Macro Monday - Happy Halloween!

It's Halloween Night

The spooks are wandering the streets ... screaming

So frightened ... my camera shakes!

You might say ... it drives me batty!

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Macro Monday is easy to play,

snap a macro (or close-up) photo,
post it on your blog
then go to Lisa's Chaos
and sign Mr Linky.

Sunday Secrets: October 31, 2010

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an insightful sociological experiment. These four secrets got a reaction out of me this morning:

Me either.
Especially social masks.

I felt that way 20+ years ago after my divorce.
Now I live a charmed life!

If only!
I WISH I had such confidence!

I'm lucky.
I heard this once before.
It wasn't kept a secret.
Thanks!

Rally to Restore Sanity

On the National Mall. October 30, 2010
Jon Stewart's closing remarks ... remarkable

Happy Dance: Boo!

The success I had creating the pillow for my friend Susan was encouragement enough for me to do a bit of finishing for myself. May I present ... Boo!


This piece of stitchery has been hanging around for three years, waiting for me to get up the gumption to finish it. I'd originally planned to turn this into a banner with prairie points around the edge. But never having made prairie points, I kept procrastinating. Sometimes trying new things -- even easy, creative things -- is intimidating.


So seeing as I had success making a pillow, I decided to repeat that process. This time, I added a second fabric as a border around the design. The purple polka-dot adds a very nice transition between the black aida and the burnt orange crushed velvet.


Because the aida and velvet are much heavier fabrics than the purple cotton, I used a double later of the cotton. That seemed to work very well. I suppose I could have used a single layer of cotton with some fusible interfacing for extra stability, but simply using a double (folded) layer of cotton was much faster.


You know why Boo has this goofy smile? Because he knows that the burnt orange crushed velvet used to be a waterbed spread from the 1970s! Dig around long enough and you'll find all kinds of interesting fabrics in my stash!


Tomorrow I have a date with Jodie to decorate for Halloween. I think Boo belongs front and center. Don't you?

Light My Fire

Like time with my husband
A heart full of love

Ready to Ignite!

The Change Lady

On Saturday when I shared my Stash Run, I mentioned that another Lady of the Evening caught my attention and jumped onto the check-out counter. She's a little 3" x 4" beauty with a going rate of $15.50. The shop owner said she is a foreign lass, but I don't recall her country of origin ... though I think it was in South America. I call her the Change Lady, because she's just the right size for carrying coins.


For such a small gal, she packs an impressive punch. She is completely beaded, front and back, in row after row of confetti-colored seed beads. She has a black top zipper and is completely lined in a black cotton fabric. She's just about palm size, and infinitely scrunch-able.


Her highlight is definitely the single row of colorful vertical beads (about 5mm, I think) that form a border near her zipper. Unlike the seed beads, they are faceted and add some great sparkle as they catch the light.

Perhaps what's best is that she can snuggle inside almost all of the other Ladies of the Evening, lending a pop of color to her monochrome sisters. I'm so glad she found residence in my home.

Macro Monday - Peppercorn

Peppercorn

As I walked down aisle 4 in the grocery store,
these peppercorns whispered my name.

I'd never seen multi-colored kernels before.

Next thing I knew, they'd jumped into the cart.

I had to get a closer look!

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Macro Monday is easy to play,

snap a macro (or close-up) photo,
post it on your blog
then go to Lisa's Chaos
and sign Mr Linky.

Sunday Secrets: October 24, 2010

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an insightful sociological experiment. These four secrets got a reaction out of me this morning:

:: chuckle ::

It's how I perceive what my body can do!
I'm totally, fantastically incredible!

Was said of me in my 20s.
(I still have amazing legs)

:: contented sigh ::

Stash Run

If you spent any time with me in my studio, you'd come to realize I have enough stitching stash for about three lifetimes. So for the last few years, I've been fairly selective about the amount of new charts, kits and threads I add. This year, I've only added to my stash collection once -- while on vacation where I visited Country Crafts in Greeley, Colorado.

After finishing my pillow yesterday, I realized that I never did share the treasures I gathered. Better late than never.


These two Lizzie*Kate charts caught my eye. Dog Lessons for People is the piece I finished yesterday. I picked up It's A Boy Thing! because it's a great chart for boys that is more cute than sickeningly sweet. I like it's contemporary vibe.


Here are two seasonal charts that caught my eye. The first is a chart called by Trick or Treat Bags by Crab-apple Hill. This company has some really nice designs. I recommend stopping by the website. The pattern I bought contains three simple designs to embroider using a stem stitch or backstitch. Then you attach the stitching to some felt, and the whole caboodle to some little muslin bags you whip up. Unfortunately, these are not iron-on designs, so I will need to trace them onto fabric. But it ought to make for a quick stitch. Hmmm. It's a week until Halloween ... maybe this can be my next project.

For Valentine's Day (or my anniversary?) I bought Design and a Heart by Hob-Nobb Designs. I saw this worked up as a shop model. Really sweet. Stitch a grid. Stitch eight patchwork hearts along the outside squares. Stitch the heart button that comes with the kit in the center. Viola! Very sweet. This could make a cute cube or maybe even a greeting card.


