latest gems

Project pockets: made for Betsy Morgan class.

It’s been a bit of a busy month with the biennial embroidery conference come and gone in Auckland. I now have to settle back into life with a really short term at school. The photo below are the pockets that I made for us to use to attend conference so I have also completed one for Marilyn for her class this week. They were fun to make and I have three more ready to go, just needing to choose the fabric and sew.

Night class has started and we are continuing on our Christmas wreath but also stitching our guild project of Montmellick and conference projects as well. I have done a bit more on my acorn etui and thought that I was all the way around the base of the biscornu to find that I still had two sides to go. Oh well, it has been pleasing to see Maree and Sue’s progress on the toy chest pieces. A new pattern has also arrived with Explorations by Debbie Rowley my current cyber class. I am going to be choosing the threads for it over the next month so that I can possibly start it at Christmas.

Christmas earrings. I sent one pair overseas

My next photo is of the Christmas earrings that I have made myself. I sent one pair off on a swap for Swap-bot so hoping that Cynthia likes them. Rally hard to make something so personal but if she can’t wear them I am fine with her repurposing them as dangles on a decoration. I have not done many swaps this year but am trying to do a couple every month. Lots of Christmas decoration ones and tea or postcards which are not too hard to post.

 

Making coasters with Anne

My next activity has been a couple of hours spent with Anne making Santa coasters. I think my check ones look like Santa pyjamas and after the sequins were put on it looked great. I will have at least two or three more to cut out to add to the cup bags that I have made for our Christmas party. I find that a mug bag, mug and some tea bags is a great parcel for a secret Santa or an extra raffle present. Currently I am still using up fabric so that is fine.

Other things that are still going on are the banners from Grandmothers Garden and I have got the next one sorted so it is ready to cut, sew the background then cut out the pieces to applique on and oversew. Shady colours version two has stopped once again as the conference stitching is going on and I am looking at trying to make some yellow brooches for sale as it is daffodil month for cancer research. I will see what happens on Sunday as it might be a movie marathon this week with a friend. Creative Stitchers is this weekend and the start of a year long project so I need to find some images to print to cut up. Last but not least is my BJP piece which is to be a glasses chain for a friends birthday. That is my task for tonight so hoping that it goes together well.

Adventure begins

Just sitting in the koru lounge in Auckland airport waiting for flight to San Fran and then to Los Angeles for Ang seminar next weekend. Here is a photo of the yummy biscuit I am enjoying courtesy of Marie's sister Cheryl who made day of the dead cookies for her birthday today.

Unfortunately I ate the mouth before I took the photo.

I only bought a mill hill kit with me to stitch as still have prep work to do only seminar piece and also thought that my Latvian is tired of travelling the world and not being finished. Also bought a little bit of beading for the BJP but have done two pieces so currently only july and August behind now. 

This is one of the creative Stitchers pieces which I have been using for my BJP pieces. Turtle for month of June. I currently have a heart and ginkgo leaf to do. Ginkgo leaf is started buried did not bring it with me as too fiddly with the range of bead colours I want to use.

Stitching finishing

It's been a busy month with bits of stitching nearly completed as well as a new little project started. I made a number of snap trays so that was a bonus and hope to sell them. It started with making one to match the snappy bag I made for Maree. She really liked it so that was cool and I am hoping to make a couple of kiwi ones to take to Los Angeles in August.

Card demonstration at Sarah's and the wonderful items they made. All different but from the same starting point.

Finished pieces from night class project.

Night class have finished with our Christmas tree project. It has been a really stunning project to stitch and I have enjoyed mine on the 45 count Florence and single strand of silk as well as the 100 count silk for the hardanger sections. You can see the difference in the fabric count quite markedly as mine is half the size of the other pieces.

May also saw the cold weather return with a vengeance and we had snow settle on the ground on the 22nd May.

Tulip flower for Mary V.

This is the latest piece that I have done for the Creative Stitchers 12x12 challenge. I have been doing beadwork on each of these and also using these as part of my beaded journal project items for this year. I made the decision that I would bead something each month and so this is the piece I have finished for May. I am not certain if I have a copy of Aprils face but I will be able to take a photo at another stage.
For March I completed a snowflake on Rosalind's piece and for this month I have a pear to complete.

