THE BUSY NEEDLE’S LATEST BUZZ

Happy Spring!

Is time flying by or is it just me?  I feel like it was just New Year’s Eve.  I guess my internal time clock is off or something.  My trees are budding, my flowers are starting to bloom and I have baby bunnies in my backyard.  Janet (who answers your emails and handles phone orders… thank you Janet!) has baby javalinas in her yard.   (A javalina is Arizona’s version of a wild pig.)  They are really cute when they are young.  Janet’s Scottie dog Alfie is not so sure about them, though.

So, are you stitching up a storm?  I’m still working on those needlepoint UFO’s that I promised myself I’d finish this year, but my reserve is weakening.  I’m in the mood to stitch something bright and cheery and “springy” if you know what I mean.  I did break down and couldn’t resist cross stitching this project from Little House Needleworks.   How precious is this?  The kit is available from the shop for $21 and includes the pattern and the hand-dyed floss from Crescent Colours.    The darling frame is also made by Crescent Colours and is available through the shop as well.

 I love the kits from Diane that include the Crescent Colours fibers from Sharon.  They are so darling and having the fibers included with the pattern is perfect for those of us who want to grab a project and go without having to worry about trying to find the right color or having a fiber out of stock in the shop. 

Anyhoo, I’m off to the Dallas cash and carry needlepoint canvas market in a few weeks.  All of our favorite needlepoint artists bring their new designs to a hotel in Dallas and as a lucky store owner, I get to shop like crazy and bring the best goodies back to you.  Last year’s Dallas market was so fun that I just couldn’t resist attending again this year.  So, keep watching the website for all the latest canvas designs around the first week of April.  Leigh Designs, Painted Pony, Renaissance, Patty Paints, Anne Brinkley Designs, A Collection of Designs, Kathy Schenkel Designs, Raymond Crawford, Denise DeRusha Designs, Strictly Christmas and a whole host of other amazing artists will be tempting me with their incredible designs.  Check out the designer links section on our website to see all of their canvases.   Just so you know, attending needlework markets is the hardest part of being a shop owner.  I have a budget to stick to (sort of) and deciding what to bring back for everyone (including me!) is really tough.   If you are looking for something in particular, be sure to email us (busyneedle85741@yahoo.com) and I will do my best to find what you’re after.   No kidding… I once had a customer ask me to look for a purple monkey riding a unicycle in front of the Eiffel Tower.  At first I thought she was joking, but she was totally serious.  We had it custom painted for her.

Save me from myself!!!!  Right now, we have a wonderful needlepoint trunk show in the shop from Quail Run Designs and needlepoint canvases from Shelly Tribbey Designs are arriving in April.  Don’t forget that we offer our trunk show canvases at a 20% discount. 

Well, I’ll close for now.  Before I go, I just want to say thanks to all of our wonderful customers for your continued support.  In today’s economy, with gas prices being what they are and a loaf of bread costing as much as a pair of socks, I realize that we all are on a pretty tight budget.  Luckily, needlework is still such a great entertainment value.  Just think about it for a minute… you could easily spend $300 for a day’s entertainment at an amusement park (and have a stomach ache from eating all the junk food and sore feet from standing in line to show for it) or you could spend your dollars on a needlework project that gives you weeks of enjoyment and a wonderful finished masterpiece when you’re done.  (I use that logic with my husband all the time!)

Have a terrific day and keep making the world a more beautiful place one stitch at a time…

Fondly,

Susan

(published 3/21/08)

Copyright 2002 - 2008 The Busy Needle (All Images and Layouts are the Property of The Busy Needle or the Designer)