TNNA / Phoenix 2012 - day four

Hi Everybody... Robin here... in Phoenix.

Monday was the last day of Market.  Here are more canvases & bling which caught my eye.

Sparkles from Sundance Designs

In the Sundance Designs booth, there is a new product called Sparkles. It is a tubular metallic mesh which has wonderful design and shaping possibilities. Nice assortment of colors, too. I can't wait to work with it.

Also, in the Sundance Designs booth were the Sculptural Pumpkin Sampler and Sculptural Christmas Tree Sampler designed by Barbara Elmore. So clever... so creative... so Barbara! The Pumpkin has 6 canvas sections; the Christmas Tree has 8 canvas sections. Each canvas section is small and portable; just perfect for stitching at home or when you are on the go. There is a stitch guide for each by Barbara Elmore. I love these 3D sculptures!

Sculptural Pumpkin Sampler by Barbara Elmore

Sculptural Pumpkin Sampler by Barbara Elmore

Stitch Guides available for Sculptural Samplers

Sculptural Christmas Tree Sampler by Barbara Elmore

Sculptural Christmas Tree Sampler by Barbara Elmore

There were new colors of Petite Silk Lamé Braid, Neon Rays, Neon Rays +, and Neon Rays + Glow in the Dark by Rainbow Gallery. I am looking forward to trying them out. I can see an upcoming blog topic for the new Glow in the Dark threads.

New for 2012 from Rainbow Gallery

The new hand-painted/stitch-painted canvases from Pajamas and Chocolate caught my eye. It was nice seeing Patt and her husband, Lee.

#102 • Pajamas and Chocolate

#94 • Pajamas and Chocolate 

#91 • Pajamas and Chocolate

#43 • Pajamas and Chocolate

I had the best time at Market. It was an honor to teach for DMC and a pleasure to work in the NeedleDeeva booth.

NeedleDeeva booth... my home away from home.

I missed my mews and it will be nice to be home. Hope you enjoyed seeing some of the 2012 Winter Market through my eyes. Until the next time... Hugs, Robin

TNNA / Phoenix 2012 - day three

Hi Everybody... Robin here... in Phoenix.

Today was Sunday -- the second day of Market. Here are some of the new canvases which caught my eye.

In the Kirk & Hamilton booth, I loved the Heart Shaped Cupcakes, the Owl and the Nordic Stars.

Kirk & Hamilton / KH 251

Kirk & Hamilton / KH 252

Kirk & Hamilton / KH 253

Kirk & Hamilton / KH 254

Kirk & Hamilton / KH 299

Kirk & Hamilton / KH 390

Kirk & Hamilton / KH 391

I also liked the four canvases depicting the Four Seasons from Labors of Love. Imagine all of the canvas embellishment possibilities.

Labors of Love / Four Seasons / LL 530, 531, 532, and 533

After Market, we went out to dinner for good food, great drinks, conversations and laughs. It was the best way to put the second Market day into the record book. Tomorrow is the last day, and a short day, at that. I will be back to show you more from my point of view.  Until then... Hugs, Robin

TNNA / Phoenix - day two

Hi Everybody... Robin here... in Phoenix.

Saturday was the first day of Market. What an exciting day. Right before 10AM, all of the Shop Owners were collected in the gathering/holding area; dignitaries were present for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. There was anticipation... a buzz in the room for the Shop Owners to show up. Show up and shop... they did! Katy bar the door! The Winter Market 2012 was open for business.

Wearing my purple apron in the NeedleDeeva booth, I saw familiar faces and met new faces, too. I wrote down orders and pointed out: What's New and upcoming in the NeedleDeeva booth. How exciting! 

Lisa & Emily from Nashville Needleworks brought a wonderful model to display in the NeedleDeeva booth. It was a show stopper... and the show had only been open for 35 minutes! Look how awesome the NeedleDeeva canvas  looks on the bag. Contact Nashville Needleworks for the stitch guide. It's a beauty.

