Tag: bella stitchery

bella stitchery, friday freebie, vintage cross stitch pattern

Friday Freebie – Vintage Pumpkin Patch Cross-Stitch Pattern Download

Genevieve Speegle

FREE Vintage Pumpkin Patch Pattern

Welcome to my Bella Stitchery blog, and I am so happy to give you today’s freebie pattern!

I made it just last night with the help of a Vintage Thanksgiving illustration, Photoshop, my cross-stitch software, and some late-night coffee (love the Caramel Brulée Latte from Starbucks).

starbucks

Simply click here to download the pattern, complete with DMC floss requirements. All the stitches are full X stitches, so it’s great for any level of cross-stitcher. This piece will be approximately 20×12.25 inches, based on a 14 count fabric (you can use any size you like, however) and the stitch count is 280×173.

Please sign up to receive email updates of my blog posts and be the first to hear about future freebies, new listings in my shop, and more crafty goodness. Also, feel free to contact me regarding custom patterns – I would love to hear from you!

Thanks so much, and happy stitching!

xoxo

Genevieve

bella stitchery, cross stitch patterns

Art Imitating Life

Genevieve Speegle
12x12 Baby in Utero Cross Stitch Pattern https://www.etsy.com/listing/115087269/baby-in-utero-handmade-pdf-cross-stitch?ref=shop_home_active_15
12×12 Baby in Utero Cross Stitch Pattern
https://www.etsy.com/listing/115087269/baby-in-utero-handmade-pdf-cross-stitch?ref=shop_home_active_15

One of my favorite things about creating cross-stitch patterns is the endless possibility for design.

With simple needle and thread, anyone can create a masterpiece – even one worthy of scientific recognition!

I have designed these special pieces due to popular request from the stitching community. I love the life-like results and they have appealed to such a range of crafter, from students to doctors.

Fertilization Cross-Stitch Pattern https://www.etsy.com/listing/115087057/fertilization-handmade-pdf-cross-stitch?ref=shop_home_active_3
Fertilization Cross-Stitch Pattern
https://www.etsy.com/listing/115087057/fertilization-handmade-pdf-cross-stitch?ref=shop_home_active_3
Heart with Ventricles Cross-Stitch Pattern https://www.etsy.com/listing/118012062/heart-with-ventricles-illustration-pdf?ref=shop_home_active_18
Heart with Ventricles Cross-Stitch Pattern
https://www.etsy.com/listing/118012062/heart-with-ventricles-illustration-pdf?ref=shop_home_active_18
Brain Blood Vessels Cross-Stitch Pattern https://www.etsy.com/listing/210943795/brain-blood-vessels-pdf-handmade-cross?ref=shop_home_active_1
Brain Blood Vessels Cross-Stitch Pattern
https://www.etsy.com/listing/210943795/brain-blood-vessels-pdf-handmade-cross?ref=shop_home_active_1

This last one is my newest addition. I just posted the brain pattern last night. Hope you enjoy my creations – happy stitching!

xoxo

Genevieve

bella stitchery, cross stitch patterns, Thanksgiving

Thankful for Fiber Art

Genevieve Speegle

il_fullxfull_155832421

The holidays are here once again, and it’s a great time to cozy in with the family, enjoy a little time off of school and work, and get busy cross-stitchin’! With all the classic holiday movies about to start up on television, what better way to relive those old favorites than with a Thanksgiving themed cross-stitch pattern?

Here are some that I have made. They can all be found under the holiday section of my Bella Stitchery Design shop on Etsy.

rsz_saturday_evening_post_boy_with_thanksgiving_turkey_on_table

rsz_blessings_harvest

rsz_saturday_evening_post_children_with_turkey_above_them

rsz_thanksgiving_day_greetings

rsz_saturday_evening_post_thanksgiving_football_and_pilgrim

Do you have a favorite image or photo that you would like to make into a cross-stitch project? Please feel free to contact me for custom patterns – I would be delighted to design a special project for you!

xoxo

Genevieve

cross stitch patterns, pop culture

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

Genevieve Speegle

rsz_wham

Wake me up before you go-go,
 I don’t wanna miss it when you hit that high.
Wake me up before you go-go,
‘Cause I’m not planning on goin’ solo.
Wake me up before you go-go,
Take me dancing tonight…
I wanna hit that high…
Yeah, yeah.

