Playing with new techniques

I checked out a new tatting book from the library the other day and started playing with some new techniques. I always seem to find that things I think are going to be difficult never turn out to be in the end. After some frustration and confusion, I finally mastered the Dora Young knot, in spite of watching a YouTube video that had it completely wrong. One of these days, I might have to do some of my own videos, but that's a project for another time. Anyway, after playing with using the Dora Young knot to cover some small plastic rings I had lying around, I ended up creating this stunning new pendant:

Neige Noir Pendant

It still boggles my mind that I covered that ring using the shuttle when the shuttle can't fit through the tiny little ring! If I hadn't done it myself, I wouldn't believe it was possible. I still almost don't. I see many more pendants with that pattern in my future.

Between continuous thread technique, the Dora Young knot, and split rings, I worked the whole thing without breaking the yarn until after the very last chain. I'm sure that for any readers I have that don't tat, this is all sounding like a lot of nonsense. To you, I'll just say, look at the pretty pendant, and don't worry about it.

Work In Progress

I'm still on the fence over whether or not I like tatting onto velvet ribbon. The result is attractive, but the ribbon likes to warp at the edges. I think the one thing I am sure of is that I have to do an edging on both sides to even it out. Anyway, here are some sneak peeks of my experiment:

The pictures aren't the best, but I was just trying to take a couple quick snapshots to share my progress. I tried something else a little different with this piece. The edging on both sides are variations of the same pattern. The rings are the same size with the same number of double stitches, but on one side, I put lots of picots to make it look frillier while the opposite side has just one center picot on the big rings with a bead to give it a more stream-lined look. Not entirely sure I'm in love with the way this plan is working either. The farther I get on it, though, the more I think I like it.

And, of course, I still have no idea what I'm going to name it when it's done.

Finally Listed

The camera decided to be evil and uncooperative for a few days. For some reason, it took me five tries to get decent pictures of this choker:

Heart of Gold

At last, I got usable pictures and was able to list it in my shop. I love this choker! Hopefully someone else will love it, too!

Keep Your Fingers Crossed

I had a brilliant idea for a new necklace/choker, but I'm not entirely sure how to make it work yet. I'm hoping to combine some tiny crocheted roses like these:

and tatted roses like these: with a tatted edge. The trick is going to be making the tatted roses and crocheted roses as close to the same size as possible and then coming up with an edging pattern to connect them. Not to mention, keeping the cat out of my hair while I do it. If it works, I'll probably use it as my entry for the Spring Contest being held by MissKnits and sarahinflorida, which means I need to get to work! Still wonderine what colors I'm going to use, whether I should make the roses all the same color or vary them, use solid colors or varigated thread. Too many decisions, too little time!

Oh, and I'm featured on a fellow etsian's blog! Come check it out: ww.gemsbyjerri.blogspot.com

Okay, off to work on various roses, more info to come as this project develops ;)

Whew!

Just spent about 3 hours listing new items in my shop! 14 new tatted items including Christmas ornaments, pendants, and even a brooch! Take a sec and check it out!

Sale!

Having a sale on pendants! Buy one tatted pendant, get one free! Just purchase any two pendants from my shop and I'll send you an adjusted invoice through Paypal! Help me make room for new stock.

http://www.etsy.com/search_results_shop.php?search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5252351&search_query=pendants

New Pretties!

I've spent the past few days sorting through a big assortment of vintage buttons I ordered from a fellow etsian. I got some really interesting pieces! So far, I've made three new pendants which I've photographed and listed and four Christmas ornaments which I haven't. Here are the listings for the new pendants:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_list_3&listing_id=17034969
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_list_2&listing_id=17035747
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_list_1&listing_id=17036202

Off to sort more buttons!

Winnifred Choker

Her life was very ordinary. She looked after her house and family, went calling on friends, and did her various handiwork projects. But Winnifred carried a secret. While many of her friends wore a cameo or other token at their throat, Winnifred wore a small bottle with a few drops of water. It was her reminder of a long-ago summer filled with enchantment and the warmth of a family who had taken her in. She carried the drops of enchanted water to remind her of the importance of life and its twists, turns, and eventual end.


One of my favorite books as a child was Natalie Babbit's "Tuck Everlasting." If you have never read it, I highly recommend you do. It was the inspiration for this charming lace choker. After working with the little bottles for other projects, this one popped into my head begging to be made. I had no idea that the trickiest part would be finding the ribbon! Picot-edged ribbon seems to be a dying commodity around here. Perhaps it's going to go the way of coronation braid. I hope not! Anyway, there was no picot-edged ribbon at Hobby Lobby so I had to go allllll the way to Michael's in Greensboro to find some. (Don't worry, I bought lots of colors and I'm pretty well stocked now!)

