No recent posts... but for good reason!

 I know I haven't had a recent post here, lately, but there is a good reason for this. My cellphone suddenly just decided not to power on any more. I tried everything and even took it to a store, but it couldn't be saved. I had some pictures already taken of some bookmarks, but I couldn't post about them because the pictures were on the SD card!

I borrowed a phone for about a month, but it didn't have an SD card slot, so I just had to wait to get to my pictures. I was finally able to get a new phone, so I am back in business. 

So, first, I want to show the picture of the bookmarks I was hinting at with my last post. Those were charms from Avatar: The Last Airbender! From left to right: water, fire, air, earth.

Next, here are some individual ones I have made, too. 

I have a few more made, just don't have any pictures of them, yet.

99 Bottles - Beer # 12

 Hello everyone! I haven't been posting much lately because I haven't had a chance to do much, lately. I majorly procrastinated on studying for a test that I had to take for a certification for the day job, so when it got to about a month until I had to take the test, I had to seriously buckle down to finish my studying. I never want to do that again! I was stressed that whole month, and even during the test, I thought for sure I was going to fail. Luckily, I didn't! I passed, so I am good for another 3 years. 

Once I had that test done, my anniversary was a few days later (8 years!). The husband and I went out for a nice dinner. I was perusing the drink menu, and I wasn't really enthused with anything there, but I noticed on the beer menu that there was a beer that was on my 99 bottles project. I, of course, ordered it! 

This one is called Moose Drool Brown Ale. I really liked this one. The flavor on this liked to linger. After my first taste, the flavor didn't go away for a little bit. I liked this, though! The flavor probably wasn't the best pairing with what I ordered for dinner, but I still enjoyed both the food and the beer. My husband remarked that there was a bitter flavor to it, much like coffee. (He doesn't like coffee, so he didn't really care much for this beer, either).

I would order this beer again, however next time I think I would want to have beef with it, rather than delicate chicken. Or, this would be good by itself, for sure! This is a beer that likes to linger, so it is a good one to linger with!

Here is the stitching of my beer (I love that you can actually make out the moose in the picture!): 

Here is the rest of the project so far:

I have also had a chance to work on some chainmail, and I have even more bookmarks planned. Some of my charms have come in! Here is a sneak peek on the subject matter: 

I want to do another giveaway!

 It has been a while since my last giveaway, and I want to do another one. 

I have a bunch of stitchy things that I have collected for just this purpose, and I haven't done anything with them! I did neglect my blog for a little while, which didn't help, but I am back now! I may even have more than one winner!

Included will be:

Lots of plastic bobbins (you can never have too many)
Thread organizer boards
Travel scissors
Handmade (by me) chainmail charm/scissor fob
Needles
Needle minder
a few other small stitchy things
Some random charts (if you let me know what kinds of things you like)
... and more!

This is definitely not a complete list, there are so many things I have to include. I want a lot of it to be a surprise!

 Due to how international shipping is going right now, I want to limit this to the US, if possible. Things are getting held up in customs super extra long, and I would hate for things to get lost. 

Here's what to do:

1.  Follow my blog!
1. That's it, just click on the Join This Site or Follow button on the right-hand side!
   
   
2. Add a comment to this post, and let me know what kind of needle minder and charts/crafts you like!

• Whether it be plastic canvas, cross stitch, crochet (I may even have some needlepoint)
• Also, anything specific: such as flowers, landscapes, people, holiday, animals, etc.
• Be as vague or specific as you want

• Disclaimer: I cannot guarantee I will have a chart in the specific style you like, but I will try to get close!

•  Or, just say "surprise me", and I will pick some things on my own!

3. (optional) Promote my giveaway on your blog or website

            o    I put this as optional, as I realize not everyone has their own blog or website. It isn't                             necessary, but I would greatly appreciate it!

Another IHSW this past weekend!

 There was another IHSW this past weekend, so I decided to get some stitching in. I really need to get back in the habit so I can start the monthly challenge I set again in September! Since I failed in August, I really haven't been in the mood to stitch, so I just haven't. 

