Wanda's World

The Yellow Project Updated

2012-02-03T16:13:00.000+01:00

Hardanger moves fast and I like that sometimes. I do understand why so much hardanger is done on light colored fabric with light colored thread...so you don't see all those little cut pieces. This piece is so unique. I just love the shape of it. Of course, I've got alot more to do so stay tuned!

The Yellow Project

2012-01-09T10:07:00.000+01:00

Although the next post will show that I have been doing other things as well, I will show you my main project at the present time. I started it on December 15th. It's called The Yellow Project. I got the materials at the Messe in Wiesbaden in October. It wasn't a great show for handwork but I still managed to find the few stands that had something for me.

This piece is a Hardanger table runner. I am still working on the stitching and have a lot of the borders to do yet. It is a large piece and getting sort of difficult to photograph. I don't want to iron it until it is finished so the pictures show how wrinkled it is at this time.

I don't know if you can say I designed it because I've combined designs from two different sources (Award-Winning Designs in Hardanger Embroidery 2006 and Elegant Accents IV both from NordicNeedle) in addition to doing my own thing.

So, is it my own design? I don't know but I like it! The colors are all me. Of course I got the beautiful varigated yellow pearl cotton by Anchor that doesn't seem to be available in the States. I was worried that I was going to run out of it but I don't think I am. Thank goodness!

I am really into this project, as you can probably tell. I'll post more pictures as the work progresses.

Quilted Table Piece - first finish of 2012

2012-01-09T09:47:00.001+01:00

It's not that I don't want to blog much anymore, it's that my browser is no longer supported by Blogger so it takes a long time and it is very frustrating! But I have been busy working on things.Below is a little table piece that I finished quilting. I started it a long time ago...I don't remember when. Yes, I guess it was an unfinished project. And I suspect that I never finished it because it isn't even. But, I finished it figuring that it can have something placed in the middle and so the imperfections won't be noticable!

I have to admit, as much as I like working on the sewing machine, I don't think I'll ever take the time to be really good at it. I enjoy it but my heart is really in handwork, I suppose.

I like this little imperfect piece, I have to say. It's something that I made and it's colorful and fun.

Yeah, okay, I could have ironed it!

Blackwork - Fighting To Keep It Together

2011-12-15T09:44:00.000+01:00

I finished this blackwork piece just yesterday.

I love working with tiny beads and YLI thread.

My bead collection is expanding so I have the colors I wanted for this piece.

The title, 'Fighting to Keep It Together' as alot of meaning for me at this point in my life.

I will be starting my next project today. It is going to be a larger Hardanger piece. Merry Christmas to all!

Hardanger Creamer and Sugar Mat

2011-11-20T17:14:00.003+01:00

I really liked this little hardanger kit! Even though I have been doing some hardanger work, I picked up quite alot and got to practice the technique.

The instructions were very easy to follow.

And as per the instructions, I went around the whole piece with small, close stitches on my sewing machine. This is to help the piece from becoming unraveled around the edges.

The kit is available from Nordic Needle and I do recommend this particular kit, hardanger and Nordic Needle!

I'm on my next piece...a blackwork piece that isn't black. I will, of course, be adding lots of little beads!

Special Project - 'Motorcycle Towel'

2011-11-03T13:54:00.004+01:00

I haven't posted for awhile but I have been stitching. I designed and stitched a special project. A 'Motorcycle Towel'. I'm a big fan of 'bath sheets' and this thing is the largest I've ever seen!

As the name of this project indicates, the theme is 'Motorcycle'. But not just any motorcycle....the BMW R1200C...my hubby's love!

He loves to ride in the Alps and over the mountain passes.

He has also been known to feel the heat of the Arizona desert.

The R1200C model isn't made anymore but if you would see his, you would think that it's new.
I found just about the perfect color match but the stitching doesn't show the shine!

And yes, he is going to use the towel. If you ever receive handstitched towels or napkins or a tablecloth, please use them. I've made many towels and such things and given them as gifts. They normally end up laying in a drawer somewhere because my loved ones don't want to 'ruin' them...please USE them! Those kinds of presents are given so the person can enjoy them and they can't be enjoyed when they lay in a drawer, wrapped up in tissue paper.

So...I'm already onto the next project...I hope your projects are coming along nicely, too!

Cow Drive through the Austrian Town of Krimml

2011-10-02T16:03:00.003+02:00

If you like this, you may enjoy more photos from our recent Austrian vacation. Please visit my other blog, The Camera Lenz, to view a newly posted slideshow.

Schwalm Embroidery

2011-09-08T17:03:00.005+02:00

Yes, Susan, you were absolutely correct....Schwalm is definitely something I will be able to get into!

The little Karen Buell Design Hearts and Flowers kit was perfect for an introduction to this technique.

OK, it isn't perfect but I did get the hang of it relatively quickly. And of course I love the openwork.

Being an old-time 'counter', not counting is still a bit difficult. I can't seem to get symetrical things symetric. But this introduction was just to see if I even liked the technique.

And I do! And it's fun! The 'white on white' is something different. And there the edges of the center flower and the heart had several different stitches going around it so it may look sort of 'sloppy'. But I can fix things like that!

I took the pictures before I washed it. I had to wash it because, even though I only lightly penciled in the design, you could still see lines. I know there are erasable or washable markers but I don't have one. So....Susan, if you are looking for the perfect Christmas present........

I'm starting a special project this evening. It's going to be cross-stitch but it's going to be GREAT!! Stay tuned.......

Crewel Embroidery

2011-08-29T17:06:00.004+02:00

Yet another kit done! My introduction to Crewel Embroidery. I have this in a little slideshow with 5 pictures of the completed Janlynn Hummingbirds crewel embroidery kit. (You can click on the picture which opens another window and then click on "full screen" in the upper left to view it close-up). What do I think about crewelwork? Well, this was an introduction. The kit was okay but nothing to write home about. The pattern was not stamped straight on the material so the straight border lines weren't always on the stamped pattern causing the markings to show. The material was not correct for crewelwork, I noticed that right off the bat. The instructions were alright I guess but I still referred to my own stitch books for explanations. The actual stitching was okay...I don't like stitching with yarn so crewel might not be something that I will do alot of in the future. But I would certainly like to try it again. The next time though I will select the material! And yes, it will be linen twill. So...what do you think of the stitching? I don't have anything to compare it to so your comments will be most appreciated!

I'm on to giving Schwalm a try...I already like the technique!

Brazilian Embroidery

2011-08-04T10:23:00.002+02:00

Here it is! My first attempt at Brazilian Embroidery!

I left it in the hoop to take the pictures. And no, I haven't washed it, as you can see by the little blue pattern lines. I sort of have a problem with the thought of washing it even though it says you can. So I thought I'd better get some pictures before, just in case it gets ruined!

So what do I think about this technique? Well, I don't think it will become my "favorite", that's for sure. It's interesting and it goes pretty fast. I learned alot with this little kit. But.....the thread. It's so slippery and unravels so easily. It's not the easiest stuff to work with and I sort of like concentrating on the stitching, not the thread.

I have to say that I was very psyched about the fact that all the stitches used in this kit I had already done while doing Sharon B's TAST. It was really cool actually using what I learned!

I'm on to the crewel kit. In the stumpwork kit instructions, it said that you used crewel so I figured I'd better do that one first! Yes...I'm having lots and lots of fun!!

Finished Egyptian Sun God

2011-07-30T18:04:00.002+02:00

I finished the Egyptian Sun God, original design by Carol Leather (X-Calibre Designs). I embellished it with different beads and added a touch of color as well.

It took a total of about 2 months to finish.

It's stitched on 40count linen and I used a variety of different threads.

It's very large especially considering that it's on 40count!

I have posted a slideshow on The Camera Lenz if you would like to see more images.

In the mean time, I've started a little Brazilian Embroidery kit that I recently purchased at my favorite online needlework store The NordicNeedle. They had several different kits on sale that looked perfect for trying out new techniques. I wanted to try the techniques to see if I like them. I've started with the Brazilian. I also have kits for schwalm, crewel and stumpwork! I'm pretty excited about trying out new things. I'll post and let you know how things are going!

Progress on Egyptian Sun God

2011-05-25T17:56:00.003+02:00

This is the progress I've made on the Egyptian Sun God this past month. I'm having a great time doing this! I've tweaked the pattern quite a bit as far as technique and color go.

The pattern actually had no color except for the gold and black. I added the purple (what other color would it be!?)

The gold thread is not so easy to work with but I like the effects.

I'm couching the wall design. I love couching and am happy to have the perfect opportunity to use it.

Of course, none of the outlining is complete and the crown piece isn't done either. It's definitely going to have beads! It's a fairly large piece, the design being something like 10-12 inches tall. Don't forget either, I'm doing it on 40 count linen! Click on any of the photos to get a closer look.

One other thing....no comments from the peanut gallery on his "elephant foot". I'm absolutely sure I can repair it!

Egyptian Sun God Blackwork

2011-04-27T11:18:00.003+02:00

This is the piece I am working on now. It's called Egyptian Sun God, designed by Carol Leather. I am doing it on 40count lambswool linen. Call me crazy but I absolutely love this kind of stitching! I put a penny in the picture so you can see how fine the stitching is. I'll post detailed photos later.

I've experimented with lots of techniques but, for some reason, this seems to best fit me. I work on it just about every day for a couple/few hours. The above shows my progress after 2 weeks. Yes, it's slow going. Yes, that's quite alright with me!

Blackwork Butterfly

2011-04-16T16:56:00.004+02:00

I recently finished this piece, a blackwork butterfly designed by Karen Buell. I don't even remember when or where I got it but, since I had it, I figured I might as well do it.

It was a pretty fun piece as far as the stitching goes but I have a real problem with the fact that it is not symetrical! I tried, I really did. I was very aware that the design and picture of the finished piece that came with the pattern were not symetrical either but....I just really wanted it to be even on both sides!

I like the way it turned out and I am accepting the fact that nature isn't necessarily symetrical. But I think I may be sticking to other kinds of designs from now on!

