Back to Stitching

So now that all the planners/calendars are updated for 2018, the books I have ordered are in, the latest issues of Where Women Create and Where Women Create Business have been purchased, I can now get things going for February. I decided that outside of a dental appointment and a necessary eye exam (I broke my good glasses to smithereens so now I am using my old prescription glasses that are not very good anymore for seeing clearly-but I'm way overdue to get my eyes checked anyway) I have no plans to schedule any medical appointments this month, which I hope will allow me more planning and work time.

First of all, I have a wonderful stand for working with my Q-Snaps but it has been holding an unfinished project I started making for my husband some time ago. With Valentine's Day coming up, I am hoping to get it done so I can get it off the stand and put my next project on it. It is so much easier to work with beads on a stand and it keeps the work cleaner too. Here is a pix of the hubby project:

This is all done in glass seed and bugle beads. I really need to get busy on it since we are talking little more than two weeks, but I'm hoping if I can get it to the framers before then, at least it will be ready shortly after Valentine's if not before. I am undecided about the background. I was thinking of doing it in a palladium finish glass seed bead but I don't know now. The star in the middle of the heart holds a small Swarovski heart crystal, and the background there would remain the same. What do you think? I welcome all suggestions as long as I get them soon! LOL!

The next thing will be to get the stitch sampler started. I am going to begin with the basics and then work my way through more difficult stitches. I did get two out of print books on advanced cross stitch techniques. These books are wonderful as far as showing how versatile cross stitch can be with different fibers and stitches. I will get into those more when we do another book look. I think the first stitch I will work will be the straight stitch and then the French knot. I am going to mix it up by varying the strands, spacing, and then trying different fibers too. Of course I will be painting the fabric for effect also! LOL!

I am very excited too about a short class I am taking with a friend in mixed media. It will only be three nights over a three week period starting mid-February, but it will be fun to experiment. I'll give you updates on that as well when it happens.

 So I am going to attempt to work on Ladybug Lake with my old spectacles but if I feel I can't do a good job with them I will have to table it until I can get my glasses repaired or get a new pair. I'm hoping with my magnifying light it will work out.

So next week I will have a stitch sampler started and will have my fabric washed, pressed and ready to go for paint on Eastern Expressions. I will also talk about "The Three Sentinels" project I have been mulling around and sort of, kind of, planning in my head. It will be busy!

So until next week here is another thought nugget:

 "If I create from the heart, nearly everything works: if from the head, almost nothing."
~Marc Chagall