I WON! (pinch me)

 

A few months ago I was browsing through the new Apps in the Apple store and I came across a new app for Blacks Photography and they were having a contest.  It intrigued me so I downloaded it and read all the rules and decided I might like to take part.  This required submitting photos, taken on your iphone, over a three week period and getting your friends to vote for them too.  There were three weeks to the contest – each week there would be a grand prize winner and two runner ups (then some participation prizes as well.  The grand prize for each week was a signed hockey jersey by Sidney Crosby, and being I am NOT a hockey fan in the least I’m actually relieved I did not win this (though I’m sure thousands of others would have) 

The contest wrapped up and the winners were to be posted sometime after April 21st – so after that date I just kept checking now and then… checking now and then, checking, checking CHECKING.  I admit I was getting dismayed but just last weekend I looked and saw that the winners had been posted.  The first two weeks go by (and personally, I thought my best photos had been submitted in the first week, particularly the one of my friend Marie with her sweet alpaca friend Frosty…

I mean who can resist something like THAT? 

Anyways, I kept putting pictures in until week three.  My photo library was getting a bit thin by this time but then it was an abstract theme so I put one in of a leaf texture taken when my Mr. and I visited a botanical gardens at the coast.  And that’s the one that secured a prize for me!

When I first read my name there I somehow assumed I was qualified for one of the prizes of free prints – I told it to my Mr. when he came home that day.  He said it was nice.  Later, I got to thinking “I’m a RUNNER UP” and thought to recheck what I’d won and was way beyond delighted to find that I really won a Nikon d3000! 

I cannot say enough about the people and service at Black’s – they have been amazing in getting the camera here in time I will be able to enjoy it for summer photography!  Each person I phoned or emailed got back to me right away and got things rolling and I now have the camera unpacked and snapping photos.  I’m truly impressed. 

Now the funny thing is, and my Mr. made me assure him that I would blog this end of things – is that my good old Sammy the Samsung Pro 815 which I hauled around in my (suitcase of a) purse for 4 years finally suffered a dead flash.  Sure, I could have searched out an external flash and had the joy to put it on and remove it all the time but really that thing was HEAVY, battle worn and weary.  It still took wonderful pics but it was time for me to move on.  So, a few weeks ago we were at the coast and we were in Best Buy and we were… I was drooling over new cameras and trying to engage my Mr. in looking through them and vocalizing the wonders of the new features and batting my eyelashes and all that, but he was not falling for it.  And eventually, when I realized I had no hope of wearing him down I finally resigned myself to waiting (till my birthday in the fall at least, according to him)  It was just not in our summer budget. 

I was fine with it really.  I knew what he said was true.  But he kept apologising to me and assuring me I could use his nice camera in the meantime.  And I let it go in my heart.  I decided to be meek about it even though I knew I could have played it for a bit. 

So, imagine my surprise when less than a week later my dream comes true?  I’m still walking on cloud 9!  THANK YOU to all of you who actually went in and voted for me, I could not have won it without your support. 

And a post here would not be complete without some tatting, of course!  First thing I tatted was a pretty necklace and earrings for my sister in law.  I won’t do a preview here for I am sure she will post a photo or two on her blog and don’t want to spoil it for her! 

But I’ve been gleaning inspiration from Super-Tatter Krystle and I came up with a wonderful idea.  My Mr. approached me TWO DAYS before the graduation at the Learning Centre and asked me to make “a little something” for about six people so I put my thinker on and came up with the following, loosely based off of one of the pretty flower things on Krystle’s blog, but turning them into “Window Charms”

These hang on invisible thread and have a metal ring at the top.  The beautiful crystals were salvaged from some cosmetic jewellery I bought at yard sales recently.   I’ll just bet Krystle can improve on these – have you SEEN her latest designs?

And this is an anklet I designed and made using some more castoff jewellery given me by a friend recently – nice stone beads.  I like the natural colours and also the little metal things that “tinkle”    And I’ve got more ideas brewing all the time!

And also – HAPPY CANADA DAY!  Perhaps I’ll post some photos from the Canada Day parade tomorrow (using my nice new Nikon, of course!)

