Valentine's Giveaway Winner

Thanks to all who entered my little romance-themed giveaway!

I'm happy to announce that the winner - chosen at random - was commenter number three, Shandi Naugle, who said "I would choose blue, the most romantic thing my fiancée has done for me is get me flowers just because :)" - well, if that isn't romantic, I don't know what is!

I'll be in touch to find out her custom brooch design preference :)

S.W.A.L.K.

"Sealed with a loving kiss" - the S.W.A.L.K. acronym apparently originated during WWII when soldiers wrote letters to their sweethearts back home. Just a nice thought to get you in the mood for a little Valentine's day romance!

On that note, I have a few little wrapping ideas for romantic gifts for you to try.

Materials to look out for:

- plain or patterned tissue paper
(try stationery/art shops, department stores or the supermarket)
- deco tape
- plain, striped or printed ribbons
(I got these from local fabric shops/haberdashery or a cake decorating shop)
- lace trims
- washi tape with hearts and other motifs
(I got mine from Paperchase - just noticed they currently have a 3 for 2 offer on washi tape!!)

I also re-used little scraps of fabric, tissue, ribbon and strips of white tulle fabric I had around the house. Nothing wrong with a bit of eco-friendliness on Valentine's.

Ideas

• Try layering different colours of tissue paper to get a pretty effect - I layered pink under red with a little flash of the pink left visible, or pink tissue underneath a white patterned tissue (mainly so that it's not completely see-through as white sometimes can be).

• Instead of boring old plain clear sellotape, why not try using cute patterned washi tape or another type of decorated sticky tape! You can even use washi tape on plain tissue paper to create really cool decorative effects.

• Create your own "ribbons" by tearing or cutting up strips of fabric - I found white tulle worked really well for this.

• Gifts can be tied/wrapped with all manner of ribbons, raffia, trims or twine and you could even try using two or more strands to get different effects.

• You can write little messages of love or draw romantic doodles onto red tissue paper with a white coloured pencil.

• Lace trims look lovely over coloured tissue paper - a nice way to show off their pattern.

• Even simple ideas can work well: try decorative washi tape on plain brown wrapping/parcel paper (kraft) or use rubber stamps to print on it & make your own wrapping paper!

Looking for more DIY Valentine ideas? Inspiration ahoy:

- Check out these cute printable cards/notes from Mochimochi Land

- A set of modern & colourful printable Valentine's day cards on the Papernstitch blog

- Or, for the Star Wars fan in your life, how about a Vader-y Valentine?
(Found via "Death Star PR"!)

Also check out my previous Valentine's blog post for even more ideas!

Valentine's Giveaway!

It's been quite a while since I last did a blog giveaway so I thought it was about time I did another! Since Valentine's day is approaching, I figured it would be fun to do a prize draw themed around that.

So, I am giving away a custom-made sequin heart brooch! One lucky winner will get one of these lovely brooches made in the colours of their choosing.

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post stating your colour preference for the brooch design (see colour choices below) and also tell me: what's the most romantic thing someone has done for you? Don't forget to leave an email address I can contact you with, in case yours is the winning entry!

Colour choices for the felt (in order shown):
red, white, sky blue, magenta, black, turquoise or purple.
♥ ♥ ♥
Colour choices for the sequins: black, silver, red or blue.

Closing date for entries is 5pm GMT on Thursday 14th February 2013. The competition is open to all, as I am happy to post worldwide. One winner will be chosen at random.

(Note that your comments will not be published instantly, as they are moderated, so please be patient.)

[EDIT: This competition is now closed. Winner will be announced here.]

A Fresh Start

The beginning of a new year is always a time for reflection, as well as a time filled with promise. Perfect for the planning of adventures ahead in the coming months.

I'm trying not to make too many resolutions this year (less to break!), to keep things a bit more focussed. One I have made, which definitely relates to craft-based activities, amongst other things, is to try and finish more things that I start (or have previously started).

It's very easy to start a project, when you're filled with enthusiasm, but soon enough (if you're like me) then along comes another thing which diverts your attention from it, and it gets left in a knitting bag or buried under a pile of other things and often ends up somewhat forgotten!

