A FEW THINGS.....to write about.

First....this past weekend was Hector, New York tatting event. I only went on Saturday. Had to borrow a car and so on...but I had a good time. So I am going to share some pictures with you all.

So what do I have in the pictures. The first picture is a group shot of us tatters that were in Hector on Saturday for the tatting event. The next picture is a people picture. The lighting I thought was bad so some of my people pictures did not turn out too good but I am sharing some of them with you anway. The lady teaching with the gray and white vertical striped pullover is Bina Madden from the state of Washington. She came from the farthest to attend the event. The lady in blue is Ruth Perry being her sunny self. Loved her tee shirt she had on. The redhead with the black top on is Vicki Clarke from Canada. I had her for my Christmas Advent Exchange on Gina's Goddess Tatting list. We got to talk even more. The Christmas ornments were made by Ginny Weathers. She taught a class for making a ornment cover something like a lampshade over a glass ball. See how pretty they are. In the last picture above here is Kathy Brandt that I use to work with many years ago and found each other again when I first started going to the Hector Event. She actually lives on the Eastern side of New York now. In the past I have met up with some fun tatters on that side of the state...but couldn't go last year...the funds wouldn't let us go...but maybe this year...but now that my husband doesn't have a job...I don't know if we can or not.

Now moving on here to another subject and more pictures...haha.

In this picture is Pat Pike. She is from Buffalo/Amherst area of the state. I met Pat a few years ago. She is left handed like me...and she knows how to do the Romanian Point Lace Cording. She has showed me I don't know how many times in the past ...and I guess I just didn't really get it...but TA DA....I have it now...so Gina...if you are reading this blog...take a look at my cording in the picture. What do you think? I did this with size 20 Lizbeth thread. I kept practicing it after I got home and I pick up my crochet hook up every now and then and add a bit more to the length of my cording. Hopefully if you click on the picture of the cording maybe you can see my stitches better and I didn't have to flip my mind over backwards to make it either. It is left handed made. Yippee. I can't crochet right handed. I have tried in the past but my brain will not flip the other way to crochet right handed so I had to have a left handed crocheter. Thank you Pat!!

I have been wanting to know how to do this for a long time. I have some Romanian Point Lace Patterns in some of my old Anna magazines and I have three books by Sylvia Murariu. One of her books even is for Christmas ornaments and there are at least three angels in that book. So now that I know how...I will be trying my hand in some Romanian Point Lace and since I can make the cording now...I can do mine in color which is so me...don't you all think??

In this next picture is two more teapots I have made from Martha Ess's Teapot book. Which if you go here you can get some info on how to get your copy. It is a great book.

http://marthas-tatting-blog.blogspot.com/

Handy Hands I know will also be selling the book. Speaking of Handy Hands, I happen to know that there will be more different varigated and solid colors of Lizbeth coming hopefully by the end of June. So keep your fingers crossed for that.

http://www.handyhandstatting.com/index.html

It is made using Lizbeth threads and also some Rainbow Brite thread from Tatakool. Here blog is here:

http://tatsakoolchallenge.blogspot.com/

And last but not least ...this is what I won in one of the raffles. This bag with a pink and light purple Hedgehoggie in this bag along with a kit to make one of Ruth Perry's bracelets. Fun HUH???

I guess this post is enough for now...there might be more writing and sharing with you all on another day.

Some of Martha Ess' Teapots I have made. I will be making more. Funny how I like teapots but not tea huh? Enjoy the picture!!! And for Bubs...it is now your turn....LOL.

Here is the very first picture of all of my grandchildren. I don't think the "Movie Star" in the middle is all that thrilled with Grandma Poperozi.

This is Martha's Celtic Teapot from her new book. This is a book to GET, I am telling you. I love all of the patterns in this book and I am not a tea drinker and since I was really sick last year...I don't drink coffee anymore either. But take a look at the colors I chose to make my teapot. These are colors I don't usually gravitate to....but I like it. This is from the New thread of Handy Hands "Lizbeth". I love this thread and all of the different colors. It is nice to tat with something different instead of the same O, same O, colors. You can order your thread here.

http://www.handyhandstatting.com/index.html

The other bit of news is tomorrow is my husband's last day at work. The company he worked for over 30 years is moving out of New YOrk State to a state where they don't have to worry about unions and so on. My husband will be 60 in May and he is going to loose some of his pension because of this move and he isn't quite the right age yet though he was close to retire. This will be a big adjustment for me to have my husband around 24/7. I am use to doing my own thing so I have a feeling I am not going to handle it very well. My time will not be my own anymore.