Lunchtime was the first min-lull. I took advantage to begin looking for canvases which appealed to me. My first stop: Tapestry Fair from Phoenix, AZ. With permission, I took a few photos. You know me: Cats, Cute, Halloween... in that order! Look what I found:

Tapestry Fair / Anne Jerlow Designs • Garden Cats

Tapestry Fair / MS 1, 2 and 3

The Manuel Salas canvases were enticing to see up close and in person. It will be fun to watch Jane/Chilly Hollow stitch her canvas with the purple background.

Next stop was Little Shoppe Canvas Company. I am such a fan of their 3D work, their book: Stitch  Landscapes and their App of the same title. My attention was drawn to their new Halloween Witch Hats. So cute. There are 12 new designs. Which ones do I want? I want them all.

Across the aisle from them was DJ Designs from San Francisco, CA. The Dog and Cat canvases were heart-warming to see.

A new crowd was gathering around the NeedleDeeva booth, so I returned to write more orders. The time flew by. I know I am going to sleep good tonight.

Looking forward to showing you more things from Market. Until then... Hugs, Robin

TNNA / Phoenix 2012 - day one

Hi Everybody... Robin here... in Phoenix.

Thursday morning I boarded the big Delta plane for Phoenix. It was the smoothest flight ever... like riding on a marshmallow. It was fun looking through the window: as we passed over New Mexico, from the air, it looked like a foreign world. Absolutely breathtaking.

My stitching project on the plane is my personal copy of the 3D Cake from Associated Talents which I taught for DMC showcasing the DMC Memory Thread. I loved working this little canvas so much, I am stitching it again for me. Size 14 mesh canvas from Associated Talents... DMC threads... what's not to love?

The 3D Cake Embellishment class was very well received. On Friday afternoon, Shop Owners from all over the country attended the class. DMC brought stunning finished pieces with Memory Thread for the students to see. They were given time to work with the Memory Thread. I shared many of my helpful hints with them, too. I believe everyone was more confident about how easy it is to use, as well as how effective the results are. It was a successful class and I was honored to be considered for the opportunity to teach for DMC. Blog readers note: I will conclude the Memory Thread lessons when I get back home to Memphis.

Immediately after the class, I packed up my models and headed to Sample It. There, I dropped off the Lotus Squared piece to Zecca. It was her first time to see it finished. The black lacquered box was stunning. The threads, beads and ribbons jumped under the lights. Zecca was thrilled. It will be on display in the Zecca booth during market. I would encourage all shop owners to stop by and see it in person... Lotus Squared by Zecca (ZE 134) ... stitch guide by Robin King.

My other model on display was the HUGS pillow. The finishing was from Elizabeth Turner Collection,  and, as usual, they did an awesome job. HUGS was on display during Galleria at the Alice Peterson Company area. Such a thrill to see it finished and to show it off to the Shop Owners. HUGS will be on display in the Alice Peterson Company booth this weekend during Market. Shop Owners should stop by to see it in person and order it for their customers. Everyone needs some hugs, right? HUGS by Gayla Elliott/Alice Peterson Company (GS-11) ... stitch guide by Robin King.

Team Deeva was busy during Sample It. The Gooey Valentine's Day Hearts were a hit. I am so proud of their success.

Looks like this morning is getting away from me. Time for breakfast and then the Show! First day of Market. How exciting. I will continue blogging through out the event. So much to say... until the next time... Hugs, Robin

Sunflower and Berries (ND 309) - part one

Hi Everybody... Robin here.

Tonight's agenda: laundry and pre-packing for Phoenix/TNNA. Also, getting my newest needlepoint onto stretcher bars.  What's that you say... a new needlepoint project?

Sunflower & Berries • NeedleDeeva • ND 309
Stitch Guide by Robin King

My next project (among many!) is called Sunflower & Berries from NeedleDeeva. It is canvas number ND 309 and I have admired it for the longest time. I love Sunflowers. I have grown them before. Strawberries are so healthy, too. We eat them daily for a dose of Vitamin C. This canvas really speaks to me and NeedleDeeva designs are a dream to stitch. My stitch guide will come with the canvas. Sweet.

I will be teaching Sunflower & Berries in April 2012 at two wonderful needlepoint shops: Nashville Needleworks (Nashville, TN) and In Stitches (Atlanta, GA). Give them a call to join the fun.

