Well Lookie At What I Found

You wouldn't believe what I discovered after clearing my house and rummaging through my older cross stitch stuff. Like, seriously, I had a throw back to when my sister and I first started stitching. It still had the wooden hoop on it and the cloth had turned from white to a little beige color in some areas. This was before I even started hoarding cross stitch!!

That's how far it threw me.

And what did I discover among the endless possibilities of finding random stuff in my house? I discovered...a piece that my sister started.

So Girly indeed

If I recall, this was bought in Florida at one of the many craft stores in the area. Couldn't remember exactly when it was started, but I knew it had to be college time, so around 2010-2012. I remembered my sister working on this piece, the feelings of noobness flooding back to me. I just had to pick up the packet and take a look inside. I found this down below:

18ct, Aidia cloth 

It's part of a series and this one had a more sister theme to it, so my sister bought it and altered the colors to match our skin tones. She did a pretty neat job on it, even the back was impressive. Why didn't she finish it? That's because life happened, we moved, changed work places, continued our education....It's just been sitting there for over three years! I couldn't resist: I sat down on the couch, picked it up, and watched three episodes of Alaska: The Last Frontier (awesome show by the way. Good job Discovery). 

This is what I completed:

I don't know how my sister did it. The needle that came along with the set is so blunt at the end, I have to use a pin needle to break the thread before I sent that sucker on through to do a half stitch. That's why it took me longer than I thought it should have taken to get the hair done that far. Ridiculous.  

Surprise progress report on my other project down below! WHAT WHAT?!?!!

Toodles.

-VanaQB

I Prefer a Blank Check Please, no Pearls

Don't re-read that title. There is no mistake, no miss-print.

What you are reading is the real. Deal.

Like this Cross-Stitch Masterwork done by a group of people. It's called "The Battle of Grunwald".

It's the real deal.

I am an honest to goodness craft person to my very soul. I often tell my friends, I don't want my man to buy me diamonds, ruby necklaces, or other expensive items. What I want him to do is, instead of spending all that money on jewelry that I already have, I want him to give me a gift card to Micheal's Craft Store. Better yet!! I want us to walk into my favorite craft store, have him turn to me and say, "Here babe, this is for you," then he hands me a BLANK CHECK, salutes me, and disappears in the store to his favorite section.

Say whaaaaat--?

Do you realize how happy I will be? Do you understand that the crafter that I am, will probably duce out for a solid 2 hours (at least), roaming the store and pilling up a store cart or two, carts that I normally don't use because I only buy what my wallet and hand can handle???

Two store carts. TWO!!

And then at check out, I'll be so happy, so content, that when I enter the amount I won't even flinch. I won't even bat an eyelash. I'll whip out my sparkling purple pen like Indiana Jones, and sign my name like the President of the United States of America!

Then my man will casually roll on up in his car, hop out, pop the trunk and pack everything in the back. And finally, finally, we ride off into the sunset both happy. I'm pretty sure there will be some epic LOTR music playing too, just for added affect.

I can dig that. I realize my passions can be expensive, and a few bloggers have commented on how their other half either helps them in some way, shape and form, or they kind of flinch at the exccesive hoarding. My man will understand my passion and love for art, and will realize that it will all come back to him. Be it in a piece I make just for him, or I serve the man some breakfast in bed as a special thank you. Heck, I'll even frame a piece and give it to his special family member. It will come in full circle, because he made me happy by helping me with my art, and I made him happy creating something for him.

It's the real deal.

Toodles!
-VanaQB

Just cruzin'! Na na na na na na na nana-- Oh, wait, wrong song

I have a guilty pleasure. That guilty pleasure is looking up cross stitch patterns while I'm at work. When the crazy stuff ends and there is a lull in the work day, I pick up my mouse and click, click, click, I'm on a cross stitch website looking at various designs.

Usually, those designs are 22ct or higher and we all know how I feel about those!

I just can't help myself though. The colors and designs are so vibrant I can hardly stand it. I'm pretty sure my job doesn't pay me to sit and look at these beautiful colors, but I'm okay with it.

From HAED, down below are examples of a few that I've oozed over (wait, what?):

Super-sized Moon Goddess

Super-sized Earth Angel

You see? Do you see why both my heart and wallet cry at the same time? Especially for this one, the Disney Princess' Apocalypse Princesses. It's a little showy, so I won't post the photo here. Responsible Adults click away.

Just another wallet cracker. AAARRGH BATMAN!

And then there is this Zelda piece that is calling to my Inner GG (Gaming Goddess). One stitcher already completed it on her website, along with other amazing complex looking stuff. I, for one, would love to complete this piece in the sanctuary of The Bahamas.

