Saturday, January 31, 2009

February on my Website


February has arrived on my website and along with it hearts, flowers, candy, romance and a new topic, Courting Inspiration.
All month long I will post small sources of inspiration for needlework, beginning with computer wallpapers on my Magic Carpet .

I hope we will discuss all sorts of inspiration in my classroom at Shining Needle Society along with New Year's Resolution Ornaments, maybe people will even incorporate small inspirations into their editions of the ornaments.

www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on any of the photos on my home page.
Enjoy! See you at Shining Needle Society.
Gay Ann

Monday, January 26, 2009

The Date is Set

The date is set for me to start my Shining Needle Society class for New Year's Resolution Ornament #2.
This is a simple little ornament, small, fast and easy to stitch, a perfect project to start and finish and enjoy a couple of color lessons.

We will officially start class for New Year's Resolution Ornament #2 on February 1. I hope you will join us.

Then after New Year's Resolution Ornament comes my group project for the year, called A Case for Color.
I will post information about it soon. Meanwhile, I hope to see you in my classroom at Shining Needle Society.

Gay Ann

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Classes at Callaway 2010

I am home again from Callaway 2009 and have just posted photos of some of the classes for next year (2010).

If you would like to see some very nice classes, go to my website, www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on
'More Callaway' on the yellow navigation bar.
Then click on the blue buttons called Callaway 15, Callaway 16 and Callaway 17 and then enjoy!

It is good to be home again. Soon I will start 'New Year's Resolution #2' in my Classroom at Shining Needle Society.
To those of you who ordered patterns while I was at Callaway, I will start filling orders very soon and will post my progress in News&Views on my website.

Good to be home again!
Gay Ann

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Inauguration Day at Callaway Gardens

In celebration of Inauguration Day today, I have posted a video of Tony Minieri and all the stitchers at Callaway School of Needle Arts singing 'America the Beautiful' on my website.

To find the video, go to www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on 'Callaway 1' on the yellow navigation bar, then click on the blue button 'Callaway 12'

Each day I have been at Callaway I have posted photos of our needlework seminar in hopes people would see beautiful Callaway and have a feeling for the seminar here that goes on each January.

Gay Ann

Saturday, January 17, 2009

I am at beautiful Callaway Gardens School of Needle Arts




For 11 wonderful days I am at Callaway Gardens School of Needle Arts in Pine Mountain Georgia.
Here each year in early January we who love embroidery meet for classes, companionship, beautiful scenery and entirely too much FOOD!
One photo I have posted is of the view from my room -- truly A Room with a View.
The other two photos are of the needlework boutique here where all students and teachers too may shop.
For information about Callaway Gardens, call 1-800-7-NEEDLE.
For many more photos of my life at Callaway, visit my website, www.GayAnnRogers.com, click on 'Callaway 1' on the Navigation Bar and then on the blue buttons saying Callaway 2, 3, 4, etc. Most of all enjoy! I hope you will feel like you are here with me.
Gay Ann

Friday, January 02, 2009

New Year's Resolution Ornament #2






New Year's Resolution Ornament #2 is the second of my New Year's Day color-exercise ornaments for people wishing to expand their color horizons. Details are posted on my website, www.GayAnnRogers.com, Small Designs.
We will soon be discussing New Year's Resolution Ornament #2 in my Shining Needle Society classroom, so I hope you will join us there.
Gay Ann

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year!

Just a year ago I posted New Year's Resolution Ornament #1 to welcome 2008 and now it is time for 2009.
Tomorrow morning bright and early I will post photos and information for ordering New Year's Resolution Ornament #2.
A year gone by!

I hope it was a good stitching year for all of you.
For me it was an eventful year as I transitioned to running my own website.

To see New Year's Resolution Ornament #2, visit my website on New Year's morning.
www.GayAnnRogers.com

SEE you there!
Happy New Year!

Gay Ann

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

A New Term arrives at Shining Needle Society

This morning I posted the beginning of a new term in my classroom at Shining Needle Society. It is about a gift from you to you. Gather together three threads and a scrap of canvas, wrap them up from you to you and on Christmas morning the assignment will arrive via Shining Needle Society post.

It is a simple, easy little exercise to kick off the new term in my classroom.

