It is day eight of "Tat it and See" and I have mine done already today and the Grandkids are not even here yet. I can say one thing for sure about what it is...it is a Janey Oh Janey Critter. My guesses...a name of a beer, a ippoh, or it starts with either a p or a b...but here is a picture of day eight in the fun. I really am enjoying doing this...just think when it is all done I have another piece of tatting that I can put in my "Scooby Do Fun Book"

A few more rounds done on Whatchamacallit. All I can say about it is ......it is getting bigger...LOL

Jane's "Tat it and See" fun...here is mine. I have two guesses what this looks like to me. One starts with an H and the other starts with a b or p...depends on what name you want to give it. But we shall see...we shall see in the end.

My tatted piece is sitting ontop of an square piece of cloth that I had put a celtic bobbinlace edging around. A few years ago I was helping Ann Keller of Ireland put together her book called " Celtic Bobbinlace for Beginners" You can see that book here

http://annmargaretkeller.com/

All the bobbinlace pieces you see on the cover are actually my pieces of lace. I also helped a group of ladies in Ireland do lace for dancing stage costumes. I made big pieces of lace using Gold Rush. If any body is familar with that thick stuff you know it isn't easy to use in making bobbinlace. Gold Rush is usually used as a gimp thread in bobbinlace. But the lace was to be applied to black velvet so the lace had to be thicker so it would stand out on the velvet. The gimp thread was either white with gold metallice or it was white with silver metallic together.

I keep thinking that someday I want to put the lace patterns on my scanner if I can get them to fit and make the prickings smaller so I could make them smaller. I was commissioned to make the lace a couple years in a row. I had to make certain pieces enough to do four or five dresses....this included the collar, lace piece for the bodice and the skirt of the dresses. If you search on my website you can see some of the lace in progress on my bobbinlace el cheapo cookie pillow. http://celticdreamweaver.com/

You can also see some of the bobbins I painted of cartoon characters. The lace pictures are also on Ann's website. I think if you go back in her newletter you will find the right up on the celtic laced dance costumes. Okay...okie dokie...I think I better hit the bed now...nighty night...

WHEN THE BRIT CAME TO VISIT ME....

Here is Suzzie Q ( Sue Hanson) a few years a go and take a look at her outfit. Do you see the Purple Glamor Queen. On my stereo cabinet you can see a scarf that has a tatted edging all the way around it. I made this back when I thought I was the only tatter left in the universe. Of coarse we went shopping on that day too. On top of my Stereo cabinet you can see one of the only two Beanie Babies I have. The Irish Bear. I didn't go nuts over the Beanie Babies like some people did. In the picture frame above the stereo cabinet is a collage of sorts of different places I saw on my trip across the big pond by big JUMBO Plane. I think it was May of 2004. But doesn't see look like a Brit to you....I think our tatting guild The Fingerlakes Tatters also gave her that bag she is toting.

Also here is a group shot of us all. I know most of the people in the picture but not all of them.

In the next picture is Suzzie Q and I doing what we love to do...that is tatting. Note my Hogwarts Tshirt I am wearing. Yup...I am a Harry Potter Fan...I bet you all didn't know that huh??

Also here are some picture of of the "Proof Tatting" I did for Ben Fikkert a couple years ago.

In the first picture is his "Buttercup" Doily. That is the white and multicolored one and the second varigated blue doily is "Tequila Sunrise" and lastly is an edging I also proofed called "Chinese Lantern". The book "Tatting Adventure" is a great book. There is still more in the book that I want to make some day.

This is the beginning of something...no, it is not the beginning of a doily or a snowflake but something. This is dyed thread that I bought from Karey Solomon when I went to the Hector tatting group party. I couldn't quite decide what to make with it...but have decided as you can see. The thread is also size 10. This is a thread size that I don't like tatting with. I like the finer sized threads...but this size will work for what I have started....Mysterious...and mysterier( is there such a word) My dictionary is right here to look the word up)...I think it is harder to tat with size 10 thread. I have noticed in just doing this that it tires my hands...I wonder if anybody else has noticed this too.

Just one picture to show you today. This is the beginning of a doily. The thread is actually two different dye threads that I got on ebay years ago. I don't remember the seller or anything about it. But I really like the colors. The thread type is the same but the dying is different. One was a very settle blue and the other was a variegate. Putting the two together as I did in the beginnings of this doily makes it look like I am using just one colorway or one type of dyed thread when in actuality it is two.

