Tis the Season: More on Catalogues

Are you busy saving your catalogues? Even one or two will do the trick. Of course, more is
best, but one or two are better than none. Just set them aside for a while.

For those of you who are groaning at the idea of more clutter, I have a suggestion: put them
in a stack, put a bow on top of them, tie a gift card with 'to me from me' on the bow and put
the stack under the Christmas tree. If you don't put a ribbon around the whole stack, you can
keeping adding to the stack as you find them or finish with them.

What will you do with these?
Later....

Merry accumulation!
Gay Ann

Tis the Season, Part 1: Catalogues

All those catalogues that flood your mailbox?
DON'T throw them away! Save them carefully!
I have a plan for them....

Gay Ann

Information about Digital Cameras

Today is an exciting day in my Shining Needle Society classroom: Arlene Jones who is an avid stitcher and knows a ton about digital cameras will start answering questions about digital cameras and needlework late this afternoon.
Look for my introduction in my classroom.

For those of you who would like to participate, please feel welcome to join Shining Needle Society.
Write to: Kate Gaunt, KateGaunt@aol.com.

Exciting! I am looking forward to questions from members and Arlene's answers!

Gay Ann

The First Shining Needle Society Cyber Stitch-in

Yesterday afternoon, between the hours of noon and 6 p.m. we had the First Shining Needle Society Cyber Stitch-in.

What is a Cyber Stitch-in?
I set the time frame of 6 hours yesterday afternoon and anyone who wished to participate set aside half an hour (more time if she could afford it), laid aside the tasks of the day, picked up her needle and stitched.

Then many people reported back how long they had stitched and what they had worked on. Three people even got together, ate lunch and stitched for the afternoon.

I myself attended the Cyber Stitch-in. I worked on a project, in fact I took the first stitch on a little project I have been meaning to stitch for a long time. I saw the time as a gift and I felt refreshed. Time set aside for my favorite thing to do.

I am looking forward to many more Cyber Stitch-ins and I hope that many of you who follow my blog will come join me.

Membership in my classroom is open to anyone who would like to join.
My classroom is a part of Shining Needle Society whose directors are Kate Gaunt and Marie-Therese Baker. Shining Needle Society is up to 600 people now and Kate and Marie Therese are looking forward to offering all sorts of different activities in all sorts of classrooms over the next year. Mine is only one of the classrooms.

For an invitation to join, write to KateGaunt@aol.com.

Gay Ann

Shining Needle Society opens my new classroom

For 8 months now I have had a chatroom featuring my Redwork Mystery. My mystery has just finished and I am about to move into a brand new classroom at Shining Needle Society. Tomorrow, on Thanksgiving, Shining Needle Society will officially open my new classroom and welcome anyone who wants to join.

I hope you will join me for a series of online projects, classes and play, lots of surprises and along the way small exercises to encourage creativity in needlework. Membership is free, just write to KateGaunt@aol.com and she will send you an invitation.

At Callaway last year, Jennifer Taylor took a wonderful collage photograph using a small grouping of my projects. I think Jennifer Taylor is nothing short of amazing and the photo she took is my favorite photo ever taken of my work. Clever Kate posted the photo as the logo-photo in my new classroom, so right away I was at home there.

We hope you will come to see one amazing photograph and let us welcome you officially.
See you at Shining Needle Society!

Gay Ann

Redwork Mystery's Bonus Surprise

Here it is, my little bonus for all of you. It isn't a new scene, rather a way to use any one of the little rooms on the Redwork Mystery.

When I thought it up, I thought the timing would be perfect: it would make a little Christmas present for someone special. And here's the best part: no finishing deadlines because you can do the finishing yourself in about 20 minutes.

I will post the instructions in my Shining Needle Society chat room later on today.
If you would like them, please join Shining Needle Society by writing to Kate Gaunt (KateGaunt@aol.com).
Membership is free and if necessary, Kate will help you with the forms.

I am not posting the instructions on My Blog because they are odd: for the first time in my long career of writing instructions, I have done a simple list with no graphs. If you belong to the chatroom and you have questions, you will have a good support system in there.

