It's Like Christmas in the Bead Cave

I hate getting surprise phone calls, especially late at night. You know what I mean. But I LOVE surprise packages in the mail! 

I participate in a bead exchange on one of my Etsy teams and today I received an envelope full of beautiful beads. My friend, Cynthia, of CLeasBeadwork, is so generous and talented. She learned beadwork from her grandmother and continues the tradition with very nature-inspired creations. 

So I didn't even sit down in the bead chair in the bead cave before I ripped open the envelope and found such a bounty of beautiful beads.  Apparently everyone knows my favorite color is blue because there are several different envelopes of blue beads. Here's a sampling of my new stash.  Now I get to create lots of new fobs and counting pins and stitch markers and eyeglass leashes...

 

 

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THIS is What I Love to Do!

The Thistle Celebration by Periwinkle Promises is sooooo much fun to stitch. I just love Barbara Rakosnik's use of stitches and color in her designs.  Even though I've frogged a bit already, I'm really enjoying this piece.  The only problem I'm having is that the colors are so close that I have to be extremely careful not to mix them up.

Thistle Celebration 09-18-12

I only had one miscount on the Holbein band, which I thought was pretty impressive. I usually get lost and have to do a lot of frogging, but no this time. And I didn't even use Barbara's very explicit diagram.  I've decided that figuring out Holbein motifs without a chart is my way of staving off dementia.  It's definitely a puzzle.

As you can see, I've just started the large satin stitch band. The satin stitch motifs are divided by bands of diagonal cross stitch. What a relief! At first I thought it was Diagonal Montenegrin which taxes my brain considerably. 

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Finally...a New Finish!

I'm not going to bother apologizing or make excuses for not posting in almost three months...eeek! But I hope to be a little more consistent, at least for a while. I will say that the Etsy shop has been keeping me pretty busy and I haven't had as much time to stitch. However, I finally finished "Bagatelle" by Whispered by the Wind on Sunday. I can't believe how long it took me considering it is only about 6.5 inches square...of course, that's on 40 count linen. For those who want the gory details, it is stitched on Lakeside Linen 40 count Strawflower, with Caron Collection Waterlilies (silk) Olive and Geranium. (1 strand) It's a beautiful piece and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. It just called to me.

Now I'm moving on to the Thistle Celebration by Periwinkle Promises. I can always count on some fun stitches in Barbara Rakosnik's designs.

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A Fine Finish

This is my idea of drama! No temper tantrums, no diva behavior, just a glorious red and black sampler.

It will be on loan to my LNS for a while. 

And here's the beautiful piece I got from my friend, Karen, for my birthday. I just got it framed yesterday. 

I'm working on a beautiful sampler by a local designer, Pam Lamonica, of Lamonica Designs. It's the Adkin-Ruark House Sampler. You can buy it here.

This house is next door to another historic house that my parents owned and refurbished several years ago. Author Robert Ruark, Capt. Adkins grandson, spent much of his boyhood here with his grandfather.

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Happy Dance!

I fixed my point driver so The Cranberry Sampler is framed and so is Bands of Pearle, which was my birthday present from my stitching alter ego, Laura. I haven't picked out a spot for either of them yet, because it will require rearranging my dining room and living room. So they may just sit propped on chairs for a while so I can admire them.

I wish you all could see them close up. I love whitework so much, but my photography skills are just not good enough to do them justice.

I've been moving right along on the Red and Black II. The black isn't as boring as I thought it would be, but the red adds so much ooomph that I can hardly wait to get to it. Maybe that's what is motivating me.

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I am not a happy camper

I just picked up the frame for my Cranberry Sampler and my birthday present, Bands of Pearle. They are both perfect. I got my equipment out to assemble everything and my Framemaster point driver broke! I took it apart and a wimpy little plastic 'bumper' is in several pieces. $1.14 + 5.35 shipping and several days of waiting. Grrrrrrrrrrr...

On the other hand, my "Red and Black II" is coming along nicely. Perhaps I should go stitch to relieve the pain. 

 

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Great Finds

I'm honored to have my Blue Fish Purse Charm in this week's Great Finds on On Fire for Handmade. 

I'd appreciate your vote.

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