December 10 Newsletter

	I'll mention it just once..... I did promise not to mention Christmas last month, didn't I? Well, I promise I will just mention it the once, in this paragraph only, so skip onto the next one if the spirit of Scrooge is upon you at the moment! I hope you're all sorted for the big day (or weekend this year, isn't it?), whether you're having a quiet one or looking after the whole family. Just make sure you give yourself some stitching time. No more Christmas cards or banners to stitch, just your own stitching for you. Enjoy, and happy new year.   The Harley Bike Keyring Kit is a great last minute present, or just a fun stitch for you! Crazy Designs Many of our customers love to stitch their own car or bike. If that's what you've done, good for you. Others stitch for a relative - Dad's old Norton bike, or Mum's first mini, maybe Grandad's old Fiat (perhaps the 1915 Fiat is pushing it a bit!) However, many of our stitchers want to fulfil our tagline - 'Fancy stitching something a bit different?' and choose a tank or a plane. I've got 4 unusual designs to show you this month, that might just appeal to you or one of your stitching recipients - lucky things! Firstly, if your son, granddaughter or nephew (avoiding gender stereotyping!) would like to go quad biking, why not give them the next best thing with a stitched quad bike? Measuring 14.3" by 9.6", this design uses 19 DMC colours and is a vision in yellow. If Grandad or Auntie's birthday is coming up and they're a keen golfer, why not stitch them their very own golf cart? This design uses 28 DMC colours and measures 14.3" by 10.4". It even contains an encouraging 'Hole in One' message for extra moral support! Have you got a ship fan in the family? The why not commemorate the greatest ocean liner of modern times and stitch them the QE2? Measuring 14.3" by 9.6", this design uses 20 DMC colours and costs £27.95 for the kit. Finally, a design that I originally did on request but which has proved very popular - the Tesco fuel tanker! Screeching to a halt, this design uses only 11 DMC colours and measures 13.9" by 8.7". There's no better present if your husband / daughter / son drives one, or even if they don't, it would be a great surprise! All of these designs go down particularly well with kids, so visit http://www.stitchtastic.com/catalog/caricature-kits.aspx for more info and gift ideas.   Dangerous to ride, not so dangerous to stitch!   The inspiration for many holes in one?   A fun take on the QE2.   A surprisingly popular design! Stitchtastic Stitchers This month, we have a repeat stitcher! Pam has already appeared in our newsletter in September, and she's here again! Hot on the heels of the Kawasaki ZXR6 which we featured last time, Pam has just completed our caricature Land Rover Series II. Pam says this design took her 4 weeks to complete and has really impressed her husband, who is a 4 x 4 enthusiast. Well done indeed Pam, I can't wait to see what you come up with next!   Another fantastic stitched piece from Pam - the Land Rover Series II. Facebook update Did you know that Facebook usage is at its peak 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday? So who is on Facebook at work, come on, admit it? If you are, the best place to be is on our Stitchtastic facebook page, www.facebook.com/Stitchtastic. Come and 'Like' us, make a comment or simply browse through some of the lovely photos of stitched designs our brilliant stitchers have published.     Join us on Facebook! Next Month TV & Film designs will be our focus next month, so if you're a fan of iconic 80s TV, cool brit-flicks or Scooby Doo, don't miss it! We'll also have some great stitched work again. See you then!   Just a couple of our many TV and Film designs, featured next month. Questions or comments? E-mail me at sarah@stitchtastic.com or call +44 (0) 114 2353958 Until next time Sarah Designer

