Mamma Mia!

One of the mainstays of The Artist's Way is to go on what Julia Cameron calls Artist Dates. "What is that?" you ask.

An artist date is a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist. In its most primary form, the artist date is an excursion, a play date that you pre-plan and defend against all interlopers. You do not take anyone on this artist date but you and your inner artist, a.k.a. your creative child. That means no lovers, friends, spouses, children—no taggers-on of any stripe.
~ The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

On my first Artist Date last week, I danced. I put on some music by the Bee Gees and danced around my living room for about 10 or 15 minutes (volume up, window shades down!). That was fun and wore me out. I hadn't danced around like that for quite a while.

Today I had an Artist Date at a local thrift store. I wandered around soaking in inspiration. In the craft room, I got an idea on how to decorate my new journal cover using a gift bag. Over on the knick-knack shelf I found this happy dude. It was enough to take his picture; I didn't have to take him home with me (even though the entire store is half off on Wednesdays!)

He reminds me a little of growing up and working in the Italian restaurant that my family owned.

Looking Forward to Spring

Time for a new project! This is The King of Spring and is the next of my designs from the 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar. I have the end of this calendar project in sight!

Let's hope this is a fast stitch. I'd love to have it complete in a week or two. I got a nice start on it today by adding the grid to the fabric, then beginning the bird. It's an interesting color pallet. I've never seen a bird this shade of purple before!

Stair Rail

This stair rail is located outside the Custom's House in Philadelphia, PA. I really like the way all the lines converge. Not just the lines of the decorative rail itself, but also the convergence of those lines with the lines of the stairs and the shadows.

My Loss is My Gain

Well here's something you'll rarely see from me. I gave up on this stitching project after having put hours and hours and frustration and years into it. I finally decided to discard Newborn King.

I cut off any usable fabric from the edges. They're big enough for ornaments or bookmarks. Then -- BOOM! -- I threw the rest away.

I thought I'd hear a trumpet fanfare. Or at least a rim shot.

But no.

I heard only the scratch of pencil on paper as I checked off the first finish of my 18 in 2018 goals.

Truly, I thought I'd feel either relief or elation. I felt neither, and that's slightly disappointing. It simply felt like the next thing to do. Perhaps this will help me realize I can watch old hopes and projects fall away as I turn toward newer projects that light me up.

A plus? I do have a bit more room on one shelf of my Studio.

Rosie - Part 4

Miss Rosie is finished and framed!

She's a cutie, that's for sure. She's made of four stitches. The main part is cross-stitch. She's outlined and her fleece detail is backstitch. The pink part of the border is Smyrna cross.

The roses at her feet are a whipped spider web stitch made with a rayon ribbon. That was fun to do. It's been years, I think, since I made some of those.

Three more charts to go and I'll have stitched all the designs in the calendar ... and completed the first of my 2018 goals.

Thowback Thursday 1

Last week I received a new computer. In looking to see what data I wanted to move from my old computer to my new computer, I came across the folders that contain the information from my old website, CameoRoze's Stitcher's Studio. In the mid-to-late 1990s, before Google was a thing and Alta Vista wasn't that good, there were people like me creating websites that were repositories of information on specific subjects. My subject was counted cross-stitch.

I had lots of information there including, but not limited to:

• Cross-stitch book reviews
• Designer profiles
• Specialty store reviews
• Links to designer's websites
• Instructions for finishing - getting stitchery ready for display
• Links to free cross-stitch charts
• My own completed stitchery

I had my website for a decade. Then I morphed my ideas and interests into this blog format. I've now had this blog for more than a decade!

With Facebook, Instagram, and other outlets, personal blogs don't fill the niche they used to hold. I keep mine up because I think of it as an informal, digital scrapbook. I doubt I'll ever get around to making paper scrapbooks or detailed photo albums. Instead, I have my blog full of daily reminders of what's been going on in my life for the last decade.

So for a time, I'll join the #ThrowbackThursday bandwagon and share some of the images and stories from my old website. Here are some images (some very very poor!) of embroidered pieces I created before 1994. My first reason to learn photography was so that I could take better photos for my blog!

