Kimberly's Card: Elegant Simplicity

As always, I'm enchanted with Kim Smith's artwork! I received this card in the mail this afternoon, and had to show it here. She is not only very talented with her needle and thread and designing for needlepoint, but does the most beautiful of graphic art - whimsical, elegant, simple.

I treat myself to a new small picture to frame from time to time, and never tire of looking at her artwork. I love the Santa on this card, carefully placing his simple ornament on the simple little tree - so different from all the rest of the "stuff" out there. What an imagination this lady has! She does this in addition to working full time at The NeedleWorks here in Austin. Wow!

To see more of Kim's art, go to A Kimberly Design - her blog.

The Nutcracker Suite and Other Fine Things!

Self indulgence is a good thing sometimes, and as I have had to make yet another change of address this week, I have been wallowing in self pity and decided to cruise the internet and place a few orders. Even a good move can be traumatic (this one was), as now I can't find anything and feel kind of disconnected.

I cannot find the little bag of the current needlepoint project, along with my thread clippers and needles - major stress!! It was to be for a new blog post. I have also not found the box containing my paints and brushes - withdrawal going on here. However, I have been looking at my favorite blogs again, and will direct you to wonderful things.

First, the contents of my mail box today. Quite a mood elevator, as it all arrived at the same time!! The soap is from Seventh Sojourn. (The link is under "good stuff" on my side bar as "Wonderful Soap") Here you can see Almond Kiss and Luxurious Lavendar.

There also was an "Angel" with a wonderful scent, but my daughter saw it and snagged it before I could make a picture. These soaps are not only delightful in scent, but are soooo good for the skin, and keep my hands from turning needles black.

The tea is Winter Dreams from Tea Embassy - also on the side bar under Good Stuff. It's a delicious loose tea I enjoy in the evening while I read. The Netflix is a movie I've never seen - don't know how I missed it, but expect it to be good - The Notebook.

Next, if you haven't already been watching, do go to The Cape Stitcher and see the development of the wonderful Nutcracker Suite ornaments Anne Stradal is stitching. Hers are different from what one usually sees "out there," as they are based on her years of experience with both attending from early childhood and dancing this great ballet - and passing along the Christmas tradition to her sons (now grown.) The text is as delightful as the characters! This one is "Coffe."

Allie Aller is now beginning a "house portrait" that she loves doing, and is just now almost ready to begin the embellishment - well worth watching at Allie's in Stitches. If you click to enlarge on her site, you can see how small it is compared to the other objects shown - the threads, etc.

Another blog I look at daily is Lisa Daria's "one painting per day." Her work is amazing and quite happy looking - it makes me smile.


The colors in this one are fabulous - one could certainly develop a grand color scheme from it for needlepoint! I may entertain myself tomorrow by trying to pull threads from my stash to match.

Sharon B. (PINTANGLE) is moving along with her Wednesday project, but it's already Thursday in Australia, so you'll have to scroll down a bit - the embroidery is gorgeous on this and worth checking each week. I look at her blog daily, as there is always something of inspiration and interest there.

Now I'm off to make some tea, watch a movie, and relax - tomorrow should be a fine day for energy to return, as we are finally getting a cold front in Austin tonight. I'm tired of heat and humidity!

Good Stuff!!

Another beautiful blog I'd like to share. As I always say, the images that imbed themselves in our brains are important, and this blog is one of my very favorites just for looking and browsing and wishing I could buy more. It's on my morning cruise list every day.

This incredibly talented young woman lives here in Austin, and I'm hoping to visit the gallery soon that carries her paintings - the larger ones. They are also shown in more galleries out of state - the list is on her blog.

Carol Marine has been doing a "painting a day" for several years, and then has them for sale on Etsy. There you can also see some of her larger ones! Anyway, this is certainly worth a look. The composition is great on these small works, as are the colors and brushwork - and some of the subject matter is quite whimsical.

The next subject is Anne Stradal's new Halloween piece - poker playing ghosties. These are as funny as her "ghostly trio" last year. I won't spoil the surprise by showing a picture here, but do be sure to visit her at The Cape Stitcher and watch the stitching when it's in progress.

Great Classes for Stitches and Silk Ribbon!

Sharon B's wonderful blog PINTANGLE is one of my first stops in the morning while having coffee and cruising for art and inspiration on the internet (and great instruction).

She is now announcing her upcoming cyber classes on Joggles.com - a "Personal Library of Stitches," and also "Introduction to Silk Ribbon Embroidery." These classes are extremely reasonably priced! Do go investigate, and enjoy her blog if you haven't already discovered it.




















