Cherry Blossoms

A cross stitch mini - cherry blossoms. This took just an hour or so, including framing, and sits with my completed mini japanese house and kokeshi dolls. I originally kept the frame plain, but might stain it to match the mini Japanese house.

Semco Cross Stitch Mini
Cherry Blossom kit no 6020.0063
14 ct Aida
Anchor threads
10cm x 10cm

Birds of Paradise

This Birds of Paradise Latch Hook is the same size as the pirate ship. It took maybe two or three weeks of occasional work. I love the colours, love the textures. It's been mounted quite simply, just staple gunned and taped onto a piece of mdf and sits in my craft room with some other framed pieces. I really need to get some of this stuff onto the walls.

WonderArt Caron International
4501 Birds of Paradise

Lizard Cross Stitch

I love this lizard cross stitch. I have a few other pieces from the same supplier, but I'm not sure that they are still in business and this is one of the only pieces that I still have the chart. I just love the colours, the highlights picked out on Uluru, the frill-neck looks incredible. It's been sitting in a pile of completed work for nearly 10 years because I just don't know what to do with it. I guess I should frame it. I think one of my future crafts to learn will be professional framing so I can do something with heaps of pieces like this one.

MelodyCraft
Lizard
Pink Aida 14 ct
DMC threads
8.6 x 4.8 inches

Pirates A'hoy

My nephew had his first birthday earlier this year so I made him this two matching latch hook pieces to pirate up his bedroom. Neither have been mounted on the wall and he currently enjoys laying them on the floor and walking on them. The yarn used was very soft and probably would feel very nice underfoot. The larger one took a week or so, while the smaller skull took less than a day.

WonderArt Caron International
4126 Pirate Ship

Semco Innovations
Skull

Adjustable Needlework Frame

One of the best buys in my crafty chest. I bought this adjustable frame on ebay and it easily changes size to fit small pieces and large pieces. I use this almost exclusively now and just use the old wooden rod tapestry frames for really large pieces. 

This is a good website I found that compares the various frames and hoops available. Discusses the pros and cons of each type of frame and what they might best be suitable for.

http://www.siestaframes.com/acatalog/info/Choosing_a_Needlecraft_Frame.htm

Wombat Xstitch

Wombat Cross Stitch

The wombat started in a snowed-in hotel in Tasmania is finished. Needs to be framed, or finished off properly in some way of course, but for now it's joining the pile of other just about finished pieces in my chest of crafty things. 

Semco Innovations Wombat Cross Stitch Kit 6016.4543

Anchor Threads

16ct Aida

Japanese House

The miniature Japanese house I was inspired to finish while looking at beautiful woodwork in Tasmania has finally been finished. I didn't cut any of the pieces, it was bought on ebay with pre-cut pieces, so it was more like assembling a jigsaw (another of my passions), with some additional varnishing, sanding and glueing. Here's a pic with a lego ninja (ninjago) so you can see how big/small it is. I also plan to add some rice paper to the windows and door so I guess it isn't 100% completely finished yet, but it's very close.

This picture doesn't show the stain/varnish particularly well, I used a Cabot's Stain & Varnish in Red Mahogany Satin which is a really beautiful reddish brown. I have plenty left so now I'm wondering what I can use it on in a more authentic wood working project. A shelf of some kind to hold my japanese house and kokeshi dolls would be nice. Time to draw up some plans :P

XStitch your Iphone

Stitchable Iphone cover

Spotted this trawling the interwebs and it almost makes me wish I'd bought an Iphone. Although with some plastic canvas, I could probably do the same for my Droid. I've been thinking of making a laptop case with some plastic canvas and tapestry skills, I've got several pieces I want to finish before I start anything new, but when I do, I'll post the plans up here.

Seahorse Cross Stitch Bookmark

Another item I finished off while snowed in during my recent Tasmania visit. This came in a kit that even included a sticky backing card that says 'This bookmark belongs to _____', which is why it's finished. Stitch away, sticker on the back, fray the ends - voilà. Easy to make gift, this one didn't even include any back stitching, just pure cross stitch all the way.

Seahorse Cross Stitch Bookmark
Semco Innovation Kit No. 6015.5078
16ct Aida
#24 Tapestry needle
Stranded Cotton
Chart & Instructions
Sticky Backing Card
Finished size - 5x18cm

Cross Stitch Mini Loop - beetle

Ladybird

Korbond beetle (010003)

Home from Tassie, safe and sound. Here's the mini ladybird I stitched away while snowed in at Great Lakes Hotel. The kit comes with a coloured hoop to finish it off. True to form I haven't quite done that yet, but I did just get home and I have managed to finish off the seahorse bookmark completely - see next post.