Gift for Sonya

2011-04-16T16:44:00.004+02:00

This little piece I did out of love. Love for the desert, for cacti and most definitely love for my sister Sonya. I made it to say "thank you" to her...for years of support, help, and "taking care" of me. I've lived outside the States for over 20years but she's always made me feel like I'm still part and always close. Thanks Sonya!

Hardanger Spring Piece

2011-03-20T08:58:00.004+01:00

Here's my latest finish. It's my own design. There are close-ups as well. Enjoy!

Cliff Dwellers

2011-03-16T09:09:00.005+01:00

I finished this last month. Obviously it was inspired by our trip out west. It's a simple piece, just cross stitch with beading, that reflects the inspiration I felt in southwestern Indian art.

Below are some close ups of some of the details.

Each motive was placed in accordance with the cliff dwellers in the middle. Earth beings below and sky beings above. The hand prints represent earth, air, fire and water. In different Indian lore, it can also represent the four directions and the four colors.

Soap Project - or Things Not To Try

2011-02-28T09:25:00.003+01:00

In August with my parents were here, my mother and I started my soap project. I was so sure that some way, I could melt down all the little slivers of left-over soap and mold it into new bars of soap. Although all my research pointed toward a disastrous end, I was so sure I could figure out a way. My mom and I worked and worked at trying to melt those stupid slivers. It just wasn't working. No matter what we did, the soap wasn't really melting and it was, as we thought it would be, pretty much a flop. And when we tried to let it cool down and solidify, it wasn't doing that either so I shoved the pan full of the half melted soap somewhere and forgot about it until January. When I dug the pan back out, I found that the half melted soap actually had solitified and I could cut it into pieces. I used a grater to shave off the rough edges and there actually ended up being a couple of pieces that stayed together well enough to use!

But, no, this wasn't good enough. I still had lots of slivers left over. So I thought if I used the grater and melted down the shavings, it would work even better! Here endeth the lesson...do NOT attempt this. It doesn't work and it is not worth the effort....or the smell in the house.

If you have to use the slivers, put them in an old knee-high or in a net or something and just use them that way.

I've been busy sewing (I think I'll stick to it from now on and not try any more weird experiments for awhile!) and I'll post my newly finished pieces soon.

Vacation Pictures

2011-01-13T08:25:00.003+01:00

We just got back from vacation. What an AWESOME trip! 6200 miles (yes, that's just about 10,000 kilometers) through California and Arizona, dipping also a bit into Nevada and Utah. I'll be posting slideshows on The Camera Lenz if you'd like to take a look at them. I also got to go to an awesome handwork store in Tucson called The Busy Needle. I was in heaven. So, my creative juices are a flowing and I'm already stitching away...even before the laundry is all done!

Feature Article

2010-11-29T16:15:00.003+01:00

I was featured in this issue of the NordicNeedle Newsletter. If you would like to see the article (it even has pictures!) please check it out here. Thanks Roz and everyone at NordicNeedle for featuring me!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T09:10:00.003+01:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had a great day, whatever you did. Here, in my little corner of the world, we celebrated with a traditional turkey dinner. I ordered a fresh, Bavarian turkey. The problem with ordering a fresh turkey is that you don't know exactly what the size is going to be. Well, my "tom" weighed in at 7.2 kilos (almost 16 pounds)...a bit much for 3 people, wouldn't you say? At first I thought it wasn't going to fit into the oven, much less the pan. All turned out well though and I discovered that fresh turkeys get more "bendable" after you wash and prepare them.

I have a wonderful "umlauf" oven with I think is called "circulating heat" so my big bird browned nice and even and it hit the right temperature after just 4 1/2 hours at about 300. It was "picture perfect".

In fact, the whole meal was perfect! Of course, I have a truckload of leftovers, even after passing on the "American tradition" of guests taking leftovers home. Have tupperware....will share the leftovers!

I have to say that my stuffing was the best. Do you know why? ......

Just imagine...stuffing made from SEMMEL!!!! Yes, it just can't get any better than that!!

For more pictures from my Thanksgiving, please click on The Camera Lenz for a slideshow.

Cousin's Get Together and Completed Pieces

2010-11-17T14:56:00.004+01:00

Once again this year, five cousins and I got together for a couple of days of good food, great company and fun times. This year we were in Salzburg...does it get any better than that?

The weather was fantastic, the view...well, the view was magical as it always is.

We did some things that I've never done before.

We celebrated a birthday and talking until our throats were sore...at least mine was!

Thank you all for including me and I sure look forward to next year!

I've completed a few pieces I'd like to share. I posted this one pretty regularly while stitching it. I now have it back after my sister completed it. It is absolutely amazing. The pictures don't do it justice, that's for sure!

Susan and Steve....you outdid yourself with this!

The tray is unique and perfect.

I've always said that if my stitching looks good...just wait until Susan finishes with it...it will look great! You can see more pictures of it on The Camera Lenz if you would like.

I've also completed this piece which I call Chickens And Eggs.

It's canvas with beads.

I tried to make each part a different stitch and used many different threads and beads.

It's a bright and bold piece.

This next one, called Albuquerque, is also done.

It's also canvas and beads although a different style.

The beads are all very large and the piece is very different than anything I've done before.

The colors are also very atypical for me.

But I like the way it looks and feels.

I'm now attempting some cutwork or drawnwork. I'm not sure what it's called. The best book I have on it is a very old Austrian book and it is called "Durchbruchstickerei". That literally translates to "breakaway" so I'm not sure exactly what it is. But that's okay.

Spirit of Vierlande and Orchids

2010-08-25T14:52:00.003+02:00

Hi everyone. You may have noticed that I haven't been posting. I believe my blogging has turned in a new direction. And that's okay...everything changes.

After almost a year (including 3 months of blooming) two of my orchids are blooming again.

This one was a gift from Sonya and Vipin last year.

I got this one about a month after Sonya/Vipin gave me the other one and it's blooming too.

I actually finished my "long term cross stitch", The Long Dog Sampler Spirit of Vierlande. I changed it some because I am not actually into the "sampler" part of a sampler. Don't ask me why I even started one then! The stitching is done now.

Of course I took these pictures at night so they are not all that good but don't worry....

...as I said, the stitching is done....

...not the actual project!

I'll post more as things happen.

Vacation Pictures

2010-06-09T12:19:00.002+02:00

Hi everyone. I know it's been ages. I was on vacation in the States for three weeks and have quite alot of pictures to share. If you are interested in seeing my posted slideshows, please go to The Camera Lenz. I'm not going to post them here as well. Just to let you know....over 5600 miles and 14 or 15 States of travel...there's lots to see and I'll be adding more as I get things sorted!

Excitement in the Neighborhood

2010-04-30T16:23:00.003+02:00

Today was an exciting day in our little neighborhood. They tore down a house. Yep..the whole house was completely taken down in the course of one day. I didn't even think to take pictures when it all started but believe me, it was a whole house, roof and all!

The work was so efficient and professional. They continuously sprayed water on the building to cut down on the dust. This one machine not only knocked the building down but put the remains onto the dump truck. I watched for a long time. I find things like this very interesting. And of course, machines and tools and stuff like that....I can't get enough of it! If they are going to build a new house on this ground, it is going to be quite a wonderful project to watch this summer.

Besides this, I have been keeping busy and enjoying my spring...bike riding outside again (hurray!), making the cards each month as part of the Hardanger Card Club and sewing on my Long Dog Sampler. I know...I haven't posted any new pictures of the progress. Sorry. I'll try to remember to take pictures of it this weekend!

I've been getting quite experimental with cooking. This was Kalbshaxe that I made last week. It was incredibly good! I looked up "kalbshaxe" in the dictionary and it said "knuckle of veal". I apologize...I just can't remember what "knuckle" it is!

Hardanger, Tomatoes and a Sunset

2010-04-19T14:00:00.004+02:00

I haven't had many blogging moments lately, I know. But I'll catch everyone up on things now!
We got our second tomato this season. Yes...really! I wintered our one tomato plant and, though not pretty, it is producing.

There's several more growing. No, we won't be opening a tomato stand any time soon but it sure is fun to watch!

Here's a picture of the sunset last night. I can't say that it is because of the Volcano.....

But it certainly was a colorful evening.

And lastly, I put the finishing touches on my Hardanger Practice piece. I am done with it now. I've posted lots of pictures here......

It was a great learning experience and I had lots of fun working it. I think I've got the basics of Hardanger down pretty good now. So...it's on to my Long Dog Sampler until vacation. I don't want to start anything new at this point. Hope everyone is well and I do thank you all for reading and commenting on my blog!

Salzburg Day Trip / Mozartkugeln Taste Test

2010-04-03T08:41:00.008+02:00

So, what did you do yesterday? We decided, very spontaneously, to go to Salzburg. One of the nicest things about living in Southern Germany is how close it is to Austria!

Although it wasn't really warm, it wasn't really cold either. The city was so alive. There were locals everywhere, tourists that came for the day or the week, and the atmosphere was springlike and wonderful.

There were signs of spring everywhere, in fact.

And reminders of the fact that is is Easter Weekend.

There's new things to see....I believe that the interior of the Hause der Natur is completely renovated and modernized as well as the outside. But you'll have to check it out yourself to be see for sure.

The fountains were still covered and the Neutor tunnel through the mountain is still under construction. But some of the cleaning is already done.

And ready for summer.......

I don't know when the last time I saw the Augustiner so crowded! Not only was the beer garden packed to the max but all three rooms inside too! There wasn't a piece of red meat to be had...only fish. Because the place is in a cloister, they are not permitted to serve meat on Good Friday. But fish, beer, schnapps....no problem.

OK, and for the most incredible news......there's something new!!!!! Mini Mozartkugeln!!!! I saw them advertised on TV and I searched until I found them. They aren't, at least at this point in time, available everywhere although the company Mirabell certainly has an amazing advertising campaign going on throughout the city. Well, I just HAD to do a taste test so I bought a bag of regular "Mozart balls" and the minis.

I only saw the minis available in this tub. The salesman said to try them first because they taste so different from the original. Of course, what did he think? I wasn't going to eat them even if they did taste different??

