Bex vs. The Solicitors

This past year we've had a lot of people coming to the door to sell this and that. I hate getting stuck talking to them and a couple I've had to almost argue with to get them to realize NO means NO. NO also means GO AWAY. I've seen No Solicitation stickers on people's front doors and they look so unattractive. But I need something to get these sales people to stop coming to our home. So I decided to make something Bex style.

Here is what I made to advertise our "no solicitation" policy. I need to get an appropriate frame and hang it on the front door. The biggest problem with displaying this on my door is that the front of the house faces west. In the summer, the heat and light is very intense on that side of the house. It would only take one season for the fabric and threads to fade considerably. So I guess I'll keep it by the front door and if someone rings the bell, I'll just shove it in their face. Maybe bare my teeth too.

I hope you like it! I put it in my Etsy shop just in case anyone wants one. I'll make them to order instead of creating several to have on hand. Thanks for stopping by!

Galaga is here!

Finally! I worked like crazy on this piece and it turned out so well! The pattern took me days to fine tune and my gamer husband critiqued the details. Stitching took a while but it was worth it. What do you think? I am not sure what I'll do with it right now, but eventually it will be for sale. I'm already working on another gamer pattern so stay tuned!

How YOU doin'?

I have finally finished my gaudy, glittery unicorn piece. This has been in my head for several months but I had to muster the energy and time to work on it. So what the hell is this about?

In our culture it is normal to greet someone with "Hello, how are you?" It's a very innocent question, usually asked out of politeness, not because anyone really wants to hear an honest answer. So regardless of how I'm feeling at any given day, I've learned to say "I'm fine" or "Great! How are you?" because it's easier that way. No one wants to hear that I'm in a lot of pain or that I'm feeling depressed because I haven't been able to leave the house in several days. I understand that it makes people uncomfortable or makes them feel like they need to fix me. So instead of revealing honest emotions, I like to joke that my life is all glitter and unicorns and rainbows!!

This is my interpretation of what goes through my mind when I have to slip into the role of Pollyanna and spout glittery unicorns.

To do this piece, I first found an open source image of a unicorn. (And don't argue with me that this is a pegasus because I will beat you with your 12-sided die, +6 for damage.) It took a while to find the perfect, crazy fabric to serve as the background. Thank you Etsy! I had to color the muslin twice with crayons and set with the iron to get the colors dark enough. Then I embroidered the details and cut the unicorn and turd out, tried out some Fray Stop and then played with the glitter fabric paints. The text was added last. I still need to finish the back of the hoop but I wanted to go ahead and share it now. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by! I'm working on some new things so stay tuned for the next project! I'm excited to get going on it. Have a wonderful, rainbow-laden evening. Tschus.

Unicorn poop

I am FINALLY doing something with my stitching again. I have had the worst case of creative block that I've ever experienced. It's like the baby sucked all motivation and creativity from my brain. So here are a couple of shots of what I've done so far. I will explain the meaning behind it when I finish it.

Even though I only get to work on this a few minutes here and there, it feels good to be doing SOMETHING again. Well, I did subvert the baby's bib but other than that, it's been months since I picked up a needle. I have a running list on my iPad of ideas and even if they never come to fruition, at least I am brainstorming. Thanks for stopping by and have a good 'un.

Vintage puppy embroideries

My brain power has seriously decreased, therefore my stitching output is almost at a complete halt. My priorities included getting the baby's room done and decorated. Other than cleaning up some general clutter, I am finished with this room. Whew! And with five weeks to spare! So I give you the baby's room, with finished puppy number 3. I'm also showing some of the other items used to decorate this room, most of which were made by friends or relatives.

PS: Sorry for the terrible photos. I had to use an old point-and-shoot because I still do not have the proper lens to do short range shots on my Nikon. Aw well.

This was part of a tea towel set of iron-on patterns. Picked it up at Hobby Lobby and cut out the day of the week text. I put him on an 8 x 10 inch canvas with a blue gingham ribbon to hang. I also used pink and blue gingham bow to fill in some space at the bottom. In my scramble to finish this today, I didn't center the pattern as well as I would have liked.

Here are all three together, above the baby's dresser. I used the 3M removable, plastic hooks instead of nails.

The three pieces hanging on the left are pieces that my mother embroidered for me when I was a child. Guess the desire to stitch runs in the family! You can also see two handmade quilts on the chair. The red one is comprised of more vintage puppies and was sent to me by the lovely Pam!

Another view of those above mentioned pieces.

