Well I am close to being finished with this clown – just in time for the New Year – New clown!  There are three of these in the series.  Each one has its own personality.  On the glove I used Kreinik with a skip tent stitch.  On the intersection that I skipped, I placed a Sundance Size 14 bead.  It really is beautiful with just the right amount of sparkle.  I used a long and short stitch with Fuzzy Stuff for his hair and then brushed it up a little with my finger.  I am very happy with the way it turned out.  I received Carolyn’s Baird’s new book and picked a stitch from it for the collar.  I am using Neon Rays, Kreinik and beads when it is finished.  I am trying various ideas for the ruffle around his wrist – this is still undecided.  For the most part, the face is basketweave.  The nose has been padded and then long stitches over the padding with Neon Rays.  The lines under the eyes are a long stitch with a french knot at the end.  I really like him a lot.  Now I just need a name for him.  If you have any suggestions, please post them for me.  If you would like to stitch one of these clowns just head to my web site to purchase it. www.canvasesbegone.com   I would be happy to provide you with a list of the stitches and threads I used.  Thanks for looking!

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER 2010

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I love Halloween it is my favorite holiday for canvases.  More than $2 billion is spent on candy each year.  This month has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays.  This happens once in 823 years.

The lucky winner for the drawing in September is Karen Schneider from Camp Verde, AZ . CONGRATULATIONS Karen.  Karen not only has some of her canvases on consignment with me but is also a wonderful customer.  Remember, every time you place an order, your name goes in the basket for the drawing for a hand painted canvas, stitch guide and threads.  So be sure to shop early and often.

The special that is running now for October is the Halloween Category. It will run through the end of October.  It is marked with a 20% discount.

http://www.canvasesbegone.com/halloween+needlepoint

Stitch Of The Month is “Medallions”. Medallions could be used on clothing, for wallpaper, on draperies, etc. The stitch could be done in all one color, two colors, overdyed silk or floss with metallic, or all one color and a metallic thread.

It looks best when 4 plies of silk or floss are used on 18 mesh canvas and five or six plies are used on 14 mesh canvas.

If Medici or Burmilana is being used, then 2 plies of Medici or Burmilana is suggested for 18 mesh canvas, and 3 plies is suggested for 14 mesh.

Frosty Rays would look lovely with Petite Frosty Rays being used for 18 mesh and regular Frosty Rays for 14 mesh. If you haven’t tried size 8 Pearl Cotton on 14 mesh, you really should. Use 2 strands on 14 mesh canvas. (With your laying tool of course) I don’t use it on 18 mesh unless I’m doing a slanted stitch because it doesn’t cover well when doing straight stitches.

Begin by stitching the 4 center stitches of the medallion on the top right side.

I hope you take some time to look through the category labeled “dede”.  The canvases in this section are the pieces directly from her.  I received some additional canvases from her the first week in October.  Be sure to take another look if you haven’t been there for awhile. I can’t thank her enough for this opportunity.  Everyone should have at least one “dede” canvas!

http://www.canvasesbegone.com/dede/

I have started stitching one of the clowns from the collection.  You will be able to watch along on my blog.  I will post a picture this weekend of my progress.  I will let you know the stitches I have used so far.  He is going to be really cute.  Maybe you will get inspired to purchase the same canvas and stitch along with me.  When I get stuck in a spot, I am very fortunate to be able to take weekly canvas enhancement classes from Brenda Hart to help me along the way.  I carry Brenda’s books on my web site also.  She also gives us our stitch of the month for the newsletter.

www.canvasesbegone.com/books/

I now have in stock the hand painted canvas from Diane O’Leary that includes thread selection and stitch guide by Brenda Hart.  The price is $140.00.  I have it in the orange tones and the mauves.

www.canvasesbegone.com/5370/Diane+O%27Leary+HP+Needlepoint+Poppies+w+stitch+guide.html

We also continue the Needlepoint Shop Sale that offers new canvases that I received from a shop that wanted to make room for new items.  I have them for 30% off the retail price.  There is a large variety of designers in this group so be sure to take a look.

www.canvasesbegone.com/needlepoint+shop+sale/

Now for the Recipe of the Month, I decided on something that will warm you up in the cool fall evenings and makes lots so you can invite guests or freeze some for another day when you are busy stitching and don’t want to stop to make dinner.

