I was thrilled to discover that I was featured on Vogue last week in a round-up of "13 Inspiring Interior Instagram Accounts You Should Be Following." The post highlighted various women in interior design and decor with great Instagram accounts. I was honored to be included! You can check out the entire post here and, of course, follow me on Instagram @happycactusdesigns.
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I'm so excited to share that Happy Cactus was featured this week on Design*Sponge!! D*S is hands-down my favorite blog to read on a daily basis, so seeing my work appear on their site was like a dream coming true! The post was titled 18 Embroidery Instagram Feeds to Follow and I am so appreciative of editor Grace Bonney's kind words about my work.
It is a great round-up and I was humbled to be listed amongst so many other talented artists.
I field a lot of questions about my hand embroidery via email and on Instagram and thought it'd be helpful if I compiled some of my most frequently asked questions here.
How do you come up with your designs?
Just like my paper goods line, the majority of my ideas and designs come straight from my imagination. In many instances, I'm inspired by my own painting and drawing work.
Do you use a pattern? Do you trace your design onto the fabric before you stitch?
Nope! All of my embroideries are done freehand and I create the design as I go along. I do not draw out anything beforehand. I sometimes use invisible ink to draw an outline of the final shape/size that I want the piece to be.
Where can I buy one of your finished pieces?
I sell my pieces framed and matted in my shop. Right now, I can only ship in the U.S. via my website. If you are interested in ordering one and you live outside the U.S., shoot me an email for a shipping estimate.
What if I want to purchase a piece in your shop, but it is sold out?
If an item is listed as sold out, it means that the one-of-a-kind piece of art has sold. Please don't hesitate to contact me at hello{at}happycactusdesigns.com to explore creating a similar design for you.
Do you sell patterns?
Not at this time. Hopefully down the line I will eventually offer patterns or kits for sale. For now, I'm just happy creating my own original work.
Can I recreate your designs?
Please do not. While I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm for my work, I also encourage you to create your own original work or purchase patterns from those who sell them. Reproducing my work is actually stealing, whether you intend to or not. And trust me, it's more fun creating your own original works!
How did you learn to embroider?
I taught myself. I was sidelined with an ankle injury at the end of 2014 and decided that if I was going to be resting on my couch for a few weeks then I should try my hand at embroidery. I have consulted a handful of books and stitch guides, but I have found YouTube videos most helpful so I can see how to do various stitches.
Where do you get your supplies?
I mainly purchase my supplies online since I live in a small mountain town without a needlework shop that supplies everything I need. I think DMC has the best embroidery thread (don't fall for the imitation brands claiming to be DMC online!). As for the linen, hoops, scissors, and other fabric and tools that I use, I source those supplies from various shops across the U.S. I try to invest in the highest quality supplies because you definitely get what you pay for. I encourage you to go to your local art or needlework shop to get supplies or spend time researching online like I did.
How long does it take to create a design?
Most pieces take a number of hours. I don't always sit with a stopwatch and track my time, but smaller pieces usually take at least 3 hours, while larger pieces can take upwards of 10-20 (my best guestimate!).
Can I share your work on my blog, website, or Instagram fee?
Please feel free to as long as you provide proper credit and link back to me.
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The majority of my works, both paper goods and hand-embroidered artwork, are inspired by gardens, those I've visited and those of my imagination. Here's a round-up of some favorite gifts for the gardener in your life!
1. Happy Cactus Designs hand-embroidered floral artwork
2. Diptyque Geranium Rosa candle
3. Modernica small white pot with stand
4. Rockins Flora printed scarf
5. Hunter boots
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I've completed a few new pieces of hand embroidered artwork in the past few weeks and have just listed them in the online shop! I have shared some behind-the-scenes looks at these pieces on Instagram when they were just works in progress. Here they are in their finished framed and matted form.
Rainbow Flowers on Turquoise Linen: A bright and bold piece. The various colors of the flowers really pop off of the turquoise linen.
