Latest News

I recently went to visit a specialist about my CFS and one of her recommendations was to reduce as much stress in my life as I possibly can. As much as I love Character Creations - and I certainly do! - the designing and pattern creation side of it is indeed a stress due to my current state of health (not to mention the added pressures of having a very active five year old with new school and homework commitments). We have the purchase side as automated as possible without creating a whole new website, so that is relatively simple to keep up and I will do that, but producing a high quality chart that you will be happy to stitch is a lot of work. Therefore, I am reluctantly putting the designing side of Character Creations back on hiatus for the forseeable future. I am sorry to do this, but need to concentrate on improving my health at the present time.

As a consolation prize, everything on the site is on sale for 20% off for the next week and through Easter until Easter Monday night. I'll try to toss out some differing discounts every so often, just so that something is happening. Thank you to everyone who has supported and continues to support me. I truly appreciate it. Please don't give up on me completely.

Many thanks to Renata, who sent me some photos of her mother, Kveta's stitching on Spring Queen, Autumn Queen and Summer Queen. I've set up a folder for Kveta in the gallery and all the pictures are there.

RSS feeds have been added for both this news page and new releases as they go into the catalogue. Links to both are at the bottom of the sidebar. Please add us to your newsreader and then you won't have to keep checking here, but will have updates pulled into your reader directly. We expect updates to average about one a month.

No new releases for March yet, but they are coming. Stay tuned - or make use of the new RSS feeds to let you know when they go up on the site.

I've just cleaned the spam out of the bulletin board and gallery and will be working on ways to stop it happening in future. Please do come and use both of these as hopefully activity will reduce the attempts to spam them. I will make a point of dropping into both each day and I hope you will as well. I've just been send some lovely pictures of Sylvia Polster's seasonal fairies to add to the gallery and I'll do that this weekend. Keep an eye out for them.

Hooray, new designs! The first two new designs for 2009 are from artist Christy Babrick. One is a dragon lazing in at tree, while the other shows a young woman looking back at a castle as she walks away from it. Both are on sale at 20% off for the next five days (from today until 7th February).

Last Look - Christy Babrick
In the Treetops - Christy Babrick

It is my hope and intention that 2009 will be a better year for Character Creations than 2009 was. My health seems to be a little better than last year and my son starts school at the end of January. To celebrate both those things and to start the year with a bang, I am putting the entire store on sale until the end of the month.

All email charts are 50% off and all printed charts are 25% off. The discount will show up once you put a design into your shopping cart. Happy shopping and happy stitching!

I also apologise that for my lack of attention to the bulletin board and gallery. I'll be asking my site admin to deal with the spam on the board as soon as he can, and I've cleaned up the gallery and added two new photos. New Zealand stitcher Ian Moody sent me photos of his finished stitching for The Grass Cutter and The Reading Desk and both came out beautifully.

Cross Canada Stitching in Ottawa, Ontario now carries our designs. Check out our page on their website.

In Desert Angels, the solid X is not listed in the colour key. This symbol should be stitched with DMC 3799.

Amethyst Mermaid - Nicole Cadet

I wanted to take a moment to let people know what has been happening with Character Creations, since if you're a regular visitor you're probably aware of a lack of updates in the last few months. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and this means that I'm always working around health issues. I also have a four year old son and sometimes his and our family needs use up my energy and leave little left for Character Creations.

I always fill orders and keep up with commission payments to my artists, but occasionally - as the last few months have shown - that means I may not be able to get any new designing done. I have decided to set myself a goal of one new design per month as an achievable target, and if it is a good month and I get more done, that's a bonus for everyone.

I am always here and will answer email as well - if you don't get an answer from me mail again as your message may have been eaten by my spam filters. I also hope the new bulletin board and gallery will help me stay in touch with you even when the designing slows down.

Yes, finally we have a bulletin board again. The link to it is back on the sidebar or you can jump to it directly at http://www.creations.co.nz/bb. It will be a work in progress as we discover together how we best want to use it, so feel free to make suggestions for new forums or any other options you'd like us to investigate. This board software includes a gallery module that we've also set up. So now you have a place to share your pictures of your Character Creations projects.

