Take One Julia Snyder and Add One Shelly Penko

If you combine Shelly Penko canvases with Julia Snyder's guides and threads from Bedecked and Beadazzled, you get three new stitch guides from Bedecked and Beaddazzles.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2014/03/how-much-fun-are-these.html

Creative Stitches and Gifts Guides

Creative Stitches and Gifts in Dallas has four employees that do stitch guides for anyone who asks.  The cost is twenty percent of the price of the canvas.  If you happen to live in the area and need a stitch guide for a piece that doesn't have one already, this is the place to start.

http://www.creativestitchesandgifts.com

Amy Stitch Guides from Julia Snyder

Julia Snyder has done stitch guides for two of the new canvases from Any Bruecken that Ruth Schmuff is distributing.  More are promised so stay tuned.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2014/03/stitch-guides-already.html

Mary Ellen 's Guides UPDATED

Mary Ellen Kearns Winnicki just posted photos of models of pieces she has stitched and written guides for on Facebook.  This one is Alice Peterson's Italian Patio.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201365075348251&set=gm.605400276203801&type=1&theater

This is Charley Harper's Cardinals Consorting.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201365044147471&set=gm.605397902870705&type=1&theater

UPDATE:  Here's an Alice Peterson canvas called "Italian Patio." It's on 13 count and has one of Mary Ellen's guides available.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/635290369881458/

Here is the Maggie Lady on the Train.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NeedlepointNation/permalink/3813049345438862/

These stitch guides are all available through Stitch By Stitch in Larchmont, NY.
http://stitchbystitchneedlepoint.com/stitchguides.html

Here Comes Christmas from Amanda Lawford

Enriched Stitch just posted photos of pillows recently back from their finisher.  The first one pictured is Here Comes Christmas from Amanda Lawford and there is a stitch guide available for it.
http://astheneedleturns.com/staff-finishing/

Lovely!

Stitch By Stitch with Guides

Stitch By Stitch in Larchmont, NY has added a stitch guide page to their website.
http://stitchbystitchneedlepoint.com/stitchguides.html

Click on the thumbnail photos to explore.  I spotted a wonderful woodland Santa from Amanda Lawford, several great Charley Harper pieces,  seasonal doors that might be from Rebecca Wood, and lots more great things I can't identify.  It's another great resource for the stitcher who needs a complete kit or who wants a guide for some learning.

Laura Perin Starts Shellscape

Laura Perin is starting on another Sandra Gilmore stitch guide, this time for Sandra's "Shellscape."   It's a beauty!  Once the stitch guide is finished, I will update this article and your local shop will be able to order the canvas and guide from Fleur de Paris which distributes Sandra Gilmore/Once in a Blue Moon designs.

http://two-handedstitcher.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-new-canvas-to-play-with.html

Inspiration from Stitch Guides

As a writer of stitch guides, I often look to other stitch guide writers for inspiration and ideas.  I have a small collection of showcase pieces that I consider the height of art on painted canvases.   Here in no particular order are some amazing stitch guides for some fascinating canvases.

Robin's Jolly Nutcrackers

I consider Robin King's work on dede Odgen's Jolly Nutcrackers the height of what beards can be.  The beautiful confetti background is ornate but doesn't detract from the individual nutcrackers in their finery.  For all the riot of pattern, each nutcracker's outfit is restrained and doesn't detract from all the other uniforms there.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2013/07/jolly-nutcrackers-by-dede-ogden-and.html

Colors of Praise with the Robin King Touch

Robin also did an outstanding job with dimension on this Colors of Praise canvas (stitched by Gail Pearlman Abelman).   Apparently the background is wool, the slippers are done in skip tent with beads in the empty intersections, and the pompoms are ribbon.  The stitch guide for this is available from Robin.
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2014/04/slippers-by-gail-colors-of-praise-mc-226.html

Lani's Geisha Scroll One

I don't know if Lani Silver stitches all the stitch guides for her designs but her Carnavale masks, the shoe series and her geishas are all an inspiration.  This photograph taken by Carolyn Hedge Baird at the Winter 2013 trade show is a good example of the balance and complexity Lani's stitched pieces have.  They are over the top in a restrained way.  Look carefully at the ecru boxes and the unusual face stitch. This piece is as complex as Robin's nutcrackers but the design itself is much simpler.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=528513877193236&set=a.525882157456408.120406.141607859217175&type=3&theater

Brenda's Horses

Brenda Hart's rendition of Laurel Burch's Wild Horses from Danji Designs is another masterpiece.  Each of the six horses is done in a different stitch yet it all looks harmonious.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2013/08/wild-horses.html

Ruth's Cat Walks in the Garden

Ruth Schmuff took this HP Designs cat and made it walk!  I think my favorite part of this design is the background and the sprinkle of beads at the cat's feet but the dimension Ruth achieved is amazing as well.  The framing is also fabulous on this.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2010/05/cat-walks-out-of-forest.html

Ruth's Ewe and Eye Snowmen

Ruth has taken this classic snowmen piece from Ewe and Eye and written a classic guide for it.  I am not that wild about Ewe and Eye's style nor do snowmen charm me, but this is a WOW piece.
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2014/02/celebrate-snow.html

Tony Tackles Burne-Jones

Tony Minieri has done wonders with this art reproduction canvas from Art Needlepoint.  It shows one of Edward Burne-Jones' paintings.  Look carefully at the clothing and the wings, and of course the texture of the border in the background.  Genius!
http://needlepointstudyhall.blogspot.com/2013/04/memphis-needlepointers-part-3.html

Carolyn Hedge Baird Brings Vicki Sawyer's Festival Owls to Life

I adore the new Festival Owls from Vicki Saywer/Melissa Shirley as Carolyn Hedge Baird stitched it.  You can connect with Carolyn to buy the guide by using her Facebook page or talk to Chaparral Needlepoint to buy it.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.215294918515135.58132.141607859217175&type=3

Melissa Shirley's Beach Birds is a charmer but when Brenda Hart creates stitches for it, it becomes inspirational!
http://www.notyourgrandmothersneedlepoint.com/2016/02/beachy-birds.html

There are many stitched canvases that I adore, many that I would love to stitch, many that have wonderful stitch guides.  There are a great many teachers whose work I admire greatly.  But the above stop me in my tracks every time.

How about you?  What knocks you off your feet every time you see it?

Free Stitch Guide for Painted Pony's Texas Angel

Stephanie has generously posted a list of all the threads and stitches she used to stitch her Painted Pony Texas angel on her blog.  Whether you are stitching this exactly angel or not, the free stitch guide is full of ideas for clothing, hair, wings and more.
http://stephsstitching.blogspot.com/2014/03/guide-for-my-texas-painted-pony-angel.html