Latest beadwork

2012 Christmas decoration

My decorations this year have been based on this one that mum did from a pattern given to her by a friend.I have ended up making at least eight of these balls over the past three months for my beaded journal project work. I decided this year that my aim was to do some beadwork of any kind every month so these and the variations have been done since october with at least three a month. I finished off with doing a simple netted ball with star intersections for my friends mum for christmas. After completing the last ball yesterday (Boxing Day) I have realised that I do not have one of this design for myself. Mum got the pattern from a friend and I have adapted it to fit various sized balls. So only two more to make (one for me and one for Erin to take home).

On the christmas front it has been a busy few days since I finished work and I ended up with all the family (there are only 7 of us) here for breakfast and lunch as mum had no water. It was a lovely day and most of the family napped the afternoon away. I visited Stephanie and parents in the afternoon. Boxing Day was a visit to family friends and a leftover lunch - yummy as lots of different dishes from our lunch.
Today I caught up with another friend Sonia and I made her a ball for christmas in June similar to my Febraury BJP piece. She loved it and it was blue so that was great.

Off to Auckland for the weekend to collect my niece, Erin from the plane, then Mary Poppins in the afternoon and a catchup with my cousin sometime saturday night or sunday lunch. A trip up the Sky Tower is also on the agenda.
Happy New year to all and I hope to be a better blogger next year.
Diane

Two more beaded objects

I have not been well this week so have been home for a couple of days and finished two beaded decorations. The first is from a class I took last year helping people read a pattern from bead and button. The second is from a class that I have taken just recently. This is the third one of these I have made this year - called Tania's Feathers. It was a really fun class and the ladies enjoyed it. Hopefully they will all go on and do some of their own variations.
Also nearly finished the cover of my album from conference. I will post photos of that piece later in the week.

Tania's Feathers red with silver.

B&B Pattern completed from 2011.

April BJP

Mostly beaded but a bit more of stitching to do.

Been doing the beading on my pocket piece of embroidery. This is a project that I started last year with a local member of our guild, Lee. I did the embroidery part but it got put away so decided that for April I would get the beading one for this project. This is a photo with most of the work done. I am just fiddling with it now before I see it up.

Spent two hours today trying to order something on the internet with a voucher. If anyone uses spreets it seems to be a torturous project to use their vouchers. Hopefully I will get some feedback from the company.

Things are Finished

I forgot to post the picture of the Xmas decoration that I swapped last month. The person I swapped with was Ina from the Netherlands and she did not have any preference for colour or design so I was free to play with my stitching. I really enjoyed this little decoration and think I will make a few more for Christmas presents.

Decoration sent to Ina for Swap=Bot

This photo is the coathanger and dishcloth that I made/ finished for the recent Arts Festival for Woman's Instittute. I got a first for my coathanger but nothting for the dishcloth which I am currently using.

My next finish and Beaded Journal Project finish is my bracelet from a kit by Carol Wilcox Wells entitled whirling pinwheels. It was my challenge to finish it in april before we went to Hawaii but I have now finished it in time for San Francisco. This is My March piece for 2012 so I am only two months behind but keeping stitching and beading on lots of other things.


The finished bracelet.



detail of the pinwheels which i loved doing.

ANZAC Day 2012

Today is the national day of remembrance and it was a lovely day. I watched the Gallipoli ceremony on TV this afternoon while mum and dad came for afternoon tea. Dad walked all the way which considering one week ago he was in hospital is amazing. Tomorrow they are off to get a heart monitor and then another week and a specialist appointment.

News also that Peter and Sue from Melbourne will be visiting next week so that will be nice as it is several years since I have seen them and even more since Marilyn has seen them.

School has started well with an increase in our roll again and it is unbelievable as we do not know where all the students are coming from. We have full classes and hope that these new students settle in well. With more students we have more staff and hopefully we will not need any more until next year.
Here are some photos from Hawaii.

The beach babes at Waikiki

All the girls at dinner

Peral harbour and Arizona Memorial

At the top of Diamond Head. Great effort everyone.

The buddhist temple was a pleasant stop for a walk around.

