These candy canes of Melissa Shirley’s, I don’t know exactly what it is about them, but I just can’t get enough of ’em! Is it the size, the variety of colors and designs? Is it the beads or the Kreinik or the great threads that it asks for? For this candy cane I see beads, beads and more beads!

I prefer to stitch before beading. Yes I know that I should be working on other must have to be stitched things, but sometimes I need to lose myself into a little something else. I started shopping through my Sundance Beads for a white bead that will be just perfect for the snowflakes. I was amazed to see how many white beads that I narrowed down my search to! There are silver lined or not lined, clear beads, Aurora Borealis or AB which really adds the sparkle and oh so many more. I narrowed it down to 4 from which I will try to select just one.

I thought while I was looking for beads for the snowflake, I would also select beads for a few others, you know multi tasking. This is one of those cute canvases by What’s the Point? that makes up into these darling little bags. I will bead the ornament and come up with some kind of background stitch for the bag probably with a white Splendor.

I am anxious to try these new beading needles too. They are Tulip Beading Needles in a size 10 short. They are shown here with my favorite Sundance gold beads 465A. Tulip being the company name and I have heard rave reviews about them! Bohin is currently my beading needle of choice, but these may take over as the new favorite.

I am not sure if it really was the reviews or the clever packaging that caught my eye. Look at the great vial that the needles come packaged in! Now if you just have to have these, you might want to look in your favorite beading spot rather than a needlepoint shop.

As your latest Needlepoint Now is in the mail on its way to you as we speak, I need to get busy and finish up my work for the next issue. That is high priority for the next few days as is stitching on Deco Kitty and the completing the stitch guide for that. Sylvester is keeping my spot warm on the couch. and until next time…keep on stitching

A salute to our veterans, those who serve and those who have served and those who have given their lives….we salute you. A basketball game will be played on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson that is stationed here in San Diego. President Obama will be in attendance. Here the color guard practices for the event. Enjoy and hopefully the rain holds off!