New and Exciting

This past week has been full of all sorts of stuff. I realized that I had met one of my 2008 goals. I am in two brick and mortar gallery fronts selling my work. The first is River Roads Artisans Gallery, here in Maine, and the second is Springwillow Arts Gallery in Wisconsin. I hope to make it a third. Since I don't want to jinx myself I am keeping that one under wraps. Like I said it has been an extremely busy week.

To start it off my honey had carpel tunnel surgery on his left hand. This is really not a big deal. But he is such a help to me and we trade off cooking and dish washing duties. I do it the old fashioned way - by hand. We also had about 10 inches of snow and I as the designated snow remover. In keeping with my word of the year "courage" I got to snow blow. No big deal right? Well I have this little thing about running big machines and how it is an accident waiting to happen when I am behind the steering wheel. I did a super job though! MY shoulders ache but it looks all purty out there.

On the stitching front I have started my experiment with chickenscratch stitch that is going on over at Pintangle. It is a good way to stretch my wings. Usually worked on gingham it looks really pretty. I like the short and long I did. I also have a couple of ideas to work it over flat ribbon. We shall see if I manage to do that.



I have to stop being so literal with the stitch components. There are different stitches that can make up the components of this stitch. I do like the little additions of stitch between the blocks.

On a side note here are a couple of more embroidered cuffs. They went to Wisconsin.



It was my birthday too. I got a wonderful framed print from my hunny from the Vermont Snowflake Print Co. He got me the windowpane. It is so cool looking.

I know this has been a rambling kind of post. But yah know it has been a rambling kind of week.

embroidery snowflake gallery handstitch chickenscratch

Handstitching and Cooking

Hand stitching and cooking sounds like an odd combination. But both require an eye for color and texture and a sense of adventure. I love both. I recently joined the Stitchin'fingers ning social group. I want to get more exposure to different types of stitch work and to challenge myself by participating in some of the online do, show and tell group activities. Besides what is a day without stitching and who can go without eating? No one I dare say.

My newest blog finds that I will follow for awhile are food related. I love Recipe Girl. I made the Mexican Turkey Stew and it was delish! Made it all the much easier to go on and keep working on the fabric bracelet cuffs I have been doing. I have been working quite diligently to get out this order of ten cuffs. I have finished and am ready to mail them off tomorrow.



More pics will be coming. I love doing the needlesculpted faces. They remind me of Easter Island, Stonehenge and all those mayan giant heads full of mystic power.

embroidery handstitched bracelet cuff needlesculpted mystic

First Post of the New Year

Now that the new year has started I still have tons of stuff to do and have been reading about what inspires others to start their new year off to a good start. I think the first thing is not to berate myself over how the old year ended. The holiday madness did put a crimp in my creative time. But what is over and done with shall not be dwelt on. I think I will choose my word(s) to help me get to my goals of 2009.

The first word will be courage. Courage to try the new and courage to let go of the old. Courage not to let opportunities pass me by because of old messages playing in my head.

I have been working feverishly on an order to send out to a gallery in the west. Here is a couple of pics of work in progress. I am almost done and have only this week to finish up some pieces and mail them out.



I hear piece number 9 calling my name. I wonder if it wants to kick my butt some more.

embroidery gtd resolutions fabric handstitched