Hope you enjoy them all.
Stitching: i have made two mug rugs for embroidery guild but neither are beaded so the only beading has been beads for my march bracelet. three more beads to go before it is completed.
diane

Giveaways on blogs

Linda Kittmer has the most wonderful blog of beads, fabric and art journalling. she is offering this dvd as a blog giveaway if you post  a comment on her blog. go and have a look.
http://lindakittmer.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/great-beading-dvd-give-away.html

Just been to embroidery guild meeting and the pulled thread cushion decoration that members are making is fabulous. I would love to be doing it but I will post a picture of someone's when finished. I have finished the first panel of my four sided bag so here is a snap shot. It needs a little paint in the hair styles and to do the eyes but I did not have any black thread at the meeting.

My geisha (little fat ladies) first side of the bag.

I will be doing some blog hopping this week as part of swap-bot so I will post some exciting links I hope. It makes it fun to explore new and different blogs. Something I found today was eyelash beading. google it and see what happens.
have fun this week in beads,
Diane

May 2011 BJP done

 May 2011 BJP piece completed. This project had stalled after april's but inpiration was gained from our recent creative stitchers meeting where we talked about the theme "Power and Protection". We then constructed a felt image of the protecting eye used in many belief systems. My next piece will be the :Power piece and then comes the evil eye.

Below are the five months of this project done so far starting with egyptian eye (january), precious eyes (February 2011), jealous eyes (March 2011), red eye (April 2011) and Protection (May 2011).

Five months completed.

I feel strange that i am still naming these as the months but that helps me keep the project in line. My book is filling with all the thoughts that revolve around each so i am hoping it will be a nice table cetnre piece at the end. These pieces will go to Christchurch in July for the Extensions exhibition at the ANZEG conference.

Two months done



Janaury BJP for 2012

 I have decided that for 2012 BJP I will make a beaded item each month. Every year I spend the first 4 to 4 months making christmas balls for presents and classes. The january ball was made at Oakura beach from my own design and using quite a lot of reverse stitching (it now needs a name and I won't be teaching this pattern at all but may do a simpler one).

Febraury Ball for BJP - Tania's feathers

February's ball is a combination of patterns and I have called it Tania's feathers as it is a variation on the Tania pattern that I have. You can see the Honeycomb pattern with the feathers trim in the background. I am currently making another one as this will be a class so that I can teach my pupils the ribbed stitch which is lovely.

Busy Finishing

The election day went really well and I drove into the garage at 8.59pm so I was really thrilled. a low turnout which was a shame but we had a reasonably busy day so that was okay.

I have been busy finishing gifts for the trip overseas and also deciding on whether I will pariticipate in the BJP 2012. I am debating this and think that if I do it will be a series of small icons, gods and goddesses.
I have done four coathangers, coffee cup holders and half done a runner for a friend. I was going to go to Marilyns tonight to get the binding put on but i have done some christmas bookings instead. the train to my cousin's is booked and that is another thing off the list. I have also made ten christmas decorations, sat at the Percy Thompson gallery for the art society and started two more decorations for the class on monday night.

Work has been crazy and I have had two hours out today with Ultranet training and all day tomorrow with the practical session so I will be at school early to get things done before the class starts. I have to get the newsletter printed and the office staff will have to fold the senior reports into the envelopes ready for handing out. We have the last day on friday with the junior students prizegiving so that is it and then next week it is activities week and posting out of reports and other things.

Snow Day

The most amazing morning today. the whole country is in the grip of the weather and this is what has happened overnight in Stratford. I can only remember about half this amount when I was about 14 years old. Marilyn (2kms away) has no power and about half as much snow as this. Alice in Dunedin evidently has had quite a lot and it was -6 degrees Celsius today in Dunedin. Our temperature is about 6 - 7 deg Celsius.
Oh what fun and I am pleased no school today.
Diane
No longer the "land of the long white cloud" - now "the land of the long white snow" - New Zealand.

The front garden - note my cute sculpture that I have.

Down the street. Most amazing

The view when I opened the curtains this morning.

Towards the mountain which is only 10 Km away

Across the road from my house.

