An Exciting New Blog!!

Another new one to look forward to with morning coffee - or for late evening entertainment!! I was really excited this morning when Anne Stradal notified me that she has taken the "big leap" and started her blog, finally. I had been saving this lighthouse to show as I stitched (with her already telling me how to do the water), but now can use it to arouse interest in her wonderful work.

Anne sent me this several weeks ago when I was in a low spot in my life, and wanting to go back to north Florida. This is a truly great rendition of my beloved St. Mark's lighthouse. (Lighthouses are one of her specialties) I can see the alligators lurking just under the surface of the water in the 'gator pond at the bottom. Many times I have had to stop on the little dirt road you can see, while a big alligator was sunning himself for a little while. Off to the right, I can still see, in my imagination, the pier with the brown pelicans roosting on the pilings - and the boat house that was blown away by Hurricane Kate before I could do a watercolour of it. To the right, also, of the 'gator pond and the salt marsh, are some bushes that are covered with butterflies during Monarch migration - what a sight!!

Anyway - back to Anne and her blog! She has her education in Journalism, and her text is delightful and easy to read. The story of her beginnings as a designer is also rather amusing. She totally stitch paints, and has a terrific color sense as well. - Also, as a stitcher, she knows exactly what not to do as far as overkill on the decorative stitches and "fancy fibers." Very enlightening! I look forward to seeing what she is doing and why - and also, reading about her own adaptations to design on painted canvas. I was planning to do this as I finish her Pueblo pottery ornaments, but will leave this task to her now, as I would rather read about it than write it. She does it so well! Go visit her often at The Cape Stitcher.