JODY ...in the studio

Gold Leaf Rabbits........

 
Rabbits on Parade.........Today's project.........I have enjoyed making these gold leaf rabbits for many years. One Easter when I was looking for a special table decoration (I wish I could find the picture, its filed away in one of the unpacked bins) I found a wonderful tree branch and displayed the Rabbits all over it for a table centerpiece, then gave one to everyone who was there to take home.

The rabbits are like  the story  of the  glass globes  they started when I made something I like to do and now each year I make more and more, the rabbits keep multiplying..........LOL.  The Rabbits have a long process  to give them the aged, antique look. I start them months and months in advance, molding with a papier-mache material. They have to be completely dry before I can apply the gold leaf. Gold leaf flies everywhere. Have you ever worked with it? Its really wonderful to use, everything just sparkles.I would gold leaf or glitter everything if I could...LOL

When dry, I dip them into sealant to adhere the gold leaf...........then the long wait. As the sealant dries, it naturally brings out a wonderful patina of toned green and gold........each one different with its own character.

Today, I am starting to add the final trims of these wonderful tiny silk flowers I found in an antique shop. They are the perfect touch to bring the Rabbits to life. I add fishing line for hanging.

This year I also made a few bunny rounds as small decorations. Most of the Rabbits and bunnies are spoken for......for this year. Although I will have a few for this year on my ETSY - JODY DIRECT shop , I will let you know when I add them. I will make more for next year.

Remember there is still time to join the "Stitch-a-long" for the heart ornament. I know so many of you have downloaded the heart so be sure to  add your name.

Enjoy your day.....I will be having fun with Rabbits and bunnies.........come join me.......

I'll be ......in the studio.

~ Jody

 

 

Needlepoint Shamrocks in the round........

Surprise......So many of you have written me asking for a larger design of the Shamrocks......I designed this today for you. You asked me to use the same bright colors and patterns because you wanted to do many fancy stitches.......I hope I have given you enough "pattern places" with the "pop" of color by adding the rainbow.

I think this will be as much fun to stitch just in basketweave too.........by adding as many shades of green and different fibers as you like. Painting all the greens has been so relaxing.........I must be in my  "green" period.........LOL. Tomorrow its back to painting orders so everything can be out the door on Monday...........

I am laughing...do you really want my "hard as rocks" recipe? The only way I will share it is if you all will help me figure out what is missing. The flavor of the dough is there, but we must solve the reason they are so hard and dry....LOL.

Enjoy your Sunday.........

I'll be...... in the Studio.

~ Jody

 

Irish breakfast memory.........

With so many thoughts of Shamrocks, leapin' leprechauns and everything Irish this past week......I have been thinking of my very favorite memory of my Irish Gramma, who also ...........loved African Violets, they were everywhere.

As far back as I can remember every time I would go to visit my Gramma she would make "Jody's rolls". I could smell them even driving up the driveway.........and always went home with a tin full of them. This recipe is basically a dough with lots of butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it then rolled and cut into roll size pieces.

Gramma never wrote the recipe down, she just did it. One of my Aunts tried her best to write it out for me, but it never was the same. Over the years I still make them and I keep trying to "tweak" it this way or that to try to find the magic combination. They taste similar but to be honest, mine are as hard as rocks......LOL.

I also remember she made Irish soda bread too, although I don't think I was as fond of that. Someday I may make them the way Gramma did.......I keep watching and reading recipes to find one that matches. Maybe she just made it up. Its amazing how we all have recipes we just do........and never take the time to write down exactly how we do it......I have a few like that. I always mean to go back and write them out so Holly will have them one day. Thats why I want to write a cookbook, of all our favorites.

Even though my rolls may be a bit hard and dry...........I still love them and really just bake them for me, I use tons of butter on them...LOL.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments and e-mails about the Shamrocks.....You inspire me to keep designing. I really enjoy hearing from you. I will be painting them this weekend so your orders will go out the first of the week. Thank you.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.........see you on Monday.

I'll be ......in the studio.

~ Jody

New Designs.......Shamrock Ornaments

 

Here they are........Ta-da! A new Shamrock shape for my ornaments.......inspired by Holly and Karen's cookies.

Download JODY DESIGNS:Shamrock Flier

I hope you have as much fun stitching them. I painted a plain Shamrock to add initials or a date to. The color is a bit off on the rainbow shamrock.....the rainbow has bright yellow under the orange. The design size is approximately the same as the round ball ornament and the canvas is cut the same size, so it will fit my stitching frame  perfectly. All on 18 pt mono zweigart canvas.

New masters take time to produce, so production on these will start tomorrow. They are in my ETSY SHOP  now and I will fill the purchases in the order of receipt.

This Shamrock flier is also on my website.

I have so much fun when a new idea "hits" and they usually hit fast....I have so many other ideas in the wings..........ideas always come in big batches....LOL. Then its the challenge of getting the masters all done, it seems like I never paint fast enough.....

I will enjoy hearing your ideas for stitching these...........thank you for all the messages you sent me today......let the Shamrocks fly...........

I'll be ....in the studio.

~ Jody

 

Painting...Needlepoint...Painting....Shamrocks.......

Busy day yesterday and this morning...I am so excited to show you these Shamrock ornaments. I styled them after Holly and Karen's cookies.....These are just so much fun to paint and my mind is going triple time to design more........LOL.

I am so pleased you all are enjoying the Shamrock chart ornament.......please send me pictures when you have stitched them. Also a wonderful new friend has contacted me that she would like to do a Stitch-a-long on the Heart Ornament from February........as soon as we figure out all the details I will give you all the information.......Please let me know if you are interested.

I have 6 Shamrocks designed already and a few more are still in my head. As soon as I finish the last couple I will photograph them so you can see. Doing masters takes time.......first the design, then the final drawing, etc...etc.... many steps to produce and set into motion.

