Photos to share!

I just spent the past five days with my Mum and we had such a wonderful time(O: This is the face I had sketched on felt last week.

These are a few photos of my Mum and I living it up!!

This was at the Milwaukee Public Market. Rick and I took my Mum for a wine tasting(O:

Look at these beautiful candy apples in the window of a Sweet Shop in Cedarburg

The art of bread making was displayed beautifully at the local bakery!

My dogs Paisley and Stella sitting at the table ready for tea(O:

My Mum and I at Lake Michigan watching the freezing cold waves crashing up on the ice covered rocks.

"Sketching on Felt"

I have been running around all day trying to get my house clean and ready because Mum is coming to visit us tomorrow(O: I'm so excited to show her where we live now. I told her to bring her needlepoint because we have more snow coming at the end of the week so we will be spending time together by the fire. This is going to be my next embroidery project, I wanted to sketch it out so I can start to brainstorm all the detailed ways I plan to fill it in stitch by stitch(O:

Flower's for my Mum(O: My poor Mum has been battling cancer for a while now. I cherish every minute we spend together. She's my very best friend!

(you can see in the mirror of this photo)
My Mum will be staying in my daughter's room for the week. Lucky lady get's zebra print bedding and my "Three Girls" painting for a few days. That painting was done in 1999 when I was pregnant with my first daughter Zoe. That painting has literally shaped my style as an artist. Since I did that piece most of my work has been of ladies of faces. I think of it as a turning point in my artistic career.

"A Girl on a Bike"

This past week I got spring fever with the 50 degree temperatures. It made me want to hop on my bike and go for a ride! This morning the ground is covered with snow once again, it will be a few more weeks before I go for a bike ride!
The feeling I had inspire this piece.

Once I get some of the basic stitching done I love to indulge in my beads for embellishments!

So here are the first two larger pieces I've been working on. I'm still not sure if I will frame them or if this will be the start to my fabric journal. I'm so indecisive. Maybe I'll wait until the spring when I can go outside and take some really great photos of them in the natural spring sunlight and then I can make another postcard collection?

"Embroidered Angel"

Up close and personal with the progress of my "Embroidered Angel".

I'm finding that with this medium, I am able to achieve the detail my heart desires! I looked up the word embroidery in the dictionary and this is what I found.

Embroidery = Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins.

Tapestry = something that resembles a tapestry in its complex pictorial designs; a heavy textile with a woven design; used for curtains and upholstery, a wall hanging of heavy handwoven fabric with pictorial designs

It seems my work is a piece of embroidery..........not so much a tapestry, hey I learn something new everyday!

"Tiny Tapestries"

Here's a look at what I've been working on for the past few days. I did a little writing in my journal while I was away last weekend and usually with writing comes doodling as well. I just couldn't wait to get back to my needle and thread(O: I have no idea what this will be used for. I just started it and can't seem to put it down. It is a tiny tapestry measuring about 4" X 6" (the size of a standard photo). I may actually frame it when I'm finished. I started drawing out the face and before I knew it she had wings a halo, a dress and beams of light shining off her. So what was meant to be the start of a new barrette design has turned into a tiny tapestry. There is still a lot to be done to this piece but this is what I've done so far.

I am completely self taught at needlepoint so if anyone has any recommendations on special needles they use or fabric they work with please let me know. I'm just working on felt at the moment because I like to use that texture for my faces but I know there are other special tapestry fabrics. Does anyone have any favorite materials for this medium?

"Wedding Bliss"

I just got back from my little sister's wedding. It was so beautiful, the sky was blue and love was in the air. Here are a few photos of the beautiful day.

Me and my sis!

Me & my Mum!

My parents

(my sister in law) Susan, (my sister's) Emily, Miranda and me

(my brother) Robin, (my sister's) Emily, Miranda and me

Me & the bride and groom

This was at the end of the night as I was chatting with my Dad, notice the bare feet, I got caught but I just had to take my shoes off! It was a wonderful day(O: Unfortunately my husband and my girls could not travel with me to the wedding but thankfully my man held down the fort at home superbly and greeted me at the airport with my girls with Godiva chocolates and roses. I feel so blessed! Happy Valentines Day everyone!!

"Bad Hair Day" Diva Headband One

I am in the process of growing my hair out from a very short pixie cut. It's taking time as I knew it would but I have this wedding to go to this weekend and it's kind of at the point where it looks different everyday. So in case I can't get my Dazzling Diva barrette in looking right (because I need about an inch more growth) then I will wear this Diva Headband I made. I did this one in similar colors to the purse so it will match. I really like the way it turned out but I have to say it's much harder to work on a headband when embroidering than a barrette so I'm not sure if I will do more of these or not. Anyway, sorry for the ramble about my hair!! Here are a few photos of my "Diva Headband"!!