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All the photographs have been taken by myself including those of holiday.

Monday 31 January 2011

Tias day 6 and 7 and the missing hook

Hi,
Today I bring you Day 6 and Day 7 of the TIAS (tat it as seen) I had a very bad day on Friday and a lot of pain during the late afternoon and evening, Saturday was not much better and with all the painkillers I took I was like a walking zombie. Unfortunately I had to do mothers shopping I was dreadful and ended up walking around Tesco in some sort of state of dreamland. I have no idea what I was doing or going good job I had Vernon with me as I would never have made it driving. I fell asleep in the car going to Tesco, and he woke me up asking me if I was OK. No I am not OK I just want to go back to bed and forget the day had even dawned, I had no sleep at all Friday night due to the pain what did he think I was. MEN

Anyway this is day 6, which I did yesterday, spot the mistake I made the picots too long (that's the loops for the not tatters) and the beads well look silly as they are fairly small, no actually the right size for the thread its the picots that are wrong. Yes I know I have been tatting for 40 years this year and I do a silly stupid thing as to making them too big. Will you forgive me as I am not well at the moment.
Day 7, now do you have any idea where this is going because I don't, Vernon has no ideas what so ever, Nic (coops) thought early on it was a flower, Nic I don't think so, Jeanette (Little Bo), Suzanne and Tilly keep asking, girls have you any ideas now.

I think I will start another one and get the picots right this time, in the meantime, if you think you know and want to guess please leave a comment.

I want to tell you about my stoke of luck that happen last weekend, I am not well and signed off work at the moment, and certainly not well enough to do my craft table, thinking I would have to forgo this month, which would mean I would have to pay double next month. Vernon stepped in and did it, on one condition that I sit with him and answer any technical questions, technical you may ask, Vernon is not a crafter any question would be technical in his eyes, I was not allowed to do anything, fine I sat and did some knitting. Last November I lost my tatting hook, I brought this hook with a shuttle back in the very earlier 1970's, so it is very old, the craft fair in December was cancelled due to the snow. So when I saw Roger who does the setting up and clearing up I asked him by any chance did he find a tatting hook, he had no idea poor man what I was talking about, I described it and he thought and then disappeared. He came back and asked about the length, its about 2 and half inches long, silver colour and has the most tiniest of hooks, he then handed me the hook, Oh joy of joys I could not believe he found it, he only saw it because it shone in the light. See miracles do happen once in a while.
I hope you are keeping well and look forward to seeing again in blog land, perhaps by then we might have found out what I am tatting. In the meantime take care.
Hugs
Margaret

Monday 24 January 2011

TIAS Day 5 and cards from the Encharted Dreams Cd


Hi,
Here is day 5 and half way through the TIAS ( tat it as seen) 0ne bead added but I think my picots (loops) are too big, never mind we will see as the day go by. I might even start it again if the picots are too big. Still no idea what it is, time will tell.

Today I bring you some cards I have made from Joanna Sheen's new CD Enchanted Dreams, its the most beautiful CD I have seen from her and the images are lovely. They are from Josephine's Walls original paintings of magical fantasy. The whole CD is packed with so many images its hard to choose which one to use.
They are images with so many elements in them, each time you look at the pictures you find something new in them. I have made this selection of cards for most occasion's from the CD.



This is a CD that I would recommend to anyone who wants a CD for every occasion and more.


I hope you are keeping well and look forward to seeing you again in blog land, in the meantime take care
Hugs
Margaret

Friday 21 January 2011

Tias Day 4

Hi,
Today is day 4 of the Tias (tat it as seen) well its growing, but I still have no idea somehow I have a feeling it might be an animal,
today there was 5 split rings, the rings are tatted half blue and half black.
I hope the weather is better with you, today we had another heavy frost and thick fog this morning, the sun came out for a while but has gone now and its cloudy and dull. The frost still has not given on parts of my garden, the bird baths are for the third day are frozen, I did get the ice out of the little bowl and re-fill with some fresh water for them. So I hope the Werns, Sparrows and Blue Tits do have a drink and are not chased away by the Starlings.
Have a lovely weekend and don't work too hard. until we meet again in blog land take care.
Hugs
Margaret