Anyone who has registered for the Bulletin Board has the option to set up a user gallery and I hope you'll do that so we can see your stitching. You can read the board without registering, but you do have to register to post. Please come along and help us make ourselves a community.

I am planning for a May chart release shortly, so keep an eye out for that too. Unless I change my mind, it will be a lovely mermaid from Nicole Cadet.

Three lovely new releases from Abranda Sission this month, along with small samples from some works in progress on older designs, especially favourite The Carpet Market.

Kat - Abranda Icle Sisson
Starfish - Abranda Icle Sisson
Air Element - Abranda Icle Sisson

Samples for The Carpet Market, Cats, Earth and Moon and Fantastical Cats.

Three new releases this month - a lovely fine art design and a new design from Pamela Matthews, available in two sizes as usual.

Reading a Book - Rudolf Ernst
Reconciliation of the Sexes - Pamela Matthews
Reconciliation of the Sexes Deluxe Edition - Pamela Matthews

We are leaving for our summer holiday for a week today. February's new releases will go up on our return so orders can be filled immediately rather than leaving you waiting for a week. Please keep an eye on the site next week.

A lovely new design from Carol Covey and fine art by James Herbert Draper to compliment it and both are 20% off for the first week. (The discount shows up once the chart goes into the shopping cart, not in the listed price.)

Carved in Stone - Carol Covey
Study of Florrie - James Herbert Draper

There are two lovely new designs from Abranda Sisson's art this month and both are 20% off for the first week. (The discount shows up once the chart goes into the shopping cart, not in the listed price.)

Carrie
Ashley

There are two lovely new designs from Stephanie Law's art this month and both are 20% off for the first week. (The discount shows up once the chart goes into the shopping cart, not in the listed price.)

Life Companions - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Uplifted - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

There are no new designs this month; instead the entire catalogue is on sale for 20% off for the whole of the month of September. (The discount shows up once the chart goes into the shopping cart, not in the listed price.)

It's dragons this month - one from Sylvia Koerner (formerly Sylvia Polster), one from Nicole Cadet and two lovely Tarot cards from Lisa Hunt. As an added bonus, all dragon patterns are 20% off for this week. (The discount shows up once the chart goes into the shopping cart, not in the listed price.)

Top of the World - Sylvia Koerner
Dragon Thrall - Nicole Cadet
Celtic Dragon Tarot - The Emperor - Lisa Hunt
Fantastical Creatures Tarot - Judgement - Lisa Hunt

Please welcome Jessica Palmer to the Character Creations family. Jessica paints beautiful watercolour and mixed media fantasy art. I first fell in love with Jessica's "Eyes Full of Wings" many years ago and finally, here it is to share, along with two other lovely charts.

Eyes Full of Wings
Stream God
Soul and Intellect

Firstly, let me apologise for the lack of new releases. May was a hard month for us, as my son had his adenoids and tonsils out and took a while to recover, which made my health take a dive. He's all recovered now and it's like a miracle as he can now sleep easily and has started talking up a storm. We're just back from two weeks holiday with his grandparents and at last, here are some new designs.

Presentation - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Optimistic - Kort Kramer
Manners Are Everything - Nicole Cadet
Cycle of Enchantment VI - Christy Babrick

Child of the Goddess - Nicole Cadet
Stone Magick - Nicole Cadet
Violet Wings - Nicole Cadet
The White Lady (Petite) - Nicole Cadet

Birch Fairy - Carol Covey
Butterfly Fairy - Carol Covey
Mermaid Reflection - Carol Covey

My Heart's Choice - Abranda Sisson
My Heart's Choice (Macro Edition) - Abranda Sisson10:11 1/02/2007
Priestess of Avalon - Abranda Sisson
Luscious - Abranda Sisson

Spark Bearer - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Star Walker - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Strands of Starlight - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

We now offer Gift Certificates in $1, $5, $10, $20 and $50 denominations to allow you to make up your own gift amount. Gift certificates will be 20% off from now until Christmas - for example, pay $8 and give your friend a certificate for $10.