Keep watching today........I hope to have them here soon and then they will be available through Etsy and my website.......I may place them both places for you. So many things you can do with these.....

This is when I have so much fun...and I am so excited to share them with you.........see you back here as soon as they are done!

I'll be .........in the studio.

~ Jody

St. Patrick's Day..... Shamrock Cookies...........

 

The Leprechauns were busy encouraging my daughter, Holly and her friend Karen to bake, bake, bake this past weekend.

 
    I thought you might enjoy seeing these wonderful shamrock cookies they made. 

Holly is the real baker of our family and always outdoes herself each and every time. She has been baking and decorating cakes, cookies and all kinds of fabulous desserts for many years. She has truly perfected her skills and  when  she is invited to a party or get-together everyone always asks her to bring the dessert!

The Valentines really like holidays.....we seem to just roll right into the next one.We have fun with St. Patrick's Day too.

My Grandparents came from Northern Ireland to Canada,  settling in Rochester, NY. My Grandfather was a tailor and my Grandmother's family owned an Irish Linen Mill. Maybe this is where my interest in needlework came from. Holly is an amazing Cross stitcher.......I think there was just too much needlepoint around. Being left-handed she helped me  develop my left-handed needlepoint directions.

When I asked Holly if I could post her cookie pictures, I laughed and said "You may just get orders" she replied.........."OK, have them contact me...." So........LOL ......if you'd like more cookie information please e-mail me and I will forward your message to Holly.

 

The more I sit here and write this blog the more I want to eat one of these cookies, it would be fun to just reach into the computer and take one!

Think I'll go paint Shamrocks.........

I'll be ....in the studio.

~ Jody

Spring Needlepoint.....and more bunnies.........

 
 

Think Spring this weekend...........I am ! I will be painting all of these flowers and bunnies this weekend. Thank you so much for the wonderful response and orders from the website.....I will have them "hopping " out my door to your door this week. I am so excited to see how you all will stitch them.

Becky's Bouquet is also available as a 36" diameter rug. I will one day have a photograph for you to see. The rug is on 10pt canvas.

Jumping Bunnies are really fun to paint and I enjoy all the different sizes, they are fun to have finished in the actual shape and scatter around the house.

Now..... to cut canvas and start painting.......this will be my weekend..........hope you all have a nice one too.........just think Spring.....go buy some Iris or tulips!

I'll be ....in the studio.

~ Jody

Ready...Set.......Finished!

Two new whimsical wall art canvases " the bunny " & " i paint " ready, set & finished.  I decided to paint them for needlepoint too !

" i paint " in needlepoint  is approximately  5 1/4" x 12" on 14pt mono canvas.

 

Then I got carried away and decided to do the " imagine " too !  Imagine is approximately  5 1/8" x 14" on 14 pt mono canvas.

While I painted the master, I was having so much fun with the bright colors  I painted both of these for myself. They will be  small accent pillows to scatter  all around the house, just for fun........I think there will be many more to be designed, I am thinking of many words and colors.........LOL

I better get going..........what is your favorite word?

I'll be ..........in the studio.

~ Jody

Design development............

 

I thought you might enjoy seeing how I develop an idea. The  7"x7" canvases were all designed to fit my little wooden Cricket Stool. By chance, the other day I happened to simply set a few canvases on top of one of them....... Ta-Da......... " a light-bulb moment hit ". All of a sudden I visualized  matching stools and canvases (one-of-a-kind).

The color combination on this beach ball canvas really excites me. It just reminds me of a summer striped cabana or bold beach umbrella. I quickly  painted some template/prototype pieces of paper and just tacked them with tape all around the stool. I am a real visual designer. I can hold the colors in my head but sometimes I like to actually see the layout. This helped me to coordinate the stripes for matching colors.

My mind is going triple time, thinking of stool designs for some of the other canvases. Unfortunately I am limited on the number of Cricket Stools I have. My stool manufacturer has retired and I have not been successful in finding a new supplier.......so this brilliant new idea may be limited. Actually anything can be painted on these wonderful little stools. I'd like to see a name or word wrapped around a corner.  Well, I better get started .............

I'll be ...in the studio.

~ Jody

Needlepoint Rug......my mind escape.......

Ever have one of those days where you just want to sit and stitch without thinking......LOL ?

Well, this is the project. This stash rug is  my mind escape project that I retreat to when I am on overload. I love to look at color and this canvas really gives me my color fix.

I have my yarn in giant bins and pull them all out, then toss into a giant basket I tote around from room to room. Some days it sits in the bedroom, another in the living room where ever I am it floats around with me. Sometimes I even find my cat Tigger, curled up in between the canvas and yarn.  Tigger, my gray striped Tiger cat,  is the last remaining cat from the family of seven we had when  we lived at the Barn.

I pick this canvas  up whenever I want a break and stitch a couple of strands. Many times  I do this  when I am on the phone...LOL. Great to stitch and talk at the same time!

The most enjoyable part for me is that it is simply basketweave stitching, I use a full 3 ply strand of Persian yarn on 10pt canvas.  So easy, I don't have to concentrate or think about stitches ....I just stitch. Its the repetitive motion that slows me down. I actually designed this  as a small area rug but now may use it for a cover on my ottoman which needs some TLC from adoring cats. The color pattern changes as I randomly select the yarn. I really think very little about this  and I really do just stitch.

You can use any size canvas, and all of your remaining stash yarns and fibers. Make a pillow, rug, belt, pocket, tote, eyeglass case........projects are endless.

Maybe you are looking for a mind escape from some of your other projects (or sometimes even just an escape from life..LOL)........give this a try, its fun........

I'll be ........in the studio.

~ Jody