When cut in half, they look exactly the same. The minis don't come individually wrapped so the chocolate is pretty shiny. I believe that's because the thin aluminum wrappers on the originals leave slight indentations in the chocolate.

Even the proportions look the same. The same chocolate covering thickness in relation to the size. And the marzipan middle also looks to be proportioned equally as well. Please keep in mind, that I only did this taste test for YOU....so YOU wouldn't have to wonder about it. To save YOU the testing. And what was the verdict?? Well, both of us agreed 100% that they taste exactly the same! The smaller ones just have less of everything so the taste isn't as intense but Mirabell seems to have really made the perfect mini Mozart ball! And BOY.....are they perfect!!!!!

I can't imagine not wanting to be in Salzburg. I hope everyone can come and experience everything there is to experience. And, believe me, there's so much! Something for everyone, I guarantee it! And I leave you on this note..........

Hardanger Progress

2010-04-01T09:51:00.004+02:00

I was going to tell you that spring in Munich is wonderful. The forsythia are blooming, the trees are starting to bud, the streets have been cleaned. I was going to tell you all that, but it's snowing so I'll just tell you that it's a very typical spring time here in Munich.

And everything is fine.

I've been having fun with my hardanger piece.

And lots of fun trying to think of new things to do.

I like using contrasting color on this practice piece.

And seeing how varied I can make each little motif.

This very thin yarn was exceptionally neat to work with and I also using floss as long as it is something that lays flat.

At the moment, the piece is on the back burner. I am busy repairing a hand sewn quilt that my Dad gave me 15 years ago or maybe even longer. He got each of us girls a summer quilt and a winter quilt, one from China, the other from Korea. I can't remember which is which. I do know though that they were all very loosely sewn and the stitches are very spread out. So years later, there's lots of repair work to do. The cat loves it....she thinks I'm doing it all for her. She gets to make a little nest in it. But boy does she yell when it's time to move the thing around!

Well, I'm off to the grocery store now...it will be such a lovely spring walk, getting wet in the snow.

First Bike Rides of The Season

2010-03-26T08:44:00.003+01:00

Spring has come to Munich and I am counted as one of those who are very happy about it. It's finally warm enough to hit the trails instead of dream about them while pedalling away on my indoor bike.

It doesn't much look like spring yet. Everything is still fairly brown and lifeless.

But there's been alot of activity in my beloved park while I was busy riding indoors.

Most of the snow is gone but here and there I saw little patches of the old stuff hanging on, waiting for the warmth to melt it away.

There's new things to see.

And old favorites to check out.

I don't know what moss does in the winter but even now, when everything else is waiting to come to life, the moss seems so green and fresh.

The wild boar are out but very far away from the main roads.

But throughout the park, there are signs that they were very busy rutting around all winter long, looking for what ever it is that they eat.

A normally dead end road was wide open this fine spring day. No, I didn't go in...it's been "taboo" since I started riding in the park and I just couldn't bring myself to ride further. The gate is electric..what happens if it closed when I was in there???

The loggers have created new paths to explore and I'm feeling very adventurous! I didn't take a picture of it but there was one muddy road in the whole park. I saw it to the left of where I was traveling and mentally noted that I was glad I wasn't heading that way. I later decided to ride a trail I'm not familiar with to get back home. Wouldn't you guess...I ended up on that muddy road! It was awesome!! Mud was flying, tires were slipping...and if I could have recorded the smell for you, I surely would have!

Hardanger Practice Piece

2010-03-21T09:31:00.003+01:00

It finally feels like spring has come to Germany. All the snow is melted and little flowers are starting to pop up everywhere. It feels good!

I'm almost completely recovered from whatever it was that I had. I almost made it through the winter without getting sick!

I'm still playing with my hardanger practice piece. Here's the latest:

I'm also learning what NOT to do!

I'm learning alot about what threads work best and tension.

Sometimes I put a little bit of something else here and there.

It's a fun, rambling sort of piece. I hope whatever you are working on brings you happiness as well!

Hardanger And CSA

2010-03-10T12:42:00.003+01:00

Hey...guess what! In my last post I mentioned (okay..."plugged") CSA's Oberammergau Passion Play trip. But now you can combine this with something that is just as awesome.....an embroidery workshop!!! Yes, another "plug" but also an exciting and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Well, at least once a decade as that's how often the Passion Play comes around. Check it out!

I've really been practicing my Hardanger. Here are a few pictures of what my practice piece looks like now.

It's really neat looking. Well, my other "hobby" these days is going to the dentist and it's about that time so.....until later!

Hardanger Practice Piece & What's Going On

2010-03-06T15:06:00.003+01:00

I know...my posts are not very regular anymore. But that's okay. I'm busy and sitting in front of the computer is just not where I want to be all the time. But rest assured, I am fine! Today is a snowy, winter day. Quite a change from the past week or two where we were over 50degrees. But that's okay too...

It's pretty and I am not one to mind the snow.

I've started a new project. Well, it's actually a practice piece. I mentioned earlier that I joined the "Hardanger Card Club" offered through NordicNeedles and got the taste of this technique. And....fell in love! But the cards themselves are small and I wanted more practice. So....

I started my own practice piece where I can try out different threads and stitches.

My sister Susan said she thought this would be a technique that I really enjoy. Well...guess what Susan....you are SO RIGHT! Susan's very busy with many exciting and wonderful things going on but she posts regularly so check it out if you aren't already a follower of hers.

I'm learning quite a bit as I work on my practice piece. And also experimenting with different threads. And colors!

I am also working on my Long Dog Sampler but it's so darned big (like...tablecloth size!) that it is sort of a pain to take pictures of. But I will get some taken sooner or later.

Take a look at my sister Sonya's blog. She's been posting again, working hard on her blog along with the millions of other things she does. She reminds us that it is once again an Oberammergau Passion Play year. Have you been? Wouldn't you just love to go? Well...she'll tell you how! And don't forget...it's only once every 10 years!

Besides being completely addicted to practicing Hardanger, I've been riding my indoor bike every day. I was hoping that I could soon be outside, hitting the trails again but I think I have to be a little more patient with that subject. You know....with snowstorms and all! I've ridden over 2600 kilometer indoors now. Thank goodness I have a DVD player in that room...and lots of DVD TV shows. Real good stuff...Babylon 5, X-Files, every single Stargate made: my kind of stuff! You don't really want to know what else...I'm sure you can just imagine and not be far from the truth. I've been doing lots of cooking and experimenting in the kitchen as well. So..all is good! Hope everything is good with you all too!

Sometimes Together Finished!

2010-02-17T16:56:00.003+01:00

After 3 months, I finished my blackwork and stones which I call Sometimes Together.

I have to say, I am quite happy that I selected the almost canvas-type material because, with all the stones and beads, it's quite heavy.

I can (and have) stared at it for hours. It's amazing, if I do say so myself!

I guess I am so pleasantly surprised that it turned out so well because I planned out the design myself. I selected the threads, beads, stones, colors and stitches without a pattern. I normally always work with patterns so this was a brand new experience....

I believe that a few of the photos are good enough that you can really see the details by clicking to enlarge.

Each square is about 2 inches and the patterns in between the squares are all over one with one thread of YLI silk floss and petite glass beads.

This piece has so much texture! It's hard to keep my hands off of it, just to touch, once again, every single bead and stone. The side view is amazing.

So, what is next? Well, I start my January Hardanger Card Club design tonight! I've wanted to make a serious attempt at Hardanger for years. And now...I am! I don't think that the designs will take a month to complete so I'll work some on my Long Dog Sampler. I am still enjoying the feeling of my Sometimes Together finish.

Blues Chapel and Last Words and Other Stuff

2010-02-09T07:43:00.003+01:00

Want to see something really incredible? Please check out my sister Susan's Blues Chapel and Last Words . What is it, you ask? It is her two solo but related art installations . It is now open in Columbia, SC and runs through the 16th of February. If you haven't seen what she does, you'll definitely want to check it out. If you have seen her work, then you are already a fan and know where to find her blog!

I am plugging away on Sometimes Together, my blackwork and stones piece. It's really full and pretty and I am completely addicted to it! If you click to enlarge, maybe you can see that the beads on the "in between" patterns are all outlined with a corresponding color. It's slow work but very worth it. And I can't tell you how good I am at starting and tying off the thread now! Susan...you will be so proud of me! No more long strings covering the back!

I know I need to change the setting on my camera to get clearer close up pictures but I keep forgetting. Maybe some day....

I've been thinking alot about my family these days, especially my Mom and Dad. A year ago, they were here. We had such a wonderful time. Even in cooking, I think of them.

Dad, you would have LOVED this! And look how green it is! Mom, you would be proud...I used only about 5 drops of oil! It was healthy, good and pretty!

And another picture for you, Dad...

My poinsetta is still alive!!!!! You are the master of keeping the stupid things alive for years and years and years.....I wish I could give this little one to you.

Progress and Tomatoes

2010-02-01T15:31:00.008+01:00

Hi everybody! I sometimes think that my blog is pretty boring for some. I usually work on only one project at at time. That's just the way I do my thing. I do have a "long term" project these days (My Long Dog Sampler) but it's been my Blackwork and Stones Sometimes Together project that has been my main thing for quite some time now. Thanks for bearing with me and commenting on my progress. I've now started the "between the lines" work.

I'm doing it with petite glass beads and one strand of YLI silk floss over one.

I sort of had to pick the colors based on what I had so there are four different flower colors.

As you can see, it changes the whole look of the piece! I love the combination of "conservative meets unconventional". And the crowning will be where the squares come together. I have a rough idea of what I am going to do there but not a complete plan yet.

It's wintery here in Munich. The wind has been blowing pretty much nonstop for days. The whistling through the balcony door really gets on your nerves after hearing it for hours on end. But it's too cold to put new insulating strips on the door now. I'm pretty sure that's what is causing the whistling but it does help with the draft. (NOTE: my DH has, in the mean time, explained that just because it's cold doesn't mean that the insulation strips won't stick, like I thought. He has fixed the whistling problem within minutes)

And right in the middle of winter......

