~Congratulations Susan~

Thank you everyone for your comments on my 500th Post Giveaway!!!

I used Random Generator to select a winning number and the winning one is number 8 which is Susan

One blue here on my part though

I had to substitute the Pattern  Fly Away Bird for Little Flower Pot as I can't for the life of me find it.

I put them aside and I think it may have gotten in with something else but no doubt it will turn up one day.  I hope this is okay dear Susan.......

Thanks again everyone and here's looking at the next 500 Posts

Have a great week

Dzintra xo

~OPAM...... (One Project A Month)~

2 small offerings for OPAM this month

2 Tea Towels.......or as I like to call them, Stitching Towels

(Pattern by Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched......part of Angel Story)

A Stitching Towel is a towel you take with you when you are off to do stitching

You lay the towel out on the table in front of you and your work, threads etc sit on it rather than the table

Pretty neat I think!!!

Thank You Sweet Peg and Partner in Crime Kris for running OPAM again this year!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

My 500th post giveaway is still on

See post under this one

Good Luck......Dzintra

~500 Post Giveaway~

Woohoo whoever would've thought

that I would reach 500 posts on my lil' blog

I started off reading other people's blogs and after surgery when I wasn't able to do anything and I put my First Post up

To celebrate I have 3 little Patterns and a Fat 1/4 from my favourite Designer (chosen by JoJo)

Anni Downs of Hatched and Patched

If you would like a chance to win these just post a comment and you're in!!!

I'll draw this in 2 posts time!!!

I'm so grateful to be in the Blogging Community and for all the Friendships made!!!

Good Luck.......and a Happy Weekend 

Dzintra xo

Giveaway Dilly Received and Chookyblues Party

I've just come back from a very relaxing few days in the Snowy Mountains with a Carer Group and wouldn't you know it I've fallen victim to a 'flu now and can barely speak, coughing etc......just what I need with Chooky's Birthday Sewing Celebrations this weekend!!!

Meanwhile last week this perfect happy Dilly Bag arrived from Rachaeldaisy as my win from a giveaway.......absolutely gorgeous RAchael and I'm still looking at it!!!!!!   Thank You so much......it's just perfect!!!!!

She also popped in this little Monet Card.......very exciting as I plan to visit there!!!!!!

Meanwhile thank you all my lovely readers and blog friends for calling in and leaving your comments.......I read and appreciate every single one.........I haven't been able to get back to everybody especially over the last few days and now that I'm not feeling so well.......hope I'm quickly on the mend so that I can sew along with you all this weekend!!!!!

Meanwhile Take Care.......Dzintra xo

~Congratulations Castles, Crowns and Cottages~

Congratulations Anita on winning my 5 year blogaversary giveaway patterns

I drew the winner tonight on random generator and the lucky number went to you

If you send me your address I will pop them in the mail for you

Thank you to everyone for popping in to celebrate with me....

Now it's on to the next 5 years

Happy Week everybody

Love Dzintra xo

~5 Year Blogaversary~

97,665 views

378 posts

5 years

Whoever would've thought that when I clicked the button to start a blog that it would get this far!!!
My first post is here......I didn't even know how to add photos!!!

This is a framed stitchery I bought off Cathy Penton Designs when she was selling off some of her things

and I have a pattern for this that I won't be making up now
together with this Bareroots sewing machine cover pattern to celebrate my 5 years in Blogworld

Just leave a comment here if you would like a chance to win them and I will get JoJo to draw a winner next weekend....

Thanks so much everyone for stopping by and leaving comments over the years
You're all such an inspiration and I love that I have met some of you!!!

~300 Post Giveaway...2 Wins...Kate Morton...and I'm on Crutches~

Wow, 300 posts and 4 years on this little ol' blog of mine

Whoever would've thought that I would come this far on my on-line Journal when I pressed that little button that said 'Create'

To celebrate I thought I would have a little giveaway of a Leanne's House pattern (above) with a little something else

To enter just leave a comment and I will draw the lucky winner's name in 1 weeks time

 Another celebration I am enjoying is this pattern by Yvonne that I won on her recent giveaway

Thank you so much Yvonne....I am so looking forward to starting this cushion especially as I have some fat 1/8ths of Lynette Anderson's Scandinavian Christmas fabrics here already

And another win I had this week was through Facebook at Book Publishers Allen & Unwin's site

They asked a simple question......are you a secret keeper

I replied yes but I won't be with Kate Morton's new book The Secret Keeper

 And blow me down I received an email saying I had won an uncorrected proof copy of the book

I remember when I read Kate's book The Forgotten Garden I actually emailed her to say how much I enjoyed it and she emailed me back to say thank you THEN I wrote back and said thank you for the thank you and she thanked me!!!!!!!!!!

You can read this post here

And here is my very own copy of 'The Secret Keeper'

Boy how excited am I

This book along with my stitching will keep my busy as I rest a swollen knee and strained muscle I have developed

see the stocking I have to wear on my right leg along with 1/2 a set of crutches

I am working with the physio to build it all up again for the opening of Pirates of Penzance at

 Bay Theatre Players which opens up in 2 weeks time..............yipes!!!!!!!!!!

colour swap received...a giveaway and quilts for japan

hi there...i'm still in this sling, off to x-rays next week to see how my arm is healing...

mr armchair is as busy as ever but i think falling into a routine here...

somehow i think he doesn't want to go back to work...he would rather look after me and jojo...

he has been so good and patient with us both...

thank you so very very much...

we couldn't do it without him as we have no family here and are fairly new to the area...

meanwhile here is a bunch of roses he brought in for us...just before all this rain started...

at the beginning of the year i entered a colour swap hosted by maree...

easy peasy...the colour i chose was soft green...