I got stitching again over the weekend, and I completed about 10-12 colors on my page. It may seem like a lot, but considering some of these colors only had a few spread out stitches across the whole page, it really didn't add up to much. Most of the progress seen is from about 2-3 colors. 

Here is where I was last update: 

And here is where I am now:

You can see most of the progress visible in the circles across the bottom half and the half-circles at the top. 

I'm getting motivated to start stitching again, trying to finish this page! I wanted to have this page done a long time ago, I just wish there was more time to work on it! Work just gets in the way!

Lego bookmarks!

 A while back, I bought some lego pendants and earrings, intending on using them for.... something (I don't remember what). I ended up sticking them in a box, since they weren't exactly what I was wanting. I figured that I would find a use for them later.Well, here we are, a couple years later, and I found a way to use them! 

I turned them into bookmarks!
I made one black and one silver, and used the same colors that are in the lego part, and I really like how they came out! The chainmail part is a little shorter than the others, but the lego makes up for it. 

Also, while I'm on this rainbow kick, I made a new bracelet. I saw someone posting a similar one online, and I wanted to try out the weave.
I like how it came out, but I don't think I'll make another one of these again. It was a bit of a pain. 

Con review: Shawnee Comic Con

Convention Name: Shawnee Comic Con
Date: Aug 15-16, 2020
Cost: $75, 1 10x10-ish booth
Location: Shawnee, OK
Grade: D

 This past weekend, I got to go to the Shawnee Comic Con again. I went last year, and had a great time. Since the Enid con 2 weeks ago went well, I figured this one would, as well. Well, no so much. 

The layout this year was much more spread out from last year, which is great. Last year, on one side of the room everyone was bunched up, and as things spread to the other side, there was tons of open space. It's understandable having more space this time, with Covid going around, but I think things went a little too far. The aisles were waaaay too wide, so people weren't being driven to each side of each aisle, they ultimately had to go down one side and back up the other side. It was just awkward. 

The turnout for this con was abysmal. I thought that with the good turnout 2 weeks ago in Enid, that this one would do well, too. This wasn't even close. The first day, there were only about 240 people that showed up. The second day, well.... it was mostly vendors shopping with other vendors for the first 3-ish hours. There weren't really any other people showing up. 

Luckily, at the beginning of day 2, the guy running things told us that due to poor turnout, if we wanted to leave early, we could. Also, this particular con isn't going to be held again, either, due to 2 bad years in a row.
I got to leave a couple hours early, which did help. 

Overall, I did OK. I made enough over the weekend to cover my expenses for the booth, hotel, and food both days. At this point, I would call that a win. I'm just glad I didn't lose money.
If this con was going to be held again, I don't think I would go, anyway. It wasn't worth it. 

Even with the poor turnout, it was still good to get out and do the con thing again. I did have a booth next to some friends, and got to chat with some other friends there, so that was good. I can't wait until things start picking up again.
This was my last confirmed con that has been paid for for this year. I have an application pending for one in November, and I have been keeping my eye on another one in October to see if they are going to proceed, or just skip this year.

 

Chainmailling again

 So, with the happy news that I shared with my last post, I am in need of creating new chainmail items! 

I got to work first on some more bookmarks. I already had the blanks, and some charms came in that I was waiting for, so I just went ahead and made some that I have been holding off on. 

First, I finished my Harry Potter set. I already had 2 done, but ran out of a couple of colors of rings, so I had to order more. Here is the entire set, now. 

Next is my set of Pokemon Go bookmarks. I just got these charms in, and they are perfect! 

Last, here are a few singular ones that I made:

Challenge failure, but great news!

 So, I did make it through July for my 30 day challenge. Yay! I was going to give myself a pass for the 2 days of the Enid con (from my last post), however once I got home, I quickly realized how much I am out of con shape. I was sore for a couple days and just couldn't bring myself to stitch at all. I will post an update, though, since I have progress that hasn't been posted, yet. 

