Embroidery

Well after along lay off I have picked up the needle again. It must be more then 20 years. I am so rusty so are my needles. So before I could do any really work I had to put in a lot of practice and get some new needles. Not something I like doing. I like to get on with things.

My first thing was to find some Internet sites. I needed help. I can across many sites that had great hints and tips. but I found one site that for me had everything. This blog site is run by a very talented lady by the name Mary Corbet, at Needle'n Thread.com . She has everything and more. I started of watching her video's read everything she had wrote, and then tried her List of Long & Short Stitch Lessons. Oh! it was not easy like I said it been a long time but after many hour and a lot of colorful words. I finished the whole 9 lessons.
I relearned many things I had forgotten, and learned things I never know.
This is what I ended up with No it not the best but I am pretty pleased with it.

From this I had the courage to move on and as it was my birthday, I got a lot of goodies to help me on my way. A couple of them was Embroidery books by Trish Burr. Great books, and great help.
From the first book. " Long and Short Stitch Embroidery, A collection of flowers" I did two small flowers, each time learning a little bit more.
Here the first of two.


then came my next one

Which I ended up framing as I was pretty pleased with it.

Looks like someone likes it.
Now I have the book "Crewel & Surface Embroidery" by Trish Burr. Another great book.
I had to have a go at one from the book. I picked the poppy. But right a way ran in to trouble. I could not find the crewel wool she used had to pick out something else but I think I did OK.
Then I needed to copy the pattern on to fabric. Well par for the course with me that didn't go as easy as it should first I had to find some different Linen what I was going to use just was not going to cut it. got that sorted then the Pattern in the book was not the size I wanted so I had to free hand draw the whole thing on the fabric. Well after a while I did get it done and got all the threads together. Ready to start.

OK well nearly ready to start I had to put it in the frame.
but once I did that I was off and running. Had one or two problems but not to bad, but I have been doing the easy parts first.


This is were I am right now.

It's coming along.
want to see a close up.


Well thats about it right now. I should be doing it right now not blogging about it so until next time when Yes I will have more to show.

Mothers day

Mothers day is just about here but as with many mother it is still just another day. I still have stuff to do. But it will be a quiet day as it will be just me and Chris for most of the day. We will have time on our own to play and might even take the Saints out for a walk or play in the back yard. Hubby will get up first, as he said he will help the kids get breakfast and then he is taking 2 of them to the Air show. I am not big on Air shows and Chrissie can not handle the noise and all the people. After they will do a little shopping I am hoping they come home with some goodies but not counting on it. Then we will have a BBQ in the evening in the back yard which hubby has work hard on trying to make it look nice and even though it still not any thing fancy it does look pretty good with the hanging baskets and wall baskets he got us.






plus he got me a couple of lamps to hang candles in to burn to keep the bugs away don't shore if it will work or not but will give it a try.
Well hope every one has a great Mothers day I plan to make the best of it but like my oldest said you Love your mother every day not one day a year. I sure do miss my Mum she past a way about 6 years ago and I still miss her.

late night hours

Well here it is late at night as always just me and this laptop of mine. I sit here many night just trying to find things to do, Just in the hope of not going totally crazy. I have just received a parcel full of new unfinished boxes ready for me to get stuck in and create some thing new. But first it will take a little thinking through. My bird house just about ready to hang and my coaster box about ready for use. I now have many more things to work on. Why do I do this? Well it's not being able to sleep at night that does it to me. With the kids in bed and hubby has gone of to bed as well just leaves me here on my own with the Saints snoring away at my feet. I will get to bed around 4 or 5 am as always in the hopes of getting a little sleep before the new day come to our house hold, Which always starts way to early and way to loud for my liking. It's kind of nice no one is talking, no one is asking me to do something. But I get kind of lonely as well I am glad I have to two big daft dogs under foot now. My small dogs, they go off to sleep with hubby each night but the Saints, well they stay at my side. I wonder how long this will last this time how many nights I will sit hear on my own unable to sleep. It happens every so often. Then before I know it, all I will want to do is sleep. But that can be weeks or months down the road. I know many would say take a pill but I can't do that. I have never believed in taking pills to sleep what if one of my kids needed me. No I will wait until my body tells me it time to sleep.
I am on line to look for ideas but don't seem to find what I am looking for tonight. googling is not finding what I want. I have an idea running around in my head of what I want to do but can I pull it off. Getting started on a new project is always the hard part for me. I love to work with my hands make something new out of things. I like to see how fare I can go. I will never claim to be an artist no matter what training I have had in the past but my arts and crafts are very much part of me. They are for the most who I am. Some of my work may never been seen out side of my home for I am never totally happy with the final out come. But I will always do something. I love trying out new ideas. Some work others I give up on.
My mind as well is on the out doors. Spring is here and I want to get working in the garden. This year more then ever I want to have flowers around. Every year I start of buying flowers for inside as well as out but for some reason this year I want to do more. I want that pretty garden full of colour. I will give it my best shot but Gardener I am not. I will put my hands in to the soil and work away at planting all the wonderful plants my dear hubby brings home but sorry to say many of them will not make it past the hot summer we always get down south.
Well time for me to get back to looking for that one idea that will get me going on the next project.

Crafts

This is my hybrid, part decoupage part painting. I wanted a basket weave so I painted it I wanted branch's and leave but was not happy about spending the time cutting out such small things so I painted them as well this is a coaster box.




My English country garden




some boxs I had done some time ago.

This is my south western pot just for the catus plants my kids got for me. I had painted a rattle snake but he is hiding under the rock.

Well I have take a big step in getting back in to the love of crafts It's been a long time since I have pull out my stuff but for some reason I wanted to start working with my hands and mind again that and the fact I am not sleeping at night to well right now that is.

I starting off painting pots for my flowers and seed I had to have a south western scene for the catus garden. I also did one with a English cottage scene. I already had some box's I had painted before and for some reason I love box's of all shapes and sizes so I have done some more. some of the work I have here is still being worked on and some are finished Items. I want to have a go at as many different crafts as I can just to see what I can do and if I like them. there are so many different things to do it should keep me going for some time.

I love to paint and I have found Decoupage a fun thing to do so I have come up with what I like to think of as my Hybrid craft. I love to use a combination of the two and why not. I use decoupage and paint in the same item and it not turning out to bad.

Well I am going to spend the rest of the night cutting out birds and flower I have a lot i want to do at less it keeps me out of trouble.