Wham! Timeless elegance and lyrical poetry. I just finished this one-of-a-kind cross-stitch pattern last night and I am so excited to share it with you!

Bella Stitchery is the ONLY place to find this gem – guaranteed!

The finished piece will be about 15×16 inches, based on a 14 ct. Aida cloth (size will vary slightly, depending on the size canvas you select).

With purchase, you will receive an email PDF file with the complete pattern with DMC floss code.

**ALL MY PATTERNS USE ONLY BASIC X STITCHES, SO THEY ARE GREAT FOR ANY LEVEL OF CROSS-STITCHER! NO BACK STITCHES, 1/2 STITCHES, KNOTS OR BEADING!!**

You can download the pattern here from my Etsy shop and start stitching the tapestry right away. Enjoy and happy stitching!

xoxo

Genevieve

embroidery

It’s a Swedish Thing

Genevieve Speegle
Love the thick satin embroidery over the dark red cloth.
Love the thick satin embroidery over the dark red cloth.

My new obsession – Swedish embroidery.

Love the color. Love the flowers. Love the style.

What is it? It’s rich – full of life and character. It’s a feeling.

swed5
Happy flowers make for happy linens at Brodera.

Here are some examples of Swedish folk art fiber art:

Embroidery featured on Sticka's blog.
Embroidery featured on Sticka’s blog.
Machine embroidery pattern from www.emblibrary.com
Machine embroidery pattern from http://www.emblibrary.com

Check out the rich tapestry on the chair below, found in Kurbits’ blog. It’s just so very unique and special.

Something to CHAIRish.
Something to CHAIRish.

swed3

I love this amazing technique on the jacket here, too. Fabulous!

swed4

halloween, scrapbook layouts

The Boo Crew 2014

Genevieve Speegle
We went a little batty this Halloween.
We went a little batty this Halloween.

Halloween 2014 – good times! Just finished this year’s layouts for my scrapbook and wanted to share.

The layout above was made using cardstock from the Authentique Spirited paper line. I love the fun double-sided cardstock and notecard embellishments.

halloween layout 6

It also worked nicely with the My Mind’s Eye Frightful collection that I used for the double layout below.

Happy Halloween from the Boo Crew!
Happy Halloween from the Boo Crew!

The toughest part of this layout was deciding which side of the cardstock to use – both sides were super cute!halloween layout 5

halloween layout 7

My Cricut Happy Hauntings cartridge allowed me to make this spoooooooooky title.

halloween layout 3

I found the inspiration for my double-page layout from this Creating Keepsakes sketch from 2011.

This sketch can be found here: http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/articles/Bonus_Sketches__September_2011
This sketch can be found here: http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/articles/Bonus_Sketches__September_2011

For tips on how to best photograph your scrapbook layouts, be sure to check out my how-to post here.

Thanks for stopping by and helping me celebrate! It was all treats this year – no tricks! 🙂

xoxo

Genevieve

embroidery

Is That Caffeine on Your Wall or are You Just Happy to See Me?

Genevieve Speegle

caffeine 2

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, caffeine. It’s how I start (and continue to live) my day. Coffee, Diet Coke, chocolate – anything will do in a pinch.

My love for that sweet magic is what inspired me to embroider this little puppy. It’s a hand-stitched caffeine molecule. The hoop is about 5.5 inches and it’s stitched with eye-catching yellow on a bright teal fabric – sure to wake you up, just like your morning cup of Joe.

