Deep Blue Sea, part 5

All I can say is WHEW! And, isn't it amazing?? :)

Thanks for looking!!

Melissa

Updates

Here is my progress on The Town of Halloween! Its fun to work on, just 2 colors. I love the simplicity of it. I will soon have a head on my witch, hee hee.

This design is called My Pretty, and is from the Halloween issue too. I am not using the yellow or red beads because I was hoping to keep it from looking to much Halloweenish, I want it to hang in the kitchen all the time. It goes fast! This is about 5 days work here.

Here is Serengeti! One elephant panel down, 3 to go. :) I am breaking from it for a while. I really have to get back to Deep Blue Sea.

Thanks for looking, and for the comments, they make my day. :)

Tea Dyed Fabric for the Town of Halloween design

I finally tried tea dying and I really love the results. :) I wanted something like this for this design and I think its going to be perfect. I didn't want it to be mottled, just smooth. And its only got the 2 colors, very cool! I can't wait to start but first I am going to finish My Pretty, also in the magazine. Oh and I am going to do Spiders Garden. There are soooo many awesome designs in this magazine!! Just Cross Stitch Special Collectors Halloween issue for 2012...get it, its worth it. :)

Blue Mr. Monster :)

I finished this guy in 3 days, and I love him he is sooo cute! I plan to make him into a flat ornament, wish me luck..I have never tried it before. But I found a great tutorial and I think I can manage it. He is from the Just Cross Stitch Special Collectors Halloween Issue. BTW, there are a couple other designs I have kitted up for stitching. :)

I used my own buttons..and changed a couple colors so could use only things I had on hand. Thanks for looking!

Serengeti Part one

Part one is done, except for the backstitching in the border, because I ran out of copper braid. It will be here later this week. I had a tough time getting through those corner medallions, I am sooo glad to be done with them. I am going to go ahead and start the elephant panels tonite, even though I should be working on Deep Blue Sea. Well, I love them both and want them both finished. :)

Back from the beach :)

Myrtle Beach. It was pretty crowded, I am thinking something more remote for next year?? But it was beautiful and we had so much fun, me, my mom and sister plus 4 kids ages 1.5-14. Yikes.

I got to go to Books A Million! Which is a rare treat. I picked up 3 new magazines one being Cross Stitch Collection, July issue. When I got home I pulled the materials for Joan Elliot's Summer Goddess. I have barely started her, and won't get to work on her much, what with the two monster Chatelaines I have on the go but I am happy to have her in my stitching pile. Here she is so far:

I wish I could afford to subscribe to that magazine, but its just WAY to much! Because I wanted to be sure and Jet Joan's Sweet Pea Fairy, I got that one Online for $4.99, and dh is going to print the chart out for me.

Here is where Deep Blue Sea is right now (no stitching while I was at the beach)

Before I left I had quite a good run with it, and now I am a little burned out. So I am going to switch between Summer Goddess and Serengeti for the next few days. I feel a little guilty about that..I hope I get over it. :))

Serengeti start

I have spent the past 2 days on Serengeti..I am working my way around differently than with Deep Blue Sea. I decided to do 1/4th of part one at a time. Good thing too, those corner medallions are pretty intense, but so beautiful! I have done another conversion, and so far it looks great. I used the wrong shade of green in the border, but I won't tell if you won't. ;) I am not picking it out, its close enough, lol! Fabric is 28ct white lugana.

Thanks for looking!!

Melissa

Deep Blue Sea, part 4

Time for the first fish medallion :) I hope to start tonight. I feel like I got through the first 4 parts pretty fast...finally getting somewhere.

I am finally in the Serengeti group and have the first 5 parts printed. Which is as far as they are just now, and actually just got part 5. If everything works as it should, I will get to order my supplies Wednesday. I worked up another conversion. This time I used more threadworx than DMC variations, but I got about 3 of those in there. I plan to make Serengeti my "in between" project for when I am caught up or taking a break from Deep Blue Sea. We will see how that goes though. :)) I love both of these projects, they are both so amazing!

Oysters!!!

Ever since I started this project, I have really looked froward to stitching the oysters. Yesterday evening I got two of them done:

And here is a closeup of the first one I finished, its got such pretty colors in it, look closely :)

I dithered over whether to use pearl beads or do the rhodes for the pearls on the oysters. I decided on the rhodes, and iIadded a strand of pearl blending filament to add a hint of sparkle. I fully expect, unless something goes wrong, to finish the oysters and the rhodes bars today, so I can start a fish medallion by tomorrow. The 3rd one was released a few days ago...I feel so behind still! I want to get caught up with the group, its very motivating. I am not sure why I am so determined to catch up, but I really am!