Here is were I left off with my last post:

Here is where I am now: 

I want to pick it back up again, but I have been working on some chainmail again. This brings me to my good news!
So, I have so much inventory for chainmail, that I wasn't planning on making more things until cons start back up and I start selling again. However, I got a message from a friend of mine about a game store that he likes to visit up in his home state. Apparently, he was there for an event, and the store owner expressed interest in his chainmail dice bag he had purchased from me. Long story short (too late, I know!), he connected us together, and I will be selling some of my things through their store! I had my first shipment of items going to them this weekend. I hope this builds up some business for me and my website! I am very excited about this opportunity!

So, between getting things ready to send to the store, plus the con last weekend, plus I also sold my car and had it shipped, it has been a pretty busy week. I am hoping to stitch some more on it this week, and start up my daily challenge habit again. 

In the mean time, I will post some of the chainmail things that I have made lately in my next post!

Con Review: Enid Comic Con 2020

Convention Name: Enid Comic Con
Date: Aug 1-2, 2020
Cost: $75, 1 10x10-ish booth
Location: Enid, OK
Grade: A

This is my second year vendoring at the Enid Comic Con, and the third year it has been running. It has been great seeing this one grow just from one year to the next. Obviously, it is a pretty small con, but I have been anxious to go to a con lately, since I have only had 1 since last November. The price for a booth at this con is still worth it, too. Overall, I will probably continue to attend this con if I keep doing as well as I have. 

With Covid going around, I was a little hesitant to attend and was worried about the turnout for this con. Masks were required to be worn at all time, but of course there were people taking them off once inside (which was very frustrating). I had my mask on at all times, and I had some hand sanitizer on my table for everyone to use, if they wanted to.
The turnout was actually pleasantly surprising! I was worried hardly anyone would show up and I would lose money on the weekend. I actually did very well! I didn't do as well as last year, but all things considered, that's understandable. I got really close, though. 

Check in was easy. I just had to find the organizer (who was right at the door), and he showed me where my booth was. I had asked for a corner booth near the front (door). I didn't get the corner, but I was right next to one. Plus, I was right across the photo/autograph table where the celebrity was for the weekend, so that helped with traffic. Location is definitely key for these events! 

Yes, one of my display boards is empty in the picture. My chains got all tangled, so I spent some time after setup separating them to put them up. 

To one side of me was a group who had about 3-4 booth spaces for photo ops and info about their group. It was nice having them there, but they showed up late and left early that first day. They didn't even show up at all the second day, so I just had a big empty space next to me the whole day. When I came in on Sunday, I spread out a little bit, encroaching on their space a little, figuring I could move back once they showed up. When I realized they weren't going to show up, I moved over a little smidge more to spread out a little.

Overall, it was a very successful convention, and I can't wait for the next one (coming up in a week).

I have a con this weekend!

This weekend will be my first convention back since all the quarantine stuff started. My last one was at the beginning of March, just before everything started to shut down. Before that, my last con was in November. Having only had the one con since November, I have been really itching to go!

This weekend is the Enid Comic Con, and it is the 3rd annual one being held in Enid, OK. This is my second year attending this one, and I am just as excited. I can see how much things are growing with this con, and I hope they continue to do so.

I will be having another convention in 2 weeks, as well. I'm hoping things start going back to normal. I will still be taking full precautions, thought, with masks and hand sanitizer.

That being said, I also have a small update for Luminaro.

I took this picture a couple days ago, so there is more progress now, but I'll post about that later. I don't think I'll be able to stitch this Saturday (since I have to leave my house at 6am for the con), and Sunday is iffy, since I won't get home until late. I'll just count the progress I have made since this update as my next post, though.

Here is where I was last update:

And here is my last picture's update:

Something that is slowing me down a lot is just how many colors are on this page. There seem to be a LOT more colors on this page than the last one. The color in progress in that second picture has been completed for the page, and there was quite a bit of it, so there is a big update coming. Hopefully, I'll get this page done soon, although the rate I'm going, it may take another few weeks, LOL.

Long weekend now over

I just had that looong weekend to stitch, and.... I didn't finish the page. I didn't even get close.
This weekend was just one thing after another, so I didn't get as much done on my page 4.