I didn't have time this year to join her "challenge" - which was TAST, short for Take A Stitch Tuesday, but I never miss studying it each week. The pictured technique is clear and easy to understand, and the stitches have been useful in many cases for the surface enhancement I enjoy doing with my needlepoint.

BTW, while you're looking at Pintangle, do click on the classes, and also see Joggles.com. If you aren't already familiar with it, it has the most fascinating online classes I've seen. I could spend the next few years doing taking classes in all kinds of wonderful fiber arts!

While you are looking at beautiful things, and in a learning mode, next visit the Florence Griswold Museum, where a fabulous exhibit will show from October 2, 2010 until January 30, 2011, in Lyme Connecticut - "With Needle and Brush: Schoolgirl Embroidery From the Connecticut River Valley." This exhibit deals with the "understanding of the traditions of needlework" and an insight into the schooling of young ladies before public education. The needlework examples are beautiful and amazing!

A Very Beautiful and Inspiring Blog

I say often that I enjoy looking at the blogs of designers and "doers" of other textile and graphic arts for imprinting great images into my head. This thing of "cross pollination" sometimes brings up the most amazing things that I wish I had found several years ago - just by clicking at random on someone's blog list.

I found this amazingly, stunningly beautiful blog about a week ago, and can't seem to stay away from it. I will also say that her blog list is dangerous unless you have many many hours to entertain yourself looking at incredible work and lots of what we call "eye candy."

This first picture is from her needlepoint gallery, as she also puts her graphic and watercolour designs onto canvas. The second picture is the "sketch" she used to create the needlepoint canvas.

I chatted with Cathy briefly when I e-mailed for permission to "klep" pictures from her and show her on my blog, and wasn't really surprised when she said she's totally self educated in this art thing.

A true artist, born with the "gift" usually is impaired when the wrong art teacher takes over. I've seen this happen too often with very gifted children when the art teacher informs them that trees aren't blue. The spontaneity goes away, and true creativity is stifled. Just learning how to use an art medium is enough - then spontaneity of design and execution takes over in a most delightful way.

Actually, the same principle should be applied to needlepoint stitching inspiration. It's best to learn stitches - how they look, how to execute them, and which types of fibers show them to their best advantage for the intended purpose. THEN decide for yourself how to use them and where on a painted canvas for best effect.

There are blogs "out there" that have dreadful stitching showing, and it's so easy to get these images in the mind before you realize it, and have your own stitching creativity stifled or distorted!

Anyway - so much for why I love cruising gorgeous and inspirational blogs, and why I justify the time. (Actually, I'll use any excuse for doing this). Be sure to visit Cathy's blog at One Pink Goose. There is also a web page with galleries of her work in different media. Really really fine things. The spiral needlepoint is from an older post - go to her achives and click on April, 2008, to see this and more!!

Also, either click on "Faraway Hills" on the side bar, or go HERE to look at more of Cathy's amazing artwork. If I were remotely into plagiarism, this is where I would land and get images - they are wonderful to look at. The little picture is from Gallery 5.

Beautiful Threads!! (and the Ornament Continues)

First - good news! I remember while working on the Coral Reef ornaments, and using threads from the stash I had bought from Sharon B. of Pin Tangle, that I was hoping she would soon show more of her gorgeous hand dyed threads on the ArtFire store - and now she has.

I waited, of course, until I had bought what I wanted (I used restraint) before calling attention to it, as I saw it on her blog post yesterday. For anyone who doesn't follow this blog - it is delightful, informative, and inspirational for any of the fiber arts.

I'm especially enjoying the packages of threads as they are, as it's like having a stash of exotic and;/or useful and beautiful threads to choose from for my needlepoint projects that aren't like most of what's available in the shops. Also, there are built in color schemes in some of them. Do go take a look at Pin Tangle, and click on the link to Sharons Artfire store.

Next, the ornament: I had to take the big bright button off after all, as it was even more obnoxious after two days of not looking at it than it was when hid it from myself. I simply substituted a simple "woven" grid with #8 Holographic braid (Kreinik, of course). Then made a bit more progress on other parts. It's almost finished - and I'll do this as ideas occur for the last few small areas.

It's amazing how bright/white the YLI Ribbon floss (or any thread) looks when worked with long stitches, so the light strikes more surface. The background, the light being broken up by basketweave stitches, looks darker and duller, but what I needed to best display the look of the Memory Thread and metallic. I started a new one yesterday - another of my "traditional ornament shapes."

I decided it would be a good idea to make it red, but using the needle blending, starting with DMC floss #321. However, the stitch I'm using - my version of T-stitch - is letting some background show through, so I'm in process of ripping out and using a different stitch.