Thanks for looking!

Have a happy weekend!

Part 3 of DBS, minus bars

All of the corals are done! I wanted a pic of them without the bars above them. I am going to start on those bars today and that is exciting because they are the foundations for the fish-scape scenes. I have more rhodes stitches to add as well, along the starfish. So part 3 is not nearly done yet I guess, but this is a nice landmark for me. :)

Top and right corals finished!

Coming right along! Its soooo pretty!

I signed up for Serengeti last night, yikes! lol I couldn't hold out any longer. I wanted them both, from the beginning. Deep Blue Sea is the priority, Serengeti will be when I am caught up with DBS. :)

Deep Blue Sea center filled in!

I really liked all of the pictures so I am sharing them all. :)

I decided to leave the back stitching off the waves. I started to back stitch one, and realized I liked it better without it. I don't have those done yet, but will soon. They go pretty fast. I did the gold bs in the very center though, it looks pretty I think. Soon I can get back to part 3!! I love the corals.

Thanks for looking!

Its all about Deep Blue Sea these days ;)

I keep looking at Miss Paris and Red Ninja and think I would like to work on them. *But*, I can't settle down to anything else until I get more caught up with Deep Blue Sea. I am still going full force and my back ordered threads came in so I have some pics to share of my other colors. Mine is coming out brighter overall.

I was stitching the top center corals when my threads came in. Since I was anxious to get the center filled in, I dropped them for now. I was bs'ing the orange one and left the thread hanging to pick up asap. I love how the color Monterey Bay, by Threadworx looks. Its the tropical blue that is new. I am using Threadworx Cabbage for the lighter greens. I love making the eyelets, they give it such a nice delicate look. Plus you don't need your chart to get through them, just an occasional glace when you turn the corners.

I hope you all think it looks as pretty as I do. :) Thanks for peeking!

Melissa

Deep Blue Sea, missing threads are on the way!

I got word from 123 Stitch! yesterday that ALL of my backordred threads are on the way, yay! I am nearly done with part two and the next pic I share I hope to be finished with part one and two. It will be so nice to get those empty spaces filled in, they are driving me nuts! I only lack six more shells to be done with part 2, here it is:



I will do all beading at the end. I use q-snaps. I kind of wish I had a nice frame sometimes but I like the freedom of the q-snaps. You can sit however, where-ever. You can make them the size that you need too. I don't think 2 handed stitching would go over well with me either. I am to set in my ways. ;) lol

I have 2 female guinea pigs. I found out this week that I have been feeding them to much. Quite a bit to much, that explains why they are so chubby, heehee. So I am cutting them back, poor babies. They beg so much for food, its hard to say no. They get the standard, vitamin c enriched food and I also feed them lots of fruits and veggies. Generally, its standard food for breakfast, and veggies or fruit in the evening. We also work on socializing them. They don't mind for me to hold them, usually, but they get a little mad at the kids. We are quite sweet to them, I think they are super spoiled actually. I clean the cage every 3 days and they get play time outside of the cage nearly everyday. Also, they go outside often. I hope I am doing my best for them. I want them to live long and healthy lives. :)

Have a happy weekend everyone!!


Melissa

Deep Blue Sea, those dreaded jessica shells

Wow, I got them right the first try! I was so nervous, I was sure I wouldn't be able to do them. It was intense, I really had to concentrate, focus and keep my place but considering how hard I expected them to be, I am pleasantly surprised at how well they went. I used Crescent Colors La Tierra. I felt that it went well with my other colors. (topiary really just didn't, I had some from an old project but it just looked bad to me) I bs'd them with DMC 453. I didn't even look to see what Martina used, I just knew it was a light color and went with that. It goes well with the browns imo. I am getting downright cocky here, right? lol!!!





I miss my red ninja, but I am having so much fun stitching deep blue sea, I can't put it down yet. I am determined to catch up asap, with the group. :)))

Deep Blue Sea, as far as I can go with part one for now.

