I am an artist, a writer, a mom and a wife. I have lived, loved and laughed as often as life has allowed. I have created most of my life, not all of it I would call art, but all of it came from my heart. I promise to endeavor to bring you one of a kind, unique creative expressions from my hands to your eyes. May you enjoy perusing through these entries.
Happy day to you, and come back again real soon! Christen Brown
Hannah Tan from Redfin, asked me to write a few words about the use of embroidery in the home which was included here in her blog article Showcase Embroidery in Your Home: 23 Unique Embroidery Ideas to Elevate Your Space. She collected quotes from 23 industry experts, including myself! If you’re ready to get crafty and want some ideas to add a homey touch to your loft in New York, NY, or decor inspiration for your cozy home in Toronto, ON, you will find great ideas, interesting tips, new websites to explore, and examples to admire.
The appearance of needlework in home decor is a definite sign that embroidery is making a comeback. Whether you crave natural materials, vintage pieces, or the comfort of traditional surroundings, there is nothing like owning a touch of “hand-made”. Accessories made with your personal touch like an embroidered pillow, or framed wall hanging will become a focal piece, and add unique character to your home. When creating that “special piece,” I suggest that you work with colors that you like and ones that compliment your style.
If you are looking for inspiration, or to enhance your embroidery skills, check out new my book Hand Embroidery Dictionary, C&T Publishing, which will be available September 25, 2021.
Everything embroidery bundled into one helpful how-to guide! 500+ stitches from the basics for beginners to more complex designs for advanced stitchers. Stitches range from Lazy Daisy, French Knot, Herringbone, Capped, Chevron, and so much more. Create intricate art bursting with color and beads, designs are perfect for contemporary embroidery art or crazy quilting. Start simple and learn how to choose tools and threads, achieve the perfect stitch, and then start designing your unique embroidery project.
Happy Stitching to you all! ~Christen
Thank you so much to all of you who left a comment on Thursday, and participating in the blog tour for the Doodle Stitching One-Hour Embroidery book by Aimee Ray.
The winner has been chosen and I am waiting for her to contact me.
Happy Stitching to you all~ Christen
Introducing: Doodle Stitching One-Hour Embroidery
Let me introduce you to my embroidery colleague Aimee Ray, she is the best-selling author of Doodle Stitching Embroidery Art, and so many more titles. She has written a new book called Doodle Stitching One-Hour Embroidery.
The book is based on fast and fun embroidery stitch designs that can be completed in just one hour! You can mix and match motifs from 18 different projects with original embroidery designs and detailed stitch instructions. Plus, learn how to apply embroidery motifs onto pre-made items for your own unique and customized look.
One-hour embroidery is perfect for beginners as Aimee introduces basic techniques and stitches that are simple enough for almost any age and skill level. Sweet and simple designs that all embroiderers can find something new and exciting to create including flowers, nature, animals, planets, food, and more!
If you are interested in obtaining a free copy of her book, please leave a comment below with your name! This contest will run until midnight, Thursday, July 1, 2021, PST. I will contact the winner Friday morning.
If you don’t win on my blog, then you have two more chances:
July 2
Wild Olive/ Mollie
Aimee Ray
http://littledeartracks.blogspot.com
Good Luck and keep stitchin’ my friends!
~Christen
Note, this contest is now over, the winner was chosen on Friday July 2, 2021, thank you all for participating!
The blog tour GiveAWAY for the Embellished Art Embroidery Project Planner was a success! A big thank you to everyone of you who left a comment, and thoughts.
LynnMarie Pitticco was chosen in a random drawing as the winner for the book!
For those of you who would like to buy a copy, check the listing here on C&T’s website.
Happy Stitching! ~Christen
Embellished Art Embroidery Project Planner
by Christen Brown
Everything You Need to Dream, Plan and Organize 12 Projects!
This is a 12-month planner, but your planning can begin at any time of the year. For a quick reference guide, you can list Events by month, under My Creative Goals. My Action Plan provides a place to list the specific details of these projects such as Task List/Action, Due, and Completed, in a monthly overview format.
The main portion of the book revolves around the 12 Project color wheel and 12-month Project Log. There are 4 pages dedicated for each of the 12 main projects. In addition to the large projects, there is a Small Projects log, and a Works-in-Progress Log. There are also blank pages throughout the book for you to jot down notes, and Future Project Ideas.
Another helpful feature is the tracking section for your monthly/yearly activities. This section includes the Class Tracker, Stitch Along Time with Friends, Holiday Projects Tracker, Gift Tracker, and Competitions & Show Entries. Your social activities and contacts such as Guilds and Organizations, Stitching Friends, and upcoming Conferences can be listed with dates, addresses, and phone numbers. Your favorite stores and repair shops are important too, so there is a spot to list them as well.
The planner ends with a Reference section, that includes The Basics, Choosing the Correct Needle, Tips from the Field and Embroidery Specifics. Sprinkled throughout the planner you will find close-up sections of 14 of my previously published artworks, and a few inspirational pages, that I hope will encourage your creative spirit to enjoy and breathe in the moment.
