Have you checked out the MyCraftivity Shop sales and clearance section yet? Under Cross Stitch and Needle Arts, there are several great titles at reduced prices. Here are just two:

New Anchor Book of Pulled Thread Embroidery Stitches by Christine Wilkins is sale priced at $6 (a 50% savings). The catalog description reads: Pulled thread is a type of openwork embroidery where the threads of the fabric are pulled back tautly to make decorative holes. This book introduces 27 stitches that can be worked in this way. In addition a further 18 counted stitches are featured that can be used to complement the pulled thread work. All stitches are explained in step-by-step detail. Sixteen original charted designs explore the exciting textural effects that can be achieved: e.g., coil filling stitch perfectly captures the seeded flesh of a luscious strawberry, while the ripple stitch evokes the gentle waves beneath a sailing boat. Other designs include a basket of flowers, sunflowers and roses, and a dragonfly. Pulled thread stitches are ideal for samplers, and an attractive design is included that would be ideal for celebrating a birth or a wedding. If you've never tried pulled thread embroidery, here's a chance to learn a new technique and have a valuable resource at hand--and at a savings as well!

120 Celebration Cross Stitch Cards by Gillian Souter is a terrific source of cross stitch motifs for holidays throughout the year. This hardbound collection offers 140 color photos and 123 color charts for only $12.50 (again, a whopping 50% savings).

See these titles and more at the MyCraftivity Shop.

--Nancy

If there's one thing I love, it's a sale! I go straight to a clearance table before I even check out the regular merchandise in a store. That's why I have to tell you about the new Sales & Clearance section in the MyCraftivity Shop.

Titles are available at great savings, and they're broken down by subcategories, linked in the box at the top of the page. Click on the Cross Stitch and Needlearts link to pull up some great titles at bargain prices.

Here's one that caught my eye right away: Helen M. Stevens' Embroidered Animals with "30 stunning, lifelike animal portraits using pure silk thread." And at 50% off, I don't think I can resist--can you?

Go take a look for yourself. It's a great time to build up your cross stitch and needlearts library (and don't overlook bargains in Knitting and Crocheting, Fashion and Sewing, and Quilting--plus lots of other great craft books as well).

--Nancy

Ah, spring at last! With memories of the recent blizzard, and now the pools of water from the heavy rains to slosh through, it's a relief to know that spring has officially arrived, no matter what the weather may suggest.

Since we see robins all winter here in Southwestern Ohio, I never include them as harbingers of the season. Instead, I watch for the little green shoots to poke up through the snow and mud, especially the daffodils. Doesn't look like there will be many in bloom for Easter, but they're coming! Soon!

This year the first day of spring is marked by something pretty special--the first issue of the MyCraftivity newsletter. It's free--you can sign up on the home page--and it's awesome! I just received my copy in my e-mail in box a little while ago. There are links to free projects, featured crafters from the site, leads on great crafting books you don't want to miss, an announcement about big savings in the MyCraftivity bookstore, and more.

Don't miss the next issue! Get on the mailing list for your free MyCraftivity e-newsletter by signing up on the home page. And Happy Spring!

--Nancy

I just lost an entire blog post. I sat here writing it for the last 15 minutes, got distracted, hit the wrong button, and poof! My post vanished into the ethers (so to speak) of cyberspace.

Of course I'm mad generally that I lost the post--but mostly I'm mad at myself. Why? Because I didn't follow the one rule I set up for myself eight months ago when I first started blogging: NEVER blog directly into the text box. Things happen. You can simply do something stupid (like me). The power can go out on you; even a little burp on the screen can scuttle all your grand literary effort. There can be a weird glitch in the site's system. These words you're typing are illusory, they're ethereal, they are not etched in stone.

This is my third blog. I used to blog at Poetic Asides, the Writer's Digest poetry site. I have a personal blog called Salmagundi Express. So I'm not totally green. I know better than to risk keying a post without saving it in another form so I can retrieve it if something dire happens. And it has happened now in all three blog venues.

If you decide to write up your blog post in a document first, consider doing it on Notepad or save it as text. That way you don't pick up all the crazy Word code. If you do use Word, copying and pasting from your document, be sure to highlight your entire post after it's pasted in and click the little brush icon in the toolbox above. It sweeps away all that nasty code you really don't want in your post (trust me, especially if you're trying to do anything fancy with formatting).

Sigh. I'll re-write that post eventually (when the vein in my temple stops throbbing). In the meantime, just thought I'd share. Don't let this happen to you!!!

--Nancy

Everyone around here is very excited about the launch of MyCraftivity.com. Me, I'm thrilled to be moderator for the Cross Stitch + Needle Art section.

First, a little about me. I'm a newly minted editor for KP Craft at F+W Publications, but my needlework background goes back forty years (guess that tells you plenty about my age--although I was just a child when I started). I do all kinds of embroidery--including cross stitch, redwork, crewel, punchneedle, hardanger, pulled and drawn thread, and probably others I'm forgetting about--as well as crocheting (mostly doilies and lace), tatting, and rug hooking. I've tried my hand at knitting (small, uncomplicated items), bobbin lace, and hand quilting; and I'm learning to do needle-turned applique.

Now, about you: I want to invite you personally to help us build the Web's best crafting/needlework community here at MyCraftivity. Look around, get to know folks, join in on the forums. Use this community as an opportunity to explore needework and crafting areas and learn some new techniques. Send us your ideas and feedback. We really do want to make this the kind of place you just have to return to again and again.

Over coming weeks, I'll be joined by two team members who will contribute their own experience and perspectives to this blog and other areas of our little corner of MyCraftivity. From projects to needle arts news to chatting with fellow stitchers, there will be a lot to learn from and enjoy.

So, welcome! It's great to have you here.

--Nancy

P.S. The detail in the photo above is from one the many samplers I've made. The whole team will be sharing work in the future, but I want to encourage YOU to post your projects in the gallery. We're all needlework fans here, right? And what could be greater than a terrific online show-and-tell--so don't be shy!