This amazing canvas by Amanda Lawford, was by far my favorite of the show! The star of the show, the OMG I want to stitch this canvas…look at the details, look at the faces on the animals. If I were to ever even think about stitching this canvas, I would frame it and let it hang on the wall always! But what am I thinking? am I out of my mind or what?

Every few years Amanda introduces one of her 30″ Santas, and this is her newest one. It will be eventually painted in 3 different sizes. The inspiration behind this canvas is a scripture from the bible; Isaiah 11:6-9 and the message is peace.

The wolf shall live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together,

and a little child shall lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the cobra’s den,

and the young child will put it’s hand into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

Tibetian Prince, while technically is not a new design to the needlepoint world, it is new to Amanda Lawford’s line. This is part of the designs that were bought from the HP line when those designs were sold. I have seen some amazing stitched renditions of this canvas and Susan Portra has done a stitch guide for this one…

But this is new! a 5″ x 5″ size of the Tibetial Prince and this one is on order for me. Now I apologize for some of the pictures from market as you are either #1…in a hurry or #2… the light is not good or #3… the angle that they hang, well it is always not the best for the greatest picture.

The very beginning of a sand scultpure…

It was interesting to watch this develop over the show.

I talked about starting at the beginning of the show and ooh well, why be predictable? I guess it will be as the mood strikes me! I am trying to organize my pictures in a different way. Rather than just number them TNNA1, TNNA2…well you get the idea, I am going to try to sort them by deisgner or subject matter. And do I have pictures!

I was doing a little beading yesterday with my supurr~visor hard at work. It is time to finish putting away Christmas and along with the quilt.

and until next time…keep on stitching

Now you are probably expecting me to start my market reports from the begnning? well you never know with me. I am starting from the end of it all for now and then will work my way back to the beginning. What you are seeing here are the hotels and high rises, the trolley and of course Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres. The sky is a picture perfect blue and the weather has been unbelievable. We really do need some rain, but for now…I am loving this weather!

This was a last minute glimpse out the window of our hotel as I worked my way downstairs to head over to the convention center for the last day of market.

and another view of America’s Finest City…the convention center, the bay, the view and way over to the left is the Coronado Bridge. One great thing when the show is in your backyard, it is easy to have a guest speaker or a teacher stay over. Keri will be on her way to the big quilt show next week, The Road to California, so she was asked to present to our guild and show off her amazing work.

Meet Keri Duke (standing on the left), who came to entertain us… at our monthly ANG meeting. And entertain us, she sure did and in style! Keri told us of her life from wedding dress designer through Japan, China and Hawaii and to designing quilts.

She now works for Treglown Designs, home of the licensee of Charley Harper to needlepoint. She has been transfering some of the designs that are currently in the needlepoint line to quilting patterns as she shows off one of the more popular ones which are the four season cats.

An assortment of her stitching and her quilting…

Br-r-r-r-rthday is the name of this canvas

and here it is in quilt designs. To see more of Keri’s wonderful quilts, check out her website, where you can order her patterns.

She tells us that they are working on 25 new Charley Harper’s to be introduced next year to the needlepoint world. Charley was quite the prolific artist, so there are so many more waiting to be put on canvas. So exciting, and as for me, I have never met a Charley Harper that I didn’t like!

I hope very soon, I will be all caught up on my sleep!

and until next time…keep on stitching

The 2014 Winter TNNA Show is over… the crates are packed, the suitcases too and all that’s left is the wonderful memories of another great show in my favorite city.

I got home yesterday mid afternoon and after a little snack, thought I would bond with the cats by taking a little nap on the couch. One of our favorite things to do!

well a little nap turned into about 10 hours of much needed sleep. Slept through my favorite Monday night shows, a handful of texts and God only knows what else. Woke up at about 1am, not to be able to go back to sleep…so sometimes  a few hours on the computer can do the trick of putting me back to sleep. We shall see!

I have lots to tell you, lots to share with you and I need to transfer my pictures from my phone to my laptop. But when I get up again in the daylight hours, it will be a much needed day off for me and tomorrow is a day with Susan Portra!

and until next time…keep on stitching

This is the shot of our beautiful convention center in downtown San Diego. To the left is the bay…you know water, sailboats and all that kinda stuff. Across the street and to the right is the heart of the historic Gaslamp Quarter and a large array of the most amazing restaurants!

The weather is post card perfect and this is where the Winter Market for TNNA will be. It used to be here every other year for years and years and then all of sudden, we stopped coming here. I hope that it is now back in the circuit of the show. Who wouldn’t want to come here in the middle of January?

