Yay! Managed to get a FREE copy of DMC Cross Stitch Designer online after a hiccup with my Amazon order.
It does
exactly what it says on the box!!
Here are some of the colour-block designs with their originals, and then I'll tell you how I did it and how you can buy your copies!!


This was the first design - in fact, my signature one, the 'Flower Power' heart. The program uploads the image and breaks it down into pixels to be used as the colour blocks to show the design.
And here's a good one - the RGU 'bothies' installation, c.2006 in Aberdeen's Castlegate.


I call it 'Invasion of the Wee Hoosies' simply because they appeared overnight and looked as if they'd just dropped from the sky!! The colour-block version is ok - I wonder how long it would take? Seems massive!
Anyhoo - to the patterns...
With all of them, you can have the option of just printing the colour blocks, or coloured symbols, or, as I prefer, being used to commercially made patterns, black and white symbols with black lines.
This is a close-up of the heart pattern

You can see just about that each square of stitching contains a symbol - which has a corresponding colour on the chart of DMC thread/floss.

The whole b/w pattern looks something like this one above.

And the second page contains the key and any instructions or info about the origin of the photo/image or copyright details.
All the symbols have their DMC colour name and numerical code so you can just pop into to your local craft shop and pick up the right thread from the DMC rack!
'Red Line' at the top of Union St across from the Town House in Aberdeen has some, so does John Lewis.
There was a knitting/ craft shop in Rosemount, the descendant of the once famous Wool Shop of George Street, but I'm not sure if it's still there.
If anyone knows of other shops you can get craft supplies in Aberdeen, let me know, I'm going to do a post about it soon.
So - if you want your very OWN pattern to stitch the heart, or any of the four designs on show at my newly-launched Etsy shop, go to:
http://www.artyquine.etsy.comClick on the pattern you want - then click 'Add to Cart'. Yes, sorry, the prices are in US Dollars, but the site promises to get that sorted eventually. Each pattern is $8, which is round about £4.90 just now - obviously we are at the mercy of the exchange rates! Payment is either by Paypal or cheque. IF you're in the UK and sending a cheque, please just write it POUNDS STERLING - if you're unsure how much the rate is - email me and I'll check it with the site I use, which is
XE.com and I'll let you know. Otherwise, Paypal will just charge it in dollars and work out its own exchange, whatever that is.
Once the payment has been confirmed, I'll email you the PDF file - which you of course need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print. It's freeware that you can download at Adobe.com.
Then you can stitch it as many times as you like!!
I will work on some simpler Xmas designs soon, so they'll go up by December.
Do have a go - but these aren't for the faint-hearted - the DMC program can be set to put as many colours as they have threads. The heart is a bit mental, but it was my first go. The other three are all under 50 colours.
This is the Etsy shop front - I called it
Celtic Heart because the heart is the signature symbol and it means I can do Irish and Welsh themed stuff as well as Scottish.