Basketweave would be too flat and dull looking for the surface. I could have painted the canvas red first, but was too lazy to do so. More on this another time, unless I decide to abort the mission and do something else.

The Fleur-de-Lys (or my distant past)

I was looking in old files this morning, searching for something - can't remember what at this point, but obviously didn't find it. Oh well. What I did find were some amazing things I had totally forgotten about - mostly done before I even had a color copier for reproduction. These finds are exceeded only by the charted martini glass I used to paint for people, which I found a few months ago in the "Religious" file folder. Figure that one.

Anyway, the first thing that fell out of a file unexpectedly, was this little canvas with two Fleurs-de-lys, which I had drawn in preparation for putting onto a tiny vest for a Beanie Baby about 12 years ago for an auction by the alum group of my college Greek letter affiliation.

Our flower was the blue iris, so the conventionalized form was also used - which is the "fleur-de-lys." (also stands for the "lily of France") I could not find anywhere the photo of the little vest, but as I remember, I also made a silk ribbon iris on one side in blue. I needed this symbol to be 1/2" high or less, and then stitched it with beads. I drew this again today, and colored it with a drawing pen that was lying on the table to illustrate where I would put the little cross band (in gold on mine)

One thing leads to another, and I was reminded of one of the angels I designed for the Christmas tree at the Governor's Mansion here in Austin back when Mrs. Perry (Anita) asked for a collection of angels of the 40 sq." size.

The next one was in remembrance of a past Governor's wife, Mrs. Price Daniel, who was also a member of my sorority, as was her daughter, who was active in the chapter when I was. The irises on this angel are not "blue," but are in the colors I love so from the Leah Schwartz paintings.

I remember we used to giggle about that Fleur-de-Lys, as it is on the coat-of-arms for the Royal Stuarts, as Mary, Queen of Scots was essentially French - (her father was a Stuart king of Scotland, but she went to France as a child to marry the Dauphin (who died very young) and become Queen of France.)

The Fleur de Lys was symbol of the French ruling house, and Mary's son became James I of England after Queen Elizabeth I died with no heir. Thus the Stuart tartan became the Royal Stuart tartan, and Queen Elizabeth II has adopted it for her own personal tartan - her honor guard wears the kilts in this pattern. Prince Charles, when at Balmoral, wears the hunting coloration of this same tartan, which is in darker, cool colors ( blues and greens) Obviously, this is my favorite period of English history, besides the Plantagenets.

Next find was a drawing - the color picture has vanished. I remember really enjoying drawing and painting this one. The note to myself on the tracing paper says it's for a 4" x 6" photo. The spider web in the center is just a better tracing to use when putting it onto canvas, as the one in the corner was rough and not good to use for the final piece.

I drew this a number of years ago - but was told by a few shop owners I showed it to that people would not be interested in stitching Halloween stuff. Oh my. Those little dots, I believe, were silver, representing stars. Now, with more wonderful novelty threads, this would almost tempt me.

My original inspiration was the reallly great photos we took of my first two little grand daughters at Halloween. I thought it would be fun to have those displayed year 'round, but they needed more than just a plain frame. I never did get around to stitching it- and have no idea where it is.

Looking at it, I see DMC Memory thread on the pumpkin vine tendrils, and plenty of P.V.V. on the pumpkins. I had to buy a book on carving Halloween pumpkins to get the facial expressions. Fun!! More on the finds maybe tomorrow - this is too long as it is. I may have to give myself another day off and go dig in the bottom drawer of the file again. I might even remember what I was originally looking for.

The Beauty of the Fiber Arts

I felt I needed to share this beautiful work with any of you who haven't discovered Allison Aller's blog (Allie's in Stitches - click on it here to see).

She tells the reason for doing this particular landscape, as she does all of her landscape quilts - and they are, indeed, works of art. This one causes me to really "FEEL" the atmosphere in the picture, as well as to appreciate the fine needlework and talent involved in it's creation.

Allison A. and Sharon B. (Pintangle) were the creators of the very first blogs I ever saw - over three years ago before I started mine. I stumbled upon them while looking for old crazy quilts, and was amazed at the "new look" in CQ - traditional but yet far beyond in the colors, materials, and arrangements.

This led to my experimenting with adapting CQ to needlepoint, which is what I wanted to do in the first place, but these were soooo much better than the Victorian kind I was looking for. Allison was, at that time, working on her Crazy for Flowers, which won a national award! Beautiful thing, it was.

Anyway, we became acquainted via the internet, and she has been a wonderful mentor, as well as being a very supportive friend in my triumphs and tragedies over the last three years or so. It was she who supplied me with a block to show in my very first article in Needlepoint Now - I believe it was the May/June issue in 2007.

