it's all about the bug...

There is still time to sign up for the

Cyber Class,

you know you want to learn how to do

this border stitch...

and play with copper mesh ... 

I used many fun and different 

techniques and stitches made up

out of my head on this colorful & fun design.

Click for all the details to sign up!

Bedecked and Beadazzled!

or call (410) 296-0405

or email

sales@bedeckedandbeadazzled.com

Super fun border!

The bottom border is a blast.
Stitch along with us via cyber space!

Looking forward to having you join me
in your very own favorite stitching spot at home.
Isn't technology great!

Cyber Space!

It didn't take much to talk me into teaching a

Cyber Class!

... and what better piece to fly with!!

"Flying Jewels"

We'll be hosting this fun class on 

FaceBook as a private group.

Four sessions and lots of chatter with moi! 

Sit in your favorite stitching chair, 

show up in your most comfy comfies with 

favorite beverage and snacks! 

Woohoo! Here we go!

For all the scoop, click the link below ...

Bedecked and Beadazzled

... and ... for the fine print ... 

if you happen to already own this fabulous canvas 

... you can still join us in the fun!

Reviewing last week...

Most of you know about the 7 day challenge on Facebook...

below are my seven.

It was a fun challenge, didn't involve any 

restrictions on diet or large amounts of exercise!

And I found pieces I'd forgotten about.

Many have posted, what I call "vintage pieces" of mine.

It was a blast to see them popping up on my wall!

"Camel Flowers"©

My Biscornu Collection!

"Provence Purse"©

"Blossom"©

"Movement"©

"Austintatious Peacock"©

"Flying Jewels"©

"Yes, I'm Special"©
Voila! Fini!!
Wish you could see how much he sparkles!
Class starts Saturday March 5th!
at The Black Sheep Shop
in Orlando!

What she said...

Ruth posted a fabulous accounting of my weekend in Baltimore teaching 'Flying Jewels' aka the big bug. Please go look at all the wonderful pictures that were taken with a special 'look back' at the way we were photo posted at the bottom of the blog!!  

Click HERE

Sharon, who was our first distributor when Ruth and I were all about charted needlepoint, picked me up from the airport. Which was a fabulous start to the reunion we had all weekend!

It was waaaay back in the mid nineties when we all met. We've all evolved since then, happily in wonderful creative ways. I would miss the 'old days' more if the 'new days' were not just as awesome!

Cest Fini!
Provence Purse©2014
a Kimberly design©

Our first day of class was devoted to working
the top and bottom border designs.
The second day was all about the 'big bug'
and his magnificent copper mesh wing span.

What a wonderful group of warm hearted
women to have in my class.
I am humbled and honored that you all joined us.
Thank you to Ruth and her amazing staff for putting the kits together and keeping all running smoothly throughout.
All you do is greatly appreciated in case you don't hear it enough,
we LOVE you!

almost ready...

This is the weekend I go to Bedecked and Beadazzled to teach my 'Flying Jewels' design. I'm very excited to show all how to create my 3D dragonfly featured on the blogs cover photo.
The time has flown by!!

Just finished the Kumihimo strap last night (aka wee hours of the morning). Fabric for backing and lining lying here in front of me ready to be turned into a purse. Just in time to take with me to Baltimore. One should have a new bag to travel with, right!!??

I seem to hear a harumph coming from him.
So he's traveling North with me where I'll get to pull some amazing threads to deck him out with.

These are small snippets of a new piece. Once I get to the shop with the lime green walls and get to play in the threads, I'll post a picture of the entire piece. 

sensing a trend here...

bubbles...I seem to really like bubbles! 

I use to always have a bottle of bubbles around, 

even had a bubble machine at one point or another. 

Dream Glimpse©
from this....

Too this...

TaDa! To this....

...goes with this, of course :-)
'Dream Fragment'©2014

'Flying Jewels'©
I seem to like pretty winged bugs too...
along with bubbles!

'Tree of Life'©2013
Because everyone needs one!
This tree has cute little birds and decorative bubbles!
Life and it's busy'ness' will see where this one leads me.

If you'd like to meet me...

... and take a class featuring my 3 dimensional dragonfly 

"Flying Jewels"© 

It can happen, Ruth has a class time set for November.  

Sign ups have already started!!  Yay!!  

I know we're going to have a blast 

at the shop with the lime green walls!! 

To sign up follow the link to Ruth's place for more information. Dates/times/the whole nine yards. 

Bedecked and Beadazzled [scroll down page] 

it's happening...November 8 and 9!

