Lately

I'm almost finished with a new little design that I think you're going to like a lot. It has been super fun to stitch up. I'm hoping to get it finished and the chart ready to release next week. Maybe even as early as Monday. We'll see...

Spring is busting out all over the place; we're probably nearing peak bloom of the Cherry trees, the plum trees being the earliest and finished already. I think the double-blossom flowering cherries are my all time favorite, they are so poofy and eager to show off. Crabapple blooms are probably my next favorite, if you care to know.

Crabapple :: My Neighborhood :: First Grade Art :: Under the Piano Lid :: Sunset Perch :: Old Kitty (antique sampler from my Sister's collection) :: Flowering Cherry :: Perfect Arrangement (again from my Sister's house) :: Easter Blooms :: Risen Indeed :: Weathered :: Fritillaria :: Snooze :: Lilac :: Kerria Japonica :: Through the Sunroof :: Coming Soon :: Moss and Petals :: Over the Fence :: Bubble Girl :: Scattered

I'm Having a Birthday Sale!

I'm running a special sale, just for my blog readers!

Check out my groovy little graphic to read the details.(That's a 26% discount, in case you don't care to do the math). My shop is here.

And yes, the sale price will also apply to any item that you wish to purchase from my newly re-opened On Sale blog page. Which may or may not have something to do with the paper cuttings I have been working on.

Which may or may not look a little something like this:

What I've Been Working On

Stay tuned for a handful of Christmas-y Papercut offerings.

It has been quite awhile since I pulled my scherenschnitte tools out, and I am having fun!

My Sweet Pea

My little Miss is almost 3. For some reason, I am struggling with this birthday more than any other... I want her to stay 2 for much, much longer!

I am putting off her birthday celebration until next weekend for numerous reasons, but mostly because I am simply NOT READY.

Not ready for the baby talk to end, not ready for the little bits of chub to melt away, not ready for her to stop needing me to hold, cuddle, carry. Although I am really ready for the diaper changes to end, I am hanging onto TWO with a desperate grip.

Feeling sentimental (and a little guilty for putting it off so long), I finally cut her silhouette yesterday, and hung it on my wall next to her brother. At least I will be able to hang onto her charming ways through my photography, writing, and now a little bit of art.

She wants "macawoni cheese" for her dinner, and a "chocate ice keem cake" for her dessert. And pretty panties with "grocies" on them for her present (yes, groceries... think I'll find those easily? I'm thinking perhaps I'll find some with fruit. I hope.)

She's my baby, and she is growing up fast.

Sniff.

Seasonal Goodies for Sale

I have a few pretties for sale... first come first served... click on the photos to see a larger image for more detail... email me (beth@heartstringsamplery.com) if you want to buy one of the following (I'll do my best to keep this post updated, showing when something has sold):

Thankful Pinkeep... completely hand-stitched, an adaptation of my newest release. Filled with crushed walnut shells and trimmed with a wide rickrack, the entire piece is coffee stained, and includes the assortment of pins and a needle as shown. Measures 4 1/4 by 2 1/2 inches. To be honest, I won't be completely disappointed if this one doesn't sell, but if it does, you can be sure I'll be making another for myself... $30 plus shipping (by the method of your choice).

Pair of Pumpkins... One made from a vintage brown and pink upholstery-weight fabric, filled with crushed walnut shells and topped with a dried tomato stem. The other made from vintage brown velvet, filled with clean sand and topped with a real dried pumpkin stem. Both measure about 4 inches in diameter... $20 plus shipping (by the method of your choice).

Oregon Hemlock Ornaments Batch One... A heart-shaped paper mache box painted and distressed (white) on the outside, lined with paper on the inside. Filled with little ornaments that I made from Hemlock cones harvested on our property. Each ornament has a red or green satin ribbon loop and is lightly flocked. They range in size from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. There are 17 ornaments in this batch, and I threw in a handful of cloves to make them smell good... $20 plus shipping (by the method of your choice).

Oregon Hemlock Ornaments Batch Two... A heart-shaped paper mache box painted and distressed (red) on the outside, lined with paper on the inside. Filled with little ornaments that I made from Hemlock cones harvested on our property. Each ornament has a red or green satin ribbon loop and is lightly flocked. They range in size from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. There are 20 ornaments in this batch, and I threw in a handful of cloves to make them smell good... $23 plus shipping (by the method of your choice).

