This week, my Auntie turns 90! Many family members are convening in Alabama with her to celebrate, but unfortunately, I won't be able to make it. So I decided to send her card - I wanted to make her something fancy-schmancy, but time wasn't on my side. I needed something quick but pretty, and Made By Me. So I set about embroidering some cards today.

Admittedly, I did it the "lazy" way. I let Stitching Cards do the design work for me. They have a nice selection of pretty little designs, and you can pay per design or you can buy a value pack of several designs. Once you pay, you can download your patterns and print them (PDF), which is great if you're behind the gun on time.

I probably overdid it on buying several designs, but I didn't know what I wanted, and I didn't know what I had in my stash to create the cards, and I was going about the whole thing in a rather unorganized way!! (This is what happens when I procrastinate!) But I like the designs I got (some bead medallions and some bead flowers)... and I found that I liked poking the little holes in the paper... and so I ended up setting up about 15 cards(!!!!). Well, it's neat - I found out that you can easily stack 3 pieces of card stock and prick them all at the same time.

I had on hand some small pre-cut pieces of parchment card stock, in soft natural colors. So I picked out a pale green for the first card, and I worked a beaded flower on it.



I didn't put any lettering on the outside - I'll save the writing for the inside. The directions call for a fine Kreinik cord, but I used DMC metallics, and it worked just fine.

I added a little back stitch around the leaves (didn't call for it in the instructions) because the leaves looked a little too light and airy compared to the heavier flower.

I love these blue bugle beads. This isn't actually my favorite pattern, though - it was just the first one I happened to put together today. The whole card took me about an hour and twenty minutes from start to finish (with a couple brief interruptions).



I would classify this type of stitching as embroidery "craft" rather than art. It's super simple, you just follow the directions - it doesn't take any real level of embroidery skill - and it's a lot of fun! It was a relaxing project, perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Nordic Needle has several good books on hand embroidered cards. I've got two or three of them in storage.... I could have saved myself the cost of these patterns if I had only planned ahead!!

If you know of any other resources for embroidery patterns for cards, do share!

Labels: embellishments, embroider on paper

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Who would ever think to embellish embroidery with bugs' wings? When I mentioned beetle wings and goldwork previously, I had not seen the wings up close in person. What a surprise! Photographs don't do them justice!

Wings from the Asian "green jewel" beetle (Sternocera aequistignata) have been used to embellish textiles in Asia for centuries. In the Victorian era, it became fashionable in the western world to add these glorious little wings to elaborate clothing and accessories. The wings are still used today to embellish textiles and to make jewelry and other decorative items. But really, who woulda thunk it? When I think "beetle," it doesn't really generate the most pleasant thoughts.

All that has changed - I look at beetles in a different light now!



A camera cannot catch the scintillating depth of colors in these wings. Predominantly, the wings are green, but some carry as well a copper, gold, or yellow tone, and others a deep blue-ish tone. The light plays on the wings to reflect almost "layers" of colors. They remind me of two-dimensional emeralds - you don't get the depth in a glassy way like you do with a jewel, but, because of the reflection when you move the wings around, the colors are deep and changing.



I've tried to photograph the wings from different angles, in different light, to see if I could give a good enough impression of their varying color.



The copper-colored area on the foremost wing in the photo above isn't always that dominant! It's the angle! These are the same group of wings as in the photos above.

The wings are about the same consistency of a very strong fingernail. They don't seem to break easily, but I'm sure, with a good pressure on the top, they would.



If you happen to drop your camera on top of them - the break! The camera slipped out of my hand and landed on the whole pile - one took a direct hit, and it cracked. I broke it apart to see what it looks like. They don't chip or crack easily, though. They're sturdy.



When you hold them in your hands and shake them, they make a pleasant little chinking sound. They're very light.



When I took them outside into the sun to photograph them, the wings took on a blue tint - at least, more so than when inside. Again, they're pretty light - even the slightest breeze moved them around while I was outside.



