FYI...

Just thought that many of you that are followers and readers of Tree of Life Samplings blog, might be interested in knowing I am the Feature Designer at Norden Crafts blog this week...

nordencrafts.blogspot.com

It is an honor to be featured!

I hope that everyone is having a most wonderful week! I have been busy picking linen and NPI silks to reproduce Sarah Steel! Fun, fun!! Also still working on designing Penny Harvest!

Enjoy some time in your stitching place today!

Fondly, Jan

Newly acquired Antique Sampler to Reproduce!

Here is a portion of it...I am in the process of doing a bit more research, to make sure I have gotten information on the Sarah Steel that stitched this sampler, but I am fairly confident that she was born in Pennsylvania, so that makes this an American sampler. She is going to be a joy to reproduce, I am loving the verse that is on the sampler...I will share more about it later, but wanted you to see a peek of the Spies of Canaan and those wonderfully charming spotted deer! Sarah wrought this sampler in the 11th year of her age, in 1772! That makes this one 240 years this year!!

**SIGH** I don't understand why blogger is showing this picture sideways...so sorry, but at least you can get an idea of what Sarah looks like! What do you think?

Thanks and stay tuned!:)

Fondly, Jan @ Tree of Life Samplings

Beauty and Grace

As promised, next week, the 2011 Retreat Exclusive design will be in the hands of distributors...so be sure and let your shop owners know that they need to order it! Either through Hoffman Distributing or Norden Crafts! Thanks much for your patience in getting hold of this design and also your support!


Next on the design table? Penny Harvest....:)


Oh and Beauty and Grace is pictured in the header, just in case you missed her!

Fondly, Jan

Is it Retreat Time..Edited!

 Heads Up! If you are attending the Retreat this year and have a blog, that I might not be aware of, can you email me, or post here, that would be fine! Trying to make up name tags!


You betcha....just a matter of hours now, before we group together for a most wonderful LONG weekend!! Oh yes, I know, time will go swiftly as it always does, when stitchers get together, but maybe if we look forward to a LONG Retreat, maybe it will SEEM like it!!

I just wanted to hollar out at you all that are coming...I will be looking for you with anticipation in just a couple more sleeps!!!!

Items you need to remember to bring:

• Your class projects, stitched, hopefully! But if not, bring them anyway!
• Your exchanges pieces, as many, or as few, as you have!
• Your projects, wips, finished items, anything you would like to share with the group! Always a great time to see what others are stitching!
• Extra stash money!
• Your travel Ott, Dazor or Daylight lamp for task lighting! Although the meeting room has some awesome light, even some windows, I know how important it is to have the additional helps!
• Your appetite!
• There will be drinks available out in the lobby, just outside the meeting room, but if there is something special you require, please feel free to bring your own!
• Extra stash money!
• Pajamas....a pair that you feel comfortable wearing, getting from your hotel room to the meeting room! Most likely many of us will be changing, especially for the Pizza Party on Saturday night!
• Extra stash money!
• YOURSELF, don't leave home without YOU!!!

I will see you all VERY soon, be safe in your travels and be ready for a swingin' party of a Retreat!!

Love, Jan

A Very Much Heartfelt Thank You!!

I just wanted to take the time, to wish you each a most blessed New Year!! I appreciate so much, your support, this my second full year of designing. I do so hope you enjoy stitching them and I pray that the new year, brings lots and lots of wonderful stitching time for each of you!

I have lots of plans for 2012...I will continue designing for the Emma Rose series and have in mind to do a main Emma Rose Sampler with the theme being Virtue. Also would like to continue with the penny rug, especially since Penny America was so popular...possibly do one or two to continue with that. Then there is the newest design, Love's Power. Be watching for a second one to compliment that sampler, called Faith's Promise sometime in the next few months. Also an Adam and Eve Sampler I have in my mind to create. A Noah Sampler is on my sketch pads for a release sometime this year, hopefully. There are at this time, 4 antique samplers in my personal collection, that I hope to reproduce in the future, so also be looking for these. Lots and lots of exciting plans.

The linens are continuing to be dyed and are being well received! Thank you for the opportunity to sell my hand dyed linens as well to you. It has been an eventful and wonderful year for Tree of Life Samplings and Linens and without you, it all wouldn't be possible! I thank you!!

New Release Results....

Picture and announcement of winner! Please do forgive my delay...I should have had this posted two weeks ago, but alas it didn't get done, so....

Thank you all so much for helping me with a name, that was fun and special and I found my favorite...although there were several that spoke to me, the one I chose, felt it fit the sentiment best!

Here is "Love's Power"! It is stitched on Tree of Life Linens, a new color, 40 count Almond Creme' with Gentle Art Sampler and Shaker Threads! The pincushion is stitched on another Tree of Life Linen, this time 36 count Hickory Nut Blend, with some of the same Gentle Art fibers! Isn't it adorable? Vonna stitched it for me and did the expert finishing, trimming with a hand-dyed chenille trim and stuffing it with crushed walnut shells! I adore it! And I adore the sampler, as well, although it took me forever to stitch it, because I kept changing colors, midway...honestly, I think I could have stitched the complete design 4 times, for the amount of time it took me to get finished! But sometimes that is the most important part of the design process, to get the colors the way they need to be, don't you think? I am pleased and I hope that you all love it!

The pattern will include the pincushion pattern as well!

As for the verse: 'Let us see what LOVE can do' is borrowed from William Penn. It is so true, isn't it, Love's Power can do so much! Hence the choosing of the title, thank you to: Simple Pleasures Patricia! Patricia please do send me an email at treeoflife50@frontier.com with your mailing information, so that as soon as I get these patterns formatted, I will be sending you the pattern! Thank you so much for your suggestion!!

I hope to get some better pictures soon, my camera battery decided to die on me, so this was just one of the very first ones that I took. I hope you can see it well enough and the sweet, sweet pincushion, that Vonna made!

Thank you again for participating! Judith (no blog) sent me a picture of her finished Rare Treasures, all matted and framed, and I wanted to share it here with you all! This was my first published pattern, one that is near and dear to my heart! Thank you, Judith!

'Love's Power' will be formatted very soon and ready to publish! If you would like to order directly from me, just send me an email, at either of the email addresses in the side tab. If you are also interested in my linens for these or any other projects, just email me with your needs! I will answer as soon as I can!

All My Best, Jan

As Promised....

I said in my last post, that I would be posting a few sneak peeks of my newest design, which will be released in just a few short weeks. I think you are going to like it, I know I do! Have been frantically stitching the model...which I rarely do, usually I depend on my nifty and wonderful model stitchers, but this one I decided to hold on and do myself. Probably because somehow I knew that I was going to have some struggles with color. Anyway, I just about have it finished, so please do help me with the naming of this sweet piece, soon to be released design and post what name you think would be good for it. If you list a name that 'catches' me, I will be sure to let you know and treat you with a free design, just as soon as I get the patterns formatted! Sound like fun? I hope so!!

Oh I forgot to tell you, it also has a complimentary pincushion design with it, and that was lovingly stitched and finished by dear Vonna Pfeiffer. It is adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are a couple of sneaks.....

What say you?

I will give you plenty of time to choose a name....well at least until I need to have the name to format the patterns! But...time enough, I am thinking! I am SO looking forward to seeing the names that you come up with!!

Retreat News...
I have received lots and lots of email inquiries about 2012 Retreat!!! Exciting stuff, and I will have some information sent out for pre-registration next week, so stay tuned! If you have emailed me, and you don't receive that information, please let me know!

Thanks so much and happy stitching!

All my best, Jan