Gameboy

A while ago I bought a Pokemon cross-stitch pattern off of etsy (see end of post). I've been sporadically working on it, but with Christmas drawing near I decided it was high time to get it done if I wanted to give it as a gift. Then I went kind of crazy with the frame, making Dallin cut out the pieces for me. :)

 

Side note:  that frame is 18-inches long. It's a behemoth.

Pattern designed by Siobhan Barbour  *  www.fingerpricks.com  *  www.etsy.com/shop/lithy

I'm not that girl...

Often times I don't like to share sketchbook pages (the-kind-of-person-who-doesn't-like-others-to-see-their-incomplete-work), but as I was doodling, the expression on one sketch in particular reminded me of the song from Wicked called "I'm not that girl..." So I polished it up and threw in some color.

Ultimately, it turned into more Sailor Moon fan art. :P  I thought that Sailor Mars especially identified with Elphaba in that moment as she watched her unrequited love choose another. :)

Theme:  Rejection

Craft Baskets

I was in Joann's, patiently waiting for Dallin to finish gathering his loads of fabric when an adorable flannel caught my eye. Not only was it ridiculously cute, but it was also on sale for $2/yard and it looked like there was about just a yard left. Score! Then, my gears a-churning, we scurried over to Hobby Lobby where I found the perfect specimen to use with that fabric:

Behold! My first, completed sewing project of my adulthood!

Kiki thought it looked pretty swell too :)

Momma and Baby

I think I may have mentioned that we draw names in both my and my husband's families for Christmas. On his side, as soon as I found out who I was giving to, I knew immediately what I wanted to create. I was so excited that I bought all of the supplies back in early November.

From start to finish, this piece was extremely satisfying and seemed to create itself. I love it when the process works out that way.

Theme:  Love

Sugar Rush

The promised photos. Dallin had some great expectations for this little house (as in it was going to be a two story monstrosity and probably three times the size), but he ran out of ingredients to make more gingerbread dough. So we gussied up the yard instead.

 

 Can't forget to add one drunk little candy man (courtesy of my brother)!

The Christmas Project that Could

This holiday break has been packed to the brim with nothing but projects! Scrambling to finish in between visits with family and friends, parties, activities, and giant gingerbread houses (photos to come), it's only a matter of time before one of those projects falls a little short of my vision.

Meet, my "Together in Paris" adventure:

My plan was to make this a cute and classy piece, peppered with little ribbons and swirls and maybe even some strategically placed hearts! Once I got the vision down, I was really excited to get to it, but time was definitely not on my side.

The major players (the couple, the Eiffel Tower, and the clouds) turned out really well! But those daggum trees! And all the other little details I still needed to add! There was still too much to do and not enough time to do it in and do it well. So, I painfully decided to chop down my piece. Majorly. And this is what came out:

I agonized over the background. I still wanted to include that Eiffel Tower daggumit! But around midnight, I realized that the new size and overall simplicity of the piece needed to be echoed in an equally simple background.

Despite my starting sketch, I'm not the least bit disappointed. I still feel like I achieved my goal:  cute and classy. :)

"Simply Us"

Holiday Noms

A holiday-themed doodle break before I plunge back into the work and gift crafting crunch.

I feel like she should have a sister balanced on the rim of a cup of hot chocolate. Hmm.... maybe next doodle break...

Theme:  stripes