LEMON CHICKEN

4 CHICKEN BREASTS

¼ tsp salt                                                       1/8 tsp pepper

1 Tbls parmesan cheese                           1 cup flour

2 Tbls butter                                                2 Tbls olive oil

½ cup lemon juice                                      ¼ cup sherry

2 Tbls parsley                                              1 egg

Lightly pound chicken with mallet.  Set aside.  Beat together egg, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.  Roll chicken in the flour then dip in egg mixture and then back into flour.  Heat oil & butter in skillet until bubbly.  Brown chicken both sides. (add more butter or oil if needed). Put chicken in greased baking dish.  Stir together lemon juice, sherry and 2 Tbls parsley.  Add to the juices in the skillet.  Boil 1 minute then pour over chicken and bake covered 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

This recipe came from Nancy in Phoenix – THANKS Nancy!

If you have a recipe you would like to share, please email me or snail mail me.  If we use it, you could win a prize!

Thanks for looking and keep on stitchin’

Dale

Well Mr. Clown is coming along nicely.  I have made the final decision on the stitch for his bright yellow collar.  Of course I still have the background to finish stitching but all my decisions on stitches and threads have been made.  YEAH! I am going to try to make a ruffle for around his wrist – stay tuned to see how that turns out. 

This is the progress I have made on the Diane O’Leary Iris I am stitching for Brenda Hart as a model.  If you are a purple person, you will love this piece.  The “wave stitch” as I call it on the flower petals is very nice.  I can tell you honestly it took three times before I got it correct but the effect is worth it. 

I can’t wait to get done with both of these.  When October arrives I am ready to stitch something for Halloween and make a pledge that I will have it done in time for next Halloween.  Let’s see if this time it works.  I have taken a page from Jane in Chilly Hollow’s work book to better organize my time.  I can Blog, Work and Stitch all in one day.  HURRAH!  Thank you Jane for the hint to success.  Maybe we can have it all. 

Oh Stewey my little Jackie has a birthday on the 16th of this month.  She will be 2 years old.   I think she has a crush on you. When I am reading your blog, she jumps up on my lap and then on the  desk to look at you.  Her little tail keeps moving back and forth!

Well he is coming along.  I decided to do a skip tent stitch in Kreinik for the glove and then fill in the skipped thread with a Sundance bead.  If you don’t like beading, you could tent the whole glove with Kreinik and then add some beads here and there to give it a little sparkle.  I really love the bright colors that “dede” used when she painted this canvas.  I guess that is why I am so drawn to it.   I have something in mind for the yellow collar and his cuff. 

The stitch I used for the crown of his hat is the Stitch of the Month from Brenda Hart in my newsletter.  I used Silk Lame’ Braid for the crown along with Splendor.  I then tent stitched the black rim with Neon Rays Plus that has a little sparkle in it.  I love the addition of the sparkle in the Neon Rays.  The bottom of the hat or under the brim with also stitched in basketweave with a darker shade of Silk Lame’ Braid. 

I have used a lighter shade of pink in basketweave for under his eyebrows.  The clown’s big black eyebrows is a long stitch with Neon Rays.  You need to untwist this thread every couple of stitches but it is so worth the effect.  I went over it twice to give it some thickness.  I was hoping to get the entire eye done before I posted this but I kept stitching and stitching and decided I needed to stop somewhere and blog.  So stay tuned I will post later in the week when  his face is complete. 

So as you can see he is coming along.  Rainbow Gallery’s thread selection  has made it easy to find wonderful bright colors with and without sparkle!    Please keep checking and thanks for watching.

Well I am finally making some  progress on my clown.  I have tried several different things on his bright green glove and did not like them.  So I said to myself – this isn’t getting me anywhere so why not move on to something I know I am happy with.  As you can see I have finished the balloon.   I used a stitch from Brenda Hart’s First Book.  I used 4 ply Splendor and filled in with Wildflowers.  You could use Kreinik to fill in.  I liked the “Lime Rickey” color of the Wildflowers. 

I also started his hair.  I am using Fuzzy Stuff – I really like the colors it comes in.  I am using French Knots wrapped once, twice and three times plus changing the size of the needle from Size 20 to 18 to a very large Chenille I think is a size 14.  This gives it some depth and personality.  I am really happy with the way it is going to turn out.  I also made a decision on the background squares.  The blue lines are tent with Splendor.  To fill in the squares I picked the T-Stitch over 2 threads with Accentuate color #300.  I have used 2 strands double in the needle.  By  doubling it in the needle you have better control  and it has the appearance of 4 ply.  However, I think it will probably take anywhere between 6 or 8 spools.  The reason I decided on Accentuate instead of Kreinik is because I thought it would not take as many spools and keep the cost down.  I think you could probably use 1 strand doubled over in the needle and it would work and cut the amount of thread in half.   The colored squares are being stitched with Splendor 3 ply with a stitch that the Fabulous Ms. Hart made up for me on the Mindy canvas that is in the finished red leather piece shown on this blog.  She certainly has a way of coming up with extraordinary stitches.  Floss could always be substituted in place of Splendor. 