Thursday 20 January 2011

Embroidery Stitched cards

Hi,
Another cold day and the frost still has not given on parts of my garden we had again another heavy frost last night but the one good thing is the sun is shinning for the second day.
Today I bring you some new cards all stitched, I really love stitching cards using different threads and beads, all but one card is stitched using a stitching Starform peel offs. Although I have used the peel offs I have done my own thing with them and not followed any pictures or patterns these are my own designs




This card I am really pleased with the vase, the flowers were left overs from others sheets and I put them altogether making what I think is a lovely card, I used red beads for the centres of the flowers and red/gold thread. the leaves have a green thread and the whole design is on a gold card.


The fan was stitched with two shades of Violet and beads put on alternate parts of the fan and the thread in between was done to look like lattice work and then at the base of the fan a cluster of beads

This one was pink and green with pink beads and the butterflies are made to look as if they are flying around the card with beads on the bodies of the butterflies.








This card is totally different, I used the printed design of the card and picked it following the pattern on bother side of the card and then stitched using a gold variegated thread. then placing a piece of acetate down the centre of the card and put a gold Bird house and two other birds flying around.
I hope your have enjoyed today's post and look forward to seeing you again soon. Day 4 of the Tais is printed tomorrow, I still have no idea what it is but I know it does have 9 beads to go on it.
Until we meet again take care and thanks for popping by.
Hugs
Margaret

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Tias day three , Valentine Cupcakes and Rose Flower Pin


Hi,
Today we have some beautiful sunshine, but its cold and we had a frost this morning which in parts of my garden has not given yet, even though the sun is shinning.
This is Day three of the Tias (tat it as seen) I still have no idea what it might be, possible an animal who knows, well Jane does but she's not letting on. Today there were two spilt rings they are the two rings at the top, I was trying to do them the other day and could not do it, today I looked at the pattern, took a deep breath and took the bull by the horn and it work
I am working on tatted baby booties at the moment. I have done another horse shoe which I have nearly finished and made a box for. I will post it another day to show you.

Now this is my Valentine cup cakes, the roses I have knitted and made up my own pattern they were very easy and then knitted some leaves again I made up the pattern on the hoof and I am very pleased with them.


Close up to show the rose.




This is a flower pin using my knitted rose pattern again I did it on the hoof just extending the knitting and this is what I finished up with and I added two leaves, the same as the cup cakes.
I will post the pattern when I have written it out on my new pattern blog when I find time and feel well enough to get it off the ground.
Update on illness I have had all the tests now and I am waiting for an appointment to see the surgeon and to get the test results. Last Thursday I was signed off work for another month.
I hope you find this post interesting, and look forward to seeing you again as you pass by in blog land. In the meantime I hope you are keeping well and take care.
Hugs
Margaret

Sunday 16 January 2011

A Tribute to Mary Konior

Hi,
It was not until recently that I found out that Mary Konior died on the 16th January,2010.
For those who have never heard of her she was a big name in the tatting world, and wrote several books on the subject. These books are widely used and her patterns will live on for many years to come and are used by every tatter.
I have several of her books the two photos shown are from the Tatting Pattern book first published in 1989, I brought this book when it was first published and will be treasured for many years to come.


The butterfly pattern I have used hundreds of times, I know it so well I don't need the pattern anymore. This butterfly I used for my wedding and I made about hundred at the time, I had a few fluttering up the back of my dress from the paddle train. They were on the bridesmaids dresses, favours and sewn onto the flowers in the bouquets and bridesmaids posies.
The cross is also from the same book, both pictures were tatted in Lizbeth no 20 in Caribbean colour thread.
May where ever she is in haven still have some thread and a shuttle.
Thank you for popping by, when day 2 of the Tias is published I will put it on my blog.
Margaret

