Bored with Wizards?

Then let's head over to St. Petersburg, Florida and visit Silk Road Needle Arts.

http://www.silk-road-needle.com/index.htm

Click on every link you see and this rather plain website blossoms into glorious photographs of stitched and unstitched canvases. The dragon above is from JP Needlepoint and you'll see him and all his friends if you click on Designs and then find the Stitched Models link at the top of the new page.

Have fun exploring. Don't miss the Tip Gallery!

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Measles Cure for Wizards

Last night the wizard's left sleeve was adjusted. I pulled out the couched #12 silver Kreinik which I'd been thinking looked too heavy and replaced it with thinner Kreinik #4 which was done in long stem stitches. Let me tell you, it was HARD to do stem stitch over long laid silk stitches without disturbing the silk. But I managed it in the end and I like the effect so much that I also stitched the right sleeve the same way. I think there one long stitch has a couching stitch to hold it at just the right bend, but it was stem-stitched, too.

After that, I was on a roll! I lengthened the top bar of the bird's perch to make it look more realistic. Then I looked at the beads again on his jacket and decided the blue robe needed some silver metallic stars to make the effect better. So I added those, making the ones on the blue lower robe larger and the ones on the hood, jacket and upper sleeves smaller. There aren't many of these metallic "stars" (a big X with a -- and | on top for the larger ones and no straight line on the top of the other shapes for the smaller ones.

What do you think?

Can't see the photo well? Try the main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Does the Wizard Have Measles? UPDATED

I have done the silver trim on the blue over robe for the Joan Thomasson wizard and last night I added beads to the jacket and sleeves and hood (but not the blue robe area from his waist down). Before I go any further, does he look like he has measles? I can't decide....

I used three shades of Mill Hill Petite Beads--dark navy 42041, dark blue 40020 and the slightly purple tinted blue of 42040. I couldn't decide which one I liked best (although 40020 showed up best on both the lighter blue and darker blue areas of the robe) so I used them all.

I am indecisive today, so vote in the poll at my main blog whose address is below, ok? Thanks! Here's a larger photo of the entire design to help you decide.


UPDATE: I discovered Yahoo 360 has changed the poll. You don't see any results until you vote! That's new, or maybe how it displays has only changed for me as the blog owner. Anyway, if it seems no one has voted, it's probably because you haven't and Yahoo's not going to give you any hints to influence you.

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

The Little Asian Girls Went To A Good Home

I do know what happened with the two little Asian girls from Melissa Shirley. You may remember they decorate a lantern-shaped purse from Lantern Moon. They sold for $150 (yeah!) at the Live Auction at ANG's Seminar and went home with a friend of mine to Maryland.

Carry them in good health, Mary!

Main blog at hhttp://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow

Anyone Seen This Santa?

Anybody know what happened to my little Santa ornament at the Silent Auction during ANG's Seminar in Indian Wells? I assume he sold but I don't know to whom or for how much. And I'm not the only person wondering....

Margaret Crane has a picture of her Santa on her blog and is also seeking information.

http://cranecottage.com/stitchingblog/?p=261

So if you were there and saw either Santa, let us know!

Main blog at http://blog.360.yahoo.com/chillyhollow