This is a terrible photo but it's so hard to get a nice shot with the dark paint and bright colors. These decals were about $10 off Amazon and you can re-position them. I like that they are an inexpensive, fun way to add color to a kid's room. After all, who knows what the child's taste will be in a few years?

Finally, this is the crib and changing table. I ran the decals over the crib to add more color. (I intentionally blanked out the name on the name plate. We'll announce that to everyone in about 5 weeks!) I purchased that handmade item off Etsy. The blanket in the crib was handmade by a friend.

So that's about it for now! I have a couple more things I'd like to cross stitch before the kiddo arrives but who knows what will happen. I can always try though right? Have a great day! Tschus. :)

Another puppy!

I keep going back and forth between the silly and gross and the cute. I did another puppy for the baby's room. I'm not sure how much more to do so I might wait until we get the room painted and set up before I do much else.

By the way, any good ways to hang things by ribbon without putting a nail in the wall? Seems a shame to get the room all nice and painted and then put holes in the walls. Also I'd like the flexibility to rearrange the art work over time. I know there are non-permanent sticky hooks (for lack of a better description) but they are kind of large. Maybe there are smaller versions?

So here is the Scotty dog, looking all prim and proper. Again, I got this from French Knots.





I wish I hadn't continued the thread near his neck but oh well. I still like this little guy!

So there ya go! I finished the stitching a while ago but finally got off my lazy behind to stretch it over the canvas. I think the next project will be another humorous piece using an established pattern.

Stay tuned!

Tschus.

Mish mash finished

I have a few things that I've finished FINALLY that I can share with you!

First the puppy is now stretched on canvas and has a loop attached for hanging. I plan on doing one more similar puppy to match.





The back of the canvas. I stitched and glued a pink gingham ribbon to hang it. This was super quick to make. The reason it took me so long to post this was because I didn't have a canvas on hand. I made the image 5 x7 on my printer and bought a 6 x 9 canvas so it would be just a bit bigger than my finished image.



This is my first baby onesie that I've stitched on. In fact, it's the first tshirt material I've ever used. The stabilizer and patterns are from Sublime Stitching. It's a little plain; no embellishments.



And this dragonfly was a pattern I obtained from About.com! The lovely Connie G. asked for some stitchers to do some of her patterns and this is the first one I chose to do. I added a fourth color to play with the wings a little. I'll hang this in the baby's room too.

And this piece is part of a larger project in the UK. Each stitcher has a phrase from the definition of the word "fractal." You can see the entire phrase here.



This was the phrase I was assigned. It actually looks very pretty in person but the mobile phone photo is pretty washed out. It's royal purple for the letters and then a rainbow to give it a little flair. I really like the font.

Finally, I finished and framed my Fido movie quote:



This is available for sale in my Etsy shop if you are interested! I loved stitching this one up as I enjoy brains and splatter.



Whew! That's it for now. Next up include a vulgar meme, a puppy, a lady bug and another Boomstick for my first sale on Etsy in about four months! Good thing it's too hot to do much else other than stitch. :)

Tschus!

Seen around town and new swap piece

I really need to work on my blog titles. :) Anyways, I thought it would be neat to post some photos of embroidery and fiber art pieces that I see when I stop at museums.

It's amazing how much stitchery you can find when you really stop and look for them. Normally I see them at antique and thrift stores but I rarely have my camera on those trips. This time I made an effort to look for them while at the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Historic Site in Olathe, Kansas. It is the last working stagecoach stop and living history farm on the Santa Fe Trail.



This is a fantastic quilt in great condition. I'm not sure what type of quilt style it is, maybe one of you know?



Friendship, Love and Truth. I saw chain and satin stitches for sure but it was a little far away so I was unable to examine it further. Plus, flashes are a no-no on these things.



These two were way too far away for me to get a good photo but they were very pretty.



The staff work on all kinds of needlework and knitting while they wait for visitors to tour the home. Here is a sample of some of the on-going work they are doing now. It's kind of fun to look at the hoops and be able to identify the types of stitching being used.



And finally, you'll remember my previous post about the little pigeon for the Phat Quarter swap over on Flickr. This is the awesome piece that I received from FiberArtsy. This is a quote from the book World War Z, by Max Brooks. I think this is one of the best zombie books I've read so far. Phalanx was a drug mentioned in the book that was created so people didn't develop "African Rabies." Brilliant!! I think her ability to envision a small segment of the book into such a clean, crisp and beautiful embroidery is amazing. I could never hand draw something like this to begin with and then to stitch it so well. Well maybe after loads of more practice! So thank you FiberArtsy! I can't wait to hang this up!