Approx 1974

This was to be a pillow for a person I loved, but drove me crazy as she was always trying to "teach" me, whether or not I was open to the teaching. The quotation from Albert Camus was displayed in my high school library. I recalled the quote incorrectly, but this is how it reads on my pillow:

Don't walk in front of me

I may not follow

Don't walk behind me

I may not lead

Walk beside me

And just be my friend

I loved the sentiment. I created the design and stitched it to this point. As you can see, the stitching is so close to the edges that there's not enough room for a seam. Plus, there's a sticky stain in the upper left corner that will forever remain. I may finish the pillow yet ... I have a cute plaid fabric for the pillow back.

1976

In the summer of 1976 my family made a cross-country trip in honor of the national bicentennial. Besides seeing national parks, monuments and historical sites, we visited the cities where my parents grew up and attended college.

At one point, my maternal grandparents owned a Ben Franklin store in Illinois. We stopped by for old time's sake. There I found two printed pillow cases and some embroidery floss. Here's a portion of one of the pillow cases I finished. It's surface embroidery with a thread crochet edge.

Approx 1982

When I was a college student, my parents and younger brothers moved to a new home. There, my dad was able to have a room of his own to use as an office. So I designed and stitched this sampler for him as a Christmas gift, using reference books from the library as inspiration. I made up the verse myself:

A Man's Office

A place of his own
to do
as he wishes
He can read
write and sleep
without worry
of dishes

My mom was not amused.

To finish it, I glued the sampler to a piece of cardboard, then covered the back of the cardboard with a piece of felt that I also glued down. I also glued on a label that says, "Specially Hand Made By Margaret." The frame appears to be an inexpensive wooden frame with no glass. But there is no hanging device! If you look very carefully, you can see a spot just above the "M" and "N" at the top. That is where Dad stuck a push-pin through the front of the sampler to hang it on the wall.

After he died, this sampler came back to me.

1986

This little plaque was one of my very first counted cross-stitch pieces. I made it for an old boyfriend who was getting married. I was invited to the wedding by phone (it seems my official paper invitation was "lost"!) I was married and 7 months pregnant at the time. Even then, got a steely look from the bride at the reception. I never received a thank you note -- it was probably "lost" too!

The original chart came from some magazine or library book, I guess. When I reorganized my Studio, I found the old photocopy. I don’t have any other documentation for this chart. I find it rather amazing that I had the wherewithal to snap a photo!

In looking at these pieces, I can clearly recall other embroidered gifts I gave friends. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of them. I can see that this walk down memory lane is going to be fun for me.

Eight Months Old

Melody turned 8 months old today! She has crawling down pat. She can sit without support like a champ.

This month's cute baby tricks include feeding herself (noodles, potato and chicken at lunch) and STANDING without support. Today she stood for a good 30 seconds all by herself. Even Julie was amazed that she was able to stand that long.

Dance Forward

Artwork by Katrina Mayer    Quotation by Cheryl Strayed

I'm learning to watch that which does not serve me fall away.

I've begun working through the book The Artist's Way. It's a twelve week course to help participants unlock and recover the creative spirit within each of us. It helps us recognize the blocks that keep us from exercising the creative process as well as giving prompts to help creativity flow. This quotation by Cheryl Strayed came to my attention in the process.

Peas in a Pod

Like Grandpa, like grandbaby

Architectural Detail

I spent a lot of time looking up when in Philly. So much beautiful architecture!

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227 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA

Sundays are Made for Stitching

At least this Sunday was. I spent many content hours stitching and listening to podcasts. I can recommend Making Oprah. It's a three part documentary revealing the inside story of how The Oprah Winfrey Show was made. It also has three mini-episodes that follow, and a follow-up show on the making of Donahue. Good listening.

While listening and enjoying, I stitched. The border is finished. The grassy background is about half done. I decided to use a half-cross-stitch for the grass. It's working well. It gives more visual weight to the lamb and the flowers and less weight to the grass in the background. If I change my mind once the white ground fabric is filled in, I can complete the crosses on another pass. I'm pretty satisfied with this look.

This chart has been a very, very enjoyable stitch. It's funny how some charts are a joy and others are really stinky to stitch. I have a sunflower bookmark that I've stitched several times simply because it's a joy to stitch. Gosh. Looking at the picture of it makes me want to stitch it again! Why not? Apparently it's been 10 years since I last stitched it.

My brain has been like this all day ... jumping from one subject to another. What the heck? I'm blaming it on winter and being slightly stir-crazy ... wanting sunshine, blue skies, and green plants.

Rosie - Part 3

A small update. I made some good progress on the border this morning.

