Dreams...

Blog Award...

... what an honor to be awarded by a fellow artisan. ColtPixy.com awarded this to me and several others, check out her blog so you can then click on all the great blogs she's stumbled across. I've also been tagged by LibertyDoll.blogspot.com. I'm going to list some favorite blogs of mine for you to go explore...then I'm supposed to list seven random facts about myself....we'll see how that goes. First some favorites...
5PreciousThings.blogspot.com (all the way from Scottland)
AllenCapoferri.blogspot.com (I can't seem to leave him a comment but love his art)
AndrewsReclaimed.blogspot.com (very cool bird, butterfly, bat houses)
ArtDollsbyNat.blogspot.com (random fact, I love handmade dolls)
Moonstone.tumblr.com (Moonstone.ArtFire.com an amazingly generous artisan)
ArtisticAbstraction.blogspot.com (another very cool, very colorful artist)
BeedeeBabee.blogspot.com (really pretty pieces you'll find here)
CatherinetteRings.blogspot.com (very cool Steampunk)
CottageGardenStudio.blogspot.com (namaste Sarah)
MichellePerkett.blogspot.com (she's a very whimsical artist)
JoyceStahl.blogspot.com (you have to go see her dolls, they'll make you giggle)
Kathleen-Coy.blogspot.com (you must go visit Cloud)
RainwolfStudios.blogspot.com (wish I could travel to all the places she's photographed)
ThatstheWaytheCupcakeCrumbles.blogspot.com (my niece! future pastry chef )
TheFairiesNest.blogspot.com (more amazing dolls..random fact, I love scifi fantasy books)
CarpeBiblio.com (my brother the bibliophile)
CeilingTrainKit.com (my other half...random fact...we have trains in almost every room here)
Whew...few other random facts...I'm quirky, colorful in my work, my hair started to turn silver at the tender age of ten, I could lay on the porch for hours watching for just one more shooting star, often hear myself wishing that sleep was not so important.
I'm hoping you'll all leave comments as you visit these blogs and let them know how wonderful they all are. Guess you can't do that with the .com's but they do have counters! Have a great week and enjoy doing a little internet exploring.

Movement II...

...Yes! I finished a new piece. I didn't quite stick to it as I said I wanted to in an earlier post but...I did finish...being distracted happens to be a huge part of my quirky nature. Go check it out in my ArtFire Studio, the above is just a portion of the bigger picture.
akimberlydesign.artfire.com

Happy Memorial Day!

My Mother reminded me that in times past, today was referred to as Decoration Day. Funny how things change over the years. I do remember being told this before but don't remember the reasons for the change.
We woke up to a beautiful blue sky this morning, birds were singing and life was happening! I hope everyone is able to celebrate today in their own way, we'll be catching up on chores....as we played all day yesterday.
We went to a Fiber Art show, beautiful work...then to a few galleries and walked around downtown Austin. It was a wonderful escape.
You can read more about the above here www.TexasFiberArts.org

Gorgeous Morning...

Beginning of another work week for me. At least it's pretty outside, cool crisp sunny morning. Goal this week is to keep going on the new pieces I started last week...to not get distracted and start something else!
Hope everyone is having a great week.

Swooosh....

Another week has just flown by me! I was so tired this a.m. that when the alarm went off....I dreamed it was Sunday and couldn't imagine why I had set my alarm. Thank goodness for small dogs with overwhelming desires to be let outside each a.m.!
Pictured above is one of my hand painted needlepoint canvas designs. If you're a stitcher, you'll understand when I say it comes with a stitch guide, so you too can have the above as shown. Contact me with any questions akimberlydesign

Happy Mom's Day!

Just think...a day to do whatever...where you don't have to come up with any clever excuses to yourself about why the wash can wait another day!
(the proud little Cardinal is courtesy of my dear friend Corliss Englert...she was about a foot away from this little guy...mom was being very patient)

...it's time

to stop and smell the Primroses...fini!

Movement...

Just listed in my ArtFire Studio and also my shop on Etsy. Took me long enough...kept thinking I would add more color but decided I really like it just like this!
akimberlydesign.ArtFire.com
akimberlydesign.Etsy.com

Working weekend...

I'm just back from a needlework market in Dallas. It was wonderful to see so many old friends. The show was a smaller form of the larger shows held twice a year by The National Needlework Association...it was cash n carry. They hold these in suite hotels...you display your product in the front of your room and have all the product available for customers to 'carry' home. It can be a rush...for many years I was on the display and sell end...this weekend I was with the shop I work for. It was great to be able to tour the rooms and visit. At the end of the day we went back to our room and relaxed, I stitched a little and worked on my Primroses ...still have some work ahead of me on this piece but much further along than I was. I'll update again soon.

Freeform...

This was a blast to stitch...no rules...for some this would send shivers down the spine. The word random can send some stitchers into therapy. For me, it's a free pass to play. I love to gather a pile of fibers in different mediums...hand painted and solid silks, beads, buttons, real metal...found some silk chenille for the above piece and chipped some smooth metal to use as beads. Like I wrote above...I had a blast. I'll be adding this piece and some similar to my studio soon. (click on the picture to zoom on details)

Peace....

It's so quiet here this a.m. except for my tapping on this computer....I had an ahhh moment last night...I finished a project! I love to 'paint' with thread, develop stitches and see colors come together on a canvas as I design a piece but sometimes...I actually 'paint' the canvas and proceed to stitch over it. This Peace sign was originally a custom piece...two years later I decided I needed one for myself. I'm hoping to make it into a tote bag for myself. The scan above doesn't do it justice...there are little peace signs all over it! You can zoom in...you might be able to see them better. Have a great week! Peace, Kimberly

...filling my time

There is always something I want to do...always...I never seem to have a moment where there just isn't anything on my mind. I tried yesterday, spent a lovely day at a spa with my daughter. It was fabulous but I heard her remind me a few times..."mom...we have no where we have to be today"...dadumdum. She was so right and we had a great time...just doing nothing. I even laid still long enough to get some sun....just a little crisp today, ouch. That's what I get for not being outside more often.
Today, I delivered some tassels I'd made for my accountant. Long overdue but have to brag...she had asked for red and green...all I could see was Christmas which meant not having them out year round. So I did them up a little different and then worried they wouldn't work in her new home. Well....after I handed them over, expressed my concern about them...she says, come look at my living room. I could not have made them match better if I'd known in advance. I was more surprised than she! Wish I'd had my camera but my battery was charging!
(click on image to see detail)

some feedback...

....I'm curious. The above is called "Peggy"....truly a doodle turned into art. I may have been sitting on the bus actually...can't remember for sure. Started with pencil, then pen and ink, then my magic colored pencils. I named it Peggy for a friend whom the colors reminded me of. What I'm curious about is it's popularity...she is consistently at the top of the hit list in my studio. I know why I like it but would love to hear others opinions.