Xmas Bugs

I found this book at Joannes:

and decided that all the women in my life were getting bug pins for Xmas!

It's a good book, but I have a few notes...

1. The instructions are clear, but I'm glad I have beading experience already because, as with all craft books, a complete beginner might not recognize a typo. (Yes I'm looking at you, knitting patterns...) There were a few times when I added or corrected something in a chart. Not a big deal because this isn't my first rodeo.

2. If I used the recommended bead named in the instructions, my color did not match the photograph. Which is why this dude looks like Kamen Rider:

...instead of the sensible demure turquoise color in the book. Don't get me wrong, I love garish! The Kamen Rider Moth is boss. It's just not the same as in the book. Getting colors to represent accurately in photos is hard, and even my photo above isn't as bright as it is in real life. (Those yellow stickpins are just holding him in the box, not part of the design.) So anyway, if I wanted it to look like the photo, I matched the beads to the photo, not the instructions.

3. Please, I'm begging: All craft books, and I mean ALL CRAFT BOOKS, cooking, sewing, painting, knitting, what have you, SHOULD BE SPIRAL BOUND. WHO DO I HAVE TO KIDNAP? What world leader can I put the screws to to make this happen?? I can count on half of one hand (I have the standard amount of fingers) the number of craft books I have at home that are spiral bound. All the rest I have to pin down with one elbow, or the remote, or my Manhattan, while I attempt to follow the directions and complete the work.

THEREFORE IF ELECTED, I vow to pass legislation ruling that any book involving at least one chart or one list of steps MUST BE SPIRAL BOUND. Penalties shall include: public whippings, the guillotine, and being forced at gunpoint to embroider a redwork sampler with one hand. THANK YOU, AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE.

Here's the rest. I figured I'd spare you a million photos and make a grid:

I made the ladybug featured on the cover as well, but apparently did not take a photo which by now will not surprise anyone in the least. Also there are way more butterfly and moth patterns than the ones I made, plus beetles and dragon flies and caterpillars. And the patterns are very easily customizable once you get the hang of it. Swap out the colors, make adjustments to the wing shapes, and the possibilities really are endless. In fact, I made myself a dope housefly... aaaaaaaand *scrolling through flickr* ...did not take a photo. I'll be back later with that though because he came out pretty rad. I like this book, and I will definitely return to it.

Oh yeah one more thing, this is beading with wire, so by December first I had the hands of a lumberjack. Keep the lotion and band-aids close. That's free advice.

Five Months is Actually an Improvement...

I survived Xmas. That's about all that needs to be said about that, and one day I will post all the crap that I made as "gifts." But for now, here's a few that have been sitting on the dung heap that is my Flickr account.

A gift for Agent Turkey Lip of N.U.T.S.A.C. UK:

A gift for the BFF entitled "Jesus Christ Walks Into A Bar":

Featuring another delightful illustration from Friend of N.U.T.S.A.C., Brunofsky. The BFF is obsessed with Octomom.

And one final project, before I disappear for another five months...

N.U.T.S.A.C. UK knows how much I enjoy the peerless, highly-esteemed journalism of the Daily Mail, and they gift me a fresh steaming issue whenever possible. Inside one of the more recent copies, I found an article about Bazz the beekeeping dog. Bazz kept getting stung while performing his duties, so they made him this little beekeeper suit.

IS HE GORGEOUS OR WHAT?? I excitedly shared the photo with a friend that had previously revealed to me her secret fetish regarding animals wearing shoes. She was quite pleased. So as a gift to her, I slapped him on a canvas board sprayed with robins egg blue spray paint, rubbed some gold paint around the edges, and put him in a frame. Oh, Bazz. You are a delight.