Beyond the very cool 3D copper mesh wings,
there are the top and bottom borders. I've explored all kinds of different stitch techniques, to keep you going on this design.  Threads run from simple cotton to plied silk to wool/silk blend, silk perle, metallics, and just a few beads! 

I love teaching classes as it gives me the opportunity to meet so many of you and have a more personal connection to what all of you are wanting in your stitching.  

So I hope you'll join us for a weekend of sheer 

delight in stitching fun.

I've got to fly....

and away I went!  

From the humble beginnings of an idea.  I promised a great friend a piece to stitch, something I would design with an amazing dragonfly.  I sketched and for awhile it sat, then I sketched some more.  Then came a chunk of time that I could run with the idea.    

Initial drawing on canvas before painting.  

"Flying Jewels"©2014
a Kimberly design©
Remember the border with the little dragonfly motifs I posted a few weeks ago...It's along the top, along the bottom is the line up ready for take off.  
Here you see it all!!  Hand painted piece measures approximately 12" square on eighteen count canvas 

Voila!  Check out my fabulous dragonfly!!  

This could not have happened without the support of Kreinik Mfg. I was on a tear looking for copper mesh.  I knew it existed but finding it proved to be a daunting task.  I could find ugly gray screen at the hardware store, I explored the net and exchanged emails with someone in China.  

Then I had one of those blinding flashes of brilliance...they do happen! The inner voice shouted at me....'KIMBERLY, YOU NEED METAL, CALL DENA AT KREINIK'.  After all, they have provided me with beautiful metallics to stitch with throughout my career as a designer.  Dena responded within a day that YES! Doug has a source, then Doug emailed, YES, what do you need...I replied, he wrote back, I answered, then asked, 'are you going to carry it', YES!  WOW, I was doing a happy dance! 

Of course, the copper mesh arrived and I had stitched the rest of the canvas to be ready for it.  

But...what if it didn't work, so I stared at it for a couple of days...then dove in.  I cut out the shapes, scored the veins in, edged it with metallic thread, attached the wings and my dragonfly came to life!  Then I stared at it again for awhile, it's just so nice when a plan comes together.  Pretty sure this all occurred late in an evening, pretty sure I was snapping pictures and texting with Ruth to say, 'Hey, look what I did!!'  

They really do come in this awesome color!
Not the greatest picture...crazy bugs move pretty fast.  
I was lucky to get this.  

"Flying Jewels"© is available as a painted canvas
with awesome stitch guide & copper mesh

Have your favorite LNS contact
wholesale  from Ruth Schmuff Designs
or
Bedecked and Beadazzled

Have to add a P.S. here.

I belong to an amazingly talented group on FaceBook with the pin name "Needlepoint Nation".  When I commented on my fruitless treasure hunt for copper mesh one of the members private messaged me to say she had some screen and would send it to me. She was thrilled to lighten her stash and help me out.  Sadly it was too large but the generosity of Andrea truly touched me. Thank you so much for reaching out to help a fellow stitcher in need.  

Oh, and for those who comment, 'wow, that's a dying art', let me tell you that this nation is growing daily.  Last count I saw was 5,350 members with more knocking at the proverbial door!  Talk about a support group!

what...

what what what to post this week???  I had a blast celebrating my birthday last weekend.  Finished up my big project before heading out of town and now this week I'm staring at my screen working up the stitch guide for it.  

Of course, YOU CAN'T SEE IT YET!!  

Just a peek for you!
Wait until you see the rest!!??!!

My Mom and I visited St. Petersburg, Florida this past weekend.  We toured the Salvador Dali Museum, it was so real. How awesome to be able to see his work up close.  Even the building is cool.  

'Sentinels'
Perfectly positioned, wouldn't you say?

Mom caught photo, gazing at the incredible ceiling.
Odd pose but appropriate to the environment. 

What I was gazing upon.
Spiral is a staircase leading up to the galleries.

And then...the next day...we strolled the downtown area of St. Petersburg.  Which happens to include a Dale Chihuly Collection gallery.  I've seen his work before but would never turn down an opportunity to see more!  

Chihuly Collection, St Petersburg, Florida

These were very hard to photograph!  The center stamens are actually a beautiful orange color.  Even playing with the image in photoshop didn't get that color pop! 

Still a cool image but not what it was for real.  

Chihuly Collection, St Petersburg, Florida

This reminded me of an up coming piece 

I have on the paint table! 

Part of my 'Dreams Trilogy'.  

Chihuly Collection, St Petersburg, Florida
Here you can see the orange center much better.
Still a bugger to photograph, for me anyway.