Anyway, I do like the feeling of accomplishment of finishing pieces, especially ones which took a while to complete - for whatever reason (hmmm... lack of enthusiasm about sewing up seams/darning final ends seems a likely culprit, more often than not!) - and being able to allow that piece to fulfill its intended purpose. So here's to completing more this year!

On a side note, you might remember that back in June last year, I mentioned the photo a day project - I took part in almost every other month last year and enjoyed the daily challenge. So I am at it again this January (see some of my previous photo a day pics sprinkled around this post)! If you feel like having a go too, check out this blog post about how to get involved.

Also, stay tuned for a little DIY tutorial and a giveaway later this month!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas!

Hope you enjoy this song, "White Winter Hymnal" by the Fleet Foxes - it always makes me think of wintery days when I hear it :)

Wintery goodness from WildCat Designs

There is something wonderful about this time of year - I really do like all the seasons (each has its merits, naturally) but I find the act of wrapping oneself in warm, woolly things against the cold quite satisfying. Plus it does feel *right* to be knitting cosy comfort when it's chilly outside, and it's just not quite the same doing so on a hot summer's day somehow!

Not that I let that stop me from knitting all year round of course (yes, I wholeheartedly admit it, I'm utterly addicted, but at least it's a productive obsession!) - I always have at least a handful of different projects on the go.

So...on a somewhat related note, if you feel like getting your paws on some of my lovingly handmade goodies this winter, and wish to receive them before the 25th of December, here are my recommended order dates.

UK orders: Tuesday 18th December

Orders for Western Europe: Monday 10th December

Orders for Canada, USA & Eastern Europe: Saturday 8th December

Orders for Japan, Oz, NZ & everywhere else: Sunday 2nd December

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I *will* be accepting orders after these dates but
please be aware that items may not arrive in time for Christmas,
after all, it is a very busy time of year!

These order dates also apply to my WildKittens online shop.

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Shop online: bigcartel, etsy, DaWanda or folksy.

...or alternatively, find my hand-crafted creations
at one of my UK stockists:

Edinburgh: Flux or Bliss
East Lothian: Peter Potter Gallery
England: Vertiline in Love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Custom orders: If you are interested in a custom order,
please get in touch by Monday 19th November.

Birds go West

Yes, that's right...more antics from our feathered friends! Those cheeky arctic terns have flocked over to the Lighthouse in Glasgow's Mitchell Lane.

One arctic tern perched on my windowsill
before he joined the flock!

The Bird Yarns project is nesting at the Lighthouse from now until Sunday 28th October - I even paid them a little visit myself in Glasgow at the weekend! You can currently find them up on the top floor, perching on the viewing platform by the café.

(Please click on the image to view it better!)
If you're interested in knitting your own Arctic Tern, the Lighthouse gallery shop now sells kits so you can do just that. (Would also make a fab pressie for a crafty friend or family member!)

Further Information

Bird Yarns: http://www.capefarewell.com/seachange/bird-yarns
Bird Yarns Tumblr: http://bird-yarns.tumblr.com
Bird Yarns Twitter: @Birdyarns
The Lighthouse: http://www.thelighthouse.co.uk
Luminate: http://www.luminatescotland.org
Cape Farewell: http://www.capefarewell.com/seachange/bird-yarns
Deirdre Nelson: http://dstitch.blogspot.co.uk

My knitted Arctic Tern bird-in-progress (June 2012)

(See also my previous post about the Bird Yarns project.)

Wool Week 2012

In the world of knitting and for those who appreciate natural fibres in general, Wool Week is a definite highlight in the calendar. It also seems to coincide nicely with the time of year when one's thoughts naturally turn towards all things woolly and cosy. So you might say it's the perfect timing!

Image via Deadly Knitshade (on Instagram).
I've loved following some of the fun projects which have been going on as part of the general Wool Week merriment - particularly the "Clickety Click on the Clickety Clack" aka a whole carriage of knitters collectively creating a knitted super-sized Union Jack, in the time it takes to travel by train from London King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley and the whimisical "Woolly Golf" run by Lyle & Scott.

Image via the Campaign for Wool (on Instagram).
I also spotted a lovely freebie Rowan knitting pattern - it's for a cute gadget cosy made in Felted Tweed, a cosy blend of Merino & alpaca wool. All you need to do is sign in or register to download the PDF.