Tasmania crafts

I'm currently travelling around Tassie and have seen some amazing arts and craftsmanship, mostly in woodworking, painting and photography but also incredible bridge building over 100 years old.

I've purchased a small block of Blackheart Sassafras and another of Myrtle to give to a wood-turning hobbyist back home.

Blackheart Sassafras

It's inspiring me to finish off the miniature Japanese building I've been putting together too. So far the pieces have been stained and varnished, I just need to put it all together. I'm making that the first thing on my crafty todo list when I get back home.

Some places to visit to see some incredible craftsmanship:

Salamanca Place in Hobart. Full of little galleries and shops, and Saturdays the host of Salamanca Markets, even more stalls of crafty bits and pieces.
http://www.salamanca.com.au/fascination/index.htm
The Spindle Tree is a cute knitting store. http://www.spindletree.com.au/
Handmark Gallery. http://www.handmarkgallery.com/

The Wooden Boat Centre on the Huon River. Handcrafted wooden boats and a school to teach others how.
http://www.woodenboatcentre.com/

The Wall in the Wilderness. Haven't seen this yet, may not with the snow piling up around but it looks incredible.
http://www.thewalltasmania.com/

Hopefully I'll head up to Launceston and see this place before I fly out:
http://designcentre.com.au/

I'm currently snowed in but it's giving me plenty of time to work on some cross stitch I brought with me. Already finished a seahorse bookmark and a ladybird miniature, now working on a small wombat, pictures to follow when I get home.

Mini Stitch Kits - Seashells

Mini Stitch Kits - Seashells

Quick and easy, these little kits are great for when I'm travelling and I have a pile of mini stitches that can quickly be framed, mounted on cards, turned into bookmarks etc, good back-up for gifts.

Semco Minis - Starfish

Kit No. 6020.0059

14ct Aida, Anchor cotton

Semco Minis - Shell 1

Kit No. 6020.0060

14ct Aida, Anchor cotton

 Semco Minis - Shell 2

Kit No. 6020.0061

14ct Aida, Anchor cotton

All 3 framed in small box frames. I kept the natural wood finish and just sanded and varnished the frames. 

They were done in a matter of hours from start to finish and ended up being a house-warming gift.

Pottery Bowl

I made this around 1994 during a pottery course. This is the only decent piece I made and is currently full of pens next to the laptop. I quite like the effect from the glaze, in some places it's a greenish colour, in others it's a rosy purple - I think because I didn't coat it properly but I like it. I can't actually give any other details about this, the kind of clay, glaze, how long it was fired etc because I just have no idea.

Wonder Woman Cross-Stitch

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
All the world's waiting for you,
and the power you possess.

In your satin tights,
Fighting for your rights
And the old Red, White and Blue.

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
Now the world is ready for you,
and the wonders you can do.

Make a hawk a dove,
Stop a war with love,
Make a liar tell the truth.

Wonder Woman,
Get us out from under, Wonder Woman.
All our hopes are pinned on you.
And the magic that you do.

Stop a bullet cold,
Make the Axis fall,
Change their minds, and change the world.

Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
You're a wonder, Wonder Woman.

DMC threads stitched on 18ct Aida fabric, chart bought from ebay.

I have a slight Wonder Woman fixation, I have comics, books, costumes, clothes, action figures, other assorted memorabilia and of course - the 1970s TV series, the theme song lyrics are above.

The chart and materials were given to me as a birthday present in 2009 (?) and it was completed in 2010. It's currently in a pile with other completed works waiting for me to do something with it.

Gakonga Rug

Gakonga Rug

Original artwork by the Kenyan artist Gakonga

"The tribal living of the Maasia, Kikuyu and Swahili people of Kenya in their native lands, provides and develops my inspiration". Gakonga.

Anchor LH800

Finished size: 100x78cm

Stitched on 4.5 count full colour printed canvas

http://www.coatscrafts.co.uk/Products/Needlecrafts/kits/Gakonga.htm

Started July 2010, worked on it casually and finished it November 2010. Currently rolled up in the chest in the spare room although I do have plans to back it with some calico and mount it using dowels top and bottom. It's quite heavy so hopefully that should hold it up.