A letter to you.

My window sills are blooming with orchids and cacti

Good morning!  It's the first week of summer vacation here.  Nina will be turning 12 in a couple of weeks, going into 7th grade next year.  Some of you remember her as a toddler, a tiny, very cute toddler.  She is now a teenager, a beautiful, thoughtful, and very creative young person. 

When she was much younger I remember trying to keep her busy and "doing" as much as possible all through the summer.  When both my girls were very young I knew I would be full-time busy with them over the summer.  I forgot, (as I have with many other aspects of child rearing), that they need just as much attention, care and supervision as they grow older.  In fact, I am reminded, they actually need more.  A tub of building blocks and a juice box just don't cut it anymore.  The older they get the more they need presence, watchfulness and lots of chatting time.  What am I leading to? I have been a bit absent from you all, here on the blog, and I wanted to explain why.  I don't want to seem as if I'm floating in and out of your lives, with no rhyme or reason.  This is the reason and I really appreciate your understanding.

On to another matter... I am quite ashamed of having found a few errors on one of my new cuff charts :(  My very dear friend and best proof stitcher in the world, Kathy, did not get to see this instruction manual. She is so kind with her time and I didn't want to abuse it, but after this cuff issue, I'm going to have to go back and abuse it!  Do you hear me Kathy?  If you ordered a kit of my new "Flower Cuff", please write to me and I will send you the corrections. 

I am leaving for our trip to Israel soon and therefore need to send out all the models for the ANG 2014 Seminar before I leave.  I will also be teaching an ANG Cyberworkshop and those models need to be sent out as well.  Stitch stitch stitch along with Wimbledon tennis is actually nice.  Most of this is done in the wee hours of the night.  Anyone else stitching to the sounds of balls hitting racquets or grunts of certain tennis pros?  

Each of the orchids has re-bloomed and I am very proud of them!

 

Lastly, I promised a sale before I leave.  You will hear all about it by the end of the week.

Enjoy your week, my friends!

Orna

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New design for ANG 2014...

I've mentioned before that I will be teaching three classes at the Chicago ANG Seminar in 2014.  One of them is a fab-u-lo-so color class.  I've designed a new piece for the class, this is the piece we will stitch as an interpretation of our color photograph.  I'm almost done with my second colorway sample so I just had to show you!  I'm loving the piece, it is very, very, very fun to stitch.  In fact, if I have the time before I leave for Israel, I may try one more colorway.

It amazes me every time, the same design in different colors gives the piece an entirely different look, mood, sensibility.  Please join me in this class, although I must warn you,  it is addictive!
Enjoy your weekend!
xo
Orna

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Prior warning!

Dramatic opening, eh?   I wanted to let you know about my summer travels.  I will be leaving for Israel on July 16th and coming back August 25th.  I know, long long trip!  I haven't been home in two years.  It's time, and I plan on spending some quality time with my family, my friends, as well as some planned studio visits with artists.  During that time I will not be able to send out orders so please don't worry if you don't receive your merchandise.  If you do place an order, I will send you a reminder with the date I return to my studio.

While in Israel, I try to plan at least one project with my mother, some type of home improvement.  This time we are redoing her bathroom, taking out the bathtub and putting in a nice spa shower.  I actually enjoy these projects, and feel satisfied when I leave and know something has been done to improve my mother's quality of life.  Nina will be going to a two week overnight camp, (OMG! she has never even spent one overnight at a camp but she wants to do this).  It a great place for kids from Israel and all over the world who love computers, photography, digital music, robotics, and all that jazz.  Cross your fingers that we don't need to make a middle of the night trip to bring an unhappy camper home...

Between now and my trip I plan on having an amazing, blow out sale for you!   Sign up for updates and notices on the right side of this blog.  Perfect time to load up on projects for the holidays, gifts, much needed "I don't have anything to stitch" type kits...  Should be coming soon.

In the meantime, what are your plans for the summer?  

Talk soon!

O

 

a MOST amazing website of graphic designers, phenomenal talent!!  HERE

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A Tree is growing in the studio. New design!

Another addition to my cuff series is ready for you.  The TREE Cuff.

 Available on my ETSY site HERE!

The new TREE CUFF

 and... you can also get all four cuffs at a great discounted price.  All on ETSY!

All four cuffs at special price on ETSY

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This is where I'll be. Come join me!

A few updates on upcoming workshops that you might want to participate in...

September 27-28, 2013 - The Brandywine EGA Chapter.
We will be working on COLOR!  This color-workshop is so much fun, you will enjoy every minute!  Color play, thread picking and a needlepoint design to bring it all together.

