SCARY!!!!!....My first cross stitch design is ready for viewing!

Yes, this is it.

I've called it "I KNOW"

On 18ct fabric this would be 14" x 11.5"

On 25ct apprx 10" x 8"

Anyone reading my blog knows I'm a film lover, so it will come as no surprise that my first attempt is film related.

This is also one of the reasons why I haven't been doing much stitching the last few days.

If you're unable to read the small text (which would obviously be clearer on the finished design) it says:

"Why you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder"

"Who's scruffy looking?"

On her there is also a bounty hunter helmet and detonator, plus everyone's favourite robot.

On him: the carbonite block and his ship.

Oh, and they both have a row of blasters.

Would you stitch it?

If I made this available to buy, would you be interested?

I'm really not sure if this is good enough.

Feel free to give me feedback!

(I may not listen to it all, but I still appreciate it!)

For information on how to buy, click HERE

Please be aware that this design is copyrighted to Neil Bray and, as such, no copying of sharing should be done without my express permission. Please respect copyright law - and the amount of work I did to create this. :-)

HAPPY STITCHING!

My Writing....

 

Yes, it's true. I am also an author.

  Don't get too excited though! This is more of a light hobby than a vocation. I love to write, but I find it a very frustrating process - which is why I don't do it very often. My preference is for horror, but I have tried fantasy and thriller too.   Over the years I've somehow managed to write enough short stories to compile a small volume.   But, venturing into the world of publishing was terrifying. So, I started small - with a short story. And digital only. None of my stories are in print - but if you own a Kindle then maybe you might like to try them out. My first published short story is The Infant Kiss a nasty little tale about a young boy enacting his revenge on his neglectful dad. (You can buy The Infant Kiss as a standalone short story, or in my compilation collection Mindworks)   Once I had a couple of positive reviews I then decided to release a compilation volume. Mindworks is that compilation.    
Some time later someone requested that I write a follow up to The Infant Kiss, which became The Infant Choice.  
The short story collection has an eclectic mix of styles and subjects. The River in My Mind is a story about the dangers of psychic ability. The Infant Kiss I mention above. Ethics covers an act of revenge by a young boys pets. Amy and The Face in the Window are both ghost stories.  House of Shadows is about a childhood dare gone wrong (it's also one of my favourites) A Pocket Full of Posies focuses on a bizarre train journey. The Manipulation of Johnny Tucker is about anger, betrayal and revenge. A Christmas Visitor is about a visit from a very special Santa. The Secret Heart is about the last werewolf. Beauty's Beast is also a werewolf story - but of a totally different kind (another of my favourites).   I'm currently working on Mindworks II. I've already written Eligible which is about a highly desire bachelor with a dark secret. And, I'm in the process of writing another story called C.H.A.V. - although that's taking longer than I'd hoped...probably because I spend too much time cross stitching.   I've also written a pretty bad novel and have nearly finished a second. None of which will ever see the light of day without a serious re-write!   But, if you like short stories then please feel free to support a fledgling writer and check out my stories. Told you my blog would cover lots of different interests! :-)

Charts....And How to Handle Them

Everyone works differently, and over time we all develop methods to take some of the effort out of our hobbies.

For cross stitch, in my experience, that's predominantly anything that saves me time or reduces mistakes.

I have my needle minder so I don't lose my needle, my stand so I can stitch two handed. My frame so I can see most of - or all of - the design I'm working on; which saves me time moving the fabric around. My Tanto organiser so all my threads are sorted and easy to find.

Then we have the chart.

When I started I did what most people do - just accept the chart in the kit or chart book. It never crossed my mind to do a working enlargement (idiot!).

Oh...if you're new to cross stitch try not to fold and unfold your chart all the time as those creases will eventually fade or tear and you'll lose rows and columns of symbols! Eek!

But, as I moved from beginner through intermediate and finally to expert designs I found reading the charts was taking a lot of my time.

The solution? I'm sure you've guessed.

Highlighter Pens.

Those glorious, colourful, things that you can buy in most £1 shops in packs of 3 or 5!

As seen in the photo at the top of the page, I use a pink pen to highlight the stitches I'm about to do. Then, once done, I go over them in blue.

I'm sure some of you are thinking But highlighting takes time too! and you'd be right - but nowhere near as much time as having to count each row, or group, of stitching. And let's not mention the amount of time saved by avoiding the dreaded frog (that's unpicking mistakes for those who don't know) caused my miscounting. I've reduced that problem significantly through highlighting.

