Daily challenge: 5 days down

So, since it was so last minute (and since I think I only have 2 or 3 people who actually read my blog anymore), I didn't have any takers for my daily challenge. I'm going to keep with it, though, and try to get stitching done each day in July.
Who knows? Maybe I'll inspire someone to join me come August!

This past weekend was a lovely 3-day weekend because of the US Independence Day. I got a lot of stitching time, in, as well. I was really hoping to finish the page I am working on with Luminaro, but that just prove to be out of my reach, unfortunately. I do have  another day or two off work this week, so I may finish it very soon.

Here is where I left off last:

Here is where I am now:

I decided against taking pictures every day of my progress. Mostly because all those pictures will take up space and not show much progress day-to-day. I will take pictures every few days, but I will definitely stitch every day.
Once I get people to join in the challenge with me, I will take pictures every day.

Stitching challenge: Day 1

Well, I know it was last minute, and I guess not many people are reading my blog anymore, but I don't care. Maybe this challenge will bring more people to my blog?
I'll just keep going by myself for now. To get in on July, I will leave it open to the 4th. Just comment that you would like to join for July! 

Here is Day 1 of stitching on my daily challenge. I think I'll post once or twice a week on it. I was thinking Wednesdays, but I'm not sure that would be often enough to actually show my progress and that I am stitching every day.


Here is where I left off last:

Here is where I am after my first day of my challenge.

Yes, there is more than one day of progress in there, but I didn't take a picture before working on it yesterday.


It's weird. I'm on page 3, and so far nothing I have stitched really looks like anything, even if I were to finish this page. And yet, I can't seem to find the will to work on anything else. This is soooo not like me. Normally I get bored with things, especially when I can't really see much progress after a lot of work. This one, though... lately I just don't want to do any other projects. This one keeps calling out to me the most.

While I am still in love with this one, I am going to keep working on it as much as possible.

Last minute: 30+ day challenge. Share me!

So, I know this is last minute, but I literally just came up with the idea. I was going through some past pictures of a 100 day challenge, and I just suddenly felt the urge to do something like that again. I figure, since we are all supposed to be staying home, we should have more time to work on our projects!

If anyone wants to join me, please do! I will probably not post every day of the challenge (probably once a week), but I will take a picture every day and post several with each post every few days. My goal is this: Stitch every day, even as little as one stitch. That's it. I'm not even going to limit it to a particular project.
I am starting with 30 days, then once I reach that, I will extend it more and more each time. My ultimate goal is to get to the end of the year, July - December, having stitched a little each day.

I do have some plans later in the year that will prove to be awkward. There are some conventions and some trips, but I think for traveling I will just take a different (more portable) project for those days.

I know this is last minute since July is starting tomorrow, but it's OK to join late. I don't mind!
Let me know if you want to join! Spread the word! I would love to see everyone else's progress, as well.
At the end of each month, if everyone can keep up with me each day (and keep me motivated), I will give out some stitchy prizes and gifts! 

Since this is so last minute, for this month, I will keep the starting point for people to join me open until the 4th. Spread the word out fast and lets get stitching!

Maillestrom pendants

I have received a request to keep posting my chainmail things here, too, so I decided I will simply post here AND on my website for the chainmail things. If you read both, then you will get some duplicate posts to read. 

 

I have been wanting to make these pendants for a while, but I haven't been able to find good ring sizes for them. Finally, with a 1 in large outer ring, I was able to find a combination that works perfectly! I posted about the silver and black ones earlier, but I had to share my rainbows! 

I started with all silver (not pictured), along with all black with silver outer ring. They were simple and looked amazing. Of course, I love bright color! So, I had to make some rainbow ones, as well. This is what took so long with these, though. My ring supplier was out of orange for many months! I kept waiting and waiting until finally, I was able to get that last bag of rings needed to make these incredibly awesome small pendants. They are so small, that they may work for earrings, too!

I may keep playing around with these and figure out ring sizes to make larger ones for pendants, and just keep these for earrings, but for now I like them as they are. 

 

 

Cross stitching again!

Since all but 1 of my conventions has been cancelled so far this year (my next as-of-yet-uncancelled is Aug 1st), I haven't had the need to replenish my chainmail stock. This has freed up some time for me to work on my own things!
My last post was about the banner. By the end of that one, I was really wanting to do some cross stitch again. Having a color inlay (design) was enough like looking at a stitch pattern, so once it was complete, I pulled out my cross stitch stuff again.

After my page finish on Luminaro, I went ahead an moved the Qsnaps over to give me a nice open spot to work on. As you can see in the picture below, I kinda moved the Qsnaps over a little too much, and the edge was almost too far over. If I lift up the felt I have between the Qsnap and the project, it is just barely usable. I didn't want to mess with moving it over a little more, and this way, I can stitch 3 pages before having to move again.

Here is were I was last, with pages 1 and 2 done.

Here is where I am now, after about a week or so of working on it:

Oh, and I felt the need to change my grime guard, just for fun. I bought this woodgrain patterned one for another project that I have yet to start, and I just had to use it! (It doesn't show up too well in this picture, but I'll have a better picture in another update).
Also, I had only a little bit left of a certain color on my current page (3). Rather than just end it, I just moved on to the next page (4) and went down the row that way. I actually got all the way across the page, and that last little tiny smidge on the right is on page 5! The row finally ended, but I was at the end of my thread, anyway.