Dark Angel - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Daisy Bay, Revisited - Wendy Leach

Seven Ravens - Abranda Icle Sisson
Owl Woman - Nicole Cadet
Brigit - Pamela Matthews
Brigit: Deluxe Edition - Pamela Matthews
The Hermit: Macro Edition - Lisa Hunt

All for new designs are available at a 20% discount for the next 10 days.

Anne - Abranda Icle Sisson
Tilley - Abranda Icle Sisson
Tara - Lisa Hunt
Venus - Lisa Hunt

All for new designs are available at a 20% discount for the next 10 days.

Celtic Moon - Nicole Cadet
Regency Fae - Nicole Cadet
Dark Elf - Nicole Cadet
Briar Elf - Nicole Cadet
Handmaiden to the Princess - Nicole Cadet

All five new designs are available at a 12.5% discount for the next 10 days. (I know it's a funny percentge, but it works out at $1 off the regular price in US dollars.)

I've had a number of people send me photos of their stitching lately. I'll be working on updating the gallery next. I'll also add all the pictures onto the Bulletin Board. Do take a moment to pop over to the board and say hello.

Eagle Nebula - Hubble Space Telescope
Faery of the Standing Stones - Johanna Pieterman

I've also added close ups of the model stitching for Morgan Le Fay, Faery Trouble and Blue Moon which were missed in the rush to get the last new releases up.

I now have the model back for the first in a new line of designs, so look out for those in August.

The site will remain up and orders can still be made and will be receive. However, they won't be processed by me until next weekend.

The bulletin board will go down for the duration of the move as it is hosted on one of our home computers.

This is also the reason there weren't any new releases this month. I haven't had a chance to get all the files ready as I've been dealing with the move.

I'll be around and online for the next 36 hours, but after that things may be a bit flaky for a while.

Morgan Le Fay - Johanna Pieterman

Belle - Abranda Icle Sisson
Night - Abranda Icle Sisson
Faery Trouble - Abranda Icle Sisson (stitched by Lyn Ellis - thanks very much Lyn!)
Blue Moon - Abranda Icle Sisson (stitched by Chris Wills - thanks very much Chris!)

Please welcome Michelle McIntyre to the Character Creations family of artists. Camy draws beautiful, almost anatomical images of all sorts of fantastic creatures, including dragons, unicorns and fairies.
Water Dragon - Michelle McIntyre
Black Dragon - Michelle McIntyre

It's going a little slowly, but I plan to gradually release as much of Lisa Hunt's Celtic Dragon Tarot as possible. Here's the latest release.
Celtic Dragon Tarot - Knight of Wands - Lisa Hunt

Carol Covey's painting The Hatching just begged to be charted in all its glory and while I've done that, it's a big design that fits into the Character Building Creations category. For everyone who loves the little girl and her new golden dragon but is intimidated by the size of the whole thing, I've also done a Macro Edition that is a less daunting size.
The Hatching - Carol Covey
Out of the Shell - Carol Covey

During April, I introduced mid-month releases and I plan to continue those this month. So check back here on 15th May to see what other goodies show up. In case you missed April's mid-month releases, here they are again.
Fairy Circle - Camilla Costa
Bubble - Camilla Costa
Dragon and Phoenix - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Cats Know Best - The Fashion Guru - Nicole Cadet
The Christmas Gift - Nicole Cadet

Please welcome Camilla Costa to the Character Creations family of artists. Camy draws distinctive fairies and here are the first two I've charted.
Fairy Circle - Camilla Costa
Bubble - Camilla Costa

When Stephanie Law released this wonderful Eastern themed dragon and phoenix I was into the email immediately to check if I could chart it. I love the colours and the sprig of cherry blossom hanging in front.
Dragon and Phoenix - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

We have two new designs from Nicole Cadet his month, and neither is a fairy or has a Celtic influence. Nicole has a delightful set of drawings she calls "Cats Know Best" and here's the first of these that I've charted. There's also a lovely winter Regency scene with that rarity in cross stitch - a couple instead of just a pretty lady.
Cats Know Best - The Fashion Guru - Nicole Cadet
The Christmas Gift - Nicole Cadet

As part of the addition of email delivery of charts, it is my intention to put up new releases twice a month - on the 1st and the 15th. However, since this month the 15th is Easter Saturday, I'll do it on the Monday (ie 17th April) instead.