I did get one good day of stitching, so there's that, at least. 

First, I decided to go over to my mom's for a bit and take this to work on. I had decided to work on the blue circle in the top right quadrant, to see if I can get it done. Well, in the course of trying to work on it, I came across 5-6 colors in it that I didn't even have! Now, I knew that there were several colors I was missing, but I didn't expect them to all pop up at the same time! 
I got discouraged, so I moved to a different area for a while. Later, I swung by Michael's to pick up those colors.

Then, I started working on that spot again. I got most of it done and was really looking forward to finishing it so I could move on to another area. Yeah, I came across another color or 2 that I didn't have. This just irritated me so much that I just couldn't bring myself to stitch the rest of that night.
I did make a list of ALL the colors I was still missing (only about 9-10), and the next morning I went over to Michael's AGAIN to get them all (except for 1 that they were out of). I got to work a little more on the page after that.

Now we come to Tuesday, my birthday. I was looking forward to stitching all day long and just relaxing through the day. Well, I slept on my neck funny that night before, so I had neck pain all day. Because of this, I couldn't stitch. I was able to find one comfortable position in my recliner, and if I moved, my neck would bother me. So.... I didn't get to stitch much until that night.

So here is where I was before my nice long weekend:

And here is where I am after the crazy weekend:

Long IHSW weekend coming up!

This weekend is IHSW, plus it is my birthday!
 Here is info for IHSW, if you are interested: https://www.facebook.com/groups/757401391130415

I have a nice 4 days off from work coming up, and I want to get as much stitching in as I can!

I'm working on Luminaro (still!). I have gotten some progress on page 4, now, too. I can't wait to finish page 4, because then I will be halfway across on this row (there are 5 rows total).

Here is last post's update:

And here is where I am now, just before my long weekend.

Page 3 completed!

In less than 3 weeks since picking up Luminaro again to work on it, I have completed page 3! I'm on a roll!
I would say that I have certainly made up for that missed day of stitching on my challenge, since I have a page finish already!

Here is from my last update:

Here is my finished page! I'll show a picture of the whole thing so far when I move the Qsnap. Until then, it is too much of a pain to deal with. Since I moved it too far over, I can get 3 pages done before having to move it again, so it will most likely be after page 5.

After my page finish yesterday, I had more time to stitch, so I just kept going into page 4!

I'm hoping page 4 will go just as fast! There seems to be more colors involved on this page, though, so we'll see. Plus, I have an extra long weekend coming up next weekend for my birthday, so I'll have more time for stitching!

My husband said again that he can't wait to see this project finished. He is enjoying seeing it come together, page by page. This is the biggest project I have done so far (at least with this much progress). He hasn't really shown much interest in what I work on, whether it be chainmail or cross stitch, so for him to say this multiple times is keeping me motivated, for sure. Especially now that I am on to page 4, which is pretty much the same as 1-3 so far.

Once done with page 4, I'll be halfway across the pattern, too! I will be 10% done at that point.

Happy crafting!

Windows update caused my challenge failure!

So, crazy enough, I have already failed my daily challenge. How funny is that?
I did get a lot done over the holiday weekend, though, so maybe that can even it out a bit?

Anyway, I was getting my stuff together to do some stitching last night, and I noticed that there was a Windows update for my tablet that I keep patterns on. I had some other stuff to do before I got to stitching, so I went ahead and started the update, thinking it would be done by the time I was ready to stitch.

Boy was I wrong!
This update took FOREVER to complete. I could see it was still working because the % kept increasing, but only 1% at a time. By the time I gave up and just went to bed, it was only at 21%. I had to just leave it and not get any stitching done last night.

Here is an update, though. I had a couple extra days off this week and got extra stitchy time in (that just makes up for none yesterday).

Here is from my last update:

Here is where I am now:

I am getting so close on this one! There are only a few more colors left (besides the big patches of 2 colors, where that big white swath is). There was a tiny bit more done on the next page, as well. I was going along with an orange, and since I had a long thread, and there wasn't a lot of it on page 4, I just kept going. Now I don't have to worry about that color at all on the next page!