Joy Scherenschnitte (SOLD... thank you!)... Teensy, weensy papercutting designed and created by me, the cutting itself measures just 2 inches square. The frame is resin with a gold painted finish, just right for a little holiday festivity. Total measurement is 3 7/8 inches square. There is glass in front to protect the papercutting, and the frame is sealed with brown paper, has a sawtooth hanger attached, and it is signed and dated... $25 plus shipping (by the method of your choice).

While My Batteries Charge...

I can't take photos of the framed pieces just yet... I let my camera go too long without a recharge... so here, instead, are scans of the four scherenschnitte that I finished today...

"Heart of My Heart", a departure from my usual style of white on black, I used old and naturally aged scrapbook paper at the back and added love poetry torn from a badly damaged book that was printed just after 1900, together with my hand-cut silhouettes of a man and a woman... who just happens to be holding the sweetest old pressed flower in her hand...

"As the Deer"...

"Plumage"...

"Little Girl in Paradise", her silhouette is affixed to a print of old caligraphy embellishments...

I hope to get these listed in my shop this evening or tomorrow, but I'll also gladly make them available before hand if you are interested.

Happy Friday to you all!

Changing my Name

When I first named my business "Heartstring Primitives", it was a good title for what I created and sold... various primitive-style items, using a variety of art mediums. When the snowball effect occurred that launched me into sampler pattern sales, I was still operating my primitives business. But as my pattern sales grew, I found I had less time for creating finished goods, and began to grow uncomfortable with the "Primitives" part of my business name. I added the word "Samplery" to my pattern covers, with the intention of eventually eliminating "Primitives" altogether. I feel that the time to make that move is now.

Samplers... the stitching and designing and reproducing of samplers was what started me on my journey into the world of online sales, and it feels right and true to myself to be returning to that origin. I am sure that I will continue to offer finished goods to my blog followers as inspiration moves my fancy, but the primary focus of my business will once again be on the needlework that I love so very much.

So, starting today, I would like to begin the transition from being known as "Heartstring Primitives" to being known as "Heartstring Samplery". I have a new logo, designed using one of my very own papercuttings that represents the feeling I truly want to convey, that the designs I present to the world, are all creations that spring forth from my heart. I am strongly convicted to never, ever offer a design that is not meaningful in some way to me. I will not offer designs that were made just to generate money, but rather to generate an emotional response, a resonation in the hearts of my customers.

My Shadow

My business isn't changing, but I finally have a "look" that I am excited about.

Meet my shadow, formed from paper

with scissors and knife,

born from a seed of inspiration

that was certainly planted by God.

She will go many, many places

that I will never set foot,

she will travel the country

and perhaps the world... in my stead.

Stay tuned for more details.

Sugarplum Fairies

I can show you now the surprise that I sent to a friend for Christmas, since it has been received and opened...

Silhouettes of her two sweet babies... don't you just adore those ringlets?

There is still time before Christmas if you want a custom silhouette of the babies in your life- just give me a holler, and we can work out the details!

New Pretties in my Etsy Shop!

I have been busy this week, finishing up a Blessing Box, which is now listed in my etsy shop.

What is a Blessing Box, you ask? It is a special place to visit on days when you are having a hard time thinking of anything positive. Days when everything seems to be going wrong. For the Blessing Box, when used properly, is filled with scraps of paper, some elegant, others scribbled upon, no matter the method, each inscription tells of a Blessing that has taken place in your life. A stranger giving you fifty cents so that you don't have to put something back at the grocery store... an unexpected card from a dear friend... a favorite Scripture verse that gives you strength... your teenager cleaning his/her room with no prompting... A simple few minutes reading through the rememberances should be enough to set one's perspective back in a more peaceful place.

A Blessing Box might look like a shabby old shoe box, or a pretty antique hat box. Or maybe, just maybe, it might look like this:



A little thrift-store bentwood box, which I have coated with layers of paint, pretty papers, and one of my papercuttings decoupaged to the top.

Also added to my shop is this whimsical little gathering:

New Pretties in my Etsy Shop!

Yesterday I got busy and listed several new items in my etsy shop... some jewelry pieces and two brand new papercuttings. I will continue to add more besides just patterns over the next month in preparation for the Christmas holiday, so check back often to see what's new...

I Like Cutting Things

I love the sound of scissors cutting cloth on the tables at the fabric store.

I love how it feels to run the rotary cutter through a piece of wool.

And I love cutting away little bits of paper with my knife, watching as my design emerges from a single plain sheet of paper.

This will be listed next week on ebay:


I also love stitching the cut pieces back together. :)

This was inspired by a friend, and is being made entirely for myself: