A girl has to do what a girl HAS to do!!!

Now most people know I'm not married but live happily in a muddle with my dear partner.  This means that the threat of divorce doesn't hang over me - once bitten twice shy in both our cases.  BUT this doesn't mean that a relationship doesn't have 'those moments'!!!  So in order to avoid one of 'those moments' arriving I felt obliged to tidy up my tatting stuff yesterday!!!  It does tend to migrate somewhat!  I decided to put the books (well over 100) tidily on the shelf as I tend to take them out, look at them and put them back on top of the others!!  I came across the leaflets (about 50) that I've collected too and then decided to dispose of the duplicates.  As the title says - a girl has to do what a girl has to do.  So I spent yesterday afternoon listing them in ebay.  The reason I've got so many duplicates is because people tend to list them in clusters and sometimes there are leaflets in a 'cluster' that I want so the others become duplicates.  

I also got part two of TIAS 4 done and I know what it's going to be.  It's a miniature Eiffel tower (or Blackpool tower!!!).

I got the earring finished too and a rough draft of the pattern.  I'm not sure if folks will want to wear this idea as earwigs as they are rather large!!  I know I will but if not they could make them as zipper pulls, decorations for handbags, brooches - almost anything.  

Brain cell # 3

Well he (brain cell # 3) finally got a result late last night.  I don't totally like it yet so will take # 3 to one side and have a word with him later!!!!

It took all evening to achieve this one sample!!  The reason?  Brain cell # 3 kept wandering off into the other room so by the time I went to bed I'd decided that this was something that was going nowhere!!!  Looking at it again in the 'cold light of day' I can see that it has great potential.  Let me explain.

The centre motif is easy.  You do have to tie and cut but that should be the only one in the whole thing.  Actually covering the brass ring and including the central motif is easy but it took several attempts to get this right.  I've now got the 'recipe' for that sorted.  

What I should've done is put 1 bead onto the pink thread on the shuttle so that I could include a bead before the bottom pink split ring.  Then all you do is leave threads dangling.

The next round is just SO simple - rings and chains.  What I should've NOT done here is try to be so flipping clever.  I don't like that long beaded picot at the bottom.  It sucks big time.  I shall miss that one out on the next attempt.  I will have to add more doubles to the chains too.  Another mistake I made (and had to retro tat) is where I put the hanging LBP.  The first time I did it I put it on a chain instead of above a ring - dugh!!!  I think I'll probably use a second shuttle here and make a ring with the jump ring added.  

IF brain cell # 3 works properly this evening (and it is a wine drinking evening!!) then I should be able to get him to fathom a way of finishing the motif without sewing ends!!  That's the plan anyway.

Arrival of brain cell # 3!!!

Well the pink dolphin and seahorse didn't stick around for long!!!  They were snapped up out of Etsy and are well on their way to the USA!!!

I started Sherry's TIAS 4 and have one thing to say.  Just one complaint/criticism. It's VERY dangerous to tell old gits like me to 'put aside for future use'. VERY dangerous!!!! I just know I'll lose it. Well done, Sherry - looks good but so far no guesses - unless it's a basket!!!  OR am I just a 'basket case'?  Answers on a pin head please to lovetotat at gmail.com!!!!

OK I started on another idea yesterday evening.  If you take a look at the brown earwig beneath you'll see that this was made on a brass curtain ring - one I made some years ago.  Not sure where the pattern is but I think it's on my site somewhere!!!  

Anyway, having learnt how to cover a ring with knots I decided to give it a whirl the 'modern' way - I don't like the ugly brass showing through.  First of all I made the centre purple part.  I then added the beads to each picot.  Next I took the tail end of the green thread through each picot to sort of 'lock' each bead onto the picots.  Next I used the shuttle end of this thread to cover the brass ring also working over the tail running through the picots.  This locks the purple centre to the inside edge of the ring - firmly and neatly.  

In the purple/green scan on the left you can see that I haven't put enough knots over the brass ring.  The next one shows an improvement but I think I still think I need more ds.  Using the tail end I've next worked a small SR to take me to the outer round - but knowing me this could and will change.  

Now why do I bother to cover a ring when this could be made by just tatting round the purple inner?  The reason is because I cannot stand 'bendy' earwigs.  Mine have to be very firm but pretty.  On other designs I've relied on beads to help keep the shape but sometimes there are 'other ways'.  I'll play with this again and although it might sound hard it's really VERY simple and I'll draw it out when I do the pattern.  

Hmmmm

First of all I managed to get round to listing the pink dolphin and a few more roly poly bags yesterday in my Etsy shop.  The orange with purple flowers bags are really bright!!   I was tempted to keep a set but will part with both - I think!!!!  As it rained again most of yesterday I did quite a bit of computer stuff and also managed to make a banner for my shop!!  That was a big step for me!!!

Below are my tatting achievements for yesterday.  The orange and pink was going to be earrings but after you've looked and laughed it will be cut up and recycled.  Talk about major boo boo!!!  IF only I could read my own patterns!!!!  I didn't count how many beads to put in the centre of the first ring on the SCMR so that put the whole pattern out!!!  Actually it would've been too big for an earwig anyway!!!  I used a no. 80 with a sewing thread but next time (IF there is one!!!) I'll use just the no. 80 as I know that'll work!!!!  As a consolation to myself I made a sequin motif.  This one uses two sorts of chains.  First the lock stitch chain using 1st half flipped second half unflipped and then the other chains are 1 double flipped followed by 1 double unflipped.  I'm quite pleased with this so may add it to the sequin page as another alternative.

      

Well, somebody had to do it!

Somebody really, really had to do it so I thought it might as well be me!!!  

I had this terrible and dreadful urge to make it so in the end I gave up trying to resist 'the call'.  I know that I'm classed as being 'slightly odd'.  Eccentric might be a better word (well, more 'upmarket') but I actually prefer the description of 'stark staring bonkers'!!!  So, I did it - a pink dolphin.  There, I said it - A PINK DOLPHIN. 

I got out the thread (well, actually the pink was already out from making yesterday's seahorse and was already being used on the second one below) so no excuse not to.  I made the dolphin to list in Etsy as a sort of 'would anybody really, really want one' but I must admit that I love it and will have to make another for myself!!!  I'll list it later (along with the seahorse) and then make another this evening!!

Reports are coming in from my 'snouts'  in Palmetto and apparently the roly poly bags were successful.  Whooooppeeeeeeeeeeee.

   

Fiddling around and talking to myself!!!

First of all thanks to Tattycat and BJ who have awarded me the 'I love your blog' award.  I will add seven people later when I've done my 'duties' for the day (dad's housework etc)!!!!!

I finished a seahorse last evening and another is on the way too.  One of these is for my Etsy shop and the other is for a present.  I'm going to make another dolphin for the shop too and then a pair of earrings that I 'have in mnd'.  

The 3D dangly flower is sitting looking at me waiting to be finished too but I'm not inspired in that direction at the moment.  

Yesterday I finished off two roly poly bags and matching pouches but again am waiting to find the 'inspiration' to put them in the shop.  It takes quite a time to do the listings - it's the 'tag' part that really annoys me!!!  The rest I can copy and paste from something that's in the shop already but the tags - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.