So, nowadays, no matter what I'm working on I photocopy a working page and go mad with my highlighter pens!

I'm not alone I've discovered - there are a lot of people out there who do the same.

But, with the advent of specialist charts that you download instantly from the internet in PDF format another option was needed.

Yes, you can print directly from those files - but what if you don't want to or can't?

Well, there are other options.

If you have a tablet or a Kindle Fire (or other HD version probably), or even a decent screen on some MP3 players and phones you can probably view your PDF charts on those devices.

 This is a screen clip from my desktop PC.

So, you can see, if you sit near your PC (or Mac I would think) you can have your chart displayed as large as you wish.

But, what if you don't own a desktop PC.

Well, I don't own a tablet, but I do have a Kindle Fire, so I did a test.

I downloaded the free Adobe Reader (for Android) App:

This little App was very easy to install. Once I had a PDF file on there I was ready to go.

Apart from the fact this looks like a new version of Sudoku you can see it's a very clear image. I also discovered that it was possible to do this:

With more investigation, I'm sure I will find that there are other PDF readers that will let me highlight and then cross through. It's a brave new world people! I wouldn't be surprised to find that most devices have a way of doing this - so the purpose of this article is really just to bring the option to the attention of my readers. Because, like me, you may never have thought of doing this - until now!   I have just been informed that two other popular PDF readers for Android are: EZPDF And GoodReader for Apple.
I've tested EZPDF and can confirm that it seems easy to use and has some good functions. Hopefully, one of these will suit you - or you'll find something similar!
 
HAPPY STITCHING!

Previous Projects: The Final Chapter

Here it is.

The Final Chapter.

The Last Part.

The End of the Saga.

The final batch of previous works. I could probably stretch it into another two posts, but I hate it when they do that with films so I won't be doing it here! Take that Peter Jackson!

So, top of the page we have The James Younger Gang.

One of my earliest framing jobs and not one I'm overly proud of to be honest, as I didn't do a very good job of sticking it to the backing board. Still, I love the picture so it stays on the wall.

Next (erm...just wait while I grab a random picture...)

Ah, ok, that's Golden Gate Avenue.

Primarily it was the colours and variety in styles for each house that drew me to this design.

Also, I'd just finished Gift of the Eagle Feather and I really wanted to do something easy.

The frame originally had a wolf picture in it (professionally framed) which I was never pleased with. So, recycled it was.

Now, onto Titanic

I really like this picture. I'm a fan of old style posters and product labels so this one appealed to me.

As an aside, this design also caused a bit of a fracas on Facebook....

In my early days of joining Facebook (last year) the first cross stitch group I joined were quite happy to blatantly discuss breaking copyright law.

One particular lady had stitched this design from a chart she'd found on the internet. But, it was a very small image and missing bits, so she'd had to improvise.

Needless to say, it looked like dog poo! Even so, people were saying how nice it was and asking where she got it (hence knowing it was an illegal copy).

Me, being the diplomatic soul I am supplied the information for the official kit and where to buy it - along with this picture to show how good it could look if stitched from a genuine kit.

I won't repeat here the names I was called by those so-called 'friendly ladies' whose love of cross stitch obviously didn't extend to respecting the copyright ownership of the things they worked on.

I didn't stay around long enough to even suggest they wash their mouths out with a bar of soap.

Thankfully, I found better groups later (*waves to anyone from the groups I'm now in* Hellooooo!)

Erm....moving on swiftly.

To: Humphrey's Corner

I LOVE this little elephant and his family. They're just adorable. But, what really makes the designs for me is the attention to detail in the shading and back stitch.

I have two more in my stash. Yay!

Here we have Not For You from the Hummel range.

As far as I am concerned this is one of the loveliest ranges of cross stitch figures. We own a few Hummel figurines (including this one) so it's great to stitch them too.

For my next trick I present...Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Ok, technically it's Foxes and Tigers and Bears, but let's not quibble!

These little foxes were stitched as a present for Nigel.

 My first ever tiger. I hated doing it, but loved the end result.

And this is Heavy Going Grizzly. Whenever we have guests this is the one that usually gets the comment "I thought that was a painting". Always makes me smile.

By the standard of today's charts - many of which really DO look like a painting, this one doesn't. But, it's still nice to hear.