New Year's Resolution Ornament #2 will arrive on New Year's Day and it is geared toward the focus of our class term too, then I will announce the year's project, likely at Callaway (where I will be January 10-21).

At Callaway we are planning a little impromptu class for New Year's Resolution Ornament #2 one evening each session at Callaway, so bring your stretcher bars (8" x 8" minis) and thumb tacks. Pam will have kits for all who wish them, so not to worry about supplies.

Then when we are back from Callaway Pam and Kim will put together color photos of combinations for New Year's Resolution Ornament #2 and I will for certain post them on my website, www.GayAnnRogers.com

Meanwhile, come join us at Shining Needle Society and kick off the new term! Write to Kate Gaunt (KateGaunt@aol.com). Membership in Shining Needle Society as well as in my classroom there is free.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Last Day to Report E-Week Shortages

Today is the final day for you to report E-Week shortages.
The time to report shortages expires at 5:00 pm California time.

Then Christmas will arrive at my website, www.GayAnnRogers.com.
Come and enjoy the season with me.

Gay Ann

Sunday, December 14, 2008

One More Day to Report Shortages for E-Week

If you have been following my website, you will know that I have imposed a deadline of December 15 for reporting pattern and kit shortages from my E-Week Sale.

Please let me know asap if you don't have all you should have! After I send off the reported shortages, I am going on hiatus from Mail Jail until the New Year.

To follow my notes on the wrap up of my E-Week Sale last October, please visit my website:

www.GayAnnRogers.com

and click on News&Views and other pages on the Navigation Bar pertaining to E-Week.

Meanwhile, as soon as I wrap up E-Week, Christmas will arrive on my website. Watch for treats and surprises in the days before Christmas.

Gay Ann

Friday, December 05, 2008

Slide Shows of Mystery in a Corner

I am beginning my wrap up of a project lasting most of 2008, so I have posted on my website two slide shows of Mysteries in a Corner completed by people in my Shining Needle Society classroom.

To see the slide shows visit www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on MIAC Slide Show 1 and MIAC Slide Show 2 on the navigation bar.

Gay Ann

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Thanksgiving Weekend Stitch In

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody out there in Stitcherland.

Tomorrow we in my classroom at Shining Needle Society are celebrating Thanksgiving Weekend by having a Stitch In. I hope you will join us.

Just stitch for at least half an hour sometime on Sunday and then report about your progress to my Shining Needle Society classroom. I have asked people to work on Mystery in a Corner or on Challenge Ornament in hopes that many will come close to finishing one or the other.

To join Shining Needle Society contract Kate Gaunt (KateGaunt@aol.com). Membership is free.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Gay Ann

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The First Shining Needle Society Certificates Awarded

In my classroom at Shining Needle Society I have awarded the first two certificates for completing the 2008 term. Congratulations to Jen Kaplan and Shay Lywitzki.

To earn the certificate each stitched Challenge Ornament and answered a series of questions about choices for the ornament.
To see a copy of the certificate, visit my website www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on "SNS Certificate."

I know that more people are working diligently on Challenge Ornament, so I hope to be awarding more certificates soon.

To join Shining Needle Society, an enthusiastic group of 2000+ members, write to Kate Gaunt
KateGaunt@aol.com

Gay Ann

Saturday, November 15, 2008

A New Page on My Website

Now that my website is nearly 5 months old, I thought it time to ask for feedback.
If you have comments or suggestions for me, would you email them to

GayAnn@GayAnnRogers.com

and I will post them on a new page on my website for Emails to the Queen (that's me -- I am Queen of my Website).

I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks.
Gay Ann

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Information about My Instructions

As many of you are opening packages from E-Week filled with my instructions, I thought I should write a bit about them, particularly for those of you who are new to the way I write instructions. They are not like cross stitch patterns, and I hope I do a credible job of describing why and how they are different.

I just finished posting the information on my website. Look for "My Instructions" on the navigation bar.

www.GayAnnRogers.com

On Saturday the StitchAlong for Hollyhock House begins with Ann Blalock as leader. She proofed Hollyhock House when it was new, so my guess is she will be a great help to everyone. In synch with the StitchAlong, I will start writing about the history of Hollyhock House also on Saturday.

