Fabulous Philodendrons and Jungle Plants

I have been gardening in pots, and buying plants to use in my Needlepoint designs.  The gardening and watering gets me away from the art tables and outside for fresh air and a fresh outlook.  At least that's my goal.  Since I last posted I've been out visiting Needlepoint shops, going to Rainbow Gallery for excellent floss and color cards for reference.  Thank you John and Sally for the Grand Tour, and all the wonderful information on how the floss is spun from different threads.  Rainbow Gallery is an amazing place, and their thread selections as you all know are fabulous.  

We, Barb, Kim, Lynzee, and I went to Queen Anne's Stitches  to meet with new friends and old and show some of our new designs.  What a wonderful shop Heidi has, and so many lovely customers working on their needlepoint and getting tips from Sherrie.  A big thank you to Sharon Quick for introducing us to this wonderful shop, and giving us so much useful information and help.  Needlepoint woman are the best!  I'm busy painting on the canvases you all took a shine to, and will soon be painting floral bell pulls, chicks and spring flowers, more chickens, rabbits and Daffodils, and the list goes on.

We also took the Grand Tour of Aristeia a beautiful, warm, light filled, old building appointed with exquisite good taste and style.  The Needlework is amazing, and the setting is both warm and welcoming.  It is a setting that makes you glad to be affiliated with the Needlepoint Industry, and happy to be designing new canvases for an old, respected art form.

Here are some of the latest finished canvases, painted with love, and designed from my own plants and bird photos.  

I hope you enjoy the new handpainted canvases.  I know Jellybeanstock north is working on Judaica, Talis Bags, Floral Purses, Dancing Rabbis, some new Witch canvases, and an altogether eclectic mix of subject matter for your stitching pleasure.  I will continue to read books on Needlepoint, peruse stitch guides, experiment, design, and water the plants. That includes my mother Cymbidiums that have joined my plants after traveling from Los Altos their old home to here in San Diego where my plants are making them welcome.  My mother died last year, and her plants long loved and enjoyed are finding new love and attention from me.  Her passing does not mean everything she loved and cared for will evaporate into thin air.  We, her children, grandchildren, and Great grandchildren, are taking into our home treasured memories of a wonderful mother, and a very hardworking woman.  Her belt for clipping the roses is hanging with her clippers in my kitchen.  Her Cymbidium Orchids have joined my jungle, and are standing up straight and tall once again, and once they have more color and body to their leaves I will divide and transplant them into new pots.  You will soon be seeing orchids in my needlepoint designs.  Her leaving this Earth to go flying around the room as Emmy Lou Harris describes in her song has left me both uplifted and deeply saddened.  

Welcome, to Red Panda Beads, and thank you for all your help in getting me started once again into beading. Red Panda carries the Japanese Seed Beads with the consistent hole, and the rounded edges that won't cut your needlepoint stitches.  Visit Red Panda and find all kinds of wonderful beads, needles, beading supplies, and informative help from an avid beading expert who will help you buy what is right for your needlework.  I want to use beads when stitching My Peacock Canvases, but I want it to not harm the canvas or stitches but enhance it.  I'm very busy of course, but still write when I have more work.  Stay happy, try to learn something new every day, or if you are just tired ...take a break...read a good book...relax by the pool...and enjoy the time God has given us.