Finished up my newest design, My Heart Is Filled With Flowers this morning!  Finished size, 140w x 125h. I stitched my model over two threads on 28ct. plum blossom jobelan from Wichelt Imports using DMC six-strand floss.  There are so many colors in this design that just about any color fabric would work. I am really pleased with how this turned out. 

Ignore the red spot in the middle of these pictures. Not sure what was up with my camera. I think it was the lighting when I snapped these.

FINALLY got my plastic bags and I think I'm caught up on orders. Off to the post with them tomorrow morning. I was so far behind for awhile there.

Now to decide what to work on next. I have a couple of designs waiting in the wings that are ready to go, and a few that I'm still charting.  I think I will just mull it over today, give my fingertips a day or so to recover (yes, I really should use a thimble, but I dislike them so!) Might just work on the decision I need to make between tea or coffee for now.

Lil Flakes 5

Finished up the model for the third of the Lil Flakes Snowfall 5 Collection. Just in time, too, as now I need to go try and get my arse packed for a camping trip with my family. 

Sketch made on a Chipotle napkin

First unedited charting

TA DA! All done.

I am working all four of these on Cornflower hand dyed jobelan, stitched over two. 

(Wichelt Imports)

thistle

And here it is! Thistle...

Thistle:  two patterns included in this one, both are designed to fit an 8x8 quilt block.

Stitched over two threads on 28ct. Thyme hand dyed jobelan from Wichelt using DMC threads.

Inspired by these thistles I photographed by the Minnesota River on a camping trip.

Now off to find a wayward coffee cup and a new design to get started on.

raphael

Done with shows. Time to concentrate on designing. 

Finished today, Raphael of the SnowAngelz

63w x 64h over two threads on Dusty Green Jobelan from Wichelt 

Uses DMC floss and Kreinik #4 braid

Next up, another of the Whiskerkins Collection, Patches

2013 right around the corner and there are already too many thoughts in my head.

Time to start sorting all of that!

SnowAngelz Gabriel

Finished today! The newest in the SnowAngelz Collection. 

Introducing, Gabriel. 

Stitched over two on 28ct. Summer Sky hand dyed Jobelan from Wichelt Imports using DMC threads and Kreinik #4 Braid for that sparkle! 79w x 65h. 

grandma's christmas tree

A good part of this weekend spent working on Grandma's Christmas Tree.

This piece inspired by my mom's tree, actually.  Her ornaments a hodge-podge of things- things that we made as kids, other things she made herself, thrift shop and other baubles she has kept through the years. 

I'm stitching this over two threads on 28ct. hand dyed Lavender Sunset linen from Wichelt Imports.

Thrilled today as well for a couple of reasons. One, I found the newest DMC Color Variations at Michaels. Granted, they were boxed sets, but I did want to try all of them out. Love them even more in person. I've always been fond of these threads. They are so subtle in color shift.

Also, my Molly picked up a new canvas today as she is starting to paint again. 

Such talent there. She's holed up in our "studio" (aka her brother's former bedroom!) as I type, and has been in there painting away all afternoon. 

Me, I'm about to put a pot of coffee on and pick up the tree again. 

It's been a good day.

(Oh, and Shan? Ordered my birthday yarn! Thank you! Yumm!)

all tangled up

Yay! Finished this up last night, All Tangled Up.  It has been awhile since our Flakey Friends made an appearance. I had a lot of fun returning to them.  I stitched this piece over two threads on 28ct. Lavender Mist hand dyed jobelan from Wichelt Imports using DMC threads and Kreinik #4 braid, moonstone. 

Next up?  Another SnowAngelz piece, and further work on the quilt for Irish Quilting Magazine, with some storyteller blanket cloth stitching tucked in between. 

Walking Zack

Finished today (finally!) The 2012 installment of the Halloween Stroll Series, Walking Zack. The piece stitches up at 173 x 90, and I used Stormy Gray hand-dyed Jobelan from Wichlet Imports, 28ct. and used DMC threads.  The pattern will be up on the website this weekend and off to Hoffman Distributing next week!

Now I really need to dig into the quilt for Irish Quilting Magazine. I also want to work through a few ideas for working other stitches into counted thread fabrics for a new series of designs. I've been sketching and brainstorming!

nothing much

Backstitching Ghoulie Parade tonight. Hope to have it completed and photographed tomorrow afternoon.  Finally, a cooler day, and it has been a productive one. The air conditioning really messes me up, and so being able to open up the windows was oh-so-welcomed.

I think I might go out and spend a little time with my flowers and herbs. They need a little attention after the handful of days where the heat had them a bit wilty.

Received my fabric from Wichelts today, including a couple of newer colors in 16ct aida. They are black chocolate and white chocolate. Also available, raspberry chocolate and milk chocolate, which I have in linen. I have a couple of ideas for these fabrics. More on that later!

Also got some of my favorite hand-dyed 28ct. jobelans which I use frequently as I've really come to love stitching over two threads.  I might get brave and attempt a petit point design and stitch over one on this very fine fabric. Or maybe just experiment on something myself to make sure I'm not utterly frustrated with the technique!

Website of the Day?  Studio Ribizla  Some amazing images and links to other creative tidbits.

~*~

~thank you for today~

I am grateful for each moment I was allowed to remain in, for the calm that seemed to wrap itself around me, and for the flowers that are multiplying in both my garden and my life. 

‎"Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content." 

- Helen Keller-

~*~

done!

Finished this morning...finally!...The Dryad Tree.  I stitched my piece on 14ct. hand dyed jobelan aida, Sandcastle, from Wichlet Imports.  The piece uses DMC six strand flosses and one Kreinik #4 braid for the tree trunk and branches.

