Just Keeping Busy

What an inexcusable lack of updates, shame on me. I have been keeping myself busy though, as usual.

I went to the local farmer's market over the weekend with my neighbor. In addition to lots of fresh, cheap veggies they have a large pavillion set up for plants. I've been wanting to get something into a raised box that runs along the front of our house, and I found a good selection of herbs at great prices. (All $2 for 4" plants!) I figure it will be nice to have something fragrant by the front door, and I'm looking forward to having fresh herbs for cooking and crafting. Growing in the box, the little roots can only go so far and will be slightly less of a pain in the butt to dig what I want up when we move.


I have rue (which is supposed to be good luck), lavender mint, rosemary, peppermint, cilantro, basil, thyme, oregano, pineapple sage, and lemon balm. I made little markers out of wooden sticks and polymer clay so I can keep everything straight. They all look so cute in their new homes.

I've also gotten sort of addicted to making fabric covered beads, using this tutorial at Moda Bake Shop. They're so cute and all you need is scrap fabric, wooden beads, and a glue stick. Easy peasy!


And finally, today is Bats' birthday, so I can finally post his handmade gift. He gets something handmade at every gift giving occasion, and it is not easy to think up stuff to make him. (Am I the only one who finds it hard to think of handmade gifts for guys? I need to make a list I think...) I can make him plush versions of his favorite characters, but he's running out of space to display big things like that. I've made him pictures and posters, but I was planning on that for out anniversary. But it finally dawned on me laying in bed one night...


A little statue! I had everything I needed on hand and it's small enough to display. This is Harley Quinn, one of his favorite Batman characters and sort of a running joke with us as Harley and I seem to have some personality traits in common.

Also, Friday is the grand opening of Panache. I'm super excited and nervous to have my stuff in an actual store, and I'm really hoping this will be a good opportunity for me. I'll post pictures and all later in the week.

Birdies

It's springtime, and I've been on a bit of a bird kick lately. There's the embroidery for my mom (which I did end up coloring, and I like how it turned out). And there's the Nite Owl embroidery I'm still working on, which I am also counting as bird themed.
Then I got a commission for these little birdies as a wedding cake topper. They're about 7" tall. I'm pretty please with how they turned out, although they were a bit of a pain. The fabric frayed like crazy (I used fusible interfacing to back it and had to zig zag along the edges) and the pattern was very finicky, but they are quite cute. They're beaks are made from polymer clay and I found this nifty wired jute to use for their legs.

And with Easter, there was also Eggschach...

Baby Steps

I'm having an exciting week.
First announcement, I'll be partnering with the incredible Mr X Stitch to make some of my patterns available. The internet meme embroidery is first up, so keep an eye out and I'll update as we get going.
My work is also going to available at Panache, a handmade boutique that will be opening in Gastonia, NC at the beginning of next month. This is the first time I'll have my stuff out in the world of retail and I am all a-twitter.

Pins and Needles

I'm finally updating. It's not that I haven't been doing anything, it's just that what I've been doing is making bunches of Rorschachs and 5 pictures of the same thing is kind of boring. But I'm done with those (for now) and on to new projects.

Despite the fact that I have almost 3 months to go, I started on my mom's birthday present. When she came to visit I found some embroidery patterns with all 50 state birds and flowers (for like $5 so awesome), and I told my mom I'd do some for her. These are the first two of four. They'll eventually get framed.




I'm doing New Hampshire and Massachusetts as that's where my mom was born and grew up. California is where she lives now and North Carolina is where I live. I figured that was better than just doing four random states. I'm kind of considering coloring them, but I don't know. If I color one I have to do them all, whether I really like it or not. I am so indecisive about things this like this. Anyone have an opinion?


After those two, I was still in an embroidery mood but kind of sick of birds and flowers. (Omg so many lazy daisy stitches on the NH one blargh.) I've been pondering some Watchmen embroidery for a few days, but i just didn't have an idea I was in love with. I was thinking just a group shot of the Crimebusters, but I wasn't excited about the idea. Then today the idea for these just popped into my head.

I think Nite Owl II is my favorite of the bunch. I love the way the frame and background came out and he's making that "I'm a paunchy nerd who fights crime" face. Plus his quote is stupid and makes me giggle.

Those ferns in the background are going to make me crazy, I can tell right now. I think they may get simplified for the actual project. I do love the look of them on this though. And the gun sort of looks decent, which is rare as I am terrible at drawing firearms.

I wanted these to sort of look like a cross between a portrait and a religious icon. The religious icon I like not only for the look, but also because there's a certain mythological aspect to super heroes. Working with that, almost all of them have sort of the suggestion of a halo behind them.

Also, I am one of those people who finds Rorschach absolutely adorable. I am properly ashamed of myself, don't worry.

Ozy and Dr. M are on my Flickr. What have I gotten myself into...