Before Christmas is totally forgotten, I thought I would post this.

On Twelfth night I tidied away all the Christmas decorations except for my snowflake tree and the LED snowflake lights. The tree is intended to be something to mark the different seasons and I thought the lights would add a bit of colour in the evening till the days get longer.

But something that I received before Christmas but only opened with my other presents came from Pretty Little Things in a Box.

I knew she was sending me a pin cushion as part of her mega November Giveaway – http://prettylittlethingsinabox.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/a-little-christmas-spirit-winners-announced/

But when I opened it I found that there were other goodies.

I have been wanting to try some cross stitch since so many other people seem to be doing it. (It will have to be quick, easy cross stitch mind you.) So I have added the threads to my embroidery thread collection which gives me an even better range of colours. And all I need to do now is to decide what to do and fit it into my already crowded list of projects to do this year.

I did love the pin cushion and it will be very useful and stop me getting pins all over the floor when I am sewing!

Not sure where to fit in the buttons and star shaped beads but I will put them in my bead and button drawer for now.

Now as you know I love giveaways and, although I am not ready to do another one, I decided that I would like to respond by sending something in return.

I decided to send a bookmark and something special in the embroidery line.

Since, from the little snowflake charm on the pincushion and the cut-out on the accompanying card, it looked like she liked snowflakes I decided to make a new snowflake bookmark.

I used my new snowflake design and joined four of them together with slip stitches where they touched and added a tassel.

I found some gold and silver embroidery thread in John Lewis

and sent that as well.

I hope she likes them. I posted them off a couple of weeks ago so hopefully they should come soon.