We're receiving a very postive response to our new "charts by email" feature. As both a thank you from us and an extended opportunity for you to consider the idea further, we're extending our 20% off everything discount until the end of the weekend.

It's my birthday on 31 March (I'm not going to tell how old I am), so I'm giving you a birthday present. From midnight 31 March to midnight 2 April (New Zealand time) all designs will be 20% off. I'm making the sale for 48 hours to make sure 31 March is covered all over the world.

I have been working steadily over the last months to get all our designs updated so that we can offer all our charts as PDF files by email. If you want your order delivered by email, simply put your choices into your shopping cart as usual. When you go to check out, you'll be given the option to choose delivery by email or postal mail and the cart will update itself accordingly. At this point, I'll be sending the files manually, so give me 48 hours for them to arrive, then check in with me if they haven't.

From now on, there will be new releases twice a month (the beginning and the middle). To avoid missing out on the chart you might be dreaming about, sign up for our mailing list or join us on the Bulletin Board.

There are six new releases for the beginning of April - two pairs of standard and deluxe editions from Pamela Matthews, a lovely Arabian styled design from Johanna Pieterman and a lovely Elf Princess from Carol Covey.
Desert Angels - Johanna Pieterman
Elf Princess - Carol Covey
King Arthur - Pamela Matthews
King Arthur Deluxe Edition - Pamela Matthews
Queen Guinevere - Pamela Matthews
Queen Guinevere Deluxe Edition - Pamela Matthews

Please welcome Christy Babrick to the Character Creations family of artists. Christy creates lovely, whimsical fantasy images and I'm delighted to release her first, a smiling sea dragon.
Stormy Seas - Christy Babrick

I've been enjoying exploring fine art again for a change and have a couple to new designs to offer with more on the drawing board.
Today for Me - Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale
Villa at El Biar - Frederick Arthur Bridgman

The next in Lisa Hunt's Celtic Dragon Tarot series, The Hermit, is now available. If there is interest, I'm thinking of asking Lisa if I can do a "close-up" version of just the dragon and his books (rather like the thumbnail shown). If you would be interesed, please drop me an email at magpie@creations.co.nz.
Celtic Dragon Tarot - The Hermit - Lisa Hunt

Here's Carol Covey's latest fairy with beautiful Gypsy Moth wings and a wonderful costume.
Gypsy Moth Fairy - Carol Covey

Nicole Cadet has given us another lovely and atmospheric Celtic maiden.
Cerridwen - Nicole Cadet

I have been planning a new kind of design for a while, what I have chosen to call Macro Editions. These are charted from only a portion of an artwork, concentrating on the detail and creating a smaller stitching project than the full sized design. These designs are not cut out from the larger pattern, but created in their own right to produce a unique project. In most cases, if the charted details of a Macro Edition are compared to the same portion of a full size design, the subject will be seen actually to be larger than the same part of the bigger chart.

Arthur Wardle's "The Lure of the North" is the first design to have a Macro Edition. The full sized design shows the whole painting, while the Macro Edition focuses on the mermaid and one polar bear.

The Lure of the North - Arthur Wardle
The Lure of the North - Macro Edition - Arthur Wardle

Character Creations will be closed from Saturday Jan 21, reopening for business on Thursday Feb 9. I will have acess to my email while I am away, so I am happy to answer questions and enquiries, but orders won't be actioned until I return.

The February new releases will go up on the website as soon as I return.

Kerry

One new work-in-progress pictures in the WIP Gallery: Waiting for the Mists to Clear. Many thanks to Lorna who let me put up her beautiful stitching.

