I love getting new e-books from Helios Glass. They’re always perfect for the moment, as is this new one, Ending Fused Glass Disasters. One of my last slumps had me sighing in sadness since a bulge was right in the middle of what would have been a beautiful platter. Glass can be a cruel mistress. I know what went wrong with that firing but sometimes you look at the result and just scratch your head…why? This e-book will answer a lot of questions and hopefully keep you from having to turn your project into a mosaic or the glass into scrap. Go over to Helios Glass and check it out as well as all their other e-books. Paul has so much glass info in his head to share…and he is very kind to share it.
Have you read?
Designer Spotlight: Curious Carrie Designs
If you like seasonal samplers and cross stitch patterns with a primitive twist, you’ll enjoy the collection from Curious Carrie Designs.
You’ll find alphabet designs, biscornu, patriotic projects and more. The summer category is the largest on the storefront, with Americana and floral designs. There are also categories for the other seasons and more general designs.
One of my favorites is this pretty sunflower cross stitch pattern, which is shown styled as a biscornu but it wouldn’t have to be. The pattern features sunflowers and bees and a little beehive. It uses 12 colors of floss and each side of the pattern is 51 by 51 stitches, which comes out to 3.64 inches or 9.2 cm square.
I love the fabric she used for the sample, which she actually dyed purple herself, but it would also be pretty on a purchased light blue or other color if you don’t want to dye your own.
There’s also a whole set of themed biscornu with a four letter word on one side (crow, home, love and snow, to name a few) along with a seasonal pattern on the other side.
The shop has a rather small selection at around 90 patterns as of this writing, but it’s a nice collection of traditional looking designs heavy on samplers and biscornu designs, so if those are things you like you’ll want to be sure to check it out. Visit Curious Carrie Designs on Etsy to see all her pretty designs.
Are you a designer or do you have a favorite cross stitch designer who hasn’t made it into the spotlight yet? (You can see all the featured designers in the craft businesses category on the page.) Let me know in the comments, or you can submit more detailed information by clicking on “suggest a craft” at the center top of the page.
[Photo: Curious Carrie Designs]