Free festive gift tags

Are you wrapping your presents yet? I hope not, it's the first of flipping November.

I found this post last year on Aussie Graphic-Designer-turned-Blogger Amy Moss's site Eat Drink Chic. It gives you a free cross-stitch gift tag download, so hopefully, you can use it to decorate all your prettily wrapped presents this year. Luck-y!

If you're over cross stitch, then maybe you'd like these pretty illustrated typographic tags, which Amy uploaded for Christmas 2010.

In 2009, Amy also very generously provided free downloads for a series of reindeer themed gift tags, which are just beautiful. Look at this gorgeous Reindeer gift tag. The print is so kitsch, it reminds me a little of Babycham.

Then there's this holiday jumbo gift tag using a more intricate print.

And finally there are the tags that look like beautiful Christmas envelopes. I think these are my favourites.

Aren't they lovely?

My imaginary cinema

I love old film posters for horror movies. The graphics are usually really bold and attention grabbing, the characters mysterious and beautiful. In my imaginary house, (which is obviously situated in a sprawling estate, each room styled to perfection and filled with wonderful objects I've lovingly collected and effortlessly thrown together to create a unique and impressive overall ambiance of Nom), I have a cinema.

My imaginary cinema is not all plush with red velvet seats and an usher who flashes a torch in your eyes and tells you where you have to sit, oh no. My imaginary cinema has a huge white back wall, which the projector shoots the chosen film, so it feels a bit like an American drive through (except without the cars, because, it's inside the house). The rest of the walls are painted black, so that all you can focus on is the cinema wall and you feel like you're in a little den. There are an assortment of mismatched chairs, sofas and Fat Boys. There's a little popcorn machine in the back and a fridge filled with beer and cokes. Finally, in case you're wondering where the hell I'm going with this, there are a bunch of cross-stitched cushions, finely worked with vintage film posters. Like these:

Les Maitresses de Dracula, which costs $6 (about £4) from Pop Soup Supplies on Etsy would be an horrific addition to the collection, particularly useful for hiding behind in blood-curdling scream inducing cinematic moments (which happen more often than you'd think, I'm a massive scaredy-cat).

This Frankenstein cross stitch pattern would also prove suitable for this purpose; it costs $5 from Robin's Design:

As would this other Dracula poster, also $5 from Robin's Design:

I'm still searching for designs for other film genres. But these three should keep me busy enough for the time being.

Happy Campers

I have a number of friends who adore VW Beetles and camper vans; they're so beloved by so many people that they've become cheerful iconic style symbols. I've noticed heaps of camper van memorabilia around over the last couple of years, to the point of me thinking that pretty soon it'll go the way of the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' ephemera (tacky variations of which are now blazoned across t-shirts, coasters, posters and cups throughout the kingdom),  however, making something yourself goes some way towards avoiding the tacky-taint. Makes it all personal, like, doesn't it?

I've been nosing about on Etsy lately, hunting for cross-stitch patterns which feature VW-mobiles, so that I can either suggest them to my friends or pretend to myself that I'll purchase and finish one in time for a friend's birthday (realistically, this is never likely to happen, as I usually come up with the idea a week before somebodies birthday, then I have too many other things to occupy myself with to finish it in time, then it either hides under the bed for two years or I have to hand it over half-completed, and really, who needs that?). Anyway, tangents aside, here are a couple of patterns that I've spotted for the avid VW fan in your life.

If you're looking for a full kit, Scootybeth from Georgia, US, has this Lemon Punch Volkswagen Beetle pattern, which comes with Aida and silks for $15 (just under a tenner) plus $4 (about £2.50) p&p. It's bright and sunshiny and kind of makes me think about rainbows and lollipops.

If you don't want to pay p&p and you already have some supplies on standby, why not have a look at this Happy Camper VW van cushion PDF from Pop Soup Supplies, which costs $7 (under a fiver).

Pop Soup will email you the PDF once payment is processed and you can print out and get stitching, happy as a, err, camper?

teasemade

I've mentioned before how I love finding handmade treasures; well today I have spotted the prettiest trinkets for you to peruse. 


Sami Teasdale, aka Etsy seller @teasemade, lovingly embroiders these quaint little accessories, which I am quite besotted with.


This snip scissors ring costs £10. The cool colours make for an elegant adornment to your index finger.

These polka love earrings are equally sweet, and a steal at £14:

Anyone who enjoys embroidery will find this pincushion brooch wonderful. The colours on the print and the delicacy of the design is truly delightful! The brooch costs £15.

I find this scissors love token brooch (£14) equally enticing. The stitching is so fine and the little balls of wool make me smile.

It appears that each item is a one off, as Sami uses limited edition prints in her work. Rather excitingly, there's also a sale on at present. 25% off order at checkout with the code 'TREAT25'. Well now that you know there's even a discount, how could you not?

Christmas decorations

Christmas obviously *just* happened, but if you like crafting your own decorations, you should probably start making them now for Christmas 2012 (or if you're like me, Christmas 2014). I've found some PDF cross stitch kits available from Country Rustic on Etsy which are really beautiful.

I love this Sleigh Bells cushion pattern, the typography is gorgeous. It's wintry and festive without being religious, so it would make a nice gift for anyone.

This Holly design would be perfect for my friend, who is called, surprisingly, Holly...

This C is for Christmas sampler is really sweet too.

All the above designs cost $7 (under a fiver), which is hardly anything, considering that they'll last a lifetime. Plus, the good thing about cross stitch is that it keeps you out of mischief :)

Things I dreadfully want...

Okay, there’s no easy way to confess this… I love cross stitch. Yes, yes, I know, this makes me sound like a 50 year old lady, and this is probably-one-of-those-reasons-I’m-single, but the fact is, I love nothing more than making pretty pictures out of threads. And what I really like best is when I look at the back of my stitching, and it’s as neat and tidy as the front. This is somewhat miraculous and paradoxical, because I am not a neat and tidy person. But meh, I’m something of a contradiction in terms, and in the words of Britney, ‘That’s my prerogative.’

So, for ages it was super tricky to get cross stitch kits that weren’t uber-lame patterns of trains, landscapes or flowers. In fact pretty much the coolest thing you could get were patterns for forever friends bears or Winnie the Pooh *gag* and who-the-hell needs or wants a Winnie the Pooh bookmark anyway? So imagine my (carefully kept secret) delight when cross stitching became retro and fun and not-something-to-be-ashamed-of anymore.

PopSoupSupplies on Etsy.com has some really fun patterns available, which you purchase for around a fiver – but you have to source the aida and threads yourself. I particularly like this Pee Wee Herman Cushion and the Warhol inspired 3 Monroes:

Another awesome supplier on Etsy is Bella Stitchery, retailer of super-cool retro Pin Up patterns like these, which I'd painstakingly turn into cushions to adorn my home with:

If you want all materials included, you can get some awesome kits, like these beautiful Emily Peacock HUG and KISS cushion kits I spied on hunkydoryhome.com, also recently featured on my beloved Kirstie’s Homemade Homes:

For £54.99 you can have the small size, which is just right for a bed or sofa and the large costs £74.99, which is apparently big enough for two. Now, this might seem pricey, but I have considered it and there are many reasons to justify this purchase. You’d probably pay £60 for a nice looking cushion from a shop anyway, plus you’ll have the satisfaction of having made it yourself, plus £80 equates to one, maybe two nights in the pub, whereas the kit will keep you busy for many a night, so you’ll be richer AND thinner, as you won’t be drinking loads of lovely booze. Plus, it’s awesome. Okay? Great I’m glad we’re agreed on that.