Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Fishy Doodle

Happy Summer Break!

I'm in a doodle mood so here's my latest. This started out to be a ZenTangle on an 8in x8in piece of bright white Bristol board. I made my string and started doodling and here's the result.

What do you think?? Did I over work it?? I have been trying to get myself to the point that I stop before it is over done.

Kinda like baking brownies--take them out of the oven a minute or two before they are done and as they cool they are perfect! I am trying to figure out that point with my art work, when is it is almost done and need to sit for a while? Have you figured out that for yourself? How do you know??

Enjoy the Summer and get out and do something creative!
sb

Monday, June 28, 2010

My Girl Embroidery


Yeah! I DID IT!!

I took the last piece of art that I shared in my blog and used that as the pattern for this embroidered little girl.

I'm especially happy with the hair and the pattern on her top. I have a long way to go on my embroidery but I know the only way to get better is to keep working on it. It's so fun to find old skills and brush them up and being them into the 21st century!

I love the summer break time from work. It gives me such a creative boost to be able to get up when I want (just a tiny bit later than my regular work day) I get a chance to look at others' blogs and make comments and to share what I have been doing. I love the feedback I get from all of you too!

Thanks for looking. :.) Remember to get out and do something creative today.
sb

Thursday, June 24, 2010

My Girl

I'm thinking about doing this little girl up as an embroidery design. I haven't decided yet on that.

I actually did the original as a Going Away (Miss You) card for a coworker who is leaving to go help her mom in Texas..

I had fun stepping out of my box and trying a different style. Pen and ink and colored with watercolor pencils.

This is the first of a few I plan on trying out. :) Or maybe I should crawl back in to my box?

Remember to get out and do something creative!
sb

Monday, June 21, 2010

Create Art--Embroidery

I (heart) Embroidery. I have been working on developing my own patterns for embroidery--This is a new outlet for my creative juices who knows where it will go?...

I think everyone has the ability to create art. For me making time, enjoying the process and doing something original is one of the most enjoyable things that I can do with my time.

Here's my newest tea towel. I drew up the Zen Tangle Heart and then transferred it to the tea towel and stitched it up.

I really enjoyed this project. I usually don't do multiple colors in my Tangles so this was an interesting exercise.

What do you think??

remember to do something creative!
sb

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Travel through the tunnel of Chocolate

It's the last full week of school and we are needing all the fun and silliness we can get. So, what is better than a chocolate sugar high to get your through from lunch to going home?

My hubby is doing a 365 project taking photos and so he first took the photo of the Chocolate Buttermilk cake with Chocolate Ganache that I made and then he tested the recipe by eating the cupcake. :)

He told me that I couldn't take the cake to school...he would just have to east the whole thing himself to save the others from my baking. I told him that he could have another cupcake and I would take the big cake to work. He could have left overs if there were any. :) He had another cupcake and smiled at me through the chocolate crumbs.

Creativity can take on many different guises. Baking was it last night.

so remember to get out and do something creative today!
sb

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Creative week!

Oh Boy! I completed 5 more tea towels, found several new places to get embroidery designs, planted tomatoes and had Tea with sandwiches and fresh scones with my hubby this week.

I'm so excited to find Andrea Zuill of Badbird--She's super creative and she shares a new embroidery design each month for free.Here's one of my tea towels done with one of her free designs!


I did another tea towel with one of BadBird's little girl images. It's actually a print that she sells and I adapted it to an embroidery. Here it is:

She's got a bit of the grumps about her but I just loved doing all that great hair!


Finally, we got a weekend with out rain! This is such a big deal here in the Pacific Northwest this year. We have been so soggy that every everyone was getting a bit grumpy. People's plants have either been drowned or eaten by giant ninja slugs.

We planted our tomato plants in pots this weekend and a couple peppers and some spaghetti squash. Not a lot of stuff but hopefully we will have some yummy veggies and not feed the sneaky slugs.

And in celebration of the great weather this weekend my hubby and I had Tea on the front porch. We finished the meal with these homemade scones!

Take care, be well and remember to do something creative!
sb

Friday, June 4, 2010

New old craft!

Whimsical Tea Towels

I have been having so much fun!

Embroidery is a skill that I learned as a child but I haven't done much over the past few years. I have done some small pincushions and such but nothing like these.

These designs were drawn freehand in pencil on the tea towels and then stitched in mostly back stitch, chain stitch and stem stitch. They were done just like I doodle. Starting at one point and then choosing colors as I go along. I love watching the evolution of the design as I work toward the completion.

I have been doing all kinds of creative stuff, I just haven't been posting. I guess it is one of those things. I work all day with computers and so when I come home I enjoy doing my creative stuff and I'm not as much about the blogging. Weird I know but what can I say?

remember to get out and do something creative!
sb