I have just recently gotten this out of storage, and am hoping to get it to the framer soon. It's a beautiful thing up close - exquisite in it's small details of seam embellishment and surface enhancement.

Designing needlework is, indeed, an art form, which is why I enjoy the images and inspiration I get from cruising the blogs of the fiber artists over the planet. Each piece is an original creation, which is as it should be!

I look forward to starting the translation of this block (the second photo - not the Sun and Moon quote) into needlepont soon - that which I call "inspiration, adaptation, and just plain plagiarism" - but Allie gives me permission, as I always ask first.

Hand Dyed Threads and a Fabulous Blog

Another great blog I mention fairly often, and look at daily, is Sharon B's PINTANGLE - listed on my side bar. She has been showing stitches and combinations on her great project - the Band Sampler, and today's post is one I really must try on needlepoint canvas.

These are stitches I've used for many years, but she has a really fine combination put together, as well as the effect of the overdyed threads which are framing the smaller squares. (I also rather like the effect of the sequin with bead) As for use of something like this, I enjoy making frames, or making monograms or quotes for pillows, and this would be a fine one to use.

Incidentally, my favorite book of alphabets and letters is one stocked by Colleen at The Needle Works here in Austin: Minuscules & Majuscules by Valerie Lejeune, published by Mango Pratique. It's totally in French, but the charts, etc. are wonderful and easy to read. I seldom use any other book for choosing "fonts" for my needlepoint. (Visit The Needle Works here)

The hand dyed threads in Sharon's Artfire Store are fabulous in color and quality, and I am weak when shopping there - no restraint or self discipline - and I like using them for surface enhancement and embellishment and for other "special effects." Total eye candy just to look at them. They have no dyelots, so one must be careful of the use.

The latest is her "Twisties" - and I had to order several. Granted, they are only 1 and 2 meter (app. 1 1/10 yds.) lengths, but the embellishment possibilities huge.


Although these threads are shipped from Canberra, Australia, the shipping charge is minimal - much less than most of the companies I order from in this country (even here in Austin), and the service is fast and efficient!!

Needlepoint Now: A New Issue, a New Look

I received my advance copy of the magazine today (my birthday), and was so excited when I took it out of the envelope, I had to e-mail Elizabeth (the new owner/editor) immediately to tell her how gorgeous and classy the cover is - and then it was off to the 'frig for cheese cake to enjoy while looking inside.

After looking at every page and every ad, I'll have to say it's the best issue I've seen in the two years + I've been writing for it. Even my article was decent, and it usually bores me - she and her editors made it look good!

Of course Liz Morrow's gorgeous bargello was wonderful, as was Rosalyn's "Joy of the Painted Canvas" - and Ann Blalock is back with her wit and humor to make us laugh at ourselves.

I will say that if you have let your subscription lapse or haven't bought Needlepoint Now in a while - do take another look. I'm excited about this and future issues, and will try harder, also, to make my contribution more interesting.

Fish Rubbings and Japanese Art

I was looking at this web page this morning, hoping to choose what I want this summer, as my son and his family spend a great deal of it on Cape Cod (at Brewster) - and usually bring me back something gorgeous in the way of a new T-shirt to enhance my wardrobe.

These items, which include a lot more than T-shirts, are made by an old Japanese method of printing with inks right from the sea creature itself (Gyotaku) - a fascinating technique, which is explained on the web site.

The colors used by this company are really gorgeous! My favorite is a pair of bright pastel scallop shells - but I can't find it right now for illustration. Probably in the laundry basket unironed.

Anyway, Cape Cod is certainly interesting - I used to order great candles at wholesale there (Colonial Candles of Cape Cod) when I was in my accessory painting phase, and painting wildflowers for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Research Center - and also Impressionist interpretations for a gift store here in Austin. (Breed & Co.) Painted candles are great decorative items! (More on that later.)

Also, Anne Stradal lives there now, so if I hitch a ride to Brewster this summer with my son, I could go visit her and see the lighthouses in person, and she swears she makes a great omelette- what fun to look forward to. Meanwhile, do go visit Blue Water Fish Rubbings and enjoy!

A Lighthouse in Mississippi

Anne Stradal has stitched another beautiful lighthouse, and shows a tutorial of her needle blending of the sky - it's worth a look! She also gives an interesting history of this one in Biloxi, which always makes it more alive. See it here.

Also worth seeing is Squiggee's thimble collection - awesome! Gail Hendrix is responsible for this show! See it here.