Next are two beaded Christmas ornament kits from Mill Hill. These ornaments are made of beads, treasures, charms and stitching on perforated paper. Silvery Tree has a star charm for the tree top. Snowflakes has a snowflake treasure. If you've never tried a Mill Hill bead kit, I can recommend them. Nice easy projects with good results. I was enamored with the blue, white and crystal these two kits embrace.


Next up? Two kits where the designs captured my heart. The first is a Dimensions Gold Collection Petite kit called Single Rose. This is one I'll stitch and keep for myself. The colors and style of this design match my home decor. I don't know that I'll stitch it any time soon, though.

Happily Ever After Wedding Record is another small Dimensions kit. Like It's A Boy Thing! (above), this is a contemporary design for a special occasion. That's a nice change from some of the sappier and more ornate wedding designs available. (I've been known to stitch some of them, too!) I couldn't find this kit on the Dimensions website (weird!), but Overstock.com has it for a very decent price!


Lastly, I bought this book of embroidery on paper designs called Alphabet and Festive Motifs by Joke and Adriaan De Vette (serious, the name is "Joke"). I enjoy embroidery on paper as a way to mix up the kind of stitching I do. This book has some very classy designs, especially for Christmas. Now to decide which of the folks on my Christmas card list are "Nice" and will receive one of these special cards.
:: pondering ::


When I got up to the counter, the gal told me about a special promotion that was going on with the cross-stitch shops in the greater Denver area. They had a special where if you visit each shop within a certain number of days, you receive a cute Christmas pouch and some special charts and doo-dads. I was not going to be able to visit all the shops, but because I spent nearly $100 that day, she gave me a Christmas pouch anyway! How sweet!

I was almost out the door when I turned around for my last purchase. Another little beaded Lady of the Evening! You have a sneak peek at this coin purse in the photo above, but I'll give her a post unto herself in the future.

Happy Dance: Dog Lessons

Yeah! Hooray! I finished another stitchery project!

This pillow is for my quilting friend Susan. Her birthday is tomorrow. Susan is the best dog owner I've ever known. Now that her children are grown and far away, Susan has a dog and cat family. She raises the most beautiful Irish Wolf Hounds.


This is Arcu. A wonderful dog! Look at that face!! He died last year. Unfortunately, Susan lost several of her older furbabies over the last three years. But she always opens her heart and adds another to her family.


Dog Lessons for People. I saw this chart by Lizzie*Kate when I was on vacation last summer. I knew I had to buy it and stitch it for Susan.


I decided to finish it as a pillow. I edged the stitchery with this green cotton print. The back is a very soft plush chocolate brown microfiber. (And I only messed up with my measurements once in the process. Not bad for turning a rectangular stitching into a square pillow. Hey! I'm improving!)


The chart calls for Weeks Dye Works and Crescent Colours fibers. Since I didn't have those in my stash, I substituted with Gentle Art Sampler Threads in colors of my own choosing. I started this chart on some nice brown raw linen. But the slubs were giving me fits, so I chucked that attempt and started over on some 18ct ivory aida. I did end up gridding the fabric. That made stitching the words much simpler. All of a sudden, my stitching became FUN again!


I've completed so few projects this year that this feels like a major accomplishment. I look forward to giving it to Susan. It'll make her cry ... and she hates to cry in front of people.

:: whispering ::
I torture her with love.

Poetry in Motion: Wheel Number

This is exquisite

wheel number from E and M-P on Vimeo.

Thanks to my friend Ken for sharing this with me.

Sunday Secrets: October 17, 2010

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an insightful sociological experiment. These two secrets struck a note.

When will they ever learn?
(Idiots)

Flaunt what ya got
Work within the deficits

Pebbles

I took a walk in the morning
when the sun was low on the eastern horizon.

Pebble Shadows

Tiny pebbles in the street cast long, long shadows.

Sunday Secrets: October 10, 2010

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an insightful sociological experiment.

There were a lot of interesting secrets today, but none related to my life very closely. This one secret, however, really touched my heart:

:'(

Macro Monday - Red Bud

While strolling to the park last week,
I came across this plant.
I love the gorgeous deep red color.

I don't know what kind of plant it is, but the buds look like tiny pumpkins!

Red Bud

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Macro Monday is easy to play,

snap a macro (or close-up) photo,
post it on your blog
then go to Lisa's Chaos
and sign Mr Linky.

Sunday Secrets: October 03, 2010

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an insightful sociological experiment.

A number of the secrets this week really irritated me. Two were about drinking to the point of getting drunk and having pretty lame excuses for doing so. I refuse to republish those. But check out this first one ...

Then stop reading the magazine!
Go find reading material that's far more enlightening!
Obviously, this magazine is NOT made for you.

Yeah, mine are delivered this way, too,
but they're prescription medications.
I can't say the same for an extended family member.

I am the mom I always wanted to be.
I married a man that is like the dad I always wanted.
He's an exceptional father and a
kind, calm, smart, funny, generous human being.