Hmmm, my marbles....

I really didn't lose them ... I even added a couple more.
[and the Crown bag with my steely's is well hidden]

TaDa!!
'Marble One'©
Painted canvas and stitch guide by moi.
Please join us in Lutherville, Maryland at 
our magical studio, The Beehive
September 16 & 17, 2017
for the playful stitching of 
my newest design.
You're sure to have a blast with us!
Class is sponsored by my extraordinary distributor
Ruth Schmuff Designs
call for details
410 . 296 . 0405
sales@bedeckedandbeadazzled.com

Pssst!
I'll even show you how to do this part!!

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.

just peeks...

Painting by day....stitching by evenings...

The walls of 'My Castle',
just the beginnings.
Just peeks!

Happy Spring Flowers
blooming on a new canvas!

Reaching toward bright sunshine!

what I want to do...

versus what I should do....

this can really screw with my focus, my priorities....

because until I can do what I want...

I can't totally focus on what I should...a quandary for sure.

Drew these organic forms some time ago, now I want to paint them....

...see the bag of threads nestled in the bowl to the center...

what I should be doing.

 Late evening stitching, Chance is in need of a couple new collars...
and its a quick way to play with color.

So this is me just checking in this week. Still have my marbles!

Have a wonderful weekend, 

hoping all my family & friends up North 

are staying safe and warm.

he has my back...

and most of my cushion!

This is my new studio space...so far. There is still much work to be accomplished and of course, I've added more to the pile. 

I've always wanted to design a needlepoint rug. I voiced this one evening during a trade show and my friend Libby groaned an emphatic 'no you don't'. She was the voice of experience having designed an enormous private commission for a client. So I let it float into the recesses of my mind. Still there...as I paint a rug design on my floor. 

Have to admit, this is backbreaking work!! I find myself in some odd contortions and thank my body for being so flexible. What does my yoga teacher call it...hyper mobile. Basically means I have to be very careful as I can easily hurt myself and not know it. 

So today, I'm painting, texting with my baby girl in Germany, laughing at pictures of my grandbaby with pureed beets from ear to ear and making myself get up and walk around often. 

I am stitching in the evenings but darn, it's secret stuff. Not even a peek available right now.

This years card, Merry Christmas!
Yes, I bought myself a kaleidoscope recently.
Cheap entertainment that filled my head with fun new designs!
Could not share until the last card sent made it to it's recipient.
Sending packages to Germany can be tricky :-)

Little Birds Pillow...

Tada!!
Emma with Emma's pillow
designed
just for her by her Mimi!! 

What a poser, she's perfect!
Not the least bit prejudice, am I??

Three pictures came,
all too cute to choose just one!

Celebrating the holiday with all of us somewhat scattered across the globe is always interesting. We seem to manage just fine though. There will come a year when we are happily all in one place together. And won't that be the best ever. 

Until then, I'm extremely happy to be blessed with two fabulous kids, a wonderful caring son in law, and the best grandbaby ever. 

My Mom and I spent the day with my brother and sis in law, eating way too many goodies and exchanging special gifts. 

Very blessed times.

This grocery store bought cactus is not one to disappoint.
Three years in a row, just in time for Christmas too.
Amazing color, amazing blooms!

Making one corner of my new studio
very colorful indeed.

Tree has to be in front of a window, right?
Makes taking a picture complicated though.
Like my small skinny tree all decked out.

Another colorway from last weeks
free charted design.
Click here for Gallery of Trees

Wow...to busy to blog!

 I'm writing, wrapping, shipping,

and then...I'm going to yoga!

Positive I can catch you up next week, same time, same channel!

Om Namaste everyone

Remember this guy...
'Santa Up Close'©
he's available for your holiday
stitching with guide by moi!

Original art by moi from 2009

...broccoli, a brain, really?

Introducing 

'Blossom'

a Kimberly design©

I think all of you know my favorite stitch is Basketweave.

However...

I have other favorites too.

I will admit...I see the broccoli correlation albeit very flowery.

Although...who says a brain can't be full of wonderful 

colorful thoughts. 

New windows, new view. 

I think it meets with his approval. 

Remodel of the front porch, 

soon to be studio space.

Makes this one very happy.

I've been wanting one of these 

for a very long time.

More on this later.

it happens...

the best laid plans...even those who over purchase...RUN OUT!!  Onward, mess ups, magic, and mint, life is good.

Mess Up...

See the last two little red dots above...
I couldn't squeak out even two more
with the ends out of my ort dish.
Thank you Ruth for calling Jean at River Silks
and thank you Jean for drop shipping one card to my humble door.
 Last two are now stitched and the background is well underway.
 More to come on that in my next post.

Magic...

This pile of metallic cord may seem ordinary to most,
but to me, it's magic.
I love making a bullion cord.
Three spools of Kreinik #12
and poof! 

Mint...

This is probably the last mint from
my farmers garden for this season.
Makes ones cuppa tea so nice to wake up with....
time does fly, spring will arrive fast enough.

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.