Understanding.

Today has been a weird sort of day. I have finally understood something that i have failed to understand. Why are people upset by people dying. Now please understand, i have never had someone really close to me die. So i haven't really understood. I, of course rationalize...they will never see that person again...talk...ect. And i understand its very sorrowful. But it hit me today when i heard that an internet buddy died. I was in shock. Then i checked her blog to see if it was true. the last post was the 4th. It was about a challenge she was going through. stitching. I got really sad. No more blog posts. She will never type again. Her blog is there, but she isn't. Its weird. Then I got to thinking. Well she was in the middle of that challenge. She'll never finish. What happens to her work she has yet to finish. Its sad. She was a wonderful woman, who had a great heart. She helped a lot of people. Sadly enough that it was her death that taught me the compassion for people mourning their loved ones and friends. I appreciate it. I wish it was a lesson that got put off. 

Thank you Gina. For making me a better person.

Happy Valentines day. 

To all, even those who don't celebrate it, i hope you have a bit of love in your lives :)

doing some butterflies

Recently on facebook, Georgia Seitz put out the word for some butterflies. I have  been wanting to send tatting in for the palmetto even for some time. Last year was wonderful. I didn't get to go to palmetto, but there was a chat set up, tatters were trying to break the record for the most tatters tatting at the same time. Needless to say, in a world where you might come across 1 tatter in real life, it was so nice to see so many. To hear their voices...it was wonderful.

So i actually have to go put dinner in the crock, be back in a minute...ok. i'm back. i am making enchilada casserole. its WAY nummy. HERES THE LINK TO IT... anyway.

Butterflies. I have some favorites.

1st. this is a butterfly that is a variation in technique. typically this pattern is done as a SCMR (self closing mock ring.) BUT this one is done with just a single shuttle.

2. Yarn players butterfly. you can also do this with a single shuttle. just by pulling out like a yard of thread and starting your ring there.

3. simple butterfly. basically 4 rings.

4. MY FAVORITE FAVORITE is a pattern that i made. I don't know if i have seen it anywhere but i know one day i just did it. If anyone has seen it somewhere let me know, so i don't feel like a fool for saying that i designed it first. :)

You start with a chain. making sure you put in a paperclip. tat 20ds, then RW and make a ring...3-3+3-3. you join to the paperclip ...keep it there. chain 12 ds LJ to paperclip. chain 12 more. another ring, then finish with another 20 ds. join to the paperclip again. tie  a knot to secure. clip the ends  (antenna)

ch 20 rw
r 3-3+3-3
ch 12 LJ 12
r 3-3+3-3
ch 20.

It is so cute and playful. SO I hope that this inspires you to also send in some butterflies.

Tatting update!

 So, like i said a while ago, my camera is really irritating me. Today is a tatting blog day. I finally got it to import the pictures, so here is some tatting i have been working on....I made an alphabet super simple, I still need to make my H. Further down you will notice a Fleur De Lis-ish pattern. It was an antique one, but it didn't lay nice for me, so i modified it, and i think it's better :)...Ok bloggers layout sucks, description of the photo is gonna be under the pictures :)

Antique fleur de lis, left is original, center is first mod, and third is the final

top part of a tatted hot air balloon

bottom of hot air balloon. stopped here because next row deals with "sets" which i hate

Jane Ebroalls 2004 snowflake

 

I love the center, i thought that it needed a close up.

a flower by jennifer williams

a heart also by jennifer williams, i love this heart!

 

 

So CURRENTLY i am working on a doily from this blog -------> HERE the pattern is through out the blog. such beautiful work!

last meme of the year!

Sunday Stealing: The 2011 Year End  Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
  I finally spoke my mind to my sister and my mom. we paid off a vehicle
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did not make a resolution last year, but this year, i am resolute about dancing more, and practicing my tatting,
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
no
4. Did anyone close to you die?
no, thank god!
5. What countries did you visit?
just mine.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
material wise, i want a sewing machine, a serger, material, patterns. i think thats it.

relationship wise, i want to be happier, for that anthony needs to put in effort.

