shop.  Yep, I know it’s June but these cards are hand stitched to order so I might as well have them ready for the super organised amongst you!

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Some feature single toned threads whilst others use hand dyed variegated threads which add another element to these designs.

I looked at Fair Isle for my inspiration and these patterns have been adapted from photos of traditional knitted sweaters I found online.  I think there is something sweet about the simplicity of these designs and they are perfect for giving to friends or family.

If you would like to order a pattern in a specific colour which isn’t listed, just give me a shout – I absolutely love custom stitching 🙂

This week I will be sticking with my cross stitch, but working on more tartan earring designs.  Keep you eyes peeled for these little works of art coming soon!

The Week Ahead – Christmas Cards!

It seems mad to be working on Christmas cards in May, but I want to get my new series ready for the Christmas in July sale which Etsy holds every year.  This is a great way to promote Christmas goodies and also encourages people to be super organised.  After all, these Christmas cards are cross stitched by hand so they can take a bit of time to make!

I recently ordered more hand dyed embroidery thread from The Rainbow Girl and I just love the way the colours subtly blend into each other.   I’m thinking of offering each design for sale individually, as well as part of a set – either the same design in a mix of colours or vice versa.

I’ve also made a start to my tartan cross stitch earrings, and as promised, here is a sneak preview of the Flower of Scotland pattern.

As is more often than not the case, tomorrow’s “Top Tip Tuesday” post is currently non-existent!  I did have an idea of explaining how to effectively get the creases out of folded aida fabric, however I forgot to take any photos…!

If you have a top tip you would like to share, please get in touch!

The Week Ahead – New Ideas

So it’s another week and I’ve been taking things a little easy on the crafting front.  However, I’ve got 101 different ideas to try out so I’m ready to jump straight back in!

This week I am planning on finishing off my basket weave scarf (which I’ve been taking a ridiculously long time with) and starting on some new cross stitch ideas.  Let’s face it, the weather is finally improving so I should probably put the knitting needles to one side for now.  Saying that, I do want to start going to a local knitting night – there are a few pubs in Edinburgh that seem to hold regular knitting nights.  I just need to build up the courage to pop along (I’m stupidly shy when it comes to these things!!)

One of my new ideas is to create Cross Stitch Tartan Earrings.  Not sure how it’s going to pan out but I’ve ordered the threads to create a Flower of Scotland Pattern so I’ll probably have an update on that next week.

I’ve also just finished some more Heart Cross Stitch Earrings and they’ll be going into the shop in the next day or two.

I recently knitted a pair of baby booties for one of the gals at work and I think they would be a great wee seller so I might try knitting up some more – they’re truly adorable!  I might need to take another crack at the matching hat though – this one looks a tad small!!

I think that’s all my news for now.  I’m sure I’ll have more of an update once I properly get back into things this week!  Enjoy the Bank Holiday Monday if you’re getting the day off.  Sadly I’ll no doubt be typing away at work by the time you’re reading this!

Put a Spring in your step with Free UK Postage!

The sky is blue, the sun is out and March is finally here!  Despite the fact it’s still freezing outside, I’m so happy that Spring is creeping around the corner!

By way of celebration I am teaming up with some fellow Etsians to offer free UK postage for the entire month of March!  Simply use Coupon Code FREEMARCH13 at checkout to take part in this great offer!

Visit my Etsy shop to find my full range of handmade jewellery, scarves, patchwork cushions and cross stitch designs – the entire range is included in this freepost offer!

This one is my favourite

This is a wonderful opportunity to promote handmade in the UK and you can find a selection of just some of the items available from other Etsians right here.

Share the Love

I took my Christmas tree down today and it’s left me feeling a little blue – so in order to pick myself up again I’ve decided to move on to the next event of the year (except my birthday of course!) – Valentine’s Day!  Apparently Valentine’s Day is hated by singletons everywhere, but I think it should be a fun day whether you are in a relationship or not.  If you’re single and looking for love, why not send out a Valentine’s Day card to that someone special or a cheeky pair of earrings to that girl you like?

I’ve been working on a range of adorable cross stitched goodies including these red satin heart earrings and cards.  Want to send your Valentine’s Day card anonymously?  Just give me the details of your desired message and recipient and I will take care of the rest!

Click on over to my shop to see my full range of gifts and Valentine’s Day goodies – and as a little thank you to my blog readers, you can use Coupon Code VALENTINE13 at checkout for 15% off your order!