Wednesday, February 28, 2018

February Goal Update

Here's how I'm doing on my 18 in 2018 goals. I didn't make huge strides this month. I'm going to blame it on February having fewer days ... (but I doubt that's the true reason).


Goal 1: finish all the charts in the 2006 Cross-stitch Calendar
  • I made steady progress on The King of Spring and should be done with it by the end of the
    week.


Goal 3: finish or dispose of The Finery of Nature
  • I looked over the kit and took a look at the progress I've made so far. It's all in good shape, and looking at the kit I recalled why I like it so much.

    One of the challenges of this piece is that it's large enough that I need to stitch it using my floor stand. So I'll have to decide where in the house I want to stitch because it's not that easy to tote the floor stand from room to room, and it takes up a bit of space.

    Another challenge is that it's stitched on a black ground cloth. That's harder on the eyes and will take some particularly good lighting.

    The main challenge for me is that this is another color chart. I just have a very hard time following colored charts, so I'll need to be particularly careful. But yes, I think I'll finish this piece sometime this year. It really is beautiful.


Goal 12: Read / work through Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck
  • The audio version of the book I bought was in mp3 format. That's great for listening to it on my phone, but the CD player in my car doesn't play those disks. So, with the superb assistance of Dale, the CDs are now burned into a format that I can listen to while driving. 


Goal 13: Work through The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
  • This is where the bulk of my creative energy went this month. I'm now in the middle of Week Six of the twelve week course. I truly love it. It gets me thinking differently and helps me see how I approach many aspects of my life with a creative twist.

    The Facebook groups I've joined have put me in touch with some lovely people who inspire me, and apparently, who I inspire in return. I've thoroughly enjoyed most of the Artist's Dates I've taken. This picture of my Artist Date flowers and the treatment I gave it in editing makes this one of my all-time favorites photographs.


Goal 15: Learn some hand lettering
  • I've not formally begun my course, but I do practice some basic lettering each day. I do OK with pencil on lined paper. But when I've attempted to translate that onto the greeting cards I made, the results are very sketchy. But it's fun to try.


Goal 18: Go on a Retreat
  • I've joined the private Facebook group that's set up for the True Magic retreat and have started to get to know some of the other participants. 

This means that at the end of February, I've fully completed one goal. But I've made at least some progress on ten of them.









Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Nine Months

My granddaughter, Melody, turned 9 months old on Sunday. What a beautiful little girl. Now, if only she could sleep, her mommy could get some rest, too!

Photo by my daughter, Julie Otto.

Monday, February 26, 2018

My Sweet Valentine

This year I made over a dozen Valentine cards to send to some of my friends and my daughters.



  • On the outside, I embossed some soft purple parchment cardstock with falling hearts.
    .
  • Then I cut a doily into five heart-shaped pieces, wrapping the ends around the bottom right corner of the cardstock.
    .
  • I added a sparkly heart puff sticker.
    .
  • Then I layered the purple cardstock on top of purple paper, then on top of my card blank which I made from a soft pink parchment cardstock.




Before adhering the decoration sandwich to the front of the card, I embossed a larger heart on the inside-left bottom corner of the card. 


I tried to do some hand-lettering on the inside of the card, but got frustrated. So I resorted to finding the sentiment online, printing it out, and adhering it to the inside of the card. I left space so I could add a personal message.


I'm enjoying this process of learning to add details to the greeting cards I make. This time, the card is of my own design instead of taking inspiration from Pinterest. It felt good to send this batch of cards to some of my very favorite people.


Sunday, February 25, 2018

A Quiet Moment

... in a #cornerofmyhome



My Artist Date for Week Five of The Artist's Way was to "light a candle." I set these out on the mantle and have been enjoying their soft glow as I stitch and write.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Below the Falls

I was alone at the Falls today. It was very slick on the boardwalk. I had to hold onto the railings to keep from falling.

It was so energizing to be with the roar of the Falls, and so peaceful at the same time. I filled up my soul a bit.




