Wouldn’t it be fun to pick a canvas and have a stitchguide written just for that canvas? You arrive in class and find your canvas mounted on stretcher bars, at your seat with a fabulous bag of threads and embellishments all chosen to enhance that favorite canvas. SWOON! From there, you will spend 2-3 days […]
Posts
Orna!
What’s not to love about Orna Willis? She has a great sense of design and a fabulous sense of color. We started brainstorming about a club that was all Orna, but painted canvas centered as something different. Allow me to introduce Flight! Three beautiful canvases with birds, a quail, a pheasant and an oriole. Sign […]
Beep Beep
You were wondering where we would go with the next Mystery Class. You know I love to keep you guessing. I change up the theme and the style of painting with each new class. I love the challenge of a new canvas. Join me on a trip to the Southwest? Designed exclusively for us by […]
Oh the Hair!
I’m convinced our girl is from Baltimore. She has big hair, really big hair. Think “Hairspray” and the Baltimore hons. I am probably the only one who thinks this but it amuses me. In lesson three of our mystery class, Sudden Realization by David Galchutt, we focused on her hair, the sleeves of her gown […]
What a girl!
You have to see this. LOL. I can’t stop playing with it. This is Momentary Distraction by David Galchutt and stitched by Carol. I wrote this guide for one of our embellishment classes and Carol’s fingers flew through stitching it. She had so much fun. The beaded fringe on the dress shimmies just like a […]
Variations
Lesson two of our current mystery class, Sudden Realization by David Galchutt was this past weekend. There were so many fun details that it had to be two blog posts! My favorite detail of the class is the stitch we used for the cape around her shoulders. I love this stitch and how we can change […]
Details – Outlines
I have so many details to share! I’m in love with this canvas. You know I love tiny details and this canvas has lots of them. There’s a logic to the stitches, threads and techniques I choose. The more details, the more I can share the inner workings of my mind. It’s a scary place […]
The Books
Just a quick hello to say books are in-stock should anyone need a volume or five. LOL. Yes, to date there are five volumes of my stitches books. Each book has anywhere from 250 – 300 stitches diagramed one per page for easy peasy reading. With each guide I write, new stitches are born and […]
Kimberly Magic
Kimberly not only paints beautiful canvases and stitches them like no other but she has her own very special way of finishing them! She graciously shared this info on her blog and I’m sharing it here to. It’s super cool and totally doable! Here’s her technique for a beaded edge to finish off your beautiful […]
Let’s do the Twist!
Woo Hoo! I made another video! Some techniques lend themselves to videos. On the tree skirt of Eleanor Grosch’s Nutcracker I made a tiny twisted cord using the Corkscrew technique. Here’s my how to video. Hope it helps. Let me know what you think. My goal for this year is more videos. My goal is […]
Say Yes to the Dress
I became obsessed with Clara’s dress on the nutcracker. Three layers of stitches to create the pattern just weren’t enough. LOL. I added beads and the most adorable scattering of buttons across the bottom hem. So cute. This was the final lesson of Eleanor Grosch’s Nutcracker Mystery Class It was all about the finishing touches. […]
Christmas Blocks has a Guide!
You are probably expecting this post to be about the last lesson of the Nutcracker. Well, the snow gods had a different plan. LOL. I’ll take photos today and we’ll be back on track. Until then, I have breaking news! Mary Legallet has written a stitchguide for Diane Dirks Christmas Blocks! This has been a […]
Look What We Did!
Last weekend was our first embellishment extravaganza of 2019! We had so much fun. Canvases, stitches, good friends, good food. The friendships really are the highlight of the weekend. I wrote guides for 14 different canvases. Did I say different? There was something for everyone. The three days were spent stitching and trying new techniques. […]
The First Embellishment Extravaganza of 2019!
We’re 4 days into 2019 and it’s time to celebrate the first embellishment extravaganza of 2019. And by Extravaganza, I do mean EXTRAVAGANZA! So many different canvases. So much fun. Class starts today. Follow us on IG or facebook for pictures of the canvases getting started! It’s going to be fun! Abstract Bears by Melissa […]
Ring in the New Year! It’s 2019
Max, Richie, Callie, Quinn, Harley and Johnny would like to join me in wishing you and yours a happy healthy sparkling 2019. Max is Max, such a good boy. Richie’s favorite place is the sink. Whatever Richie wants, Richie gets. Callie is my tomboy. That’s very confusing to me. LOL. Quinn is so sweet and […]
Cliff Hanger!
Yesterday was the third lesson of the Nutcracker by Eleanor Grosch. And, wait for it, there’s a cliff hanger. You won’t see this one coming. It was all about the Rat King. He now has a fabulous blue jacket worked in a two part stitch and a shiny white ascot! Yes my rat king is […]
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas from our house to yours. Whether you are celebrating today or not may this find you happy, healthy an full of joy. Hugs from Santa Richie. xo ruth
What to my wondering eyes should appear
in my inbox?! but a virtual tour of Angie’s Christmas. It knocked my socks off. How fun are these finishes? Here we have Naughty or Nice by David Galchutt, Holiday Owls by Brooke Connor and one of Barbara’s Needlepoint’s Limited Edition Santas Melissa Shirley’s Christmas Village is a great stand up! My Silly Christmas Birds, looks very happy […]
She’s home!
I love this girl. She makes me happy. I loved every moment stitching her and now she is home again, hanging on the walls of the beehive! Why Fit In by Zecca with stitchguide by me. My mind is a mysterious place. I see this piece as timeless. I chose classic framing for it. I […]
Happy Happy Owls
It’s the most wonderful time of year. The holidays are upon us and celebrations are everywhere. Even the owls are dressed for partying. These are Brooke Connor’s Holiday Owls with 4 amazing finishes! I’m not sure which is my favorite. 🙂 One lives at the beehive so it better be that one right? The Holiday […]
It’s a Pretty Bow
I love the big fluffy bow on Santa’s Books by Melissa Shirley. I made it from WireLace which is one of my favorite things to work with. WireLace comes in several sizes. I primarily use 6mm and 12mm. 6mm comes in more colors so YAY! 6mm is easier to pull through the canvas so YAY! […]
Stitches Volume Five
Just in time for the holidays we have a new book! Stitches Volume 5. It’s perfect for gift giving to friends, family and even yourself. Why not? It’s the holidays. We all need a present. Right? This is the 5th book in my series of stitch books. Can you believe it? So many stitches and […]
I had a Sudden Realization
Its time to unveil our first Mystery Class of 2019! Let’s stitch Sudden Realization by David Galchutt. I’m ready for something lush and detailed. What about you? I love the art of David Galchutt and this is one of my favorite pieces. There are so many details and textures and embellishments to create. Oh, we […]
Things you need to know ;-)
I love sparkle. I love beads. I love polka dots – not that it matters for this piece. And I love rick rack. It’s true, I do. Put all of those pieces together and you will have my inspiration for lesson two of the Ghost Collage Mystery Class. There’s lots of beads. There’s a bit […]