 parental wise, i want to be a better parent, that means having patience
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
dates...? probably december 7th, i finally remember my nieces birthday! for sure
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
teaching my kids to write, then tatting techniques,
9. What was your biggest failure?
no matter how hard i try, my two boys are having trouble talking right. i consider that a fail.
10. What was the best thing you bought?
my van, its so good to me :)
11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
all three of my kids, they are doing great in school
12. Whose behavior made you appalled and disgusted?
my boyfriends, lying over stupid things, doing stupid things, being headstrong for the wrong reasons
13. What song will always remind you of 2011?
its a toss up for party rock anthem, and i'm sexy and i know it.
14. What do you wish you’d done more of?
i wish i cuddled more, i wish that i had tatted more, i wish i had done more with my SWAGBUCKS i could have had so much more
15. What do you wish you’d done less of?
yelling, i hate yelling
16. Did you fall in love in 2011?
no :( but i surely wish to have my love back in 2012
17. What was your favorite new TV program?
terra nova! I love that show..also once upon a time,
18. What was the best book you read?
i read the help and it was a good book, but i didn't like the movie
19. What one thing would have made your year measurably more satisfying?
anthony listening to me, not just when i yell, but when i just am talking to him. him listening to me would make me ecstatic.
20. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
huh?
21. What kept you sane?
my tatting groups, not only do they help with tatting, they help with life. their experiences that they share are invaluable! thank you guys.
22. Who did you miss?
i miss the anthony, anthony used to be.
23. Who was the best new person you met?
i didn't met anyone new
24. Tell us a valuable lesson you learned in 2011?
kids are great when raised by someone who is great
25. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

i don't know. i have had alot of songs in my head.

Well. I finally got around to checking my mail. To my surprise, I had a package. A Card, 2 flat wooden shuttles wound with lizbeth thread (2 colors i didn't have), A silver snowflake and floss threaders. In case you are a new tatter and don't really understand the threaders...I'll explain. They are great for adding beads to tatting and also a great tool for hiding ends (magic thread trick). I am also going to post this over on intatters (cause that's where the exchange went down :)) But I thought that I could brag over here. About...the shuttles. I am not really a flat shuttle kind of gal....but man are these nice! they are sooooo smooth and soft, I have never felt anything like it. So what i am thinking i am going to do, is to make a necklace out of one. So I can have a shuttle ANY where i go. Also so i have something to pet...I am not joking when I say they are smooth, my favorite is the one with green. Its like satin. The snowflake is already on my tree. It came in perfect time! We decorate the Christmas tree the day after thanksgiving...which would be today...So its on my tree and matches perfectly. My ornaments are silver, frosted silver, bronze-ish gold, with a peppermint garland...so silver, gold, and red. the colors of that snowflake...tell me thats not meant to be. 

close up of the shuttles

the snowflake

a horrible picture of the tree half done.

Have i mentioned that i don't like the blogger layout...its hard to put the pictures where i want...oh well . Ok, well I think that I should take the kids outside for a bit...talk to y'all later!

My thanks.

Boy oh boy. I start a lot of post like that don't I? So. Been reading blogs, Entered a couple giveaways, didn't win....but that doesn't stop me from trying :)! Its thanksgiving today. Growing up as a kid, thanksgiving was a lot to our family. My most memorable thanksgiving was when i was like 10. I was sitting in our dining room, when all hell broke loose. My brother or sister opened the front door and our dog Jane ran out. This was bad because she was in heat. So we all ran after her...By the time we got to her she was already stuck to him. Possibly the funniest, most sad thing... they were basically butt to butt, facing away from each other...stuck. My mom was yelling for us to get some cold water to separate them. Thats the funny. The sad, is that they were stuck...every time the moved she would cry out in pain...We finally got them apart, and got her back to the house....Just in time for Santa. I believe that was also the year that my grandma had thanksgiving with us...that was not fun, but to this day i really appreciate what she was trying to do.

2005...i was pregnant. Turkey was very bad for me. too juicy.  I love dry turkey. Weird I know but thats me. 2006...bad memories. anthony and i was separated, and everyone around me was crazy. the whole day was a mess.

2007...I was just pregnant. I really don't remember a whole bunch about that year, except that i was really pregnant. that following monday, I would have anavay. 

2008...We had thanksgiving at Anthony dad's house...not fun with 2 boys who were 2 and a 1 year old.

2009...I think we just had a little thanksgiving...Oh not to mention Anavays birthday was on thanksgiving!

2010...Krystal came over and it was hectic!!! and anavays birthday the day right after thanksgiving.

2011...so far today, Anthony has work, and my sister is having dinner with my mom...needless to say I am pretty sad.

Sad, but so thankful. I have had a wonderful year. Blessed beyond belief. I have a car (van) now. Anthony has a job! My kids are great (even though they get on my nerves), my kids are cuddle bugs. I have advanced in my tatting. a lot less fights between Anthony and I. I have learned A LOT this year about random things. I really am happy with where we are right now. 

TATTING COMMUNITY... I would not be this happy if not for you. There is a lot of life lessons in tatting. Courtesy...patience...sharing...kindness...friendship...all great things to have. So keep doing what you're doing.

Welcome my tiny tatted turkey...

