Beading and Embroidering

Here is the picture of the framed Wizard hat.  It was inspired by the description of the Archchancellor of Unseen University's ceremonial hat, written down by Terry Pratchett in his book Sourcery. I stitched in the footnote he had explaining things, and it is where I get my nickname. I am very pleased with the frame, and, for now, the rumpled look works for me.

On to beading. This is a design out of Bead and Button Magazine, the October 2010, Issue 99. It is their cover project, and I liked it because of the textures created by the different beads and the angles they were set in. I had to modify it a bit, as I am using the 4mm cubes, not the 3mm cubes called for, but everything else is the same. I think it looks like a circuit board because of the colors of beads I chose.

Meanwhile, I have purchased Stumpwork and Goldwork Embroidery Inspired by Turkish, Syrian and Persian Tiles by Jane Nicholas (Hardcover - Sep 7, 2010) and the pictures in the book are scrumptious. I mentioned before that I got to take a stumpwork class from her, and she is an awesome teacher, and she had pieces from this book with her, so I got to see the actual  pieces, not just photos. They are even more scrumptious IRL. I am currently waiting on an order from Benton and Johnson of various goldwork supplies, then I am going to order the wires and beads from Jane Nicholas' site, I have embroidery floss (even silks!) and ivory silk dupione, and you know I'll be busy. Speaking of Benton and Johnson, I'd like to post a sincere thank you to one Neil Halford, the ever so nice gentleman who answered a zillion questions for me, promptly and completely. And, I had my answers back the day after I sent the questions. He works for/at Benton and Johnson, and I really appreciated the awesome customer service.

My shoulder is continuing to twinge a bit, but nothing like even a week ago, and the neck seems to be pretty much all better. Hi ho, physical therapy is next.

THE Magpie

Getting back to stitching

After developing a pain in my shoulder that got, in early December, bad enough that it hurt to stitch, not to mention keeping me awake and so was too tired to stitch--and even to think, really, I am getting back to stitching. I also now know what a cortisone shot to the shoulder feels like (actually, not that bad, really, but apparently the orthopedist my husband and I go to puts an anaesthetic together with the cortisone.

Oh, the pain is caused by two things, first, I have a tear in the tendon in my shoulder (could have been a much worse problem, so I am pretty thankful there) and also a pinched nerve in my neck, which is causing way more problems. They took x-rays of my shoulder, and everything looked okay, so I got to get an MRI--weirdly, I tend to fall asleep in them, which considering it is like being inside a jet engine, noisewise, is contradictory to say the least.

Anyway, I am feeling a lot better, and am working on my projects again, or at least one, which was in a beading magazine a few months ago. It is a bracelet done with cubes and seed beads, you daisy chain seed beads around the cubes, and then between the daisies you do an x in a different color of seed beads. I am using cream cubes, green size 11 seed beads, yellow iris metallic size 11 seed beads, and rainbow bronze size 14 seed beads. The yellow iris and rainbow bronze are very similar in color, and the whole thing is a checkerboard of cream, green, and metallic bronze. I'll add a picture once I get one made.

I also have to get a picture of The Hat, framed. I got it back and it is perfect!

THE Magpie