The Kings Bring Bling

Look what my sister Eleanore sent me as an Epiphany gift! It's so pretty and sparkly!

It's a ceramic bowl that fits in the palm of my hand. It looks like a geode on the inside.

It may work just right as a place to park my needles as I work on my stitchery.

Meet the Press

Ben Franklin's Printing Office and Bindery

Philadelphia, PA

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This was one of my favorite outings when visiting Philly. I had experience working in a small press in college where I gained a love of the print process. The librarian in me can't get enough of books and the ideas they contain. 

Ben was such a genius.

Rosie - Part 2

I've made great progress on Rosie over the last couple evenings. This is a fun one to stitch.

Rosie - Part 1

Now that Ho! Ho! Ho! is finished and framed, I've moved on to the next design in the 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar, Rosie the Lamb.

This one makes me smile. I love the colors. The piece is helping me look forward to the sunny days of Spring as I trudge through these winter days. (Though I must admit that yesterday was lovely because it was sunny and nearly balmy at 38 degrees).

I was able to get a small start on the stitching last night. I plan to cocoon for the next few days and stitch a lot.

I find that I'm in a bit of a creative slump right now, especially where photography is concerned. This morning I started reading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. It's a book I've been meaning to read for well over a decade. I've made it a priority to read one chapter each day as part of my morning routine. I've also bought two of her subsequent books that I hope to work through: It's Never Too Late to Begin Again and Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance.

One of my 18 Goals in 2018 is to go on a retreat. Perhaps I'll look for a retreat/workshop based on the principles in these books. In the forward to The Artist's Way, Julia reveals that her teachings began as workshops, then were gathered and compiled into a book.  It would be great to be on a retreat with like-minded people finding their path into their artistry.

A Finish and a Milestone!

My milestone? This is post number 3,000 on my blog! Who knew, 10+  years ago, that I would still be blogging in 2018? I do love this format. It's a daily scrapbook of my creative life that I choose to share. It's enjoyable to browse back through the years and watch as my skills progress and my interests expand.

The finish?

Today I finished and framed Ho! Ho! Ho! by Kam Snyder and Barbara Stark. I really enjoy the mats that came with the calendar / charts. They add a nice punch to the finished piece.

This cart called for three buttons - two stars and a square - to add to the brim of Santa's hat. In my stash I found three teeny tiny buttons to use instead. These buttons are less than half the size of the fingernail on my pinky finger. It took a bit to find a needle that was small enough to go through the buttonholes!

The specialty stitches used in this chart are the Smyrna cross and satin stitches. Smyrna cross is used as the red thread in Santa's hat, his eyes, and his mouth. A larger version of that stitch is used in the tan thread in the corners of the border. The brim of Santa's hat is done in satin stitch.

I used a simple black plastic frame from the Dollar Tree. Since this is a seasonal piece that will be stored for most of the year, I didn't want to put much expense into the frame.

Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'

I could use some of this

The Kiss
click for larger image

I learned quite a bit at the Rodin museum in Philly. The docent there was extremely knowledgeable and walked me through several exhibits. It whet my appetite to learn more.

What's Santa Up To Now?

Another update on Ho Ho Ho! I hope to have this finished and framed by the end of this long weekend.

Dead or Alive

The prisoners weren't the only things clinging to life inside the walls of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA.

Card for a Friend

A high school buddy of mine had brain surgery about six weeks ago. I've not heard how he's getting along, so thought I'd send him a little card to let him know he's in my thoughts.

The hair is yarn. The bandage is real. I used two sizes of google eyes to make my guy look a little wonky.

Today I also learned how to use die cuts to make little shapes to embellish my cards. I used a couple sizes for the "Thinking of You" tag. I also attempted to use some Distress Ink to 'age' the edges of the tag. I need more practice with that to get the look I want.

Gift Tags

One of my after-Christmas clean-up tasks is to make gift tags from the Christmas cards I received. This has become so much easier and efficient since I bought the tag punch. What used to take me a couple days now takes less than a couple hours.

I also made my 2018 Christmas card list with all address corrections. I use an Excel spreadsheet for that list. I also bought wrapping paper at 75% off and contained it in a garment bag. I hang it on a bar near the Christmas decorations. Hanging them this way keeps the paper from getting dusty, squished, or torn.

