I am so excited to be doing an online pop-up shop with the wonderful retailer Furbish! If you aren't familiar with Furbish, they are a Raleigh, NC, based shop with unique finds for your home you won't find anywhere else. Think one-of-a-kind vintage rugs, colorful artwork, and the cutest accessories.
I was so excited when they invited me to participate in their artist pop-up series. I spend much of the past months creating pieces exclusively for this sale. You'll find blue and white vases full of flowers, colorful rainbow flowers on bright blue and turquoise linen, and my favorite blue flowers pieces. And they are released just in time for Mother's Day! The shop goes live today (May 9) at 11am EST over at Furbish!
I can't believe it's December!! Are you busy pulling out all of your holiday decorations, trimming the tree, and checking gift recipients off your list? This year, inspired by my wintry environment here in Colorado, I embroidered a few snowflakes. These intricate snowflakes take quite a bit of time to stitch - creating a symmetrical design is always a test of patience, plus the designs incorporate metallic embroidery floss and were stitched with only one to three strands of floss.
Small Blue and Silver Snowflake (2.25" in diameter)
Red, Green, and Silver Snowflake (3.125" in diamter)
Blue and Silver Snowflake (3.125" in diameter)
I also just released a limited edition hand embroidery photo card featuring my "doodle tree." A high resolution image of my stitch work is printed on thick matte (non-shiny) card stock. The folded cards are blank inside and are sold in sets of 8. You can find them in the shop here.
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Looking to spruce up your embroidery stash? I've pulled together a rundown of my favorite hand embroidery products that may be something you'd like to find under the Christmas tree, too. Share this URL with those asking what's on your gift list and hope you end up happy!
My Favorite Fancy (and Very Sharp) Embroidery Scissors
Studio Carta Crane Scissors // Gingher Design Series Scissors
DMC Cotton Floss Packs - the more skeins, the merrier!
DMC Embroidery Home Decor Floss Pack // Popular Colors Floss Pack
A High Quality Floor Lamp - not the fanciest gift, but sometimes practical is best!
Lavish Home Sunlight Floor Lamp
Top Notch Hand Embroidery Books to Teach Yourself - never stop learning!
Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches // The Stitch Bible by Kate Haxell
Pouches to Hold Your Embroidery Tools - I have a serious pouch addiction. I can never have too many! Perfect for traveling with your embroidery.
Baggu Leather Stash Pouch (in Copper) // Loeffler Randall Pouch
Madewell Leather Pouch // Truffle Clarity Clutch
Want more of my hand embroidery tips? You can find them here.
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I've been playing around with this amazing new clip-on macro lens for my iPhone all week. It's been so fun to see all of my stitching details up close - up to ten 10 times closer than the regular lens.
The lens is easy to use - I just clip it over my iPhone lens (I have to take off my case first) and I'm ready to go. It would be fun to experiment with taking photos of anything with a lot of texture. I'm excited to take it out on hikes with me, too, to capture flowers and leaves up close.
I thought it'd be fun to pull back the curtain a bit and share the steps it takes to launch a new collection of hand embroidery. I released a bunch of new work last week, including brand new pins and pillows. I'll share more about those new products and how they came to be in a future post, but for now wanted to write about releasing a new artwork collection in particular.
I spent a lot of the summer stitching away and creating new pieces (Happy Cactus is my full-time job), so I built up a stack of new embroidered works and kept them tucked away in a box. I released a handful of these new works just after Labor Day, knowing that I wanted to release another batch at the end of September.
Once I have a collection release date in mind (in this case, September 30), I create a few additional designs if I want to, develop a master spreadsheet of all of the pieces (with design notes, dimensions, price, etc.), and then begin preparing to frame the pieces.
Framing is a time intensive process. First, I make sure that I have enough frames, mat boards, and related accessories (the hardware, the backing foam core, etc.) on hand and order more as needed. Each mat board is carefully selected to coordinate with each piece of embroidery, both in size and color. Once I'm ready, I inspect the frames and mats for any blemishes, trim the linen down to size, adhere the mat board to the piece, screw in the spring clips that hold the pieces together, hammer in the hanging hardware, and then do another check for any blemishes. Exhausting, right!?
