Close ups ... Miniature Embroidered Pictures

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 'Close Ups'

Miniature Embroidered Pictures

Sketchbook Close Ups
Now available @ ETSY 

Not waiting for change

I don't normally talk about my health here, I have always intended it to be about creating, sharing ideas and enjoying art and textiles, but if I think back, the reason I started my blog a little over four years ago was to give me a focus while going through treatment for and coming to terms with a Molar pregnancy.

 It helped a lot, I did not write about it but rather everything that I enjoyed and it helped so I just kept going.
 The treatment (Methotrexate injections) affected my concentration and my eyes so badly that I was unable to spend the many enjoyable hours that I used to on my miniature embroidered pictures.

I forgot that I did this one, I enjoyed working in these colours.

I miss working on the miniature pictures and always hoped to go back to them, after the treatment I had my eyes tested and needed glasses, the optician told me it was just my age and nothing to do with the treatment but how can a person go from working in miniature close up, (6 inches from my eyes) to being unable to see one of her works in her own hands without a magnifying glass within 4 months...is that possible?...perhaps it is I don't know if there are any readers out there who can enlighten me I would love to hear from you, if you had the treatment or if you know about the side effects of the treatment.

 I'm waiting to go for tests on my arms. For some time now more than a couple of years I have had pain in my arms, elbows fingers and sometimes my wrists. Some days are more painful than others I wake up feeling as if someone has been jumping on top of my arms all night and that's when it gets me down, I'm not out of bed and already they hurt!

 In my head I want to create but at the moment my body is letting me down, and on those days,I find it frustrating, and difficult to accept. I have made several appts. at the doctors and been given various pills, sent for x-rays but the main problem has never been dealt with nor found...that is until now, I waited another year putting up with pain in the hope that it might go away.....silly of me really to think that. We had a new doctor join the practise, she sent me to the hospital consultant, both think it might be Ulnar nerve damage and to determine how bad it is, I need to go for tests, to see how bad the suspected nerve damage is.  Apparently my arms will be hooked up to a machine and currents sent to the nerves to assess the damage, I'm not looking forward to it but at the same time I don't want to waste any more time getting to the route of the problem but now, whats worse is the hospital has called to cancel and re-arrange the appointment 3 times since November! I'm now beginning to think that this is how they deal with the statistics of waiting for treatment and actually getting it on the NHS and wondering how long it will be till I get the tests, will this always be something I have to live with. I hope not.

This time I refuse to stop doing the things I want to do, I'm still clearing out my studio of excess clutter and various household unwanteds which always seem to find their way in there,  making changes, to make things easier with better use of wall space, drawers and cupboards.

I will take some pictures when its all done.

 Things will be a lot easier to find than in the past and I'm hoping to finish all those little projects that have been shuffling their way to the bottom of my basket drawers like this little piece that I worked on at the beginning of the summer.......

A piece of dyed calico from my college samples provided a lovely background for this hand embroidered flower stem which I did quite a few years ago on a plain white cotton handkerchief, I blended both together with tiny straight stitch lines in varigated thread then outlined in my favourite french knots. 

Looking at it from a different angle sitting in the work basket I decided this view was better

and perhaps a little heart shaped...now what to do with it......?

Inchies

These little inchies are great fun to work on and great for getting creative inspiration for other work. I have been tempted to do some for a while but it took signing up for a swap before I actually got around to doing some.

For my first swap partner I made inchies with a blue theme in mind...............

(click in the pictures for a closer look)

For my second swap partner I made inchies with a black theme in mind.....................

With this swap I have 2 partners each gets 12 inchies. So I made 16 of each colour theme and below are the 8 inchies I have decided to keep for myself. I figured I would soon build up a nice personal collection which I will probably frame. It will be nice to build up a collection in a variety of colours.

In return for the ones I send I will hopefully receive 2 sets of 12 back, and hopefully again these will be in my colour preferences so if I build up a collection of these they should also make a nice collection to frame.

So I have been thinking and wondered if anyone would like to swap 12 inchies with me, I would prefer fabric inchies, embroidered & embellished in your style. So if you are interested please leave a comment or email me privately.

Miniature Embroidery Project Featured

The current issue of Dolls House & Miniature Scene ( June issue #168) features my Silk Embroidered Handbag & Shoes Project. I'm delighted with the layout which features a pictorial step by step guide in which I take you through the making of these tiny 12Th scale pieces.

