Merry Christmas!

a profusion...

...of blooms!  Just in time for Christmas!  I read about it being dismally gray up North...so I'm sharing some color from the South!

  

Enjoy!

Finally! The secret is out!!

As most of you have heard...Ruth Schmuff and I have rejoined forces!  Our friendship and love of design has kept us connected over the years.  

Today it was announced that Ruth is the official distributor of my painted canvas designs.  I could not be happier, I've had a super big smile plastered across my face all day.  

Below are three of the smaller pieces from this first collection of designs, stitched for your perusal.  The guides are in progress and will soon be uploaded at the 'speed of cyberspace' to Ruth.   The world has changed in big ways over the past 'few' years!

 

'Austintatious Peacock'
a Kimberly design©

'Camel Flowers'
a Kimberly design©

You've seen close up 'glimpses' of both of these top two designs presented here on this blog in the past few months.  Both of these pieces happened because of friends requests and both for another named Kim!  The peacock was for a secret Santa ornament for her, she loves Peacocks.  The Camel Flowers...well, long story short, can you see these flowers as saddles on two very plain camels that needed some dressing up.  As I painted the saddles on the 'plain camels' backs...I saw flowers.  Then I remembered a flower doodle....and so it goes in my head some times.  

'Mondays'
a Kimberly design©

So I needed a car project, this was some original card art I did a few years ago.  I happen to love basket weave and I love working it with beautiful fine wools or silk single strand, no fuss...no muss. Very zen.

The bag is a weekender from Lee...and this one has traveled beautifully.

Please visit Ruth's website here to see my other designs in this first release collection.  There are more designs already coming together to add very soon.  For now, I need to write stitch guides!  

living in fantasy land...

.....with a mansion in reality!

A few weeks ago, I mentioned running away to the circus.  Well, I did.  I and two accomplices escaped for a full day of adventure making our way to Sarasota to visit John Ringling's home [mansion] and museum.  Wow... not much else to say but WOW!  

Several years ago [like forever ago] I visited before.  The mansion is as I remembered it but the 'Big Top' has changed dramatically. Now there is an entire building housing a miniature circus.  We were told that the display is three ring in size....massive.  If you're ever close by, it's definitely something to see in person.  

On the grounds there is also a museum housing John Ringling's collection of old masters.  This took us three hours to walk through, we were exhausted but so enthralled by it all. To think that one person collected all of this art.  Mind boggling. 

aka. House of John

.......

Front view of the mansion.

The terrace in back...just a small patio really with the Gulf of Mexico to launch a boat or two in.

View of the back.

Heading into the 'miniature' Circus.  

.......

Of course, there were elephants!

...and horses!

The entire display is glassed.  Wish you could see the copper telephone wires here. 

The Midway?  I need to brush up on circus terms.

Did you say clowns? ...but of course.

Another building where they were busy refurbishing.  Not surprising that this beautiful piece caught my eye.

Folding chair in John & Mable's private train car.  Art Deco always catches my eye.

Grounds in the center of the museum.  The furthest point is the front entrance.  Art is housed down both side sections.  We're on a connecting bridge between the two.

My accomplices!  Bruce and cousin Jeffrey, thank you!  Bruce took several [just over 400] pictures.  I quickly wore out my battery, so happy his kept going!  

.......

From the entrance...looking back towards the connecting bridge and the Gulf.

Amazing Banyon Trees!  What kind of trees would you expect a circus man to have!?

Farewell for now.

Big reveal this Friday....watch for it !

...my dad

I know this is an odd picture, but this was my Dad, always doing, going, fixing .... if he'd not been on a ladder cleaning the outside of the house on a fine summer day, he might have missed his first heart attack.  That was Dad.  

So this is harder than I thought it would be, seems you are never as 'prepared' as you think you are.  Never quite ready, even when your heart knows it is the best path taken.