Please head on over to Phat Quarter and join the group if you haven't already. You don't need to be an experienced stitcher to join. Just join, start making stuff and people will help you with advice and inspiration. :) Once you post some photos to the group, you can join in a swap. They have them every time there is a month with five Fridays. Or if you are looking for a broader based crafting community, please go to Craftster! There is literally something for everyone on there: bakers, painters, knitters, stitchers, sewers, etc. And they often have swaps and stitch-alongs too. I can honestly say that I've met (online) some of the nicest, smartest and most wonderful people through these craft groups.

Are you oozing with love and creativity yet? :)

Hope you all are having a great week, tschus!

Vee Dee

I've managed to get a few things stitched up.  I seem to have a little creative burst and here is what I have finished so far:







I have some more ideas and some are already in patterns. The above zombie valentines are doing fairly well. They take a lot longer to make then I thought but I like them. Hopefully I can keep up the momentum. Sometimes stitching all day means I don't get anything done around the house and the joints don't always care for it.

The weather is finally freezing and there is a bit of snow here and there. I took a couple photos around town in the last week or so. I've been fighting bronchitis and some aches and pains. It hasn't been much fun but it could be worse. I'll try to take some photos tomorrow when I drive up to The Plaza.



Sometimes I do get up and watch the sun rise.



Gas tanks?



We think those are natural gas derricks.




Tschus.

Art therapy

This post is about a piece of art I created to help me heal from a miscarriage. If this subject bothers you, please stop reading now.

I'm not sure how to start this post so I'll just go through technical details first and see what happens.

I started this from a photo that Ron took of me the night we got our first positive pregnancy test. Seeing the word "Pregnant" on the stick was amazing. I always wondered how I'd really feel about it and I felt a rush of happiness. I've never seen such a wide smile on Ron's face before! We laughed, I cried, and then we just settled into a state of nerves and giddiness. Vowing not to tell hardly a soul, we ended up spilling the beans to some friends, his mother and a few coworkers.

As many of you know, that is the kiss of death on an early pregnancy. Why this is, I'm not sure. The happier you are and the more people you tell right away, the greater your chances are of losing it.

Anyways, you can read the miscarriage story here if you don't know it already.

I printed off the never-before shared photo from that night on a piece of fabric designed for computer printers. Then I found an image from good 'ol Google of an outline of the female form. I traced it onto the photo fabric and free-formed a very crude uterus and blood puddle.

This piece is about irony and grief. It's a juxtaposition of the happy, obligatory smiling face next to a positive pee stick and the blank, mute form of a woman, bleeding onto the ground.







To be honest, just manipulating the original photo and then stitching this up made me a little sick to my stomach. There were tears. I had to pause a few times and just do something else for a bit. However, it is finished and now the preoccupation I've had for several weeks over this project is laid to rest. When I look at this, I see happiness, pain and some peace. It's almost as if during the process of creating something, you take all those emotions out of your head and put it into your piece. I can visit the piece and go through the emotions if I choose to, or I can just reflect on it.

There you have it. Art therapy. Eventually I'll get some mounting board and frame it so it can join other pieces on my art wall.

Thanks for reading and looking at it. I appreciate comments but don't feel obligated. Tschus. :)

“Fleeced” stitch

Didn't I post this yet? Ah well I'm sure you've seen it on my Facebook page. If not, this was the last stitch that I did. It's a quote from the tv series Deadwood. Al Swearengen is one of my faves and I had to finish this piece before I got to the actual town of Deadwood.

I want to make it into a pillow however I've never made a pillow in my life. So I'm considering a small sewing machine purchase and reading a crap load of tutorials. Any thoughts? I'd love some kitchy cowboy fabric for the back.



That's all for now. Pain, tired, looking at some life transition stuff....heh. No biggie!!!

Tschus.

Something a bit lighter perhaps?

My last stitching project for the Flickr Phat Quarter swap.  I took this from a drawing posted on the web:



Zen Kitty and his garden of zen poop is now residing in England.  Not sure what I'll do next!

Great googly moogly

Isn't that what Mr. Magoo used to say?  Maybe I'm not remembering it right.  I had my eyes dilated today around 9:30 and things are still a bit blurry.  This is what I felt like driving around today:



Yes, I realize I should not have been driving.  I used to really love watching old re-runs of Mr. Magoo.  Maybe I'll have to do a stitch of him soon.  Yeah.........that's the ticket.



Tschus!

PS

In finding the following image (in which I see myself and our dog Rowdy)...