November 2-3, 2013 - Syracuse ANG Chapter.  We will be working on Gayle.

 

If you have any interest in either or both workshops, let me know and I'll have the wonderful ladies coordinating these events,  contact you. 

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What have I been designing lately?

I am always working on at least 2 designs simultaneously.  I need to go back and forth to keep my mind fresh and in addition to new needlepoint designs, I'm also usually beading or wire-working something as well.  I don't think it's short attention span, I think it's just too much in my head that wants to get out through my hands and fingers. 
Anyway... here are a few things I'm working on -

A new sampler on 40 count silk gauze

New colorways for one of my ANG Chicago seminar classes

A new design I painted on congress cloth inspired by a piece of Japanese handmade paper

I don't stitch during the day.  That's when I do charting, writing, sending orders, etc.  I stitch in the evenings, starting around 8-9:00  and go for a few hours.  Sometimes if I'm really tired I will find myself dozing off, needle in hand and on special occasions I will even find a few strange stitches on the canvas that must have been done while I was semi asleep/awake.  How strange is that!

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NEW Series, Cuffs, Lockets and Colorways!

 Finally here, the new cuff series - 

A celebration of color and design, three new cuffs are ready for you.  On my Etsy site I have them listed for you to choose one or all three.  

NIGHTSHADE CUFF

The Nightshade cuff combines lovely purples and greens placing them on a background of a beautiful overdye blue.  Delica beads adorn the center and the ends of the cuff.  An elegant piece that will easily call for compliments.

 

OCEAN CUFF

The Ocean cuff with Delica beads and fresh water pearls is a unique piece of jewelry.  Using overdye fibers, ribbon and wire this cuff is striking!

SPECIAL 3 CUFF DISCOUNT

THE FLOWER CUFF

The Flower cuff seems to be blooming with an array of pinks, turquoises and greens.  The stitches beautifully portray the petals and leaves of a lovely flower.  Using overdye fibers and ribbons accentuated by gold colored beads, you will stand out in a crowd!

If you are ambitious and want to take advantage of a special price break, purchase the threesome at a discounted price. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first of the new Locket series!

The Eastern Door Locket design is a piece done on 40 count silk gauze.  The kit includes all silk fibers and includes the mounted silk gauze, needle, backing tissue, all the fibers and a wonderful small door shaped locket.  The finished piece of jewelry is 1.5"x1" and can be immediately mounted on a chain, ribbon or leather necklace. 

Front locket, THE EASTERN DOOR

There are no two colorways alike!!  You can choose from a variety of colorways all shown on our Etsy site.  See a colorway you love, don't wait, it won't be replicated. 

INSTRUCTION BOOK, LOCKET, MOUNTED SILK GAUZE AND ALL SILK FIBERS!

FEELING GOOD COLORWAY

HOT MAMA COLORWAY

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Follow ups...

1. Follow up on this post...
    Susan Miller, from my class, writes: Thanks for a great class.  As you can see, I'm a type A
 personality. I will be heckled at our next ANG meeting!  

You've done an amazing job Susan! (I may have heckled you too!!)

2. Follow up on this post...
    I received the box of glasses as you can see in the photos below.  Very timely, nice service, great frames.  Sad news, nothing looks good on me :(  Back you go!

 

3.  Follow up on this post...
     I've returned all rugs so far.  I think I've got some sort of block.  This has never happened to me before.  Here are my new possibilities.  Any thoughts?

 

and a reminder of our living room:

Thank you!!

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Try them on? too cool.

I've always loved glasses.  I remember clearly sitting in a movie theater when I was about 21. One minute I saw it all clear as day and the next... things got fuzzy.  From that day I've worn glasses, then contact lenses and now back to glasses.  Many a frame have come and gone.  Frames have become so expensive, and then adding the lenses, with a bit of anti-glare, one needs to dip into an IRA to afford a nice pair. 

Imagine my surprise when I found this:  WARBY PARKER.  Just the name makes you feel you are about to be invited to Gatsby's home for a garden party.  You can order frames you like, have them shipped to you for try on, and then ship them back if you don't like them, all for free!! They are much more affordable than what we usually pay, and the most fun is the virtual try-on. OMG!!

You webcam a photo of yourself, I decided to take a photo in my least flattering self, no make-up, no fixing hair, just me on a regular morning.  If the glasses looked OK on my looking like that, there was a chance they would look even better if I made a small effort.  I've just ordered 5 (!!) pairs for home try-on, they should arrive in 5 days.

Wanna laugh?  Here are the webcam photos of me trying on a couple of frames...

The bad news?  I just spent a whole hour messing around!

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