Saturday, November 14, 2009

Isn't this pretty?


Image Source: Functional Fiber Art Etsy shop


Isn't this a pretty little gift card holder?

Prairie - Keyring Card Pouch

A Kindred Spirit
The creator of this hand-made case hails from Auckland, New Zealand. And she lists HDT as well as tatting and lace among some of her favorite things.

How did I come across this cleverly decorated case? I stumbled upon it after window shopping the latest hook pen arrivals to LadyShuttleMaker's Etsy shop.

nzjo has a few different styles of card cases and other items in her Etsy shop, if you care to browse.

Although I paused at the price, I don't doubt that the cost is totally in line for a custom-made item. Especially if the needle artist is creating the tatting herself.

I'm putting one of these on my Wish List for Santa.

[*scribbling.sounds.of.pen.on.paper*]
Dear Santa,
I've been an exceptionally good girl this year...I have kept my HDT purchases within budgeted limits (barely), blogged with discipline and kept my online and real life responsibilities in balance. If you could slip a keyring card pouch decorated with tatting and silk ribbon embroidery under the tree, I'd be ever so grateful.

Thank you, Santa!

Yours,
IsDihara
[*gently.blows.across.paper.to.dry.the.ink*]

You are welcome to use my hastily scribbled note for your own Letter to Santa.

And The Winner Is . . .

Carol from Carol's Little Treasures! Congratulations, Carol!

A special honorable mention goes out to Rayanna, who is a friend of Carol's and entered after reading about   the giveaway on Carol's blog. Rayanna, I will be sending you a special goodie in the package with your participation prize.

Carol and Rayanna, please send me your mailing address (you can use the email addy in the upper right corner) so I can mail out your prizes.

Thanks to you both. And to anyone who tried but didn't get your entries in on time, I will be doing it all again in early Spring to help dispel the winter blues. Same rules!

So start thinking about what types of tatting bits you'd like to see on a Teapot Tuesday card. Or a Think Spring card. Or a Ground Hog's Day card (hee, hee!). Or an Easter card. The possibilities are endless, really.

Friday, November 13, 2009

More Design Inspiration


Image reprinted with permission,
courtesy of Urban Threads.com


This machine embroidery pattern is one that I thought was cool. (No pun intended.)

Wouldn't it be lovely on hand towels for the holidays?

But I digress...I see a tatted snowflake in this pattern. Do you?

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Dr. Mom's Mail Call



Today the post arrived with three (Count 'em, three!) packages for me!

Julie Beagle, our post-surgery pooch came home Tuesday night — so Dr. Mom has been administering meds, helping the hopped-up hound navigate stairs while she wears her e-collar, and policing the "no licking" law over her sutures.

Julie Beagle is doing very well and I expect a speedy recovery, but Dr. Mom sure did appreciate getting so many goodies in the mail.

Quit stalling, you say? Show me the goods, you say?

*drumroll*  Okay.


First wave of tatting goodies

In spite of the fact that you can count three items in this photo, it only documents two of the packages of note.

Package one contained two tatting books signed by Georgia Seitz from her Ribbonwinners series:

   1. Book 2: Tatting: It's Not Just Doilies Anymore!
         "Celebrate the Spring Holidays"

   2. Book Six: Tatting Talk
         "A Self-Imporvement Guide for Tatters"
            (Revised Color Edition 2006)

Now, I cannot tell a lie. This is the third copy of book six that I have purchased over the years. The first was printed in black and white. So when a color edition came out I bought it again. It is by far the most well-used tatting book in my tatting library. Initially a technique book, but frequently used for reference.

Why the third copy? A few weeks ago I thought I had lost my color edition of Book Six. I was panic-stricken. I was frantic. I felt like I had lost a loved one. (No, I am not exaggerating about this.) A dashed off a note, practically begging Georgia to sell me another copy. And could she please autograph it?

Well, if you've ever dealt with Georgia, you know how lovely a person she is to interact with. I've never met her in person, but boy-oh-boy, would I like to. (If I ever do, my knees would probably buckle and I'd drop to the floor muttering something unitelligible at the sight of her.) Of course she posted off both copies and wrote totally warm, charming notes in each one. And of course I found my second copy several hours after I sent her my frantic note. So now I have three.

If I ever set foot in her state of residence, I will call her and ask if I can make a detour to meet her. And upon arrival pass out on her front porch!  LOL!


Tatted Pumpkin Earrings

Package two contained Elizabeth's exquisite 100th sale giveaway prize! The tatted pumpkin earrings!! They are more gorgeous in person than the photo in her Etsy shop conveys. My photos don't do them justice at all.
They are drop dead gorgeous!

For those of you who have been salivating to really see how these beauties look, I couldn't leave you with the schlocky shot above. Here is a super-uber-close-up from my scanner. You can see the extraordinary brilliance of the Swarovski crystal beads, the polished detail of the leaves and the shimmer of the pearls inside the perfect, perfect tatting.  Thank you, Elizabeth!