Here is part one, with all of the threads I have as of now. Others are on backorder, some important ones. But it looks amazing already, and its big! Just to be part one, I am surprised at how large it is. I am going to work into part 2 now, as much as I can do. I have threads coming in a few days for the rest but will have to wait until July for the backordered ones for part one. :( I am so anxious to see it all together, I hate to wait. Thank you all for your comments and encouragement, I will need it before the end I am sure. Right now, I am in stitchy heaven. but I haven't started trying to figure out those jessica's for the shells in part two yet, lol! ;)

I love Whoo's There by Prairie Schooler:



I don't normally go for halloween pieces, but this one grabbed me. I love the crooked path to the house and the owls of course. Its going on the wishlist for sure. :))

2 updates

I got into the Ninja's mask a bit, and its really bringing out her eye! She is going to be amazing, such color!!



My threads for part one of Chatelaine's Deep Blue Sea have arrived. I've been working on it heavily yesterday and today. I am missing a couple colors that were back ordered but I am going to do what I can for now. I have a lot of catching up to do. They are on part 6, I am on part one. I've gotta stitch stitch stitch. :)) Remember I am doing a conversion..some of it into Martina's DMC suggestions and some I got some help from 123 Stitch and I have some DMC color variations, plus a few Threadworx colors (those are the back ordered ones). Mine will be different, but I am so pleased with how it looks so far. Its going to be gorgeous! I can't wait to get into the fishy parts. :)

Red Ninja June 6th, also a free mystery sampler

Here she is again, with most of her eye filled in. I am missing 2 colors, that should be here Friday if all goes well. I got into her mask just a bit last night. I can already see that its really going to bring her face out. I feel this is the prettiest HAED eye that I have stitched so far. LOTS of colors in there, and around it too.



Deep Blue Sea part one threads will be here Friday too, minus 3 that had to be ordered. I can get a lot done though, while I wait.

I am stitching By the Bay Needlearts FREE mystery sampler for June. You get one part a week this month, 4 parts in all. It measures 4x6" when done so small. Here is my progress so far, about 3 hours:



I am using some of the called for threads and some of my own. I had some Thread Gatherer Rose Briar left over from another project that I replaced one of the pinks with. The fabric is a hand dyed but I can;t remember where it came from, or what its name is. Just a couple little gems in my craft box that were perfect for this tiny project. I need to finish up so I will be ready for next week. Its a lot of fun to be a part of this. If you want to join in, just visit her blog; I have it in my blog list on the right..By The Bay Needleart. :)

Melissa

Faces of Faery 185, Red Ninja

Coming along! If I can stay awake, I hope to finish filling in the eye tonite. :)

My Deep Blue Sea threads are ordered!! I can't wait to do more with that one.

Deep Blue Sea Progress!

Its not much, but its a good start. The hard part (for me) is done, working that first color through, on all 4 pages. It was tricky at times. I use a magnet board and I was working a row, double checking it, then highlighting it. Sometimes I made one stitch, then colored it in. Lots of double checking. But you see its all the same, all the way round. Every part matched up just right. Whew! I only have 4 of the colors for part one and am going to work in the others if I can, then tomorrow, order the rest of the threads for this part. While I am waiting for them to arrive, I will work on Miss Paris and either the red ninja, or Toucan Falls.

HAED Red Ninja Start

Here she is so far...Faces of Faerie 185. I did almost all of the black on this page and finally got to start filling in some color day before yesterday. I am currently using DMC 3823m a pale yellow on her face. I admit that made go hmmmm but I think once its all filled in it will make sense.

I did put a few stitches on Deep Blue Sea. Literally like, 10, lol. I only have 4 of the colors needed for part 4 and I just wanted to make a small start. I am hoping to order the rest of the part 1 stuff this Friday, then everything else I need about a week or so later. Getting there! I got my fabric, forget me not blue jobelan, its perfect! Just the palest blue color, just what I wanted, maybe this pic will give you an idea:

I am starting to get the itch to work on Miss Paris. I could use a break from the demanding HAED after all. Something easy before I start the Chatelaine project...

Thanks for looking!!

HAED had the best sale...

It was 50% off!! Actually still going, til Midnight tonite. I had been eyeing these 2 cute Ninja girls for a few weeks, so I got them both..for the price of one!

They are both 8x8". I want to hang them together, when I get them done. They are totally doable, if I can stay focused.

The beginning:

I had all but 8 of the 87 colorsneeded. I am starting with the red one. I know I wasn't done with Toucan Falls yet, but after all the work, digging through my thread box, finding and washing fabric I just can't resist starting her right away. Its hard to choose sometimes! But nice to have so many great projects to pick from. :)