Saturday, December 27, 2008






































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.

Sunday, December 21, 2008







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.

Sunday, December 14, 2008




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.

Thursday, December 11, 2008




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.

Thursday, December 04, 2008


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

Wednesday, December 03, 2008


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


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


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.

Saturday, November 22, 2008


Gee it has been over a month since I last posted. I have been busy. I have been tatting ...but I can't show it yet....I have also done a wee bit of knitting and some bobbinlace. Here is a picture of a bobbinlace Christmas tree with all decked out.
The pattern is by Janice Blair of Illinois.
I am sure as Christmas gets closer I will have more to share with everybody. Right now....I just got to get things done.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

The Blarney Stone....

Yup, Pam Myers said said something to me about kissing the Blarney Stone. Kissing the Blarney Stone either gives you the gift of gab or eloquence ...I wonder which one she was referring to. Well...I didn't but my husband did. Here is a picture that was taken by someone at Blarney Castle...this picture was then sent to our home address which the picture came in this nice folder with Blarney Castle pictured on the front of the folde



I myself didn't kiss the Blarney Stone. Being I am an Register Nurse...think have the tendency of thinking about germs. There was no way I was going to kiss the stone when I thought of all the others before me. Also I think it was mentioned that back in the day it was used as a latrine.




Here are some more pictures of Blarney Castle in County Cork that I took/





In picture one you can see the view from the top of the castle. The next picture over is the castle in the distance. The picture below left show where the fireplace was...that is my husband in the lower corner...so the floor was gone..it was wierd I remember seeing that fireplace above us. In the other picture you can see some of the rooms that were label..note again...no floors.


In the last picture is my snowflake I tatted of Rainbow Brite HDT from Pamela Myers my good Irish friend. http://tatsakoolchallenge.blogspot.com/

Friday, October 17, 2008

I got a surprise in the mail today from Martha Ess. She designed these skull earrings and bracelet and sent me this set to me. She even put in purple beads. I think this is so cool looking. I was thinking adding glow in the dark filament or thread with the back would be cool too. My daughter Michelle thought this was way cool. I am so lucky to get this from Martha. She also sent me the printed pattern which is a good thing since at the moment I don't have any printer ink...and right now it is more important for us to get Wood Pellents for our Wood burning stove for heat which is what we heat our home with. Martha sent me an email and said she was putting the pattern up on her website. Here is the url for that so you can all get your own pattern to make this set. By making the bracelet longer you could also have a Skull Choker.

http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=301086&ck=

Her website name is Tat's Amore' Martha's Ess Tatting page.



Also Ruth Perry put up a pattern for a Celtic Snowflake recently on her CelticTatting@yahoogroups.com

Here is mine...wish I could get that celtic leaf pattern too. I have just the right thread for it.
Thank you so much Martha for the "Halloween Tease" and thank you Ruth for the CelticSnowflake pattern.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

I had a great time yesterday. I went ot Ithaca, New York to the Finger Lakes Lace Guild weekend event. I couldn't stay this year and take classes but I did have a great time. I bought home some real Irish Laces...very old....I will show them to you eventually and I won a couple raffles. I really like playing the raffles for it is really exciting to me. More on that later on too.

I had such a grand time yesterday that today I am actually not tatting but working on my huge bobbinlace pillow and working on my Bedfordshire edging that I started long before I found the internet. I am really enjoying myself and relaxing.

The sun is out and brightly shining and it is actually warm this week and is suppose to be for a few more days yet so I am going to have to get outside and get my flowerbeds ready for their winter blanket of snow and cold.

But the really "GREAT EXCITEMENT" from yesterday is, I finally met one of my Bobbinlace Idols. I use to buy bobbins from across the great pond from them. This is when I was working and I even ordered my bobbins by calling them in England. They do not turn bobbins or sell them anymore .



Maybe I should say a few of my Bobbinlace Idols. Here I am in a picture with......Christine and David Springett and another great Lacemaker and author of lacemaking Pamela Nottingham.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

First I will start off with a picture that I did long time ago shortly after I got my Adobe Illustrator program for my computer. This is what I did from just playing around.

I had forgotten I had done this until I was looking at my CDs for something else which I never did find. I was originally looking for some pictures I saved of Nina Libin's Tatting that she use to have on her website, but they are there anymore and I was wondering if I saved the pictures...but I guess I didn't or they are on a CD but I am too blind to see them...LOL. Anyhow you can enjoy this picture. Since I made it I guess I own the copywrite so don't be stealing it without permission if you are going to use it somewhere else please write to me first.
The other exciting news is.....I found out what my next grandchild is going to be....I will be sharing more pictures as soon as I get them. At least now that I know what my grandchild sex is...I can decided on colors....pink or blue....pink or blue.....pink or blue....