  • Eleven hours of sleep last night.
  • Lunch with my sweetheart at noon.
  • Found the rubber stamp I've been searching for over the last 3 weeks at Dollar Tree.
  • Went for a mall walk (with other old folks).
  • Bought the BIG cutting mat I've been eyeballing for months - with a 50% off coupon!

All in all, an excellent day. I really needed one of these.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Throwback Thursday - January 1996

January 1996 had me stitching a number of small projects. Here are the six I completed.


Fingertip Towels
These fingertip towels were a gift to me for Christmas in 1995 from my AOL Secret Sister. She knew I like roses, and included the towels, the chart and all needed floss in the gift! I was able to find the towels in my linen closet this morning, so I have a fresh photo of them.

The color chart has the two designs shown here, Cabbage Rose and Rose Bouquet






.
Santa Ornament
An online friend sent me the kit for this little Santa ornament which I stitched soon after Christmas.




Beaded Rose Kit
My secret pal sent this kit to me for Christmas, 1995. This was the first time I attempted to do a completely beaded project on perforated paper. I found it fun and relaxing. This piece is finished by fusing interfacing to the back of the perforated paper, and then sewing on the pin clasp.



McKinley's Cuddle Up
I made this for baby McKinley McCoy, son of a friend from church. I changed the sign over the crib to personalize it for the baby. This design is from a kit and came with everything needed to complete the piece. McKinley's mom liked to stitch, too, so I knew she'd appreciate the gift.



Baby Jack's Cuddle Up
I stitched this for Jill, mother of baby Jack. Jill was one of the ladies in my church group. She lost one baby at birth, and was about to have another. To me, she is one of the most courageous women I know. This design was also from a kit.



Wednesday, February 21, 2018

A Meditation Milestone

I've now completed 200 days of meditation in a row with my Headspace meditation program. I'm so happy with my progress and am reaping the benefits.

Onward! 

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Head Fake

Last week at the park, it looked like Winter was heading into Spring.


Now it's all snow, ice, and single digit temperatures.

Monday, February 19, 2018

The King of Spring - Part 2

I had a chunk of time to stitch this weekend and made some nice progress on The King of Spring. I'd say I'm about half done now. This is another of the charts from the 2006 Cross-stitch Calendar that I'm attempting to finish this year.


I think the colors on this are very odd for a robin, but I like its quirkiness.

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Thanks!

I made this thank you card for my sister after she sent me the pretty bowl.


I found the idea for the outside of the card on Pinterest, but the inside was my own idea. The banner is made from washi tape hung on baker's twine. The dots on either side of the Thank You are colored mini brads.


That cute flag paper on the inside of the card is from a mini pad of scrapbook paper from Dollar Tree. Cute design!


---

Inspired by Donna Mikasa



Saturday, February 17, 2018

Embossing Paper

Look what I can do now ...


I got myself a new tool for my Studio. It's a Sizzix paper embosser called the Texture Boutique. This tool is basically two rollers pressing against each other. Put a "sandwich" of the embosser's plates, a plastic folder, and a piece of paper together. Feed it through the rollers. The design on the plastic folder is pressed into the paper.


This is a lightweight machine and is intended for embossing only, not for cutting dies to create shapes. But, if the dies are paper thin and you get the pressure just right, you can use it to cut some dies. Just know the machine isn't made for that purpose and you can mess it up if you aren't careful.


I used a folder with heart shapes to create the design above. I used a paper thin oval die to cut an oval from cardstock. Then I made this card for a cousin. That's a bit of baker's twine and a button to complete the card.


I like making these cards, but my hand lettering leaves a lot to be desired. I plan to learn more of that technique as the year progresses. In the meantime, I'll just continuing experimenting with my tools as I take an afternoon to create mini pieces of art in the form of greeting cards to share with people special to me.

Friday, February 16, 2018

Snow Shadows

I was up before dawn. When I went to open the blinds in the dining room, I noticed the light on the deck casting shadows on the glittered snow. A fairy scene. A bridge of light and shadow, patient for the sun.


Thursday, February 15, 2018

Throwback Thursday 1995 - Part 2

Gosh, these photos are rough! I'll share them anyway.

