Gifted Gorgeousness June 2018

Jo of Serendipitous Stitching organizes a link-up party where we show stitch gifts we made to give or items that were gifted to us and are related to stitching and sewing.So on the 15th of each month we can link up to her blog. This is my first year taking part in this. Thanks Jo for the chance and the inspiration.

I didn't manage much this month either.
First a little card, a freebie from an old cross stitch magazine which I made for dear Katerina.
Katerina is an inspirational person, a person like a beacon for us all.
She wrote her second book so I went to the book presentation and wanted to make something for her.
Here is her book which in English means The Paper Swan along with a watercolour by my friend Ian in England.

The book includes 13 short stories from Katerina's real life experiences as a psychologist and drama therapist in old people's homes, hospices and rehab centres abroad and in Greece.

Here's the card I stitched for her.

You can read Katerina's blog KaPa Me without you...tea without a biscuit in Greek.It was great meeting her in real life at last!

I gave away the pattern and leftover threads of the kit to Adopt a wip page on facebook.

Then I made this bookmark for my friend Anna who got married. I found the pattern on pinterest and unfortunately can't tell who the designer is. I also made her this paper card.

Finally another gift I received from dear Green Bag Lady. I was lucky enough to be chosen for these beautiful bags for my shopping. I have been using fabric bags for years but now that plastic bags are only store bought and are not given for free at supermarkets I really enjoy using her bags at my shopping. You can enter her giveaways for free on facebook or on her blog.

So that's all for this month!

A swan landed in my mail box!

Staying away from the computer and the Internet for a week was so good!
A couple of things that I wanted to tell you last week before leaving but did not have time then.
This was a surprise parcel from my dear sea glass friend Ian from England. He painted it himself and sent it to me. He knows me so well. I love swans and I really appreciate his thoughtfulness to send it to me.
This will be framed in the fall.

The sea glass on the corner is John and Juliana's from Scotland.
Something small I bought from a lady who came to sell her handmade jewelry at school a couple of days before we closed.

It is sitting on an otchipotchi lace stone.
Just before leaving I finished the part of my Balinese Dancer that I had aimed for. Now the whole head and flowers is finished. Isn't she gorgeous?
 I decided not to take this along to the summer house. It is too big and too complicated so I took along something smaller and summery! I will show you when it is finished.

These are the 17 books  I took with me. They are both in English and in Greek. Do you think I am too ambitious? Yes maybe I am. But I read really a lot in summer, in winter I stitch more!
The majority are from foreign authors and they were books I had in my library already, some I had bought at book bazaars and are second hand, very few are new purchases. I decided to take them all at the summer house to see how many I will manage to read. And I am going to read them in an alphabetical order of the author's surname. Some of them will be donated afterwards.

And here are the only two magazines I had bought this spring. My always favourite Marie Claire Idees which are the only affordable ones.

 Here are a couple of the ideas in them I liked. I admit I don't find them as interesting as I used to a couple of years ago. Maybe because the Internet gives you so many ideas that magazines haven't got much to add anymore.

I am now back from the summer house. I had a great time. You will see in the next post.Thank you for your summer wishes.