Friday, December 29, 2017

And it all came crashing down...

Wow... I can't believe its been two months since my last post. Well... I can and I can't. It seems like it was just last week when I was happily typing away on my Christmas Quilt project and how everything seemed to be moving full steam ahead.

And then it suddenly wasn't.

My computer crashed, and it crashed hard. Yes, I had a computer crash earlier this year, where the beautiful workhorse I had built to my specifications turned up toes and went home to that great motherboard in the sky. There was panic, there was SERIOUS PANIC, panic in the ways of stomach turning and tears that I had lost all of my photography files, cross stitch patterns, etc.  Thankfully, the majority of my files were able to be salvaged and put onto an external hard drive. We had purchased a refurbished computer for Richard not much earlier, but without any fanfare he quietly set up his new-to-him-but-used computer and went back to using his old one.

Well, at least I didn't actually kill the "new" one... I just overwhelmed it to the point where it was running massively slow and then finally froze up. Its simple 1 TB drive (hey, if it isn't a baking measurement then the size means nothing to be, other than its supposed to be a lot) was overwhelmed by all of my photo, music and pattern files and just couldn't hold any more. It drew a line in the sand that I hadn't even noticed and that final month of churning out cross stitch patterns right and left are not only what took me across that line, but absolutely obliterated it.

This time there were no moments of tears and frustration... only that sinking feeling in my stomach as I came to the realization that the earlier temporary bandage had hemorrhaged under the amount of pressure I had placed on it. Instead of a cast to help the system heal I had left the jury-rigged splint on, failed to maintain it and just kept on running in a marathon that I had no business inflicting on it.

So we first purchased a new external hard drive... 5 TB this time, and Richard slowly began transferring files over. Sadly, a lot didn't make it through the transition, but I didn't now that for sure until we managed to get me a new (not sorta new but not really... this one here is The Real McCoy). Even better, this one came with a seriously nice 27" widescreen monitor... something my aging eyes is very grateful for.

So what has been lost?

I seem to still have most of my music files, and the photography is good, though I lost all of the more recent edited shots, so i'll have to edit them again if I want those specific shots back. I have, however, lost all of my recently worked up cross stitch pattern files (over 200, which equates to several hundreds of hours), which breaks my heart, but its nothing I can't rebuild, given time. Its a project I should be well in the middle of replacing, but winter is really playing havoc with my health, so I haven't had much time that I can spend in front of the computer.

Basically I have lost all of the work I have done since my last computer crash earlier this year. My computer had been set up to back up to the external hard drive on a regular basis, but didn't and it failed to notify me that it wasn't performing its routine back up (something I have now learned to verify for myself rather than trusting technology to do it for me).

I now keep the majority of my files on external drives, rather than tax my computer's systems. One drive (my 5 TB workhorse that I have lovingly named "Big Red", because he's red, he's not huge physically, but hey, its the biggest drive i've ever owned, thanks  to Amazon holding an amazing sale), and my 1 TB "Old Blue" (not really old, but he's older than Red and, yes, he is blue) is going to be solely for back ups. I'll purchase a 3rd drive soon that I will transfer all of our music files to (as well as digitize that big box of CDs sitting in my office) so Richard and I can shuttle music between ourselves as needed, as Red is going to be slowly filled up between my photo and pattern files, and the amount of music we have already digitized is pretty substantial.

So yes, this time I am doing it right, and even though it will take time, I will retrace my steps and remake the patterns that were lost. Now that I have a computer to get back online with, the posts will start coming on a regular basis again. I am sorry it has taken this long to start it back up, but now that the injury has been dealt with (instead of field dressings think Steve Austin's Six Million Dollar Man... we had the technology and my computing capabilities certainly got a nice upgrade), I can make up for the lost time and get to it. Best of all, the old computing speed is now a thing of the past, so I should be able to cut those hundreds of hours down to something a little more manageable.

Its great to be back, and I hope that you will hang in there as I get everything back on track and do things right this time.

Thanks for being there everyone, and I hope that all is well in whatever part of the world that you find yourself in.

Oh, and don't forget your back ups!

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Works in Progress - Christmas Quilts

So what's new here at Bluecreek Creations?  Well, I thought today that I would show you the newest project that I am working on.

Yes, its more cross stitch, and its a series that I am really excited about... cross stitch quilts!