Life in General & My First Tatting Pattern

Ah how the days slip by – like when we were children and something that would make one shudder now – hold mercury in your hand.  Before you could comprehend it was sitting in your hand it would shift and spill off, shattered into so many tiny bits you could never get it all back.  So much has happened since my last post – its set me back in my chair trying to comprehend it all.  And as my friend Gina once told me, only something like 10% ever gets blogged.  Well, without further ado, here is my 10%. 

D & E on a visit here 2008

(Click on photo to visit Cicero’s blog)

Firstly – Just three weeks ago my friend E. of Cicero Sings blog finds herself alone, losing her husband, best friend D. in an instant – taken by a massive heart attack.  He was only 60.  They were SO happy – the sort of couple who ooze completeness.  It just does not make sense.  I’ve been completely broken for E as I feel my Mr. and I are the same sort of happiness and I can’t fathom what it is like.  I won’t share any details – thats for E. to do, if you find time to visit her blog and leave a few words of comfort.  Three weeks and later, well thats when all the “things” are done and real life hits hard I am sure.  Perhaps some encouragement will be a balm for our sister as she walks this hard, hard road.  I am truly GLAD that E. is a believer and KNOWS that this, this difficult time was written, that one day she and D will meet in heaven when the Lord appoints her time to be there with him.  Its this in between time we need to be here for each other – help one another over the bumps in the road.

And the week before this I lost my lovely friend Eileen – she was 90 and had a full and long life, but it still stung.  Life downright smarts sometimes.

So, this has caused me to not blog a bit – I admit that every time I went to write something it all seemed so trivial in light of what my friend is suffering.  But time is moving on and if I don’t kick myself in the pants right now then I may leave this blog to fall into decay.  So, I’ve whipped up a little post to share. 

Its year end for the Learning Centre – which will now be known as youlearn.ca where my sweetie works.  It too is a bittersweet time watching the grads.  I am completely grateful that I am welcomed to help.  This year I assisted as we “gowned” the grads.  In speaking with them their stories were all so encouraging.  There was a range from ages 17 to into the 40’s.  Being as I graduated in my 40’s it recalled a turmoil and I’m afraid I was a bit weepy while helping. 

There was a funny moment when a secretary asked to borrow my iphone to call a grad who had not showed up.  Earlier in the day while we were setting up and decorating and had a couple of quiet moments I was showing her my iphone and all the apps and the power of it. One of the apps I showed her was the Yellow Pages app – how you can search the yellow pages from the palm of your hand, hit a number and make it call within seconds.  Well, it certainly turned out to be useful for the grad ceremony was held in the Mini Theatre and there is no phone there.  So the secretary, remembering that I had that app asked me (during the gowning, so LAST MINUTE) if we might look up this particular student’s phone number and call, which we did.  She got the grad on the phone and asked him what he was up to… he replied “Just sitting here watching tv.”  She then clued him in that it was grad (even though she said she had phoned, sent letters home etc for the previous weeks)  So, she said he better move it down the highway and bring his family for this milestone event.  He was in the neighbouring community  so he was there within 1/2 hour but at least he made it!  There are some useful apps on that there phone!

Also, you most likely might have seen there was a HUGE mudslide in our area just a week or so ago!  You can read more about this HERE – this is not far from where we are! How unfortunate for those affected – especially in light that authorities had been warned by a hiker just a few days before as he had seen the dam above was overflowing with all the recent rains. 

Ok, so those are just a few things that have been pulling at me – now I’ll dwell on something almost mindless – my tatting.  In between things I’ve continued to tat and have come up with my very first pattern all of my own and I’d like to share it!   You are welcome to use it and copy but I will ask you to credit me with the design if you republish please!  Its my own take on a dragonfly – I saw a few lovely patterns online but I wanted something a bit more delicate and yet sturdy in the body too.  I used Size 50 Mercer Crochet JP Coats thread.  I worked the wings in a different colour than the body.

I’ll walk you through with photos first – explaining as I go along, then will post the actual pattern (illustration")  I am not real sure how to write the pattern out like I see it in books yet but if anyone could do that for me I would put it all together with my illustrations and offer it as a pdf document later? 