 This is my very first actual designed piece....well what i consider. I looked on the internet and couldn't find a turkey. So i made one. I was thinking of naming it something wacky like...i don't know. Then I thought of something typical...like tommy turkey....but then I thought that i am also really bad at naming...just look at my fish names...lollipop. cookie. azriel. atreyu. anavay. spunky. pearl. and grays anatomy...anyway the top picture here is my turkey not pinned out...the bottom one is moistened and pinned...for some reason, it still doesn't look just like a turkey... any suggestions???

a bit of warning if you attempt this... there is a lot of "shuttle play" you have to switch shuttles very often. Also there is use of a wide picot, and a folded ring.

my tatted turkey

2 shuttles (loads of turning work and switching shuttles, so no way around it)

chain area is just going to be indicated with the number of ds.
vsp - very small picot
+ - regular join
lj - lock join
- is a regular picot

-- is a medium

--- is  a long picot

________

R 12 (3ds wide picot) 2 - -- --- 3 close

CH 3 (vsp) TW SS 20 TW SS * - 7- 5 TW SS 5 lj TW SS - 4 TW SS 4 lj TW SS - 5 TW SS 5 lj TW SS 7 + (regular join) TW SS* 6 TW SS,  repeat from * to * 1 more time, 10 TW SS

Folded ring 30 + SET A 15 SET B CLOSE (REMEMBER TO FOLD RING OVER)

TAIL~~
CH 

1 picot TW SS (YOU WILL HAVE 1 DS BECAUSE OF THE PICOT) TW SS 15 TW SS 14 + TW SS 15 + (to tip) 2 TW SS 11 + (TO BASE) TW SS 11 + (TO TIP) 3 TW SS 14 + (TO BASE) TW SS 15 + (TO CH P) 3 + (TO BASE OF RING)

So That is it. hope y'all like it.

forgot the title last time, but not time time.

 This is my very own dragon. I don't remember the name of the thread but it reminds me of strawberrys, so this is Strawberry my protector. She sits on my wall at my bedroom entrance. I have to admit that i was always saying "whats the big deal, they are just thread. just thread" I couldn't understand the obsession with dragons. But i understand now. After i finished the last stitch, Strawberry seemed to say thank you for tatting me into creation. Believe it or not but this mire thread has personality. I couldn't believe it. but it does. I did one for my sister, all red in size 10. he's mean. same thing happened, tatted him and he was just thread, immediately after i finished it had personality...so weird.

 This is my very first, very very first dieing my own thread. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color orange. I have no clue why, I just do. it was about 20 yards, and really a really great color. I will from now on dye my own thread...at least my solid color :)

 This was me, yesterday messing around with different tatting methods. So amazing in the last few days. The amound of craziness and talent. the amount of creativity and thinkin out side the box. So got me on the look out. First i was lead to paridise treasures for loop tatted rings. Which i wanted to do a video on...but as it turns out the volume was SUPER low on, and i have to re-tape it...why do i say re-tape. we don't tape video anymore...whats the word for it now...so lost...so lost...........

Continuing on...this was celtic picots...joined up there and not join down there... the join is quite nice. The un-joined reminds me of Phineas and Ferb, Jeremy's little sister. What do you think???

 This is my practice from KCABRERA'S inverted tatting video. I love her videos. Y'all should really check her out! I was practicing for leaves... needless to say I need to practice some more :) The butterfly down here is upside down. i took the phot upside down and I am much to lazy to take another, load it back on my computer and add it here...so i'm just gonna turn it...ok that didn't work...just imagine it right side up...

 This was the genius i was talking about...the buttterfly...the genius. INSTEAD of this being a SCMR...its just a ring (technically ...) with rings...craziness. You wrap the thread around your hand twice and then start. You don't tat normally, you don't flip the stitches...then you do the regular rings and continue on...like the second half of the split ring...then you close. ANYWAY here is the link...---> LINK

 And this, this is my handkerchief...i finally did it. and its bad, but it was my first time so i forgive myself :). I cut the other pattern i was trying to do, and i decided to go with VANCE. Its my favorite pattern and i could do it for miles. So here is the corner. I went with all fives...i love the symmetry of it. fives work really well for tatting.

 and the side. as you see the handkerchief started undoing. how you get this to stop is beyond me...but. i tried.

I also tried Marth Ess's Skeleton...didn't work for me either...i only got done with the first leg...got disturbed and couldn't finish, been trying to do a pumpkin for Halloween but...theres still time. Anyway. If you got some tatting stuffs, like a blog or what not, let me know so i can check out your pictures... i love seeing tatting!!!

