Creativity

"Emerald Garden" painted canvas by Birds of a Feather Designs with needlepoint stitch guide by Ellen Johnson

3 Needlepoint Stitch Guide Myths That Keep You Stuck

By Ellen Johnson / August 24, 2025

Picture this: You’re scrolling through Instagram®, admiring all those gorgeous needlepoint pieces with their intricate stitches and luxurious threads. The texture! The dimension! The pure artistry of it all! Then you look at your own canvas sitting in your project bag – the one you’ve been working in plain old tent stitch for months – … Read more

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Eye Candy Designs "Joy" needlepoint canvas, featuring bluebirds and spring flowers

Your Painted Canvas Is Missing Something… Here’s What It Is!

By Ellen Johnson / August 17, 2025

You know that flutter of excitement you feel when you bring home a gorgeous hand-painted canvas? I love that moment. 🙂 But sometimes, the thrill is quickly followed by… a big ol’ wave of self-doubt. Should I just basketweave the background? Which stitches will actually make this flower pop? How do I know if the … Read more

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Finished needlepoint canvas showing houses with different decorative stitches and textures demonstrating artistic interpretation techniques used in Ellen Johnson's Stitch Guide Formual

How to Interpret Your Painted Canvas Like a Needlepoint Artist

By Ellen Johnson / August 17, 2025

Is your most favorite painted canvas you’ve ever bought still waiting for you to figure out how to make it look like what you picture in your head? Maybe, when you close your eyes, you can see the transformation — a flat blue space painted on your canvas becomes a shimmering lake with just the … Read more

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