Blogs: I've actually got three.
- Ink Circles keeps you up to date on things going on behind the scenes, sneaks some peeks of new projects, and showcases some photos of finished projects and WIPs that stitchers like you have shared.
- Pencil Circles is a lot more personal with entries about those other things that make up my life (kids, husband, music, gardens, and such. There will be some "not-ready-for-prime-time" diversions, stitching, knitting, new drawings and paintings are sometimes posted there.
- The Dutch Beast project was given its very own blog to keep it from being diluted by those very other things mentioned above. That site has a little more content than the published insert with the Dutch Beast chart, as well as links to related references. It's not being actively updated, but makes for fund reading if you're just discovering the Dutch Beast.
Twitter: If you can't wait between blog entries: 
Facebook: I'm there too, but I'm not very adept at the interface there. I have a personal page, but also have a page for Ink Circles, where most of the cross stitch updating takes place.
ETSY: A Shop For purchasing my art notecards, stitch markers, original art.
ART: I've moved the ink and paint works off of the main Ink Circles site to www.tracyhorner.com, as that was causing some confusion to some of the surfers here. Somehow the side interest of making cross stitch patterns has dominated other artistic efforts.
More about me...
I’m Tracy Horner and I have been drawing and stitching since I was a wee squirt. When I was a girl, my Mum had a yarn & needlework shop. I was fed ample supplies of Eva Rosenstand cross stitch kits and Norwegian and Icelandic knitting wool that she imported. She can take much of the blame/credit in the “early influences department”, but as my father is quite an accomplished stitcher perhaps he is also responsible.
I was schooled as an engineer, served a stint in the US Navy followed by a 15 year career at the Hanford Reservation (a GOCO superfund site). One day back in late 2005, they left the door to the rat’s maze open and I snuck out (don’t tell anyone). I’ve been told you can tell that I am an engineer by looking at my art. I’m not sure that is a compliment.
I have a wonderful husband and two amazing kids, and now a bit more time to spend with them.
Cross Stitch Designs - I use Patternmaker Professional, and would highly recommend it to anyone who wanted to try their hand at designing. Sometimes I draw or paint a study for a new pattern, but sometimes I just start by opening a blank file with a ridiculously large stitch count. The program is super for copying, rotating and repositioning elements. I use Microsoft Publisher and Adobe Acrobat to get things all laid out for publishing.