Embroidery / Holiday plan notes:
Lots of inspiration in the winter snow for July BJP.
Colourific is being assembled with the face applied now and only a bit of painting to be done.
Cornpad notebook cover is being snail trail stitched all over and it certainly makes it come together.
Tarte Tartin was made yesterday and I was mildly pleased. Will have to try again to make it better. The caramelizing did not happen well.
Diane

March BJP is finished

March BJP Finished

I have finished March BJP - Jealously - eye word of the month. Green eyes with jealous, envy looks. The background fabric has dried leaves incorporated.
Busy weekend with Mothers Day so lunch out with mum and dad and then to my sister's for dinner. We spoke to the neice and nephew so that was great.
I have made a dozen coffee cup holders for presents but a friend wants to buy some so have made them earlier than for christmas presents.
Finished another square on canvas 1 of walk on the wild side, so only one square to complete and that will be one canvas done. I am thrilled with getting some stitching time this weekend and have more planned out for the week.
Plug for a great movie - went to  the preview of Water for Elephants and this is as good as the book. I loved both.
Keep safe and bless someone this week.
Diane

BJP For March nearly there

March BJP Nearly there

Guild Biscornu project - three members completed.

The royal wedding dinner

We had cake as well.

Biscornu Finished; BJP 2011

Had an interesting week and finished another item. So pleased with myself as this is a 2011 guild project – started and finished in the one year. It is a 15 sided biscornu from the Stitch magazine from the Embroiderer’s Guild of England. I used a rainbow gallery encore thread in the greens and added a green marlitt, bright yellow perle 5 with a second variegated perle 5 in pale yellow plus the lime green thread was a rayon from Jane Van Keulen (a thread dyer form New Zealand). - Photo will come next time.

February 2011 BJP

February 2011 BJG - Red Eyes

Another ATC finished for the 2011 BJP so this is continuing the theme of eyes - “Red Eyes”. The word added to this one is precious. Lots of thoughts went through my head about this one and how precious our eyes are. Along with the thinking that eyes are precious the title of this piece was “Red Eyes”. Red eyes are eyes that are sore and inflamed hence the very redness of this piece. Precious comes from the fact that eyes that are often inflamed, sore and diseased may lead to blindness and the world of darkness, hence the precious sight is gone. A little bit of darkness in the centre of one eye shows that blindness is creeping.

Red eye also the late night flight into this modern age, a movie from 2005, the effect in photographs when using a flash and lots of eye disease.

Other finished items:

Also finished this month is Stephanie's birthday present - the three knitted coathangers. Lots of fun to knit and gives me something to do at morning tea time. I enjoyed these as all three are different.

The next thing to show are the two birds I sent for my swap with Carol in Tasmania. I am hoping that she should have received them by now so here they are. One of her favourite colours is purple so I did a purple one for her and realised (a week later) after I had sent them that I did not date and initial them. My apologies Carol for this oversight.

Birds sent to Carol in Tassie for the Swap - Bird for my christmas tree.

Also just done today is the most gorgeous phone charm from Maree for my birthday. A little lion face peers out from my phone now.

Latest stitching

I have had the weekend in bed with a dreadful cold. Started on Friday with a sore throat, saturday I had the rudolph nose and sunday the achy joints etc. Monday I spent most of in bed so not much stitching done.
Friday night I finished another part of Stephanie's birthday present and I will post the pictures next week after she recieves it at Easter.
Saturday was a busy day - I did a bit more on my Latvian mat as I had to spend 2 1/2 hours at the hairdressers on Saturday morning so I was pleased with that time being useful. Saturday afternoon I spent with Maree sorting out colours for Soduku and Crystal Waters.
Saturday night I was determined to sew up my biscornu and made great strides. Unfortunately sunday when I looked at it I did not have the pattern right and some of the squares would have matched. Backwards stitching and restitching later I am onto the last five squares and will be able to stuff it this week.
Sunday I also did some work on my colourific piece as well as starting to write my story about my goddess. I hope she turns out okay. I could not find the bead pieces that I have made but they will be somewhere and I do have more to make. I also completed the February BJP peice except for the hand stitching and applying the back (still undecided as I think I will put them into my book).
I also sent of three swaps for swap-bot - two tea swaps and one christmas decoration so I am excited to recieve parcels. I received one today from Europe and it is full of lovely teas that Suzie and I want to try.
Keep stitching everyone.

