I’m beginning to feel like I’m in a camera that is only pulled once a year to take a snap shot at Christmas; or in this case one cross-stitch exchange to the next.

I want to share the contents of an, “Ohh, so brown package!” Some how I missed getting the flower seeds in the picture. Wild flowers and brown-eye-susans. They are still in one piece; the thieving dachshund was foiled yet again.

I stitched Dragonflies from Cross-Stitch Happy for my exchange partner.

The biscornu is stitched over 1 on some 22 count Hardanger cloth. I was very pleased with the results… but I desperately need to purchase magnifying light I can use in the RV. These ol’ eyes ain’t what they used to be! The dragonflies are stitched one strand of DMC E3824 Light Effects. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was easy to stitch with.

Here’s hoping I can hold tight to all the stings, yarn, elastic and puppy dog leashes that are going to keep me busy from now on.

“SAPIN EN RELIEF © 2005 Aiguilles-Passion“

(click on image for larger view)

There were a couple of challenges in completing this project from fabric to mailing. There probably would have been more, but I’ve blocked them from memory. I know I just gave my perfectionism free reign and re-did, re-did, re-did. All the while telling myself that life would be much simpler if I just accepted . . . “Life a work in progress”.

The first bit of fun came with the googled translation of the the French instructions. “…start by making the LoC points rear shown on plan…” or “…the grid page following and taking moulinés brilliant son…” I do point this out with a bit cheek; in reality I am impressed with how google handled the translation.

The second challenge was taking the ‘perfect’ picture. (Groans, bangs head down on desk.) I keep seeing such artistic project photo’s around the web. It doesn’t seem to be enough for these brilliant people to design incredible projects, but their photography keeps me wandering around with an ornament in hand looking for the perfect (there is THAT word again) location. I know I want snow; I know I want trees; I know I desperately want a place free of clutter! A place to hang the ornament out of Zahn’s reach would be nice, if it isn’t too much to ask. It really does stress the poor mind. >o<;

Thanks to Steve I have the tools to take good photos: a Canon 10D and a grey scale card. Thanks to open-source – Ubuntu and Gimp I have the tools to work with the photos. Some where along the road I lost the confidence I had in making decisions and knowing with surety what the next step should be. There are so many settings and so many choices to face. I write notes under proper headings placed between strategic dividers in my Little Brown Book. I review the notes and work through them again, only to find I haven’t a clue how to do some step or make the important camera setting. Then it all comes down to, “but the beads are supposed to be red!” I think I will limit my stitching to squirrel on black. Getting that picture was effortless!

Right, there was one more interesting challenge. Being tall enough to take the picture all the while balanced on top of a snow bank…