Shannons Little Tiara

I was going through all my tatting patterns, organizing and sorting. Looking, planning. I cam across  an Ann Orr pattern in one of her books. Now I believe the pattern is out of copyright...So i figured I would mess with it a bit...That's the edging. I wanted to make it to a little girls tiara. I went to the 99cent only store (Gina Bea's idea) to find cloth covered headbands. Now as you see the edging is straight. I needed it some what angled. So for a couple weeks I thought about it. So here is the pattern I thought of.

 SHANNON'S LITTLE TIARA

  Done in size 10 thread                                                 
  cloth covered headband                                                                  
  hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

  Clarification about clover------->CLOVER = r 6-4-4
                                                                      r 4+4-4-4
                                                                      r 4+4-6
SmR 4-5-5-4
Ch 6-4-2
R 6+6
Ch 5-1
CLOVER
Ch 1+5
R 6-6
Ch 2+4-6
MedR 4-4-5-5-4-4
Ch 6-4-2
R 6+6
Ch 3-3
R6+6
Ch 5-1
CLOVER
Ch 1+5
R 6-6
Ch 3+3
R 6-6
Ch 2+4-6
LR 4-4-4-5-5-4-4-4
Ch 6-6-4-2
R 6+6
Ch 3-3
R 6+6
Ch 3-3
R 6+6
Ch 5-1
CLOVER
Ch 1+5
R 6-6
Ch 3+3
R 6-6
Ch 3+3
R 6+6
Ch 2+4-6-6
LR 4+4+4+5-5-4-4-4
Ch 6-4-2
R 6+6
Ch 3-3
R 6+6
Ch5-1
CLOVER
Ch 1+5
R 6-6
Ch 3+3
R 6-6
Ch 2+4-6
MedR 4-4-5-5-4-4
Ch 6-4-2
R 6+6
Ch 5-1
CLOVER
Ch 1+5
R 6-6
Ch 2+4-6
SmR 4-5-5-4

I wet blocked this and found that i needed some stiffness, So i used some white glue...and I still needed stiffness, So I then used straight glue brushed on the back of the work. Made it real nice and stiff.
I hot glued the tatted piece to the headband, making sure that the tatted piece is centered on the headband.

So before i get to the boring meme that i wanted to do, I wanted to let y'all know that i am working on a video for a ring on top of a ring. very new to me, but i got it down. Also along with that post, an array of photos showing the most recent tries at certain stuffs, celtic picots, the ring on ring. this cute little butterfly posted on intatters...whole bunch of stuffs. NOW. on to the meme.

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: The Last DJ

1. Who was favorite DJ and what radio station did you listen to as a kid?

Pat and Tom on 105.1 knci

2. What has been the weirdest thing you have worn in public?

hmm.i have worn a short skirt, thats odd for me, i wore a gown (cause it was halloween) umm. i think thats it.

3. What was the best part of last weekend?

 Seeing my sister and how excited she was when i gave her the game i won for her...THANK YOU JUST DANCE GAME!!!

4. What was the most effective punishment for you as a kid? 

I really didn't get punished as a kid, i believe i got two spankings in my entire life...second i rolled off my moms lap laughing...needless to say that got the point across to her that physical punishment wasn't for me.

5. Would you lie to your significant other to not hurt their feelings? 

no, i believe that honesty is needed in a relationship and that lying leads to hurt, and even more hurt feelings, might as well just rip the band-aid off.

6. We're taking you order for breakfast. What would you like?

the most wanted breakfast that i want is a meat lovers skillet with a side of ranch from waffle barn on fair oaks. if we are talking something i already make, it would have to be my slow cooker breakfast potatoes with two eggs. and if someone else is making something, i want potatoes and sausage and eggs. i really like that breakfast, or lunch or dinner.

7. Do you celebrate Halloween? If yes, do tell. If no, why not?

i celebrate by trick or treating a little with the kids. i do it, so that they can be happy as i was when i was younger. i don't really like doing it now that i am an adult but personally i would like to be the person handing out the candy, but i live in an apartment upstairs, so not many kids...also i want the kids to have fun. they have their cousin over and we all have a blast.

8. Do you hand out candy to the neighborhood kids? 

I want to, but i think it would be a bit creepy just handing random kids candy while walking...i think their parents would think me a weird-o. but once i get a house, THERE IS NO STOPPING ME FROM GIVING KIDS CANDY!!! except maybe taking my own kids out.

9. What's the favorite age you've been, so far? 

fav age? 17 or 19. both times i had a bedroom i loved. sit on my bed and knit, and listen to country music. or when my daughter was born...man i miss breast feeding. i know that sounds sick, but she would pet my arm, it felt so nice :)

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!