What's hot reading on my holiday?

A proper holiday demands good reading matter. After finishing The Hunger Games (along with the rest of the world), I needed some light relief (it's not for the faint hearted) and stumbled upon this mag.

Craft and Click has been produced by the team at Cross Stitcher. Want to know how to get the web to help you?  Then this is the mag for you.

Since reading the mag I have joined Flickr (under "thread garden"). It also caught me up on Twitter which is something I haven't done before (still not sure I will - yet anyway).

It also gave me some craft photography tips aside from what I learnt in a previous blog post. Now on my "to do list" from the mag is to make a light box to use when I take photos of my cross stitching projects.

Top 5 magazine moments:
5. 100 crafty blogs to visit
4. Top 10 cross stitching websites
3. Really cute pics of craft items
2. Finding out about craft podcasts (why weren't those ear phones in my ears earlier)

Drum roll...
1. Inspiration on designing cross stitch patterns

Have you got a favourite craft magazine or craft book? If so, I would love to hear about it!

Thanks for feeding the ducks in my pond...

                                                            Jan x

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Bunking down...

A warm and hearty hello!!! Yes I'm back from a super holiday. As I live on an island (it does sound more exotic than it is!) DH, three children and I travelled for 5 hours by plane to Western Australia. 

Holiday highlights included:
- sitting on the most amazing beach, Bunker Bay which would rival Wineglass Bay in Tasmania (although since returning home I have found out that Bunker Bay is known for a shark attack so Wineglass Bay might win the more friendlier beach competition)
- being part of my sister's 40th party
- learning the art of archery (that would make Katniss proud - if you have read or seen The Hunger Games)
- hearing Tom's new words: "gink" for drink, "wogga" for water, "oh no" (which are frightening words to hear on a plane)

Yes I did squeeze in some cross stitch. I took Marjolein Bastin with me and even found time to stitch her name. I will share that next time. Here is the little squirrel with all but his bushy tail done.

You will be proud of me as I did the holiday on crutches. Let's say, I didn't walk great distances and I got to ride in those special lifts onto the plane.  My leg injury is purely muscular so it is mending quicker than a broken bone.  I cannot say I even did the injury in some amazing, sporty way; I did it running down steps. Who knows? Maybe step running will be in the Olympics some day. I have obviously hit middle age.

Thank you for frolicking in my garden...
                                                           Jan x

March Madness Theme-alicious update...

How did Heather (the organiser of Theme-alicious) know March is Mad? I seem to have been running pillar to post with organising this and that. I will be relieved to get on the plane very soon and have a family holiday. Escape the madness!

Saying that though I have done multiple "Mad" projects in accordance with Theme-alicious due mostly to sewing for a school fair (the Aussie term for "fete").  So here we go...

March 1st:

March 2nd:

March 4th:

March 7th

March 11th: mobile phone covers

March 13th:

March 14th:

March 17th :

March 23rd: new purchase - budgie cushion cover

March 25th:

March 29th: my HAED "Love":

March 31st: a snood knit along

Theme-alicious' Amazon April will be easy - MB design and my HAED! Bring it on!!!

Thank you for strolling through my garden...  Jan x