Don't even bother!!!

Don't bother to check the blog tomorrow. I won't get anything done today. We're off out to a wedding. This is why I made the horseshoe.

I did finish the earrings yesterday and they're below. Also tidied up 'tat corner' but 'im wot must be obeyed said (and quite rightly) 'that'll never last'. Still, for a few hours, it does look reasonably tidy!!!

Poor tatting day!

I have nothing to show. Totally and utterly nothing!!! That's not to say that I didn't tat yesterday but I think all the brain cells had returned to Martha!!

I'd decided to check out the medium sized earring that I made the other day. That is, do it again checking the text etc. First of all I need to learn to read my own stuff!! Next I need to follow what I've written!! In the original I'd done a hanging bead in the centre but decided that it would be easier for anybody working it to have it attached at the opposite side. What I'd neglected to tell myself was to change the bead order on the shuttle thread before starting and then the order things were worked!! Got that done eventually and on to the outer part.

I started off badly by missing a bead out at the first join to the inner section so had to undo lots. Then I put in too many ds's/beads all the way round. Actually this didn't matter and probably improved the design as I'd changed threads to a 40 rather than a 20. I will look again at it today. So, I got one done and I need to do the other today with (hopefully) a lot fewer hiccups!!!!

Etsy, Christmas trees and another pendant!!

Boy, did I do a lot yesterday!!! I finally managed to squeeze a couple of hours in the afternoon to list the new Christmas tree brooches (and earrings) in my Etsy shop.

I also managed to 'tweak' the pendant yet again and this time I used blue no. 40 thread. This is the final version - not that you'll see a lot of difference between this and yesterday's pink one!!!

I've finished the pendant!

I've done it at last!!! In the end the simplest way to get round the stitch adjustment was to 'cheat'!!! Well, not really cheating as such. I just changed threads from a number 20 to a number 40 and tat did the trick!!!

Oh, another thing. We were out and about yesterday and went to a new bead shop I'd heard of. It was right out in the 'sticks' and at a craft centre. The centre has small outlets in old farm buildings so I wasn't that bothered about going there as many of these places are a dissapointment when you finally find them. Also I don't NEED anymore beads!!!

Well I thought I'd gone to bead heaven when I walked in the door. Did I buy any beads? What do you think?

The owner told me they're expanding threefold next year and are currently setting up a web site so I think it'll become a regular haunt - corse I won't need anymore beads, will I? I'll just go there to look, won't I?

Presents

Yesterday the postman came. IF he ever brings me anything it's usually a household bill!!!

There was a packet for me from the USA. I was SO excited as I wasn't expecting anything. When I opened it I found the shuttle below tucked inside a Palmetto tshirt. I was going to model the tshirt and then lie on the scanner to show you but for some weird reason I couldn't get myself to fit on the platten!!

Best of all was the letter inside which was from Barbara Hevener. She's the lady who won the competition for the tat days logo which you can see on their page. Apparently she thinks I did a lot to help her but I'm not sure I did!!! She has a copy of the drawing programme I use and all I did was nudge her along into using it - she's a VERY fast learner. I honestly don't think I did much but I'm SO pleased with my presents. Thank you, Barbara from a VERY happy bunny in the U.K.

Good points and bad points

I've been working on the pendant and you can see progress below with at least two ideas trialed in the outer round. Looks good BUT it isn't really! The way I've added the central teardrop bead looks really good and is very easy but it's not in the right place. I need to get it dropped from the bottom of a ring and then re-joined later. I did this in this bracelet design so it's just a matter of changing things a little. Either that or I change the centre completely.

I'm reasonably happy with the outer round but it does need a lot of tweaking with the stitch count or a change to a number 40 thread. I'll decide later today!!!

I had fun yesterday adding all the blogs that I follow to my dashboard. Still not totally sure how this works but I'm gradually understanding it. I've now got 11 followers - yipppeeee.

I forgot to add that I've re-listed the remaining tatting leaflets in ebay.