...I found a blog which compares the United States with Mr. Magoo.  Only the blogger calls the US, Amerikkka, and says the US is like Magoo in its relations to the Muslim world.  I could explain further but I feel like just linking it will put me on some kind of watch list so I'll let you read it for yourself.  http://ruminations52.blogspot.com/2007/02/amerikkka-as-mr.html Well, whatever your feeling on our government and its blunders, I am not sure comparing it with the KKK is right.  But whatever.

Catching up

Here are images of the last three projects I worked on.  I have some ideas of things I need and want to do soon.  Some of them involve Christmas presents.  I better get started on those!  November will probably go very quickly.


Come Get Some tote bag feature the almighty Bruce Campbell!



The first of the 1898 Antikamnia Calendar series.



This was a piece done to recognize domestic abuse.  Yes, it's a personal story.  No, not going to blog about it.  However you can check out Craftster if you want to know more about the piece.  Enough said on that.

Rowdy is shrieking at me to go outside so I'm cutting off the blog for now. 

Mr. X Stitch

It was posted today!  See the Stitchgasm on Facebook.  (I'm not sure where it is on the main site, so I have to link you to it on Facebook.)  I'm pretty excited and happy, etc etc etc and to be honest, having this happen and my first Etsy sale in one week is exactly what I needed.  I've been having a hard time keeping my spirits up and got all doom and gloom.  It's good to be reminded that there are good things going on too.

So!  If you are a crafter or looking to start, check out Mr. X Stitch blog about the 1st birthday of the Mr. X Stitch site.  They are having giveaways and other fun things.  Good stuff!  Check 'em out and start subscribing!

Craft-a-frickin-roonie!

Here is my little recap for the last week or so:

My Etsy hasn't sold anything yet however I think I have a few interested in "Ass, the other Vagina."  I have a couple private requests also that I need to get started on.  I'm excited about that because it's fun to make these but even more fun to know that people are going to put it in their homes soon.  As soon as payday gets here, I am off to the crafy store again to get supplies.  I'm geeked!

Speaking of stitchery, I finished my first photo-to-embroidery project.  Here is the result and a comparison of the original photo to the cloth and thread result:





I felt pretty good about the overall end-product.  This has been a complete learning experience for me and I see what I need to work on now.  I have ideas for the next embroidery project already!  I like the idea of taking my photography and doing something more with it.  My ultimate goal is to get a gallery show.  I think I'm on my way as *enter drumroll* I'm going to be featured in the near future on Stitchgasm.  ACK!!!!  This is exciting to me although most of you probably don't know what the fuck I'm talking about.  See the following website: http://www.mrxstitch.com/  I am not sure what day it will be, but one of the people who works on this newsletter is a woman known as Beefrank.  She is a witty, creative genius and her work makes me laugh a lot!  You can see her work on Flickr by going to http://www.flickr.com/photos/beefranck/.  If you appreciate humor, talent and witicisms, please check out her stuff!  Also, subscribe to Mr. X Stitch via the site or Facebook.  (He is also megacool and a Brit!)  This stuff absolutely feeds me inspiration as well as making me laugh.  I can't believe how creative people can be and it is freakin' awesome to see so many talented people out there producing so much stuff.  Ok sorry, I got a little carried away!!

Add that to a confirmation email I received about enrollment in a free digital photography course and I'm about to implode!  Whoopee!

All right, enough of that crazy shit.  As always, I hope everyone is well.  Catch ya later, tschus!

Craftism

General brain befuddlement has prevented any new creativity as of late.  I did however crank out a couple of things about a week or so ago:





I have a set of Hitchcock stamps that I collected years ago that I want to frame.  That is what inspired the Hitchcock piece.  The Super Bitch came from a book of cutsey patterns I bought.  I also happened to find small frames at Wally World and this was an experimentation with small designs.  I'd really like to put it at my desk at work but don't think it would be wise.

Lately I've been looking at embroidery and wanted to try it.  Again I'm lost as to what to stitch.  However I woke up last night with an idea and spent the day looking at the internet for tutorials on how to make the images in my brain come to the fabric.  There are a few photographs I've snapped over the years that I really like and I've decided to make embroidery patterns out of them.  Thankfully there are people out there in the crafty world who blog and make how-to videos for the internet.  Here is part of the pattern I put together:



I'm afraid that I might start filling up the spare room with projects so I put up an Etsy store finally in the hopes of getting rid of some of them.  You can find the store here:  www.ndbex.etsy.com.  So far I haven't sold anything but there is still hope in me to get rid of some things.  I made them pretty cheap!

That's my exciting life this week.  Tschus!!