December Special:
If you spend $50 or more (in either currency), your shipping costs will be free. If your order is a gift, drop us an email with instructions and we'll gift wrap it for you.

Have a great Holiday Season!

Two new designs from Abranda Sisson:
Grove of Keys
Moondancer

One new design from Carol Covey:
Koi Mermaid

One new design from Julie Greig (with stitched model):
Heremia

Three new work-in-progress pictures in the WIP Gallery: Fantastical Cats, Fantastical Creatures and Lucretia Borgia. Many thanks to the kind ladies who let me put up their beautiful stitching.

November Special:
If you spend $50 or more (in either currency), your shipping costs will be free.

Have a great November!

Don't forget Character Creations now has a Bulletin Board. Please drop in for a visit, register and join in the conversations. A permanent link to the board is on the sidebar on each page of this website.

Designs are up from new artist Pamela Matthews.
Pamela's work is so beautiful and detailed that I have created a new category of designs to showcase her talent for detail. All four of Pamela's new releases come in two versions - a standard design like my usual releases and a deluxe edition which is much larger. This lets the beautiful detail shine through, but will naturally take longer to stitch. I also suggest stitching the deluxe editions on a fine weave fabric (my personal favourite is 1 over 1 on 25-ct Lugana, but everyone will have their own preferences) to let the artwork shine, but of course any fabric will work and it is the stitcher's decision.
Triple Goddess
Triple Goddess Deluxe Edition
Isis - the model for Isis and been stitched and she is just beautiful. If you are at any shows where Fantasy Crafts is exhibiting, take the opportunity to check her out.
Isis Deluxe Edition
Star of the Sea
Star of the Sea Deluxe Edition
Mother Earth/Father Sky
Mother Earth/Father Sky Deluxe Edition

Two new designs from Lisa Hunt:
Ganga
Celtic Dragon Tarot - The Lovers

With the addition of Pamela Matthews and Lisa Hunt to the Character Creations "family", I've decided it is time to add two more subject categories - Gods and Goddesses and Tarot Cards - and two further categories of Deluxe Editions and Character Building Creations for the larger designs.

October Promotion:
My husband Dave and I celebrate our third wedding anniversary this month, so I've let that set the tone for this month's promotion. If you buy Lisa Hunt's new release The Lovers, you will automatically get 25% of everything else in your shopping cart (excluding shipping).

Have a great October!

Don't forget Character Creations now has a Bulletin Board. Please drop in for a visit, register and join in the conversations. A permanent link to the board is on the sidebar on each page of this website.

One design from new artist Lisa Hunt:
Strength

One new design (with model) from Julie Rose Greig:
Flirtation

One new design from Stephanie Law:
Fantastical Creatures

September Promotion:
Any pattern that has been visited by the magpie is 30% off this month, such as Nautch Girls. Have fun looking for the lucky designs.

Shari's latest WIP progress on Cats is up in the WIP gallery

Over August there was a competition on the bulletin board to find a name for a new line of designs. Pamela Matthew's art is so complex and detailed I couldn't choose between a standard size design that isn't too scary and a big, complex one to make the most of all the detail. I have decided to do both for each painting and the big ones will be known as the "Deluxe Edition". Congratulations to Sharon for the name. Other super-sized designs where there is only one design (such as Stephanie Law's The Year of the Dragon will now be "Character Building Creations" which was suggested by Annette.

Don't forget Character Creations now has a Bulletin Board. Please drop in for a visit, register and join in the conversations. A permanent link to the board has been added to the sidebar on each page of this website.

We now have models for one previously released design:
The Chess Game by Ludwig Deutsch - many thanks to Ian Moody for letting me use his finished piece as a model

Two designs from new artist Nicole Cadet:
Alder Witch
Coastal Warrior

One new design (with model) from Abranda Sisson:
Raven Moon

One new design from Stephanie Law:
Fantastical Cats

One new design from Carol Covey:
Beach Mermaid

One new design from Julie Rose Greig:
A Passionate Heart

Character Creations now has a Bulletin Board. Please drop in for a visit, register and join in the conversations. A permanent link to the board has been added to the sidebar on each page of this website.