I have also been researching and experimenting with Irish lace, something that is a departure for me as I have always struggled with small crochet hooks!  But I decided to give it another go around as I have a lot of  crochet thread and perle cottons.  Here is my first attempt!  I worked this flower off the top of my head.

I still need to work a little bit on my tension, but overall I'm happy with the feel of this and am going to make more. This one started as a doily, but as I started working around, it wasn't laying flat, so I just went with the organic feel of it, let it curl where it would.

Next up?  I need to sketch.  Yes, believe it or not, I am out of designs to stitch!  I went to the list of "suggestions" from those who follow my work, and I think I'm going to work on some cute little chubby birds, probably bluebirds and cardinals.  (Thanks, Jackie!)

wool for felting & other randomness

So I have this image in my head combining my love of needle felting and needlework in general. I ordered some wool from a wonderful shop, Headley Grange , and it arrived today!

(Image from Headley Grange Etsy Shop)

It is just yummy and the colors are beautiful. It is going to work perfectly with what I have in mind. 

More to come as I get working! 

Almost finished up Of Mice & Snowmen , the next in the Snowballz Again series, and I finally got all the things beside my Stitching Chair sorted.  Feels much better, although I still need to get all my floss sorted so I know what I need to pick up besides the usual white, winter white, black and brown-black! 

There are also some new Kreinik threads that I simply need to order, and I have come to realize that my fabric stash has become seriously depleted! Time to trot off to the Wichelt site and put an order together!

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Snowy Snapshots...New from CM Designs

Today I finished the first of my new cross stitch snowmen series, "Snowy Snapshots".  The pattern pack includes three "portraits", each is 60w x 60h and stitched with DMC floss. I used Summer Sky hand-dyed Jobelan from Wichelt Imports for my fabric, 28ct. over two threads.  The beads, snowflake and button will be included in each pattern pack.

I've put the pattern up on my website as well (www.carolynmanningdesigns.com) and our three new friends will be winging their way to Hoffman Distributing Company soon!

Walking the Cat

Finally! Completed! Walking The Cat, the 2011 installment in the Halloween series featuring Walking Jack 2009 and Walking the Bat 2010.  Finished size, 106w x 88h, stitched over two threads on 28ct. Antique Copper hand-dyed Jobelan from Wichelt Imports using DMC floss and Kreinik #4 braids. 

CM Designs: Bug Bungalow

Finally! Completed! Bug Bungalow, the newest release in cross stitch. I used several of Kreinik's new candy-themed #4 braids in this one, along with DMC six-strand flosses, both regular colors and the Color Variations for rock and leaves to give some dimension. The fabric is Wichelt's 14ct. aida in Butterfly Blue.

Bug Bungalow

Aida 14, Butterfly Blue 

132w X 166h count

It took awhile to complete, as my life had been taking a lot of twists and turns, but I am really happy with the way it turned out. While I really love my snowmen, (and of course will return to them!) it was fun to switch gears and stitch something bright and full of life.  I am thinking about doing a coral reef soon, with lots of beads and embellishments, and I have several birds on the drawing table too, trees and flowers, to take advantage of all these pretty fibers and fabrics I am seeing out there!

Walking the Bat

Started working on new Halloween designs now that I have wrapped up the Little Snowballz line. Some of the very first designs I ever had published were ghosts, and last year  I ran across a file of several that I had started the charting process but had not finished. 

"Walking Jack" was last year's ghoulie.

This year I did what I suppose you could call a companion piece called "Walking the Bat". I stitched the 2010 installment over two threads on Wichelt Imports Orange hand-dyed Jobelan. The finished size is 107w x 88h. 

"Walking the Bat" uses the new Kreinik holographic braids as well.

"Walking the Bat"  Carolyn Manning Designs 2010

...and also Yasamine of the Little Snowballz

While I miss my kids terribly (they are off on a family vacation/raquetball tournament with their father) it does give me the opportunity to spend large hunks of time stitching uninterrupted. It meant completing two Snowballz over the weekend.

Yasamine joins the series on the tail end, one more to go. Zeke will be started this afternoon. Yassy is stitched over two threads on 28ct. Pink Dahlia hand dyed Jobelan from Wichelt Imports. I love their hand dyed Jobelans. The colors are amazing. As with the other Little Snowballz, she only requires 8 colors of DMC floss. The piece finishes at a 48w x 69h.  She's a little "thinner" than some of the other Snowballz. I just consider her petite!

I do enjoy exploring other designing paths. My mandala series has been inspiring to me, and I always enjoy florals and working on creating garden pieces.

But I will always find such joy in the Snowballz.

Introducing Xavier of the Little Snowballz

All stitched up and ready to join the others of the series, Xavier. I stitched this on 14ct. Summer Sky hand-dyed Jobelan-Aida from Wichelt Imports using DMC floss. He finishes at 72w x 74h.

Next up, Yasamine!

After I finish up the Little Snowballz Series, I have a couple of Halloween designs I think I am going to work on. The designs have been done for awhile. I just have not found time to get them into the rotation for model stitching!

Fall Meditation, Miniature Mandalas

Fall Meditation: The Miniature Mandalas

Stitched over two threads on Wichelts Sand Castle hand-dyed  28ct. Jobelan. It finishes at about 4in. x 4in. as do the others. One to go! Winter is snapped up and ready for stitching. I hope to have all four patterns packaged up and ready for sale by early next week.

Summer Meditation: First of the Seasonal Mandalas

I finished the first of the four miniature mandalas I have designed for cross stitch. This is Summer Mediation and is stitched over two threads on a lime hand-dyed jobelan from Wichelt Imports. I used DMC floss and two of Kreinik's new holographic blending filaments.  I am going to start Spring Mediation next. This piece was intended to be Spring, but once stitched the colors spoke much more to me of summer and the sun, the vibrant blooming of flowers once they've worked past sprouting and first buds.