Ticking some more boxes

I finally managed to tick some more boxes this week, finishing a few little things I've had on the go.  Thanks to some gentle prodding/encouragement, and advice from my friend Isabell, I've finally got this little stitching experiment made into something.  I am so pleased I went with the gold lining [thanks again Isabell].

This began simply as an experiment using one stitch for texture.  I've used a variety of chain stitches and threads, but I am not sure if they can all be clearly seen.  The starting point was a simple A4 sheet of paper, several wavy lines drawn, paper cut on those lines, and then each segment was flipped, etc., prior to using as templates for marking the stitching lines.  I added a few beads in several voided areas, just for my usual BLING.  BTW, there are still lots of chain stitches that I have not used!!  I particularly love the look of the cable chain, done in black perlé thread.

Some time ago I posted a picture showing a journal I'd made using brown paper shopping bags [courtesy of an online lesson by Sue Blueweiss].  I wanted to try another with a different colourway, and I've not long finished this one.   I really enjoy making these, and hope to make a few more before Christmas.  I put concertina pockets into the inside of this one, and added some decorated shipping tags.  Perhaps these would make excellent travel journals.  The old map image I found on the Interent, and thought it suited the brown and gold outside colour.

I've almost finished my October needlecase, so should be able to post it next week.  Not long now and the Twenty/Ten Challenge will be done and dusted.  I don't think I'll commit myself to such a discipline in 2011.  It has been fun, but perhaps it would be sensible to have a break next year and work on things that take my fancy 'at the time'.  That sounds like a spoilt brat talking, sorry!!