I can already picture the double-takes being given.  Yes, you read that correctly. This project is a series of cross stitched mini quilts that can be used in several ways.

First, each pattern can be stitched up individually and framed. This allows for a nice pop of cozy comfort without taking up valued closet space.

Second, you can pick and choose your favorite patterns and stitch them together in a sampler format.

Third, (and my personal favorite), as these patterns measure no greater than 50 stitches x 50 stitches, the individual quilts can be stitched, fused to fabric and turned into homespun-style Christmas ornaments. 

What does 50 stitches square come to? Well, on a 14-count cloth (which is what I typically use for the mini quilts) your finished project will be approximately 3.5" square, which is perfect for the holidays. Small enough to be darling, yet not so large it takes over the entire tree.

I stitched up sets of 5 mini quilt ornaments for family and friends over a decade ago, and loved the look, so I decided to dust the idea off and to have the joy of creating two sets of quilts, both in a variety of colors, rather than the simple 3-color palette I used in the past.

So lets sneak a peek over my shoulder to what is currently being tweaked on my computer, shall we?

The first set will be basic patterns, with one-note palettes... by which I mean one shade of orange, teal, green, red or blue, and no shading or tones.  This type of palette means you will not have to buy a lot of skeins when getting ready to stitch.

This set will be tied together with the use of white as a main component in the pattern.




The second set will be detailed with patterns, color variations, shading and toning. Yes, this means you will be purchasing more skeins of floss, but it also means you will be left with a far richer look that will mimic the quilts that you love to see at your local fairs and quilting shows. These patterns will not be limited to just white as contrast, and many of these will not feature white at all.



Boy this one sure looks pretty, and I look forward to the test stitching of this set.

Its funny, but with tall of the many quilt sets I stitched up all those years ago, I never saved a set for myself, figuring I could always make another set "later".  Well, it looks like I will finally be making a set of these for my own use!

Oh, and in honor of those long-ago Christmas present stitches, I am calling this collection Christmas Quilts. Sure, the patterns can really be used for any time, reason or season, but these have always held the love, joy, warmth and feel of Christmas to me... and quilts really are so snuggly and warm during the holidays, aren't they?

So what projects are you working on? I hope they are bringing you as much joy as I am having while playing with all of these fun little patterns.

Friday, October 6, 2017

The Shocking Cost Of Giving Things Away For Free

Wow.  I am surprised to see that my freebie patterns for Trixie Belden are so popular... 300 visits in 8 days.  Well, not so much surprised by that... after all, we Trixie fans know that Trix is tops.  No, the surprise is that there are so many visits and downloads being done, yet not one person has commented a thank you or even bothered to follow my blog, even when I pointed out that there would be other Trixie images coming up in the future.

That hurts.

It's not as if I am trying to bring in followers in order to make money off of ads on my site...far from it. I find ads and click bait incredibly annoying, even if it would bring in a little pocket money.  My crafting and offering patterns here and through my Etsy shop really don't have anything to do with the money, but rather to share my love of cross stitch and the varying things that I have loved over my lifetime.

Trixie Belden means a lot to me (as my one true reader could tell you... hi Mindy!) because she is a literary character who had a lot in common with myself when I was growing up and feeling alone, living far out of town and away from my few closest friends.

Don't get me wrong, I loved living in the country, and I still prefer living away from the big cities and the bright lights.  Give me the sounds of hooting owls and the wind blowing through the trees at night while the moon and stars shine brightly overhead.  The best of my days were spent where the scent of warm pine sap filled the air and knowing that I could ride my horse for hours without seeing another human...just me, my horse, the foxes and the deer, and instead of horns beeping and cars driving by with their music blaring, my soundtrack was the birds in the trees.

Growing up that way meant developing a love for nature and, bonus!, a vivid imagination.

It was surprising to me that there never was much Trixie merchandise out in the world, nor any for a lot of the things that I loved as a child.  So I made my own, and was happy to do so.  I wanted to share it with the world... maybe it would spark a little curiosity to see just who and what this Trixie thing was all about, but mostly it was so others who loved my perfectly imperfect teen detective could have something Trixie to call our own.

But back to the money.

