Projects in progress

Here's pictures of the crafting projects I am currently working on. The pictures doesn't hold much quality I'm afraid, my camera isn't that good, and I'm not a particularly good photographer. Even so; here they are. I can't promise I'll update this page too often, but I will take the different projects away from here and give each of them a proper blog entry once I finish them.

 Cross Stitching projects

Teddy and Friends Birth Record from Dimensions (design by Shelly Rasche)

I'm making this for my upcoming nephew (my boyfriend's sister is having a son). I think it's absolutely adorable and it's cool that it contains more different stitches in addition to the plain cross stitches I normally do. The deadline is the 3rd of July though, so I better hurry. I hope they'll like it.

Strawberry Basket Table Runner from Anchor, Idéna (design by Elisabeth Nilsson)

This is my first "big" cross stitch project. And kind of what got me into cross stitching again (I used to cross stitch a lot when I was around 12/13 years old and then, for some reason, I stopped). I got this as a gift from my Grandma along with an easter table runner that I haven't started on yet. I love the summery vibe you get from this one and even though I've made a ton of little mistakes on this I love how it's turning out. And I'm not that far from finished, I've done one side of the table runner and is currently working on the other side. Here's pictures of the whole thing, the side I'm working on and the finished part.

Celestial Dragon from Design Works (Design by Joan Elliott)

I got this one as a birthday gift from my lovely friend e2 last year. And it is perhaps my favorite project to work on. I LOVE the colors of it, and of course the motif (it is a dragon after all, and I am a crazy dragon lady), and every time I work on it I really feel like I'm making progress and that makes it even more fun.

A Christmas Table Runner from Permin of Copenhagen

I've barely started on this one. My friends and I were having a Christmas workshop and it felt weird bringing my strawberry basket project, even though that was my main project, so I started on this one. It's sewn on 8 count Aida and with thick yarn. That's kind of fun and extra cozy sort of. Also it's impossible not to get in a Christmas mood when working on it.

Strawberry Scissor Keep from Permin of Copenhagen

This one I got as a sort of summer gift from my sweet friend Vilje last year. It was small and perfect for carrying in my shoulder bag and work on while traveling. I worked a lot on this while driving from Germany to Norway last summer. And I want the motif to be on both sides ('cause I think that would be the coolest), but there aren't enough yarn so I have to dig after the right colors in our extra stash before I continue on the unfinished side. And that is a task I'm constantly procrastinating.

Butterfly on Flowers from Vervaco

Well, I loved having that small project hidden in my bag. So I bought these little ones. And whenever I noticed that I was fiddling a bit too much with my fingers during train rides or such (I fiddle when I'm stressed or nervous and deadlines or imagined social pressure have that effect on me) I'd take this out and work on it. They're tiny though and some of the colors are quite similar to each other so if the light's too dim they get difficult. But that's part of the fun and it takes your mind off of the silly stuff.

Knitting projects

Glittering fingerless gloves

I'm making these for my sister. She picked out the yarn and colors herself and described for me what kind of gloves she wished for and then I'm making them up as I go. I'm a bit slow in finishing them, but it's a fun project and I think they'll turn out pretty good. I hope they'll match the recipient's wishes.

Drawing and painting projects

The Nira-dragon and the Kio-doll.

I've been working on these for a while. Not because they're hard to do but because they've been staying in my head for a really long time before I finally spat them out on the paper. They've changed so many times and it took me a long time to settle on what kind of spirit I wanted them to express. They're a kind of weird concept. And a sort of selfish one?

The little dragon I hope to use as my icon on places like Twitter and such. She is a stuffed animal like a teddy, but alive and a dragon. She's mostly content and lazy and likes to draw and sleep and goof around. At some point I started referring to her as the Nira-dragon (in my own head) naming her after my original internet-nick. I think of her like a sort of mascot.

The girl is sort of me. Or my avatar maybe. I think she represents what I want to be, or who I feel like I am on the inside, or maybe who I would be if everything was different. Mostly I think she is the person I feel I can be on the internet and on my blog. I aim at using her as my profile image on my blogs or on other places where I want to promote myself. I don't know how I came to call her the Kio-doll, it just happened. And she doesn't have her own name, she can't; she's me... sort of. Except not quite. It's complicated?

Aurora

I once drew my friend's original character just for fun. And later when I wanted to have fun with my aquarelle colors this drawing proved to be an easy piece to convert into watercoloring. Someday when I finish this I guess I'll make it into a birthday card to said friend.

Olivia Thomas and Paisley J

Sometimes when I draw I just doodle randomly and sometimes I draw new persons. I can't help feeling somewhat attached to my little paper dolls and they automatically get names and personalities and background stories. Here's some I've grown quite fond of, but still haven't fully developed or made into proper pieces. I will though. some day. Olivia Thomas is the somewhat artsy one (with the umbrella) and Paisley J is the cheerful kid (with the hat).

Coloring projects

I got some drawings that I'm in the middle of digitally coloring. This process can be quite time-consuming and I get kinda tired of doing it for hours so I tend to do a little bit at a time. Lately I've kinda forgotten all about these, but I do plan on finishing them eventually. You can find the bw line art of two of these at my DeviantArt though.
There's a young version of Kei, there's his presumed sister; Caroline-Eve, and there's Visci.

Comic strips?

I don't know if you've ever met Septimus? I created him to use in some roleplaying we were playing at when I was younger. And he really hit it off with my friend's character, Ai. And even though the roleplaying thing faded away I still couldn't let these two go. I do think they would make a cute comic strip. and I have drawn up some storyboard stuff. Mostly from Septimus' point of view though, he's the one I know best. In the one in the picture (which is impossible to see properly) he is telling Ai how annoying mr. Racoon could get and how, even though Septimus misses him, it's ok that mr. Racoon had to stay home since someone had to watch the house anyways. Ai suggests that they send mr. Racoon a postcard to cheer him up and then they do. Mr. Raccon is a stuffed animal toy.

Summertime

I do not know. I have this set of characters that keep showing up in my drawings. Whenever I want to draw a group of friends; this group volunteers. I should make them into an official thing. Here are sketches of the group doing summer activities.
They are rollerskating to the ice cream parlor. Nickie is leading. Kei is hanging on to her making no effort to move at all, chatting away. Sifer is following right after, consumed in Kei's tale. Lizzie is having fun on Iver's behalf (though helping him the best she can). Iver's never really been any good at rollerskating and is convinced he'll fall down.

They are hanging out in/on/around a public water fountain, eating ice cream and having fun. Until Lizzie falls down into the water. (Sifer is undressing because of the warmth; he's looking a bit odd. And I have to redo some stuff here. For starters; Lizzie is supposed to be taller than this).

My would be self

I was watching Shugo Chara some time ago and was inspired to draw my would be self or rather my guardian character (a little fairy like creature helping you become the person you really want to be or fulfilling the potential of your personality or something, am I explaining this right?). I don't really know what qualities this drawing dons, but I think she turned out kinda cute. Also I wanted to try coloring her in two different ways. To compare my aquarelle skills and digital coloring skills. And I can't really decide on her shirt's color so she exists in multiple versions. None of which is finished. XP