Need I say more? I wonder if they have Twilight Princess and Pikmin out there....hmmm.

Last but not least, this lovely Elven Maid, though I'm pretty sure they meant to say Elven Maiden, since she looks like a lady more than a maid. But that's just me. Choose to ignore. Every time I look at this piece, I imagine me being her meeting Legolas from LTOR and then I just start salivating. Because not only is he good looking, but he's a hard worker, has integrity and is loyal to his friends. And did you see how epically (?) he took down that elephant in LOTR: The Return of the King?? And how he awesomely (??) flew over and fought for his I'm-not-into-you-anymore girl with that orc on the bridge in The Hobbit: The Five Armies (but it really wasn't five, it was just like one army split into two)??!! Sure he's a bit dense when it comes to picking up certain signals that could lead him to realizing that his elf chick is falling out of love with him and in love with a dwarf, but come on! He works so hard for his loved ones. It's almost ri-donck-u-lous (seriously you have a Masters, spell like you got sense). You kinda feel sorry for the guy! And he's Legolas! Look at his hair!!!

*gasp* Oh, right, stitching...love it.

Toodles!
VanaQB

I'm scarred of 22count and higher D:

There! I've said it. Now you know my dirty, little, dark secret that I harbor within myself when I look online at different patterns. Just the thought, no, the IDEA of my completing one of these gruesome numbers makes me shiver.

*shiver*

Ugh.

I'm justified though. I like to think that I haven't explored my comfort zones of 14 count, 16 count and 18 count enough. Look at the chart down below:

Apparently there is needle size to (I don't know...)

Yes, I've bought a butt load of works, but I haven't really frolicked in it. Another reason being, I don't know how to do it. Plain and simple. That part of the field I haven't frolicked and rolled around in? It's a dark, secret place. Now, this doesn't mean I haven't researched on it. I tried, I really did.

After several attempts and look ups, I found this:

Epic fail Internet. The only reason I know that this is 22 count or higher is because I remembered my neighbors, who are also crafty and knowledgeable, said that for that count number I have to go over two, so its hugging two column lines. When I saw this, I had to tell myself that this is it. This is what epic people who cross stitch really do. They are Master artisans, while I am Intermediate. WoW anyone?

I mean, just look at what these other bloggers have done!

Mytimestitching on Wordpress:

Oriental Cross Stitch seems pretty popular.

Stitch and Strive:

 (look reeeeally close)

Random Ramblings:

Maiden.Mother.Crone:

Some people like HAED, Heaven And Earth Designs, one of the many kinds of producers for cross stitch out there on the market. They focus more on detailed scenery and fantasy. When I was looking at some of their patterns online, I was like "Wow, these are so beautiful...wait, is that higher than 28 count? That's so detailed!!" And then I spend a long time looking at other people's works of eHAED. I noticed that most crafters used the parking method, which is using several colors one time in a 10x10 box, a row, or several spots.You can see that method down below on one of their blogs, Our Friends HAED SAL.

Park it!

The detail man. That detail. And the images down below is just from one person (I think).

Can't even imagine the time, the dedication, the tears, the joy. The beauty is worth it.

.....ummm, that side of the meadow is looking pretty bleak and hazardous to me. I still can't bring myself to buy a piece, let alone complete one.

*shiver*

Ugh.

*shiver*

One day...for sure, I will tackle one of these babies and have it underneath a piece of glass on my table so that when guests come over, they can be all "WOOOOOOW" and I will be all "I KNOOOOOOOOOW". Till then, I should probably finish what I do have. I mean, it's not exactly cheap the higher counted cross stitch. They are literally time and money. For beginners, I won't dissuade you from trying higher count if you want too. That will be an invaluable experience. If you're more cautious, try the lower count first, like 6-18. Figure out your style and work with it. Because let me tell you-

These stitches don't cross themselves.

Toodles!
-VanaQB

Photo Bo--oh, wait...

After I make this fabulous piece of work.

Slowly but surely, the things in my house are being packed away. Even more slowly, but-its-getting-done, I am filling in the sporadic spots on my Mermaid Mother and Son piece. What I can't understand, and I find myself questioning my skills a lot in this regard, is what the blazes was I thinking when I sorted the colors and started? There's like, spots where I skipped over and squares where I was like, "Eh, I'll come back later." What the heck, woman? Now I have to go back with colors that I am "done" with and I start to feel anxious from my lack of commitment for that one 10x10 square! It's...it's like a metaphor for my mentality. I feel deeply concerned.

Smh.

Anyone want to feel concerned with me? No? Ok, I'll sit back down. Till I get back up, enjoy some photos I got from Pinterest and my phone.