Yes, I do offer a few patterns at a low cost in my shop, but I know I will never make serious money with my Etsy shop. Heck, in the several months I have had items up for sale I have made less than $50. Considering the time it takes me to create, test and give a final approval of my patterns (not to mention searching out the copyright information for the images I use), that means I am seriously underpaid...in fact, it means I am actually losing time and money for allowing Etsy the honor of charging me money and giving me a space to show off some of my favorite patterns.

I think much of the world these days sees something offered for free and just grabs it and runs. That isn't the kind of world I want, and I hope that I never fail to thank someone for a kindness done or something given.  If I have, I apologize now, for that isn't the way I was raised, nor the way that I am inside. I never came to the belief that "please" and "thank you" showed weakness, but only gratitude and kindness, and I am truly grateful for the things that I have and the blessings I have been given.

Surprisingly, I am thankful for the hardships that I have, too.  Not as thankful as I suppose I should be, because, lets face it, sometimes life sucks, but I do recognize that hardships are lessons and not stumbling blocks, and that holding grudges hurts you and not the person or the situation that may have caused you pain. Life may hand you lemons, but that doesn't mean that you always have to accept them, let alone make lemonade out of those tart little things. Sometimes its best to just hand them back and find yourself another fruit vendor.

But what about the things you can't change?

I have never cared for that saying about how God never gives you more than you can handle, because it just isn't true.  God allows things to happen that we can't handle all of the time, which is why we see and read about so many of the broken people in the world.  The truth is, God tells us that if we lean on Him then we aren't in this alone, and, through Him, one day all will be made whole. No, there will not be some great tally in the Great Beyond that measures your suffering and says "here's a lollipop (or money, or heavenly mansions on high) to make it all better"... no, I believe the wholeness spoken of is simply acknowledgment of suffering done and a gentle healing of both body and spirit into one healthy whole.

But I digress, don't I? Sorry, I do that quite often, but I usually find that it isn't such a bad thing for me to allow my thoughts to go where they will, as I often get to the core of what I am really thinking that way.

My wonder is when did people get to be so...well... greedy.  Why do we love getting and not giving? There are equal blessings to both... and the giving in this case is oh so little.

After all, is asking for a simple "thank you" or "this looks cute" or "I love Trixie too" too much to ask from the world?

I guess it is.

Which is a shame, and just reinforces in me the desire to continue giving, even if I don't get anything back in way of acknowledgment.  Its not the "thank you" in the end that I yearn for, nor recognition. I do this for the fact that it simply gives me happiness to have created something that I love, and that, in sharing, this can be something that will lift someone's burden by giving them something to smile about, and knowing there will be some joy in their stitching up something that is strictly just for them.

So where is this all going? Nowhere really, I guess. Just a simple wish in the void for something that my brother once pointed out to me; about how the world would be all the better for the increased use of a few simple words:

"Please" and "Thank You".

You never know just how much you can brighten someone's day by using these until you try. After all, this is such a simple thing to do when you ask for or are given something, but it can mean a lot to the person who is doing the giving, and ever so more to you when you are doing the asking.

I hope that you will please try.

Thank you.




New Projects and Seeking Permission

New patterns are ready to upload, and I am just waiting on the official go ahead from Tor Publishing saying I have their approval to share them.

Want a sneak peek into what I am talking about? It has something to do with this image and 51 similar illustrations, all taken from the same body of work.


For anyone who knows me, patience is a virtue that has yet to sink in and really take hold... I probably should have stopped after I worked up the first few patterns until I had permission to publish these, but I was so excited that I just plowed full steam ahead (as I usually do).

So here I sit, a bunch of new patterns in hand and nothing to do but wait.

You know, Tom Petty was right... the waiting is the hardest part.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Free Cross Stitch Patterns...Trixie Belden

Who doesn't love free stuff?  Well, good free stuff anyway, especially when there is no *ahem* dumpster diving involved.  I live in a college town, so I am constantly amazed at all the things the kids leave behind at the end of term each summer, all because they didn't want to haul it home with them... message boards galore filled with pleas of  "come take this" or  flat out leaving stuff  abandoning treasures on the curb.

Oh wait... is dumpster diving still hip or is it back to being gross?

I have never been one to keep up with what's trendy at the moment. I have been a generic jeans and t-shirts gal since the 1970's and I see no need to change myself now just because some item is now considered fashionable, and its been the same way with my decor tastes. Crows in this year? Already have them (crows are downright adorable), though I never went in for the sunflower thing. Rabbits seemed pretty popular a few years back, but I never hopped onto that wagon either, though rabbits really are cute.