Tat the body first – it is seperate

Body done – tying ends off to make bumps on the end of the “feelers”

Next, (step A) hook your shuttle tip through the second to top ring and draw it through. 

Pull shuttle through the loop and anchor for the first (bottom) wing.

First wing done, repeat (step A) then anchor OPPOSITE side for bottom wing left side.

Tat second wing.

 

And third wing, then fourth. 

All done!

Each of the little lines on the tips of the wings are, of course, picots. 

Happy Tatting!

Tatting and Baking

My husband came home RAVING about a dish one of the students brought to the last luncheon held at the Learning Centre.  The luncheons are always a huge success and a wonderful opportunity to try new dishes because the students come from many different ethnic backgrounds.  In this case it was a Canadian gal who baked up a batch of Jamaican Patties, funnily enough.  At any rate, when my Mr. kept on about these (I was unable to attend) I decided to take an attempt at them myself.  Now, he DID bring the recipe home for me, however it went somewhere into the depths of my suitcase purse which is like a hole going into the bottom of the earth… So, I went to allrecipes.com and found THIS recipe and I was pleased how they turned out!  My Mr. gave them a 4 out of 5 star rating! 

The dough has curry in it, giving a nice warm colour!

Ground beef and bread crumb mixture.

Put a tablespoon on dough cut from these guys.

Brush with egg.

Bake in a moderate oven (I reduced mine to 350 f)

Voila!

And I’ve also been busy thinking up new ideas with tatting.  Taking inspiration from Krystledawn, (Check out Krystle’s Etsy Shop for the most LOVELY items!!! )

I decided to take this plain rhinestone necklace I picked up at a yard sale a few weeks ago when my Mother in Law was visiting, and to embellish it with tatting and added a charm onto it. 

Plain Black Rhinestone necklace

Adding tatting around the stones – tricky!

Finished! 

I then created a matching pair of earrings.

The “balls” came from a completely separate piece of costume jewellery.

The tatting really does add a “punch” to the rhinestones!

Ok, and I will even confess, I was so excited to wear this set that I put them on to wear  when my Mr. and I were going  to Penticton last night… only I wound up saving it for today.  I was hoping he would think it was nice I wore it during the time we were together.  As he reasoned with me, it was not so special wearing it to my yearly mammogram (yes daughters I listened to you!) and of course my Mr. is right haha.  I had not even thought about that.  Anyways, I will wear it out on a date with him today – a REAL date involving food and everything LOL!

And I’ve been experimenting with tatting small flowers (the reason I started tatting in the first place, for my sister Nina who makes beautiful cards – I wanted to make them for her cards) and so before popping some in an envelope to mail for her I photographed one and then created some pretty elements for YOU to use for your projects!  They measure about 3 inches (though the original flowers were about 1 inch in size)  These may be used in any way you wish, only I ask you credit me by linking to my blog and if you could let me know how you use them I’d love that too!  I desaturated one flower and kept it in psd format with the pearl separate so you can recolor the flower and then pop the pearl on top again. Click the preview to download.  Please DO NOT share the download link directly – please direct your friends to come here to get the link.  Thanks!

br

Happy Birthday Judy!

It's my Sister in Law Judy's birthday today - wishing you a special day and a joy filled year. Click the preview to view this pretty animated birthday card.

Love you!

SIL and Smiles!

Tatting up a Storm!

I am having such a wonderful time basking in the presence of my Mother and Father in law who are enjoying their third of three weeks of a visit here.  How wonderful to be the one to lick the beaters of whip cream just like when I was a kid, and to watch Mom in the kitchen.  She’s an accomplished cook of all things “comfort” and I’m lapping it all up.  Unfortunately its work to keep a balance because I have an issue with a sore heel which inhibits me from working out as much as I would like.  I do have an appointment with a podiatrist who specializes in sports injuries so that soon I will be able to know what I can and cannot do.  Anyways…

 

 

I’m taking advantage of some “sit-around” time to tackle some tatting projects.  This is the most challenging so far – a choker and earrings set I designed (in my head) and then carried out.  I used a very simple repeat of split rings (3 ds, bead, sm P, bead 3 ds – both sides, close.  Add another bead in between each picot.  decrease each row by 2 rings, making sure you start with an odd number so it will come to a point)   and added beads in, two things I needed practice on.  The beads are all a tear down from a piece of costume jewellery I bought at a yard sale recently.  Somehow it all just came together and I still have extra “gems” for another project.  I know that I will learn how to finish projects off a little nicer in the future and I have more ideas for the future. 