Saturday 15 January 2011

Tias Day 2


Hi,
TIAS Day 2
A very windy day, no rain yet but tomorrow has a nasty forecast.
This is Day 2 of the Tias just in case you did not see the last post with day 1, Tias means Tat it as seen, its a tatting challenge, I still cant tell you what it is, the long picots are for beads, (picots are the loops in tatting) .
Thanks for visiting my blog, look forward to seeing you again. In the meantime take care, keep dry and stay safe.
Hugs
Margaret

Thursday 13 January 2011

TIAS and update on hospital

Hi,
Another wet day in Somerset, its not really light for the second day and I am feeling just a bit down, at least we do not have the rain that Brisbane has been having and we are not flooded. I have been signed off for another month after hell day at the hospital, after Monday on a special diet and Tuesday visiting the loo very often, I spent yesterday morning in the hospital having a very unpleasant procedure, I am not going to say any more than that but I don't want to go though it again. I now have to wait to see the surgeon and hopefully now he might do something, if he wants any more tests I hope they are not like yesterday, today I am in pain I think yesterday has upset something it should settle down in a couple of days.
I expect you are wondering what TIAS is, there is a challenge in the tatting world which Jane is kindly designed and doing called Tat it and see, the picture is day one, I have followed all the instructions and have no idea what it is or how it will turn out, as they say watch this space. I will bring you an update as the days go on. Of course I did one silly thing it said one shuttle in a dark colour and what did I pick, black and yesterday was a dark day so I cursed myself for picking black, the blue is a shaded thread. I hope the light will improve next time I do day two.
Thanks for popping by and hope you are keeping well and dry. in the meantime take care until you pass by again.
Hugs
Margaret

Monday 10 January 2011

My Cymbidium Orchid Tatted Earrings


Hi,
Another dull boring day, heavy rain is forecasted for today, its been dark all morning, makes it difficult to craft in this light.

Today I am bring you my new design of tatted earrings, I have designed these from cymbidium orchids, I love orchids, they are one of my favorite flowers.

I tatted these in the Lizbeth thread in Caribbean, this is one of the new threads I brought at the end of last year and I am very pleased with it.


This is a close up of the earring showing a single bead in the middle, I used a clear bead as I only had the clear beads in size no 9 of the seed beads.

I am going to start a pattern blog when I get time and this pattern will be put on it for those tatters who might like it.
I am back at the hospital on Wednesday, they are doing a very invasive procedure which I will not bore you with but I am not looking forward to the next few days, hopefully the surgeon will then do something and I might get out of pain.
I have some new designs with stitching on card which hopefully I will have ready to photo in the next few days when the light is good enough to photo them.
I hope you are keeping well and look forward to seeing you in blog land again soon. Until you visit again take care.
Hugs
Margaret

Sunday 2 January 2011

Vernon's Christmas Card- Country Music Santa


Hi,
Welcome to 2011 and hopefully a better year.
I am behind with my posting but this is the last Christmas card as usual its Vernon's card I make last. I know you are properly thinking what the hell is it. Vernon is into Country music fan so with the new macho board I treated myself to as they released in December on Create and craft no I did not buy it from them, I was crafty I went onto the Glitter Girls site and brought the board from them at the same price with cheaper postage, I am not silly. I made Vernon his card its the Country Music Santa.
The trousers are red shiny paper folded at the base to put his country music boots over them.
The shirt I looked at his shirts in the wardrobe and based it on one of those only I did not have enough room to put the whole design on it, so this is part of a design. the buttons are just round circles I had in my box, and made it out of a light cream card.
A close up picture

Wording "To my husband, The Country Music Santa"
I added a guitar peel off

I finished off the card with detailing the shirt, trousers, and belt, plus parcels and hanging stockings with silver peel offs. He loved his card, and was delighted with it.
I am currently working on some new cards in stitching and parchment plus some tatting which I am looking forward to showing you. I have a lot of new ideas plus hopefully a new blog with my writing just have to get myself sorted and well, that's the only new year resolution I have made to get better. Two appointments at the hospital this month, a scan on the 5th and a procedure on the 12th hopefully the surgeon will then get me sorted.
I hope you had a brilliant new year and look forward to seeing you again when you pass this way in blog land. In the meantime take care and hope you are well.
Hugs
Margaret