We’re
really excited to be able to tell you all about our new Crafts Circle site,
a fabulous brand new subscriber only area we know you’ll love!
Crafts
Circle is a new access-all-areas treat for our loyal subscribers, designed by
the same people that bring you your favourite craft magazines. We’ll be
offering special monthly treats such as giveaways, free charts and discount
codes to help you enjoy your hobby even more.
What
do you get?
Exclusive
competitions and giveaways
Discount
codes for your favourite online stores
Access
to manage your subscription online
Regular
news updates on shows and products
Gossip
and information on the latest craft shows
Papercraft,
knitting and cross stitch themed giveaways
To log on to Crafts Circle you simply need your subscriber number, the magazine
to which you subscribe and your surname.
If
you’re not currently a subscriber but want to have CrossStitcher magazine
delivered directly to your door each month (sound perfect?) then click here
for more information.
PS: Let us know what you think, and keep checking back - we don't want you to miss our on any of the freebies and competitions we've got planned for the future!
Tuesday February 02, 2010
Kokeshi dolls - 150 years of traditional Japanese folk art
We're absolutely thrilled at the number of you who have already sent in pictures of your finished Kokeshi doll kit - free with this months issue.
As
a reward to those of you who have stitched it already (because we're
nice like this) we've been talking to our friend Jez Willard over at The Japanese Shop all about Kokeshi dolls and their meanings.
Free floral storage boxes for all new subscribers!
If you subscribe to CrossStitcher today you'll receive these stylish floral storage boxes from The Craft Factory - absolutely free! *contents not included. They’re perfect for storing all your stitching supplies and the small compartments are a great way to neatly store all your skeins. Plus, when you’re not using them, they fold down for easy storage too!
What do you get as a subscriber?
You'll be getting 13 issues of CrossStitcher magazine delivered FREE directly to your door throughout the year. You'll also get a special cover gift with each issue, plus access to VIP subscriber-only pages packed with charts, puzzles, competitions and news!
How much does it cost?
Just £10.37 every three months by Direct Debit – that's 20% off the shop price!
How can you get it?
It's simple, just choose one of these three options:
1) Call 0844 848 2852 and quote offer code
W048 2)Click here to go straight to the online order form. 3) Turn to page 50 in issue 223 and fill in the paper form.
Wednesday January 27, 2010
Enter issue 223's competitions now!
Here
are the links to this month's comps and giveaways...
Don't forget that the first person to send us a pic of their finished Stitch a Star each month wins a yummy prize of fabric and a chart book from Zweigart. So email us a pic when you've finished stitching George and you could be the lucky winner!
And keep emailing us your Stitch a Star suggestions too!
Saturday January 23, 2010
Download your Kokeshi doll mount now!
Make your very own stylish backing card for Lucie Heaton's Kokeshi doll design in issue 223. Subscribers will be receiving their copies over the next few days, and the issue will be hitting shop shelves on Thursday 28th January – don't miss out!
Tuesday January 19, 2010
Fine art cross stitch designs from Scarlet Quince - website review
If you're into fine art you'll know exactly who we're talking about when we mention names such as John William Waterhouse, Edmund Blair-Leighton and Claude Monet.
You might not be able to afford an original piece of art (who can!) but with the help of Scarlet Quince you can easily pay homage to some of their exquisite pieces.
Working from the originals Scarlet Quince have a fabulous variety of detailed charts available to download. Plus, with purely whole cross stitch used in their designs it's easy enough for beginners but still produces a stunning end result.
This easy to navigate site means it's easy to find your favourite painting just by searching via the artist and in no time you'll be on your way to creating your very own stunning piece of fine art.
For any budding artist out there, we think it's well worth a visit. Plus, it's a great place to get inspiration for your next BIG project!
PS: Seen a great website lately? Let us know and you might see it here next week!
Monday January 18, 2010
Free cupcakes at London's coolest ever cross stitch party . . .
If you're in London next weekend (Saturday 23rd January) then don't miss the Cupcakes Cocktails & Cross Stitch party at The Book Club Bar from 2 - 8pm.
Basically, Urban Cross Stitch will be taking over this East London bar, supplying yummy cupcakes and giving lots of people the chance to learn how to cross stitch.
They supply hoops, threads, canvas for a £3 deposit, so if you just want to give a new skill a go, it won't break the bank.
Chill out to some retro tunes from The Enchanted Hunters, pick up a new skill and soothe away those winter blues with a cocktail or two! Sound good?
The latest from our alternative cross stitch columnist Mr X Stitch...
Cross stitch is a gateway craft, I'm certain of it. It seduces you with how easy it is and what a simple pleasure it provides. But it’s not long before you start wanting more…
I started cross stitching over six years ago, and for a long time I was content to merely follow prescribed patterns and really enjoyed the meditative state of stitching and create lovely pieces of stitched art. But after a couple of years I began realising that just wasn’t enough for me.
And so I began exploring ways of making my own patterns, seeking out alphabets and border patterns that could be combined in new and interesting ways to better reflect my world view.
The pleasure in creating a snarky phrase, juxtaposing it with a floral border was immense.
Much enthusiasm and merriment was had in finding new ways to deliver subtle sarcastic stitcheries that would immediately offend people’s sensibilities.