 

 

 

 

I’m happy my daughter was here to model it for me for its really hard to judge how it looked on myself.  I’ve already been dreaming of my next project!

Ahh – I almost forgot, I took a macro of this tatted butterfly I made (its about as big as a quarter in real life) and turned it into an element for my digital scrapbooking visitors.  I created the elements to be about 3 inches in size.    Feel free to re-use it as you like, though it would be nice for you to credit me! 

 

 

Just click on the preview to download.  I’d just LOVE to see how you use this if you could send me a link to your projects.

Melody’s Tatting

Melody and Stinson

This is my friend Melody and her darling little dog Stinson.  I recently met Melody through a mutual friend of ours who put us together through our interest in tatting.  In case you are a first time visitor and do not know what tatting is, its basically a type of lace making using knots achieved by using either shuttles (made of plastic, wood, metal and shaped like an eye) or it can also be done using a long needle or even your fingers.  It takes a bit of patience to learn and you must develop a love of UN-doing little teensy knots.  If you did not like sorting out your shoelaces (before velcro came along) as a kid, then chances are tatting won’t be for you.  But, if you like a beautiful craft which lends itself well to travelling, is inexpensive and is very elegant then I’d suggest you give it a try. 

I learned my VERY basics from searching YouTube, but spent two months trying to do “the flip” – an essential little manoeuvre best seen in real life, first hand – trust me.  For the two months that I was YouTube-ing it, I had it all down except that “flip” and it meant that I had little piles of thread hanging all over the house, tired eyes and sore fingers.  Then, my Mr took me to the Shuttlbebirds workshop in Spokane and I took a beginner’s class, got “the flip” down pat and have been going ever since.  Then, I met Melody and she has been kind enough to work with me ever since. 

 

Melody’s First Doily

I mentioned in my last post that I would “interview” Melody as I did Krystle as Melody has been tatting in a traditional fashion for years upon years – here’s what she had to say:

What age were you when you learned to tat and how did you find out about it?

“I was 20 and I lived on the farm with my husband.  It was 1978, we had been married for two years and there was a lady’s group and we would meet for tea once a month.  This elderly lady, she was almost 90, said ‘I’ll teach you girls how to tat – bring some heavy crochet thread and the first thing we will do is finger tatting.’  So she did that for two months and then she handed each of us five ladies a shuttle and by the end of four months we each had a doily made out of this heavy thread.” 

What is the favourite thing you have ever made?

“I made a rectangle doily for my Sister in Law, it was white and it was the first big pattern I made.  I’ll bet you it was about 16 x 20 inches.  I stretched it and pinned it to shape – it took me almost 400 pins!”

Was there ever a project that messed up on you?

“Oh yes, it was one Christmas and I was trying to put some tatting on some Christmas Ball decorations, and I could get the top done, but I could never get the bottom and I simply gave up!”

You told me you learned to tat, then you put it away for a few years, what got you started again?

“Just decided to do ‘something different’ one evening and I’ve been going ever since. I just do it when I’m in the mood for it. ”

What is your favourite kind of shuttle to work with?   Has anyone given you a shuttle?

“I had an aunt give me a shuttle once, it was a silver metal one with a really, really pointy pick on the front and it was one you had to twist open and wind the thread around and then twist it shut.  I’ve got it here, I’ve used it, but I don’t know where it is in the house.  Generally I use the inexpensive WalMart ones and I have a lot of them so that I can work on several projects at once.”

Do you have a piece of advice for anybody who’s already a tatter or thinking of taking it up?

“CHECK YOUR RINGS – before you close them.  Its almost impossible to re-open them after closing them off.  A few moments to check them over can save you grief and time later.” 

**********

So, you can see that though tatting is a time tested craft, its also very flexible (re: Krystle’s jewellery making)  and that is the direction I plan to take myself.  I’ve always had an eye for little bits of the older jewellery – brooches and earrings, particularly fond of the aurora borealis items.  I hope to learn to incorporate some of these pieces into new creations.  Here are a couple of the small projects I’ve completed.

