For My Poppa Who Fights On

Hello stitchers!

VanaQB here to share a little personal time with you.

As some of you know, my poppa was fighting prostrate cancer last year fall. In honor of his victorious battle, I stitched a cross for him with the phrase "Create within me a new heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me." This phrase is said during Communion as the priest blesses the wine and bread. It came to me one day as I pondered and wondered what phrase to add to the bottom of the cross. I had worked hard to complete my stitching for when my poppa returned home to The Bahamas and started to take his hormonal shots, and was grateful that such a meaningful and powerful phrase was given to me.

I was also so thankful to Big G (God) and Cloud Man (Jesus) for helping my dad make it through his treatment, because when others had the same stage of cancer as him and were lying on the floor in pain, my poppa was walking straight with strength. So I thank them both for my poppa.

And now, another important phase in my fathers journey is occurring. In June my father will be thanked and recognized for his years of service in the ministry as an Anglican priest. His work wasn't easy and the family went through some times as he answered the call and performed his vigorous duties. Our family moved every 2-3 years and we defiantly had our fair share of financial and family struggles too. Yet haven been through it all, I wouldn't exchange my experiences for anything. It made me a better person, it made me closer to Big G and Cloud Man, and it allowed me to witness and express the strong love between my father and me. As my family has learned throughout the years and overcoming these obstacles: answering the call is never easy, but you'll be glad you did.

I am now starting another piece and have been working on it slowly. My rotations are between three major projects, all of whom are for a male member of my family. I do wish to complete my poppas piece before his ceremony so I can present it to him at that time. Hopefully, I will be able too. Because this piece, which is the picture down below, will have a significant meaning to my father and my family as a whole. One significance, that I will share in another post.

Till then, toodles!
VanaQB

Picture Catch Up

Oh my goodness! It has been a while. Let me show what I have been up to on the artistic side. Real life can wait until I'm done cross-stitching :)

Behold!! Page 3!!

This is page 4! I finally got to the water. Where are my Zoras? Where are they???

And that, fellow artists, is work for three months. Oh the joy and the back pain (i-chee-wow-wah). It's all worth it in the end. 
Toodles!-VanaQB 

2016 Beginnings: Zelda and more...

Hello all!

It's that time. Where everyone posts or talks about their achievements of 2015 and their goals of 2016. If you have been keeping up with me on social media, then you know that these past two weeks have been busy with crochet projects for Christmas gifts. That I've been falling asleep at three in the morning trying to finish them and spending my Christmas holiday feeding people and hanging out with family.

Fun times. Glad it's over.

Now I've been focusing more on my cross-stitch and preparing for the 2016 year. I noticed that everyone is showing what they've completed for the entire 2015 year. I decided to do something different, since, well, by golly I like to be different!

Most people think when the new year starts its time to start something new and to reflect on what you have completed. I've done the reflection, but I find myself thinking: "I don't want to start something new. I'm quiet happy with the goals I've set since last year and I'm still working on them now."

Is that strange? I think it is and I embrace it. So right now, here's what I'm bringing with me from last year into this year to help build me up for the challenges I will face in the days ahead. Big G give me strength and not let my heart waver.

Cuz these pieces aren't going to get done themselves! :)

What did you bring into the new year?

Toodles!
-VanaQB

It's Been a Long Time Zelda

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!

It has been a while since I last update. And I'm sure you're probably wondering what have I been doing as of late. Well, the good news is that I have been working on my Zelda Map. The other better news is that I started working as a substitute teacher, making my mornings work related and my nights fantasy.

Kind of like Batman with the two identities, only cooler.

I'm also pretty sure you want to see photos of my latest work and the new toy I got to help me stitch faster. Kid you not, I bought a lap stand and started stitching two handed. Results? I'm on FIRE BABY!!

But allow me to let you be the judge of that :)

Looking back, that 1 month and 1 week sure saw some long nights and confetti work. But you know what? It's all worth it when I spend three hours or the entire weekend working on a section and have my nephew look at it, see the progress, and go "Wow Aunty Vana, you're really making progress. It's looking great!!"

So worth it.

Toodles!
-VanaQB

Upgrading my Technique: Waste Knots Awaaaaay!

As life would have it, I am constantly researching and learning about different ways to improve my art. Cross-stitch is no exception, especially when loking at other pieces of work and wondering "WOW, how do they get their backs so neat like that?" Which then leads me to ponder "How can I get my work to look like that? What am I missing? What do I need to do?"

Those questions are then answered by the lovely thing called the World Wide Web. After many questions and wondering, frustrations and longing, I finally looked up online on how to get a clean back on cross-stitch. It provided some very informative results, more specifically videos. I watched them in awed silence, taking notes in my notebook when needed.

Because a girls back be looking like-

And I'm starring at it like-

Because when you take a really close look at this-

You really end up feeling like-

So what exactly did I take away from this learning session?

My research produced to me something called the Waste Knot or Away Waste Knot. I looked at several videos and posts on the subject, and these down below were the ones I found the most helpful:

Advanced CrossStitch (this one has pictures and explains the steps)
Cutting the lose Ends (a video the shows the technique)

Looking at these, I thought to myself "There is so much information out there about cross-stitch. It's ri-donk-cu-lous! And some of these techniques have been tweeked and twerked too!"

.....though I'm pretty sure not everyone twerks their stuff. One thing is for certain though, my next cross-stitch lesson will be very fruitful.

Toodles!
-VanaQB