July 09 finishes

Took me forever on getting my items posted but here are 2 I finished in July -

This is a small freebie that I recieved from my local shop by The Prairie Schooler. I finished it by folding it over a styofoam block and covering it in fabric - pinning the fabric to the block and pinning a ribbon over the seam. I did it on 16ct White Aida - I also changed the colors around - I just couldn't wrap my head around an eagle having a brown head - the arrows were supposed to be red and I made them gold as well as the little designs in each corner - and my bling are rhinestones I glued to the blue band of the shield.

My second finish -

Was also a freebie from my local shop. It was a handout from when they did Camp Gottastitch back in November (I didn't go). The design is from Handblessings (http://www.handblessings.com/) a Eileen Gurak Needlework Design (size 39 x 38) called Valentine Acorn Birdhouse. I stitched it on 14ct white Aida using Weeks Dye works Garnet # 2264 and Bubble Gum #2275A. My bling is the pewter heart charm in the middle. I'm having a hard time finding a frame that won't overpower the design.

And for good measure I thought I'd show you all a picture of a ceramic piece that I completed last week from castware. This was base coated in black, washed in green, dry brushed in lavender pearl then cranberry pearl and then drybrushed in copper. I'm making more to sell at a local hobby shop. If you all think I should also post my ceramics that I complete I will - 99% of it goes out for sale - I'll even sell to you all but I'd have my UPS store package so I would probably have $10.00 s/h for something this size. The piece below I'm selling for $20.00 - other items I do it would just depend on the size of the piece but you gotta remember these are very breakable.

Well that's all from me this month - I'm still working on the project for my son and doing another freebie from The Prairie Schooler.

May finish "The Hunt" SAL by Pelin Tezer

Wow - I did this as a Stitch-A-Long with an online Yahoo group. This was a fun project and I thought this was going to be a "no brainer" - lol What it taught me is I CAN'T COUNT - lol I've had more hiccups but managed to finish in (for me) a reasonable time.

The color I used for the fabric was a Aida blue (can't remember the actual name) and the floss was DMS 977 which is considered a light brown but to me is golden. One of the ladies at the LNS said it was an interesting choice of fabric/floss color - hummm not sure it that meant she like the combo or not. When I asked her if that meant she didn't like it she said "no it's just not something I would have thought to put together". I kept tossing colors on the fabric and kept coming back to the 977 for some reason.

Last week I went to Hobby Lobby to pick out the frame so I knew I had a deadline. It's just a plain brown. I was going to put a navy blue matte on it but nothing looked right.

This one actually has NO BLING - yep - NO BLING - unless I can find charms this is "as is" "au natural" "in the buff". Haven't decided where I'm going to hang it but I'm thinking my living room.

Hope you all like it.

April finish

This little thing was a freebie from my LNS. It's from The Prairie Schooler. Of course I changed it - lol I stitched around the edge of the egg in brown which was supposed to be used for the legs - wow what was I thinking (or not)- lol

I did the egg in a light green verigated and then brushed a light coating of light green glitter on it so the egg would have some sparkle. I had my ceramic teacher/friend Mary do the little bow as she does them best. I did the background as a peach felt which matches the peach of the stitching.

All in all I think it turned out pretty cute and it taught me I can make an ornament.

January finishes

I have 2 finishes for January. One was actually completed the end of December but I haven't gotten around to posting so I'm designating it a January 09 finish.

The first is Frosty Friends by Mosey 'N Me which comes from the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments issue. As usual I can't leave things alone - lol I added rhinstones to his hat (instead of stitches) and added a green/metallic pom pom to his hat (the original didn't have a pom pom)

The other is called Snow by Heart in Hand from the their Wee One's Collection. The designer is Cecilia Turner. This was such a small project and I thought I could complete it in 1 night - nope not me - I spent almost 3 months looking for something other than what was listed for the snowflakes. I even considered snowflake buttons. I finally took it to my LNS and decided on the Silver Kreinik Metallics. I also switched out the cardinal which came with the pattern for a glass one.

Hope you like what I've done!

Wow - after I completed my last project I was hoping I'd be able to do at least 1 Christmas Ornie - and I DID!! This will probably be the only other stitching I get done in 2008 but I'm happy with that.

My local stitching store (Cross My Heart) is doing a monthly Christmas Ornament from the 2008 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament magazine. I decided to join back in October knowing that I'd be able to buy the monthly ones but not knowing if I would be able to get to them this year.

This is called Be Merry (Designed by Monique Keylor of My Mark). I can't leave things alone and instead of straight stitching I beaded the large snowflake in the upper right corner. I also added flat snowflakes to the tree and snowflake area in the lower left corner. I also stitched this in 14ct Aida instead of the 28 Cashel linen it recommended. Now my only decision is to make it into an ornie or put it into a frame.

Hope everyone has a blessed Christmas!!

Celebration time!!!! I told my BFF that I would do a cross stitch project for her for her kitchen redo. She did it all in a Mexican theme and I thought this would be perfect. It was due last March! I had no idea when I began it what a journey it would take me on. I had several redo's in the 2 pepper areas which slowed me down quite a bit and made me question my sanity. In August I began going to my local stitching store and the ladies there were soooooo very helpful. They saw where I was stumbling and put me on the right track - many thanks to them all!!!!! They gave me incourgement and it helped so much that I completed the last 2 pages in a little over 2 months (I must be a slow stitcher)

The project was originally to be stitched on black aida but I thought it would be simpler to just stitch in the black. No bling on this one - lol

I gave it to my BFF today at ceramics class and she was thrilled with it. I'm on now to doing a couple of Christmas ornaments (and if I don't get them done this year that's ok - I no longer have a due date on anything) and in January I'm doing a SAL (The Hunt) with an online group. I'm also going to start a project that my son got me last Christmas call Floral Retreat (Demensions Gold Collection). Lots of stitching on that one with smaller ones hopefully throughout the year.

Hope everyone who looks at this likes it!

My first 2008 finish

Wow - I can't believe this took me over 10 hours to do. This was sent to me as a RAK from one of the members of my cross stitching group. THANK YOU AGAIN!!

I changed it somewhat. The words were to be done in green - I changed it to yellow. The backstitching was to be done in yellow - I changed it to gold metallic (not the easiest to work with). The collars were to be stitched and I changed them to beads.

I think I spent the most time trying to decide how to spiff it up and after several hours of trying this bead and that I just felt - less is more so I have just a little in the upper corner.

I also have a bookmark to do and I think I'll do a little more preplanning with my beading as I have some cute scotty charms I'd like to use. But I've got other projects I MUST get finished so this will be done later on in the year.

Hope you like it - it was really fun to do.