So as you can see I have been stitching along with the rest of you – that is if you are up until 1:00 or 2:00 AM Arizona time.  Tonight I am attempting the dreaded glove again.  I had almost 1/3 of it done in beads and decided it made it feel to heavy on that side of the canvas.  I am still going to try to incorporate beads on it some how!  I also have an idea for the yellow ruffle.  So wish me luck that one or both of the ideas I have will work out.  I will soon have the main part of him finished and move on to the next clown in this series from the wonderful “dede”. 

I almost forgot – I have been informed from Ms Hart that the flower I am stitching on for her is an Iris NOT a Lilly as previously stated.  Okay already Brenda I am getting right back to stitching on that also.  As you can see I have made progress on the Iris also.  My right hand is stitching on the “IRIS” and the left is on the clown!  Thanks for looking and stay tuned – since Dancing With the Stars is beginning tomorrow night I will be back in my routine and should get lots more stitching done. 

Hey Stewey this is Jackie wagging her tail at you!

To Blog or To Stitch – To Stitch or To Blog that is the question.  I am in ah of all of you that are blogging just as fast as you can and still have time for all the amazing stitching you have been doing.  It is just mind boggling to me!  So I have been reading some of the blogs and watching the pictures and have set up a plan.  Now I do have a really cute Jack Russell female that will be two years old in October.  I think she might be a wonderful mate for Stewy and who knows maybe she could learn to do the blogging and I could get more stitching done.  So in the mean time I guess I will just have to do it myself.  I have been busy working on two pieces.  One is a Diane O’Leary design that will be a model for the wonderful Ms. Brenda Hart of a gorgeous purple Cal-Lily.  So please watch along as I stitch this piece it will be beautiful.  Brenda has a great vision when it comes to picking stitches and colors.  She tends to be very light handed so we can enjoy some of the painted canvas we spend or hard earned money on.  The other is a “dede” clown.  I am a very happy girl to be able to sell some of “dede’s” designs that she is retiring so when they are gone – they are gone.  There are three different clowns plus lots and lots of other designs for sale.  I plan to stitch all three clowns and you can watch the progress on the blog.  I will tell you the stitches and threads I am using every week.  Who knows, you may want to purchase one from my web site and stitch along with me.  The Stitch of the Month from my newsletter is the stitch on his hat.  I was very afraid of clowns as a child BUT you don’t have to be frightened by these clowns.  They are full of beautiful colors and will have some fun stitches to use.  So I hope you will follow me on my stitching  journey of these two pieces.  Over the weekend I will post the stitches and threads I have used so far on the clown.  I have decided to bead his glove and I am working on it now.  I will also be posting some pictures of small bags that I use for my needlepoint tools that I have already finished.  These canvases are from The Red Thread designer and there is a book by Brenda Hart from The Red thread for all the stitch and thread guides.  THANKS FOR LOOKING & don’t be a stranger – dale

Well it is spring time in the desert and the blooms on the cactus and the flowers are just gorgeous. The flowers and blooms are bright colors oranges, reds, pinks, yellows and purples. I am showing a picture of an Ocotillo cactus. They are one of my favorites. They are very tall and thin with beautiful reddish/orange blooms on the end of them. If you every have one on a canvas to stitch, you might try using a lazy daisy or chain stitch for the long slender stalks using an overdyed floss. Then you could use some boucl

Well I have finished my Mindy that goes into one of the new gorgeous red Sterling leather Kindle cover! YEAH!! I am attempting to post a picture of the stitched canvas – I don’t know if you can tell but the flowers around the left side and top are all beads. The rest is silk and Kreinik. When I have it inserted and finished, I will post another picture of it. I have started another Mindy that is going into a Sterling periwinkle leather notebook. I will post it when I have it finished. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter on my web site to find out what is new and some special give aways that I will be having starting with three needles 20, 22 and 24 with each purchase. I am also going to be giving away a hand painted canvas, threads and stitch guide each month. Watch for more pictures I will be posting of some more of my finished projects. Stitch-On Sisters!