Talk about a canvas that exudes movement. La Fin by Eleanor Grosch is just that canvas. It’s the last moments of the Tour de France and everyone is moving! This is all about the optics. A perfectly placed Bargello pattern modified to allow the canvas to show through in irregular spaces makes you feel like […]
Archives for 2024
A Zebra, a Panda and a Penguin….
Let’s do something different. We’re having a surprise pop up class! Check your calendars, it will be May 5th from 1pm to 3 pm on zoom. (Ok, we may run a little long but we’ll see.) We all love Eleanor Grosch canvases for their graphic style so let’s stitch these fabulous animals and see just […]
Zecca Flowers Remember
This weekend was our Annual Zecca Retreat. In the past it was in person and now we are mostly on zoom! It’s a wonderful opportunity for so many more of our friends to convene from near and far. We had a great time! The project is entitled “The Flowers Remembered” and I really just can’t […]
Fun and Games
Who remembers this little gem of happiness? This was a mystery class about 5 years ago. It’s a happy fun stitch. Large areas begging to be filled with repeat stitches and of course beads. This is a Tapestry Fair/Dominic Bourbeau canvas called Cat and Mouse Games. Mid Century Modern at it’s finest. I designed a […]
She Glimmers
Another beautiful framed piece is our Deco Lady, stitched by Carol. She is simply lovely and beautifully stitched. Carol loves stitching faces and this one was no exception. I love her headdress. Fun beads, a little here and a little there is just enough to give here the glam she deserves. The star of the […]
I do love Roses!
The Queen’s Court Mystery Class is in the books. I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. I love the painterly aspects of Lane Tree Lily canvases and can’t wait to stitch another. Our Queen is the star of the show. She is covered in ribbons! I love working with ribbon. I don’t get to […]
A Rare and Wonderful Finish
Technically it’s not that rare of a finish but I liked the way the title sounded. This is Beauty of a Rare Find by Elizabeth Foster and Melissa Shirley! Dianne selected it for an Embellishment Class a year or so ago and it is finished and framed! It’s stunning. If you’ve ever wondered what we […]
Blue Cat in the Jungle
Lane Tree Lily’s Queen’s Court is almost complete. The final lesson is next Sunday so it’s time to think about what’s next. Let’s stitch Johanna Virtanen’s wide eyed cat – Blue Cat in the Jungle. He’s such a cutie! The canvas is 9 x 12 handpainted on 18ct. I see sparkles and other fun things. […]
Cynthia Rutledge this May!
Cynthia Rutledge will be with us this May via the magical powers of ZOOM! We have two fun days of beading planned. Class fees are $95 + the class kit which will be purchased from Cynthia. All You Bead is Love – May 17th, 11-5 pm EST on ZOOM All You Bead is Love Class […]
A Bunny and a Crow
The second lesson of our Queen’s Court Mystery Class was yesterday. Queen’s Court was designed by Lane Tree and Lily and is such a happy piece. It is filled with color and charm. Leslie’s (Lane Tree and Lily) style is very painterly. There are touches of this color and that color imbued throughout the canvas. […]
Who’s your alter ego?
Last summer Kimberly of A kimberly design unveiled her Alter Ego Series. And what a series it is. Seven goddesses brimming with personality, texture and color. All seven are complete and ship with a fabulous guide allowing you not only to recreate the exact piece but stretching your skills to new heights. Nothing is too […]
Zecca Retreat 2024!
It’s time to announce Zecca Reatreat 2024! Zecca Retreat is one of our favorite weekends of the year. We started in 2014 and 10 years later these are still some of our favorite projects. I think its the color. 🙂 Karen from Zecca and I just get each other. Her art, my stitches and sometimes […]
Tip for Counting
You may know that I enjoy counting and compensating stitches more than the average person. If you limit yourself to no counting or compensation, you limit yourself to Tent Stitch only. We know that’s not working for me. So, what can I tell you that’s going to make this easier for you. I wrote a […]
This is going to be FUN!
Our first class of the Queen’s Court Mystery Class was Sunday. We had a great time. There was lots of shopping, lots of comaraderie and lots of how to tips to round out the day. Queen’s Court was designed by Lane Tree and Lily and is so full of charm and whimsy! It’s a great […]
Fashion Framed
OOOH! Zecca’s Fashion canvas is back from the framer and is all about the drama. I know some people think Zecca is childlike but I see the timeless elegance in her whimsy and that’s what I like to bring out. So, go big or go home with a 3″ wide gold leaf frame and and […]
BonBon
Who wants to Bead with us on Zoom? Join us March 23rd from 10:30-4:30. EST while Shona Bevan teaches her brand new Blossom Necklace. Shona taught for us a few years ago and we had a fabulous time. Now we are delighted to bring her to you through the magic of zoom! Almost sweet enough […]
Blue Dog
We’ve made it to the final episode of “What is Ruth doing in Zoom-bellishment This Time?” I can’t believe I powered through all of these posts without missing a day. Allow me to introduce the last of the brand spankin new canvases for Zoom-bellishment. This is Blue Dog by Hue & Mi and Sangita. Just […]
The Conspiracy
Brand new for Zoom-bellishment is a new David Galchutt canvas, The Conspiracy! What could be more fun?! The details in this canvas, Oh My! The textures in their clothing and the patterns are amazing. The look on their faces tells the story. I’ve worked out all the details in the stitchguide and it’s going to […]
A Slimey Limey Green Frame
Dragonflies was a Mystery Class, and now it’s a fun choice for Zoom-bellishment! Designed by Helen Heins Peterson it is definitely a canvas full of techniques. All sorts of different techniques! Mine is back from the framer in a delightfully slimely limey green frame. It really is a delightful frame. It looks smashing on the […]
Sweetest Bunny
Are you ready to see another new guide for Zoom-bellishment? Hue & Mi and Sangita designed this sweet Damask Bunny and I can’t wait to see it stitched. It now comes complete with a happy stitchguide. There are beads and ribbons and all sorts of fun texures in this adorable canvas. It’s not too big. […]
Worth Another Look!
I have so many favorite canvases. Some of them were project classes, some were Mystery Classes, some were guides I wrote for previous zoom-bellishment classes that I haven’t stitched but I love how they turned out. I’m always happy when these canvases come back for a second visit in a Zoom-bellishment class. David Galchutt canvases […]
Who Needs a Hug?
I’ve been showing you canvases that are being featured in Zoom-bellishment next weekend that are returning favorites – canvases that I have previously written guides for either as mystery classes or in prior embellishment classes. I’ve written a lot of guides for a lot of pretty canvases. There are also brand new stitchguides in Zoom-bellishment. […]
Fridita
Fridita by Annie O’Brien Gonzales will be joining us in Zoom-bellishment next weekend. I wrote the guide about a year ago but she never really made her debut so here she is debuting stitched by another Carol! Fridita is a myriad of patterns of textures. She is so cool. So many cool threads just waiting […]
Big Bison
Another of the returning favorites for next weekend’s Zoom-bellishment class is the Timothy Chapman Bison from Tapestry Fair. He is dramatic! Carol stitched him and he is grand! Full disclaimer, she did tweak one of the ribbons but everything else follows my guide. We’ll be talking about Bison challenges in class. There are some really […]