Next up, I photograph all of the new pieces. I mainly shoot these photos on a DSLR camera and then edit the images in Adobe Photoshop. This usually takes a few afternoons with a few more afternoons spent editing. I do all of the photography in my living room because it has amazing natural light, so I'm able to capture the embroidery details well. I organize all of the uploaded photos by SKU into folders on my desktop and add my favorite high-res images to a special Dropbox folder reserved for press access. I also shoot some photos on my iPhone so I have some Instagram-ready images available.
Now it's time to create product listings so you can shop the items. Happy Cactus Designs is hosted on Shopify, and their interface is pretty easy to work with. I write copy for each piece, upload photos, double-check price and SKU. At this point, each product is saved on Shopify, but marked hidden.
The day or two before launch I'll create a newsletter draft in MailChimp using some of the new product photos and include any important studio news. In the weeks leading up to the particular launch date I've set, I'll tease the new releases on Instagram and encourage followers to subscribe to my newsletter. Newsletter subscribers get first access to a collection before anyone else.
Finally, it's release day! I'll spend the morning publishing all of the previously hidden product listings and then double-check everything once they are live on my website against my master spreadsheet. I sync the new products with my inventory cloud software (Stitch Labs) and add a new slide to my website homepage announcing the new collection. I push send on the newsletter and cross my fingers that people enjoy what I've created!
I've been able to streamline this process over time and now have a checklist that I go through before each launch. It's taken months to truly get this process down.
Want more of my hand embroidery tips? You can find them here.
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As I've shared before, I taught myself hand embroidery when I was laid up on the couch following an ankle injury. I really enjoyed watching YouTube videos because I could easily see how to create particular stitches. That said, I also relied on a number of wonderful embroidery books that I still reference today.
These are my favorite books that are "stitch dictionaries" and cover everything from a basic running stitch to incredibly complex stitches. They are chock full of photographs and diagrams that help you practice. It's also worth noting that a number of these books also cover cross stitch.
The Stitch Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to 225 Embroidery Stitches and Techniques by Kate Haxell
Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches by Mary Thomas
Embroidery: A Step-By-Step Guide to More than 200 Stitches by Lucinda Ganderton
Embroidery Pocket Guide by Leisure Arts (this isn't a book, but a handy little laminated guide)
Rebecca Ringquist's Embroidery Workshops: A Bend-the-Rules Primer by Rebecca Ringquist
Want more of my hand embroidery tips? You can find them here.
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Have you signed up for the Happy Cactus Designs newsletter?
Here are a few benefits of signing up:
- First access to new shop updates. Newsletter subscribers always get priority access to embroidery and paper goods collection releases. I will be releasing a bunch of new works of hand embroidered artwork next week. They are one-of-a-kind and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, so signing up for the newsletter is the only way to guarantee you have first dibs!
- Exclusive offers and advanced notice. Newsletter subscribers receive special discounts and news about product sales before anyone else.
- Studio news and sneak peeks. Learn about what I've been up to and new products that are in the works. Newsletter subscribers last week received a sneak peek of the new collection that I haven't shared anywhere else.
Like you, I don't enjoy companies that email you all of the time. Those daily emails from stores you occasionally shop? No thanks. I usually send out an email newsletter about once a month, and I promise it will be worth your time to read it!
You can sign up for my newsletter here.
I'm so excited to share that I was interviewed for the June/July issue of Colorado Homes & Lifestyles Magazine and you can now read the article online.
I had a great time speaking with Jennifer Drawbridge, the journalist who wrote the article, about my background, what led me to creating a paper line, and the circumstances that led to me picking up embroidery.
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I launched my first collection of hand embroidery for sale almost a year ago. As my work has reached new audiences and demand for my artwork has increased, I've also spent many more hours of my day stitching than I had in the past. And let me tell you, stitching for hours on end can be very hard on your body! So in this post I wanted to address a few self care tips that I practice to ensure I'm still able to get up every day and stitch.
Use a timer.