There has been a rise in the number of people doing snarky stitching. Subversive cross-stitchers all over the world are stitching phrases that you wouldn’t necessarily show your grandma but it’s been a great way of introducing the craft to a new range of people who may have ignored it otherwise.
For me, the stitching of swearwords and obvious insults doesn’t tickle my fancy – it’s a bit obvious and although I do possess some pretty rude pieces of embroidery, I don’t tend to stitch that kind of thing any more. I’m more interested in that fine line between insult and humour; that backhanded complement that you only work out five minutes after the fact, by which time it’s too late to do anything about it.
One of my best friends, Beefranck, is a very talented stitcher who is perfecting the art of snarky stitching and combining it with traditional colour palettes to create pieces that look like antique phrases, but have an extremely contemporary dose of sarcasm. I love ‘em. But you know what, even that’s not enough any more.
So, now I’m broadening my horizons. Among my Christmas gifts this year was an Embroidery Stitch Bible, with over 100 new types of embroidery and needlepoint for me to try... and you know what, I’m going for it!
Don’t get me wrong, I will always love cross stitch. It’s where I began and it’s something I will always come back to (partly due to the vast number of WIPs I’ve got on the go) but the thought of being able to use split stitch, Norfolk stitch or Siberian sheep shank stitch * is quite thrilling.
Who knows where I’ll end up after that... * This is not a real stitch, but it sounds like it should be!
Some extreme cross stitch inspiration - website review
This website showcases the art of Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė, a Lithuanian fashion and textile artist, and boasts an inspiring and unusual approach to the traditional craft of cross stitching.
With an impressive CV of exhibitions and projects under her belt it's not surprising that her website is full of wonderful ideas and designs that really get you thinking. There's not much to read just lots of glossy pitcures to get you thinking.
Using the art of cross stitch, she confidently adorns everyday items such as watering cans, pans and cars with traditional patterns using a drill to create the holes we would normally associate with aida. Yes, I did say cars.
By
expanding this art onto unusual objects she says she is “transforming
them into aesthetic objects of textile” and thus “raising doubt in the
traditional hierarchy of art” and we totally agree.
This stunning insight to her work offers some food for thought when it comes to ‘finishing ideas’and we think it's well worth a visit . . .
PS: Seen a great website lately? Or, read a great blog? Let us know!
Wednesday January 06, 2010
Get organised in 2010 with your FREE Vintage Stitch Tin!
We
can't actually believe it's 2010. Seriously, last time we checked it was January
2001 and we we're all nursing our hangovers from the Millennium
celebrations!
But 2010 is upon us and it’s become a well-known tradition that when another year begins the best way to start is by choosing a New Year’s resolution. If like us, yours is to get organised then you’re going to love this month’s free gift!
Our stylish Vintage Stitch Tin(possibly our most practical gift ever!) is perfect for easily storing pins, threads and scissors within easy reach - ready for whenever your feel a bit of stitching inspiration coming on.
It's even got a handy magnetic strip inside the lid to keep stray pins from falling down the side of your sofa whilst you stitch - Ouch!
What are you waiting for?The tin come free with CrossStitcher issue 222 - out now!
Psst! Don't forget you can find us on facebook and twitter too . . .
Monday January 04, 2010
Enter issue 222's competitions now!
Here are the links to this month's comps and giveaways. Sorry about the delay in getting the links up. The Christmas break got in the way!
Click here to enter our Goody Bag competition. Click here to enter our Prize Crossword competition.
Thursday December 31, 2009
Keep your stitching gifts in pristine condition!
In our latest issue Rebecca has concentrated on looking after your stitching in her monthly Q&A section. Everything from handling and washing your stitching to the safe storage of your prized pieces has been covered in the handy guide. If you give your stitching away as gifts (which we are sure many of you do!) then here’s a great way to make sure the recipient knows how to look after their special gift to keep it in the best condition.
Simply
attach this cute note to the back of the frame or within your gift-wrap
to be sure your piece of stitching is looked after! Click here to download the template for yourself! Psst! Issue 222 goes on sale today!
Friday December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas to all our readers!
Most of you are probably tucking into a nice roast turkey with stuffing right now (or a veggie option if you're that way inclined) but we've written this message anyway to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
We've shut down the office for a few days over the festive period whilst we eat our own body weight in roast potatoes...
...but we'll be back very soon with more blog posts on new events for 2010 as well as the usual gossip and details of exciting new projects to look forward to!
Whilst we are here, we'd like to take the time to show you this pretty picture of just a few of the lovely cards and handcrafted gifts we received here in the office.
It's very kind of you, so thanks everyone!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from the team at CrossStitcher
Monday December 21, 2009
If you're into genealogy . . . this will interest you!
The Your Family Tree Awards are back, and this year they're bigger and better! Our sister magazine, Your Family Tree, run these awards each year to help make sure that the websites, companies and products that have done the most for family history over the last 12 months are fully recognised.
What's new for 2009 is that you get to decide who wins the coveted prizes! This is your chance to shout about your favourite products, websites and services so, click here to vote now!
Winners will be announced in Your Family Tree issue 88, on sale 26th February 2010
PS: If you're into genealogy then take a look at their website...
If you're in London next weekend (Saturday 23rd January) then don't miss the 