Sunday, September 21, 2008

First of all I am going to start with a picture of Marilee's Necklace called "Duchess" that is in her new book called "Boutique Tatting". Marilee sent me the thread and beads that I used to make this necklace. Originally I was to proof the pattern that is why she sent me the thread and beads for it...but the book was out almost before I could open the envelope from her...but here is a picture of it. I think it is so very pretty...What do you all think?And now I am going to show you more tatting from the Palmetto Tatting Event. So enjoy the pictures. ;)


























This dragon necklace was made by my friend Carol Amich. She gave it to me for my 50th birthday...that is the reason it is red and purple. It is so cool looking!!







These flowers were made by Riet from the Netherlands. Aren't they pretty? I took a class from Riet and she is such a sweetheart. ;)












This is a picture of Iris Niebach's Necklace. I had this on display as well as other necklaces I have either made or was given to me.




















Friday, September 19, 2008

Can you say...I want more tatting pictures???!!!...Well, here is what you are asking for. There will be more pictures... come and visit my blog from time to time.




This is Martha's Nativity set from the book by Ineke Kuiperij.


Isn't the set beautiful?
















Here is a new heart design by Martha. She also gave me a heart just like this when I saw her in New York for the Fingerlakes Tatting Guild convention in Hector,N.Y.











And since I was so lucky to be able to proof this heart pattern for her...here is mine in the red,pink, yellow,light brown and coral varigated thread. I am showing the front and back of my heart. I think my heart turned out just beautiful too.











This hanky was done also by Martha and I think it was the "Best of Show". It is really a beauty. Funny, it is so pretty that I would never in a thousand years use it for my nose.













This teapot set is also a design of Martha Ess. We have a very pretty teapot,cup, creamer and the yum, yum sugar bowl. Martha is amazing when it comes to designs.









Another teapot designed by Martha. Isn't it so pretty??!!
This heart was also made by Martha. I have a pink heart that she made and gave to me. It is so pretty. It is the Rococo Rose Heart that is on the front cover of a Tatting book by Elgiva Nicholls.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008





I have a bit more time so I will add two more pictures. In these pictures is one...Marilee Rockley's necklace from her book. And in the other picture is where I made the same butterfly but in metallic thread and crystal beads. The metallic one really sparkles...and Erin and I were talking and I don't know...I might make it into a suncatcher to brighten up my home.
Be sure to read the next entry for I post twice this evening.


How about more pictures...can you stand that???!!!!

In the saecond picture is all my homework from the classes I took. The earrings and necklace part are from Nina Libin's class. Very elegant! The two hearts are from a class that I took from Martha. Once you get your mind set this is an easy pattern to make. And then there is Jane Eborall's angel that Riet taught. So yup I did finish all my class projects and then some....Hey I was on a roll here.

In the second picture is some of the treasure I bought home...tatting and bobbinlace made by someone else's hands.The two heart bookmarks were on the table at the banquet. Everybody got one or two I believe. There is a name for the heart pattern but I can't remember it right now. I believe the pattern is on the Palmetto's Website.http://www.palmettotatters.org/

The teapot is from an exchange I did with Martha Ess. And look she even made it in purple. I am so l.oving her teapots though truth to be told...I hate tea...but love teapots...LOL Here is a picture of what I made for her















The bobbinlace bookmark was made by my friend Erin ..and the beaded bracelet is also made by Erin...it just needs a clasp. I also have one of Martha "Beep Beep" birdies. This is one very cool looking bird.

When I went shopping with Erin we went on a bead hunt. So I have more beads. Since I was charged for my one suitcase that I took with me ....Erin sent some of my stuff home by mail. So after I got home I had more tattingGinny Weather's Daughter Misty is expecting a baby which will be Ginny's first grandchild. Karey asked some of us in the guild to make a quilt square to become a baby quilt for the baby. Here is a picture of my quilt block and a picture that Karey sent around of the finished baby quilt. It was a nice idea that Karey came up with.

In my quilt block I have the letter "B" from the new alphabet and number tatting book sold by Handy Hands and the letter "B" stands for blue bear and balloons. The bear and balloon patterns were from Pam Palmer "Tatting Treats" book.

















Now for some other pictures from Palmetto's Tat Day Event. Enjoy the pictures.