Busy Stitching week

Busy ten days.
We have had our Latvian class with 21 attending the two classes and lots of progress made by various stitchers. Lots of colour choices as well with some changing colours halfway through (Lee). I have only stitched in class and pleased with my progress and colours chosen by Maree as an accident selection.
          I have all but finished the stitching on my canvas biscornu and will sew it up over the weekend. I am very pleased with it despite having problems following the pattern and colours. Should have had four threads and I used five or six. Should have had five patterns with three of each stitched the same to make the 15 sides but I managed to only do two the same of each pattern and then add in my own stitches. I think this comes from having too many favourite stitches. Ann (tutor from weekend) showed us her little blackwork biscornu with 15 different patterns stitched on it. I may have to do something like that with my Florence fabric and a silk thread.
          I have started doing a couple of swaps with swap-BoT.com and sent my postcard off on Monday. This week I have two more to send off – need to put eyes on a Christmas decoration before I can put it in the post on Friday so that is tonight’s task. After that it will be to start the decoration for next months swap. Think I will be in advance of this one as I have my idea and want to get it made.
          The holidays are looking to be busier than ever and hoping to have a few days at the beach with mum at some stage so that will be lots of stitching time on walk on the wild side.


Ann showing the weekday class some of her finishing and other designs.



My colours.  I have nearly completed one half of the holbein stitching.

          As far as beading goes I have completed febraury BJP (no photo taken yet) and it seems like the ATC size is the go for this year. I am trying to complete a couple of some of them so I can send them to Karen Cohen for the ATC swap so holidays will mean that another couple will be completed and can be posted off to her. I have the May page for 2010 to do and I am thinking about whether to continue with that series as I enjoyed the process from each person but it was really hard to get inside their heads.

Another month

January 29th

March 2010 BJP "Snake eyed floozy" - line from Capricorn Sister by Mother Love Bone

Another month has nearly finished and I have completed the third page of my 2010 BJP. This one is attributed to Maree, a friend who has widened my music taste so it now includes things like malfunkshun, kings of leon and nine inch nails. This piece is from Mother Love Bone, song: Capricorn Sister and the line reads “Snake eyed floozy”.

I have printed a picture of Mary (Madonna or Magdalene) and then an eye. Maree is a fan of eqyptian gods and the eye I have turned into a snake with the addition of beads in a snake shape. Mary Magdalene is regarded as the world’s most famous fallen woman but is also a Madonna figure of the power of redemption. I found this piece quite a challenge as my initial piece had a snake bead on it but it would not sit right and I could not bead around it. I have shown it to Maree and she really liked it so that was great.

Starting on the 2011 BJP and I am choosing to do the ATC card size so I can do a swap with Karen (Florida). I have made the backgrounds for January and thoughts to go with it will come on the next posting. I will be using words that mean something to me each month but may also use quotes from other. I am hoping to get my computer sorted as i cannot always download pictures and can never get anything that needs an adobe product.



I have been keeping in touch with the BJP'ers and found this via bloghopping on Sue's Craft Cupboard. http://tammysprinkle.blogspot.com/ has a Pay It Forward activity. The idea is to promise something handmade to the FIRST 5 people who leave a comment here. To be eligible, you too must repost this offering something handmade by you to 5 other people. The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people some time in 2011.
So - I promise to send the first five people leaving a comment here, a hand-made-by-me gift - soon, but remember you have to do it too. It sounded like a fun thing to do and as I love "snail mail" and "surprises" - and the film "Pay it Forward" - I'm following Tammy's idea too.

A Busy day

I have had a really busy day today with starting to make icicles for my winter goddess, complete the background for an ATC and a beaded journal page. also I have spent 15 minutes at a time cleaning up my ipod and deleted over 500 duplicate songs and spent all day listening to the Kings of Leon. Think they will be my band of choice at the moment.
Also spent 15 minutes at a time cleaning up my desk area and have nearly taken every thing off it to dust off the dust bunnies (the power of 15 minutes at a time - http://www.flylady.net/)
Also I have spent time tidying up all my photos from seven years so they are all stored onto a remote hard disk and then hopefully I will be able to get my computer fixed or sorted as I am not able to do anything with adobe files, quicktime or flashplayer so I cannot download any e-books onto my e-reader.
two more days and work starts again so going to spend several hours beading and stitching now and then to bed. Shopping tomorrow for new clothes (since I have a stylist I have discovered a love of nice clothes) and then gardening and house cleaning weather permitting.
Enjoy the weekend.