So often I feel like the Red Queen (Alice in Wonderland), LOL, running as fast as I can just to stay in one place!!  Still plodding through the bookkeeping for year end... but only 3 more months to go through, so the end is in sight, (GBG)...  I doubt if I'll get it all done before we leave for England, though it shouldn't take long to finish up when we get home. 

As I think I mentioned last month, we're making a quick trip over for our granddaughter's 2nd birthday, but won't be gone long.  I'm taking my CASTLE project with me to work on, and hope to have the 'top layer' just about done by the time we get home.   I'm trying to find a stitcher to do the 'bottom layer' (the 5x7 nursery backdrop)... but I haven't finished graphing it yet - though I do have the drawing done - so if THAT'S going out before we leave on Tuesday, I need to get my bottom moving, LOL. 

But I did find some time to work on MORE designs, (GBG), because that never ends!  A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD (ANPT) sent out the themes for a couple of issues which will come out after the 3 I'm already working on!  And funnily enough, I was once again inspired by designs I already had on my drawing board, though they were on the back burner. 

The first theme was TREES, and I remembered I had started a series of FRACTAL designs for the elements (you know, EARTH, AIR, WATER, FIRE).  Earth happened to feature tree roots - though I wasn't happy with the design and ended up scrapping it and coming up with something else using branches, LOL, but still trees! 

The publisher loved the design, and wanted the whole series of four (which nicely takes care of next years designs for her!); so I now have EARTH and AIR just about ready for stitchers, WATER is over half completed, and FIRE has concept drawings, but isn't graphed yet... so I'm doing really well there, and am finally working ahead - hurrah!  I also pulled out a 'concept drawing' I had roughed out for an ALICE IN WONDERLAND tribute (working on this probably inspired the red queen quote at the top, LOL).  I finalized the drawing, selected fonts and reference pics etc., and laid it out with a set of NINE charms that will be available in a treasure pack for this design. 

I may include some motifs to insert in lieu of the charms, but the treasures are what started the whole design idea in the first place, LOL.  I have THREE designs I need to get charted and out to model stitchers, to complete this years line up... one is WONDERLAND, another is a cute set of elf ornaments my girlfriend has been looking forward to since I told her about them 2 years ago, LOL, and the last is a conversion of Shelley McVittie's artwork HOMECOMING - and I already have a stitcher waiting for this one, so I have to get moving on these. 

Seems like there's hardly any time for actual stitching these days (sigh), but I guess new designs also count as being 'from my needle' to yours!  Hoping I have more fun stuff to share next month... happy stitching!

Well, lol, as I mentioned last month, the new year is off to quite a chaotic start!  I suddenly found out I had missed a design for A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD (you may already know I am a feature contributor for them, with designs in all 4 issues each year).  And I also told you last month, my idea for the CASTLE NURSERY... I took the piece to Florida with me, and got a good quarter of the design stitched... maybe even a bit more.  We head for England in March (short trip, only a week), as our youngest grandchild turned two so of course we have to go see her (wink). 

Anyway, I'll take the stitching with me there too, and hopefully have the 'top layer' almost done by the time we come home.

And I'm still working away on year end bookkeeping (sigh)... I've been through 6 months, so have finalized half the year, but working on that doesn't leave much time for stitching (sniff sniff).  

I keep telling myself that I need to spend 30 minutes at the beginning of every day working on my books, getting things posted and finalized... but there are so many more interesting things to do, (GBG), I just never seem to get to it.  Then it's suddenly the end of the year, and I have a mountain to wade through, and all the fun stuff has to be put on hold while I get the work done... ah well, one day I'll learn! 

What with travelling and bookkeeping, not much designing is getting done... but I know there are some designs I need to get working on in March, so I'll have more FUN stuff to tell you about next month (wink)... happy stitching until then!

WOW, the new year is already rushing past... so much to do with year end, and year beginning... so just a quick note to let you know what I've been up to since we last spoke! 

First of all, I've been designing like crazy, LOL.  I was a bit further behind on my 2020 release schedule than I like, so I've been busy getting things off to stitchers. 

If all goes well (fingers crossed), you can look forward to a new Catherine Simpson based design; a new Ojibway design based on Hugh McKenzie's artwork; at least TWO and possibly THREE new designs based on Shelley McVittie's artwork; not to mention some special things from me - like a set of 4 little wallet designs (with 8 patterns that can be mixed and matched); a new Paper Embroidery chart; once again, at least 2 and probably 3 Christmas designs; and an adorable halloween bellpull, based on one of the 4 Charmings I have re-designed! 

Whew, no wonder I've been so busy (GBG).  Actually, I still have 4 designs to complete, with a 5th sitting on my desk, done, but not assigned to a stitcher... so still a bit of work to do!  As for actual stitching, I did up the 8 sides of the 4 wallets myself, as well as assembling them, so that took a lot of last year, but was finished this month.  I also stitched this months new release (HAPPY CAMPER), as well as the four Flamingo greeting cards, which will be in the next issue of A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD. 

I guess I've been a stitching fool, LOL.  On top of all that, I am working on a small design for the SHOP HOP summer program that Stitcher's Village hosts each year.  Not sure yet which store I'll be paired with this year, but I can tell you the theme is SUMMERTIME, and I have the sketch for my design all worked out. 

I also need to complete one more design for ANPT, and I'm going to try something really different - at least for me!  I've never seen this done, though I have heard that someone else did something similar... anyway, when our youngest was in high school, she did an art project where she drew all these room scenes from a castle. 

She created a 3D effect by mounting the front wall of the castle on top of the drawings, with a spacer in-between, with the windows cut out so you could look inside.  I thought it was really creative, and actually kept her room drawings to inspire me ... and 20 some years later, LOL, I am finally going to try and re-create the idea - but only for one room. 

If I'm happy with how it comes out, I will likely continue on and do other rooms in the castle.  Again, I have all my sketches done, and have even figured out my assembly notes!  So now I just have to find some time to get it off the drawing board and into a graph. 

We're planning a couple weeks in Florida in February, and this would be the perfect project to take with me to work on in the evenings, when we generally curl up with a movie after a day of exploring. 

In the coming months there is also a lot of bookkeeping that needs to be completed (sigh), something I always put off, though I actually quite enjoy doing it once I get started - I like the structure and guidelines, it's so very different from the fluid creativity of the rest of my job, LOL ... a nice balance in my life! 

Well, this is already longer than I planned when I started - I hadn't realized how much work I have actually done this month!  So I'm off to put my feet up and relax - probably with needle and thread ... happy stitching until next month!

I REALLY want to tell you what I've been working on the most, LOL, but since my DH might read this I can't, since it's for HIM for Christmas (wink).  So I'll tell you next month, and maybe even post a pic! 

But for my stitching... I finished working on my HAPPY CAMPER design, which went to distributors earlier this month, and will be on the website in January... and now I'm back to working on my final mini-purse while I watch tv at night, (GBG), and working on getting new designs out to model stitchers during the day... Bill's gift is done, and he's home, so it's back to business - I hope! 

I have had a lovely time with ladies coming to visit this month... so much fun, and we even did a craft while the last group was here.  They had such a good time they're planning to come back in the spring - and they invited me to join them for their Christmas lunch, which was a good time as well - I got a new ornament for my tree by participating in their ornament exchange! 

However, I do have to put my purses away for a bit, and get stitching on 4 greeting cards for A Needle Pulling Thread, as the editor has told me she wants them in early January - YIKES!  Fortunately they are all designed, just need to be stitched, so that's my priority over Christmas...

While I'm writing, let me wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas season... happy stitching, and I'll talk to you next year!