I'm open, I'm open, I'm open...

The Scarlett House Etsy store is now open. I have three needle case ruler sets for sale at this time, but I will be painting more, lots more. Years ago, I sold these sets in a local needlework shop. But, like we all do, I got busy with other stuff and life in general, and stopped painting. I have wanted to do them again for some time, and having my own little Etsy shop is the perfect way to go.

I am so appreciative of all your moral support, ideas, and suggestions for designs, and comments.

As my way of saying thank you, I will be giving away this set called Six Blackbirds. All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post. The winner will be drawn on Wednesday, the 28th. Good luck!

Wednesday's happenings

Today I framed the Dutch Spot~Motif Sampler. I went with a simple frame in a rusty colored wood. I think it brings out the rust in the design, and it looks okay with the goldish linen that I dyed. Now to find an empty space on the wall to hang it.

You might have noticed the button on the right for my Etsy store. I had hoped to be open for business, but I'm having issues. I'm going to be optimistic and say we'll be ready by this weekend if not sooner. I still plan to give away a needle case~ruler set when I'm officially open.

I recently won a giveaway on Rowyn's blog. This very cool chart made it all the way from New Zealand to Arizona. Thanks so much, Rowyn. I have the thread already in my stash, and I had no plans for it until now. It must have been fate.

For me, the very best thing about blogging are the friends that I've made all over the world. It's wonderful to share a common thread (no pun intended ) with other needle workers. It really is a small world after all.

Isabella Update

It seems like I'm making small progress on Isabella Brackin even though I work on it daily. There's so few colors used, and some are so pastel that they are hardly visible. Even so, I have to say that I just love this sampler. The motifs are so feminine and pretty. By the way, I forgot to thank you for the frame suggestions for the Dutch Spot~Motif Sampler. I did find a frame, and I hope to post a picture soon. As always...thanks for stopping by.

Journals

To give myself a break from painting, I went off into another direction. I really enjoy making these little books. For some time now, I've thought about keeping a stitching journal. How I wish that I would have started one a long, long time ago. I like keeping lists of things I have, things I need, and so on. I'll be offering these and others for sale eventually.
Speaking of my Etsy shop, some of you have asked when it will be open. The truth is, I'm not sure. But, I'm working on it. Thanks for your suggestions and comments. It seems that the you are all bird crazy, which is fine with me. I am, too.

Here's the first batch:

This one is made using some artwork that I did awhile ago.

My husband would say that it descibes me to a tee.

Isn't she the sweetest fairy?

Enough said...aren't we all?

Two new designs

I managed to paint two more sets recently. I'm still working on getting my Etsy shop set up, but in the meantime, I'll be showing you some now and then. You wouldn't believe how tiny Noah is, and painting the spots on the giraffes proved to be quite challenging.

I have an absolute weakness for pastoral scenes, so I always seem to find myself painting houses with sheep grazing. What should I paint next? Please give me your ideas.

I love red!

Here's a bit of progress on Isabella Brackin 1832. When I first saw this design online, I thought it must have some shade of red in it. At least, that's how it looked on the chart photo. If you scroll down to my last post, you can see it. The colors look deeper, don't they? I love red. That's one reason why we have two Boston Terriers named Ruby and Scarlett. Well, as you can see, it isn't red at all. More of a dark pink. I'm really surprised that the chart photos of my last project, and now this one are so inaccurate. Obviously, you can see the colors when you pull the threads, but who does that before you are ready to begin stitching? I'm loving this sampler, nonetheless. I even have half of the border done, and it was fairly painless. I'm off to do a little painting. I hope to have some needle cases and rulers to show soon.

Dutch Spot~Motif Sampler

is the last of the completed samplers for 2008. Remember the post about my disliking the color turquoise? Well, now that it is done, I like the colors better. Dyeing the piece helped, too. I'm not quite sure about what type of frame to use. I don't have anything in my stash of moldings that will work. Any suggestions?
My current project is Isabella Brackin 1832 by Historic Stitches. It is a wonderful reproduction of a schoolgirl sampler from Ohio. I was initially drawn to this piece because of the muted colors and the inconsistencies of it. The border changes colors in an odd place. Maybe she ran out of thread? I like it irregardless. According to the designers notes, there are two practice areas on the sampler, one for queen stitches and the other for over one crosses. Both areas are outside the formal border in the two bottom corners. She goes on to mention that Isabella's sampler is not a mirror image sampler. The left side motifs are more symmetrical, with the right side being unevenly balanced and containing errors. She suggests that Isabella probably stitched the left side under some one's watchful eye, but was allowed to complete the right side on her own. I love that. I have a bit of the border started, but instead of showing you that, here's the picture from the chart.

Thank you all for the lovely and encouraging comments about my upcoming venture and painted "stitching pretties". I hope to have more designs to show you very soon. Here's to a wonderful new year filled with lots of time for stitching!