Gay Ann

Monday, November 03, 2008

Hollyhock House and a Year-Long StitchAlong

In a short while Shining Needle Society will start a year-long StitchAlong for Hollyhock House. Anybody who has the pattern, whether from the classes I taught or from the sale on my website is invited to participate. If you would like to take part, contact Kate Gaunt (KateGaunt@aol.com).

The StitchAlong will be led by my chief proofer, Ann Blalock. She stitched the piece when it was new and sent me all the corrections she found. Ann is very funny and the StitchAlong should be a lot of fun.

To go along with the StitchAlong, I plan to tell the story of Hollyhock House, ie why and how I designed the piece, the journey stitching it and a running commentary about it on my website, www.GayAnnRogers.com, and click on Hollyhock House Story on my navigation bar. I plan to tell the story in a series of 'chapters' starting Nov 4.

Gay Ann

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Happy Birthday, Shining Needle Society


Today is Shining Needle Society's First Birthday. A year ago today Kate Gaunt and Marie-Therese Baker opened Shining Needle Society's first classroom and invited 200 people from my Yahoo chatroom to join. In the last year Shining Needle Society has grown to 2000 stitcher-members and daily it continues to grow.

Today in honor of Shining Needle Society's birthday we are having a Cyber-Stitch-In. Everybody who would like to participate stitches for at least half an hour and then writes about her progress. Several friends and I will spend the day stitching at Needle Point of La Jolla in celebration.

If you would like to join Shining Needle Society, contact Kate Gaunt, KateGaunt@aol.com.

For Shining Needle Society celebrations, visit my website, www.GayAnnRogers.com
There I have posted my own recollections of the past year on my Magic Carpet (home page and click on the photos).

So once again, Happy Birthday, Shining Needle Society and many happy returns!
Gay Ann

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Decorated for Halloween!

Early this a.m. I finished decorating my website for Halloween. Best part? My Magic Carpet! Hidden underneath the projects on my Home Page are an array of photographs -- from my favorite Halloween design (a bridge tally from the 1920's) to the best Black Cat I know, a dude named Jake. And top of it all, my Sarah Palin Pumpkin.

I hope you will visit before it all vanishes.

www.GayAnnRogers.com

Gay Ann

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Mail Jail, Halloween and a Happy Birthday Wishes!

I am deep in Mail Jail because of E-Week and I keep waiting for someone to send me a 'get out of jail free' card, but so far no body has sent one. So day by day on my website I post my progress. So far I have mailed over 100 packages.

Meanwhile where has October gone? Here it is, just several days till Halloween. I just decorated my website for Halloween and even left a photo hidden of the most beautiful Halloween design I know of. A bridge tally from the 1920's. It is hidden on my Magic Carpet.

And next up? Happy First Birthday to Shining Needle Society! In its honor we are having a Cyber-Stitch-In to celebrate the day, November 1. I will be in Needlepoint of La Jolla and will post photos of the festivities. Shining Needle Society is now 2000 members strong! So exciting!

So Happy Happy Birthday, Shining Needle Society!
Gay Ann

Thursday, October 23, 2008

What's New!

E-Week closed yesterday and I have my finale in place. This is 'sunset season' in Southern California and this past week we saw two memorable sunsets. If you want some color inspiration do go and have a look. They were so memorable, those 2 sunsets. Even though I was mired down in E-Week business, we took time to enjoy them. I added to the finale a couple of photos of the sun rising and of one morning's foggy mist. These show how the planes of a landscape recede so well that they should be a nice inspiration for anyone stitching landscapes.

To see my finale to E-Week, go to

www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on 'Finale'

For those of you who ordered patterns at E-Week you might wish to check my website page called 'Life After E-Week.' It is going to take me a while to mail all of the orders, so I decided I should post my progress each day. Today I kept myself busy with beads. And not to overwhelm my poor printer, I am taking patterns to him in batches. He will do them overnight, so as they come in, I will put them together.

Shining Needle Society reached 2000 members today! Just before its first birthday. We will have a big birthday celebration on November 1. I will write more about it soon.

To join Shining Needle Society, write to Kate Gaunt (KateGaunt@aol.com). Membership is free.

Gay Ann