Whatever James (The Logo): In Stitches

Has it really been 20 days since my last post? Wow. Well, for anyone who has been patiently stalking checking the site daily: MADE YOU LOOK!

Seriously, after a little more then six months in the unemployment line, I finally picked up a temp position in my regular industry! I think it's gonna go the three month distance but I like it so much already I applied for the gig permanently - we will wait and see. While this has taken a H-U-G-E bite out of my stitching time, I have managed to get some projects done and I will try to post them every few days.

The first piece is very special to me. A few years ago when I started getting social on the internet I thought that a bad-ass like myself needed a logo (and a theme song). All I knew is it had to be a heart with a lightning bolt "crack" in it and it had to have my initials. Armed with that amazing idea and a broken crayon I created a work of art my mom won't even hang on the fridge!

Fortunately growing up there were three brothers who were very close to our family and, honestly, my little brother and I consider them as much family as anyone we have ever actually been related to, to this day (Family Is More Then Blood - Mandalorian proverb). His name is Gabriel and he is a true renaissance man. He is a graphic artist, an amazing musician, takes neat pictures, it's rumored he is made out of candy and he's an all around good guy. He turned my garbage into art (you can see it as my profile pic right here on the blog) and the circle is now complete because I have stitched the logo he made.



I actually started this back in 2007 and it fell by the wayside so I am stoked to finally have it done. Thanks Gabe, you are the man! And if you like music check him out on iTunes. Yes, it's mostly bluesy stuff and yeah, he's my friend but I would suggest it anyway because good music is good music!

I Can't Control My Fingers, I Can't Control My Brain

Does that mean I am busy with multiple crafting projects or that I just REALLY want to be sedated? No I am confused!

I think I have a total of four projects going and I am really starting to feel a little duck-duck-goosed! Every time I set one project down I try to make sure I pick a different one up the next time...and because I am a huge nerd (lots-o-nerdy, not overweight...I mean I am, that's just not where I was going with that statement) I try to keep the rotation order the same.

So, of course, I am working on Tinkerbell for MJ's birthday, which if you missed my last post about it: I Hate You! I am also working on a popular project for a friend, you may have seen it elsewhere, "In Case Of Emergency Break Dance" and there is a little boom box! I am working on the time travel code from the first Futurama move, Bender's Big Score - check it out! Finally, I am finishing a piece I started back in 2007: I am stitching the little heart logo I use everywhere with the lightining-bolt break and my initials in it.

Since three of the four or smaller projects I really hope to have some neat stuff to show soon. I am also finishing up a tutorial on how to personalize travel mugs with stitches and also a "review" of the craft-satchel Windy got me for my birthday and I honestly don't think I can live without!

Talk Back: How many projects are you balancing and how do you manage them all?

You Know That Place Between Sleep And Awake...?

That's where I am right now, stitchingly speaking, anyhow. First off, let's give some love to Oprah theirs was the only comment left! In response: Thanks for the comments. I'm a big fan of rock projects (a series 0f punk covers is on my to-do list) so please let us know when it's done then we can go crowd up your blog or board or where ever you may post it! (A little thinking out loud here:) if you want I could even post it here for others to see...some reader appreciation, if you will!

So now that "Punks Not Dead" is done there is one project I wanted to focus on. It is a store-bought kit of Disney's Tinkerbell. It's 98% backstitching to look like a quick pencil sketch. There are some metallic threads in half-stitch to add some color highlights but there really is not a standard cross stitch in the whole thing. Oh, there are some quarter stitches too. I know, I know, I am getting fancy but that's what happens when you finish a big project and you let it go to your head!

She is coming along much faster then I expected. She is for my oldest daughter's fifth birthday so she doesn't need to be completed until 7/25! Here is where we were at a couple days ago when I took the pictures.

The bottom half is completely done. The only color was on her feet so it went fast. Since taking the picture I have completed the top half except the color and the wings. There is some crazy back stitching on the wings so I am admittedly taking a small "break".

I have two or three other little projects going right now too but I will get into those tomorrow. I want to get some stitching done before the holiday festivities start today and my DVR is begging me to finish last night's UFC fights.

In the meantime (because I will miss you and assume you will miss me too) check out Mr X Stitch for their Craftster Pick of the Week. It's Me. Whatever James!

Punks Not Dead!!!

Although I have heard it might be taking a nap after a long lunch (thanks to Mr. X Stitch for that bit of comedy gold)!!!

So where do I start with this one? For anyone reading this for a while you may remember I was excited about setting up a booth at a punk rock swap meet that unfortunately never happened =( This was a request from the person putting it together and was going to be "swapped" for my table fees. Like I said it never happened so I kinda worked on it for a while but lately I wanted to get it done.

It's done:


So it took about six months and I do not know how many hours. It was not an exclusive relationship, though. About 1.5 miles of DMC 666, which I believe is bright christmas red. There is probably a little DMC 321 in there too, which I know for a fact is I'm not paying attention to which red I grab this late at night! There are a few mistakes but I will try to save those for a day I don't have anything to post or if everyone requests it (jerks). I don't know how many stitches there are (sorry, I threw that info away back in January) but I did make the pattern using KG Stitch, a free program, and I am nothing if not cheap! I really will keep track of this for future projects!

Thanks for sticking with me on this, it has been fun. Next up is a kit of Tinkerbell for my daughter's 5th birthday. It's big and it's due by July 25th!

Comments: What big projects, if any, are you working on and what about the little updates to the blog? Suggestions? Critiques? Don't care?

Give Me An "E"

So Windy took Kadie out shopping for father's day. I needed to get away from the house so I went to Starbucks, through on an ipod playlist and got busy! I know I "never stop stitching" at home but there are lots of things people do at home that they prefer to do out. I mean how many people do you see reading at a coffee shop? You can do that at home too! So, yeah, I like to stitch in public. It must have something to do with my exhibitionist nature: I just like to be seen!!!

A Is For Anarchy (Insert Snarly Punk Face Here)

I was on a decent track last night and am still working today. Here is the "A" all done! Why did I start in the middle and then work my way back to the beginning? It worked for Star Wars and I don't even have a Jar-Jar Binks!

Currently listening to Stephen Egerton - Seven Degrees of Stephen Egerton.
Currently watching Futurama.
Currently eating: COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone Is Making Me Work!!!

First off... I got some big love on the latest Stitchin n Junk podcast big thanks to the great folks over at Mr X Stitch for that. If you are here because of said love, welcome. If you just hit "next blog" and are trying to figure out why you are here: Pterodactyl Cupcakes! Figure THAT out!!!

Here are links to a couple of the projects mentioned on the podcast:

The Pac-Man ghosts can be found here and the Star Wars Valentine here.

My internet connection was M.I.A. for a while and I finally heard the new podcast last night and knew I would have to post a little something while finishing my latest project. I was not sure what to do. Fortunately Windy always finds something for me to do...it just usually involves the dishes.

Here is where I am with the Punk Is Dead project. Windy just came home 17 minutes ago and looks me in the eye and says: Can you finish that by tomorrow? I guess they are having a huge sale on mounting and framing...which ends tomorrow and she wants to do that for my fathers day gift. Nice but couldn't you tell me about this two days ago? And what the hell am I still posting for? I have a whole lot of Star Wars to watch, music to listen to and stitches to cross!!

See you tomorrow.