The precious one has been here since Feburary 25th 2009. Her name is Kiara Anna Townsend. She weighed 8 pounds. She is a really sweet little girl. So here is some pictures of my new Granddaughter which I am very pround of. These pictures were taken right after her birth which I was there to see the miracle happen. It got hairy at the end but everything was okay at the end. Just a tough delievery. She was vacuum suctioned and also the doctor literally got on top of Gingers belly and pushed down hard on it. The baby's heart rate was showing some signs of stress for she was hung up in the birth canal for a while. But...we all had a happy sign of relief....and Shawn gave me the biggest hug I think I have even gotten from him. She is a truly a miracle to us all. In the one picture you can see shawn getting to know his new daughter and getting his first pictures of Kiara. Her name was decided on completely until a couple days after her birth. I think she has a pretty name. Here is another picture of the Mom and Dad and the little one.

Last week I got to baby sit her for the first time. I managed to get a few pictures of Kiara.

Kiara does not like the light. And that is me with her rocking away in my rocking chair that I rocked all of my kids and so far all my grand kids in. I guess I am sentimental right now.

And now to a different topic. Knitting!! I have been doing alot of knitting lately. I have been working on a baby blanket that has a castle in the center of it fit for a princess like our Kiara with flowers going all the way around the outside with stars for the movie star. I also got my very first shawl knitted. Here is a couple pictures of that. It was from an online Kal called Mystic Ice and the designer was Anna

http://knitandknag.blogspot.com/ Here is her blog address so you can learn something about this great designer of knitting.

I am working on another shawl right now by the same designer. This one is called Mystic Star...and I am on the last clue of the shawl right now...but I am planning on making mine bigger so I am changing my shawl a bit buy repeating some of the other clues.

This isn't the actual shawl. This is the part I goofed up on and cut and took a scan of it so I could show the yarn I was using. This yarn has a bit of blue, purple and black. Reminds me of the Valdani Quilting thread I used for the background of my Celtic Fan that I designed a few years ago. Anyhow my shawl is way beyond this picture right now.

Lastly here is a scan of my swatch for the next shawl which will be Mystic Roses. I decided to go with a color of a Peace Rose. I so hate buying things without seeing them with my own eyes. I really love this lace yarn but I would have liked just a touch of a buttery bright yellow...not alot but just a touch. This was knitted using size 4 needles. I haven't decided yet but I might go up to a size 5.

So that is all the news for now. I did do a bit of tatting but since it was proofing ...I can't show it...sorry Guys and Gals...but I just can't.....

Some Stuff...Erin me girlfriend....the begining of this post if for you.... we have talked in the past you know about the soldier ornaments your father made out of clothes pins...Here is a few of the different ones I have. Well guess what Erin...my brain cell number 4 ( I have Janey, O Janey beat...she just doesn't know it) I guess I didn't get pictures of them after all....I know I thought about it...but I don't see the pictures so I guess I didn't..LOL...but I did get some pictures of some ornaments I made over 20 years ago from what they use to call Dough Art. Take a look at my Angels...and my Santa Claus. I had more of these but I guess I gave them away years ago...I should make some to give away next year...what do you all think?? I am surprised they lasted all this time considering they are made out of dough and painted with acrylic paints. Their hair and beards were made using a garlic press. I actually bought the press just to make the hair of my creations.

Erin showed her really cool village her father made years ago http://thebuhlawg.blogspot.com/

...well here is a Charles Dickens Village I made over 20 years ago. The whole village including the Christmas three in the center of the ice skating ring lights up when plugged in. The kids get a kick out of seeing the village.

Here is my softie ceramic reindeer and sleigh that I did in blue. Each one of them has a different decoration painted on them. The packages in the sleigh get packed right back up every year along with the deer and sleigh. Every year I say I am going to use some of my wrapping paper and wrap them....but at the end of the holidays it doesn't happen and they get packed up again unwrapped. Maybe next year.

I also got a package from my friend Erin....She sent to me a beautiful snowflake and this beautiful amulet bag. I love the beads and the thread that she used. The beads seem to have a blue fire to them. A pink angel and some very nice beads which I have put away already. But here is a picture of what she sent to me.

