Re-Teaching a Favorite Class Project!

Stitchers, have you heard about "messy beading"?  
      Have you been curious about it, but didn't know where to use it?
                  Well I've got a great little project for you to try your own messing beading on.....

Basically, instead of attaching beads one at a time, you scoop up several beads and then attach them in loops or strings or however you want...creating a very fun 3-D textural look to your canvas.  I decided to create a small printed canvas with a simple flower that had the right type of center that could take some "messy beading" on it.  Here's the initial drawing I created on my ipad, from a purple daisy photo:

Then after I printed in on 18 ct. canvas, I stitched it up with some zippy checkered (and padded) borders, some easy petal stitches, a fast "shadow stitched" background, and of course, the messy beading.  Here's how it turned out:

It was soooo fun to stitch up!  I've used DMC flosses in the 333 periwinkle blue family, so the colors are that lovely purpley blue; and I craved a lime green background just for the fun of it,which also makes the purple flower POP.  And I thoroughly enjoyed using the messy beading technique -- it was much easier than I expected - and certainly adds a lot of BLING to the piece!

When I got done I thought, "You know, this would make the perfect cyber class -- not too big, not too hard, and not too long - for stitchers like me who want to try some messy beading, but don't want a really big project."

And since I've had several requests to offer this fast and fun class again.... TA DA:
Here it is again, folks, my next Cyber Class called "Purple Daisy: A Messy Beading Project".  Registration starts today, March 23rd and runs thru April 30th.  The cyber class will start the beginning of end of May 2016, and have four emailed lessons.  Check out the details on my website!

March Comes In....

Here in Northern California, March came in like a lion.... with lots of wind and rain. Was it the same where you live?

Because I tend to think of things in terms of colors, I always think of March
as being a "green & grey" month. (Days of the week have certain colors for me, too, but that's another topic.) Anyway, around this time of year (also around St. Patrick's Day, not surprisingly) I get a craving for stitching something in greens and purples.

Here's a few of my past green & purple designs:


This is GARDEN PARTY, a geometric sampler which I've also used as my March banner heading photo, above.

Here's CELTIC KNOTS, a more traditional quilt design from my American Quilt Collection:


Here's a more elaborate comtemporary quilt design called COLOR STUDY: PINWHEELS:


And here's a completely abstract green & purple design called PURPLE PANELS (It's a particular favorite of mine, and I'll have to show it to you "up-close & personal" another time, so you can really SEE it better):


Maybe seeing all these designs will inspire you to celebrate the month of March by stitching something green & purple yourself! ..... As for me, I'm thinkin' it's about time to start another green and purple project...