Thread....

So, I am still playing with my camera.  I had the wild hair to get all my thread together and take a "group photo"...  and I know I shouldn't say this, but I know for a fact that this is not all my thread.  For instance, I have a whole other ziploc bag full of vintage that has just reds and pinks in it. I also have more size 20 somewhere... like a medium green, victorian red, angel love, and black and white that are missing from this collection... and oh yeah... the dark blue, brown and seagreen... wow I left out a lot of the 20's... oh well.

But here is most of my collection.  Sorry about the lighting, I'm still working on how to operate this camera.

Oh, and do you like the lovely art work on the bed?  Funny story actually.  I love Sharpies.  So one evening, like usual, I had a couple of Sharpies sitting out on my desk and I ran downstairs (probably to print something out but I don't really remember now).  I left Livi playing quietly in the room.  She's super wonderful and rarely gets into anything and even when she does it's not usual an issue.  But this time, I just happened to be washing covers so she was just too tempted with my big white canvas of a bed.  She colored the entire bed with my pink and green Sharpies.  You'd think she'd get in big trouble right?  No, it reminded me so much of something that I myself would do, that I all I could was stare at it with open jaw and pop eyes and then patted her on the head and told her that it was okay but it was really not a good idea to color someone else's bed.

She did get in trouble that evening for something different... but that parts not too funny so I won't go into it.

But I do believe that if I have a hankering to tat... not having the right thread really should not be a problem. 

new camera

For Christmas, I got a new camera.  I was not expecting it at all, so I'm still a little in shock over it.  It's a pretty nice camera, but like all cameras... will take some getting used to.  So here are some of Jon's patterns from Elegant Tatting Gems.  The Green and Gold one I actually did weeks ago, just never showed it.  The other I did only the other day.  I really love it because it's so brightly colored.  However, since I'm still getting used to the camera, I don't feel like that is something that you can really see from these photos.  But I used Lizbeth size 40 Lemon, Azalea Md., and Lime Green.  I'm going to try photographing that one again tomorrow outside in the sunlight against a dark background to see if that will work better.  It'll be worth the extra work, because this piece is probably my favorite just because it's so brightly colored. :o)

bah...

So, on Christmas Eve, I started getting a bad headache and cough.   By Christmas, I was feeling a little feverish, but not too bad.  Then Monday we went out of town to Knoxville to visit my brother.  I was sick the whole time.  It did bother me too too bad since I get bronchitis every year.  However, this time it just kept getting worse.  It got so bad that I couldn't breathe hardly at all.  So once we got back in town on Friday I went to the doctor.

My appointment was at 1:15 and even though they took me straight back, I didn't leave until after 4 because they  ended giving me a breathing treatment, taking X-rays, drawing blood, and giving me a penicillin shot because come to find out I have PNEUMONIA!  Great fun right?   Luckily since I had Livi with me at the office, my white blood cell count was high and it's only in one lung, I got to come home rather than take a trip to the hospital.

So, tatting isn't much fun when you can't breathe, so I haven't done too much.  But I have been feeling a bit better since yesterday so I will have tatting to show soon!

Hope everyone is well!!

Happy Birthday to me...

Today's my birthday.  Don't tell anyone, but I turn 27 today.  Livi wants to take me to the movies to see TinTin.  Then we are going to come back to the house and watch movies and "chill out" lol.  Of course, I'll be eating some Baskin Robbin's ice cream cake.... my favorite. Chris got me one of LadyShuttleMaker's silver shuttles for my birthday and I am SOOO excited to get that in the mail.  I bought a silver chain so that I can wear it as a pendant if I want to.  :o)
Oh, I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday, and was delightfully excited to find a Lizbeth thread holder there.  Of course, I had to support their carrying it by buying one for myself... naturally, right?

I'm *hoping* to get some tatting done today because I've been super swamped with card making that I haven't been able to do any tatting and it makes me sad.  My cards are going to be super late to getting in the mail, but oh well.  Mom put a special "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" insert in the cards; so, hopefully that'll make it okay that they will arrive after Christmas :o)

Hen and Chicks... scrapbook paper!

I have a problem.  When I get stressed, my first "remedy" is ALWAYS a stop to the craft store.  So, despite the fact that I don't actually have money to spend because I don't have a job, I just feel the need to go buy things to craft.  I always justify this practice with self promises to make something sell-able or gift-able.  I have a not so secret desire to start up an Etsy shop, just saying...

