Friday, February 18, 2011

Lily of the Valley

This is is such a pretty piece! The photo doesn't do it justice.

It's done in a Watercolours of greens and pinks, pink Ribbon Floss Shimmer, a pink Metallic Ribbon Floss, several Perle Cottons and pearl beads.  I love these floral collage designs from Laura J. Perin because they have small areas with fun stitches, just enough sparkle to make them pretty, and an easy to do background. 

The lily of the valley is the flower for May and has many traditions associated with it.   According to Wikipedia, in the "language of flowers", the lily of the valley signifies the return of happiness. Legend tells of the affection of a lily of the valley for a nightingale that did not come back to the woods until the flower bloomed in May.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Rhodes Heart

It's almost Valentine's Day and the perfect time to show you one of my favorite stitches: the Rhodes Heart. In truth, there are many versions of this, but here's the simplest one.