Say hi to Casper, the friendly ghost crab...
I felt the need to give this guy a name since we've spent so much time together.
Inspired by his brave stand-off with my Goliath-of-a-husband...
It took me quite some time to stitch all of his legs, claws and carapace.
Using buckram beneath both the top and bottom shells gave the little crab some structure.
And the buckram was the perfect solution for attaching all those little legs...
Sometimes tedium is my medium.
Let's just say, that I took a LOT of therapy breaks and used a magnifying glass to help me see the detail.
The pictures that you are seeing are taken with the macro lens on my camera, which gives a much more detailed rendering than if you were looking with your naked eye.
I purposefully chose a goldish-orange thread to stitch his legs in order to simulate the coloring on the actual crab, giving him a goldish-orange tint to his legs and knuckles. The velvet worked beautifully, giving him a bit of a hairy appearance similar to the real crab; and the coloring does appear quite ghost-like against the sand...
Reaching speeds of 10mph, I can see why the ghost crab is the speediest of all crabs and why his name is "ghost"...
He keeps trying to disappear every chance he gets.
I better get busy and finish this block before I lose him to another beach.
Not too long now...
Happy Monday everyone!
Ok, that crab is SO COOL!
ReplyDeleteI am loving this project. Makes me want to design my own thing and stitch it, rather than stitching things others have designed.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Carol S.
Amazing!! You totally blow me away with you creativity!! Casper is no exception!
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday to you too Susan, WOW what a truly unique and awesome looking wee Ghost Crab. Your whole block is truly a work of incredible art. Hugs Judy
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh Susan...I LOVE Casper. He is some kinda guy!! He looks so good on the lace and climbing off the frame. I noticed the gold thread on the claws and thought it looked so real. You are an awesome artist, needlewoman, photographer, and teacher. Oh...and a great friend!!
ReplyDeletelove this little guy and how you created him or her. The block is going to be beautiful, well all of your work is. oxoxoxo
ReplyDeleteHe's perfect and so little and cute. You have so much patience.
ReplyDeleteW.O.W!!! For a moment there I thought he was real....amazing details...love it...
ReplyDeleteStunning! I love how you made him; he's so realistic and the velvet was the perfect choice. The "tedium" was worth it!
ReplyDeleteI am just in awe of your creativity... Everything you do is just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteOnce again I am amazed and in love! He is adorable and so lifelike! You are an amazing artist and this little fellow is superb in his design and coloring. I agree that the velvet you chose made him realistic looking. You deserve a much needed break and a big pat on the back! Sit back and enjoy your success on this little guy!
ReplyDeleteWow, wow, wow! I thought when I saw the legs in the previous post that your ghost crab was going to be something special but Casper is A-MAZ-ING!
ReplyDeleteYour work is amazing!
ReplyDeleteSo interesting to learn about ghost crabs and then watch you use your magic needle to create your own! You are SO creative, Susan, and is SO fun to watch you in action. One of my favorites is the hermit crab; perhaps he is hiding in one of your shells?
ReplyDeleteI would like to do it!!! but I can't!
ReplyDeletemalou
Dear Susan ~ When I first saw Casper's photo in my list of blogs I follow, a huge smile spread across my face and I could hardly wait to get here to read all about him and see him in more detail.
ReplyDeleteHe is crab-tastic! You amaze and so inspire me in all of your creations.
Hugs ~ FlowerLady
Stunning! I love this crab and watching this whole block come together.
ReplyDeleteJesus Christ, what a talent you have inside each cell of you!!!!
ReplyDeleteNana
Squeal!!
ReplyDeleteCasper is an absolute triumph - he looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteCrazy good and amazing!!
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable talent you have!! I love your blog and watching your creativity come alive!!!! Thanks so much for sharing with all of us.
ReplyDeleteholey craboly...put him on the beach and the other crabs would wanna fight him!
ReplyDeleteOnce again...I love it!
ReplyDeleteCasper has turned out beautifully Susan! The velvet looks very real and being a crab lover I know. Am really enjoying the progression of this project and the many elements.
ReplyDeleteCrikey! Such attention to detail, well done!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward as always to see the completed block.
Sandie xx
Girl...you do amazing work!
ReplyDeleteCasper is incredible!! Congratulations on your creation!!
ReplyDeleteYour creativity is so inspiring, I can't stop smiling!
Ok, You are KILLING me here!! Just STOP already!!! You are beyond belief sucha super star of creative wonder!! At first second and third glance I thought this was a real crab shell that you had somehow strengthened and were using on your piece but then I thought of scale and looked more closely!!!!! All one can say is BRILLIANT and Stupendous and of course I should have known that Casper would have been left to fight another day!!! Unbelievable!!!
ReplyDeleteA. MAZ. ING. Rock Star, Goddess, Diva. Stitching Superstar. Fiber Engineer. You are ... I'm out of words now.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant,!
ReplyDeleteSusan "tedium" is definitely your medium and it is what makes your work so museum worthy. Casper is so realistic I think he could just scamper away. Your choice of velvet and thread are perfect. His little eyes seem like they are truly looking about to find the ocean. Stunning Stitching...
ReplyDeleteHe's Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI love how you gave him structure and definition with the buckram and thread.
he looks so real!
Your amazing talent and creativity never ceases to amaze me! This is just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteYou continue to amaze, m' lady!
ReplyDeleteYou have put a lot of work into Casper. But he was worth it. I wish I could see it in real and shake hands/claws ;)
ReplyDeleteI am sure the balance is completely restored now.
Casper is amazing! What a super rendition-- he looks so real! You'd better stitch him down before he scampers away. Fabulous! Your 'tedium medium' creates magic!
ReplyDeleteLove little Casper. I really would love to be able to do things like this. What about doing a CQ tutorial please?
ReplyDeleteI would love to sign up :))
quel travail! une belle réussite!bravo!
ReplyDeleteI can just not believe you. Your perseverance is amazing. Casper will be talked about for a long time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your nice works on my blog. It was really fun having her here.
Maine will be wonderful.
ditto to all of the above.... He's fabulous!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are reminding me of Annemieke Mein, which means you are in exalted company! Only you are doing it entirely your own way...Well done my friend!....xoxox
ReplyDeleteYou are genius! Amazing!!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://rukodelkimollymj.blogspot.com/
This is stunning, this crab looks real. Well done !
ReplyDeleteCasper is the cuties little crab ever. Your work is just so amazing.
ReplyDeleteTeresa's Heartfelt Stitches
Absolutely fantastic! I am in awe (as per usual...)
ReplyDeleteLove his tiny eyes on stalks, his little claws, the blended colours on his back - wow!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! Fabulous! I am in love with this little guy, Casper!! You knocked this one out of the park!
ReplyDeleteSusan Elliott , вы настоящая волшебница , я всегда с открытым ртом наблюдаю за этим процессом ,возникновения жизни на кусочке моря .Восхитительная работа!!!
ReplyDeleteYou really creative...awesome
ReplyDelete