What do you think?

I've got several things to give you but just been having a bit of a busy time in my 'other' life lately that they're not quite ready to go - the funny face and a.n.other!!!!

So, I've been thinking (yes, I can, you know!).

Do you remember - I did the first ever TIAS two years ago?  It seems such a long time ago but when I looked it up I found that it was only two years!!!

Well I was wondering if there's anybody out there in tat land who'd like to do another?  I've got a suitable pattern ready (well, almost!) so I'd like to play!!!  I'm thinking of starting it in early January when life needs cheering up for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere!!!!

This time I think that anybody who can do rings, chains and split rings will be able to tackle this TIAS.  I will be adding a few suggestions, tips and tricks as it goes along.  They'll be my personal tips and tricks but it would be good to have other people's input too.

What do you all think?

Some earrings

I have been very impressed with Jane and her fantastic attempt at the Snowsettia design.

BUT what pleases me even more is how she's now gained courage from that to make these earrings.  This is the sort of thing which keeps me inspired to carry on making more 'daft ideas' come to life.  Thanks, Jane and all who 'sail with her'.

Problem solved!!

This isn't totally about tatting today but for me it is 'related'.

I belong to quite a few yahoo groups which are tatting related.  I'm really nosey and like to know what's going on in 'tat land' but rarely have a lot to say, believe it or not!!!!

I also use the yahoo calendar which I've got set up to remind me 24 hours and 12 hours before an event that it is 'about to happen'.  I have reminders for when to return library books, collect 'pills and potions' from the vets (sorry, mean doctor), birthdays, appointments etc.  This is fine BUT there were also reminders from all the groups on my PERSONAL callendar which really annoyed me.  For several years and on many occasions I've tried to find out how to 'get rid of' these annoying 'other' reminders!!!  I nearly left one group because of them!!!

In the end after poking around and around the yahoo help files etc I emailed them for help.  I had a very quick reply (overnight, in fact) and they told me exactly what to do.  It was SO easy that I now feel a total plonker.  Here's their solution for anybody who may have had the same problem as me.

If you would like to disable the Group Time Guide, please follow the steps below in your Yahoo! Mail account:

1. Click the "Calendar Options" link in the lower right corner of the Calendar page.

2. Click on the "Time Guides" link.

3. Uncheck the three (3) boxes next to the Group that you do not want displayed.
4. Then click the "Save" button.

Now for something different.

While you've all been looking at the snowsettia motif I've been quietly (well, no, not quietly - I never do anything quietly!) working on other 'stuff'!!!

Since changing over to the mac all I've wanted to do is play with the new drawing program.  So one of my priorities was to look again at this pattern which has caused people a few heartaches!!!!

This was originally done for the Palmetto Tat Days in 2004 and proved a steep learning curve for those taking part.  The main problem was that I tried to fit too many 'things' into the second SR.  Since then time has moved on and dear brain cell number 3 has moved in!!!!

So I've now re-written this pattern (for the better, I hope!) and will shortly upload it to replace the original.  IF there's anybody daft enough to want the original then I will warn you that it will be gone soon!!!!

This has also proved yet again how tatting has progressed even over the few years since I first did this pattern.  New techniques certainly help!!! 

The Finale

Just messing around the other day and decided I wanted to see all the motifs in their full glory!!!!

Here they are - warts and all!!!  I just flung them on the scanner in no particular way.

Two more task nows - to add invisible hangers and give them away!!!!

Last two

First of all thank you to Gina at the Tattinggoddess blog.  I've 'stolen' your suggestion for a search bar and I love it.


You'll be pleased to know that these are the last two!!!  I'm SO bored with these now.

This pair are for special people.  My son in law and daughter.  

I mention him first as he usually 'nags' for the tatted decorations - bless him.

Tomorrow there will be something special to celebrate the end of this phase of my tatting life!!!!!

Now for yellow and white

I never realised how much easier life would become with the new mac!!!  Yesterday I decided to list some Christmassy things in my Etsy shop.  This is a 'chore' that I'm not fond of as I've no patience with myself and how long things take to do!!  I decided to list 'one or two' things but landed up putting loads up there.

All the things listed are what I've made 'in between' new designs.  I tend to tat what I want on those occasions with no particular goal in mind!!!  Thus the house fills up with pretties that eventually have to find their way out of the door.  Hopefully a few will make it out over the next few weeks!!!

Still on the lighter colours and I'm almost done with the Christmas dangles now.

Next thing on the list?  Ah, you wait and see!!!!!

Something more 'ladylike'!!!

You're not going to believe these two. 

These are in 'ladylike' colours.  Considering my usual choices you may well be surprised!!!

I scanned the second one with the lid of the scanner up - a fabulous tip that Teri Dusenbury gave me some time ago. 

That gal rocks - not only a fantastic tatter and a tat land treasure but also very clever with the computer too.  Thank you, Teri.

Who would ever have thought?

Well I wouldn't have!!!  Purple and orange together?  No WAY.

BUT I think it works!!!  Nope, I don't think it works.  I know it does!!!!  Positive thinking, OG, positive thinking in yer old age!!!!

  

Aunty Nelly

I had an Aunty Nelly when I was little and I was her favourite goddaughter.  She married later in life and she and Uncle Earnest never had children.