I guess what I am saying is I don't ever expect to start trotting out patterns for whatever new crafty "hip" thing that is currently trending, and I am fine with that. I know what I love and I figure at least one person out there probably likes it too.  Those are the people I want to meet. I want to reach out through our monitors, clasp your virtual hands in mine and say "you like this too?" and feel like I have met what Anne of Green Gables would call a "kindred spirit",

But wait, I was talking about free stuff...boy it is easy for me to get off target.

I started with my first Nerdy Girl/Nostalgia Nerd whatever-you-want-to-call-me projects by creating a pattern for a character I loved from my childhood... Trixie Belden.  I've spoken before on my love for this wonderfully flawed teenage sleuth before, so I probably don't have to go into any details, but its safe to say that I went a little overboard, as I am often wont to do, and created numerous patterns... some of which I decided weren't "perfectly perfect" enough to sell in my Etsy shop.

Seeing that Trix isn't perfectly IM-perfect herself, you might think these should fit right in, but, for one reason or another, I wound up deciding to save some of these to offer as freebies, for those who will love and want to stitch them, because they speak to the child within.  I will add more freebie patterns down the line, so be sure to follow my blog so you will be the first to know when they become available.

So lets get to it, shall we?

First freebie is this illustration from Secret of the Mansion, in which Honey is giving Trixie a boost through the window of Mr. Frayne's crumbling old mansion...Honey is looking fearfully behind her as she just had just been surprised by Queenie, the hen, who had flown at her in an effort to keep the girls away from her nest.






I don't know for certain why I didn't choose to sell this one, but I think its because, while the details of the picture are great, this just isn't my favorite image of the girls.  Its a fun moment from the book, but I just couldn't see it being incredibly popular, mostly due to that look of fear on Honey's face. This is one that I want to stitch up for myself, but is on the back burner at the moment, as so many other patterns are clamoring to be stitched first and I have already filled up my stitching project slots through the holidays.

This one isn't my largest pattern, but its certainly lovely with lots of detail. Finished pattern is 100 stitches x 127 stitches and uses 50 colors, so you have a lot of depth in this one. In US measurements you're looking at the finished project to measure 7.14" x 9.07" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 7.94" on 16-count, or 5.56" x 8.33" on 18-count.

I should probably mention here that in order to get the free pattern, you simply need to click on the link beneath each image and you will be directed to a printable PDF pattern... you will need Adobe Reader or other similar program in order to read the file.



This one just frustrated me, as the original image doesn't give a clear shot of Trixie's face, and so its just colored pixels...it will still look just fine, but I want so much more detail than that.  I really do love this illustration, and I may try again, but I need to find a better copy of the book cover than what is currently sitting in my collection.

This one is 100 stitches by 146 stitches, and the finished project measures 7.14" x 10.43" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 9.13" on 16-count and 5.56" x 8.11" on 18-count.




This one is a favorite, and I am happy to be able to share it. This is one of my favorite Trixie tales and even a jeans and t's gal like me can't resist that gorgeous sailor dress.  This lovely pattern features Trix admiring the wooden statue that she decided she just had to have, sparking a whole new mystery for the Schoolgirl Shamuses to solve. I hope that you enjoy it... its one of many in the line-up of my "projects to stitch".

The finished piece will measure 7.14" x 10.93" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 9.56" on 16-count and 5.56" x 8.5" on 18-count.




Okay, this one is larger and has a lot more detail...I just love the beachy feel of this and Trixie's happy expression as she prepares for what she believes will be a week of sailing and fun, rather than the mystery that awaits her...though if she had any idea a mystery awaited her I am sure that smile would be all the wider!

This one will measure 7.14" x 14.29" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 12.5" on 16-count and 5.56" x 11.11" on 18-count. 




Okay gang, this one is pretty huge, coming in at 100 stitches by 218 stitches, but the detail is great, and this is a pretty iconic shot of our favorite teen detective, considering how often she has to rely on her bike in order to get around and collect clues! This image from the Marshland Mystery shows Trixie, basket filled with herbs and flowers to create a new book of botanical specimens for their teacher at Sleepyside High.

This one will definitely require a specialized frame as it will measure 7.14" x 15.57" on 14-count cloth, 6.25" x 13.63" on 16-count and 5.56" x 12.11 on 18-count,  It may be big, but it will be completely worth it when its done.