....we have tomatoes!!! I'm trying to "winter" the one surviving tomato plant that we have. And it looks like it's working although I don't know if they will ever ripen. But it's so fun to see what happens!

And lastly, I have a mystery plant that I've been taking very good care of for a year now. This was my Valentine's Day present from last year (remember Mom?) and the moss was collected from the local woods where I ride my bike. But what this plant is...I have no idea. I take really good care of it though. Ok, everyone...am I tending a weed?????

Have a good week!

Skiing, Bavarian Style and "Sometimes Together" Progress

2010-01-27T08:55:00.004+01:00

Hi everyone! All last week "they" were predicted a beautiful Saturday. You know, one of those winter days that just won't quit. And it came true! We packed up the car and headed to Lenggries where there is a ski resort with a panorama restaurant.

For once, the weather predictions were correct and this day just went on forever, like the view.

Fog covered much of the valley but, up top and towards the mountains, it was breathtaking.

The skiing was awesome even though there were lots of people all over the place. But it wasn't just skiers, there were hikers and snowboarders, walkers and lookers, families and school trips.

It was a day for everyone to do whatever it was that they enjoyed.

It was certainly a beautiful day and a wonderful experience. If you want to see more pictures, check out The Camera Lenz where I have a slide show.

My "creative mojo" is still going strong (it's my "blog mojo" that seems lacking these days) and I'm happy to say that the blocks on Sometimes Together are finished.

I am not posting all the individual blocks but they are all nice. Above is a very pretty one which includes rocks and two different types of beads.

This is the piece in its entirety as it is right now. You can click to enlarge to get a better view of the different blocks.

And now I am at the point where I really have to make my decision about the stitching between the blocks. I'm still working on that. I know what I want but I don't have the thread yet to do it. So, in the mean time, I'm working on my Long Dog Sampler, The Spirit of Vierlande. No progress pictures yet.

Sometimes Together Progress

2010-01-11T15:09:00.004+01:00

It's a snowy day here in Munich. That's okay though. I like snow and I'm happy that we are finally getting some. Northern Germany has been hit by a winter storm and there's flooding scattered throughout Europe. But here in Munich, it's pretty and snowing. Okay, the truth is told by my Austrian hubby. Austrians are used to having at least a yard of snow in the winter so what we have here is "mouse knee-deep". I personally think then that the mice are in a state of emergency because we have at least 4 inches!

I got all the blocks stitched and couched on Together Sometimes. It's now time for the "good stuff"...beading and stoning. Is stoning a word? Well, it is now! I just happen to have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning and right there is a little bead store. It's not open very often but maybe I'll get lucky. I don't think a girl can have enough beads or thread, do you?

These rocks look a little more red than they are in real life. They are more of a burnt orange.

This is one of my favorite...it's neat and orderly. The beads are flat black and the rocks are fairly matt as well. It's one of the "stronger" blocks.

This one is pretty cool and yes, the stone is snow flake obsidian...a great rock for these black blocks.

I like this one alot because of the white beads. Unfortunately, there isn't alot of rock action in it. But it looks good anyway.

And here it is in its entirety. I'm hoping that my sister Susan gets the chance to mail me some YLI silk varigated threads. I'm planning to stitch one over one between the blocks with it. Of course there would be beads too and maybe stones as well. I'm not sure yet. Of course, this piece is pretty slow to work on because the beading and stoning are completed by block. The thread that I'm working gets hung up on the rocks quite often. This isn't the way to stitch but I had to do it this way to know what came next! It's such a fun piece! Hope what you are working on is fun, too!

Christmas Celebrations

2010-01-04T09:03:00.009+01:00

It's over now. All the sounds, smells and colors are memories. It was a great season...I hope for you, too!

The Christmas markets were in full swing again this year.

The lights were bright, the colors amazing, the smells of roasted nuts and glühwein everywhere.

Everyone seemed to be out and about.

Traditional displays enjoyed by all.

This year I was better prepared for the wicked sledriding experience.

Renate was the perfect hostess for our Christmas dinner.

And New Year's Eve in Munich? OH MY GOSH!!! I wasn't expecting such a loud and fun evening. It really started at sundown, fireworks, bangs, pops...all over the city. I've never been in a city where fireworks are legal for New Year's Eve.

This video sort of, kind of gives you an idea. But it doesn't really, only a small portion of the fireworks can be seen here. You can't see all the fireworks being shot off all over the area. You can't smell the smoke or notice that it covered the whole panorama by 12:15am, you can't hear the noise from every direction. But it sort of gives you an idea. Oh yes, it is a very amature video...but watch it anyway! No big, expensive displays. No fancy fireworks...just a whole city out doing their own thing, having fun into the wee hours!

Things are getting back to normal now. I'll get caught up with my blog reading here pretty soon. In the mean time...I hope you are settling into a nice, quiet, relaxed winter.

Cousins' Get-Together and Blackwork And Stones

2009-12-21T09:47:00.007+01:00

I got pictures from the Cousin's Get-Together and want to share a few of them with you. These were taken at the Get-Together at the end of November. I posted about the weekend here and now, I've got the "people pictures" to share!

From left to right, Anita, Heidi, Monika, Sigrid, me and Renate, my sister-inlaw.

This is a good picture of us all. Left with the blue scarf is Anita, me in the white coat, Sigrid has the orange scarf, Renate in the way back, Heidi with the orange coat, Monika on the right and her husband Walter to her right. Yes, he is half-saint, hanging out with so many women!

We sure had a good time! And fortunately, it wasn't all that cold. The hot Christmas wine helped with any chills though. I am always the designated drive so I'm drinking hot "children's punch". No we didn't drive and no I couldn't have even helped find the way back to the farmhouse where we stayed! ha ha The get-together is a yearly thing and I'm sure looking forward to it next year!

My Blackwork and Stones now has a name.....Sometimes Together.

This is the last colored block on the piece. It's very pretty, I think. I like the colors. I was afraid that the white beads wouldn't be seen but they are great.

And, for the first time, here's a picture of the whole project.

You can see where I've started working on the "holes" on the left side. Neither of the black blocks are finished. I haven't quite decided what I want to do. I've got it narrowed down to three options so as I work on them, the "right" thing will pop into my head and I'll just know. The spaces between the blocks will also be worked but that's still a long way off. I hope you like it!

I'm not sure how much I will be writing over the next couple weeks. So just in case it isn't alot, I want to wish you all a good holiday and merry Christmas. However you spend it, I hope that you all find the true spirit of Christmas filling your hearts.

Project Progress and What's Under My Tree

2009-12-15T13:08:00.002+01:00

Hi everyone! Just a couple more pictures of new Blackwork and Stones blocks. I'm working on the last colored one now.

I think I've got a nice mix of simple, complicated, chaotic and elegant blocks. It's really exciting to see how this is progressing. I'm not quite decided where I go from here. I guess I'll just have to see where my imagination takes me.

Under my tree is Abby Cat. She sat there for the first couple of days but only when the lights were one and only in the evening. Today I found her hanging out in mid-afternoon, all alone in the room! No, I don't really want her there but YOU try telling a cat something! I didn't think she'd go under the tree since she re-discovered the heated floor in the bathroom. It looks like my Mom is right again....I put the tree up for her!

Blackwork and Stones Progress

2009-12-09T13:09:00.004+01:00

Here are the latest 2" blocks completed on my Blackwork and Stones piece.

I'm now done with 9 of 12 colored blocks. I know...I'm showing you one block at a time...it makes it more exciting that way!

Lessons Learned

2009-12-05T17:11:00.002+01:00

Reflections while baking cookies: Lessons Learned

1) softened butter is not the same as melted butter
2) planning on 5 different kinds of cookies sometimes means having 4
3) experimenting with baking a new type of cookie when you need them is not such a great idea
4) try to pay attention when you mother teaches you how to bake cookies...you may need to know 40 years later

Everyone in my family knows the story of Wanda's No-bake cookies. My mom tried to save them...she baked them. She froze them. She tried to feed them to the birds. Well, they were not really edible but they make a great story, one that the next generation is already laughing about. I feel pretty much that way today. I planned on baking 5 different kinds of cookies (three American and two Austrian) to take to my mother inlaw so she had cookies for holiday guests. I made the American ones first....peanutbutter/peanutbutter with chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies and molasses cookies. The molasses cookies were sort of different. No surprise there...I couldn't find molasses so I used something called "sugar beet" which is similar but not really the same. But fine...these cookies were all good and I am happy. Then came the vanilla Kipferl. I can't really complain about the taste....they taste totally like what they are supposed to taste like. But they look so weird!!! I think some of them look maybe okay but some of them look like vanilla worms! Or maybe vanilla crabs!

OK...but so far, so good. I'm doing alright. How hard could "cut" cookies be? You know...the kind of cookie that you flatten out with a rolling pin and use cookie cutters? I just know I was taught how to do this. And I had dreamed of the perfect little cookies with jelly filling...I even went in the basement and got my rolling pin!

I just have no idea what went wrong.

They had holes in them! And they didn't hold their shape! and they were sort of chewy in a carmel sort of way!

I tried sprinkling them with powdered sugar.

I tried baking them longer than called for.

Nothing really helped. I did finish making them all but I am NOT giving them to my mother inlaw! Mommy......where ARE you????????

Christmas Tree, Another Blackwork and Stone Square and Knödel

2009-12-04T08:56:00.008+01:00

Jingle Bells.....Jingle Bells....It's a wonderful time of the year! Everything is so colorful and happy and bright. As promised, I'm posting Christmas tree photos now that I've got some good ones.

Even though the reflection from the ornaments looks bluish, I think you can really see the royal purple. My lights are supposed to be purple too but they look more pink when they are on.

Under the tree this year, I put one of my geodes. The purple matches really well. And it takes away a very empty place where Abby Cat thought she was supposed to be the decoration! Even if you don't live with a cat (or, as the cat thinks...if you don't belong to a cat!) it just goes to reason that trees + cats = potential disaster!!!!!