I used to stay with her for a few days at a time in Coventry (just after the war) and remember things like seeing the bombed Cathedral etc.  I was born in 1943 so was very young.  I digress.

When I was a teenager I remember visiting her in a new skirt.  One which I adored.  My mother made it for me and it was blue with a green print on it.  Aunty Nelly was appalled and quoted 'blue and green should never be seen'.  

All my life since then I've wondered about colour combinations and this pair is just to prove Aunty Nelly wrong!!!!!

Does my?

"Does my bum look big in this"?  Sorry, couldn't resist that!!!  It should read "does my BANNER look big in this"?  Thanks to all again for suggestions and taking the time to even look at the ramblings and struggling of this OG!!!  


Seriously I had poor old brain cell number 3 working on the banner for a while yesterday but am not sure if it's any better!!!


Two completely different dangles today.  Both made a few weeks ago (and lost and found!!).

The first one is done in my favourite combination of really outrageous colours - bright pink and bright orange!!

The second is green (obviously!) and a variegated thread called 'jelly bean' which is one of the Lizbeth number 20 range.

Pink and Blue

Thank you to all those who told me my banner is oversized on the top of the blog!!!  I'm going to work on it today but that's a bit difficult when it looks fine to me on three browsers and two computers!!!  Tell you what, I'll dig out and polish off brain cell number 3 and get him to give me a hand!!!!

Now for two using pink and blue.

Another and new breed of poinsettia, do you think?!?!?

YIKES!!!!

Just messing around on my new toy the other day and this is what I came up with - a self portrait!!!

Just so as not to frighten people too much I left out my sticky out teeth!!!

Seriously - I'm really enjoying this new drawing software and can't leave it alone!!  I've got a new banner here on the blog and a new one on my Etsy store.  I know I should be drawing tatting diagrams but wanted to do something else and 'just for fun'.

More of my motifs coming sooooon.

Another pair

Now I made these two a few weeks ago when I was still working on the pattern.

I really like this combo.  Least I do until the next pair I make!!!

Watch out tomorrow for a frightening post - something different!!

The 'other one'!

No wine (well, only a small glass!) on Saturday so the other green/orange one got finished.  Slightly different orange which I found on a pair of shuttles which I'd obviously left lying around to use and then gone off and got another pair.  Oh to have a tidy mind!!!

I'll show them both side by side.  Sorry, running a day late on blogging!!

More to show!

Don't go yawning now!!!  I know it's more of the same thing but I really have a lot to make and not much time to do them in!!!

Having said that - I will be blogging other stuff in between!!!!

I just LOVE playing with colours but really need to look at the 'not quite so bright' ones.  These cheer up the dull winter evenings so much. 

There should've been another to go with this one - one with an orange middle.  Something went wrong yesterday evening - something to do with a glass of red wine and being tired.  I fell asleep (as often happens) with shuttles in my hand!!!!  Hopefully you'll get to see the other one tomorrow!!!!

Nicole's work

For those of  you who remember - below are pictures of the finished piece that Nicole designed and made with the black strips I did for her back earlier this year.

Unfortunately the strips don't show up very well on the photos as the base fabric is this rather gorgeous blue.  I'm sure it looked stunning.

Nicole not only designed this dress but made it too.  She just ran out of time over the tatting as she's a full time student.  What a splendid advert for tatting.  Maybe as she becomes famous as a fashion designer her love of our craft will show through in more of her work.

    

Another of the giveaways.

I've been dying to try this pattern out with different colours so this time I've used an ancient and no longer available variegated Manuela thread on the one pair of shuttles.  The other pair have white on.

Not sure if I really like it but somebody suggested a pale blue and white so I may have a 'go' at that soon too. 

I counted up yesterday and found I need almost 20 giveaways this year.  My one son in law always 'nags' me for them so he's priority.  Shame his wife no longer tats!!!

Question - when is a fairy NOT a fairy?

Answer - when it's either a snowman or a Santa!!!!

These were both made by Geraldine who said:

'Hi jane, just finished this little man it go's with my snowman. Yes feel free to blog . It's your pattern. Have made a copy of your e-mails and blog.'

Just for those who don't know - Geraldine has taken the flower fairy pattern and used it as a basis for these two little decorations.  Guess what I'll be making soon - when I've done another one or two of the Snowsettias!!!!

   

More of the same but with news

Just thought I'd let you all know (and myself too!) that I've decided on which drawing programme I'm going to use on the mac.  I tested many.  Some free and others 'not so free'!!!

I didn't go for the high end ones as I knew I'd never need all the 'bells and whistles' either.  I actually finished up with EazyDraw which you can find here.  You can download a trial of it but it does limit you to what you can do.  I tested it out by deleting as I tested over the space of several days.  I then decided to go ahead and take the $20 option and will make a further payment for the full licence in a couple of months time.  Hopefully there will be 'pennies' in the bank by then!!!!

Now what I DO like about this package is the 'drawing a curve' tool.  I've found that I can get instant and very beautiful curves with this.  Apart from the learning curves of new technical words (for the same things as Serif) the whole thing is drop dead easy.  IF there's anybody out there in tat land who uses this package or who intends to try it then I'll happily exchange ideas and 'tricks'!!!

Below is a very quick drawing I did when I found out how to add little 'nodes' (well, that's what I call 'em!) to an already 'noded' line.  Took about five minutes!!!