Santa Balloon 2023 - Updated 10/27/25

October 27, 2025--Santa is now completed--holding his beaded basket, with himself as the balloon.  The basket turned out to be a lot more difficult to put together than I had expected, and attaching it to the canvas turned out to be another challenge.  But overcome I did, and the result is below.  All in all, I really like this one.

PS - the beaded basket "chains" in the front look lighter than the chains in the back due to shadows.  The beads are actually all the same color.  After turning this into an ornament, I will place a white pom-pom on the end of his hat.

See below for earlier blog posts about this project.

Santa Balloon 2023 Completed

October 6, 2025--The stitching on this roly poly Balloon Santa is done and it's now ready for me to work up the little beaded gift basket (see project photo below).  This shouldn't be difficult since I've done many peyote beaded bracelets and the instructions look easy enough.  Stay tuned.

Santa Balloon Stitched to Date

September 26, 2025--I haven't worked on a Janet Zickler Casey Santa since April and this is one I've been looking forward to stitching because of the peyote beaded "gift basket" attached to the balloon (see project photo below).  I'm halfway done with the hat, and the beard will probably be next.  These Santas are always so much fun to do.

Here's my progress so far:

Santa Balloon 2023 Progress to Date

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Stocking Brocaded Elegance - Updated 2/26/21

February 26, 2021--Finished this ornament into an opened top, lined stocking with the help of two YouTube videos done by "starkeart" and can be found by clicking on Part 1 and Part 2.  Her technique is different from other stocking finishers and I personally like it a lot.   There is more hand sewing than I'm used to, but it's necessary in putting the stocking back and front together.  However, I chose to glue the Kumihimo cording around the stocking rather than hand sew it because my arthritic fingers couldn't take any more hand sewing.  The embroidered initials and year on the stocking back were done on my Bernina 1530 which is a garment sewing machine, not an embroidery machine, so I'm lucky it does this much.

Stocking Brocaded Elegance Completed Front

Stocking Brocaded Elegance Completed Back

Stocking Brocaded Elegance Completed Showing Lining

Kumihimo Cording for Stocking Brocaded Elegance

February 19, 2021--The Northern Virginia Chapter of ANG worked this beautiful stocking designed by Pat Mazu as a chapter project at their February meeting.  Even though I was unable to attend the Zoom meeting that night, I decided to stitch it up using colors from my thread stash.  The instructions can be found in the January, 2019 issue of ANG's NeedlePointers Magazine, and is a very quick stitch.  Now off to my craft room to finish this into a stocking ornament.

Stocking Brocaded Elegance Completed

Stocking Brocaded Elegance Completed Side View

The instructions called for a Swarovski teardrop pendant crystal, but I used a very dark blue pendant leftover from another of Pat Mazu's projects that I stitched called Sapphires and Sparkles
Perfect.

Below is a copy of the stocking as shown in the magazine.  Mine looks very different stitched in monochromatic colors.

Stocking Brocaded Elegance Designed by Pat Mazu Project Photo

Expressions in Rose Gold - Updated 9/14/19

September 14, 2019--Just learned this piece garnered a 1st place ribbon at the Rehoboth Beach Museum's 9th Annual Needlework Exhibit.  Thank you Nancy Cucci for such a beautiful design.


August 13, 2019--Just picked this up from the framer at Aaron Brothers out of Michaels Arts and Crafts.  Love the rose gold metal frame.

Expressions in Rose Gold Finished

The woman who did the framing had a devil of a time with this one--mainly because the canvas was a bit crooked.  Even though I placed the canvas tight on the stretcher bars, the weave itself was not even, something I didn't notice.  When she tried to cut the mats evenly on both sides using the computerized cutting tool--wham, all out of kilter.  She then tried cutting the mat by hand using a roller type blade, but that left deep cuts in the corners--not a good solution.  Lastly she cut the mats by hand using a knife--perfect.

I give the framer at Aaron Brothers/Michaels lots of credit for making this just what I wanted.  I also love the price for the 16" x 13" metal frame, special mounting of the canvas and 3 mats:  $147.52.  Of course, I used those 70% off coupons, but I get those by email almost every day.

June 4, 2019--Completed the stitching on the 7th Nancy Cucci project to date.  This one is called Expressions in Rose Gold.  The others I've stitched are:  Mini Embellishment Ornament, Sisters, Lone Star Heart, Irresistible Iridescents, Stitches in Sterling, and Close to My Heart.

Now off to the framer.

Expressions in Rose Gold by Nancy Cucci Completed

May 15, 2019--Serious progress has been made on this beautiful project.  The central section was the hardest and most time consuming portion to stitch with all the various beads.  Now onto the outside sections stitched in Anchor 1 White and Kreinik 021 Copper.  These boxes will take no time at all.

Expressions in Rose Gold Central Portion Completed

March 26, 2019 - A while ago, I signed up to take a class offered by the Northern Virginia (NOVA) Chapter of ANG (of which I am a member) taught by Nancy Cucci herself called Expressions in Rose Gold.  I've seen this piece completed by others and have always wanted to stitch it.

Even though I couldn't be in Virginia for the class (a medical issue) that was held last weekend, I was able to ghost it.  And to feel part of the program, I completed the prework that was mailed to everyone a few weeks ago.  So now I'm waiting for the complete instructions, threads, and all the beads associated with this project.   And there will be lots of beads, I'm sure.  Once this is framed, I know exactly where I'm going to hang it.

Expressions in Rose Gold Prework

ANG 2018 Seminar Scissor Fobs - 9/3/18

September 3, 2018--In May of 2017,  I learned the Northern Virginia (NOVA) Chapter of ANG was stitching some really cute scissor fobs to give as favors to the ANG 2018 Seminar attendees.   After bringing this project to the attention of Delaware's Seashore Chapter members, many wanted to participate in this project to help the NOVA chapter meet the goal of producing 400+ fobs by August, in time for seminar.  So we Delawareans began stitching, using our own stash threads, canvas and beads, producing a total of 96 fobs .  Below are photographs of the 24 fobs I personally stitched and finished.  I hope the recipients like them.

Below is a picture of the lovely red and white fob I found in my seminar registration packet.  Love it.  Thank you to the fantastic stitcher who worked up this one.

Scissor Fob Received with ANG Seminar Registration Packet

I understand the few fobs that are left over will be donated to Nelly's Needlers.  Information about the Needlers can be found by clicking here.