It's a pretty little tree. I have used just the top of a huge tree for the past couple of years. The huge tree would actually fit in the living room but it would be just too big and crowded.

I finished another one of my Blackwork and Stones squares.

Of course, this is one of my favorites because it has amethyst in it. But I used some bluish/purple thread which really makes it stand out.

Lastly, I'd like to share my first Knödel making experience. Of course, I couldn't just follow the recipe. I added celery and carrots. It was sort of like stuffing but in knödel form. They weren't as solid as they could have been but, for my first try, I'd say they came out really well. Only two of them sort of fell a little apart. Not completely but just enough for me to see that I have to pack them just a little harder. Not "tennis ball" hard, but hard enough to keep the ball form.

So...it's back to cookie baking. Did anyone want to see pictures of the cookies? I started with the American cookies first (chocolate chip, molasses, peanutbutter) and this weekend I'll attempt the beautiful Austrian cookies. Well, just two different kinds. Here is what they are supposed to look like:

I can only hope that mine look half as nice as my sister inlaw's! By the way...they taste just as good as they look!

Get-Together With Cousins, Progress on Piece

2009-12-01T08:55:00.004+01:00

Happy 1st of December to everyone from cold and rainy Munich! Things are really starting to be very holiday-like here. Christmas time means many things, one of which is getting together with family and friends. I had a wonderful weekend experience getting together with the female cousins. I had met them all before and I spent a little time with a couple last year on the ski slopes. And I know my sister inlaw fairly well. But the chance to get together with everyone? Wow! I was so honored to be invited! We met at one cousin's house in a beautiful little town in Tirol. We enjoyed the music program and festivities in Rattenberg. Rattenberg is a medieval town known for it's glass refining businesses.

Because of the many glass products, you can imagine how bright and beautiful everything is. The town was completely decorated for the Christmas program in almost a medieval way with candles in all the windows, big barrel fires, torches lighting the streets and the smell of hot wine and food everywhere.

I for one cannot take photos at night but this one turned out sort of okay. This was the grand finale of the program. The angel in the middle, sitting on a big swing, sang in a clear and strong voice.

It was magical. After the singing, the church bells rang. They must have rung for a good 15 minutes. I personally could listen to the bells ringing for hours - I love the sound. After the program we had an incredible meal in an amazing restaurant which was the old train station restaurant. The food was absolutely perfect! After a nightcap in a local bar, it was off to bed. The next morning our day started out right with a great big breakfast at the farmhouse where we stayed.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. We visited the "der lustige Friedhof" or, as it is called in English the "merry cemetery" where funny tombstone verses from all over the area have been collected and are displayed. I'm sorry, I couldn't find a translated link but if you go to this link and click on the photos you can see at least what it looked like. After that, we went to Kufstein to a huge Garden store. It was amazing! The place is huge, I think at least 5 big halls and anything and everything you can imagine for Christmas was there. Everything imaginable to make your own wreaths or decorations to ones already made. Poinsettias in every size, shape and form and every other plant associated with Christmas and winter. In one hall, ornaments and decorations were grouped together by color. In another, by what it was. They also had a wonderful orchid display, bonsai trees and herbs. There were, however, no Christmas trees. It's still too early for that. A real tree is put up on Christmas Eve here and they are all down by the 6Th of January.

We all headed back to our own homes from the Garden store (after having some trouble just getting out of the parking lot there!) with good memories and a happy mindset to start December. To all the cousins.....thank you so much for inviting me! I had a wonderful time! I did learn though that being around so many people with so many conversations and topics that I need to get my German....faster!!! ha ha ha

I know this is a long post but I did want to share the great weekend. I'm almost done....I want to share a couple more squares on my Blackwork and Stones project.

If you click to enlarge the photos, you can see the details better. I can't tell you how much I enjoy working on this piece! Not only because I am designing it but because, well, it's colorful and happy and has so many neat things going on! More progress pictures soon!

And lastly, the house is decorated! It's great! The tree is beautiful...I used the big balls this year since last year I used only the smaller decorations. It looks fantastic but no pictures to post until I get one that is good. So far, they are too dark or too light or just not right. I don't think I often capture the true royal purple of the decorations. But some day.......

Thanksgiving in Munich

2009-11-27T09:34:00.002+01:00

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. I love the excitement, the smells, the work. I love the food. I set this day aside to think if family and friends and count my blessings. I have lots to count!

This year we had a friend over, a friend who never experienced a "Traditional American Thanksgiving". He came not knowing much about it at all except that he had heard that turkey was a dried up big bird. It was a great joy telling him about all the traditions and things that happen in households throughout my country. Some things I just had to explain...like football and sweet potatoes and real corn on the cob, right from the farmer. Others he got to experience first hand....

Like a beautifully set table, homemade stuffing, a juicy and tasty turkey, pumpkin pie. He wasn't sure about what he was going to eat. And he isn't a dessert person....not at all.

But I did my thing and it was awesome! I did our Thanksgiving dinner proud and represented my country well! The stuffing was either going to be really good or very strange. It turned out very good. The mashed potatoes were heavenly....and yes, mashed potatoes can be heavenly! The turkey itself was incredible. I thought since I've learned so much about cooking this past year that I should use some of this new founded knowledge on my turkey. Please note...there aren't any pictures of the finished product....the turkey didn't have one of those strings on it and it actually fell right off the bones when I took it out of the pan!! It was that juicy! I did have corn on the cob but it's just no way near what fresh-from-the-farm is. I had a vegetable dish and the closest thing to dinner rolls I could find. No one ate the rolls....there just wasn't room!
I did sort of cheat on the cranberries....I had preiselbeere instead. This is sort of like cranberries but the berries are smaller. It translates to "lingonberry" or "foxberry" but I've never heard of those. Whatever it is, it is better than cranberries in my opinion. Our friend ate and ate....and ate. He couldn't get enough! But then, we all know what happens, after you stuff yourself with turkey.....you're stuffed! ha ha

I worked on the dishes while the guys walked around and around the couch, trying to work off some of that good food. I love my little kitchen but it really is not set up for doing a whole Thanksgiving dinner! Well, better said, it's not set up for doing the dishes after a whole Thanksgiving dinner! But I plugged away at it and did it sort of in shifts. As the last dish was rinsed, I ran completely out of hot water. I consider that successful...last year I had to heat water in the water cooker to finish!

Our friend made it very clear that he wasn't a dessert person and that he would only try a very small piece of whatever a pumpkin pie was, just to try it (and be polite) So after an appropriate wait, it was pumpkin pie time. I cut a small sliver for him. He ate it and then helped himself to more! This was really the "icing on the cake" .... Americans aren't all about microwaves and fast food! I won a heart that day.....all because of my pumpkin pie! Thanks Mom for bringing me the Libby's pumpkin....there's no way to make a pumpkin pie without it and we can't get it over here!

I hope you all made memories in your own traditional way. Whatever that is. I know that not everyone's holidays are the same. I've spent many Thanksgivings and even Christmas's in a Laundromat....and those were special too. Yes, it was pretty empty but it wasn't completely empty. There was always a few people milling around, doing laundry, trying not to feel lonely and far away from everyone you love. And we all ended up celebrating together, with conversation, laughter, cookies from the vending machine and smiles. The laundry sometimes forgotten and complete strangers becoming part of our personal history. However you spent your Thanksgiving, I hope that the memories are good and, even through some tears, they will bring a smile to your face in the years to come.

Blackwork and Stones in Progress

2009-11-21T08:25:00.002+01:00

My Blackwork and Stones piece is coming along really nicely. In fact, this is exactly my "thing"... I love working on it! It's exciting and provides lots of variety and, yes, even wakes up a little creativity that is mostly buried deep inside!

Some of the 2 inch squares are dainty and very orderly. I think if you click to enlarge on the photos, you can see the detail a little better. You will be able to see that I am using all sorts of things.

Others are full and bold. I think I'm doing pretty good with the color matching so far. It's not as easy as it seems it would be. I've always said that I have no talent in imagining things. For example, don't ask me how my furniture would look in a completely empty room. I have no idea. I can't imagine it. The furniture has to be IN the room. Once it is in place, I never re-arrange because I have no idea how it would look positioned differently! So designing is a real challenge for me. But I like it! And the creative juices seem to flow. Of course, it helps that I love everything I am doing and everything I am using. I love the feel of the rocks. I love the tiny petite beads and I love threads. Yeah...this is definitely a good thing for me!

Blackwork and Stones

2009-11-18T08:35:00.004+01:00

My sister Susan has told me for years that I need to try designing. I am hesitant because I don't think I'm good enough and that I don't have an imagination. But she's my mentor and my "handwork goddess" so if she says something, I'm going to at least attempt to do what she says!

So I've been planning and drawing and sorting through things. I've been color matching and rummaging through years of collected threads, beads and rocks. I've been counting...and counting and counting. I now have a base plan.

The piece will have everything I love...rocks, beads, silk and metallic threads, couching, maybe a little canvas stitching. It will have stitches over 1 and stitches over 2. It will be orderly but with a touch of chaos since rocks aren't perfectly shaped. It will be full. I enlarged the above picture so you could see the details. Sorry it is one-sided but I don't know how to correct that! And thanks to Plays with Needles for how to do the enlarging!! In my opinion, Susan has one of the best blogs on the internet!

And I'll attempt to photograph it as I go, to show you how it is evolving. I've already noted, when looking at these first pictures of the first 2 inch square that the light blue thread doesn't show up too well. But there will be lots of pale colors as well as bold. I'm trying to keep a list of exactly what threads and beads I am using but some I just don't know. And I don't know that it really matters.

The weather in Munich has been unseasonably nice. Yesterday was over 60 degrees! Today looks like it is going to be a beautiful day as well. The motorcycle isn't put up for winter yet. There's still the possibility of a few hundred kilometers more. The ski pass is purchased but the skis aren't up from the basement yet. On today's schedule is planning out my Thanksgiving menu and making a list of all the things I need to get at the grocery store for Thanksgiving and for cookie-baking time! It's all coming up very quickly. I like having a schedule. I like having a plan. And I like where I am right now...at a very good and safe and calm place. Filled with love and satisfaction. I hope you are too.

