Orwell

As expected, the booklover's swap has turned out awesome.  From my partner's list of books I chose to buy and craft on Orwell's 1984, one of my alltime favourites. 

My partner said he'd love to receive wall art or hoopla, and so I jumped to cross stitch!  But these days my cross stitch thoughts turn to blackwork most of all, and I thought that it could work well with a graphic almost comic book aesthetic.

I ended up making this hoop with Room 101 at the centre, and the pattern all around made of eyes (can you tell those are eyes?) to suggest the eerie everpresent suffocating surveillance of the authoritarian state.

It's a bit odd, a bit striking, and a lot me.

I also made a bookmark (as the swap required), focused on the main characters work rewriting the news/historical record to the party line.  My cool number stamps came in handy and I like the way they look.

Now I can't wait to see what my partner made me!

January again

And so 2012 drew to a close, and for me it was the year of crafting.  Spurred on to new levels of productivity by Craftster swap fever, I made more than ever throughout the whole year.  I'm also pleased that I tried new things, exploring mediums and themes I would never have done before.

I think I might take it a bit easier in 2013, but then again it's not yet the end of January and I've signed up for four swaps already; ongoing atc swap, 4x6 art swap, book lovers swap, and gamers swap.

Here are a few atc's I made this month that were particularly fun.

Did you know a group of flies is called "a business" ?

Brownwork owl.

A rare word; 'susurrus' whispering or rustling.

For the 4x6 swap I picked up a wooden canvas (?) and painted it with acrylic, added a bird, of course a Robin, from a page in Pinnochio, and used watercolour crayons.  It turned out a complete surprise to me and very cute if I do say so myself.

P.S.  a couple special items I made for holiday presents, that I can now post.

For my boys, my brothers, I did a cross stitch and sewed it into a patchwork pillow cover, I love these fabrics.  

And now that it has arrived in Winnipeg, this quirky Akbar and Jeff hoop I made for Alison