Mistakes Become Opportunities

Everytime I visit Margie I have to check the winterberry....I just love it. 

Then when I looked at the photos....I was most taken with the whisper thin spider webs.  And I still love the winterberry.

I'm still working my way through the lessons in the funky faces class. Although none of my self portraits really look like me...it may be time for another subject.  I am starting to experiment with other images to stitch....I'm sticking with faces for the class.  But I think I need a different face.....so I'll have to start sketching again.

Using another one of my continuous line self portraits....I recently did two projects that were almost exactly the same. This is the start of the second one....after it was stitched. This time around I wanted to experiment with funky free motion backgrounds....it's a little goofy. 

The first one I did I thought I ruined it when I colored the hair in purple again.  I only have one shade of purple posca pen....and this time I didn't like it at all.  I didn't even take a photo.  So I stitched a second one just like it....with the same wonky background....and this time I experimented with thread painting for the hair....another one of Gina's lessons. 

I've never done thread painting before....and It's pretty fun....and very effective.  Basically...you're just coloring in with stitch.....and I have lots of choices for thread colors!

So here's the second attempt.....with her glorious green thread painted hair. After coloring the oxalis plant with colored pencil....I had another option. So after doing some free motion black dots on the dress...I colored it in with pencil blending several colors.  The soft color of the pencil gives contrast without being overwhelming.  

Then I thought maybe I can fix the first one!  So I thread painted over the purple hair ...and it was a big improvement.  And what I love most about it...is that there is extra texture because you can see hints of the paint underneath adding to the color variation and interest. It's kind of like highlights. I wished I would have colored the hair green before I thread painted.  Now I know. It's nice when a mistake becomes an opportunity.

They kind of remind me of the puzzle that was finished on Margie's board.! 

She said it was a fun one.  Maybe I should do a funky cat....in stitch.