Like a real thug.

*gasp* I filtered Mother Nature!

I know Chomper, I know.

A doodle, doodle, doodle. A doodle, doodle, doooodle -stop!

And my belly. Please feed.

Toodles!

-VanaQB

I need an Art Room that isn't my House

If you read the title, I'm pretty sure you've already guessed my next topic. In fact, this subject has been haunting my dreams since a little child, and every once and a while, my waking moments are haunted as well.

Every creative person needs a space where they can dump their stuff and create. You can worry about organization later. I'm talking about that space that's soooo messy with paint, scraps of fabric, yarn bits, marker marks and oil (don't ask me how, it's just there) on the spaces you use to create.

Not like this down below.

This is Epic. This is STICKERS.
http://www.vh1.com/celebrity/2012-01-03/art-where-children-put-thousands-of-stickers-everywhere-is-the-best-art/

That is art itself. It deserves a whole other category of epicness. My version of an art room is more along the lines of this picture down below. Well, at least what Google gave me when I typed in 'messy art room'. Someone even did an article on this matter!

Yup. Yuuuuup.
http://www.thecreativesalad.com/2011/02/17/reality-check/

There have been occasions where our front room would end up looking like the picture above, minus the go-car, more fabric, sometimes clothes, defiantly food, and the creepy feeling that something is moving under our feet. And whenever we clean up, we can't find anything. I mean, it has to be left in the same spot we placed it in order to find it again. How do people work in a clean space??

Look at that. Just LOOK at it. 

I don't get it. I really don't. Regardless, I need a space. I need a craft room. It would be nice not having to sit, literally, on pins and needles when I want to watch television. Or scissors, though my butt does a pretty good job of cushioning the blow.

When I have me art room, I will sit at a table to draw and cut fabric, as well as use my sewing machine. So I will need a big enough table next to the wall with the biggest window, and then on the other wall have my sewing spot. I will need a cup to hold my pens and pencils, scissors and rulers. Tubs to hoard yarn and a cabinet for my cross stitch. A white/chalk board to write down projects on, and a tea tray to roll snacks into my zone of creativity. I will get speakers and place them where the sound bounces just right around my room. A CD holder will sit right next to it and a remote would always be by my side. There will be two comfy chairs for my sis and me, where she will have her section of the room as well. Ms. Kathy, down below, on her blog Kluless, is on the right track. Organized clutter.

Perfect.

She's an inspiration for us all.

I'm sure one day I'll have my fabu art room. Till then, I'm going to keep crafting and enjoying the space I do have to craft in :3 That, and stalk pictures on Pinterest. 

Mermaid mother and Son: 1+ years and going strong

Hello everyone,

Many of you may not know, but when I went to China last year I splurged a lot on cross stitching. There's a big community there, as the cross stitch predominately comes in printed form. Before going to China I hadn't seen that form before and simply worked on counted cross stitch. So guess my surprise when I came across printed stitch, with the pattern already on the fabric.

KAAA-BLOOIE! My mind was blown away. And so was half of my wallet after spending the afternoon in a shopping plaza that had multiple cross stitch stores. After seeing what they could do with embroidery, I knew that my skills lied in stitching that X.

What did I get exactly? Well, I am unrecoverable drawn to mermaids, fairies, dragons, and pretty fluffy dresses. If you look down below, you will see the work that I started in the Winter of 2014.

Her blue hair is just lovely. I wish they had her with blue instead of brown. But, as you can see, something is different. If you look up the original picture on the internet, you'll see that the mom's skin tone and hair are not like the original design. That's because I SHOOK IT UP!

Look at that progress! A year off and on work is marvelously distracting. The skin tone is a challenge though, because the shades don't flow as well as the peach flow (as I discovered a year and 5 months later :l). Which left me going back and redoing some parts, right to the point where I threw down my fabric and gently placed my scissors in my sewing kit. Throwing scissors is a big no no. 

Down below, you can look at what I had done first, and then how I went back into that section and SHOOK IT UPx2!

Before

After

Before

After

Ta-daaah!

See those red spots? Yeah, that's the midway skin tone that did not come with the hair color. Now I'm stuck before I can mentally cajole my inner child to stop throwing a whinny fit and actually search for a color.

BOOOO times infinity times infinity till it goes back to zero and beyond!

When I win that battle, I will post more photos along with the areas of progress I have made. Right now, I'm switching between completing a box or working on one particular color/symbol. It goes, like my diet, back and forth without guidance. A whim. But sometimes, sometimes, I actually have a plan and work on it. I mean, when you already know some of your colors are off and don't match the picture, it's another struggle with your seven year old self. 

Toodles :3 

-VanaQB