This project has been in my head for a while, but the nudge to finally make it came when I decided it would be perfect for the latest contest on craftness.com. The theme was children's stories, so this just seemed right. I can't believe I did it, but I got this done in about 3 days, including all the false starts where I made mistakes and had to start all over. I really can't believe I finished it on time given the fact that I spent Saturday night being sick to my stomach. But here it is! Isn't it pretty?! I must say I'm fairly proud of myself on this one, folks! ;) If you want more information about this piece, here's it's listing in my store:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16142397

My new pretty

I was looking through some antique books I downloaded and found a tatted edging pattern that I've seen variations of in almost every tatting book I have. This time, I finally really looked at it. It jumped out at me what an gorgeous choker it would make! So here it is:

I would write more, but my patience is at its end with dial-up speed uploads. Hope you like it. Check out my shop for more pics and some other new items!

Gifts, Ghouls, and Giveaways!

Did a bunch of listing the other day! I finally found where I had hidden my blue and purple threads from myself. Now I just have to figure out where the pinks and yellow are hiding.

Purple being my favorite color, once I found the threads, I just had to set to work on some purple pieces! I particularly love the way this one turned out:

I've had a bunch of those dragonfly charms hanging out with my beads for a while. I made stitch markers out of them a year or so ago and didn't know what to do with the rest. I got this pattern to work around a bead and thought it was worth a try with the charm. I think it turned out well. I'm hoping someone will want some pendants for stocking stuffers this year. I've been putting them up in all the promotions forums I can on etsy trying to get a little attention. I have to make some for myself, too.

As Halloween is quick approaching, I figured it was time I gave a nod to my favorite holiday. So, I dug out the Halloween socks I bought at the thrift store a few months ago. They had never even been worn! I was really tempted to wear them this year, but they just had to be turned into creatures:

Their names are Boo (the big one) and Eek (the smaller one). The socks had little spots that had flashing lights in them and I transfered those so that each has an arm that lights up! They're so cute. Oh, and they've got some of my hand tatted spiders sewn to each of them!

I've teamed up with another etsian to do a giveaway on her blog! Actually, it's a team, but I've just been talking with one of the two through emails/convos. Anyway, here's a link to the giveaway of a batch of my hand tatted flowers:

http://raechele.blogspot.com/2008/09/keenaskreations-giveaway.html

Okay, off to put some more tatting blisters on my fingers. Working on a choker that should be gorgeous when it's finished. Assuming all goes well. . . .

Ooooooh! Turned out awesome!

Ta-da! The first bottle necklace (which started as the second one) is done!

Like it?

Finally!

Well, at last I've finished disassembling two sweaters and washing the yarn to reuse. So far the scarf is turning out well, pictures to come! But for now you can see the pink yarn drying in hanks:

Keep in mind, I wound all those hanks by hand and at least the same amount of green yarn as well. If I wasn't aching for a swift before, I definitely am now. Literally!

I also figured that I might as well work with the second little bottle with something I have a lot of to avoid a similar situation as the predicament I found myself in before. Since I have a lot of black DMC tatting thread, that what I'm working with. I've got the bottle covering done and I just have to work on how I'm going to turn that into a necklace.

The thread ends are still there because the glue hadn't dried yet. I still need to get something better than just Fray-Stop to keep the ends secure before I cut them any shorter. So far, I really like this one, though. I hope it continues to turn out well.

Well, now that I've jinxed it, I might as well go work on it some more.

Drat!

So, today I spent 6 hours working on making one of the little bottles into a necklace. I was trying to use what was left of some hand-painted thread and it was looking really good. Unfortunately, I didn't load enough thread into my shuttle and I couldn't join new thread without making a really ugly lump and there wasn't enough left to start over.

Basically, I had something that looked really awesome and now it's trash. Another days worth of work, down the drain. Sigh. I'll have to try it again in some other thread.

Stash Finds and Happy Times!

Hooray! I finally made a sale on etsy! I feel validated at last!

Anyway, I found the cutest little beads tucked away in a box of craft supplies the other day. I've had them for about 10 years (wow, now I feel old). They're precious little glass hearts with various hues of pink kind of swirled together in them. Okay, I really don't like pink, but I just had to find something to do with these beads since I don't know if I'll ever find any like them again (and won't be looking particularly hard). Voila!

I called them Princess earrings because they kind of remind me of jewels in a fairy princess crown. (Yes, I realize how cheesy that is. I've come to terms with it. Deal with it and move on.)

The pictures don't do them justice! The big beads in the drop are the little hearts. I love these earrings and I don't even like pink!

Oh, I also love these:

I made them because I wanted to find a use for some fuchsia bugle beads I have lying around. I think I'm going to have to make them in another color or two. I just love how the pattern turned out. The scan turned out better than the picture. You can see it in my shop. Sorry, takes waaaay too long to deal with pictures on dial-up.