Threads, Ribbons, Beads, Sequins, and DMC Memory Thread

I have pulled some threads. Notice the ribbons? Oh, yes... there will be ribbonwork as well as 3D Stumpwork applied. And, Beads... did I mention Beads? There will be Beads and Sequins, too. It will be so much fun. I have been studying many techniques and am anxious to apply them to this sweet canvas.

A Flower Magnet for a Flower Canvas? Of course.

One last fun thing to say: notice my Flower Magnet? How can you not notice it? It is the "Mother" of all Bling in the Magnet World. It measures 2 inches across. The center and all of the petals are ready to hold your needles, laying tool and more.

Nice accessories: magnets, snap tray and Eiffel Tower scissors

I found these magnets at Stitchers Inc.  They were the biggest magnet bling I had ever seen. Truly, could be jewelry. Loved their size and shapes. You can see her current selection; there are more coming at the end of the month. Jan said there will be a cat magnet, too. Count me in. Can't wait. Give Jan a call if you'd like any of these magnets.

Well, that's all for now. Next time will be from Phoenix. Until then... Hugs, Robin

Lotus Squared by Zecca (ZE 134)

Hi Everybody... Robin here.

I'm in "countdown mode" getting ready to attend the Phoenix/TNNA Winter Market next week. Looking forward to seeing the new designs and friends, too.

Back in October 2011, I gave a preview of the Lotus Squared by Zecca. Last evening was time for the finishing of this piece. I am pleased with the outcome and would like to share my journey with you.

I decided to have this piece finished into an HP Black Lacquer Box. The workmanship is beautiful. It comes in a nice drawstring bag. The 8x8 box was perfect for the 6x6 canvas; the black showcased the elegance of the Lotus Squared.

Both Canvas and Lid are 6x6 and yet... 

Once I was finished stitching, I laid the box lid over the canvas to check the initial fit. Notice the white canvas showing? I saw it too, and knew I had to deal with it. Here is what I did.

Measure the Box Lid opening.

Measure the Canvas design area

Measure the Box Lid insert.

Draw a Stitching Margin and a Cutting Line

Basketweave the Stitching Margin

Stitching Margin complete!

Following the photos, you can see I embraced the saying: Measure twice, cut once. In fact, I did that and more. I measured... measured again... wrote down notes... thought about it... stepped away... came back to it... measured again... until I was sure I was on the right track.

I did the Basketweave Stitch in the Stitching Margin. I used 8 strands of Splendor S1014 which covered my white canvas perfectly. Remember, I chose the design on 13 mesh.

Then, I got the big scissors out and began cutting on the Cutting Line. Steady. Deliberate. Holding my breath the entire time. I filmed part of this sequence for you to see. Confidence? Sure... while the camera was rolling. LOL.

With the canvas cut, I placed it onto the Black Box Lid insert and saw things were going to fit just fine.

Canvas cut out.

Inserting the canvas into the Box Lid was easy. Just lay it into the lid and place the Black Lid insert over your canvas. Simple. Done. No gluing or taping needed. The size of the Black Lid insert does all the work.

I am so pleased with the outcome. Love the Zecca design. Love the HP Black Lacquer box. I am pretty proud of my stitching design, too. The River Silks Ribbon was a dream to use. Loved the Gloriana Silk Threads. The DMC Memory Thread was perfect for the Lotus details. Rainbow Gallery's Neon Rays, Flair, and Splendor gave the right touch. Kreinik was my go-to choice for the Stems. Skip Tent was the best background... and the Mill Hill Beads! really set off the piece. I discovered some stitching techniques and have shared them in the Stitch Guide.

My Stitch Guide comes with the Lotus Squared canvas (ZE 134) and will be available from Zecca at "Sample It" as well as during the Phoenix show. Just ask your LNS to visit the Zecca booth. You have your choice of this design in either 18 mesh or 13 mesh. I chose the 13 mesh and loved working it.

I will be blogging from the show; wearing my many hats: DMC teacher; NeedleDeeva booth worker;  HUGS on display at Galleria and in the Alice Peterson Company booth; roving reporter for all of you.

See you in Phoenix!  Until then... Hugs, Robin