smiles ....

'Transformation'
[titled long before our world changed]

I know this year has qualified for many of you, 

on so many levels, as 

'the worst'

but ...

I've witnessed and continue to witness 

joy, beauty, & little miracles.

I could write a dozen blogs listing them all.

I do recognize that I've had fear, sadness ...

and a couple times felt myself plunge

into a pool of depressed feelings ...

still, there is that ...but

I have plenty to be grateful for.

First and foremost on a personal note ...

a new grandchild is due October first.

The force is strong in this one for sure!

My sweet niece had her babe arrive into

this world well ahead of schedule ...but

this one too is feisty and strong.

Every day I read of her growing and 

becoming.

My year started off with many classes, I met

with long time friends and new to me stitchers.

Had I not had this good fortune, not sure I'd have

kept my head above water these last few months.

So a huge thank you to all who made that possible.

I've sold several original pieces, started a news letter,

written on this blog! I've designed and painted 

several new pieces that will eventually 

debut when life once again becomes

'balanced'.

I'm just back from my first bit of travel to teach.

I'd like to give a shout out to Tampa International

and Southwest Airlines

for their vigilance in social distancing.

I taught for Labors of Love in Atlanta.

Mark and crew were fantastic!

I did not feel uneasy at all, tables were

arranged and students were spread out

[unless they arrived together].

Luis handed me a marvelous contraption to 

wear so all could hear me.  A shield that fit

over my glasses and covered my face completely.

I'm soft spoken, hearing me through a mask

simply wasn't working.  The shield was perfection.

Beautiful shop, beautiful people!

So...

this is more wordy than my typical blog.

Obviously I had a lot on my mind that 

needed to jump out.

I wish you all peaceful and healthy days!

xoxo

[if you'd like to be added to my newsletter for 

updates on classes and new work, 

email me at akimberlydesign@gmail.com 

....make subject 'newsletter']

what did you do on your summer vacation ....

This was the title of a newsletter this morning ....

and I'm totally stealing it for this blogpost!

It's been a full of fun summer and since I live in Florida, 

hard to decide

when summer actually started.

Family, Art, Friends, a get a way, more art ...

I've created a lot of art both on paper and on canvas.

The theme was spring flowers, if I recall for a spring
4 Square Makers pop up show with
Lakeland Art Guild.
The Lily of the Valley was the star of this show!

SeaWorld ... I'd not been since I was a teenager.
The penguins were a riot to watch.
I'm sure you don't want to see the dozens of
pictures I took of them.

Orlando hosted a Spring Market
for the needlework industry.
I've known many of these smiling faces for
many many years but I'd not seen them
in far too long.

This was a locally hosted show titled
Pink Moon.
My piece called
"Blossom'
was accepted for this show.
They had an amazing turn out of all ages.
Fabulous ART of all different media.
Food and live Music too!
Full Pink Moon in attendance as well.

We have two lovely gardenia bushes.
This year as I went to cut blooms for the house,
poof, in my face a mama bird.
Thankfully we have two and the other was
not a home to any babies.
So we were all happy to coexist.

June was another
4 Square Maker show, hosted by
Hillcrest Coffee.
These birds flew away to new homes
very quickly.

I submitted two of my pieces to the
Lakeland Art Guild
for their big spring show at
The Melvin Art Gallery.
AND they accepted both!
The larger named Trio
 is in another show opening this Friday at
The Marc Gallery
here in Lakeland, Florida.
I'm very honored.

May ... Mothers Day!
and here in Lakeland we host a huge art festival
Mayfaire by the Lake.
My friend Lynore, who is my longest friend from when we were little,
came for the weekend. We had a blast, didn't know I could cram
that much into one weekend! She was also there for
my opening at the Melvin Gallery. What a treasure she is.

I doodle, a lot .... this one took on several more
versions of itself. The wall hanging was shown
in a collective show of many local artists at
Mitchell's Coffee House.
The lower picture is a tease, you'll just have to
wait and see more of it down the road.

Grandbabies!!  and my amazing daugther!!
What a joy, I dreamed my grands would love
my studio space as much as I had loved my
Gramps workshop as a child.
They did, we had sooooo much fun.
We also went to Disney to see some
Princesses, oh my!
Our first character siting was appropriately
Mickey!

