Finished!

Well, it took longer than I like to spend on a bookmark, but the last one is finished!  Now to make sure everything is all packed up, ready to load tonight so I am ready to be at the show for the 7:30am setup. :-O

 

I'll be sure to take my camera with me (with fresh batteries!) so I can take photos of my setup at the beginning of the show.

Two more Bookmarks done

I was hoping to get three more bookmarks done before Saturday.  Well, I managed two, but don't know about the third.  I had to go into the Pain Clinic today for an injection and it took them 3 tries to find a vein for the IV...sheesh!  Not sure the resulting swelling/bruising is going to let me get the last one finished (it is started though...started it last night watching an Encore presentation of the Beatles Special)  In the mean time, here you go....

This bookmark is missing the last row, which I very seldom ever add.

This bookmark is based on a bookmark posted by an InTatters member.  My own stitch counts though.  To me, it looks like a rotated version of Jane's Bookmark using Lock Chains between elements.

The last bookmark, should I get it finished is my pattern for the Twisted Celtic Clovers Bookmark, done in Ocean Turquoise and Daffodil Yellow.  (Oh, I'm SO ready for Spring!  Can you tell?  lol)

Extras for the Show!

As I'm done with all that I had planned to make for the show this weekend, I decided to work on bookmarks in the remaining time.  Here are the ones I have done so far.

Does anyone recognize this design?  Who is the designer?

 

I'm hoping to get at least 3 more bookmarks done before Saturday. ;->

Ready for the Show!

I finished all the tatting I had planned to do for the show coming up (including another headband I found while packing!)

 

I'll post pictures of the display at the show.  I've come up with some new (for me) ways of displaying thing! (teaser!  lol)

More for the upcoming Show

I got the last headband I have done up this morning.

Have also got a good start going on all the earrings I need to make....here is what I have done so far.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oh my!

Oh wow!  I hadn't realized that it had been quite so long since I've been here and posted!  (color me embarrassed!)   I have been very busy this last year, making jewelry and other things for the local Farmers Market and Craft Shows.  I'm currently getting ready for the upcoming season for the Farmers Market...it starts on April 27th.  Can you believe we have snow on the ground again though?  :-O

I have a new love to share with you all!  I recently discovered Kumihimo (Japaneses Braiding). 

I started out with a Kumi Loom, but really didn't like the lack of tension control.  I wanted to go all out and get a Marudai, but the ones online START at $105! Not....so, I was going to have my brother (who loves working in wood) make me one when one of the ladies over at InTatters mentioned that she made one with a wooden stool purchased at WalMart.  So...I went to WalMart, got a 24" tall stool for under $20, ordered 24 wooden thread spools from Ebay and then went to Home Depot with my digital scales and bought washers and bolts to make the Tama (weighted spools).

Here are some photos of my Marudai, Tama and Counterweights

24" wooden stool....much less expensive but just as effective!

Yeup, I know the hole isn't in the center...had to let my friend help me...lol



3 washers, the bolt and a bit of calk to hold it all together and the Tama weighs exaclty 70gm!



Using Fishing Weights as the Counterweight and a 1-1/2" clip on a Medium Ez-bob to hold the cord in progress.

 

Here is the beginnings of this cord going onto the Ez-bob

 

I add a length of string to the spool to hold my working thread so I can use as much of the thread a possible.



When I get to the end, I just tie together the two threads that are worked together.





After doing the second set, I take the counterweight off and continue tieing off.



Finished!

  As you can see, I'm having a blast!  You may ask what I will do with so much cord...well, I'm taking it to the Markets with me and making neck cords, friendship bracelets and key rings....also have plans to tat directly onto one of the neck cords I made with beads...yeup, you can add beads as you are making the cord too!

Can't promise to post every week, but I WILL try to post a lot more frequently than every 12 months....lol

Lots of Earrings Made!

Well, coming up on the Christmas Season for the Farmers Market I bought a brand new earring display, then had to fill it with earrings.  We were off the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so I had 2 weeks to get all the earrings done that I wanted to.
Here is the display all filled up.

Here is a better picture of all the earrings.

The only ones here that are not on the display when I took the photo are the Christmas Trees.  Most of these earrings are now available on my blog store.
Even though the Market will be open one more week I will not be going.  It is just TOO cold!  Even with all the layers of denim and flannel I had on last Saturday I like to froze!  Not very many people came either.  Funny thing is that 3 people came who had never been to the Market and didn't even know we were there even with all the advertising we do and all the signs at the gate and along the road...gotta wonder about some people...lol

I have posted all the new Christmas ornaments on my store too but I really want to show you this snowflake that I test tatted for Frivole (from InTatters).

Criss-Cross Crystal Snowflake

I tatted this one according to the pattern but the next one I just couldn't resist adding beads.

Criss-Cross Crystal  Snowflake with Bugle Beads

Believe it or not, this one is exactly the same stitch count as the first one.  The only difference is that the picots are longer to accomodate the bugle beads.  For any interested in the pattern, Frivole has posted it for sale on her Etsy Shop.   I tatted both these snowflakes with Lizbeth Niagra Falls size 20 thead.  I just had to order me some Blue Ice that should be here soon to do better justice to the snowflake patterns that Frivole is coming up with.

Still Very Busy...sigh

I'm sure you are all wondering where I have been lately.  Well, truth to tell, I've been VERY busy with the local Farmers Market which is *planning* on staying open until mid December (weather permitting and we don't get a lot of snow)  Not only am I taking my tatted jewelry to the Market, I've been taking all of the cards I have made, the bags that I have made and I have been baking like a silly fool every week and taking cookies galore!  This week I had a new cookie plus 3 batches of fresh (home made) bagels and 2 batches of scones! :-O  I won't be making cookies this week but I will be making more bagels and scones to take as they sold realllly well.  The following week I start making Christmas cookies to take to the Market...yes, it is getting close isn't it?