And last, but not least...




This one is the entire cover image, minus the writing (I couldn't find my image file with the lettering removed, sorry!)  This one isn't for sale on my site simply because the face, once again, isn't detailed at the size of image I have. Yes, you can see that she is smiling, etc, but its not as crisp as I would like it to be... unfortunately, the cover in my Trixie collection isn't good enough, so I am on the lookout for a better copy.  Trust me, once I find a cleaner image, I will re-work this pattern and post it here.

As is, this is still going to be lovely stitched up, and isn't so tall as to be intimidating like Marshland.  This piece will be 100 stitches x 154 stitches, which means a 14-count cloth will measure 7.14" x 11", 16-count will come out to 6.25" x 9.63" and 18-count will be 5.56" x 8.56".

As with anything else posted here for free, you have my permission to stitch these up and sell the finished products (please include a link to my blog on anything you sell), but the pattern itself is not available for resale.

Regardless of which size of cloth you choose to stitch any of these on, or which pattern tempts you to start stitching, I wish for you the blessings of the Embroidery Gods: May your floss remain free from unwanted knots and tangles, your stitches fall in their proper places and your family and friends allow you the time you need to get your projects done.

Happy Stitching.


Tuesday, September 19, 2017

A Crafter's Work Is Never Done

Its a busy life, being a Crafty Girl...a fun and fulfilling life, but definitely busy.

So what fun things are going on here at Bluecreek?

Well, the idea of Bluecreek Creations really started with little crocheted bags with charms and beads. They were designed with the idea of hanging from your car's rearview mirror and in them you could tuck away little things that have meaning to you...a special pebble (yes, rocks are a big love of mine), a piece of sea glass, a feather....anything that can fit inside really.

I loved the idea of this little pouch, filled with little things that, in a way, sort of defined me...pieces of me anyway...I doubt there is a pouch in the world big enough to fit everything that has meaning to me, other than the body that I putter around in.

I had started with crocheting dice bags for my husband and I (yes, I play D&D and love it). I was bored and started crocheting a smaller bag, with no real goal in mind. The first bag turned out darling and I loved it so much that I started crocheting them up in different colors,  Then I thought about adding charms, and from there I started adding beads to the fringed cords.

More and more bags were being whipped up, and then it came to me...these were totem bags.

I wound up making around 15 of these before I decided that I needed to get a shop up and running where I could market these, and began on my Etsy shop.  I became distracted (as I easily do) with a cross stitch project and then I found myself working on cross stitch patterns and filling my shop with them.

But my totem bags!

I went to photograph them and put them online only to realize they had been put away somewhere when my husband and caregiver had straightened up...my totem bags are currently packed away somewhere no one knows and we have yet to find them!

Well, I did have 3 bags set aside in my knitting bag, so all is not lost. While we are looking for my lost bags, I have been crocheting up new ones...after all, its a fun project and it doesn't hurt to have more of them in my store's inventory!


Cute little things, aren't they? Now I just need to find my lost little darlings, take some lovely shots, showcasing their beautiful little selves and get them into my shop.

Wish me luck...either with whipping up new lovelies, or finding my little stash, wherever they are hiding.  Either way is fine by me, as I adore crocheting them!

Hope you are happy crafting wherever this finds you!

~Shawna

Friday, September 8, 2017

Stitching my first nerd-love pattern

Am I allowed to use the term, "nerd girl"? I am sure that there are millions of girls out there just tossing out this phrase, and far be it for me to jump on the bandwagon...but what to say otherwise? Geek Girl is just as trendy, Nostalgia Nerd is a bit wordy, though it is actually pretty accurate and I am fairly certain no one is using it yet.

Lemme check...

Dang it, it IS being used.

Oh well, Nerd Girl for now I suppose. I'll have to think on what else to call it some more...regardless, my first, fully realized, getting-my-literary-childhood-geek-on pattern was a blast to do. I had fun playing with the pattern design, with stitching it up, with being SEEN stitching it up (so I could excitedly bore the pants off of anyone who asked about the project) and even with snapping photos of my progress every day or so just to dweeb out over the images on my phone.

Like I said, I'm a geek...now lets deal with it and move on, okay?