Stop by my Etsy shop for more listing details. It’s perfect for home or office and is a great gift idea, too!

Caffeine - it makes the world go round
Caffeine – it makes the world go round

Thanks so much for stopping by and supporting handmade!

xoxo

Genevieve

boy scrapbook pages, diy, photography, scrapbook pages

How to Photograph Scrapbook Layouts Using an iPhone

Genevieve Speegle

Scrapbook Pictures

Great product photos are everything – whether you are using them on a blog, for sales, or to have your images re-pinned on Pinterest.

I am always looking to sharpen my skills. With a tight camera and lighting budget, I have to make do with what I have.

Below are some tips for using your iPhone to best show off your scrapbooking works of art. I used an iPhone 5s for these layouts.

Carrots - after

1. Purchase a large white poster board from the craft store (around $1.00). It helps to clear the background in the pictures and provide a nice, neutral base. I like to use the shiny side too, in order to get the most out of my available light source.

2. Choose your poster board position carefully. As you can see, I like to have mine next to my craft room window. I also used a standing OTT light to the right, to help balance the light (you don’t want a lot of shadows).

Here is the view of my "photo studio" wall.
Here is the view of my “photo studio” wall.

3. Stick a piece of tape behind the layout and affix it to the board.

4. Take the photo using some kind of stabilizing structure. I don’t have a tri-pod, so I usually use my desk with a box on it to help hold the phone steady. Take several pictures so you can choose the best one.

5. I then clean up the image using either www.fotoflexer.com (a free site) or Afterlight (a $.99 app). You can use these to play with shadows and lighting, crop and rotate, etc. I also use Photoshop Elements 5.0 at the very end to add white paint to the background, making it as bright as possible.

Before and after editing my pictures.
Before and after editing my pictures.

That’s it! Now you can save and share your masterpieces!

With these tips, you can make sure your artwork is the focus - not a messy background.
With these tips, you can make sure your artwork is the focus – not a messy background.

carrots - mustache

friday freebie, halloween cross stitch, horror movies

Friday Freebie – You’d Be PSYCHO To Miss This One

Genevieve Speegle

psycho title

Each Friday, I post a free pattern download. These are available for 24 hours. After that, you can find them in my Etsy or eBay shop.

Today is Halloween! The holiday just isn’t complete without classic horror movies.

I made this awesome Janet Leigh cross-stitch pattern from the unforgettable shower scene in Psycho.

It’s approximately 18×17 inches, based on a 14 count fabric (252×243 stitches) and it uses all full X stitches.

Janet Leigh in Psycho Cross-Stitch Pattern
Janet Leigh in Psycho Cross-Stitch Pattern

Please sign up to follow my blog – you’ll be the first to hear about freebies, giveaways and new products.

Thanks so much, and Happy Halloween!!

xoxo

Genevieve

P.S. Did you miss this week’s freebie? No worries! You can download a copy here on my Etsy shop!

1950's, altered art, anniversary cards, birthday cards, card ideas, cards, ephemera, free printables, retro cards

It’s a 50’s Thing – FREE Pin-Up Collage Image Included

Genevieve Speegle

I love the kitsch of 1950’s retro. Just absolutely love it. Paper crafting is a way for me to enjoy ephemera in a whole new way – by taking the illustrations I love and making one-of-a-kind collage art from them.

Below are some of my recent creations. I have also included a free “Pressed for Time” pin-up image, which is a one-of-a-kind collage I made myself. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, You Animal Pin-Up Card

Happy Birthday, You Animal

Retro Love U Card

Love U

Set of Two All Occasion Cards

Set of Two Cards

Pressed For Time (I’m also a huge fan of puns)

Pressed for Time

Like that last card? Here is the image I made using Photoshop. Feel free to save it and incorporate it in your own crafts.pressed for timeBe sure to check out my Etsy shop for lots more goodies. Thanks for supporting handmade!

xoxo

Genevieve