Prickly Pear Cactus and Wildflowers on Natural Linen: I've done a few different versions of this design. This is the first one with the pink prickly pear bulbs. It was inspired by my time living in Austin and the beautiful wildflowers that bloomed each spring.
Rainbow Flowers Square on Blue Linen: Hands down one of my favorite pieces I've stitched to date. It's a larger square (3.25" across) with some intricately stitched flowers. This piece took a number of hours to complete and I will be sad to part with it!
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As you may know, a few months ago I launched my first collection of hand embroidered pieces of art. While I have enjoyed stitching each and every piece, some of my favorite embroidery projects have been custom commissions featuring a name, monogram, or initial.
Just in time for the holidays, I'm now accepting requests for custom work! Whether it's for a new baby's nursery, a housewarming gift, or just for someone special, I'd love to work with you on something. Get in touch and let me know what you are interested in.
This week I'm sharing my very favorite piece of Happy Cactus Hand Embroidery. Delicate purple and pink flowers are hand embroidered on a light blue linen.
It's my largest piece to date measuring 4.25" in diameter. When I began this piece, I started with the large flower in the center with the various shades of purple. From there, the piece took on a life of its own!
I do not use a template nor do I sketch out what I am going to stitch; I just go for it. From that first flower, I added more vines, other large flowers and smaller buds until I was satisfied. It look a long time to complete, but I couldn't be prouder of my work with this one. You can find it in the shop here.
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I'm excited to highlight another piece of Happy Cactus Hand Embroidery for you this week! Two features set the following piece apart - its square shape and the incorporation of gold thread.
Many of the other pieces in the collection are circular in shape. Granted, it's easier to create circular works when using a round embroidery hoop. For this piece, I embroidered an array of rainbow flowers in a small square shape. Quite small, in fact! It's only 2" x 2". Working this small takes a lot of patience and focus, but I've impressed myself with the amount of tiny flowers I can fit in such a small area.
To really make this tiny piece pop, I incorporated metallic gold thread into some of the flowers. Gold thread is much tricker to work with than standard cotton embroidery floss - it has a harder texture and takes a bit of practice to figure out what works and what doesn't. It really makes the flowers stand out.
Add a bright red mat board and this piece of artwork really makes a statement. Small, but mighty! Find it in the shop here.
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I love working small. While a lot of the embroidery pieces in the first collection are circular in shape, I have experimented some with other types of design layouts. One of my favorite is this little floral bouquet. It measures about 2 inches tall. While small in size, it includes a number of intricate details.
The flowers in this little piece all came from my imagination. I particularly love the reddish-pink rose and yellowish stalk that kind of looks like wheat. A perfect bouquet that you never have to worry about watering! I think it would be a great gift idea for the gardener or florist in your life. Shop it here.
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I'm back to highlight another new hand embroidered piece of artwork in the shop. This week, I'm sharing a look behind Red and Pink Flowers on Pink Linen.
These have been some of my favorite flowers to embroider - a delicate mix of blooms in different shades of red and pink embroidery floss. The pink linen really stands out against the bright red mat board - quite a statement for your walls. You can find this piece in the shop here!
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The Happy Cactus Designs collection of hand embroidered artwork has been live in the shop for a few weeks and I've been so thrilled with the response from shoppers and admirers so far. I thought I'd create a little blog series highlighting some of the different designs in the shop. First up, one of my personal favorites: Rainbow Flowers on Light Blue Linen.
This is an especially colorful piece! The colors, especially the oranges and greens, really pop off of the linen. As I've mentioned before, I don't set out with a plan when i start embroidering; I just like to see where the piece takes me stitch by stitch.
A closer photo shows the intricacy of the stitching. You can shop this piece and others here!
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My mailbox has been filling up lately with September issues of my favorite fashion magazines. One noticeable trend - embroidery! It's everywhere! I couldn't think of a better time to launch my collection of hand embroidered wall art than at the same time that embroidery is seeing a resurgence in fashion.
Here are some beautiful items I've come across online...I would love to have them in my closet!
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