Photo update

I think I like this picture better - still working on those photography skills!

New Year's Resolution #2

Now I'm really going biking!

Weekend Update- Santa vs. Rebekah

Hi everyone,

I know I stole that line from SNL but a lot can happen in a week.  Yesterday I bought a new macro lens for my camera so I can get some better close up shots of my canvases in progress.  I just jumped right in without reading the manual so give me some time.  I'm torn between two canvases - sort of like the Republicans (although I've made up my mind there).  I am also discovering that there are a lot of common techniques in both canvases.  So here are some of my shots...

Snowman hat

The grapes are covered beads  just like on the polar bear's hat:

Lettuce and Grapes

Acorns "before"

The acorn tops are done in the same weaving stitch as the snowman's hat:

Acorns after

I'm not 100% sure about the lettuce, but I'm leaving it in for now.  And I used the wrong color green memory thread on the stem for the grapes, but that's easy to replace.  I kind of like it .  We will see when the other leaves are in.  

Off to ride my bike!

Linda

Eat Your Vegetables

Hi everyone,

Here's is my practice canvas for Elegant Thanksgiving.  The lettuce which I was so so worried about is as easy as Kelly's directions.  Twirl and baste!  I will use a longer piece of ribbon though when I do the real thing.  The picot leaves I found easier to do stitching in a downward direction, although if I had made more progress on my Amy Creche these would not have been so difficult.  I hear through the grape vine that lesson three is in the mail....

Linda

Practice canvas

Elegant Thanksgiving Update

Rebecca in progress

Hi everyone,

A short post for those of us in the Elegant Thanksgiving class.  This is my garland so far - which isn't much  to look at, but I have practiced a lot of the techniques on a blank canvas.  I have done the sunflower stem on the right twice.  I found that wrapping the memory thread stem WITHOUT going through canvas worked best.  The eggplant was pretty easy and I have mastered the 3D leaves, but since they go on last you won't see them yet.  

The grapes are the same as the ties on my polar bear and the next thing to practice is the lettuce!

Hopefully with all this practice the next canvases will be much easier!

Have fun - this will be worth it,

Linda

Santa Parade Update

Hi everyone,

At our last ANG meeting we had a review of our unfinished projects (ugly).  I am supposed to finish my Santa Parade and quite honestly it was the first time I had looked at it since it was chosen last year.  It actually wasn't so bad ...meaning not too daunting.   I have been working on it and have a few photos of my progress.

Here is the polar bear.  He's all done (along with the duck) and I love how the covered buttons look on the hat strings.  That's the "detached buttonhole over found object" technique that is on Amy's DVDs.  Have I mentioned how invaluable those DVDs are?  I will also be using this on my grapes on the Elegant Thanksgiving garland so it was a good review.

Here is the bird - all beaded!

When I was doing the beading I broke my tacky bob.  I think I have as many broken tacky bobs as whole ones!   Instead of throwing it away - it has been resurrected as a "half bob attached with magnet".   Works pretty well.  I feel so good about recycling.

I am going to try Ruth's method with the covered memory wire for the candy cane when I get my last installment of the Christmas Tree Farm this week.  Then I can finish Santa!

Have a fun weekend,

Linda

Sleigh Ride

Hi everyone,

Gingerbread Village Sleigh

My Gingerbread Sleigh will be off to the finisher tomorrow!  I am keeping pace with finishing small projects while working on one big one.  (That would be my Santa Parade at the moment)

That seemed to work for me last year - can't work on big things all the time!  The little ones are very gratifying when you can finish so quickly.


Now you know you want a SONG!  I love how the lights coordinate with the music.  Like the fountains at The Grove in LA.





Happy stitching,

Linda

Manatee Love

Hi everyone,


Don't you love this face?

Florida Manatee

I have just finished my husband's manatee belt and if you don't live in South Florida you may not know what a manatee is so here is your fun fact of the day.

Manatee belt

Manatees are large marine mammals that live in warm coastal waters.  They are our state marine mammal and are endangered so when we go boating there are warnings to slow down for Manatee Zones.  They are herbivores and eat underwater plants and weigh over 1,500 pounds.  They move VERY SLOWLY.  A fun "dental" fact is that they only have molars to grind their food and when the molars wear out they fall out and are replaced with new ones!  This was interesting to me because I am having to have my second molar extracted today and I would like to have a new one grow in - but I am not a manatee!

Here is my daughter's manatee pillow - the first pillow that I made for her.  She was an environmentalist from day one!

Have fun stitching this week,

Linda

Lollipop lollipop

Hi everyone,

I have been doing lollipops lately in an effort to finish up my various Christmas canvases so I can MOVE ON to Spring (and further on to Elegant Thanksgiving).

Here are my Ruth pops.  They are beaded naturally but there is a change in stitching direction with each color change.  I especially like the stem!

Candyland Lollipops

And here is my Gingerbread Village pop.  I have a before and after photo of this one.  In the first photo I took a short cut and put both the blue and white flair in the needle and twirled them to make the pop.  But I didn't like how the two colors blended together.

Twisted flair pop

So I decided to put each thread in to the canvas separately and twist them together by hand (like braiding hair)

Flair separated by one thread

And the end result is a much more color differentiated and I think prettier pop!

Lollipop second try

And here's a tune to make you SMILE!  Enjoy

Linda

Meet Laura Lobdell

Hi everyone,

We just returned from Sarasota where we met Laura Lobdell.  She is young, beautiful,  trendy and owns a jewelry boutique in New York City.   I'll bet you didn't think I could meet someone like that!  Well, we get around.

Laura Lobdell

Laura designs sterling silver jewelry.  She showed us a ring and a bracelet that incorporates the top of the champagne cork woven into silver.  So if you have a special "champagne" occasion save the top of the champagne wrapper! and then call Laura!

Sweet!  You can see all her designs on her website  www.lauralobdell.com.

AND....  she knits!!!

Keep stitching,

Linda