Again, thank you one and all for stitching my Redwork Mystery. I thought I would be so happy to see it end, but I am not. I miss the anticipation of unveiling a new room.

SEE you in Shining Needle Society!

Gay Ann

My Redwork Mystery: A Surprise Bonus coming soon!

For all of you who followed my Redwork Mystery, I have a photo of a little Surprise Bonus which I will post late Wednesday or early Thursday.

I will post the photo here. Should you wish to make the the little Bonus, I will post the instructions in my classroom at Shining Needle Society. If you wish to make the ornament, I ask you to join Shining Needle Society by writing to Kate Gaunt (KateGaunt@aol.com).

Membership is free and Kate will help you join.

Gay Ann

Shining Needle Society Reaches 500 People

Good News! Shining Needle Society reached 500 this afternoon! Kate Gaunt emailed me to tell me the news!
Congratulations to the fledgling organization! Wow!

If you are interested in joining, please contact Kate Gaunt (KateGaunt@aol.com).
Membership is free and she will help you register if necessary.

Gay Ann

My Sampler Makers are Finished!

About half an hour ago I finished writing the instructions for the fourth of my Sampler Makers.
They are finished!
Hooray!

(Click on each photo for a larger image)

Gay Ann

Redwork Mystery's Window #8 is in the mail

I sent off Surprise Window #8 in today's mail, so you should have yours in a few days.

As soon as I start hearing from people that their letters or packets have arrived (in about a week's time), I will post a photo of a little bonus to wrap up my mystery. It is a little add-on surprise for all of you, a way of saying thank you for participating in my mystery.

I will post a photo of the little bonus here; instructions for the bonus will be available in my Shining Needle Society Chat Room.
Please come and join by contacting Kate Gaunt (KateGaunt@aol.com). Membership is free and Kate will help you.

For the past months my Shining Needle Society chat room has been a support group for my mystery. As those of you who belong can attest, it has been a lively room with lots of photos showing variations people have made of Redwork Mystery.

After I post instructions for my little bonus, my chat room will evolve into a permanent room called 'Gay Ann's Shining Needle Society Class Room.' My classroom will be one of several, as Shining Needle Society becomes an on-line seminar.

Already Janet Casey has joined Shining Needle Society and she will offer two of her Santas for a Christmas-stitching adventure. Early in the New Year Jane Zimmerman and Judy Souliotis will join in and I suggest watching for other well-known teachers also as Shining Needle Society moves forward. All of us will offer projects, ideas, exercises and on-line classes as Shining Needle Society grows.

I hope you will join us for this exciting new stitching adventure.

Gay Ann

Redwork Mystery: The Complete Sampler Revealed

Here is my Redwork Mystery Cottage with all its rooms in place.
Click on the photo for a larger image.

Thank you for following me for 8 months as the mystery's rooms were revealed.
I will be back with a new mystery soon.
Gay Ann

Redwork Mystery: Surprise Window #8, the last one

Here it is, my last surprise window, and many of you guessed correctly that it would be the bathroom.
This is my second favorite room in my mystery house (after the stitching room) because of the claw-footed tub and the monogrammed towels.

Redwork Mystery has been going for 8 months and I thought I would be happy to see the end of it. Instead, I am rather sad it is over. So I concocted one last little surprise. I will post it here and Kate will post it in the Shining Needle Society chatroom two weeks after I mail Surprise Window #8.

Thank you to each of you who has followed my mystery. I enjoyed it each step of the way and hope you have too.

I will be back with a new mystery, next time a geometric called "Mystery in a Corner." When? One of these days. How will you know? I will post it here and in Shining Needle Society's chat room.

Gay Ann

For My Callaway Class, Cameo Extravaganza

Dear Callaway Student,

Below you will find postings showing 7 cameo projects. Please look at them all, then email me with your choice.
The class is set up for you to have a complete kit of your choice; then you may have also whatever other ones you wish also.
I will email you with the class particulars.
Please email me at GayAnn@GayAnnRogers.com with any questions.