When I am deep into a project, I can stitch for hours and hours without getting up. While this is great for making progress on a piece, it's horrible for my body and hands! So I use a timer that reminds me when I need to get up and stretch, switch tasks for awhile, or just take a general break. Granted, sometimes I just turn the timer's alarm off and keep stitching, but I'm trying to get better about actually stopping what I'm doing and take a moment. Moving the timer to a different part of my studio or even the hallway helps ensure I actually get up and move.
This cube is my favorite timer. I just flip the cube to whatever time increment I want.
Awareness of body and posture.
I really try to pay attention to my body and posture while I'm stitching. How is my neck positioned? Is my back hurting? Am I leaning awkwardly? I keep a little post-it note on the wall across from where I stitch that reminds me to check my position every so often. I sit on an awesome Aeron chair that has great lumbar support and adjust the height of the chair so it meets my stitching table perfectly.
Wear special gloves for hands.
From time to time, my hands can grow fatigued from stitching, especially if I am doing very detailed work like filing in a flower. I purchased these gloves awhile back and really feel like they make a difference. They are made of a stretchy spandex that slightly compresses your hand and eases the fatigue that can come from the repetitive nature of stitching. I don't wear them all of the time, but try to remember to put them on when I am working on a large project or if my hands start feeling tired.
Use a good light.
Another key component to my stitching setup is this sunlight lamp. The light emulates natural sunlight - it's a soft, white light versus the standard yellowish light bulb. It eases any eye strain and helps me see my hoop and stitching very clearly.
Lavish Home Sunlight Floor Lamp
See professionals as needed.
I have a mini squad of healthcare professionals that I see regularly - an acupuncturist, a chiropractor, and a massage therapist - that help me stay feeling good. I don't know what I would do without them! I'm only able to stitch and continue to do what I love if I feel good, so I definitely prioritize visiting professionals that can work with me so I'm at my best.
Want more of my hand embroidery tips? You can find them here.
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My newsletter went out today (are you subscribed?) to celebrate wildflower season here in Colorado. Columbines, lupines, daisies, and more blooming in the mountains, and I couldn't be happier. If there's one common theme in my work, it's a love of bright and bold flowers.
Here are some my favorite designs that I've created featuring wildflowers. You can find all of my wildflower picks in the shop here.
I write this blog post as I look at my studio desk, littered with thread, scissors, and a handful of works in progress on hoops. Selecting a hoop for your hand embroidery project is no great mystery, but I thought I'd share some bits of advice about the types of hoops I use.
I prefer wooden hoops to plastic hoops. And I prefer well made wooden hoops to inexpensive ones. Now, when it comes to wood versus plastic, that may be a personal preference. I find that wood is gentler on the linen fabric I embroider on. With my wooden hoops, I also wrap the inner hoop with cotton twill tape. This helps to minimize the impact of the linen being bound inside the hoop and better protects my stitches as I work. You can do a simple Google search to find some good tutorials for wrapping a hope with tape.
Hardwicke Manor wooden hoops are my favorite. These are German birch hoops with brass hardware. Put them side by side a wood hoop from your local craft shop and you can immediately tell the difference. Hardwicke Manor hoops are stronger, sturdier, and better made.
I recently purchased a Morgan lap stand hoop and have experimented with it a bit. I was looking for a way to lighten the load on my shoulder. It can get sore and tired from holding the hoop. So far, it's been tricky to adjust to using since I still have to flip the hoop back and forth. We'll see.
I've also looked into different types of stands and have bought some Evertite stretcher bar frames that I've yet to put together and experiment with. I will report back any findings here!
Want more of my hand embroidery tips? You can find them here.
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I'm thrilled to share that my hand embroidered artwork is featured in Issue 4 of Knit Wit magazine, a quarterly magazine devoted to contemporary fiber arts and craft. It is a truly beautiful magazine with gorgeous images and profiles of people in the fiber arts community.
My work was photographed alongside the work of Liz Payne and Jane Denton, two spectacular artists, on a feature about hand embroidery.
You can order the issue on Knit Wit's site or check out their list of stockists.
