I was really chuffed when The Wedding Secret got in touch last month and asked to feature one of my Cross Stitch Wedding Samplers in their blog article about Second Wedding Anniversary Gifts. This online magazine has tonnes of posts … Continue reading
It’s that time of the year again here in the UK – school is almost out but you haven’t got anything for your kid’s teacher. How does it manage to sneak up on us every year?! I’m actually organised this … Continue reading
Stuck for ideas this Father’s Day? Why not stitch this quick QR Code for your Dad. He can scan it with his phone and the message reads “Happy Father’s Day”. Mount it on a card or frame it for a … Continue reading
It’s been a while since I last added something new to my Etsy Shop but I’ve finally had a chance to finish off this chemistry-inspired chart for a geeky couple in your life…
The perfect gift for any chemistry couple…
So, what do you think??
You can change the colours to suit your decor and it would make a very different wedding gift than those flowery cross stitch charts you usually see. Adding a date and some names underneath the design would be a great way to personalise it too.
You can find the chart here and it’s available for instant download so you can start stitching straight away… It’s only £4.49 (+VAT where applicable).
Anyway, I’m on a roll now and have some other periodic element designs in the pipeline and I’m aiming to add something new every month. If there’s anything you’d like to see then just drop me a note. I’m always looking for quirky new designs to add to my range!
Every January my Etsy Shop sees a surge in sales of my Chinese Zodiac Symbols as the Chinese New Year approaches.
New Year is the biggest Chinese holiday of the year, with celebrations lasting around two weeks!
Unlike the zodiac we are used to, having 12 signs within 12 months, the Chinese Zodiac has 12 signs that each last one full Chinese year. The date of the New Year also varies from year to year as the calendar is based on the cycles of both the sun and the moon – a lunisolar calendar.
So for 2017 the New Year starts on 28 January 2017 and ends on 15 February 2018. This year is the Year of the Rooster, and more specifically, the Year of the Fire Rooster (as every sign can be divided into one of the five elements used in Feng Shui – fire, water, earth, wood or metal). This means that the last Year of the Fire Rooster was 1957 and will not repeat again for another 60 years!
People born in 1957 or 2017 are extremely strong willed. They have many leadership qualities and have the ability to rise to the top of their profession. They can be shy but are also fun and exciting to be around.
In celebration of the Fire Rooster, all Year of the Rooster purchases from my Etsy Shop will automatically include the 2017 Year of the Fire Rooster bonus chart. And it’s only £1.99 (+VAT if applicable).
And if you want to stitch all 12 Chinese Zodiac symbols then you can find them in a special 12 for 10 pack in my Etsy shop too.
I love designing cross stitch charts for my customers and I love it even more when I receive a photo of their completed creation. So, here are just four of my favourite photos I received during 2016…
Most are from my personalized Name Sampler & Wedding Sampler range with the ‘Nerdy’ Chemical Element stitch available to buy & download straight from my Etsy Shop along with lots of other quirky stitches.
I’m looking forward to designing even more cross stitch charts in 2017 and even have a new name sampler design in the pipeline – the first for a couple of years as other events have taken my attention!
Wishing you a wonderful New Year and see you on the other side…
H x
I thought I’d lost the crafting bug completely there for a while peeps… But don’t worry, after a few years of not really doing many projects I am finally back in the swing of things!! Hooray!!
It’s got to be the one downside of running a crafty business – some of the fun seems to get lost along the way when it’s always for someone else and it’s part of your livelihood. But realising that not all of my craft pursuits had to be for financial gain and promising myself to finish each project before starting another has seemed to work and I am now all ready to begin a wonderful CAL (crochet-a-long) on 6th January.
My promise to complete all previous projects is actually working and any UFOs I really couldn’t face from years ago (I actually had one cross stitch project that was almost 30 years old!) have been binned. Yes, I have actually thrown them away… Radical I know but I’m feeling so much better for it.
My ‘family’ of ripple blankets
My three most recent projects have been ripple blankets for myself and my two sons. Well, I couldn’t have one without doing one for each of them and once I found the Attic 24 Ripple Blanket I was hooked. You can see all three here – my original one (the coast ripple) on top, with Boy Child 2’s ‘Sunshine’ blanket second and Boy Child 1’s rainbow blanket on the bottom and my most recent finish. We all snuggle up under them to watch telly and I love the fact that they are all so different, even though the pattern is the same.
My next project is this AMAZING Moorland Blanket and as my yarn pack arrived today from Wool Warehouse I am itching to start. I love the fact that all the hard work of choosing and sourcing colours is done for you and it all arrives really neatly packed in a massive organza bag too. Oh, and I only ordered it yesterday, missed the last Christmas post on the Wool Warehouse website and it still arrived today – this site is brill people…
But I’ll have to wait just a little bit longer to start creating as the first set of instructions aren’t online yet!
Moorland Blanket CAL Colours Image courtesy of Attic24
ARGHHHH!!! Is it just me who finds it hard to sit with a new pack of wool or cross stitch threads and not start???? Oh, and I have nowhere to put it but just HAVE to make it – that’s normal too right???
So, in the meantime, I have a special QR Code with a secret message that I am stitching for a friend. These sell really well in my Etsy store but I’ve not stitched one for ages. I can’t tell you what it is yet, but these are perfect for any geek or kids in the family… And I promise to share once I have handed it over!
In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas everyone & look forward to connecting with you in 2017.
H x
After my earlier rant about people not reading my website. Here is a lovely photo I received from a happy customer of her finished Fairy Name Sampler.
I do have some amazing customers and just wanted to finish today on a positive note.
H x
When I first started designing cross stitch charts I used to provide all of the materials for each design. I also lived in an enormous house at the time and had the space (and time) to do this with ease.
However, 10 years on and a massive downsize later I now only provide charts via email and most of my customers understand this and sales are still great.
I think that my website explains this pretty clearly. In fact it is mentioned on EVERY SINGLE page and section and within every item that you click on. It is also in the FAQs and T&Cs that customers tick during checkout to confirm they have read – and it’s right at the top of those so no trawling through reams of junk first. AND, finally it’s in the confirmation email they receive once they have ordered. So that’s at least 6 times it is written for customers to see.
And yet, I still have customers who complain once they have received their bespoke, personalised chart saying they didn’t know what they were buying. One customer recently even admitted that she hadn’t bothered reading the website but still expected me to do something about it!
So, my question to you is this… Can you tell me what I’m doing wrong? Is there another way of making this completely idiot-proof or do I just have to suffer the backlash of unhappy customers as I am unwilling to refund their money for a job I’ve already done??
Your thoughts would be appreciated on this one, especially if you order online. What do the words ‘Cross stitch chart via email‘ mean to you??
It really is soul-destroying when I put so much effort into all of my designs and still have people not value them for the work that goes in…
H x
I know – it’s not even October yet and I have already mentioned the ‘C’ word… But hey, I love the festive season and in the cold UK Winter there is nothing better to do on a school night than cross stitch!
So, I’m having a little pre-pre-Christmas sale and offering a 20% discount on my three lovely Christmas-themed cross stitch charts:
You can choose from Candy Canes, Snowman or Stockings and get a personalised chart emailed to you for just £16 (usually £20) when you order before 31st October 2016 – that’s a 20% saving and the first discount I’ve offered in ages.
Simply head over to the Christmas section of my website to see them all and get your discount.
Happy Xmas Stitching everyone!!
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