  I took this denim apron -       

added on some simple daisies, put a bead inside each one…

Daisies are the first thing I learned to tat!

Such a simple little decoration can turn an ordinary item into something pretty!

I gave this to my Sister in Law Judy for her LAST YEAR’S birthday present as I’d put the apron away and LOST it… guess it was meant to have some tatting put on it?

Fun Little Beaded Bracelet

I salvaged this stone from an old broken necklace.

It worked in nicely with the pretty green thread.  I did not follow any pattern, just made it up as I went along.  I have a million ideas brewing in my mind.  I’ll keep you updated!

"Hair's" a GOOD thing!

 

I heard this very interesting news article this morning on NPR - about how hairdressers all across the country are saving castawat hair to help with the oil spill in the gulf.  its coordinated by a group called "Matter of Trust"  You can read the article (or click on the audio button and HEAR it) by clicking on this hair photo and it will take you to NPR.  Who knew? 

Tatting Interview No. 1 - Krystledawn Tats

Hope this post finds YOU having a good week! 

I'm off to take another tatting lesson today and so I thought I would feature a small 5 question interview with Krystledawn who I met at the Shuttlebirds workshops this past month, in Spokane, Washington.  I was impressed with Krystledawn's enthusiasm for this wonderful craft - and also a bit curious as to what inspired her to take it up - because honestly from what I have observed is that tatting is largely made up of older women (and the occasional man too!)  So, I asked Krsytle she would not mind to share her story with us in the form of a short interview - and she said yes.  She has also allowed me to feature some photos of her beautiful tatted jewellery so you can see what is possible.  I'd like to eventually be able to do this too. 

(click any photo to be taken to Krystle's blog - links to her ETSY store available there!)

When did you learn to tat?

It was about five or six years ago.  

I tend to migrate between craft projects during the year, and at one point I was wandering the craft store looking for inspiration.  It was there that I happened upon a book about tatting which brought back a memory of a little sweater vest I had when I was a kid.  My mom had tatted a white edging onto the neckline.   That may have been the only tatting she ever did, but at that point I was curious.  

So I took the book and a shuttle home, made a few snowflakes, and then moved onto whatever crafty fancy struck next.  It wasn’t until Jan of 2009 that I dug out my shuttles again, but once I did, I got involved in the online community of tatters, and I have been almost exclusively tatting for a year and a half now.  I guess I’m bitten by the bug.  

There is a certain charm to tatting, isn’t there?

What is the favourite thing you've made?

I would have to say the Lady in the Garden jewelry set that I made. 

It’s gone already though, sold on ETSY the first day I listed it.  I’ll have to make another one I guess….  My favorite part about it is that I was able to incorporate some new techniques that I learned from Bina Madden at shuttlebirds.

What is the most unusual thing you've ever tatted?

That might be my flipflops.  The edging I attached was actually needle tatted in the first year I learned to tat. 

After that I’d say some of the failed attempts at designs qualify as quite unusual.

 

Who is a mentor to you in the tatting world?

Georgia Seitz

She runs the Online tatting class which can be found at Georgiaseitz.com.  She has been teaching new tatters for years, as well as spurring us all forward to learn and discover and create new things.

What is your favorite shuttle - why is it?

My ceramic shuttle from Ladyshuttlemaker! 

Shuttles from different materials have a different feel to them.  I love how it warms in my hand but still has weight to it. And it’s very individual.  I was able to choose and play with all of her shuttles and this one is like it was made for my hand.  That’s my current favorite.  A close second is the little pointed clover shuttles.  They are my workhorses.

Thank you, Krystle!

I had actually one more question for the interview, about what was Krystle's favorite tatting pattern online, however the link was not functioning when I posted.  I will post it when she resends it.  I hope this interview has given you a small taste of the magic of tatting - inspired you in some way.  You might even find something in her ETSY store too! 

I mentioned that I am going to my tatting lesson today - I hope to interview the lady who is giving me instruction.  Melody has been tatting for years and years and it will be interesting to find out what her perspective is as well.