Guardian Angels

If you haven't already, go over to Anne Stradal's blog and see her latest - two wonderful little Guardian Angels in "knitted shawls," made especially for friends who need them - breast cancer diagnoses. These are lovely - cozy and comforting, as well as cute. Good company, indeed!!

Quilt Patterns and Tiles: Coasters

Oh how wonderful - look at what Jan Fitzpatrick (Thread Medley) has done now with her beautiful coaster patterns - the very ones you have seen on her blog. She has the patterns for sale for us now on her web page - go see her HERE.

I have looked at her stitch guides, and they are simple and easy to understand and to work from - a high compliment from someone who refuses to work from charts until now.

Geishas: Dressed and Coiffed!

Anne Stradal has finished stitching the "Nippon Textures" canvas by Gail Hendrix - and has done a beatiful job of it. Go visit her blog HERE, and read the fascinating research she has done on Geisha hair-dos.

Anne has challenged me to a "stitch-off" on her St. Marks lighthouse she painted for me (My old "stomping grounds in north Florida). I'm afraid she will make me look second rate now, but I will try it - and look forward to watching her.

More Eye-Candy Art from Kimberly

It's rare that I find needlepoint designs by other people that I really want badly to stitch - just a few - and I never take classes. However, this lady has really made me want to take a class or two with her, as her work is different - gorgeous! Whimsical yet sophisticated, and different from anything I've done. She doesn't design needlepoint commercially at this time in her life, due to an active family still at home - but is doing some absolutely wonderful cards and jewelry shown on two sites. (links to these are on her brand new blog)

Kimberly Smith is here in Austin, and works at the LNS helping people with their projects and threads, designing, and teaching classes on her wonderful pieces. After receiving her Christmas card, I told her I sat and looked at it and planned what stitches I would use on it if she painted it onto needlepoint canvas - but I didn't succeed there. Oh well.


Anyway - do go look at her blog, which is a brand new endeavor. I intend to look at it along with others I enjoy every morning to start the day with my coffee - and to keep hoping she will put some of these on canvas in the near future. You can find her HERE.
I highly recommend a browse through her studio, ART FIRE, which you can see on the side bar of her blog.

Showing off my Sam

Sometimes a mother just has to show off a bit - My multi-talented youngest son, Sam, is now making hunting bows and arrows, and has taken it to the level of an art form. We go on expeditions together to the "fancy wood" stores, and it is absolutely amazing what he can do with it. These pictures are of a bow he brought over to show me yesterday, that is a work of art - with five different kinds of wood in it - BEAUTIFUL thing it is. He has made videos you can see by clicking HERE. - these also show "how to make an arrow" as well as pictures of a beautiful bow he made for his little daughter, Grace.

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.

A Great New Needlepoint Blog!

What a wonderful surprise it always is ( and this doesn't happen often) to find a new blog with really great and original designs. Jan Fitzpatrick is a stitching designer with an active imagination and great competence at interpretation - and is presently working with replicating Moroccan textiles. This is the sort of thing I want to see progressing daily for my coffee time in the morning. (Instead of tending to my own.) It's very refreshing to see something that is different from so many others - original, interesting, and very well done. (I think that adds up to "tasteful.")

There are actually three of these quilt block coasters showing on her blog right now, but I only got two for show - see how just change of color can make an entire pattern look different! I couldn't get the whole squares when I klepped them from her (with her permission, of course) - so do go look at Thread Medley. There is also a web page, to which I have put a link under "Good Stuff."

Luxurious but Practical! (Soap)

I would imagine that almost everyone who has ever held a tapestry needle and worked needlepoint has experienced the needle turning black and starting to be unpleasant as it goes through the holes of the canvas. I discovered a number of years ago, totally by accident, that using hand made soaps with natural ingredients stops this. It neutralizes the acids in the skin that causes it, - and I haven't had to discard a needle since.

There is also the factor of constant hand washing to keep our hands clean for stitching with fine fibers, and this can be hard on the skin - especially with commercial soaps, which are detergent based. ( I'm thinking I might need to order the "white" bar, as it has no scents and no exfoliating factors and is totally gentle on the skin - it's good for infants, too.)

Recently, my son Sam gave me a bar (generous, since he had bought a whole box) of the beautifully scented Almond Kiss, and I have loved it - these things last a very long time, so are well worth what they cost - in this case, not much. I used it up, so ordered more on Monday - and received it today. (Wednesday) Remarkable mail order service! Anyway, I had put a link on the side bar on this blog under "good stuff" - (you can also click on it here) so do be sure and go visit often. The blog is lots of fun, and I totally enjoy looking at it, as well as buying their good stuff. My mail box smells awfully good, too.