As you might have seen on Mark Myers' Blog....he made this beautiful necklace and earring set in tatting by tatting the pendant of the necklace over wire with beads which makes it very sturdy and he did the same making a pair of earrings to match. He also sent me some beads and camouflage bag that I can carry a small project in.

Here is a couple pictures of me wearing my finery from Erin and Mark. You can see a close up of my necklace and earrings from Mark on his blog.

http://tatmantats.wordpress.com/

Oh and in the second picture I have my Grandson Peyton with me. He will be three years old tomorrow on Jan. 9th. It is hard to believe. Time goes so fast and you just can't grow more of it to do more in life.

The pictures of my new finery here just don't do them justice. They are so much more beautiful in person. I thank them both...I am so lucky.

I finally opened my packages on Christmas night. I had so much work to do with the entertaining my family...you know food, sharing, and just being together which for me is wonderful. I wanted to wait until my work was done...dishes washed and put away and so on.

I want to thank so much my Secret Santa Wendy from the UK. I don't know you Wendy and I can't remember you posting. But...obviously you know of me.

First of all...my packages were all individually wrapped. I was so surprise to see that after I opened my package so I had to go and get my camera out again after I had put it away so I can get a picture of all my packages before I opened all of them. Wait until you all see all the little packages. Hehe!

So one by one while sitting next to my husband (and he was watching me) I opened them. This is what I recieved.Two tatted ornaments. One is a very pretty Christmas tree with gold beads and a pretty tatted star on top. The other ornament is Jack Frost I think or Icicle Man. I have not seen this pattern before. Wendy...where did you get it? It is so cool!! Did you make the pattern up?

It is funny that I said something on the list about liking the tiny Christmas stickers that were on the outside of my package and if I could get more...well ...this is kinda funny..but she also included three sheets of stickers in the package.

Then for the Halloween Spirit in me...she sent me fake nails that have spiders on them. Hehe. She also sent me a beautiful varigated spool of Guttermann Sulky thread. Shade of pink and purples together. Something will get made with that.

I also got an assortment of tiny delica beads in purple, green and salmon color.

I got two Milkybars made by Nestle'. I have never seen this kind of candy bar and since I am all sweet out for a bit...I will save these for a few days...but Wendy...are these white chocolate. I love white chocolate. I have a story to tell here. I was in the UK years ago. I found a big pound size bar of white chocolate in one of your stores over there. I nursed that bar for along time on my tour...but though I think it was made either by Nestle's or Hersheys which I can't remember which right now...I found it odd that I have never seen the white chocolate bar here in the states where the chocolate is from originally. If anybody in the UK find that white chocolate bar again....send one over here...LOL

Then I got a strip of material that has in squares aSnowman, and Reindeer on it... that could be used to make...well I will let my imagination run wild...But it is again funny seeing this material for it reminds me of the Santa Material that Gina raffled off.

I also get a little kit to make a pair of angel earrings. I haven't made them yet...but I will. I love angels and all things Celtic and Medieval like castles, knights and so on.

I also got two sparkly black bangles. I can use these to make some Halloween ornaments with. Now wouldn't that be so cool.

I also get another kit that has a tatted gold butterfly with an enamel Santa Face, stars and an angel charm. Wendy...O Wendy...what am I suppose to make with the kit. Whisper in my ear of what it is to be...LOL

I also got this beautiful huge card with a beautiful print of The Cathedral at Canterbury from an oringinal watercolour by David Birtwhistle. This such a beautiful work of art. When I was in the UK I didn't get to see Canterbury. Maybe someday if I ever get lucky enough to go back to the UK and Ireland I will be able to see Canterbury Cathedral.

Can you believe this!!!!!!! There is more..... I also got a package of hankies with snowman on them. A scissor sheve... and...I got a pretty skein of pale pink thread. I am not sure if it is silk or rayon. Do you know Wendy?

I also got a pink and purple plastic Christmas stocking with my name on it. I think it is meant to be a minature Christmas ornament for I can put a ornament hanger through it.

I also got a scoop that I guess I would use to scoop up beads with.

And like I said...Wendy knows of me for she also knows I do bobbinlace.. .and I found a very nicely turned pair of lace bobbins for my bobbinlacing pleasure. The spangle is so pretty and festive looking. I don't know what kind of wood the bobbins are made of. Maybe you know Wendy.

