St. Charles ....ready set go.....

These two Little Halloweenies new from Squiggee designs are now on display at St. Charles.

Crane Cottage is having it's last cup of coffee now and in less than an hour will be open for inspection. They have a primo room right off the elevator, so they won't get lost in the shuffle.

I got a short email from Margaret and they are ready for action. I do hope they enjoy themselves.

Granted it is all about business, but face it, there are easier ways to make a living. But I am hoping Margaret will enjoy being on the other side of this trade. Till now she has been a consumer, which is a very good place to start. Sometimes I think the wholesale end of this business, forgets that it is the consumer that we all are out to please. Shops need to feel secure in doing business with someone that is down to earth and willing to make their experience non stressful. As a designer that has sampled all sides of this trade , and has been around since the early 70's, I have seen the trade grow and change, in great leaps and small little baby steps. My biggest concern always has been to be true to craft, with a fresh take on what is available in fibers and finishing techniques. Youngsters, would be horrified at how limited the fibers and finishing was when I first started. Like all art, it grows and is fueled by someone willing to push the boat out a little. Technology and programs that produce printed canvases, are fine , but there is one thing that must remain the same. The artist, that is the fuel that makes this business run. It is always nice to see a young new artist that is true to the craft, come onto the scene. By true, I mean being able to create a hand-stitch painted canvas that is concise and well executed, in design and color.

This is not an easy task. Ask anyone that has tried to paint a canvas, it sounds easy, but in practice, tedious and time consuming. One of the most underpaid and thankless jobs, is the painter that copies you original canvas...a stock painter. Believe me, if you want a job that is underpaid and boring you couldn't do better. That is how I started , and soon determined that I should master the canvas and get into designing. All designers at one time or another have had to produce a copy of their work, what if you were asked to paint 20 at a sitting, that is a horse of a different color ! I have a great respect for the nameless painters that take one of my designs and producing a flawless copy. By flawless, I mean such a precise copy that it is hard for me to tell it is not my own painted original. There again it is the copy artist that is the fuel that makes this business possible....two artists in tandem, the creator and the copier. There is no mystery to what I do , anymore than any other profession, talent plays it's part, but down to earth hard work is what it is all about. So people when you see the new designs in you local shops, take a pause to appreciate all that goes into that little canvas....artist, copy artist, wholesaler, retailer, and consumer. Your work as a needlepoint artist passes through so many hands , before it reaches you as the buyer.

Then the final phase, the fiber fairy and the amazing finishers ...that cherry on top. The finishers are artists in their own right, and if you dismiss what they do as just crafty, take a look at your piece when it comes back to you....it is a humbling experience...because I can create a fun design, pick fibers and work it, but if I finished it, it would be fit for my home maybe, but certainly not display....I actually want people to purchase my designs, and my finishing would be the big turn-off...lol

My my I do go on today......just chatty . I do have a serious side...so saying that

the purple spider canvas is called "Sixteen Legs", and the demented pumpkin is

"Mr. Jacques", I thought the sequin leaf eye brows made him look French ! Mr. Jacques was originally part of my line by Gail ....but he has had a make-over and joined the Squiggee family.

The Squiggee family seems to be growing these days, and think it all started with a little brass paw print charm on ebay......makes you almost believe in the tooth fairy !