To use them for embellishment, I'm told by Michael Cook, the Wormspit guy, that the wings should be steamed for five minutes to soften them, and then, using a sharp needle, holes are pierced at the tips and also on the sides, if you want (you pierce them, I assume, wherever you want to secure them to the fabric).

Now, where to get these things? You can find them on e-Bay, actually, at "herbkerb's" eBay store, Best deal Thai Goods. He sells them in different quantity packages: 200 of the regular green run about $15, with $5 shipping.... or you can go for bulk with 1,000 for $65.00! The smaller packages are grouped by color, so you can actually get predominantly blue-ish tones, green tones, copper tones, or whathaveyou. All of the wings are, of course, green, but they have these different elements of color in them. I have recently placed an order through this eBay store, but have not received it yet, so I can't vouch for the service personally yet, but they seem to have a good track record. The batch of wings above are from Michael Cook - I swapped with him for some silk samples! And speaking of which, he also sent a cocoon and some of his own silk - so more on that later!

The beauty and variety in God's creation is just amazing, isn't it? I'm really in awe of these little wings, and I'm looking forward to playing with them when the opportunity arises! I'll post results eventually.

Labels: beetle wing embroidery, embellishments, goldwork

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Have you noticed that there's a proliferation of embroidery kits and designs around that make use of little embellishments? Those special little touches that add "something" to the work - sometimes that something is zing, sometimes it's elegance, sometimes it's just a splash of fun - are pretty popular! I try not to be too narrow-minded in my view of embroidery, but I must be, because I never noticed the abundance of embellishments in the embroidery world until just this past summer.

But now I'm hooked. Really. I like these little extra baubles and buttons, beads and charms. Oh, they've been around a while - goldwork, sequins, beaded embroidery, charms, buttons... they're nothing new! But it seems to me that they are enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

This is what sold me on the fun of these little items and that opened up my eyes to noticing them around more and more:



It was these little Sweetheart Tree kits. They're small kits - counted thread techniques - with little extra embellishments to the kits. I don't generally work counted thread techniques, except in dabbling in a bit o' blackwork here and there, and - very rarely - some canvas work... and hardanger now and then, too. Ok, fine - I take it back, I do "do" counted thread stuff - but it's not usually cross stitch.

Normally, these would not be something that would catch my eye. But they did. Why? I think it's the little embellishments! Both kits make use of little tiny beads and one has little heart-shaped white buttons in it. I like them! It takes them "above ordinary."

I admit I'm SLOW - I'm sure little embellishments have been prevailant for a while in needlework - or perhaps they never lost their charm! Maybe I just haven't noticed them....

But NOW... check this out:



I do believe I could become an embroidery embellishment junkie!



Here's a sweet little seashell made by Susan Clarke Originals.



And a pretty little iris by the same company... Irises are among my favorite flowers, and I'm in the middle of embroidering one right now. So I just love this little thing!



A very pretty snowflake - perfect for.... well, earrings came to mind at first, but this is about embroidery, so I chased that thought away, and voila! a better one crept in - what about building a simple embroidered card around this for a Christmas card?



This is largish - quite large, compared to the other pieces here. At first, I thought "What in the world would I ever.....?!" and then the same thing happened. In crept a little thought. A "formal" garden border - maybe even in blackwork or a similar style - built around it. Why not? For a framed piece... I could see it!



Cherries! Who doesn't like cherries?! They remind me of summer - and this is another perfect little something for a crazy quilt square, for the center of an embroidered motif, or for the center of an embroidered card.



And here's a whole little group of "under the sea" embellishments.

OH - so many ideas, so little time!

This bunch of stuff above came in the embellishments Treasure Box I ordered last week from Twining Thread, as part of their close-out. Along with them came ribbons - glorious, beautiful ribbons - and all kinds of neat stuff. What a deal!

Well, if YOU have any ideas for my new embellishment stash, I'm all ears!

In the meantime, I need to go find some storage space....

PS - I'm going to full feeds for a bit on Feedburner. What think you? Do you prefer partial or full feeds?

Labels: embellishments, needlework products, pictures

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