Volunteer Needed

Would anyone like to volunteer to test my Three Sister Bookmark kit?
You would receive all the materials necessary and you get to keep the item when it's done.
I will post it to you. All I ask is that you give me some feedback (like all the threads were there, the indtructions were easy to follow etc) and stitch the bookmark in reasonable time (about a week ... it took me around 5 hours to complete the example I stitched up).

Anyone interested, please email me;
jenni@exemail.com.au

Thanks in advance
Jenni

Another Win

This week, my beaded piece won the competition hosted by the beading forum I frequent. It's called Year of Jewellery and a new theme is chosen each week. My piece won by just 1 vote. LOL

I called it Shaman after the theme and designed it to look like a Native American Necklace because of the banner for the theme. The middle is bead embroidered with some quite tricky uneven sized beads, but it makes it look a little more ancient that way.

I dont' think I'll be entering next weeks theme of Bucaneer (I can't think of anything to do for it).

Three Sisters

I've just finished stitching a bookmark that I will sell as kits at the local tourist attraction - the Three Sisters.

If you've never see the three sisters, this is what they look like

They are about 30 mins drive from my house and 3 million people a year come to see them. Hopefully the tourist spots there will be happy to well my souvenier bookmark kits.

I bought souvenier kits all over the UK when I was visiting there. I've done Stone Henge, a welsh harpist and the tudor roses.

Not only are they are nice momento of your visit, they are somethign fun to do while you're on holiday.

My bookmark kits will be available for $12 plus postage on ETSY from next week.

Whoah UFOs

I was cleaning up my cross stitch cupboard yesterday and I found at least 10 UFOs. Only 4 of them are large projects, and most of them are only unfinished because I haven't made them into anything yet (a pencil case, two bookmarks, a needle case, two cards, stitched but waiting to be turned into something useable.

I put them all in a box and labelled it UFOs to try and shame myself into finishing some.

Part of the problem is that I don't have time to work on anything that isn't mine and I can't sell the design. I'd like to finish them. And a many of the others are my designs and I decided they weren't good enough to sell.

I should commit myself to finishing off some of the easier ones each weekend. The bookmarks really would only take an hour to make up. Less if I glued them.
Those of you who have watched me for some time would remember 'Sun'

Well now that I have a great company that is willing to sell my design charts, he's been bumped up the list to third.

First is a bookmark of my own that I dropped everything yesterday to design, which will go to local tourist spots.

Second is Peacock Princess (or Viva Las Vegas as I keep calling her). I've given myself until the Darling Harbour craft show to finish her and Sun. The show is massive and thousands of people will see my work on display.

I'd like to get his sister 'Moon' done by then too. But the show is in June and I know not to overcommit myself. I havent' even started designing her yet. But I know the fellers at Sew it all would love for me to do her by then as she will be completed on their fabric.

Well, that was a massive blog. Kudos to you if you made it to the end!!!
Thankd for reading.

An Award!

The lovely Caitlin at Naughts and Crosses Stitch has awarded me with a Liebster award

Here are all the details about the Liebster Blog award:

Liebster is a German word, meaning favorite, dearest or beloved, and the Liebster is awarded by bloggers to other, newer bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers, to spread the word and help the new(er)bies gain wider recognition. The award comes with four conditions that each recipient must satisfy when accepting:

1. Choose five up-and-coming blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) to award the Liebster to.
2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their sites. Leave comments on their blogs so they know about the award.
4. Share five random facts about yourself that people don't know about you.

I award the Liebster award to:

Patrick Duggan
Very talented beader
http://patrickduggandesigns.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/about-month-ago-i-was-approached-by.html

Katerina
Absolutely beautiful artwork and a beautiful person
http://katerinaart.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/pencil-portrait-and-mermaid-aceo.html

Fairy Princess
Who has a massive to do list
http://afairyprincessdreams.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/very-late-wipocalpyse-post.html

Springwood Quiltshow
Which I will shortly be displayed at (in Springwood)
http://springwoodquiltshow.blogspot.com.au/

Fantasy Cross Stitch,
 who I recently Joined myself to watch her progress
http://fantasycrossstitch.blogspot.com.au/

And Five Facts About me:
1. I adore dogs ... more than babies. I'll say hello to just about any dog I meet, but ignore babies in the supermarket (unless they were in need obviously!!! I'm not heartless)

2. I'm very heavy. And I don't just mean overweight. My mum had her bones tested and they are 150%  density (100% is fantastic in a woman of her age). My bones aren't quite as large as mum's.  But I'd guess I'd be in the 130% range.