Something New

2009-11-11T13:40:00.003+01:00

I've had this idea for a long time now. And the blank white wall really needed something but I didn't want anything right over the TV. When my sister Sonya was here this summer, she gave me a beautiful orchid. I've never had an orchid before but it seems to like it here. I had it sitting on the TV stand and it did really well. So I incorporated this orchid with my wall project...and this is what I came up with.....

I got a second orchid (the top one) this past weekend. And we got the kind of baskets that hang flat on the wall.

So, yes, even though I said I wasn't ever going to get another plant...well, I just had to to make it work!

Spirit of Vierlande Progress and Dinner

2009-11-05T17:49:00.002+01:00

Hi Everyone! Yes...believe it or not, two posts in one week! I'm trying to be more attentive to my poor blog! I thought I'd show some "progress" pictures of my Long Dog Sampler, Spirit of Vierlande. I don't iron it before I take pictures...I think it would look better but I don't want to iron it too much. I don't know why. It just seems like it could be bad or something.

Next time I'll put an object beside it so you can see just how big this thing is. I didn't really want it this big, but I didn't have much choice in material so I took what I could get.

This one is side ways as to keep the original size but it looks alittle less wrinkled. Unfortunately, there isn't a place in my house that is large enough in the sun to get the whole thing in the sun. I do have a nice blank white wall but, when hanging there, it looks a little striped with the sun pattern so....I just do what I can!

Speaking of "doing what I can".... this past year I have really improved my cooking skills! This meal today was exceptional. It's a Tafelspitz with lots of veggies. The sauce was amazing. Let's face it..the whole thing was amazing, if I do say so myself!! It was definitely "Sunday Dinner" material!

Have a nice weekend!

Munich Rock Show

2009-11-02T09:37:00.006+01:00

This weekend was the annual Munich Rock Show. It's held every year here in Munich and it is the biggest show in Europe. It was fantastic! There were new things to see and new booths and vendors sprinkled throughout the 4 gigantic halls in which it is held. One of the most amazing things this year was a smaller area of "nature meets nature" displays. Photographing was a little difficult because of the glass casings and spotlights everywhere but I think these pictures will give you an idea.

Someone combined collections I think. Or two people with different collections came together and created this awesome idea. Butterflies and moths from around the world displayed with rocks from around the world.

The color and pattern combinations were RIGHT ON! None of the butterflies were from the same place as the rocks but if they were, the creatures surely would have had the perfect camouflage.

I was fascinated with these combinations. In real life, they were even more perfectly matched than in the photos.

Another thing that is so fascinating about the rock show is the surreal look of nature.

These "puff balls" look soft and furry. But in reality, they are really rocks. To the touch, they are hard and prickly. It takes great skill to actually clean these things up as they are all covered in dirt and small stones when they are found.

Here you can actually see the crystal shapes. This is a larger "ball" but some of them were so small that you couldn't make out exactly what it was. And the crystals were so thin they were thread width.

This larger specimen is a great example that shows different crystal widths and lengths all on the same piece. Doesn't it look soft? Well, it isn't! It's rather sharp!

The surrealism continued throughout the show. I like the close ups because you can see the actual rock on which the crystals sit. And you can see that often there are many types of minerals all on the same piece.

This specimen was truly amazing. The longer piece of crystal is almost as long as my arm! Oh yes, this show isn't just for tiny little stones, there are huge pieces all over the place.

This is most definitely the largest Amethyst piece I have ever seen. It is as big as a single bed! And it is a beautiful piece as well.

Next time I'll have pictures of my stitching...I have been working on my Long Dog sampler but haven't taken progress photos yet.

If you would like to see more rock pictures, please check out The Camera Lenz where I've posted a slide show.

Home Safe And Sound

2009-10-19T07:44:00.007+02:00

Hi Everyone! I'm back from the States. I haven't had the chance yet to catch up on what everyone's doing but give me a couple of days. I did want to let you all know that I have safely returned home.

I got everything done in the States that I wanted to. My storage room is now cleaned out and I sorted through my junk...I mean treasures. I got rid of alot of stuff and the rest of it is being kept at Mom and Dad's. I only have 5 boxes there now.

My storage area wasn't all that bad, once it was sorted out. The stuff on the left was trash. It sort of hurts to think that I paid all that money for all those years for this!! But it's over now. I also got Mom and Dad's house ready for winter. You know...bringing in the plants, putting the summer furniture away, etc.

There were a few very nice days there in Western Pennsylvania. Fall was in its glory.

The lake is down about a foot and a half, according to Dad. He tracks that kind of thing so he knows.

If you look to the right in the lake, you'll see the island. It shouldn't be showing at all. Maybe there will be enough snow this winter to make up for the lack of rain this summer and the island will be covered once again.

New England is the place famous for its fall colors but I think Western PA is just as nice!

Lots of critters came to say hello...it's that time of the year. Dad put up the bird feeders (which sometimes end up being squirrel and chipmunk feeders) while I was there. Turkeys will eat there too in the winter. In fact, I think Mom and Dad somehow have an animal neon sign that says..."Welcome! We're Open! Good Food!"

I was home for Dad's 75th birthday. It's been probably 15 years since I got to spend his special day with him. We played alot of chess (the chess board was his 70th birthday present....I stitched it and my sister Susan made the board. Click to enlarge it. It's blackwork.) while I was home. And you aren't going to believe this but it's true...I won one!!!! It's the first game I ever won and we've been playing for over 40 years!!!! Of course, I immediately called the whole family to tell them! I was in seventh heaven!!! Good game, Dad!!!!

TAST...The Ones That Were Not

2009-09-30T09:35:00.004+02:00

Hi everyone! I bet you thought I was gone. Well...no, not yet. I leave tomorrow for a two week trip to the States. I've had a storage unit there for over 20 years...it's time to clean it out. I have no idea what is even in it anymore. I'm sure it's all junk. So, it's work time in Slippery Rock. Oh, I'm sure it won't all be work....plenty of play as well!!! I've been enjoying the last few days of summer and the beginning of fall. I can never tell which is which so I just enjoy them all! I achieved my bicycle goal....I've ridden over 2000 kilometers this season. I am hoping for a few more good days of riding when I get back but will have to see how the weather is. I've also been very busy with TAST. Actually, the challenge is done. I think I heard that I get extra credit for finishing so early! ha ha I have to say though, I changed things around a bit. It took me awhile to catch on (like almost a year) but I finally realized that TAST (Take A Stitch Tuesday...a new stitch a week for a year for those of you who are not familiar with the program) is MY challenge. So I replaced some of the original challenge stitches with stitches that fit my style of embroidery. And I don't feel guilty!!! So....here's some examples of the TAST stitches that were NOT on the original list...

I enjoy couching alot. There are so many different couching stitches. This one can be done with so many different type threads! It's a neat look.

I couldn't get enough of this one!

Another really neat stitch and very easy to do. I worked it with several different threads including nylon ribbon.

OK...I think this is actually on the original TAST list but it is a great stitch! I love it! I learned through TAST that I really like the knotted stitches. And pretty much don't like the chain stitches.

This is just one example of canvas stitching. I like working on canvas and need to explore the possibilities further.

Probably my favorite from all the stitches I did. I've always wanted to do cutwork but never thought I was good enough. So where better to practice than by TAST?! This sample is wonderful....it shows what NOT to do as well as what to do. The count is very important. The correct fabric is very important too (I learned the hard way on this example!). I have wonderful books that are very good with cutwork explanations and I think that I really can do it!!

Another fun stitch. I think this one works best with yarns. This is a great one for flowers!

Well, there's a walk through of a few of my stitches that were not. I hope you enjoy them. My hubby came up with a great idea for a book for my TAST samples. I have one now but I don't like anything about it except that they are all together. So that's another project for fall and winter.

Day Trip

2009-09-20T08:24:00.005+02:00

It's Oktoberfest time here in Munich. There's plenty of opportunity to see parades and have fun...and sit in traffic and be in crowds. What some people don't realize though is that there is a completely different way to do all those things these days and it is so much more fun!! It's Almabtrieb time!!! What is that, you ask? An Almabtrieb is when the cows come down from the high mountain alms for the winter. It's a festive, colorful, fun time.

With lots of traffic. Why is there traffic? Well let me explain....

The cows have been having a great summer, wandering around the mountains, eating grass and enjoying being outside. When it's time to go back to the barn, they are all gathered together....

And, if there hasn't been any accidents all summer long, they get to put on their "Sunday best" parade clothes......

...and if they are really lucky they get to make lots of noise with a big bell......

...and then they march in a big long parade......

....all the way home!!!! And that means going through any towns that may be in the way.

There's fest tents and music and beer. There's colors and smiling faces everywhere. Forget what I said earlier...this is even BETTER than Oktoberfest!

The scenery is pretty nice too...don't you agree?

There's a clip from the start of the almabtrieb. It does have sound but it starts after a couple of seconds of play time:

And just a note to those of you wondering.....I did NOT cry when the cows were paraded past, farmers all happy (I don't know how much of that "happiness" was due to the schnaps flasks sticking out of their back pockets) and the cows so proud. Well, not too much. And I was NOT afraid when one of the cows came in my direction and I was standing in a corner. Well, again, not too much. It was a GREAT day! Forget the Oktoberfest...there's so much to do other than that!

Dad's Visit and Finished Quilt

2009-09-11T08:50:00.007+02:00

I've missed you all! I promise to get caught up with what you are doing soon. In the mean time, let me tell you about my week with Dad....

It was a whirlwind trip for him, just six nights. We packed a heck of a lot into the trip though and we had a wonderful time. After spending a day relaxing here in Munich, we headed north and east. We had some problems getting out of Munich...that dreaded word "STAU". That means traffic jam. And it took us almost two hours to get to the Munich Airport! It got better after that but we spent the whole day on congested autobahns and running into interesting situations...like trying to be back on the autobahn after tanking up and finding the on-ramp was just closed. No warning, no nothing. So we had to go 12 kilometers in the wrong direction just to get back on!