As if all this wasn't enough, the July/August 1996 edition of Piecework magazine that I scoured the Internet for (and found on eBay) arrived too! This issue includes Armenian needle lace, a sample of Rickrack and Tatting from Nufashond Rick Rack Braid No. 37 (originally published in 1917 by The Narrow Fabric Co.), an article on coronation cord, and the much-coveted Icelandic knitted lace shawl article with pattern.

The lace guild ladies are going to go wild to see this magazine. Anita, the other tatting lady in the guild, and I have been trading emails on the topic of tatting and coronation cord lately, and the lace shawl pattern is also of interest to a few of my newfound guildies. It is a great issue!

She Did It Again

Martha Stewart gets me every time. Sometimes I swear her crafts marketing people can see into my brain.

This paper-punch set looks enough like tatting that it could be used for those darling little description cards vendors enclose with their Etsy or Ravelry goods.

See the small diamond made with the corner punch?
I'm thinking thank you notes, holiday cards...
Oh, the possibilities!

Punch Around the Page - One-Two Punches:
Loops Edge and Corner Punches

Disclaimer: 
I don't get kick-backs of any kind from Martha Stewart Living. 

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The Word on Wanda


IsDihara and Wanda on Tatting Tea Tuesday

It's Wacky Wednesday and I am tatting today, but I must share my excitement over meeting Wanda yesterday. You want to know how it went, don't you?

If I were to describe Wanda and her family in one word I would be at a loss. I can't pick just one. They were magnificent, warm, vivacious and completely charming. Uber-awesome! I could go on and on with the gushing praises. They were so great.  Totally lovely!

Wanda was tatting when I met up with her. Perfect! Her shuttles made it easy to pick her out of the crowd. She was so easy to talk to. I could have sat there next to her and talked the afternoon away.


Wanda's Butterfly

She brought me this adorable paper clip butterfly in my favorite color and she even bought me tea!

Wanda is to be congratulated for remaining mindful that it was Tatting Tea Tuesday. In all the excitement I had forgotten. Didn't even bring a camera or tatting project to work on. Silly me!

I encourage you to go visit Wanda's blog to read her post about our meeting and see more of her wonderful tatting. What?!? You don't have it bookmarked already? Tsk, tsk. *giggles*

Wanda, I do so hope we get a chance to meet again.
It was such a pleasure to meet you and your family. I cherish the butterfly. Thank you for making it an uplifting and all-out awesome Tatting Tea Tuesday.

Next — Wacky Wednesday tatting and more!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Tatting Tea Tuesday With Wanda

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GIVEAWAY ALERT! Lady ShuttleMaker's first random Mondo Monday Giveaway post is up. Don't miss it, it is a good one. And good luck!
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This Tatting Tea Tuesday post was written in advance so I could meet with Wanda of Wanda's Knotty Thoughts and her family at a local mall to give her her giveaway prize. Color me excited!

This is the first time I will have ever met with a tatting blogger and I'm really looking forward to it. Those of you who have attended Finger Lakes, Palmetto, Hector or other tat days may liken it to your first time putting faces and voices to Internet names. Except that I only have one face and voice to match up. Wish me luck!

Here is a sneak peek of the Halloween blog giveaway prize I made for Wanda.



It is a quilted ball ornament made using fat quarters in candy corn colors. The tatting follows a pumpkin theme. Here is a close-up of the pumpkin vine edging.



I really like how the ornament showcases the tatting. And now that I know how it is done the next one won't take me as long. LOL! Gosh, I hope Wanda likes it too. (Crossing my fingers that she will...)

Please pardon my unpressed table cloth. I threw it on the table thinking,'it won't matter if I don't iron it, The Sprout is going to spill something on it in half a nanosecond anyway.' So, of course, it has remained stain-free for two days. LOL!

Now that I have confessed I feel better.

A Steeler Minute
How 'bout that Steeler game last night on ESPN? I'm not a huge sports fan, but I love me some riveting Steeler football. And last night my boys in black and gold got their game on! Poor Broncos. They played valiantly, but ultimately couldn't part the Steel Curtain.

Last but not least, I invite you to visit my twin sister's new Etsy shop, New Hands Soaps and Lotions. Her vendor name is IbtihaajGoya. She sells luxurious hand-made spa products made in small batches with scrumptious scents such as Honeysuckle Lemon and Lavender Litsea. Plus she makes the spa cloths herself! If you're a Steeler fan, check out her charming black and gold gift pack called Soap of Champions. Go Steelers!

Monday, November 9, 2009

I won! Elizabeth's 100th Sale giveaway


Image Source: Elizabeth's Lace Etsy Shop

Ohmigosh! I can't believe I won Elizabeth's 100th Etsy Sale giveaway.

She offered up a pair of her tatted pumpkin earrings (Aren't they gorgeous?) and I just couldn't resist entering. Just look at them, with their Swarovski crystal stems. But I never thought I'd win!

Thank you, Elizabeth! I will treasure these earrings always and wear them proudly for the remainder of this Autumn season and for many more to come.

(That is, unless my teen-aged niece talks me out of them...she is a talented and persuasive young lady. But I intend to keep these all for myself.)