This week I also started taking Christmas ornaments that I have been making.  These two baubles are my first baubles, but I'm sure more will follow.

This first one is made with the pattern Tat A Winter Star, done in size 20 Lizbeth thread.  In addition to the pattern I added a ring of 6-6 with an iridescent dagger bead dangling form the picot.  I attached it to the longest picot of each "arm" with silver jump rings.   I draped it over a plastic bauble using small drops of Liquid Fusion on the under side (at the junction on the clover) to keep it in place.

Tat a Winter Star on a Bauble

This next bauble is the Windows & Wheels Ornament, done in size 20 Lizbeth.  To make the glass ball glitter, I poured a little bit of floor wax inside the bauble, swirled it all around then dumped out the extra and sprinkled in two different sizes (large and micro fine) iridescent glitter.  Swirled that around then dumped out any extra there and let dry.

I was asked at the Market if I could make the above snowflake on a glass ball like the one below.  So now I need to make it to a store and get some more glass balls (this one was my last...sigh) and make some more baubles. 

Windows & Wheels Ornament

I REALLY like the way this looked as I was tatting it and thought it would make a GREAT necklace!  I'm adding a bead to the center of the center ring, seed beads to the 4 picots on the bottom of the outside ring and a dagger bead dangling from the picot of the bottom ring (the pattern is doubled for the bauble).  I have it started, using size 20 Lizbeth in color # 158 (Niagra Falls) with the center bead matching exactly the darkest of the aqua/turqouise colors and copper seed beads and dagger bead.  I will be sure to post a picture of it when I get it finished.

Newest Tatted Jewelry

I've also been busy making some more tatted jewelry.  This set is Dream by Yarnplayer is up on my blog store. 
I made my set with Lily 6 cord Ecru thread in size 30 and Teal(ish) leaf and seed beads.

I am currently working on another necklace and earring set and should have it up very soon...if all goes well.  I haven't been doing much tatting lately as I haven't really been feeling well lately.  Been getting a LOT of reading done lately, not much else...sigh...

Strivers (Stitch Place Holders)

Have you ever run into a pattern that calls for a Paperclip but when you get back around to the paperclip and join to the held stitch you find that your piece doesn't "look" quite right?  Paperclips are just TOO bulky!  One of the lady's over at InTatters showed us these Strivers and I just HAD to make my own!

All you need to make your very own Striver is an Earring Finding (I used a French Hook here, but other styles can be used too...I just added more "curl" to my hook), a small length of wire to hold a few beads on, some beads, a charm and a pair of Needle Nose or Jewelers Pliers.  How easy is that?  Much more elegant looking than a Paperclip as well!  I've used this Striver with thread all the way down to size 30 with great success and think it will even go down to smaller thread just fine.

Hope you all make some pretties for your tatting box now. ;-)

I'm SO bad!

Sorry I keep falling behind!  See my post here for more expaination...

We have finally taken our Tatting Designs to the point where we have drawn the whole design out!  Here is mine!  Hope you all have fun with it!

Here is some more tatting that I have been doing.  These patterns come from Lyn Morton's book, Tatting Jewellery and are tatted with a single strand of Gold Metallic DMC embroidery floss and size 8/0 seed beads.

Latest Tatted Jewelry

This pattern comes from the book Tatted Jewellery by Lyn Morton (not yet available her in the US, but available in the UK)
I used a single strand of DMC Metallic Gold Embroidery Floss to tat with and large seed beads.  I added a very tiny (2-2) ring at the base of the earrings to accomodate the erring wires.

The patterns in this book are stunning eyecandy and I can't wait to tat up some more!

One More Pendant

I had so much fun making up Yarnplayer's Dream pendant that I made up another one.  This one is worked in Black DMC Light Effects Embroidery Thread (1 strand) and uses white pearl seed beads and opalescent Dagger Drop Beads, tatted on a #8 (Very Fine) Needle.

Working on the last row of another doily to show you all. Unfortunately, I think my "tatting time" may be curtailed for a bit very soon. I am haveing some work done on my house and the contracter is hoping to start next week...Oh, but it will be SO nice once it is done! I have a large deck on the front of my house and when he is done, most of it will have a roof over it! Yippee! I plan on getting a nice Deck Chair so I can enjoy being outside again! I have had to stop going outdoors except for little forays of no more than 15 minutes, even slathered with SPF 50 sunscreen as I have developed a sun sensativity...sigh. It will be nice to be able to get back outside, while still being protected from the sun!

Another Tatted Pendant

I saw this pendant done up the other day in a stunning Red & Black combination for the Chinese New Year and just had to go find the pattern!  I've made it with the beads I have on hand at the moment...NOW I need to find some better ones...this Pendant reminds me SO much of Dreamcatchers!  The pattern is by Yarnplayer and can be found here.  I want to see if I can find some "feathers" to make a necklace set now.  Anyways...on to this one....I have tatted it with ONE Strand of DMC Light Effects Embroider Floss, color # E436 Golden Oak, using a #7 Needle.  The seed beads are some that I got in a recent Swap and the leaf beads are some that a friend gave me and that is all I have of that size, so I can't even make a set with this design.... :-<  Gotta get me some dangly beads! ;-p  The cord it is on is 2 strands of the same thread that has been twisted back on itself.