Adorn: October 2013

My studio this morning...

>> October 31, 2013 – classes, family, needlepoint kit, organization, travel

I'm off to Syracuse NY tomorrow morning to teach "GAYLE". I love that piece, it's an oldie but absolutely a goodie, challenging and rewarding at the same time.

So, this is what my studio looks like this morning...

PUTTING KITS TOGETHER

PACKAGING THE FIBERS

CUTTING THE CANVAS

PRINTING THE BOOKS

LAMINATING THE CHARTS

GETTING THE MODELS TOGETHER

ADDING FUN DODADS

AND HAVING THE CUTEST MAD HATTER READY FOR SCHOOL!

Fibers and Threads, I need your suggestions.

>> October 25, 2013 – artists process, color, experimenting, fiber art, new designs, silk thread, thoughts, threads

Have you ever tried to Google: Fiber Thread what is the difference ? I was surprised to see eight entries having to do with computers before any entry about our fibers and threads! (Fibers. A fiber is a unit of execution that must be manually scheduled by the application. Fibers run in the context of the threads that schedule them. Each thread ... Blah Blah Blah)

Anyway, I was going to talk about threads that I use in my designs. After 16 (+ -) years of stitching I've pretty much come up with my regulars:

Caron Collection Watercolours and Waterlilies
Gloriana Stranded Silk, Princess Perle and Princess Perle Petite
Planet Earth Stranded Silk
Threadworx Overdye Floss
Needlepoint Inc. Stranded Silk
Edmar Lola, Frost and Nova
Rainbow Gallery Neon Rays, Neon Rays+, Very Velvet, Hi-Lights, Pebbly Perle
Access Commodities Trebizond, Soie Perlee, Bijoux, Accentuate
DMC Floss and Perle Variations
Kreinik 1/16" Ribbon, # 4, #8 and #12 Braid (late addition, thank Jane for bringing that to my attention!)

There are a few more here and there but these are the mainstay. As a designer and a provider of kitted designs, I must try to take into account that I need to stock and store any threads I use. Quite frankly that means I need to have lots of money and lots of good storage solutions. There is a limit to both so I try to restrain from incorporating all the other wonderful threads out in the marketplace nowadays. I don't feel I am limiting my creative abilities, I have many, many options and my storage space is busting at the seams.

However... if you had to suggest one, (OK, maybe two), threads that you highly recommend, ones that have this special quality like no other, what would you suggest? I might be able to s t r e t c h my space just a little bit more...

Waiting to hear from you

Orna

Next time around I want to be a...

>> October 22, 2013 – artists process, thoughts

Sign painter!

I was walking Esther yesterday and on the wall of the local pizza place there was a guy painting letters and tomatoes. What amazed me was that he didn't use a template for the letters, he free-handed them, and they were perfect!! Something like this:

But then I may prefer to be a carpenter. I just love figuring out how things are built, what the individual pieces are and what the process is. My ultimate wish would be to learn to make dovetail corners, ahhhhh!

I have a few more possibilities, but first I need to know how many times around do we get??

Marilyn the Magnificent! (and 24 hours left...)

>> October 17, 2013 – blog giveaway, classes, creativity, EGA, etsy, gifts, needlepoint, student accomplishments, teaching

The ladies at the EGA Brandywine Chapter continue to amaze me! Marilyn Siers allowed me to share her completed piece with you. The interpretation of this photograph is so spot-on, brilliant!! Thank you, Marilyn!

and on to only 24 hours left! Celebrating my 500 blog entry, I am giving away an anniversary gift. Four cuff kits for the price of three! Gifts for a fellow stitcher? Just slip them into a pretty wrapping. Gift for a loved one? They are a quick stitch and a beautiful show of love. Pop over to visit me on my Etsy shop and grab them!!

Brilliant Job! I'm so proud!!

>> October 14, 2013 – classes, color, needleart, student accomplishments, teaching

Karen West, you did it! You took everything I had to offer to the color class and you worked your own magic, taking your photo inspiration and translating it into a beautiful piece of needlework.

Brilliant job! I am so proud!!

Celebrating 500 with you!

>> October 10, 2013 – blog giveaway, celebrations, etsy, gifts, give away, needlepoint kit

Today I am writing my 500th blog post.

500 times I've sat down to write, always wondering... do I have something interesting enough to say, to show, to share? Always marveling that you would read my words and then when we meet, tell me how you follow my blog, know this or that about me because you read my blog. I am so flattered and honored that you would do that!

500 times I've pressed the Publish button, sending off my thoughts into this strange and amazing cyber world. Each time a bit of trepidation, excitement and anticipation runs through me as I press.

Today I am celebrating with you, because you are the reason for this blog and for me continuing to write in it since February 12, 2008. I've got a brand new batch of the new needlepoint cuffs, The Ocean, Tree, Flower and Nightshade cuff, in stock. Regularly $40 each, for one week there will be a special offering of these kits, 4 cuffs for the price of 3! A free cuff kit for you!!

Here is the link to this offer, The Anniversary Offer. I will have it up on my Etsy site till next Friday at noon.

and here's to the next 500 posts!!

xoxo
Orna

My First Post EVER!!

I'm getting a little tired of...

>> October 6, 2013 – shopping, thoughts

Before I complete the sentence, I want you to know that I am attempting not to sound mean. Really. I just realized this new sensation I have and I want to get it down on "paper". It's me, not them or you, just me, and this is how I feel.

So, I'm getting a little tired of the cutesy, "Brooklynite" type stores with lots of very cute, unnecessary, looks like handmade stuff. I love handmade!! You know I do, it's what I do all the time, all the days and nights. But I am a little tired of the repetitiveness of the style, the totally planned "not planned" look, the "gosh I love anything made before 1980" look.

Cases in point:

The Ugly Doll.

The Moustache.

The Apron.
(seriously, anyone really cook wearing these?)

The Cute Shop.
(I need a break from these, I'm not going into any shop that makes me say "awwwww" for at least a month!)

and THE #1 buzzword one... Vintage.
and here I'm not even going to add photos because we all know I'm right!
Having been born in 1957, I know something about Vintage before it became Vintage and I know for an absolute fact that not everything from the 1950s through the 1980s looked good, or was considered in good taste even back then. So, what's going on here?

and I'm NOT being mean! It's just me.