It just makes sense to keep all of your creative aspirations, goals and information in one handy planner, because your brain can only hold so much information in it at one time! I hope that you all enjoy the well-planned creative journey!
If you are interested in obtaining a free copy of my book, please leave a comment below with your name and make sure that your email address shows! This contest will run until midnight, Sunday, June 19th, 2021, PST. I will alert the winner Monday morning.
Good Luck, and keep stitchin’ my friends!
~Christen
Spiders Hide in the Dusk
If you know my work, you know that I sneak a spider and a web into many of my creations. I am in awe of the beauty of a spiderweb, but deathly afraid of real-life spiders! In recreating a spiderweb, I try to capture the beauty of the delicate woven structure. However, when I embroider the spider, I try to create a more whimsical version to somehow confront my fear!
Thank you for looking, and Happy Stitching to you all!
~Christen
Here are a few images of more buttons!
These are a few wall hangings that I have made using buttons. These are all featured in The Embroidery Book, by C&T Publishing.
This wall hanging is randomly strip pieced with scraps of silk, moire, and bengaline fabrics, with accents of vintage lace fabric. Their are vintage celluloid buttons with a few fabric buttons mixed in. The embroidery is worked in perle cotton and seed beads.
For this piece I choose batik fabrics that varied from rust to brown. I found these wonderful blue buffed celluloid buttons, which I paired with brass buttons, buckles and both vintage and new keys. The rust and vintage blue ribbons just keep the colors flowing.
This piece started with a crazy pieced base of cotton prints, I added in lace and ribbon as accents. The embroidery is worked with perle cotton and cotton threads. The embellishments include vintage and new buttons, ribbonwork vignettes and garden tools.
The base of this piece started with strip-pieced batik fabrics, that were machine quilted to resemble the wood grain of a fence. I chose clear glass buttons in a variety of sizes for the flower centers, and clear painted back buttons for the accents. The embroidery is worked in both perle cotton and cotton floss, with beads added in for accents.
The base of this piece is synthetic felt, the pre-cut houses are made from a rayon/wool blend felt that was a gift from Barbara at Joggles.com. I added in a dyed rick rack border, and stitched the details with both solid and variegated perle cotton #8. The buttons are all new, except for the four large buttons in the corners, and the one in middle of the center house.
Hope that you enjoyed looking! Happy stitching! ~Christen
Here are a few images of more buttons!
These are a few items that I have made with shell buttons.
This is a wreath that I made using a vintage embroidered openwork cotton collar and some vintage velvet milliner’s leaves for the base. There are 5 fabric covered heart shapes that I adorned with mother of pearl, MOP, buttons.
Here is a sprinkling of some of the buttons in my MOP collection.
This is another example of my class Vintage at Heart. The covered heart shape base also included vintage lace, satin ribbon and grosgrain ribbon. A few vintage buckles are mixed in with the vintage mother of pearl buttons.
Here you will find a selection of bracelets made from a variety of mollusk shells, including brown muscle, green muscle, and Tahiti shell.
Tahiti and green and brown muscle shell buttons and buckles from my collection.
This is an example of my class Scrumptious Hearts. You will see a cascade of buttons on the left, and a vintage shisha mirror embroidered on the right.
Here a few more bracelets, the first using pink mother of pearl discs, the second using butterfly shaped abalone shell buttons.
Here is a mixture of all kinds of pink shell and glass buttons, with a few thread and glass beads added in.
Hope that you enjoyed looking! Happy stitching! ~Christen
Here are a few images of more buttons!
These are a few necklaces that I have made with buttons.
This necklace started with the wonderful wrapped metallic gold center piece given to me by a friend. The necklace base is made from silk rouleau and rayon cording wrapped and curled into an entwined pattern. The beads, buttons and extras are attached at random, using a free-form peyote technique.
This is a technique that I call “train tracks”, the buttons are attached through two layers of silk rouleau. The beads and charms are added on after the buttons.
This necklace started with a base made from ruched velvet ribbon. The buttons are made from abalone and muscle shell, jade, turquoise, and other materials. Seed beads and larger beads were used for the dangles.
This necklace was made using a right-angle weave pattern, the base is comprised of seed beads, pearls, and buttons made from muscle shell.
This necklace started with a base made from ruched velvet ribbon. The buttons are made from glass and metal, seed beads and vintage glass beads and charms were used for the dangles.
Hope that you enjoyed looking! Happy stitching! ~Christen
Here are a few images of more buttons!
These projects can be found in my book Beaded Embroidery Stitching.
These are samples of two classes that I have taught. These both use felt as a base, with lace as embellishments, and buttons, glorious buttons!
This is a PDF class called Phat Matt and Friends. Felt is used for the base of the project, embroidery threads and buttons for character.
Hope that you enjoyed looking! Happy stitching! ~Christen