This is the real reason I chose to have a website and a blog. How easy it is!
I look forward to hearing from each of you soon.
Thanks.
Gay Ann

For Callaway Class: Two Cameo Heart Samplers

Two Cameo Heart Samplers

On the left, Plus Grand Cameo Heart Sampler, the larger of the two, is 8 1/2" tall x 6 3/4" wide.
On the right, Plus Petit Cameo Heart Sampler, the smaller of the two, is 7 1/4" tall x 5 3/4" wide.

Click on photo for a larger image.
Gay Ann

For Callaway Class: Two Small Samplers

Two small samplers.

The larger one 'Plutot Petit Cameo Sampler' is a little over 6" tall x a little under 5" wide.

The smaller one 'Tres Petit Cameo Sampler' is 4" x 4"

Click on photo for a larger image.
Gay Ann

For Callaway Class: Two Cameo Ornaments

On the left is Cameo Ornament.
From the top of the hanger to the bottom of the tassel, Cameo Ornament measures 12"
The stitched part of the ornament is 5" tall x 3 1/2" wide.

On the right is Cameo Ornament: Portrait of a Lady
From the top of the hanger to the bottom of the tassel, Portrait of a Lady measures 10 1/2"
The stitched part is 4 1/2" tall x 2 1/2" wide.

Click on the photo for a larger image.
Gay Ann

For Callaway Class: Cameo Collector

On the left is a photo of the whole 'Cameo Collector'
On the right, a detail showing the top and the first three cameos.
The length, from top to tip of tassel is 21"
The width is 3 1/2"

Click on photo for a larger image.
Gay Ann

E-Merchandise Week: Deadlines

Several of you have written noting that it is past my deadline but asking if you can still order or pay for kits and patterns.
I try to be understanding about missing deadlines but this time I am sorry, I can't be flexible.

E-Merchandise Week was much larger than I would have ever guessed and I need to finish mailing things and get back to my own not inconsiderable deadlines.

Thank you anyway.
Next time!

Gay Ann

E-Merchandise Week is Over! Thank you!

Thank you to all of you who made my first E-Merchandise Week quite an experience! I have sold patterns and kits at merchandise nights at seminars for several years but this was a first. It was great fun to e-chat with so many of you! Thank you for all your notes, especially notes of encouragement. Often, when I felt overwhelmed by it all, those notes really helped.

This is a roundabout way of saying I am keeping up fairly well with your orders. I am still waiting for a single thread and the supplier has promised me it will be here soon. Its delayed arrival may hold up a few of your packages and I apologize for the inconvenience. I will write to those of you who are influenced by it. I have high hopes that the rest of the packages will be in the mail a week from now.

So what are you going to do with all of these patterns I am mailing to you? I have an idea.

I have asked Kate Gaunt and Marie-Therese Baker if they will let me keep my Shining Needle Chat Room after my mystery finishes next month. I would like to turn it into E-Studio Time for a while. That way you can all get to work and it will be fun if you share your progress. Please come and join Shining Needle Society by writing to Kate Gaunt (KateGaunt@aol.com).

So what about a second E-Merchandise Week? When will it be? Jane Zimmerman told me that Brigadoon returns every hundred years. I told her it dates us both that we even know about Brigadoon! I hope it will be sometime before a hundred years from now. How about thinking about it a year from now. If any of you have reflections or suggestions for me, please write to me, GayAnn@GayAnnRogers.com or post them here on my blog.

Meanwhile, I say goodbye to E-Merchandise Week with a photo of one of the most recent additions to my heart collection, Santa's Heart. I have to chuckle: remember the days when Christmas didn't go up in the stores until after Thanksgiving? Long gone are those days!
So Santa's Heart won't feel strange here for a while.

Again, thank you!
Gay Ann

Redwork Mystery: Surprise #7 is in the Mail!

I mailed Surprise Windows #7 this afternoon. I know it is early, but I had them all ready to go and thought, why not!
My house is mired down in canvas, instruction booklets, threads and kits, so mailing off these helped me feel like I was accomplishing something!

Enjoy the Dining Room.

I thought I would be relieved when the mystery was over; instead I find I am sad to think it only has a month to go.
I have enjoyed it and hope you have too!

Gay Ann