In August of 1995, I stitched this wedding anniversary sampler for my sister Eleanore and her husband Jerry. The chart was from Stoney Creek. I framed with with a piece of silver mat board under the linen. When the light hits it just right, some of the silver shines through.


In 1995, I was working for America Online (AOL) as a chatroom host for chats about counted cross-stitch. There got to be a regular group of stitchers that would show up and we got to know each other fairly well. One of the chatters and I had a running joke about skunks, so I stitched her a little one. This was done using perforated paper at the ground cloth.


Another of the regular chatters went by the moniker of Dragonfyr. We followed her through months of her pregnancy and were all excited when her baby arrived. I stitched this refrigerator magnet to mark the event.


Again through AOL, I took part in a secret sister circle. Much like a Secret Santa exchange, we stitched gifts with one another. My secret sister had a country-style aesthetic, so I made this small wall-hanging for her. The finishing technique is something I made up ... and was rather proud of it at the time. The chart was a freebie from J&P Coats. The finished piece was about 12 inches tall.


This next piece was for another Secret Sister. It's a Christmas ornament based on a Precious Moments figurine. The little gal is doing embroidery.


Then I stitched my family's Christmas ornaments. It's become quite the tradition. I still make ornaments for my family every year.


Then on New Year's Eve, I completed this Serenity Prayer for my mom. This was probably one of the most complicated charts I'd stitched to date. Mom was worth it.

There are lots of designs for this prayer available in counted cross-stitch, but I've never seen another as pretty as this one by Cross My Heart. I love it because it is evocative of where we live in north Idaho. I so love the evergreens and the way it looks like some fade into the background through fog.


Here's a recent photo of it.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Mr. Rodger is Lit

Mr. Jolly Roger, that is.


Love the way the morning sun shone through the hard candy, making it appear lit from within.

Watermelon is my favorite!

Sunday, February 11, 2018

At Sunrise

While I was writing at the dining room table, the sun climbed over the hill and trees in the back yard, streaming through the window and making my flowers glow.

I took the picture with my phone's camera, and played with filters to achieve this "posterized" effect. Love the way it turned out! If I had the time and the inclination, I'd convert this one into a counted cross-stitch chart.



Friday, February 9, 2018

Eleanor

#whatshesaid


I'm tired of men in high places behaving badly.
Must be pussyhat season again.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Throwback Thursday 1995 - Part 1

These are half of the designs I stitched in 1995.

This little puppy in a basket was stitched for my middle daughter, Julie, who is a dog-lover. I stitched it as a framed piece - I found the frame at a thrift store. I think the way the puppy's eyes cry for attention made me pick this one up. This stitchery recently came back to me since Julie no longer displayed it, so I have it propped up in my studio until I can find it a new home

a

I stitched this fluffy white cat for my daughter Jeanne. This was my first attempt at using an eavenweave fabric, Lugana. Once I figured out how to start stitching by the vertical thread, and realized that the holes you stitch in are slightly larger than the holes you skip, I quickly fell in love with the fabric. But, being my first piece on an evenweave, I sort of got "lost" in the fur by the cat's ear, so if she looks real close, she'll notice I'm off by one thread!


I stitched this bookmark for Jeanne to commemorate a special celebration at church. It's one of the first charts that I designed myself. It spells out "Peacemaker." Lookie there ... I've been a heart lover for a long time.


Julie also had a special celebration at church that year. I made this bookmark to commemorate her First Communion. This was one of the first times I used a metallic thread.


1995 was the year of the Oklahoma City Bombing. A group of stitchers and quilters got together online to create a huge quilt that was presented to the people of the town. The quilt was actually a world-wide effort. Participants were asked to stitch a square on a specific size block with a neutral-colored background. The chart I chose was from The Cross Stitcher magazine. What's that you say? Another heart?


I finally got around to stitching something for myself that year. This came from a kit, and is stitched on Fiddler's Cloth which is a fabric with a rough texture with bits in it that look like little twigs. It's the first bell pull I stitched. The kit came with the dowels and hanging hardware. I made the tassel from the leftover floss. I still display this in my home.