iheartcharms Christmas Giveaway

Welcome to the iheartcharms Christmas Giveaway!

Lovely Locket, Button Earrings and Flower Ring up for grabs.

Just comment on this post with your favourite iheartcharms shop item  to enter.

Bonus entry: Leave another comment if you tweet about the giveaway (including @iheartcraftsnet) or become a facebook friend.

Giveaway runs until Wednesday December 1st.

All welcome to enter - will post worldwide!

Givaway ends at 12 noon GMT TODAY!

Covet Tuesday: Pimm's Winter Cup

I really wish I could find Pimm's Winter in an Irish shop but have yet to see it anywhere! It is produced seasonally and is made with the Pimm's No.3 Cup (based on brandy) with infusions of spices and orange peel. A Pimm's Winter teapot sounds like the perfect Christmas Eve drink!

Christmas Mittens and Stockings

I've been busy stitching Christmas Mittens and Stockings with Alexander Henry and Sheri Berry retro-style fabric! Available now in my iheartcrafts shop over at Etsy.

Royal Cross Stitch

Following yesterday's Engagement I thought it would be a good time to show you a recent thrifty car boot find. I had seen this cross stitch during the Summer and regretted not buying it once leaving the sale. However, we returned a few weekends ago and lo and behold the stallholder still had it for sale (probably due to generally grubby nature, boring frame and decidedly Royal content). So I snapped it up for 7.50euro - a total bargain for such a large piece - and I love the colours too - just a little clean and a new frame and it will look great!

Visiting: The Knitting and Stitching Show

Last month I was lucky enough to attend The Knitting and Stitching Show at the RDS. The hall was jam-packed with exhibitors with loads of goodies on sale. I noticed a particular emphasis on quilting and cross stitch stands. I succumbed to some mini cross stitch kits, kawaii fabric from Pippa Blue, some Clover goodies and a quilting square. All in all quite restrained I thought - some ladies were throwing their credit cards at the vendors - very dangerous!

We also visited The National Gallery for the Gabriel Metsu exhibition and the Irish Museum of Modern Art to see the new Moderns and Post-War American Art exhibitions which I was very impressed with. Oh and we dropped by Dublin Zoo even though it was bucketing down - I wanted to see the Snow Leopard I got in an adoption package last Christmas. The rain proved fortunate as we saw two leopards sleeping in their warm and dry hut. 

On arrival home I ordered Cath Kidston's new book Stitch! which is right on trend with all things cross stitch and needlepoint - will post more on this later in the week!

Highstreet Christmas: Lovely Finds!

I cannot tell you how happy I am with this deer ornament! It is so retro - like something my Grannie would have owned and so thrifty - found in the 2euro Store here in Cork. Other thrifty finds included these glass Wine Glass Charms and this sparky Clip-On Bird both found in Pennys/Primark (two euro each). I've been looking at similar birds but was put off by the real feathers used.

I also bought some decorations in M&S - love the little robin on the sleigh - and found these Christmas Doileys and make-it-yourself Paper Chain in the Kilkenny Shop (though you can also get similar at the dotcomgiftshop). One of my greatest recent 2euro Store finds are these Candle Lanterns which you can place a tealight or an led light in and place outside or in your window! Oh and I indulged in this Sanna Annukka Musical Biscuit Tin from M&S - a little gift from me to me!

Louis is Home!

Thanks to all of you that kept those fingers crossed - Louis came home last week after three and a half weeks missing. A kind neighbour saw him wandering around our park and took him in until we returned home! Lots of sleep and food later he's back to normal causing trouble around the house!

A Very Etsy Christmas

Christmas has arrived to Etsy - I sold this necklace from iheartcharms last week and this stocking from iheartcrafts within a few hours of posting! Will have to get stitching now as I have a few more of these to finish! I've devised some new packaging for Christmas - very happy with this Baker's Twine!

Covet Tuesday: Penguin English Journeys

I came across the Penguin English Journeys series at Topping & Company Bookshop in Bath. (Such a wonderful bookshop!) I was of course first drawn to the wonderful cover-art but also the subject matter - I bought the Gertrude Jekyll for myself!