The hanks were good size (a lot of thread to actually maybe make a doily and not just a motif )and I do not remember having to pay a fortune for the skeins.

I do have a dilemma here though. I am not sure if I have enough of this thread to finish the doily...but I am going to try. You will see more of this doily as I do more work on it.

YOU, have gotta see what I got in the mail from my friend Erin Halloway. LOOKIE.... LOOKIE HERE!!!!

When I was in Tenn. last past September visiting Erin before we jumped into Raymond's van and had the giggles over the sock monkeys we were making and trying to gauge Mark's reaction to the surprise he got...( incase you don't know...he got his very own TaTman Action Figure and a Batman made into TaTman waste can presented to him at Palmetto's Fun Tatting Weekend) really it was a Kodak moment to remember...anyhow...Erin took me to the bead shop that was in her locale. Of coarse when this ditzie person (ME) walks in she is seeing bling...blinging all over the place. And inside the showcase under the register was a string of real raw Aquamarine. Which incase you don't know and probably don't...that is my birthstone. I inquired to the cost of one of these raw nuggets and when I was told the amount I said to Erin...well if I had the money I would buy one of them and make it a focal point in a tatted necklace. Guys and Ladies...take a look at the necklace Erin made for me for Christmas. Do you see the focal point. I love this necklace and I love the fact that she had used copper looking beads with the pink and the bluish colored thread. Those beads and thread are perfect for that Aquamarine stone. What a beautiful necklace!!!! And it even has my birthstone. This was inside a little change purse you see in the pictures.

The only othe Aquamarine stone I have is one that I had special ordered years ago to have set into a white gold Claddagh ring. I wear this ring as my birthstone ring. The ring was gifted to me years ago from my mother inlaw. I always wear it and always think of her when I look at it.

Also in my package I received from Erin was this funky Glitterville,Dept.56 coffee cup. Now what do all of you think of it...What about you Carol Amich?? Isn't it cool. Take a look at the ears..and the vampire teeth...and guess what..the eyes actually jiggle when moved or touched. Anyhow...here is three pictures of it, back, front...and look Gina...it has your homemade black hat on its head. I am really going to have to do that beaded band now, that you taught in Hector I think it was ...I think it would go perfectly with the cup...and see there is one tatted flower that was given to me by Mark this past September.

She also sent to me a hat box to put my glaring, purple tatted hat into for safe keeping. And lo and behold..more Christmas ornaments to cover with decorations.

I tell you I am so blessed with having tatting friends like you all in Tattingland. I am so lucky to have all of you. You all made my Christmas absolutely wonderful and "FUN". I lOVE YOU ALL...you have just about brought me to tears you all have been so kind to me.

Now I am going to have to tell you that I will probably be quiet for a spell for I am very busy proofing patterns for a couple of tatters. Which means...hmmm might be more tatting books down the road you think?? Since the patterns are not published it means my tatting will be kept secret for awhile unless you plan on coming over to my house and raiding my tatting area in the middle of the night with your black Nija suits on...but be forewarned if you do that...Mr. Green and Mrs. Pink Shuttle and PUff and the gang all have acute hearing and will alert me to intruders in my house.

Anyhow....have fun looking at the pictures. There is more great tatting coming your way eventually.

Can You Say COLOR???!!

In the first picture is a doily that I just finished. The doily isn't very big. I tatted it using size 70/80 tatting thread. The original pictures I have seen of this doily are from a book Edited by Georgia Seitz called Tatting Online. It is a great book! Alot of neat patterns in it. Anyhoooo....The pictures of this doily are MonoTone. Just one single color but when I see a doily that screams flowers well then it also screams color to me. So I made this doily using alot of color. The pattern is by Mark Myers and is on page 4 and 5 of said book. I think it is prettier than the pictures that I took show. But now as you can see it just SCREAMS COLOR don't you think?

I sometimes purposely will make a doily is small thread for when I don't plan on using the doily as a doily per se' but tatted up because I really like the pattern. It is small enough to put it in my Scooby Doo Fun Book.

In the next picture is another ornament that I made. This one is Michelle and was done in colors that she picked out. The next one has to be done in Dallas Cowboy Football colors which I think is blue and gray. This ornament will be for a Dallas fan Ryan my youngest son.

Enjoy the pictures...don't know when I will be posting again.