Cirque de Fleur class video: Ultrasuede, sewing it

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Cirque de Fleur Video: Ultrasuede and Applique Part One

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New Giveaway, New Winner

irst I must attend to some unfinished business. The needlepouch from one of our previous giveaways has not been claimed. It's too sad to see it here unclaimed, so I've randomly chosen a new winner... (have you ever used a random number generator? They are really fun.) 

Congratulations Kate! 

Oh, my Gosh!!! I love your designs and to think that 

I could win a give away of something you have 

made and designed. Please enter me in you drawing.

And for our new giveaway, three glass fused buttons, shanks attached in back, with beautiful foil center. These are about 3/4" each and can make any simple garment, bag, needlepoint design, really stand out.  

I LOVE using glass embellishments on needlepoint.  There is something so intriguing about the combination of the transparent glass and the dense fibers.  It brings another layer of interest to a design.  

The shanks on these buttons could easily fit into a hole on your canvas to be attached at a point of interest. How about stitching a strip of basketweave, oh, I'd say 1.25" in width and about 6-7" in length.  Fold back the excess canvas, whipstitch around the border and attach the buttons at equal distances. Then attach the whole thing to the front/middle of a plain sweater, or even tee shirt. It would be delicious!

Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment with an idea on how you would use these glass beauties.

 

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I knew I shouldn't have...

The exact day of my last post, the day I was boasting about my new printer, how marvelous it was and how I was going to be sending out new instructions books, that same day the printer died!  Yep, a three day old printer which I paid  $XXX for (embarrassed to say), died. Since then we have spent hours (I kid you not), on the phone with the company, had a technician here twice, had a new printer sent out and... it too is not working.  So now we wait for yet another technician. They say they think they know what the problem might be. Surprisingly, (NOT), they say it will cost money to fix.

Please, PLEASE, when I start telling you about some new piece of wonderful technology I just got, please, PLEASE, stop me!  I'm not superstitious, I just want to stay on the safe side!


Back to school. I can't believe it's almost here. Nina will be entering 4th grade. I don't understand how that could be because last year she was in 1st. At least it seems like last year...

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Glory, glory, Gloriana!

I am so darn lucky!  Just take a look at the contents of the box I opened yesterday. Fibers and colors and textures, all so that I can experiment, tinker and come up with a a great new design.

A few years ago I designed Orchid Cottage.   
It was designed for Gloriana Thread Packs which included a variety of different types of fibers and ribbons. You could stitch the small design in different color combinations or you could buy the thread packs, hang them on your wall and just stare at their beauty.

Anne, the woman behind Gloriana Threads, has asked me to design again, putting together new packs of her wonderful fibers.   It's overwhelming, it's intoxicating, it's wonderful!  

I'll keep you posted as to when and where you can get the new design along with the thread packs.
  

I introduced you to Lexi last post, (our new Lexmark color laser printer), and I'm happy to announce that she has already been working hard. Finally the Cirque de Fleur  book is ready to be sent out to all you patient cyber-students. Thank you for understanding. You will love this book, 57 pages of instructions, charts, illustrations, diagrams, which we will bind ship this week.

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Congratulations and Introductions

I've enjoyed your funny accounts of loosing glasses and I feel that I'm in good company!  It's time to announce our winner...

DOLORES, your days of searching for your glasses are over!  

Dolores wrote:  Oh my, this is my favourite colour and I would dearly love to have this eyeglass case. Yes, I too lose my glasses a lot. That's why I have so many pairs. I just 'lost' my newest pair of 'dollar store' glasses (with the multi-coloured frames) and I really wanted them. I had to think back to where it was that I used them last. Finally, the brain cells kicked in - the library. I used them to pick out some books on tape (people read while I sew) and there they were, in the library bag with my tapes and, whoops, my ID wallet too (library card, drivers' licence, credit cards, etc.)

About the previous contest, I have not yet heard from the winner and therefore can't send the prize to her. I feel so bad about a great gift sitting on my table waiting to be shipped out. I will wait until the end of the week and if I don't hear from the winner by then, I will pull out a new number and a new winner for the needlepouch.  Stay tuned.


We have new additions to the studio.  I'd like to introduce you to iMac2:

She is our new iMac, daughter to our existing big-iMac. She arrived today and already is able to speak to her mommy and to our other new friend, Lexi (our new color laser printer). They are all networking and making me very happy.

These new family members should make our lives at the studio run smoothly.

Later in the week I will also introduce you to Genevieve. She is my new assistant and already knows exactly where to find Watercolors on my thread wall.  

 

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Attempting a terrarium(s).

We live in a loft with no outdoor space. We have a northern exposure which means great light for painting, not so much for stitching and certainly not enough for any direct light plants. I decided to try terrariums. They combine glass (one of my favorite materials), plants and building a little eco system that may survive without direct sunlight. 

Some things never change. I never was, and I guess never will be a person of "one of".  Nope, if I try something new, it has to be in multiples.  This is no exception. I have 7 of them now and I'm holding back not to add anymore. The completed ones cost a fortune. So, off I went to look for glass containers, and then stones, soil, charcoal, moss and itsy bitsy plants. 

This was a first try and I see my mistakes. I would like to redo a few of them but since you can't take the material out in layers, I would have to dump the contents, (not the plants).  Not sure if I want to do that.

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Thank you for helping clean out some of my design stash. We are back to normal in almost all of the books so we need to limit the sale to ONE more day.  If there are any designs you would like to get for a great discount, fly over to here.

I LOVED your lost glasses stories. So funny, so familiar.  A little tidbit I've found to be true, I can't hear very well when I don't have my glasses on.  Have any of you noticed that?  We will be choosing a winner for the eyeglass case on Monday.  You still have time to tell me a story. I love them!

 

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Needlepouch is headed to... but here comes something else!

Congratulations to Jeanette!

Jeanette said... Oh, my everyone will want the pouch. It is beautiful!
Please enter me in your drawing. 

(Jeanette, please send me your information to here)

I love doing giveaways so here comes another one. This time it's an eyeglass case I made. Ultrasuede with a small needlepoint piece to match. It has a wrist handle and velcro closure. Bold colors to make it easy to find in your purse.  

To win, tell us about one time you could not find your glasses and how they eventually showed up. I know this happened to you. I know because it happens to me 5 times daily. Maybe this giveaway will help?

Just click on the comments tab at the bottom of this post and tell us your story. 
I read each and every comment so make my day!

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A Mish-Mash Sale!!!

(AKA a little of this and a little of that)

We have been hard at work cleaning and reorganizing my studio for the past few weeks.

No wonder we can't find room for anything, we have overstocks of some wonderful design books.

Now you can help in the clean-up effort...

All the designs in the photos below are going on sale!

I mean big time sale. 

1. TALTUL   $8 each
2. GIBOR    $18 each 
3. A SUMMER DRINK   $14
4. KANYA CUFF   $14
5. TO LIFE   $14
6. MAGEN and MAROM $10
7. A YEAR IN CARDS $12
8. WINDOW IN THE OLD CITY $20

9. HOD and HADAR $10  

 

 

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 Now, you could wait till tomorrow, or Saturday, or Sunday, 

but if you wait till Monday you'll miss the giveaway.

Go to previous blog entry and put in your comment to win the Needlepouch. Quick! 

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