This was me the last few days getting these threads together for my classes. This one being the Stilt Houses class that is on Friday. So many threads for this one… from DMC floss and pearl cotton to Gloriana Silk, Belle Soie Silk and Silken Grass. So many threads, I needed a larger bag!

Threads for the Melissa Shirley class on Sunday.

and the class “I love a Man in Uniform” by A Point of It all Designs. This was my last delivery that I was waiting for today and thank you FedEx for not letting us down.

Of course AlleyCat has to do some “supurr~vision!” what were you thinking? She was very good and doesn’t bother the threads, just a little look see.

On the to do list is finish packing, packing my car, figuring out what I want to bring to stitch at the Needlepoint Now booth, something to read and maybe water my plants. I will be leaving for the convention center early Thursday morning.

and until next time…keep on stitching

The 12th day of Christmas is celebrated today on January 6th and the holidays are already just a memory. The decorations have been packed away, the holiday stitching finished up and already it is time to start exciting new canvases with fun threads and great new ideas.

January 6th is also the Feast of the Epiphany, when the 3 Wise Men finally completed their trip to see baby Jesus and deliver their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Many people think of the 12 days of Christmas leading up to the holidays, but it is really the 12 days after Christmas! Growing up, we usually took down our decorations on this day, but today my house has long been undecorated!

As I decked the halls this year, I realized that I have no nativity, no creche’ set, no manger, none of that, wether it be a stitched set or something special that was purchased. I really would like to stitch a set for myself.

On Januray 6th in Italy it would be the day of La Befana, a lovable good witch who brings presents for all the children. In New Orleans as they ready for Mardi Gras it is King Cake that is plentiful during this day. A little treasure is tucked inside and if you are lucky enough to find it, it allows you certain privileges and obligations.

In Mexico it is Dia de Reyes or Day of Kings. When I worked in the restaurant the guys would bring in Rosca de Reyes or King Cake. A sweet bread braided and loaded with fruits and if you were the lucky one to get the little baby hidden in the cake…well you were lucky enough to host the party! As the host or hostess, you are the one to bring the tamales to the party traditionally held February 2nd which is Dia de la Candelaria. This is the day that candles are brought to the church to be blessed. February 2nd is also the midway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox and if you are anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring training as I am…you know that it is only a few short weeks till pitchers and catchers report! I still need to make the trip east for my first experience with Spring Training. One of these years!

Is this how you feel about New Years resolutions?

Do you know what day it is? and no, it’s not hump day! Need I say more?

Raymond…Raymond Crawford that is shared this picture to my Facebook wall and I love, love, love it and I recognized her right away as Mrs. Patmore! Even though Laura Z. fondly called her Mrs. Catmore. I like that better, don’t you?

Countdown is pretty much over and I think that I might spend some time watching some of last years episodes…what about you?

and until next time…keep on stitching

You know in some ways I am so with it in this technology super highway that we all travel… but in some ways I am still driving an Edsel, if you get my drift.

When I first started with Facebook and my blog a few years ago, my intent was to “Tweet” from market. To tell you “hey I am in Melissa Shirley’s booth and you should see this canvas!” or I am here or there seeing this or that. “These new threads from Planet Earth” which by the way, yes they will have new threads “are amazing!” And “Rainbow Gallery is introducing these new threads for our stitching pleasure” and “Kreinik also has new colors!” But I’ve been lagging.

Well a few months ago, my sistah in black cats, that Divine Miss M…Meredith Willett who won’t even be at market ’cause she will be teaching at Calloway, invited me to join Twitter. Well why not? okay I’m in!

So if you want to follow me on Twitter and get the latest scoop on the market I am @CatAngelis, sort of what Twitter and myself came up with. My techie guru Laura Z. tells me that I need to use hashtag TNNA for those tweets…so okay is it #TNNA or TNNA#? and she is promising me a crash course in the nuances of Twitter before market! so why do I even need that hashtag thing?

I did lots of errands yesterday, stocking up on cat food and treats, buying bottled water and chocolate for the show floor and just sort of stuff. In between working on stitch guides for the show and my classes. A little magazine work and more stitch guide stuff. I will continue that for the rest of the weekend. Monday and Tuesday will be kitting time (see I am still waiting for those beads!) and then starting to pack and loading the car. Wednesday will be last minute odds and ends and hope and pray that everything is delivered here on time!