I love getting organized now for the next holiday season. These annual tasks ease me away from the holidays and into the next cold, more difficult months. I hope to make some 2018 Christmas cards and ornaments later this week. Spending time under the bright lights in my Studio also eases me into the deep winter months and helps stave off the winter blues. (But I gotta tells ya, I can already sense the beginnings of Seasonal Affectedness Disorder creeping over me).

Ho Ho Hoing Again

I made some more progress today. His beard and mustache are done. His face is done (except for the eyes). His hat brim is done in satin stitch. All will show up better once the backstitching is complete.

Holiday Clean-up

Epiphany has come and gone. 

12 Days of Christmas are now done.

So far, clean-up done by this one

who's ready for some new year fun.

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(Don't work too hard trying to hear the meter ... each line is 8 syllables).

Ho Ho Ho update

I had a chance to do some stitching this weekend and made a bit of progress on Ho Ho Ho!
Here's  the cover of the pattern:

This is the progress I made.

As I was stitching along, I came across a problem. The grid line I'd stitched where that arrow points was only 9 threads below the grid line above. The grid is supposed to be 10 threads apart. That messed up my counting for a few stitches before I figured out the problem.

Thank goodness it's a small pattern. I can easily adjust for my miscount of the grid. Were it a larger pattern, I'd need to take out the bottom grid lines and restitch them.

On the very first cross-stitch chart I ever bought, Newborn King, I miscounted the grid lines. I did a good deal of stitching before realizing what my mistake was. That stitchery remains unfinished for several reasons, but mainly due to having to compensate for that error. My second "18 in 2018" goal for this year is to either complete that piece, or realize it's too far gone and dispose of it. I highly doubt I'll start over.

I hope to make time for more stitching tomorrow. Stitching aids in keeping my mental health sound during these cold, dreary winter days. Even if I end up tossing Newborn King, I'll be able to justify it by realizing that it aided in helping me maintain my mental health during the hours I stitched on it -- until it got so frustrating that it hurt my mental health instead!

Life's too short to try and correct all my mistakes.

Dale and Me

Here are a couple more photos from Christmas that my daughter Jeanne took. She captured our essence really well.

Dale says this is his new favorite picture of the two of us.

My Mother-in-law

Another photo by my daughter Jeanne as she learned to use my "big girl" camera. This is her grandmother, Joany.

Joany hosted a family gathering of about 25 members of the extended Davaz family on Christmas. Two of her sons, most of their children, and some of her great-grandchildren. She's amazing. She packs a lot of punch into four feet ten inches.

Photography Lesson

On Christmas day I gave my daughter Jeanne a lesson in how to use my DSLR "big girl" camera. She knew a little bit about ISO, F-stops, and shutter speed from experimenting with her phone as she takes images of the moon through her telescope. She also had a photography course in college, learning how to take photos for industrial design.

So I helped her understand how the big three work together to achieve proper exposure. She was to be the primary photographer at Christmas dinner at my mother-in-law's house.

This is one of the practice photos she took during our lesson. I think she did a really good job! It definitely captures my personality when the two of us are together.

Art Deco Architectural Detail

When I was in Philadelphia last November, I did a lot of looking up! There is so much wonderful architecture there replete with intricate details. I took a lot of photos of building parts and will share them here over time.

This is one of the lanterns outside the US Customs House in the historic part of the city. I was able to climb fairly close to it. The art deco features are scrumptious, aren't they!

Click for larger image

 

Ho Ho Ho!

One of my 18 Goals in 2018 is to stitch and finish/frame the rest of the charts in my 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar. I think I have five more to do. I'll begin today by stitching Ho Ho Ho, the design for December.

I've gathered all my supplies and made a grid on the fabric to keep me from messing up the counting while I'm stitching. I hope to stitch for a half hour after dinner tonight.

Over the weekend, I bought the supplies for the five crochet pumpkins (#5 on my list), part of the supplies for the special ornaments (#7), and I dug out the pattern for Letter Snow (#4). That's a pretty good start on my new goals.

Let's make this happen!

Dale and Margaret's Gnomes

Here are the last of the gnomes. I kept the two with bells.

His belts and hat embellishment are made from twine

and sports a large bell as a topper.

This may be my very favorite of the gnomes with the blue body and blue-and-white striped hat.

The belts are blue satin bows.

The hat's emBELLished with three sizes of jingle bells.

And now for a family portrait.

Did you know that a group of gnomes is called a donsy? Well, you learned your new fact for the day!

Happy New Year from my family - and the gnome family - to yours!