TNNA Needle Point Orders Getting them out!

I've been painting canvases, filling orders, and totally having fun getting the work out.  I love painting Needlepoint Canvases.  We at JellyBeanStock telephone conference and talk morning, noon, and night.  We are constantly learning, and sharing painting methods just as we did in our youth when we were all in the same room.  I'm painting away on my Peacock Canvases, the masks are done, and so are the Giraffes large and small.  I've completed one Eagle and flag, but have another couple of custom versions to go.  

My Sciatic Nerve is still trying to kill me, but I refuse to let it get me down, and when I can't walk, or sit and paint I just draw up to canvas ideas.  I obviously love every critter known to God and Man and I guess because it's too cold to go swimming (my favorite sport) I'm drawing fish.  I am drawing up more betta fish, which I've been given and kept alive for years, and Gold Fish and Koi.  I love the way fish move and undulate, I love their sparkly scales, and their varied pattern.  I think that lends itself to Needlpoint.  I'm also studying my stitch guides, and my Anchor Manual of Needlework which has been my stitching Bible since I was a girl of 16.  That's many, many moons ago, for I am now in the Twilight of my life.

I wake up everyday happy, no matter how my back feels, and I look forward to everyday filled with painting, designing, and creating.  I drew up the rug version which will be 30" X 40" of the Crowned Jewels Bird Design I was painting at the show.  I am listening to the owners of the Shops, and Wendy at Aristeia said the Birds would look good as a rug, and she thought my cockatoo in the magnolia tree would look good as a rug.  I had already started stitching a rug for myself in wool and the tent stitch on 10 ct canvas, but I bow to the superior knowledge and experience of people who have been in the business for years and will paint the designs on 13 count thread only for such a big rug.  I also will put a great deal of extra space around the painted panel itself.  I painted a 20" X 20" 13 ct. canvas with the Peacock and found out on a 13ct canvas I ended up crowding the blank border to the edge, because of my counted thread border.  In other words to make the painted border look proportionally correct I had to steal space from the blank edging.  So I finished that painting which ended up with a 1 1/2 " blank border, looked terrific but was not correct, and started over on a 24" X 24" 13ct. canvas and painted the exact same size image of the Peacock, added the same border, and know it floats pleasantly in the center of the canvas with 3" of space all the way around it. Thank You very much to Trubey for giving me some very needed advice on this subject!  The lesson is now firmly planted in my brain, and I know to start with a much larger canvas when Painting on 13 count.  

I received a Goody envelope from Fleur de Paris , and now have samples of their Metalic Mono canvas, and the Black/Opalescent Metalic Mono with flecks of color calls out for me to use it to paint Mardi Gras and Venetian Masks on.  I also like the Black and White Tweed Mono Canvas, and I'm happy it is floating around in my brain now waiting to find a design that is just right to be painted on it.  There is not enough time in the day, to design, draw, paint, and cut all the canvases my mind wants to create.

Here are some of my line fish drawings to show that my hands and mind are never idle.  Write when I get more work.  Thank you to everyone who shares information with us, gives me tips, and all of your kind and generous words of encouragement.  Have a great day and write when you get work!