A Rhino named Hammer

A drawing just for my friend Hammer! As thanks for letting me borrow your wife tonight for wandering around TJ Maxx looking at random things and balancing cheeseballs on my head at Walmart and getting slushes at Sonic :)


Cheeseballs!

Sheep for a Onesie

I'm combing two of my classes for this week into one piece of art. I'm making clothes fancier (class 1) while learning more complicated embroidery stitches (class 2). This sheep pattern is specifically for a onesie from the class and the pattern is by Mollie from Wild Olive. I just need to get a onesie this week to stitch it on. Maybe I'll use another new stitch I learned as the decorative border around the sheep's circle.


I used split stitch on his wee face, backstitch on his ears and legs, french knot for his eyes. The brand new stitch from class for his fluffy floofs is called the Pekinese Stitch. It starts out with a backstitch and then gets bumpy curly. I somehow made it stand up a bit on a few of the sheep floofs, but I like it that way! I should figure out how to do it again.

Shark

I drew a shark at work and then forgot to take it home to photograph it. I just snapped it's picture quickly Wednesday morning. We are all about sharks at work this week. Did you know they can bite through paint cans?

Digital Ham

 

Today was a really really long day. I totally had a case of the Mondays. I started painting around on this picture of my hamster, Penelope Pancakes. It's actually a still from a movie I took of her. I got about this far and said "Argh she looks mean not cute" and just saved the file and now I'm going to bed.

 

You can't always make something cute. At least I started making something instead of just going to bed right away. 

Squishy Little Shiny Bluejay

Back on June 1st, I drew a Squishy Little Bluejay and here is his shiny cousin! As you can see by my thumb in the corner, he is quite tiny!

I sewed the large sequin on first and then winged it for the rest. Winged it....hee hee hee. 

And the inspiration for this.

Beading Practice Kitty Noggin Part 2

Class this week taught me how to add shisha embroidery to my art. Adding shiny objects like mirrors and sequins to embroidery like they do in India.


Now my kitty has shiny sequin eyes and a small smile. I practiced a few times on scrap fabric and the sequin kept falling out. Then POOF I got the technique all of a sudden. It's kind of like backstitching. Worked up pretty quickly :)

The sequin's package says they are washable so I am going to attach a few to a t-shirt for fun soon.

Doodle Bunnies and friends

Tiny highlighted doodle bunny drawn on break at work says "Hip hip hooray it's Friday!"


Teensy highlighted doodle bunny drawn on break at work says "Friday is Funday!"

Teensy peas in a pod say "Hey bunnies don't chew on our faces!"

Rude Ant!

This is the face that ants make when they crawl into your house uninvited!

Rude!

Beading Practice Kitty Noggin

I decided to go back and redo the lesson from yesterday's class instead of the cute hummingbird. To quote myself from yesterday "The actual lesson called for using a simple shape like a heart to practice beading techniques". My simple shape is a kitty noggin. I sketched a noggin on my twill fabric and then winged it.


It was soothing to be able to improvise as I went along while watching "So You Think You Can Dance". I ended up making a sequin ear and a bead ear, sequin whiskers and bead whiskers. Fancy kitty noggin!


I did have an actual kitty noggin in close proximity to this project so there are kitty hairs stuck to it in the photograph :)

Andrea Zuill's Hummingbird

I have been wanting to make this hummingbird pattern since Andrea Zuill posted it as her free pattern in April on her blog. And then today's lesson for my embroidery class was about adding beads and sequins to embroidery. I immediately thought of shimmery hummingbirds and their jewel toned feathers. The actual lesson called for using a simple shape like a heart to practice beading techniques on but I bit off a bit more tonight. And finished just under the wire for bedtime.


It's a magenta-throated hummingbird! I learned how to attach the eye bead with a french knot - tricky and cool looking!


So, I learned two new ways to attach beads. Also, even though I love sparkle and shiny, I don't regularly attach sequins to things so it was good to learn a few ways to do it. I used more of the variegated colored thread from Monday and last Friday's critters. I need buy more! And first write down the DMC number for them so I can get more. I tend to tear the labels off the thread before recording it somewhere.

Does someone have a good tip for photographing embroidery in the evening? I liked to photograph it with natural light but sometimes I'm finishing projects at 10 or 11 at night.

Let It Glow Lantern - Super Mario Style

Tonight's critter is the cute Invincibility Star from Super Mario games. He's all gussied up with some red and blue streamers in preparation for the Fourth of July.


He is embroidered on canvas using backstitch and split stitch with various glass beads attached.


And he is attached to a mason jar. Why is he attached to a mason jar?


So he can glow! There is an cinnamon apple scented tea-light in there :) I need to make a few more for the deck railing someday soon!

This is from my embroidery class that started today - I think there's still time to join in here!

Lowly Worm says....

My Dad read us lots of Richard Scarry books when I was growing up. He even made us costumes of the characters out of grocery bags, markers, and construction paper.  I remember wearing them around the house and I don't remember if they were for Halloween or just for fun. They could have been just for fun. That's how great my Dad is. 

 

I wanted to make something just for him today, so Richard Scarry's Lowly Worm is wishing him a Happy Father's Day. Kib is his nickname :) 

Hope you had a great day and I love you bunches!

Wedding Squirrels Pattern

Adding the ears to yesterday's pattern gave me the idea for today's. I took a pattern from the book A Rainbow of Stitches and added some fancy wedding details. Top hat + bow tie +  veil + bouquet = Wedding Squirrels!

I drew it out on tracing paper so it is ready to be embroidered on something - maybe a handkerchief or a set of napkins?

