Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Angel of the Southwest


I made this project for my husband before we were married. He was really "in to" southwest decor at the time. It turned out really pretty. There are gold metallic threads used in the halo and wings to give it a "heavenly glow".

I don't remember what year I made this project. I do remember that it took me quite a while to complete. I was still pretty new to larger cross stitch projects at the time. I usually made small ones.

This pattern is available in a book titled "Cross Stitch Angels". It is available from American School of Needlework. (Kooler Design Studio)

This photo is not very clear. It is an older project and it has been framed for a long time. I could not take the photo in full light or use a flash because the lights reflected in the glass.

Ruth 1:16


This is one of the only projects I have made for myself. I absolutely love the colors of the sunset in the background of the picture.

This was not a complicated piece, at all. I do not remember the year I made it or how long it took to complete.
The pattern is in a boolet called "Ruth 1:16". It is available from Leisure Arts.

The photo is not very clear. This is an older project and it has been framed for quite a while. I could not take the photo in full light or use a flash because the lights reflects in the glass.

Isaiah 40:31


This was a project I made for my husband. It was very simple to make. It didn't take much time to finish. I can not remember the year I made this.

This is called Isaiah 40:31. The booklet is available from Leisure Arts.

The photo is not very clear. This is an older project and has been framed for a long time. I could not take the photo in full light or use a flash because the lights reflect in the glass.

Grandma's Quilt


I made this cross stitch for my Grandmother. She was a wonderful quilter. I gave this to her as a Christmas gift one year. (I don't remember the year). When she passed away, it came back to me.

This is called "Grandma's Quilt". The booklet is available from Leisure Arts. It took me very little time to complete this project.

This photo is not very clear. This is an older project that has been framed for a while. I couldn't take the photo in full light or use a flash because the lights reflect in the glass.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Photography

I dabble in photography. I have a mid-range quality camera - if you consider the professional cameras available. I shoot with a "Canon Powershot A650 IS". It's a 12.1 mega pixel camera. It's really one of the best point and shoot cameras out there. You can put it on custom mode and change the settings to your specifications as well.



Since I bought my camera in March of this year, I've really gotten in to Macro flowers. Macro meaning the focus setting on the camera - for those of you who don't deal with photography. It's very focused and up-close.




There are a few photos that I'm pretty proud of. So, I decided to include them here. I might even have a few of these printed in a larger size and frame them as art for my home. :)











Monday, October 6, 2008

All American


I made two of these afghans. They were both made in 2006. The first (pictured) I made for my husband, Greg. I made it as a late Father's Day gift. The second one I made for my Dad for Christmas. Both Greg and my Dad served in the U.S. Army and are both very patriotic. So, I thought this was the perfect gift for each of them!
This pattern is from the book "Our Best Afghans A to Z" from Leisure Arts. It took me about 2 months to complete each one.

Friday, October 3, 2008

From This Day Forward


I've completed this project twice. The first I began in January of 1997. The second I began in January of 2003. They were both wedding gifts. The first for a dear friend of mine - who actually introduced me to my husband. The second for my best friend. We've been friends literally our entire lives. So, I wanted something really special to commemorate her special day.

This is a counted cross stitch, Paula Vaughn pattern, from the Leisure Arts book: "The Best of Paula Vaughn". I'm sure it's available as a stand alone pattern: "From This Day Forward". It was worked on 22ct off white fabric - over two fabric threads.

It took me quite a while to complete these projects. Really more time that I gave myself. I actually gave each gift somewhere around their first anniversaries. So, I'd say about a year and a half to complete each project. With two kids and a busy schedule ... I did not get the chance to work on these every single day.

This is a picture of the second project. However, they were basically identical.