Now, less we forget what it is that I am talking about, maybe a tiny little refresher might be in order.  You see, I am a big Trixie Belden fan, and have been for nearly 40 years .. close enough that the actual count really isn't an issue. I can place the blame squarely on my paternal Grandmother (THANK YOU GRANDMA!) who gave me a copy of book #18 Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper not too long after it first came out in 1977. She found it at a yard sale, and thought it might be something I would like (we both loved to read).


There was no big fanfare about it...our family showed up one day to visit and she handed it over saying, "here, I thought you might like this."  No angels sang, no marching band with twirling batons ablaze marked the moment, but still, a love was born that day.

Zip ahead a few decades and here I am, with a newly-printed pattern in my hot little hands and all my skeins organized and ready to go. I could almost hear faintly in the back of my mind, "Houston, preparing for lift-off in 5...4... 3... 2... 1....." 

I'm sure that I haven't quite nearly enough explained how much I love this piece of my childhood (and adulthood, I'm not ashamed to say I still read my Trixie books, in fact, I still have all 34 of the Trixie titles Golden Publishing put out at that time. How many kids can claim to still own an entire series of books from their childhood that their mother didn't make them save? I even still have that very copy that started it all, though I have a duplicate copy to read now so I don't wear out my old one as quickly).

Again, I head off into tangents (and run-on alliterative sentences!)...sorry Houston...where were we on that countdown?

Ah yes...BLAST OFF!

My first few stitches were momentarily confusing (what's with the pale lavender? Did Trixie have a shadow under her eyes that I hadn't remembered?) Still, with each new stitch the excitement grew. My husband sweetly oohed and aahed every time he saw me stitching, but he truly was happy that I was cross stitching again after such a long break (hand tremors...ugh...one of the joys my health tosses at me from time to time).

Only a few days in it was recognizable (to me anyway) what the finished piece would be...everything but those few pale purple stitches...those, I admit, were really bothering me. Sadly, I couldn't deal with them yet as they were securing my foundation stitches...I would have to wait until I had a lot more stitches laid down before I could even think of ripping them out... which I eventually did. It turns out the program read Trixie's blue eyes as a purple and plotted accordingly. I didn't notice when I was buying my embroidery thread, as the pattern had a thin, blue line around one edge of the oval frame, so I saw blue thread and thought "oh, that's for her eyes."

Nope. Thank goodness it was a problem easily corrected later on....wait...more on that in a moment.







In these first few shots you can see her face is quickly taking shape








Even more so now...wow, just going by the photos, the stitches are just flying by!




Wow, that orange is BRIGHT, but its definitely my girl coming through the stitches.






                             

Ugh! That purple is driving me nuts...time for those stitches to GO!






Try to always keep your seam ripper/embroidery scissors handy...you don't want to be a doofus like me and risk ruining all your hard work by using tools like a screwdriver and a full-size, wickedly sharp pair of Gingher scissors! Please note: in any other situation, I cannot praise Gingher's scissors highly enough! They are well worth investing in for your fabric and thread cutting needs! 
(not that they need me to sing their praises...they know how amazing they are!)  




Whew, glad THAT's over.

                                                                                                                                                                 


Pretty new blues and I love how the colors make her eyes pop!




  

Now to finish up on the hair and that background




As far as the original pattern was concerned, this was complete, but that cut-off bottom edge looks very sloppy. Unfortunately, the original image that I used had the rest cut off.





And, voila, she is complete! I love how PC Stitch's program allows me to add additional stitches onto the pattern...and, thankfully, for this project it wasn't too hard to continue the shirt, based off the illustration on the back of the book jacket. 


So what happens now.  Well, as much as I loved doing this piece, I eventually decided before I was finished that I would stitch it again, but this time on a creamy yellow fabric, rather than the black.  The black is lovely, but, if you'll look back at the original book cover, the books were printed with a golden shade of yellow backdrop.  I think stitching on yellow would just feel more true to the look and feel of the books.  

So what about this one? Hmmm...I really don't have any followers as of yet, so offering it as a giveaway would be rather pointless.  I'll probably put it up for sale in my Etsy shop or offer it in one of the Trixie groups I am a member of on Facebook.  That way someone who likes the piece, but doesn't have the time (I won't say inclination, because how could someone not love cross stitch???) will be able to add it to their collection.

Or maybe I WILL save it for a giveaway...in about a decade when I manage to pay off some people to follow me ;D