So, after taking two dreaded finals, Livi and I took a trip to Archiver's in Cordova (it's about a 30 minute drive). They have loads scrapbook paper and stamps.  I actually went looking for something for my dad.  I was making some earrings for Livi's teacher's the other day and he asked me what I was going to make him.  I went blank for a while.  I had no idea that he had any interest in something handmade from me.  I've thought of something wonderful though, but I'll wait to share just in case he comes across my blog.

But, while I was looking for "manly" paper, I found this sheet that had pretty lace flowers.  They look "crocheted" and then on the back was a pretty pink and white "lacey" kind of design.  I fell in love and bought it without "really" looking at it.
Then when we got out to the car, I decided to give my purchases another look-see, and this what I found:

It's so obviously Hens and Chicks.  

This made me love my purchase even more.  I may even go get some more.  Who knows?

But if you are interested in this paper for yourself, it's made by Cratepaper, part of the Emma's Shoppe Collection.  Let me tell ya... I'm in love with it. :o)

I also, unintentionally I might add, picked up my dad an item from the same collection.  I picked up a sheet of the crossword puzzle with the back side being wood-grain, I guess that's what you'd call it anyway.

Pulling an All-nighter....

I have 2 finals in the morning.  Back to back.  It would probably be a good idea to sleep tonight but since my little one has been sick all weekend, I didn't get much studying done.  Plus, it's torture to try to get to the campus in time to be in my seat at. 8 am when I don't stay up the night before.
So, you remember how I said in my last post that I had on done one skein/ hank of thread?  Well that wasn't completely truthful.  It was the only full skein. (over 50 yards) I did however do this small one (I don't know the exact length, but it is much smaller than the other.)  Anyway, I haven't had the heart to undo the other one.  It's so pretty and hanging on the wall right now.  I did however want to see all the colors were going to look worked up.  I think it's really pretty don't you?

And then I tore off like a 1.5" piece of cardboard and wrapped some thread around it before I started dyeing stuff and this what I produced:

I actually really like how it turned out.  It actually has a "tie dye" kind of look to it.  I felt like I was tatting dangerously lol As you can probably see, I didn't see any point of taking the thread off the cardboard to start tatting.  I think it will be very interesting to see if the shades get lighter as I progress through this sample.  Also, I didn't do a very good job at dyeing this evenly, so the top portion had more red which is why the first little medallion I did has more red speckles than the second.  I will definitely be trying this method more... maybe with just 2 colors instead of 3 though :o)

BTW These were all done with either DMC size 80 tatting thread OR some white vintage thread that I had bought off etsy.  

3 down and 3 to go

3 more finals and then my brain can focus on tatting.... and take a break from all the craziness!

I have been doing some painting, but I'm wiped out so I'm not going to post pictures of them yet.... especially since they aren't done yet. ( and when I say "they" I am referring to some wooden jewelry/ trinket boxes that I was decorating for yet another birthday party for one of Livi's friends)

I did however come up with this super cute idea tonight while thinking of teacher's gifts.  They are going to be earrings.  The design is actually Baiduri from Jon's Elegant Tatting gems, just not the whole round...

Both are size 40 Lizbeth Charcoal.  The one on the left I added antique  copper  Pearl Ex  to  Mod podge and then  painted the entire piece.  On the right, this one has only been painted with Mod Podge.

But I didn't stop there, because I plan on these being earrings, I not only painted them with mod podge, but added some of Jacquard's Pearl Ex pigment in with the mod podge before painting.  I've done two so that you can tell the difference.  I rather like the effect over all.  I makes it look really shiny (though you can't tell that it's shiny due to the scan :o(  ).  I would definitely not do it to just any piece of tatting.  But for this occasion, I think it looks nice.


Also... try not to drool too much.  And certainly don't get your hopes up too much, because I'm still working at it.  Just being able to do something once doesn't mean a whole lot.  But... here's my first real attempt at dyeing thread.  I've tried doing a little before with hot water dyes, but only very small batches and only messing around.
This however turned out beautifully.  I only did one though.  Really I just didn't have enough white thread to make another hank. Plus, the hanks are not exactly the easiest things to make. I don't think they are easy anyway.