After their visit, it was time for me to buckle down and get busy.
I was once again honored to be a part of
Fine Art at the Magnolia.
 This time I was determined to have nine new pieces to show.
Each with some super rebellious stitching using anything and
everything to make them amazing pieces of
mixed multi meda fiber art!
Show here are Center [sold], Focus [sold]
and Dewdrop.

I pumped out those pieces as I knew I was going away
for a trip to my home in Pennsylvania.
I landed in Philly, did the requisite visit to the
Liberty Bell and Constitution Hall.
I grew up in this state, so of course, I'd never
seen either of these!
Now I can say I have and all were
very inspiring.
None of which did I take pictures of ...
I guess I was all into the history and reading and listening to
our tour guides that I just did not think about it.
I have crazy pictures of buildings and architecture I took.
No bell!
August is Fireman Carnival time, so many of my
classmates were in town. Perfect time to visit.
One day was spent in my friend Michelle's studio
playing with fluid acrylics and alcohol inks,
oh my gosh, crazy. This was a planned
activity she came up with to help me loosen up
with my art. It sort of worked but I still found
ways to control bits.

This one was a blast and took me
down some different paths than I'd
originally planned.  For one, it was supposed
to be all creams and whites.
'Sea'
[sold]
did what it wanted to and I'm so glad.

As I talked to people about my work at the show,
I heard myself telling them ...
'this isn't any one type of stitching, there is
stump work, gold work, embroidery,
couching, open and pulled work ...
it's like
needlepoint on steroids' ...
which made them and
myself laugh.

Back home and I was in full on art mode.
I'd started the nine new designs by drawing them as
black ink line drawings. Now it was time to keep going, get
the last six painted and stitched.
Above is 'Bloom', I loved how this one painted
up so freely after the lesson back home of letting
go of my control ... I had a hard time stitching over it!

From upper left
'Wish'
'Brilliance'
'Lichen'
Can you tell I was having such a great time
creating each of these pieces.

Last but not least, this one was not from one
of my drawings. Down to just days before the
show was to open and there I sat at my desk ...
what to do.
I've collected several pieces of my friend
John Kellum's Raku Pottery.
My paintbrush water pot is a test piece
of his to see how long a special coating he put
on it will last. I think it's been a year,
still water tight!
So there I sat and there sat this sweet little vase.
The colors in his raku are amazing and so ...
I decided I was going to paint a canvas based
on this little vase.  Ha! I pulled paint tubes and
went a little nuts trying to capture all that color.
He told me later that his Mom was a watercolorist,
she'd tried to do the same and was shaking her head as well.
So I was in good company at least.
In the end, I was very happy with the results.

Tada!
We all made it, sanity somewhat in tact!
This was not all of us, some had other
plans for after set up ... like maybe a nap!

My Summer wrapped up with a hurricane
that saw me at my brothers place in Tampa for a few days.
We are all very grateful that we did not
have a direct visit from Dorian as did
the devastated Bahamas.

Here's to fall and more adventures.
I have a solo show at
Mitchell's Coffee House
this November.

Later in November
I'll be in Houston at
Chandail's
teaching my 'Marbles' design
to a full class.

See my blog titled 'Classes'
for up coming dates.
I've hopefully more to post
in that list soon.

Events ....

This coming week finds me winging my way back to

TEXAS!!

Wow ....

I truly can't believe it's been over six years since

I moved from Austin to Florida.

Friend Corliss kept putting the bug in my ear to

submit teaching pieces to 

Blue Bonnet Studios

I finally did and well, 

here I happily go!

Below are the two pieces being taught this year.

Yes, I've submitted for next year and two more pieces

were accepted.  When general sign up is open, I will

definitely post the choices here and on my Facebook pages.

"Yes, I'm Special"
hand painted needlepoint design and guide by
a Kimberly design

Soooo, special ....

Close up of needle weaving for those
glorious eyed feathers.

"Tree of Life"
hand painted needlepoint design and guide by
a Kimberly design

Cutest mushrooms ever!

Beading and ribbon work of all sorts.