We now have models for two previously released designs:
Kea by Richard Moore
Chardonnay by Julie Rose Greig
One new design from Stephanie Law:
Tales to Tell

Links to two new retailers:
Very Well Thread
Dreamcrafter

I have just signed contracts with two new artists. There won't be any designs for a little while - I have to do all the work, after all - but I thought people might like to take a look at their websites:
Pamela Matthews - www.grail.co.nz
Nicole Cadet - www.nicolecadet.com

Shari's latest WIP progress on Cats is up in the WIP gallery

The stitched sample for Stephanie Law's Moonglow has been added.

Janette from Australia has sent me images of Chardonnay I by Julie Greig and Pecker's Patch by Val Stokes - you can see them in the Completed Projects Gallery
My model stitcher, Shari, is stitching Stephanie Law's Cats for me and I've put her first progress image in the WIP gallery.

Here is the first in what I hope will be a new category of designs - charted from images shot by the Hubble Space Telescope. The first release is Light Echo. A second, of the Eagle Nebula, is currently having a model stitched. Many thanks to Jeannie-Maree Becker for stitching this one.

Two lovely new designs from Abranda Icle Sisson:
Dandelion Wishes
Maiden of Mayfest
Abranda says Dandelion Wishes is possibly her favourite of all her paintings. We both hope you like it too.

Three new fairy designs from Howard Faria:
Sky Fairy
Sea Fairy
Manatee

To round out this selection of new releases, there is also one fine art design from Vittorio Reggianni called A Young Beauty

There is another lovely stitched example of Waiting for the Mists to Clear, this one from Annie Driessen in the Netherlands, in the Gallery.

I have been continually caught between making designs available to you, the stitchers, as soon as possible and getting models (or where that isn't practical, sample sections) stitched. I have decided to try releasing designs onto the website when they are ready and where some model stitching is being done, making a note of that on the side. Once the samples and models are done, the designs will be released through my distributors to retail shops.

I would really, really like to add to my stitching galley - if you have any pictures of Character Creations designs, whether they are finished or works in progress, please contact me at magpie@creations.co.nz about letting me add them to the site.

Models are now available for Solstice by Ian Brooks and Cuddles by Val Stokes.

Added Lee Bezear's lovely "Dougal" (aka Waiting for the Mists to Clear) to the Gallery

Five new fine art charts from artists Daniel Ridgeway Knight and Emile Munier:
The Grass Cutter by Daniel Ridgeway Knight
A Moment's Rest by Daniel Ridgeway Knight
Maria and Madeleine on the Terrace by Daniel Ridgeway Knight
Long Ago by Emile Munier
Distracting the Baby by Emile Munier

New design with a sample portion stitched: Aquarius by Abranda Sisson - Abranda promises this is the first of a series of Zodiac designs

I have decided to release a number of designs that have been waiting on the backburner while I worked on getting models stitched. Much as I wish I could, I cannot get everything stitched, so I have decided to release them. One is from art by Howard Faria, the rest are Sylvia Polster paintings.
Rhiannon of the Swords by Sylvia Polster
Kitchen Dragon by Sylvia Polster
Priestess by Sylvia Polster
Wizard and Friends by Sylvia Polster
Stormbringer by Sylvia Polster
Still Water by Sylvia Polster
Frangipani by Howard Faria

I've also split the Fantasy category to add two new sub-categories - Fairies and Mermaids. (Because I know there will be more of each released in the future.)

Dave Adamson has sent me a new picture of his WIP on The Storm - you can see it in the WIP gallery

Two new fine art designs have been added to the catalogue:
Geraniums by Childe Hassam.
Fruit by Alphonse Mucha. The companion piece to Fruit - Flower - will be coming soon.

I have already commission a model of Lyanna which is currently being stitched. This is the only reason the image on the design page has not been updated. I would like to thank Helen greatly for the first finished image of Lyanna. As soon as the model is finished and received the pattern will be upgraded to having a stitched model. However, if you want to know what it looks like stitched, Helen's work shows you.