Blog Cancellation due to Inclement Weather

I don't want to do this anymore.  Blogging is lonely.  I'm going to reinstate my blog on coachcreativespace.  There I feel at home and is where a lot of my online friends are.  I'm shutting down my photography blog too, which I didn't spend much time on.  I haven't been stitching or doing anything arty, just some writing.  You can find me from now on at:  http://coachcreativespace.ning.com/

Bye for now!

AW

Thanks for visiting!

Doodles

I didn't get a lot of stitching done this week, but I did do a few felt tip marker doodles.  Here they are:

Knotty Problems

I've been doing some stitching lately.  Here is what I've done this past week (not including the map of Ireland, which I've been working on for ages, just did some French knot coastline on that one):

This last picture poses some problems.  I need to see better to complete the cross-stitch project.  I mean I can see, but... it's a real eye strain to do so.

 

 See, I only got one more square done this week.

Here's my solution, a lighted magnifier thingy from Amazon.  I'm ordering it tomorrow.  It's around $17 and is called,

Mighty Bright Vusion Craft Light

 

Let's hope it works!

(plus, it's purple)

 

A Halloween Finish, a Shell, and a Celtic Lion

Here's what I've been doing for the past two weeks:

I finished the Halloween Tentacles, just have to frame it-

A counted cross-stitch shell, yes, this took me hours!  That's four squares of 100 stitches each.  Easy weekend project, right!  I've only done a few counted cross-stitch projects.

And an embroidered Celtic Lion on a tote bag for my Mom, Urban Threads design.

Love & Tentacles

I finished a card for my boyfriend this week.  His favorite colors are silver and black.  I really didn't get a lot done this week, have been kinda down lately.  Here is the card:

It's Dutch Embroidery or embroidery on paper.  I used cardstock and Krienik silver blending filament.  The pattern is an adapted embroidery pattern by Urban Threads.

I picked up last year's Halloween project, also an Urban Threads pattern, and worked on that today.  Here are some orange tentacles to haunt your dreams....  (mad cackle!)

Cars, CDs and an Affirmation Book

I decided to let go of my "Space and Beyond" challenge and just do what feels right.  This includes finishing the classic car grilling apron for my brother, doing the CD labels any which way and starting an "Affirmation Book" with poems, Celtic Messages oracle card info. and nice things people have said about my creations or me, plus there will be a few affirmations too.

Here's the pictures from this week:

 

The colors off on the second picture...

 

Week 9

This is the end of Week 9 of "28 Weeks of Creativity 2012."  I plan on creating to a theme (Space and Beyond) for the rest of the year in art, crafts or writing projects.  I will post process notes and pictures here with an Extras category for projects that don't fit the theme or are from previous weeks.

Week 9:  "Space and Beyond CD Labels-the start"

OK, I didn't get a lot of these made this week, but this is the start of this project.  I'll finish them up soon.  I have a set of CDs that are just car stereo CDs, those are the ones I'm putting labels on.  They are in a travel case, seen below with the two CDs and their "arty" labels:

Extras:

I finished some of the lettering on my brother's grilling apron.  It says, "Quench my thirst with gasoline."  The quotation is from a Metallica song about cars, called "Fuel."  I'm going to add "-Metallica" in embroidery, to finish the lettering.

I've been spending time getting ready to release art into the world aka Creative Release.  Here's my preparations so far.  More about this later!

Week 8

This is the end of Week 8 of "28 Weeks of Creativity 2012."  I plan on creating to a theme (Space and Beyond) for the rest of the year in art, crafts or writing projects.  I will post process notes and pictures here with an Extras category for projects that don't fit the theme or are from previous weeks.

Week 8:  "Celestial" baby blanket-finished!

Now the idea was not to take 3 weeks to do a project, but one.  However, I underestimated how long crocheting this blanket would take.  I tried to embroider stars on this with embroidery floss, but the blanket wasn't a stable enough ground for that.  Live and learn!

Here it is:

I made this for my best friend Kari's baby shower.  I also made and decorated a pineapple cake for her party.  We had the party at my house on Saturday.  The cake and the baby blanket made a big hit!

Here are the prize ribbons I made for the winners of the games:

Some of the above qualifies as Extras...

Extras:

I also finished the top of the apron for my brother.  I'm going to add words to the bottom.

Next:

Something both musical and circular!  :)

Week 6 & 7

This is the end of Week 6 and 7 of "28 Weeks of Creativity 2012."  I plan on creating to a theme (Space and Beyond) for the rest of the year in art, crafts or writing projects.  I will post process notes and pictures here with an Extras category for projects that don't fit the theme or are from previous weeks.