Our first stop was Cousin Elizabeth. She is 87 years old and lives in a senior home just south of Dresden. She is completely clear and shows no signs of slowing down!

Her apartment is tiny and there wasn't really a way to get a picture without shooting it directly into brightness of the window. Her sons and one of her daughter in-laws were there as well. We had a great visit and then headed on to Seifhennersdorf where the get together was.

Saturday morning we decided to go "country hopping". At this place in Germany, we could easily drive in the Czech Republic and in Poland. We had a blast...and we were only gone 3 hours! The above pictures is the Czech Republic. It pretty much all looked like this...as did Poland.

The get-together was incredible. The Hungarians made the gulasch and brought the wine. I guess that should go without saying! The gulasch was made in a huge kettle outside and took hours. The meat was deer, wild boar and who knows what else. I didn't ask.

This type of Hungarian gulasch is like a soup. Oh...did I mention that they use alot of spices? Like hot pepper paprika. In my youth, I was know to eat really hot things....mostly because I'd take a "dare" and eat the stuff to get out of doing the dishes or something. But at this point in my life, hot and spicy aren't really on my menu too much.

But THIS.....well, this is definitely to my liking! Family members...please click to enlarge....check out the sausage on the left-hand plate in the back!!!! Yes....we ALL know what that is!!!!! Oh, and note the little round red pepper sort of in the middle of the left-hand plate. There was an old Hungarian lady that popped those things in her mouth like they were popcorn!! And no....it isn't a little tomato....it's a red-hot pepper!!

I have lots of pictures of the get together that I won't show here. For those who want copies of them, Mom and Dad have a set or you can get a set from me. We had a great time. See how happy Dad is? He's sitting beside his cousin Heinrich. His cousin Mathias was also there. Yeah, I know...it's like they didn't have many names back then! ha ha This was a get-together of Hungarians in Udvari today and the Germans that were deported in 1946-1948. Yes, we have lots of stories but one I would like to share......

A 2nd cousin of Dad's came up to us and started talking about how Dad and he were deported in the same cattle train wagon. And it was an adventure and Dad was his hero for what he did. I was looking at the guy with sort of a blank expression, having no idea what Dad did. And this guy (yes, I think his name was Mathias) asked in astonishment if my Dad had never told him the story. The story was that this guy was about 3 years old and Dad, being 12 years old, lifted him up so he could get some fresh air from the little slit of a window in the cattle car! Dad doesn't remember it at all. The guy was 3....his memories are his own. Dad was 12 and has a completely different set of memories.

OK...on to the next exciting part....my QUILT. It is done! I got it back!! It is completely totally awesome and I can't believe it's mine!!

Peggy Sheehan, the lady who quilted it for me did an awesome job. The quilting is low key because the top has enough going on all by itself. The "Mrs. Foote Dirndl Material" for the back is absolutely perfect. The edges are awesome. (Sister Susan...you get what was left of it. In thanks for providing most of the top material!)

Isn't it great?!

And the size is perfect!! Yes, it's pretty heavy but I am not using it for a blanket but a bedspread. Even hubby was totally blown away with it.

And Abby? Well, it was always HER quilt and she is very happy to have it back. In fact...can you guess where her favorite place to sleep the day away is?? I've posted a slideshow on my photoblog The Camera Lenz showing more pictures of the finished product.

Thanks for bearing with me through this long post. It's an important post though for my family!

Westpark

2009-09-01T11:40:00.003+02:00

Hi Everyone! No, I haven't stopped blogging. Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I'm doing great and keeping busy and having fun. I've been doing my TAST (Take A Stitch Tuesday) course although I don't necessarily do it on Tuesday and I don't necessarily do one a week. I'll probably be done with the year way ahead of time but that's okay too. I do want to photograph each sample stitch but haven't done it yet so...no pictures. Sorry.

After long last, I finally found the Westpark! I've been trying to get there for a long time now but never could find it....yeah yeah...I know..."Wanda and directions"! It was well worth it...very different from my neighboring park which is all woods. The Westpark is more gardens and grass and ponds.

The ponds are all man-made but they are so pretty. There's lots of birds, geese and ducks. And huge big fish.

There's also plenty of rocks in the ponds for these sunny, warm days!

There's a couple of Asian things, just like in the Englisch Garten. This one houses a Budda. The plants and foliage are beautiful and very appropriate for the Asian theme.

There are well marked bike paths from one end to the other with other paths shooting off to the sides. I rode the length of the park (it's not really all that big) and back on what seemed like the main left and right paths. I haven't explored the side paths yet but I will certainly be visiting again!

This first trip though was more picture taking than bike riding. I think that may be a problem with the Westpark. It is so beautiful and quiet that I think I'll be off the bike more than on! But that's okay too.

My Dad comes tomorrow and will stay for a week. We are going to a reunion festival in a little town in northern Germany which is the sister town to Dad's birthplace in Hungary. It's going to be really interesting. The people that were born in Hungary but are German have a very unique dialect and it takes all my brainpower to comprehend what is going on! The weather isn't supposed to be all that great but, hey, we can't change that! Hope you all have a good week.

I've posted two more slide shows on The Camera Lenz for those of you who are enjoying them.

Canvas Piece Finished

2009-08-23T15:08:00.003+02:00

Well, I believe my canvas piece is done. The reason I say "believe" is because it isn't off the frame yet. I had thought that I would bead it but, now that I look at it, I think there's enough going on and beading wouldn't really add anything.

This is the completed piece. I took the picture outside in natural light but it still just isn't what I want it to be. But I think it's clear enough for you to see. If you click to enlarge, it looks alot better.

This is a close up of the center part.

And the middle. I like the way the middle turned out. I wasn't sure what I was going to do but I started doing it and it just sort of flowed! Clicking to enlarge this photo is pretty cool.

And another close up so you can see the 3D affect of the different threads. This was a great piece to do and so fun to work on! What next? Well, I want to do a few weeks of TAST, then maybe I'll work on my Long Dog for awhile. And when that gets boring...I'll start something new!

New Canvas Piece

2009-08-18T08:43:00.002+02:00

I have been working, not really very diligently, on the new canvas piece. I really like the way it turned out with my alterations.

I still have the border to finish.

The border will be like the center border only darker colors.

Of course, the middle is still unfinished as well. I have no idea what I'm going to do there but I know I don't like the way it finishes on the pattern so I will be altering that as well.

The 3D effect is really awesome.

And it is so shiny, with all the metallic threads.

Bergisel Ski Jump, Innsbruck

2009-08-13T19:40:00.004+02:00

What a great day we had today! The weather was absolutely gorgeous, proving the weather predictions wrong again.

Innsbruck is a wonderful city, full of outdoor cafes, shops and history. The backdrop isn't too bad either!

Our main goal was Bergisel, the relatively new ski jump built on the site of the jumps of old. They actually started jumping here in the 1920's. Over the years, the site has gone from natural jumps to what it is now. There's been world championships, Four Hill Championships and even a papal visit in 1988.

There has also been two Winter Olympics here, in 1964 and 1976.

The new jump opened in 2002. There is a restaurant up at the top, elevators for guests and jumpers and an arena that holds 28,000.

If you look closely,right where the "mat" bends and a little to the right, you will see a jumper! We knew the jump was open for visitors but imagine the thrill of seeing a practice!

Yes, these guys actually fly through the air. We found it quite ... interesting ... that just beyond the end of the jump, there is a cemetery! Click the image to enlarge..you'll see it very clearly!! This is what the guys see as they are flying up to 130 meters!!

If you would like to see more pictures, please visit The Camera Lenz. I've got a slide show already posted. I hope you enjoy this unique and wonderful experience as much as I did!

Outing to Grossglockner

2009-08-08T12:46:00.006+02:00

We are having a wonderful vacation. The weather is cooperating and everything is so nice and relaxed. We went on an overnight trip to see GrossGlockner, the highest peak in Austria. I've made the trip a couple of times before but never actually saw the mountain. This time was different...this time there wasn't a cloud in the sky when we were at the glacier. It clouded up as we headed to the peak.

The trip up to the Edelweiss Spitz (2571 meters high) is not for the faint hearted. I have to admit, I was sort of freaking out a little at times this time up the "hill". Most of the time, there is sort of a guardrail. Or just rocks strategically placed. And sometimes, well, as you can see in the above picture, there isn't much at all. As you can also see from the picture, I wasn't taking any chances! I drove as far away from that edge as possible!

But, it wasn't always possible!!!

I thought alot about my mother. She wouldn't have liked it. Not at all. I have to admit, I didn't see everything along the way. I was amazed when I looked at the pictures that Reinhard took hanging out the window. Yes, that is another thing my mother would have disliked immensely....the photographing while hanging out the window!

From the peak, I did manage to see the "big guy" through the clouds.

As you can see, the glacier side was clear as a bell. It was absolutely amazing. The glacier itself is shrinking at an alarmingly fast rate. The view is incredible though and we certainly lucked out with the weather.

You can see the Grossglockner from many places as you head up the park. And on such a beautiful day, it takes hours to drive on all the roads because each turn brings an even more breathtaking view and I had to stop to take pictures.

As you can see from above, lots and lots of people had the same idea that we did. We are fortunate to have had an early start because I'm sure this traffic jam (can you imagine...a traffic jam at Austria's highest elevation!) was even worse by midafternoon.

I have to say, I am inspired by what I saw. I am humbled by the world around me. I am thankful I have the opportunity to experience. If you would like to see more pictures, please check out The Camera Lenz. I've got a slideshow posted.

Rocks, New Canvas Piece, Company

2009-08-02T09:51:00.006+02:00

After long last (well, 26 days to be exact) my rocks are done!

I've gotten quite used to not having a workshop so between the bathtub and the kitchen sink, I do what I need to do.

This picture shows a "before and after". The unpolished or raw piece of marble on the right is washed and brushed but it was a little too big to go into the machine. I display it with the polished rocks as a comparison.

These are all the polished marble pieces along with the polished "creekbed" stones. There are a couple that probably should be re-worked with the next run but I like the crevices and veins.