.... there are almost always bullions ;-)

...sharing techniques

My technique for a beaded edge to finish off your beautiful needlepoint.

This is a technique I developed years ago when I did all

charted work and wearable art pins.

The edge of beads provides the perfect folding line.

Use size 11 beads with matching beading thread.

[tip...I always beeswax my beading thread and

I use a short John James ball point size 10 beading needle.]

Follow Step One and Step Two as charted.

Next, trim away excess canvas, leaving about

an inch plus all the away around as in first photo.

Now miter corners and fold in sides.

I lightly press with a warm iron. This does not

require you to mash with the iron, there is 

enough sizing in your canvas that lightly

pressing will hold it in place.

Insert a piece of felt under the folded edges.

This adds some extra depth to the piece and

it hides the folded edges from being seen

through any openness in your work.

 I mount all on covered acid free foam core, 

cut about 1/4" smaller than beaded edge piece.

The center picture above shows the felt

being attached.  I use white glue for this, let 

it dry completely.  The last step is to attach the 

stitched piece to the board. This is accomplished

with clear or white nylon thread. This enables

you to sew through the edges of your piece without

the stitches showing. Sew through piece and just the edge

of the foam covered board.  

Now you can hand this all to your framer to mount 

on a backing board [I use the same white glue for this.]

I came up with this so that there is no glue on my 

needlework! My pieces float beautifully in 

the shadow boxes I use for framing. 

Tada!

I know...I know...

I've been rather quiet ...

but ...

I've been rather busy doing more art.

Soon ...

they'll be something I can share.

In the meantime ...

I'm creating and of course, 

it's colorful!

Me too, pay attention to me ...
Of course ... this is just a portion
of the pile of threads I'm playing with.
I need MORE !

You just thought this was going to be easy Mom ...

Hmmmm ....

"DRAGON and Son"
We did release another of my Dragons.
He's looking so impressed with himself 
as the little one peeks down from above.

"DRAGON & Son" 
is available now through my distributor
Ruth Schmuff Designs

Movement!

Can you believe it??

Class time is just around the corner!

Pictured below is 

"Movement"©

the first of my nine smalls 

being featured at

The Black Sheep

in Orlando, Florida

Class time is December 12!

follow up is January 9

We'll plunge in to learning 

padded leather applique, couching, cut turkey work, 

bullions, and playing with silk wrapped pearl purl!

Most importantly

we'll have a blast!

"Movement"
If you're in the area
or able to zip on down
for some warm Florida breezes,
we'd love to have you join us!

"Yes, I'm Special"
is the next design to be featured from, 
as I'm fondly calling them...
'the nine'
This oh so modestly handsome birds class
will begin on February 13th,
with the follow up on March 12th.

Can't wait to show you peeks as to
how I'll stitch the feather eyes!

Wicked....

...wicked cool!

Introducing 

"My Castle, My Dragon"©

Figured you could watch me bring this to life...

this will be available ... after it's totally complete.

Once again, I love what I do!
Even when it takes an entire day to accomplish one small area!
I haven't come up with a name for my beast,
it'll come to me though.
Scales, sparkle and shine and ... well defined!

His ear and eye ridge.
Eye ridges are important to dragons.

So a little more sparkle to the ridge.
I managed to move to an area that is
the Sahara Desert of Needlepoint.  
Not one shop is close by.
I do, however, know how to pick up the phone.
 But ... sometimes ... WHO wants to wait.
 The idea is there and you're ready to stitch.  
This happened on his eye ridge.  
I only have Kreinik #8 in 3202, one of my favorites,
 so it's not odd that I'm out of a size.  
Another BUT ...
did you know you can strip/ply some braids??  
It's not easy but it is possible.
So I gently extricated three very fine plies
from my #8 and worked
just the tiniest bit of string art
on his ridge ... and it's perfecto!

Warning...this may take a while for me to stitch.
I'm on a roll right now but shortly 
I'll be winging my way to Germany for
 ... drum roll ... can you believe it's been a year???
Emma's first birthday!!!

Emma's First Easter celebrated in Crete.
My little world traveler!
And yes, I knit that colorful cardi she's looking so adorable in.