I always find it amusing though, because, when I was stitching this one I really loathed it. Too many shades of brown. My first experience with confetti stitches and all that damned snow!

When it was done I chucked in my stash box (Yep. Back in those days I only had ONE box!)

6 months later - while looking for something else - I came across this picture and thought "That's nicer than I remember". So, off I trotted to the framers and this is what I got.

Now I absolutely love it!

Bored yet? Well, were in the home stretch, so just hang in there!

This is the imaginatively titled Lighthouses.

Another design I really enjoyed stitching. Varied colours but really easy to stitch.

One of my earliest professionally framed projects was this Winnie-the-Pooh Yearly Calendar design.

I'm not overly fond of it now, but it took me so long to complete I keep it around.

And last, but by no means least, the only two designs - to date - that have been made into cushions.

Nigel is a dab hand with a sewing machine and he created these.

The 6 small designs from the Woodland Folk range I bought in a local store for £2.49 each and the material was a bargain bin swatch that also cost £2. The ribbon and buttons cost about £2.50.

So, including the small amount of thread to sew it all together this cushion cost us less than £20.

Bargain!

I should also say that the button cushion behind and to the right, and the beach marquee one on the left were also made by Nigel. Told you he was a dab hand!

This next one is Strawberry House Sampler.

Another massive bargain. This one I picked up in an antique store for £2. Complete kit.

Once again the material was a £2 bargain bin swatch.

So, all told (including the inner pillow) this one was about £12.

So, that's it.

No more trips down memory lane where I reminisce about each of my projects.

I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have.

But, from this point forward...it's just NEW, NEW, NEW!

(Which is probably a good thing given the amount of Tilton Crafts charts I've bought - check out my entry about TC to see the 4 new ones I bought today).

HAPPY STITCHING!

Past Impressions - Previous Projects, Part 3...and a Word About Framing

For this next entry focusing on my previous projects I decided to have a theme:

Native American.

Native American designs were some of the earliest to fire my imagination. When they first started to appear, if memory serves, they were something very different in the cross stitch world.

There was a good mix of masculine and feminine.

They combines people, places, culture and wildlife.

They also had a vast and varied culture to draw upon.

Quite simply: I was in love.

Nowadays, I no longer stitch them. But only because I did so many that I sort of overdosed. But, these are still some of my favourite pictures!

So, top of the page, we have Native American Fashion from Design Works, if I remember correctly. One of the things I loved about this design was the variety. On the surface it seems like a simple design, but there are so many colours and design elements that this was never boring.

I also think it looks wonderful framed.

Next up: Apache Marriage Blessing

Another beautiful design. The subtle pastel shading of the mountains, sunset and border is wonderful. As is the colouring in the feathers.

All cross stitch addicts will also recognise this: there is a mistake in this design that I know about and whenever I look at it I see that mistake. Nobody else ever does. But I know it's there!

The next picture is Wolf Robe

The principal things which drew me to this design were the wolf, the pastel shades and the verse.

I also loved the warrior's face. His life is etched into those lines.

For me, somehow, the picture makes me think of soft furs, blankets, warm fires and faithful companions.

Next we have the last Native American design I did. I actually only finished this last year. It's called Sacred Connection and it's from the Dimensions Gold series. I'm just waiting to find the right frame for it.

I'm sure my eagle-eyed readers will spot something truly AWFUL in this design.

Seen it?

I dragged the white thread for the stars across the back and you can see it through the front!

It's really horrible - even if it does look a little like a constellation. So, I have every intention of correcting it before framing.

But, the design itself is simply breathtaking.

From the ethereal Lynx to the 'hidden' bear and eagle, there's not a single element to this design that I don't love (unless you count the back stitching - of which there was a torturous amount!)

Now we come to my biggest love in the animal kingdom, and one that features in much of Native American folklore and art.

The wolf.

This is White Magic and it's one of my all-time favourite pictures. It was incredibly boring to stitch. All those shades of cream and grey were boring - but who can argue with the finished result?

Shading, depth, and an actual feeling of cold.

I simply love it.

For my final picture I chose one of the easiest and most effective.

This is Wolf Eyes from Needlework Treasure (I think)

This was a really easy stitch. Not many colours and not very big. But, the effect is wonderful. I always say I can feel the intelligence of the wolf peering out at me.

I have done other Native American designs over the years. Gift of the Eagle Feather I featured in a previous entry, but there were others. Some I gave away and some I hated once finished (don't you hate it when that happens?!).

