Standing nutcracker, 4

Today was definitely a non-needlepoint day.  First thing I stopped at the post office to mail several packages, one to my main belt finisher and the others to customers.  Then I went to Verizon where I bit the bullet and purchased an I-phone 4S.  I'm going to a class tomorrow morning to learn about it.  I was surprised that it didn't come with a manual, but then I wasn't a star pupil at deciphering my flip-phone's manual.  My afternoon was spent at the movie theater where I saw Donizetti's L'elisir d'Amore from the Metropolitan Opera's HD transmission.  It was full of beautiful music and marvelous acting.  Great way to spend a few hours.

I stitched the hat brim in the nobuko stitch using three green shades of silk 'n ivory.  It was easy to maintain the pattern with the color changes.

 I couldn't wait any longer to stitch the "emerald".  It's done in the slanted gobelin over 2 threads.  It looks very real in person.  I used one of Kreinik's new lacquer metallics.  I added another couple of strands to the plume's long-short split stitch.  To me, while effective, long-short is like a fine wine--a little goes a long way!

I usually make myself work a canvas from the top right-hand corner to the bottom.  However, after I did the two-tone metallic braid on the hat, I didn't want to keep track of the partial strands of metallic so I skipped down on the canvas and started one of the epaulets.  It was so satisfying that I couldn't stop before I finished!  It is alternating rows of slanted gobelin vatican metallic divided by gold 3270 single rows.  The blue stones are blue Kreinik lacquer done in the Scotch stitch.