I also got a small beautiful glittery Christmas Card that I thin is small enough to use as an Christmas ornament for the tree. Thank you..... thank you....thank you...thank you.....thank you....Wendy. Please send me an email so I can write to you personally. Thank you Gina too...I loved everything that was in my exchange with Wendy. I will get some pictures taken and post them on my blog.

One bobbin lace ornament and one tatted Christmas ornament. The bobbinlace one is a pattern of Janice Blair of Illinois. And is alot of fun to make. The Tatted ornament was a gift to the Tatting community. I thank you Jon for the pattern. Here is her url to her blog where you can find the pattern too. http://tatsaway-patterns.blogspot.com/ Enjoy the pictures, front and back of Jon's ornament.

Okay it is picture time again. In the one picture is a scan of some of the Celtic Snowflake from designer Ruth Perry. They are made with the HH Lisbeth thread. Talking about that Barb Foster went to China because she didn't like the inconstitency in the thread. Barb has put alot of time and money into the new thread line adventure. Now she will be dealing with a different company in China...but the thread color line will remain the same with a few added colors.

In the other picture is my Knitting Rules needlegauge and an experiment thread winder made by Karen Smyders http://www.etsy.com/search_results_seller.php?search_type=seller_usernames&search_query=karatstix+

She even personalized my needle gauge with Celtic Dream Weaver. How cool is that??? I love the thread winder. She made the slit small which is what I told her would be best. I gave her this idea to make the thread winder like a snowflake to match the Snowflake needle gauge. On the outside spokes of the snowflake is open at the tips. If you look closely you can see that so if you wanted to...you could thread your thread through one of those diamonds. I have the proto type lucky me...and I think it is really pretty. I gave you Karen's Blog url for you can contact her if you would like any of the three things you see pictured. Her work is quality work. Just Beautiful.

Couple pictures to show you. One is a necklace designed by Nina Libin that I made. I used HDT size 20"Royality" by Sherry Pence. I really like the dark purple to black in this colorway. It looks very close to one of my favorite Valdani colorway that I used for the ground in my Celtic Fan that I made years ago. There is a picture of my fan somewhere on this blog in the earlier entries. This fan was also on the front cover of IOLI bullentin once shown in color. Anyhow...I just got this finished. I started it a while ago....it has been picked up and put down a few times.

I have belonged to the Lace List "Arachne" for a long time. This was the first year I decided to join in on the Lace Christmas Card exchange. My partner was Alice Howell of Oregon. What I recieved from her is in the other picture here. It is a bobbin laced ornament. What I sent to her was in an earlier post which was the bobbinlace Christmas tree. I don't know but I might do it again next year.....now to go back to working on things...and listing some more stuff on ebay. I have lots of crochet books..hard covers and out of print...also cross stitch, Handanger which I love and a whole bunch of stuff to have money for Christmas shopping this year.

I love reading everybody else's blogs by the way. I read them every night before hitting the hay.

Here is a little tatted bag that I made for Carol Amich. Nope she hasn't gotten the bag yet. This bag is not the only thing that I will be sending to her. There are some things inside of this bag.

Yup some of your stuff is in the picture but unless you have x-ray vision...I guess you can't see yet.... I also....got this neat button of a haunted house.....but Carol....I am keeping that....I am thinking of making one of these bags myself and I will put it on mine.

Now everybody knows that Christmas is coming around the Mountain...and that the Goddess list has a SS Exchange this year. Well...O Janey...O Janey I know who you secret Santa is...and what is more...I know some of what is in that there package you got....hehehe....nana...na..na..na.. na...hey, hey....I can't say....na...na na...na na hey, hey I can't say.....hehe

Since Laura Blanton showed her tat test of "Royal Diadem"

http://laurasmuse.blogspot.com/2008/11/royal-diadem-by-sherry-pence.html

I will show you mine since I got my very own book in the mail from the designer Sherry Pence.

http://ladyshuttlemaker.blogspot.com/

You can get the book from her. It is a very nice design and it wasn't hard to do. I also tat tested this doily for Sherry. I thought I would share mine with you all. I made mine in size 80 HDT of Sherry's Marina and Pensacola Beach colorway. Love the blues in both of these colorways.