I am waiting for the new issue of the Needlepoint Now magazines and whatever else Elizabeth decides to ship to me for our booth at the show.

But maybe this morning, a little respite with breakfast at the Cottage…as after all Santa did bring me a gift card from there! A little retail therapy and then home to work. I hadn’t even been stitching Wednesday and Thursday nights, but last night I settled in with my needle and the cats. I shared stitching time between my special project and also started creating the flowers on the Annie Lane Welcome canvas to be ready for market. I did 6 flowers last night with 9 to go, I think I can! I think I can! what about you?

Do you make resolutions? It looks like Mooch is keeping his. Mine is to stitch more!

AlleyCat is settling for the night on my new quilt! If you really look, you can see part of her tummy that was shaved for her ultrasound. Fur is growing back very slowly…

and until next time…keep on stitching

I have been asking myself lately… is it “Happy New Year?” or “Happy New Years?” and with or without the apostrophe? however, whatever, I wish us all a healthy and happy new year filled with wonderful stitching adventures, great canvases, threads, books and must have needlepoint related stitching accessories!

I met the New Year, well almost as I couldn’t quite make it till midnight…with needle in hand. After I finished the other Nice ornament by Pepperberry Designs and it was already in the hands of the finisher, we realized that the peppermint stitck was painted all white instead of the traditional red & white. I thought it would just be easier to stitch one more as all I would need to do is shop for an additional green Kreinik for the background. These are a fun stitch, so why not?

Not that I see it in the picture, I am not sure if I like the white bead at the very top left. It is still on bars and do I want to break that white bead? or maybe add 2 more red ones at the top? or just leave it be?

This is the winter wonderland at my sister’s house where I just left days ago. We had 3 inches of snow on Sunday night before I left and now double digit amount of snow fell (or is still falling?) You all talk about how you love the change of seasons? and you wouldn’t want to live anywhere else? well San Diego has change of seasons too…maybe not as dramatic as yours. I will take the weather that we have been having this week over the snow and cold anyday!

Speaking of weather, for all of you that are TNNA bound to San Diego, the weather will be picture perfect and may cool down slightly to the high 60’s…just saying.

And speaking of TNNA, I am buried in my last minute duties of a final proof and assembly of my stitch guides, waiting for my delivery of beads that Sundance had to reship since the original package will never be delivered. It has been out for delivery since December 15th, guess it’s not going to get here, what do you think?

No, this is not AlleyCat, even though it could have easily been! she would love this, especially with the tissue paper that she could crinkle and make a little noise as she setlles in for her nap.

and until next time…keep on stitching

Tomorrow it will be a new year…which you all know, so why am I telling you THAT? Wow where has the year gone to? I know that we all say the same thing. But really where does the time go to? It slips by all too fast. I normally keep very busy and never let myself waste much time… there is just way too much to be accomplished, too many places to visit, new needlepoint shops to discover, new books, new threads and stitches to fall in love with and new canvases to find. Another stitching venture to relish and ooh just so much more!

I had a wonderful time in NY with family and friends, and it is great to be home again with kids. I could hear AlleyCat meowing at me through the door as I approached it and she kept it up for quite awhile until I opened that can of cat food! They are usually always good while I am gone and really don’t get into too much mischief.

I will be stitching the New Year in…how about you? I pretty much finished my assignment for some special person that I am stitching for, so now I can turn my needle and thread to this canvas. I have the gold beads almost finished up…note I said almost, when I was challenged again with the way that the “C” is painted, so out it came and instead I worked on the mug. As soon as I finish the letters, I will work on the background, since the long arms of the snowflakes need to be stitched over the background…or maybe not! I noticed on the others, that when I stitched the white of the snowflakes after the green (or the red) so that it came up in canvas holes shared with the green already stitched, that the green shaded my beautiful white Kreinik to a pale, pale green.

And I need to finish the flowers on this, Welcome by Annie Lane before market.

A few stitchy things that Santa brought for me this year! A handmade frog crafted with exotic woods for scissors, laying tools, a ruler and so much more. Magnets and a cat scissors round out the new treasures.

I have my eyes set on a new canvas, which is not on bars, nor have I studied it for stitches and thread selections. I also would love to finish up a few things that are crying to be finished. Here I thought I had all this time before Christmas to stitch for myself…well it didn’t happen, so what was I thinking? Now next week is market and I am sure that there will be more canvases coming home, either for me or to work on for stitch guides.

Happy New Year from Sylvester, AlleyCat and myself!

and until next time…keep on stitching