Journal

Random Musings on Art and LIfe

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Less Stuff More Art

May 24, 2018
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When I returned from Chapala a year ago, I wrote a post about my Studio Essentials. Having just completed six months with exactly those supplies and nothing more, I can tell you that “Less Stuff More Art” really works! I spent the season in Chapala with a Silhouette machine, a small selection of fabric, a set…

Whipped Chainstitch Bands

March 15, 2018
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I’ve been working on the next piece in my StarFlower series, and I was looking for a new and different way to create a heavy band along the edge of a shape. After some trial and error, I settled on a Whipped Chainstitch Band.   Before we start, here’s a peek at the center of…

Star Flower: A Paint+Stitch+Bead Adventure

January 25, 2018

As part of my “timeout” from the business here at Cedar Canyon, I’ve spent a good deal of time on my Star Flower project. It’s the first of my Paint, Stitch & Bead adventures that will be a completed piece of art instead of a learning tool. I created the design using the Silhouette Studio…

Slow down to the speed of life

December 14, 2017

When I gave myself permission to take a break this fall, I had no idea how much I needed that break. And having taken a bit of a breather, it’s clear that I need to slow down to the speed of life.   It’s not that the past couple of months have been quiet. Far…

Beaded Embroidery Update

November 11, 2017
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For the past few weeks, I’ve been adding beads to my current Paint+Stitch+Bead project. This project has turned into a bit of a stitch sampler and a test for my beaded embroidery stitches. Here’s the current update along with links to some of my previous posts.   Beads fit nicely into Palestrina Knots, so long…

A Bit of Play with Kaleido-Designs

October 26, 2017
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There’s nothing like teaching to set a person’s mind to learning something properly. With my classes at the All Things Silhouette conference coming up, I’ve been doing a lot of playing with a concept I call Kaleido-Designs. I’m having tons of fun with this. When I designed the Kaleidoscope Rubbing Plates, I did the doodles…

Lessons from a 20-Year Hike

October 12, 2017
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Jack and I have visited our friends at their ranch for 20 years. With each visit, I logged a lot of hours – and miles – in my hiking boots enjoying the sights and sounds of the ranch. I capped off our visit this year with a long “20-year hike” to one of my…

Beaded Palestrina Knots

July 20, 2017
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The more I play with PSB, the more I like it. (And in case I threw you for a loop, PSB is right here in the Shelly Dictionary. It stands for Paint, Stitch & Bead.) Today, I want to show you a little experiment adding beads to one of my favorite stitches. I call it…

Paintstik Overlay Update

July 6, 2017
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You may remember that I’ve been working on a way to rescue a project with a Very Busy Background. I experimented with a computer-simulated overlay, then took the plunge and applied a Paintstik overlay to one section of the piece. Today, I’m happy to report that the Sheer Paintstik Overlay really works!   In case…

Studio Essentials: Finding the Sweet Spot

May 25, 2017
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After three months in Chapala with  (very) limited supplies, I found my home studio more than a bit overwhelming. With several decades worth of art supplies on hand, it’s a miracle I get anything done! It’s time to remove the distractions and get down to a smaller set of Studio Essentials. Rather than just “thinking”…

Pekinese Stem Stitch

April 27, 2017
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When I add hand stitching to my painted fabric, I want the stitching to stand out. Today, I want to show you my latest stitch combination experiment. I call it Pekinese Stem Stitch. [Tweet “Bored with Stem Stitch? Dress it up with a Pekinese-style wrap!”]   In traditional embroidery, Pekinese Stitch begins with a Back…

Talavera Flourish Experiment

April 20, 2017
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Over the past few weeks, I started digging into the treasure trove of Talavera designs on the dishes in my kitchen. The sheer volume of possibilities was a bit daunting, so I picked a single design motif for a Talavera Flourish experiment. [Tweet “A single motif is a great place to begin a design experiment.”]…