This is a great issue which features a 16 page supplement of embroidery projects. The new issue is due out on the shelves May 22nd so if you want to get a copy of this issue before it leaves the shelves you better be quick!

You can of course order back issues but they do sometimes sell out.....

Stitched Paper Pendants

I have been working on these little stitched paper pendants. First painting some paper with fabric paints then stitching over the surface, this created interesting texture, sometimes tearing the paper, I then embellished them with punched flowers, dragonflies & beads. I stitched them around tiny mirror tiles. The one on the bottom right is the only one made using stitched fabric.

These little pendants measure only 22mm square

I listed the three paper ones in my Etsy shop Boxoftrix ......One already sold....

More coming soon.......................

I made Etsy Front Page!

I was totally delighted to find out that my little Hand Embroidered Iris Cushion made Etsy's Front Page yesterday and a very kind fellow Etsian
'Inediblejewelry' was kind enough to save and send me a screen shot thank you Jessica you made my day!

Click on the pic for a closer look......

Miniature Hand Embroidered Cushions

A selection of tiny hand embroidered cushions

I have just listed these on ebay > Boxoftrixminis

Ring of Roses ~ Yellow

Ring of Roses ~ Pink

Tudor Rose

.....and my favourite flower ~ Iris

New things for Etsy

I'm quite excited today and a bit tired, all day I have been editing images and finally uploading my new felted pieces to my Etsy shop. Anyone who lives in Scotland will know how frustrating the daylight at this time of year can be and how difficult it is to get good shots of your work. I like using natural light.

I would be delighted if anyone would take the time to have a little look in my Etsy shop and tell me what you think. I'm new to needle felting and have had so much fun.

I also used a couple of machine embroidered pieces & did some more machine embroidered jewellery which I'm hoping to get uploaded tomorrow...... now I need to catch up with the housework and think about feeding my Husband & children.

I hope you enjoy your visit to Etsy if you do go, there are so many talented people there with so many nice things to inspire........

Embroidered Poppies & Stargazer Lillies

I was so delighted to hear that a little commission I worked on last month and posted around the same time as the postal strike has finally arrived safe and well at its destination in USA. So now I can show it here its called 'Californian Poppies'

I enjoyed stitching the Poppies onto the black background so much that I started another right away this time 'Stargazer Lillie's'

This one is for sale more details in my CDHM gallery.

Christmas Miniatures

In preparation for Christmas I have designed a new kit. It comes in a choice of 3 different colours, green, silver or white. With all the materials, instructions, including helpful pictures and template it shows how to make a lovely little Christmas tree for your dolls house or miniature scene. I have been looking forward to getting this little kit done and now its finally finished I'm delighted with it! See them for sale in my CDHM kits gallery

I'm also pleased to show off my new little embroidered hand embroidered

'Christmas Berries' cushion.

This tiny cushion measures on 1&1/2 inch square and has tiny silk handmade tassels.

I know its a little early for Christmas but some miniature minded people like to get there dollhouse's decorated in time for Christmas too!

You can see more of my tiny embroidered miniature items in my CDHM needlework Gallery

Miniature Embroidery ~ Calla Lily

I was delighted when Jayne, the winner of the hanging basket competition choose her subject for the hand embroidered miniature picture.......

A single Calla Lily hand embroidered onto a hand painted cotton background.

Three Little Ones

Thee little miniature embroideries, Goldwork Flower, Bullion Knot Roses & Satin stitch Poppy.
These measure only 1 & 1/4 inches across.
It was fun to do these little ones again! I hope you enjoy them.

A Link to my auctions http://tinyurl.com/37o4ln

Framed

This is the second frame I have made for this. I like things to look right and sometimes when you make something it looks right.... then you take a photograph and it doesn't look so right....it was too big ..... so it was back to the ruler, mitre and saw. I'm happy with this frame now. I feel that white best shows the colours in the embroidery.

A Little Monet

This is my latest little miniature embroidery, today I will be making a frame for it. The picture is one of Monet's beautiful paintings ' Les-Coquelicots Environs-dArgenteuil' or 'Poppies near Argenteuil' I love the colours in this piece, I lost count of how many I used!

This little piece is up for auction on ebay.

http://tinyurl.com/2ego2w