Polished rocks are kind of like life...not perfect but the imperfections add to the beauty and uniqueness.

My canvas piece is coming along nicely. I don't know why, though, I can't seem to photograph it very well.

I'm getting now to the place where my alterations to the pattern are going to come into play. It's pretty exciting. And...beads? I'm thinking about that too. I've never done beading on canvas but I think this piece may need some beading.

Sonya and Vipin came yesterday for a visit!!! We're not too used to having company but I think we were good hosts. I thought Sonya might like to make the Wienerschnitzel with me, just to see how it is done. We had a wonderful time in the kitchen, along with help here and there from the guys. They mostly stayed very far away from the kitchen scene!

The results were awesome! And every single plate was licked clean. I also had a cucumber/tomato salad to go with the meal and we had watermelon for dessert.

Sonya and Vipin at facing the windows so that they could look out onto our daily view. We enjoyed the slight breeze and shade from the umbrellas on the balcony after our meal. It is such a treat to have family come. We decided that it had been something like 10 or 11 years since Sonya had been to my house. Sonya and Vipin..you are welcome ANY TIME!!! Please come back soon!!!

Sonya and Vipin brought us this beautiful orchid plant. I don't think I've ever attempted to have one of these because I know they are fairly hard to take care of. But they had asked the flower store lady about caring for them so I got the scoop. Abby Cat is not interested in this plant, thank goodness, so I don't have to worry about her eating it. Not like the spider plant!!

Well, the house is back to normal now that the rock polishing machine is packed away in the basement. Things are nice and clean because I had it ready for our company. The weather is looking fairly good for the next week.....things are good. Very good.

The Camera Lenz

2009-07-31T13:16:00.002+02:00

I've posted one of my favorite slideshows on my other blog, The Camera Lenz. Check it out...I think you'll like it. Take the time to "wander" through the different slide shows. My sister Sonya looks at them while she is on hold at the office. However it works for you, thanks for visiting!

Wedding, New Canvas Piece

2009-07-30T13:47:00.004+02:00

I don't meant to neglect you! It's summer and there just never seems to be enough time. This past week was the long awaited wedding of friends from the States. Yes, they wanted their wedding to be in Austria and did alot of preparations to achieve this dream! It was really fun...a great mixture of American, Austrian and their own style.

The weather held out and none of the pictures had to include umbrellas! A big sigh of relief, that's for sure. The food was great, the company wonderful and it was a beautiful and unique start to a life together.

I forgot to ask if I was allowed to post pictures (I guess I should do that!) so I'll hold off on that.

I've been busy with bike riding, rock polishing and a little bit of stitching here and there. The weather has been nice for over a week now...yippy!!!!!

The new canvas piece is great...I just don't seem to work on it as much as I would like.

I have decided to change the rest of it (this is the middle part) because I'm not really happy now with the pattern. I don't do designing, that's for sure, but I have a couple ideas how I can change things so I like it and will like seeing it on a regular basis. The trick is...this was purchased as a kit and I have just so much thread. I guess I shouldn't worry about that...I can always order the thread if I run out.

Next post I'll have finished rocks to show you! Yes, they are just about done now. And in perfect timing as I need to get my guest room back to being a guest room. Yep...I'm going to have guests!! Sister Sonya and Vipin are coming to visit soon. It's only for one night but I'm very excited. Sonya hasn't been to visit me in years. I'm not complaining or anything because I DO get to see her just about every year at least once but still, having her come to my house is exciting! I think I'll make Wienerschnitzel!!!

New Canvas Embroidery, Rocks, Balcony

2009-07-19T10:03:00.004+02:00

Things are good. My tooth is slowly getting better...with the help of antibiotics. After going every day to the dentist for a week, the Dentist finally decided that enough was enough and gave me a prescription. This didn't really come as a shock; this is normally how my teeth problems are solved.

Not that I've had the opportunity much to lay around on the balcony, but one day this week was nice and warm and I got a chance to enjoy the summer like I want it to be! The only time I seem to read is when I'm laying around on the balcony. Needless to say, there hasn't been alot of reading going on this summer.

My rocks will be going into the polishing phase this afternoon. I am very pleased with the pre-work. I think they will turn out very nice. Abby Cat will be very happy when the polishing phase starts because the machine runs quieter and I'll be able to leave the door open to "her" room at night. No, she doesn't always go into the room where the machine is BUT she thinks she needs to just because the door is suddenly closed!

I've been working on the new canvas piece regularly. The size is really good for my regular sitting position...something that is very important!

I am really enjoying this canvas piece. It goes quickly, the colors are wonderful and the "3D" affect is awesome.

What's New

2009-07-14T12:11:00.004+02:00

Hi everyone! Lots to show and tell today. I'm happy to be able to say that we've actually eaten 4 of our tomatoes! They are really good. We'll never get enough at the same time to even make a salad but that's okay, we only have two plants. So we enjoy them as they ripen.

They taste very good. I don't even need to put salt and pepper on them!

I've started a new canvas embroidery project. It's really fun.

This is just the start, of course. This is two evening's worth of work. I love working with the different threads. I hope I have some left over as well for TAST and other things.

Speaking of TAST, I think I'm several weeks ahead of schedule but that's okay since I am doing it as an "independent study" (can you tell I'm the daughter of a professor?!)

This is my sample of the cast on stitch. It was pretty fun and...wiggly!

My rock tumbling project is going very well. I enjoy the heck out of doing this. The rocks are really shaping up.

As you can see, although, the crevices and "veins" are not quite smoothed out. I still have the rocks in the most abrasive powder stage. Today is the 8th day in this first stage. I'm going to leave them in there for a while more. I don't necessarily want totally smooth and flaw-free stones but a little more can be done with specimens like the above.

Once again proving my ties to a professor, I keep a detailed journal of the entire process, down to how many milliliters of water I add and when! It's come in handy for references. I guess that's why one keeps a journal. I will not be copying this journal onto my blog....no one in their right mind would want to read it. It is quite boring, actually. But I AM photographing the entire process and will have those pictures on my photoblog The Camera Lenz once it's complete.

As far as my teeth problems go...yes, I am still having problems. But it IS getting better. If disgusting tasting medicine is the answer, I should be all better any day now!

A New Start

2009-07-12T09:15:00.004+02:00

"Everything happens for a reason". I believe that. I live by that. I also know that we don't always know the reason. But for whatever reason, I managed to wipe out all the pictures from this blog. Unfortunately, here is no way to just restore them and I wasn't about to go through 2 1/2 years of posts and try to reconstruct. So....I am just starting over! I deleted all the old posts and am in the process of recapping. I've got most of my handwork photos already posted. Just pictures. It's sort of nice...you can look at the pictures but not have to read my commentaries. Don't forget to click on "older posts" to see more. I'll be posting more pictures from the past as time goes on but also continuing on with my blogging as usual.

THE CAMERA LENZ - A New Blog

2009-07-12T07:05:00.000+02:00

I have been working on a second blog and I'm ready to share it. Please check out THE CAMERA LENZ, a photoblog. Let me know what you think. There's lots more to come!

Rock Tumbling

2009-07-12T07:00:00.000+02:00

This week has been torture...literally. I've been in the dentist's chair for hours, it seems. The torture includes pulling and grinding and drilling and poking and prodding. I was going to take a picture of the inside of my mouth but figured that was gross and everyone knows what it's like.
So I'm living with the dull pain, swelling and discomfort in my poor stressed out mouth. OK...now that I've got a bunch of sympathy, let's go on to what else is new!

I started up my rock tumbler. The rock show in France inspired me. I already had a good selection of Untersberg marble and "filler" rocks for this next run.

I've never attempted to polish such big rocks. But they fit in the machine and I know that I will lose a great deal of their size in the tumbling process.

The first step, the most abrasive, is great. You get to really see progress fast. This step smooths the jagged and sharp edges. Often time, rocks break during this process and you end up with even more rocks in the container than when you started. Above you can see how it looks before the machine is actually turned on. The white "hail" like stuff is plastic pellets. They prevent the rocks from banging together too hard (and are a must when working with soft rocks) and also helps with the noise factor. The black powder stuff is exactly that...black powder that helps in the grinding and tumbling. This type looks like gun powder whereas the last of the three powders is a fine as powdered sugar.

The lid on my machine is quite worn and scratched but this gives you an idea of what it looks like as the machine is running. I have to admit, I stare at it for hours. I find the motion fascinating and mesmerizing.

Now you can see the difference in how the rocks look and this is after only 24 hours! My machine doesn't actually "tumble" the rocks. It moves up and down so the motion of the rocks is very different, kind of spiral. This type of machine gets the job done faster than a regular tumbler. I like both kinds actually but this machine is quiet enough to have running in the guest bedroom. It's really heavy duty.

See how the rocks are already getting smoother and losing all their jaggedness? After each 24 hours or so, I rinse everything off and start again. I'll go to the next powder when I no longer see a difference in the rocks. I don't normally polish my rocks so that they look like marbles or anything. I like a more natural shape and I like "flaws". Here is a post where I pictured some of the Untersberg marble that I already polished. Keep an eye on my new photoblog, The Camera Lenz as I am photographing the whole process and will, when completed, have a great slide show of the whole process for you.

Spirit of Vierlande - Cross Stitch

2009-07-11T12:07:00.000+02:00

Paperpieced Quilt

2009-07-11T12:04:00.000+02:00

Cross Stitch Pieces

2009-07-10T13:05:00.001+02:00

Tablecloth, Mom's Birthday Present, Blackwork and Stones

2009-07-10T12:57:00.001+02:00

ChessBoard, Medieval Majesty, Peacock

2009-07-10T12:46:00.002+02:00

Cat Quilt, Dog Quilt, Quilted Placemats

2009-07-10T12:43:00.000+02:00

Blackwork Dragon, Blackwork Tree, Huck Embroidery Towel

2009-07-10T12:38:00.002+02:00

Beaded Amulet Bag, ATC, Postcards

2009-07-10T12:35:00.001+02:00

Canvas Embroidery, Huck Embroidery Calendar

2009-07-10T12:30:00.002+02:00