Thursday, February 19, 2009

Getting to Know Me (for Tiny Treasures Exchange)

Here is a bit of a writeup I made about my likes, wishes, and tastes intended as a help for the members of the Tiny Treasures Exchange--hopefully it will be of some help those of you in the group who have drawn my name!

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I like designs to be more iconic--representative and made of symbols rather than realistic. (This is why I like smalls best; because they have cute, neat icons to represent flowers or whatever the subject, rather than some photo-realistic life-size rose. Also, the geometric embellishments are charming.)

For colours, I like blue greens-rather than yellow greens, but am not so opposed to yellow-green that it could not be used as a highlight on a leaf, for example.
I also like pale yellows/creams together. I like that beautiful floss which changes colors. Lately I can't seem to stop stitching things in that red-plum-maroon one DMC makes, lol! ("blackwork" done in it is so charming!), and also like patterns such as houndstooth.

For themes, I love Halloween (especially with Cats--what stitcher doesn't like cats? Surely there must be some, but I have yet to know them!--and Harvest Moons--that purple/orange combo of Halloween is a big favorite. Please make sure any jack'o-lanterns don't have goofy/googly eyes and squiggly mouths)--and Autumn,"The Woods" (in this season, woods with snow are nice if you are feeling like seasonal stitching.) Also for seasonal, I do like/celebrate christmas, but prefer "traditional" designs and themes: I would prefer deep red/green/gold&silver over blue, and please refrain from snowmen. I love Christmas Trees and Pines, and am know to regularly sing "der Tannenbaum" to my tree each year. ("How lovely are your branches!!~") :D

Some items that I like are ornamental keys, acorns, cats, foxes, clover, clocks (grandfather, cuckoo, etc.), clover and clover flowers, Nutcrackers, Doors/fences/gates/lampposts, Tea, Citrus.

For designers, I liked Brooke's Books, Drawn Thread, Art-stitch (their geomentric and nature designs), Bent Creek's Eek sampler (though overall they are a bit country kitsch for my taste), Elizabeth's Designs, The Cat's Whiskers Design Studio (Such cute cat smalls!), Heart in Hand, and Prairie Schooler's Pins and Needles set and also their "November/December" and Halloween stuff (e.g. "Pumpkin Patch).

Overall, I have yet to see a designer that makes things in such a way that I have liked more than 40-50 percent of their stuff, so don't feel bound to any of those!

I also LOVE Sharon's (of X-Stitch Happy)! Particularly The Dragonfly Motif and the Scissors Motifs (I have always been in love with scissors, and have no fewer than three funny stories about them (mostly funny because of my immoderate reactions to them--have been known to cry over scissors, lol!) The only design of hers that I would not prefer would be the Cheetah set; it is WONDERFULLY designed, but I don't favor animal prints.

I am a 26 year old young lady who is getting ready to begin her first semester of design school in NYC since moving from Oklahoma State 3 years ago! I am daunted but excited! For hobbies, I love reading, cross stitch, and crochet! I live with my darling boyfriend about 17 miles outside of the city in New Jersey.

I would like the person making my exchange to know that I am a stitching newbie, and as such don't entirely know my taste yet. I want you to be inspired and excited while making something for me, and to really enjoy it. If you are excited about something that doesn't show on this list AT ALL, then please make it! I am happy to be involved in this, and getting something at all will really please me. Thank you for taking your time to choose and make a wonderful tiny treasure for me!

Oh, one more detail--my initials are JBEB with BB being my "first" and last name respectively. (Yes, I know that the "J" comes before the "B" in that list, but I have 2 first names lol! I know--how is that possible!?!) I include that detail in case the stitcher wants to include some "to and from" exchange details on the back or something, as I have seen done often in exchanges!

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Well, there it is--rather a lot of it, eh? I also tried adding in some slide shows of my finishes (in the sidebar) and designs I like (a bit of personal eyecandy at the bottom). With luck, I shall in the next few days expand the "My finishes" show to include the rest of my small collection, which is only a handfull of pieces strong at present. :D

Thanks for Stopping By!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Welcome to My Needlework Blog

Hello, and please know that you are Welcome Here, Friends of Needlework and All Charming Things.

I am Berit (also a Bunny:), and this is a space which I have created as small internet haven for my interest in counted cross-stitch, crochet, and other handworks.

I have long been thinking of making just such a blog, but find myself spurred to action as a result of having joined the Tiny Treasures Blog moderated by Sharon of xstitchhappy.

Please watch this space for future postings of my finishes, tastes, wishes, and perhaps even an original design or two!

Yours in Stitching,
Berit