November Newsletter 2010

	Special Offer Extended! Thanks to all our customers who came to see us at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace a couple of weeks ago. It was an incredibly busy show, and despite what I said in the last newsletter about summer being over, the weather was beautiful! Behind our stand it was boiling hot, and so I popped out for 5 minutes to find dozens of people sitting on the steps eating ice cream, didn't expect to see that in October! So the hot weather really brought people out, and a particular thanks must go to our newsletter readers who mentioned the newsletter and received a free gift. This applies to all shows that we attend, so advance notice-if you're at the Stitch & Craft show at Olympia or Sewing for Pleasure at the NEC, both in March 2011, don't forget to come & see us and mention the newsletter! That's a long way off, so in the meantime if you'd like to take advantage of a special offer, we've extended our offer of 'buy 2 kits or charts and receive a free chart'. Simply visit the website and click on the link at the top of the homepage.   Our stand at Ally Pally, near the beautiful Rose Window. New designs - sneak preview! Over the last few months, as most of you know if you have received previous newsletters, we have been building up a following on facebook. Recently, several facebook friends have suggested some new designs we might want to produce, and their wish has been my command! So I thought I would show you these in the newsletter, before anywhere else. All of the new designs are modern cars, and all have our usual caricature flair. First of all, the Vauxhall Corsa. Measuring 13.8" by 9.3", this design has a real 'drawn' feel about it, perhaps because of the grey colourscheme, which works brilliantly. The kit uses only 10 colours, so is quite an easy stitch for an inexperienced stitcher. Have a look at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/vauxhall-corsa-cross-stitch-kit.aspx . Next, the Fiat Punto. This is a very striking stitch, using a number of beautiful blue shades. I think the DMC range excels in terms of its blue shades, so I really went to town on them here. It's slightly smaller than the Corsa, measuring 12.6" x 7.4" but uses 21 DMC colours. Have a look at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/fiat-punto-caricature-cross-stitch-kit.aspx . Hi to Karla, the facebook friend who suggested these 2 designs and waited patiently for them to be completed. Hopefully, her pictures of these when completed will feature in an upcoming newsletter and with the product at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/fiat-punto-caricature-cross-stitch-kit.aspx . Finally, the most recent addition to the Stitchtastic range is the fantastic Alfa Romeo Mito, the cutest design I think I've ever done! It was suggested by a show regular (in fact, she's suggested it as previous shows as well!) and reminded me on facebook (thanks for that Tracey!) It measures 13.4" by 7.5" and uses 22 DMC colours to create that striking beautiful red effect.  Can't wait to see this one stitched! Visit http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/alfa-romeo-mita-caricature-cross-stitch-kit.aspx for more info.   border="0" />  Vauxhall Corsa border="0" />  Fiat Punto border="0" />  Alfa Romeo Mito Exciting New Accessories Another exciting development from the world of Stitchtastic is happening in our accessories department. As many of you know, our acrylic range is really popular, particularly our round and square coasters. We have had quite a few customers ask us for glass coasters, so we investigated and we're delighted to introduce our new range of glass coasters and placemats to display your stitching in style. Both the coasters and placemats have felt backing and so stay in place on the smartest of dining tables. The felt is sticky on the inside and so once your stitching (or photo, lacework, papercraft, the list goes on........) is inside and sealed, it won't move about and looks fantastic. Turn the coaster or placemat over and you'll see a beautiful silver or black frame, which not only looks great but also hides any wavy or frayed edges! All in all, these new glass products make personalised, stylish presents for friends and family. We gave them their debut at Alexandra Palace and they went down a treat, so why not give them a go?   Our new glassware range, shown with some of our smaller designs inside   The foam back of the placemat Facebook update As you have probably gathered from reading the articles above, our facebook page is fast becoming the place to be for Stitchtastic fans. Have a look at www.facebook.com/Stitchtastic . Come and click 'Like' to become a Fan, and keep up with all our stitching antics! You can put your own pictures of our designs that you've stitched up on the page, or just make a comment on the wonderful work of our brilliant stitchers.     Next Month  I shouldn't mention it, should I.....but I'm going to........Christmas! In December's newsletter we'll look at some more of our unusual designs and I might try not to mention Christmas at all........yeah, right! Don't forget to send in your completed stitching pictures.     Questions or comments? E-mail me at sarah@stitchtastic.com or call +44 (0) 114 2353958 Until next time Sarah Designer