Textural design...

More glimpses of what is keeping me busy ... besides travel, teaching, life ..

Beads, gold picots, couched wire, eyelets...

Circular Jessica's, beads & crystals, beautiful braid...

Beautiful gold & silk String Art...

hmmmm.....

Class time...

I think everyone had a super time.  I was amazed at how much they accomplished the very first day.  Around 3:30/4:00 I looked at the next few steps...looked at all the ladies...looked back down at the page and decided...definitely tomorrow.  There was no way they were going to continue with all the counting to occur on the next page.  All were quite happy to keep stitching bits of the border until the end of class.

The next day refreshed, we were 'needles up' and stitching!  The finishing of the Biscornu was demonstrated during class time and the 'tada' was quite fun.  

Fini !
Still attached by a thread to be woven into the cushion.

Organized chaos, just having too much fun
...if that's possible :-)

Say
'Cheese'!

no fun at all...

Dear friend Peggy picked me up at the airport on Thursday...the laughter and good times rolled from that point forward.  Note...not wise to give an IPhone to someone who is extremely good with a 'real camera' but has no idea how to use a point and press.  She pressed and pressed and pressed and 30 or so shots later we had a movie!

Notice how Peggy tried to hold a pose while I totally lost it!

More fun pictures to come from this wonderful workshop in Huntsville, Alabama with the Big Spring ANG chapter.  

and away we go!

I'll be in Huntsville, Alabama this coming weekend to teach a fun filled workshop!  

Painted canvas, check,
Fabric, check,
Bead kits, check,
Stitch guide, check,
Stitched model, YES!

What's taking up space on my paint table now???
'Flying Jewels'
a new painted canvas design by me!
a Kimberly design©2013

I think Dragonflies are fascinating.  They come in so many colors! I've been visited often of late by some with magenta bodies that glisten in the sun ... like flying jewels !  I finally snapped a picture but only had my phone and it's a bit blurred.  Hopefully, one will pose for me again soon & I'll be more prepared.

Availability of the above will be announced very soon, get ready for it!  Keeping secrets is sooooo difficult!

where does a tiny gecko sleep...

enveloped in the leaf of a Dessert Rose, of course.  

This was not an easy shot to take...it's watching me very closely.
 It's dark, I'm balanced on a footstool!
One night I went out and there were tails hanging from at least four leaves.  

Cuter from the side with tail hanging down.

Ready to launch from this hammock.
Bothersome human!

Memories...

another page turned yesterday....

Buttermilk Falls
Falls, Pennsylvania

Generations of my family enjoyed these falls.  As kids I remember climbing up them, under them, and around them.  My Mom and her sibs did the same before us...what great memories.  Mom took the photo above with her little Brownie camera.  I love the deckled edges of these old photos.  

A few months ago I had the privilege of finally meeting the oldest living member of my family.  George Nichols, aka 'Cousin George'.  He being the taker of many beautiful black and white photos through the years.  We never seemed to live in the same place, so for over fifty years he was just stories and pictures to me.  Then I met him, this silver haired [of course, this is my family I'm talking about] happy go lucky man and his wonderful friend Roberta.  They'd driven all the way to Florida from Illinois to go birding.  Impressive binoculars and camera at the ready.  His silver head was a mass of curls and his eyes sparkled as he regaled us with a story of his enlistment into the service.    

As is typical of photographers, I can not find a picture of himself.
Although, he did take the above.
From the left, his Dad, Basil Nichols,
Uncle Cliff Nichols, Aunts Hilda Nichols & Wanda Nichols Peak.
The bows of the Weeping Willow behind them
hold many other memories.  

So today, I am feeling sad as we have lost this amazing person, though ever so grateful for having known him and of having the privilege to have met him as well.  

  

Perseverance pays off.
Living close to family has many benefits.
I.e. boxes of photos to dig through.
George Nichols fondly known around here as
Cousin George.
He will be missed.

Glimpses ....

Over the next few weeks, this one will be working quietly & diligently on secrets....

To keep you intrigued...
there are a few Swans that may recognize this
....remember mumms the word!

Shhhh!

Mothers' Rocker Biscornu!

Pretty happy with these results!
Mothers' Rocker Biscornu©2013
a Kimberly design

Fun corners!
Mothers' Rocker Biscornu©2013
a Kimberly design

View from the top....found the perfect leaf cup bead,
topped with a small aqua flower bead.
Mothers' Rocker Biscornu©2013
a Kimberly design   

My favorite gold paint, Golden Iridescent Light Gold [fine]. 

When I reach the gold step in any piece I'm painting,
it just makes me smile.  It's like my piece is saying,
thank you.

 

perfect...

...time to turn this into another little gem.  

Feels great to exhale deeply
when the fabric comes back as expected. 

waiting...

short post as I twiddle my thumbs....

This design was probably the hardest to design the fabric for.
I had many many trials before the colors came up correctly.
What shows on your monitor is not always what prints!

Final...sort of.
I actually submitted two different designs,
this one being my favorite.
The lines are finer and may not show when printed on fabric...so there is also a less detailed design being swatched out.
I just hope the colors are correct.  

Of course, you know I'm not twiddling my thumbs...I'm painting.  

Locally...

Day tripping...finding a little bit of magic 

here and there...

Entering wonderland aka Bok Towers in Lake Wales, Florida.

Very cool screen of 'air plants'
which I've plans to recreate a smaller version of....

This totally takes me to wonderland for some reason.
  Jabberwocky
BY LEWIS CARROLL

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

      And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

      The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

      The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;

      Long time the manxome foe he sought—

So rested he by the Tumtum tree

      And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,

      The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

      And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

      The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

      He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

      Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”

      He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

      And the mome raths outgrabe. 

Tricks...this was not even as tall as moi!  It's top looked similar to a bunch of celery.  Crazy plants in this place.

And of course, in this magical place,
there is a grotto....full of frogs!
Not a big fan of frogs/toads...
but these guys were so comical.
You can't see half of them!

a process...

Once a design is stitched, it's time to turn to the computer.  I sometimes drag my feet at this point, but once I've started, it quickly becomes obsessive for me.  Now is when the reminder to get up and move around goes out of my common sense mind and gets lost.  

Not the most exciting blog photo but you get the idea.  

My dogged assistant 'Sir Chancelot'.  Somehow he manages to squeeze in next to me.  Add a loud rumble of thunder and he's like a glue stick.  Thankfully, that's all he needs, no hysterics, panting, or pacing.  Just needs to be close.

Yes, he has a custom designed stitched collar by moi.  Vineyard Merino, beautiful to stitch with and wears like iron.

No thunder, time to see if that cat will play with me yet.
Even my down dog doesn't get to her!

fabric next....

another glimpse of progress...

stitching completed, charting begun, and fabric to design.  

All stitching completed, Yay!
Looks like a flying carpet in this picture.
Mothers' Rocker Biscornu
akimberlydesign©2013

Wonder what my love of stitching corners says about me.
Another mystery, to ponder or...
 see me just shrugging my shoulders.
c'est la vie
Mothers' Rocker Biscornu
a Kimberly design©2013