Embroidery Excitement

On Monday I start an online class, The Embroidery Project: All in the Details, taught by Mollie Johanson. I'm excited! Mollie posted a pattern to work on before the class got started and I had to make it right away. I stitched with some fancier DMC flosses than I usually use on a cotton twill.


I altered the pattern slightly, making the hearts into heart critters so I could include it here.  Heart lop-eared rabbit/puppy and heart bear :) I got a super shiny and ultimately super slippery annoying thread to stitch the needles with. I used some nifty color variations threads for the rest of it. You can't see the variation of reds and pinks as well but I like how it turned out.


Is it wrong to think this little spool of thread is adorable and want to hug it? Thanks to Mollie for posting a cute pattern to start out the weekend before the 5 week class!

Lady Amalthea, prettiest Komodo Dragon

I told my friend Kriss that she could pick what I drew tonight. She picked a komodo dragon....that's a girl.....wearing a pink bow :) Challenge accepted! I was giggling drawing this. So much.


Oh Lady Amalthea, you are so lovely, in your crayony beauty. Kriss says "I hereby award 17 internets to everyone who gets the reference without googling." That's a ton of internets!

I based this drawing off a photo link she sent me found here :)

Fernando the Peacock

I started drawing this peacock at 11pm per a friend's suggestion and realized that peacocks have more feathers than EVERYTHING ever!


Kriss says "There are eleventy thirteen feathers on each and every peacock."
and Desiree says "I thought it was umpteenmillion." I agree with both of them! So so so many feathers.
Therefore, tonight's peacock is more abstract. Desiree named him :)

Tonight's peacock was based on this picture of a peacock I took at Brookfield Zoo in May 2007.

Stinky

Plants Vs. Zombies updated their game again! Now you can have a zen garden to grow flowers that give coins. The coins can get you more upgrades and there is a wee snail you can get to collect the coins while you aren't playing. His name is Stinky. Here is my little crayon colored version of him.

Kitten Silhouette

I made today's critter using this tutorial from The Spohrs Are Multiplying. The pretty little kitty is Marla Dearborn from the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee.


It just turned out perfectly that Laurie from ibkc.com posted a set of profile pictures of an adorable new foster kitty right after Heather posted another photo lesson on making silhouette's from photos. I had purple card stock available so that's what I used. I think kittens look cute in purple.

Thanks for both ladies for having such entertaining and informative blogs :)

Reepicheep

Tonight we watched The Voyage of the Dawn Treader featuring the adorable, fearless, and loyal Reepicheep! He wears a jaunty feather, carries a rapier, and swashbuckles aboot to help the Pevensie's and Aslan fight evil.


I like how his feather and tail turned out. His rapier looks more like a light saber :) Jedi Mouse!


I found a sketch of him and manipulated it some in photoshop to make an embroidery pattern of sorts. I made the image about 3 inches high when I printed it out so I wasn't able to get as much detail into him. I may print this up again larger to try again.

Elephant Test Swatch

I bought this fabric quite awhile ago at JoAnn Fabric. I think it is a home decor fabric. I like that the more prominent weave helped me make more even embroidery stitches today. I'm trying to figure out what to do with it in general so I was just fiddling with some backstitching and a french knot on it today. I made the tail more prominent, too. Maybe I could stitch a decorative blanket on the elephant?

Jefferoni

I went to a natural history museum this week with my three year old art collaborator. Here he is with the Giant Sloth which he said is named Jefferoni. I think the sign said part of Thr scientific name was Jeffersoni :)

I edited this photo with my Camera+ photo app. I pretty much take all the photos for this blog with my phone lately.

Pinkie Pie

I found out about this new cartoon show My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. Apparently it is a phenomenon and very popular with guys between the ages 18 and 35. They call themselves bronies! Wired.com had an article about it recently. I watched two episodes today and ..... it is adorable! I love it! The people that developed this new series also worked on Power Puff Girls (LOVE THEM) and Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends (GREAT!) and you can really tell. I recommend catching a few episodes on the Hub immediately.

Someone told me today that I am Pinkie Pie and I totally think they are right *hee hee hee*
Pinkie Pie: You're right! Getting a tuba is our number one goal!
Rainbow Dash: Pinkie Pie...you are soooo random.

You can print up today's coloring page at
Pinkie Pie coloring page

Let's Color an Elephant

Let's print up this elephant coloring page and color a critter. Happy really stormy Wednesday night full of stormy rainy stormy rain storm!

I had a really fun day today and didn't get home until after 9pm. I went to a museum with one of my favorite people under 4 feet tall, had a delicious lunch, saw Thor with my cheap-movie-ticket-Wednesday night coupon, ran through the rain and fed a hamster some corn :) 

Noodle Monkey

I got dinner at Noodles and Company tonight. I took home the food, a to-go menu, and a kid's activity booklet. It says (Draw Yourself Here) so apparently I am a smiling monkey!

Quack!

Hi Inch and A Half Tall Embroidered Duck! Hi! The design is from A Rainbow of Stitches like last night's.


I embroidered him on the same fabric as last night, but using 2 strands of embroidery thread instead of 4. I think it works out better. I haven't sewn on cotton with a fusible webbing on the back but I'm going to try it soon so I can put these little embroideries on a shirt or something.

Cromwell

A new embroidery book of motifs came into the library this week and the pattern of a cat sitting on an armchair on the cover caught my eye. The book A Rainbow of Stitches: Embroidery and Cross-Stitch Basics Plus More Than 1,000 Motifs and 80 Project Ideas has a good amount of critters in it to try.


I stitched this orange cat tonight onto a piece of quilting cotton fabric while watching The Tourist. His name is Cromwell and he is stitched in a combination of two different orange threads. I like to think he's either an enormous cat on a regular sized armchair. Enormous cuddly orange regal cat.