3. I was born in Canberra and moved to the Blue Mountains with my family when I was 15. We used to come here for holidays. I love where I live and the only place I'd swap it for is Kiama.

4. I've written 5 children's books and edited two art books. Two of the children's books are currently in circulation with Kooringal Publications
http://www.kooringalpublications.com/
I have to go on a book tour in Brisbane during May and sign autographs!!! Weird.

5. I've climbed the Harbour Bridge. I wasn't sure if I'd make it when we were given the tour as a present. But it wasn't that hard actually. You stop lots to look at the view. It was amazing and I'd love to do it again.

Thankyou once again Caitlin at Naughts and Crosses Stitches for the award.
http://mangogirl-naughtscrossstitches.blogspot.com.au/

Spread the love everyone

Argh! Metallic Thread

Why does metallic thread have to look so good and be such a pain to stitch with?

Twenty five Hours In

Twenty five hours into Peacock Princess (and I'm renaming it Viva Las Vegas as she is very show girl).
It's looking lovely. I'm thinking it will probably take around 70 hours to complete. When it's done it will be available through Sew it All Australia's web site.

I lost a thread the other day - well actually a whole bobbin of thread. I still don't know where it went and I had to go and buy the colour again. How frustrating! Has this ever happened to you? Well at least I have the colour now to finish this design now.

Framed

I want to talk about a product I used today, which is I think is great.
I'm not being paid by anyone to say this LOL.
This morning I used Grip and Frame to fix up my finished piece, Recital.

I framed this piece myself rather quickly so that I could get it off to the Magazines (it's one of my designs). But I did such a bad job that when I got it back home the linene was starting to sag in the frame.

Yesterday when I was at the Rosehill craft and sewing show I met the guys at Sew it All Australia who demonstrated this fabulous product called Grip and Frame. It consists of strips of plastic with little teeth on it that push through your fabric, and when you stretch your fabric over them it holds tight. Then you just pop it into your frame. You can use the wood that comes with the frame (but you have to cut it down because the teeth add width). I won't pretend I got it right the first time. I cut the wood a bit too big, it didnt' fit back in the frame and I had to recut it (my own silly mistake, nothing to do with the product).

But I can't express how much better the finished product looks. I wish I'd taken a before and after shot now.

As for the design ... I will have it for sale shortly. I did get it to the magazines, they photographed it and sent it back ... but now no one can remember which magazine it went in!!!

RoseHill Craft Show and more revelations

This morning I went down to Rosehill Racecourse for the 2012 Craft and Sewing show.
I spent soooo much money. And here's some of the goodies I bought; a purple and blue swirly aida that I just cannot wait to design something for.

Sorry for the poor images, I plonked the fabrics on my scanner as my camera batteries were flat and I couldn't wait to show them to you.

I also bought, from the same stand, a 'sherbert' hand dyed evenweave, 6 coasters and a half a meter strip of ribbon aida (the type you usually put on towels, but I'm planning something different for mine!).

I also made contact with some awesome businesses that have shown interest in my cross stitch designs.

Most unexpectedly, I learned something about myself at the show.

I try to do too much. So I've decided to specialise. I'm going to focus on textile designs.

I do love to bead, but I feel it should be a means of embellishments, not a major medium for me.

There are LOTS of talented beaders out there. But I got caught up in producing things quickly for the Artfest craft show. Now I know that's not me. I'm not about doing something that is almost mass produced. I'm about experimenting and doing things in unexpected ways and combining materials. Sometimes that takes a bit more time. It's not something that can be produced in quantities large enough for a craft market.

I'm a decorative arts designer, not a craftsman.

I don't know if any of that makes sense to you. But it does to me, and even writing it here helps to solidify my feelings.

Now if I can just save enough money to buy that $7000 long arm sewing machine that I want ... LOL

Happy Sal

Yesterday I started work on a little dolly called Happy Sal. She is made of felt and has embroidery and bead work on her 'dress' and she will be weighted on the bottom to sit on someone's table to give them happy thoughts. She's coming along nicely and should be finished today. I used satin sttich, chain stitch and stem stitch and the beads are sewn on with brick stitch. I was quite happy with the way the embroidery as I haven't done those embroidery stitches in a few years.

I had a birthday dinner on Saturday and was given some spending money and some vouchers for my favourite craft shop. Yippee! I'm going to the Stitches and Craft Show on Thursday so the spending money will come in very handy. I'm hoping to get some more spice blend aida for some lovely cross stitching ... and who knows what else I'll find there?