above are the little gifts sent to me by sandy...

of course...something to eat...

something pretty...

a fat quarter...

some thread

the card that sandy sent...

and the goodies unwrapped...

the chocolate is a gluten free one by kinnerton...

the label says delicious for cakes and desserts...yuuummmm, i can just taste this now...

i love chocolate...

thank you so very very much sandy...i love my little package...

and thank you so much dear maree for organizing this lovely swap...

i really think you are queen of swaps...

recently i came across david's blog...

david is a gentleman from france who does cross stitch and patchwork...and all so beautifully

i entered his giveaway and blow me down i won third prize...

above is the package and card received...

my first ever mail from france...how excited was i...

the prize is a cross stitch chart by blackbird designs...rites of spring...

and david included some beautiful variegated hand dyed thread in shiraz by atalie...

the chart gives the dmc thread colours...

and also recommends hand dyed threads by weeks dye works which i'm thinking of getting...

thank you so much david for hosting this lovely giveaway... 

i'm going to try and start this by spring...

and on the topic of giveaways fee is having one...

one of the prizes is the above...so hop on over and check it out...

and back to cross stitch...my method of working with pillows supporting my arm is working...

yay...so maybe...an opam...one project a month for march...we'll see...

now chocolate and a shiraz might be the go here later on...

i'll check with mr armchair...

till next time...dzintra

meanwhile...robyn at daisy quilts has included on her blog how quilters can get involved to assist the japanese people after all the devastation they have endured...

thank you robyn...

My 10,000 Hit Giveaway Winners!!!

This morning JoJo drew the winners to my 10,000 Hit Giveaway...

Out of her hat selection she chose this one...a cowprint cowboy hat...Yahoo!!!

All the names in the hat...

Oh no I've just realized I didn't show a pic of the winners tickets, but I did take them!!!
The winner of the pattern for the cushion above is...

KATH in England
and the little Flowers Sampler goes to...

RitaGri in Latvia!!!
Congratulations Kath

and/un novelet laimi RitaGri!!!
Thank You to everyone for entering my little giveaway!!!

A Giveaway Win...Next Sew-In...and I Can't Keep Away From The Beach!!!

A little while ago Vicki held a 100th post Giveaway...

the prize being something from the Monterey Bay area where she lives...

The box arrived...and amongst all this pink tissue

was this ruffled paper heart...complete with Eiffel Tower...a little card...

Oh be still my beating heart...

these beautiful heartful words...

turn it over...

the sweetest little vial complete with sea glass...sea shells and sand from Pebble Beach, California!!!

all hanging up...I just love it Vicki !!!

Happy 100 Posts...and I hope there are many, many more...

I love coming over for a visit...strolling through your garden...walking along the beach...and participating in your Cook-Ups!!!

Thank you so much Blogging Mate!!!

I have again signed up for the Friday Night Sew-In to be held on 19th February...
this time I will do some border stitching for a quilt...

and watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett!!!
This is a short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and published back in 1922 and tells the story of Benjamin Button being born as an old man and getting younger as he grows up...
a beautiful story and a very thought provoking movie...

Meanwhile...I can't keep away from the beach lately...

having lots of swims and walks...

Here is a pic of our beach looking north...

and looking south at Twilight!!!

I'm loving Summer...and am enjoying the last weeks before we all start to cool down!!!

Which brings me to that wonderful poem by John Masefield...

SEA FEVER

I MUST down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

This wonderful poem comes back to me every Summer...

over and over in my head...
Enjoy these beautiful days everyone...Dzintra

Advent Swap...The First Week...Plus A Win!!!

Here we are...first week of Summer with the heat back...and the first week into the Advent Swap run by Fiona!!! What a grand time I have had opening a gift every day from Carol...and I have to admit that every evening now I wonder what my little surprise will be tomorrow...and every morning I'm out of bed...with JoJo too sometimes...all eager to start the day opening the next numbered gift!!! This swap works with one little gift opened up from 1st-24th December and a larger 'main' gift...hand stitched to be opened up on Christmas morning!!!

Carol has drawn a little picture for every day...numbered it and attached it to each one...how cute is that!!! This swap works that the first gift opened up is on the 25th...and then working down to no 1 to be opened up on Christmas Day...Above are the first few numbered pics...and to the right above are all the little pressies laid out!!!

Here to the left is my gift from Carol...and to the right is the one I sent her!!! I'd say we were both thinking along the same lines here LOL!!!

Above left are the gifts for the last week...vintage lace...vintage buttons...fat 1/4...gorgeous pins...a little scissor fob...and a little light...

How lucky can a gal be...amongst all this I received a giveaway win from Vicki ...above right...

lovely bright packaging...

and inside this handmade orange and purple button bracelet...made on a nearby farm to Vicki's over in California!!! I love it Vicki...the colours are so vibrant...and by co-incidence when we were first married our bedroom was decorated in orange and purple...very 1970's!!!

Thank you so much Vicki...this is a fun bracelet!!!

Meanwhile through blogging I have met Sheila , who had seen that I was reading the

Elm Creek Quilters books and very kindly offered for me to read The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas...which is sort of along similar lines to the Elm Creek series of books...

Thank you so much Sheila for your generosity in loaning this book to me!!!

And I thought the book and the bracelet look so cool together!!!

This little Santa holding the rusty star sits on the old meat safe watching over my Advent gifties...he was stitched a couple of years ago now and sits perfectly here!!!

A design by Helen Stubbings of Hugs'nKisses...

Don't know about everbody else but I have hardly picked up needle and thread these last few weeks...a few other things to attend to these days...and I often hear the call of the sea and can't resist going down to the beach!!!

Hope you enjoy these last few weeks just before the busiest time of year!!!