Week 6 & 7:  "Celestial Baby Blanket-unfinished"

I didn't post last week because I felt bad that I didn't finish this baby blanket in a week.  Well, it will probably take another week at least since I haven't been working on it much.  Oh well!  The first picture is more accurate color-wise.  Here is the start of it:

Here is approximately where I am now:

Here is the yarn label:

 Extras:

Here is a grilling apron I'm embroidering for my brother.  His favorite colors are maroon and gold.  This is his favorite old car from an embroidery set by Aunt Martha's.

I haven't gotten very far on this either.  The canvas is hard to embroider so I switched from 6 strands of floss to 3.  I didn't win anything in that embroidery contest on the New Embroidery with Vintage Patterns group.  Win some, lose some!

Here is where I am after a week:

I have this hanging in my room.  I made it several years ago at a party, but it fits the theme.

I'll try to post even when I'm making almost no progress (in my eyes at least!). 

OH Deer!

Here is a little fawn in our front yard:

Week 5

This is the end of Week 5 of "28 Weeks of Creativity 2012."  I plan on creating to a theme (Space and Beyond) for the rest of the year in art, crafts or writing projects.  I will post process notes and pictures here with an Extras category for projects that don't fit the theme or are from previous weeks.

Week 5:  "Stars" drawings

7/16/12

Today I made more "stars" drawings, this time with pastels and oil pastels.  I haven't used either of these media for a long time.  I forgot you could smudge them.  I really like the pastel one, it's so atmospheric.

7/18/12

I painted a "star" painting with watercolors tonight.  I liked the effect of the paint on the paper, but not the overall look.   I did one with Nupastels that I didn't like much at all.  My pan watercolors and Nupastels are almost new, unused.  I don't even remember when I got them, it was so long ago!

7/21/12

I kinda sorta like my Star drawings.  I really like the pastel one, kind of soft focus.  I'm wondering if the rest of the year's projects symbolized as stars represent how unreachable and far-off they are.  :(  Maybe I'm just reading into it too much.  I do like the spaces between stars as my obstacles because that's just waiting time...  Like what would you do if you were in space going from one star to another, you'd just wait.  Unless you had Warp Drive, then you wouldn't have to wait long (waxing philosophical).  I don't think I have Warp Drive!  :)

Extras:

7/20/12

I uploaded the photo of the cherries in a basket embroidery to the contest on Flickr.  It's in the New Embroidery with Vintage Patterns group http://www.flickr.com/groups/1440036@N24/  I have to wait 'til Wednesday to find out who won in each of the three categories. I don't think I have a chance, but who knows?  I embroidered for maybe an hour and a half a night spread out over 6 nights and 4 hours today. (Yes, I'm tired of embroidering right now!)  So that's 13 hours, geez!  Now I have a really pretty dishtowel.  It's almost too pretty to use, almost...

7/21/12

Here's the kitty montage of my 2 kitties and Tiger (Kari's kitty).  I was going to Dutch Embroider the whole piece with the writing "Home is where the cat is" and their names.  But over a year ago Trixie disappeared, a coyote probably got her.  My enthusiasm for the project went out the window.  I was decluttering and found the kitty heads, so I decided to do a quick and dirty montage.  I like it OK.  I just don't have the heart to do a complicated one.  I was just going to throw them away.  Cat face designs by Sublime Stitching.

Here's the yarn for next week's project!

Week 4

This is the end of Week 4 of "28 Weeks of Creativity 2012."  I plan on creating to a theme (Space and Beyond) for the rest of the year in art, crafts or writing projects.  I will post process notes and pictures here with an Extras category for projects that don't fit the theme or are from previous weeks.

Week 4:  "Space and Beyond" magnets

7/10/12

My brother suggested I make bookmarks out of some old Cosmic stickers and then laminate them.  I was decluttering and found 3 inkjet magnet sheets that I had never used.  I decided to affix the stickers to the magnet sheets, along with some other cute stickers. 

Then I cut them out.  My hand got tired cutting out the circular ones, but other than that they were very easy to cut.  I tried them on the fridge and they held one piece of paper, no more.  The magnets are very thin.   I was really pleased at how they turned out.  I guess this is more clever than creative. :) 

I will be giving these as little gifts!

I guess these belong in the Extras category, but I'll put them here...

Extras:

7/12/12

Here is what I did with last week's pendants:

The lightning bolt broke.  The other pendants turned out nicely.  I wore the yellow abstract one today.

In response to a prompt in the book, Creating a Life Worth Living, I made a picture of the next year as I see it.  Not surprisingly, it's yellow stars in a blue and black night sky.  The stars are wonderful projects, classes and events that I'll be involved in, some my own, some other people's.  The sky is my obstacles between the stars.  I'll be making other versions of this for Week 5. 

I like it!  It's very exuberant and hopeful.

I got the yarn for a baby blanket for my friend Kari's new baby (that hasn't arrived yet).  Hopefully, I'll get it done in time for the Baby Shower.  :)