Finally, for this entry, I'm going to just say a few words about framing.

There are lots of How To guides on the net about lacing, mounting on board, mounting on canvas and everything else.

But, what about choosing mounts or frames?

(There probably are - but I want to talk about it anyway!)

I have a set of simple rules when choosing mounts and frames.

1. If the design is predominantly dark then use both light and dark mounts. If you look at Wolf Eyes above we took the dark grey and black from the design to contrast with the white.

Likewise - White Magic has a lot of white shades so the darker mount really offsets that nicely.

Apache Marriage Blessing is a really good example of picking colours from the design to use for the mounts. The design is mainly light and that theme continues with the mounts.

2. The frame should pull a colour from the design OR reflect an element of the image.

This is a bit of a tough one, but as a rule I usually pick a frame that matches a colour in the picture.

BUT...with these Native American designs you'll probably notice they they all have one thing in common: natural looking wood! Native American culture and wolves are tied to the land, to the forests and trees and I wanted to reflect that in the framing.

Hope you enjoyed my trip into the past.

HAPPY STITCHING!

Siberian Gold Tigers - Day 49....and the rain, rain, rain, came down, down, down!

49 Days of stitching and with the end in sight I can feel myself slowing down.

I only managed about 3.5 hours today, despite the fact that the weather sucked and that's usually my favourite sort of stitching day.

I have no idea why I slow down towards the end. Maybe it's completion anxiety. Maybe it's simply the fact that I'm so bored by the end I can't force myself on. I really don't know.

I have found the only way to push through it is to do exactly that: PUSH. THROUGH. IT.

Just make sure I do a little bit every day.

Oh...and sometimes a little incentive goes a long way....having the next project sat nearby, beckoning, can spur me on!

So, as I stated the weather here sucked today.

This was the view from my front window:

And this the views of the back:

Okay, so I didn't neglect stitching topics. I bought some charts. I did some stitching. I prepared my pages for my Photo Conversion service (see here if you haven't already!)

I chatted to loads of people on Facebook about stitching related issues.

But, NONE of that gets those damned tigers finished!

Still, the day did brighten up in the end:

Our back garden looked lovely, even if I do say so myself.

Now, of course, I find that I'm being cursed with a touch of insomnia, hence the fact that I'm writing tomorrow's blog entry tonight!

Guess, I'll have to think up something else to say tomorrow!

HAPPY STITCHING!

TILTON CRAFTS and LASTING ALLURE: Something Old and Something New - More Great Designers

Most days I try to keep my blog entries to a minimum. I have a tendency to talk and the last thing I want is for my readers to get bored!

But, today, I absolutely HAVE to post another entry.

Because, today, I had the great pleasure to discover two new cross stitch designers and wanted to share this with all of you.

I'm sure most of you will know about Tilton Crafts (found here), but they're new to me.

The amazing Shelley Lee posted in facebook today with one of the most amazing deals ever: Buy 2 Charts and Get 2 Free.

With a hefty amount of scepticism I clicked on the link to her site. Expecting, if I'm honest, to find maybe one or two designs I like (to date only PaineFreeCrafts have had LOADS that I want).

Imagine my surprise when I found some absolutely stunning charts.

The four at the top of this page are the ones I bought and can all be found on their site.

As a film and literature fan these four charts completely fired my imagination and had me drooling!

But, to be honest, I could have bought three times as many.

Beautifully intricate. Colourful. Imaginative and varied. There's sure to be something for everyone on this brilliant site!

Just don't blame me when you're bank account dwindles!

HAD TO EDIT THIS DOCUMENT
WHY?

Because I couldn't resist the urge to buy another batch of Tilton charts! That deal is just too good to miss out on!

So, just got these:

NOW...for something new

ANOTHER new designer I'd never heard of before.

 This is from Lasting Allure (whose Etsy page can be found here)

 Designer Shannon has created some beautiful designs with a luxurious feel.

Featured in World of Cross Stitching this is a designer I think everyone should keep their eyes on.

Her Etsy page features Seasonal Designs, iPhone cases, Shoes, Dresses and Cocktails. What more could any stitcher want.

Of special note are the Masks, French Princess Shoes (seen above) and Gingerbread House - all of which are now on my wishlist.

Seen my 'Stash' post today? Well, it's just gonna get bigger!

Thank you to Shannon and Shelley for agreeing to this post!