Posts by ShellyStokes
Pint-Sized Projects
A Special Sofa for my Castle
When I purchased a home in Mexico, I didn’t just purchase a home. Nope! True to my overly vivid imagination, I bought myself a castle. And, of course, not just any old sofa belongs in the living room of a castle –– only a very special sofa will do! When the hotel in our compound…
Read MoreStarFlower 5 Complete!
Completions are a big deal here at Cedar Canyon, especially when a project stretches out for months. Needless to say, I’m happy to say (shout?) StarFlower 5 Compete!!! Ahem… did I say that loudly enough? When I wrote my last update a few weeks ago, I was chuckling about the value of Ugly Brown Beads…
Read MoreThe Case for Ugly Brown Beads
As much as I love bright colors on dark fabric, there are times when my muse takes me off in an unexpected direction. My current project includes a lot of stitching in warm colors in graduated tones. (Think gold, rust and deep reds). It even provided the case for — get this — ugly brown…
Read MoreStarFlower 5 Stitch Update
I’m at a particularly happy stage with my current Paint • Stitch • Bead adventure, so I thought I would pause and give you a StarFlower 5 stitch update. Start with Paintstiks My normal working order is to create Renegade Stencils using the Silhouette Studio software and then cut the stencil(s) from vinyl with a…
Read MoreAre Paintstik Colors Eraser-Proof?
One of the things that makes me crazy is adding stitching to a shape and then deciding that it just doesn’t work. After several stops and starts on my current project, I knew I had to give up on lattice-work for this particular shape. But that left me facing a big (and rather scary) question.…
Read MoreFill the Hole in a Vintage Guatemalan Huipil
On a trip to Guatemala in February, I purchased a number of vintage hupiles (Guatemalan blouses) from Chichicastenango region. I loved the geometric designs in the weaving and knew they would be perfect for an upholstery project. But… when you repurpose these used garments for a project, you have to Fill the Hole. And that…
Read MoreRug Hooking in Guatemala
Getting started The beginning of the process is, of course, choosing a design in collaboration with our rug buddies. I had a design in mind based on some of my embroideries. My rug buddy and one of the staff members took one look and said “nope!” — much too complicated for a beginner. (Now why…
Read MoreStarFlower 2 – More fun with Paint+Stitch+Bead
When I was creating the design for StarFlower 2 in my Silhouette design software, I decided it was time to try painting the negative space around the design elements. I had no idea how this Paint+Stitch+Bead adventure would turn out, but I’m very happy with the results. Ready, Set, Paint As with StarFlower 1, I…
Read MoreThe Last Stitch is Always the Best Stitch
When we decided to make an extended trip to the US this summer, I knew I needed a project. (Two and a half months is far too much time to be away from my art!) I was hopeful, but not sure, that I would make it to the Last Stitch. I’m delighted to report that…
Read MoreLessons from A Year of Living Offline
Less Stuff More Art
When I returned from Chapala a year ago, I wrote a post about my Studio Essentials. Having just completed six months with exactly those supplies and nothing more, I can tell you that “Less Stuff More Art” really works! I spent the season in Chapala with a Silhouette machine, a small selection of fabric, a set…
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