2012 TIAS Announced

Wheee! I want to shout from the rooftops, skip with glee (not from the rooftops) and start winding shuttles in anticipation.

Jane Eborall has announced the starting date for the 2012 Tat It And See (TIAS). Here are the details, in Jane's own words:

Subject: Happy New TIAS
From: janeluvs2tat

Happy New TIAS!

Happy New Year to all in Tat Land.

I would now like to announce the arrival shortly of a new Tat It And See. The starting date will be the January 10th.

As usual I will announce each part on on this blog (http://janeeborall.blogspot.com/) and on the TIAS blog (http://tatitandsee.blogspot.com/).

The introduction can be found from a link on both blogs and gives details of what you will need.

Let the fun begin!!!!!

Jane

Christmas Snapshots

The tree all ready for Christmas morning.

The Sprout included a Note to Santa with the cookies and carrots for hungry reindeer. You can see he still doesn't take writing too seriously, but he does write his name and wrote "Merry Christmas" on gifts for his teachers.

Grandpa received a gift of Christmas Candy Coal this year, since he told The Sprout he was on both of Santa's lists! (Naughty and Nice) Tricky Grandpa.

The Sprout got a letter from Santa and boy, oh BOY, was he happy to know he made Santa's Nice list!

Decorating a Gingerbread Train was a highlight of the days leading up to Christmas, and here is the little rascal eating candy off the finished train before we even got a photo!

Mommy got a tabletop trebuchet for Christmas and we all have had fun flinging mini-marshmallows, Cookie Crisp cereal, jelly beans and doggie treats around the house. Finding (and eating) the flung bits fell to the two hounds, who took their jobs very seriously.

And a few parting shots of The Sprout being The Sprout...

Cherish the simple things and never stop seeing the humor in life's unreserved moments! Best wishes to all and to all a happy, healthy and joyful New Year!

Secret Santa Snowflake

Now that Christmas Day has come and gone I can share this photo of the snowflake I tatted and sent to a lady in Alabama whose kind request for 3 snowflakes was forwarded to one of the online tatting lists by Marilyn Jones.

While I couldn't send three, I could send one as a Secret Santa. It was Kira's Star, designed by Birgit Phelps and tatted in Lizbeth^® 20 Snow White #601.

Kira's Star has been on my Must Tat List for a long while so I met two goals at one time with a single action. And this seemed like a doubly good way to unofficially kick off a new tatting year.

Wishing everyone in Tat Land a prosperous, happy and healthy 2012!

"Read all about it!"

Donning my "newsboy" hat to help Barbara Foster get the word out...

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Handy Hands has been working on a new web site and is getting close to being done. They need sample photographs of tatting made with Lizbeth^® threads to use on the new web site.

Here is what Barbara had to say, in her own words:

I would like to post photographs of finished projects that have been made from the Lizbeth^® thread, It can be tatted, knitted, crocheted, needlepoint etc. We are only going to post ONE per Lizbeth^® color. We have to have the following information.

1. Name of the person that made it.
2. Where the pattern came from.

a. If from a book, the name of the book and page number – the book needs to be in print.
b. If online, the link to the pattern.

3. Attach a picture of the finished project.

So Barbara can contact the person who submitted the photo, be sure to include a valid e-mail address with each photo submitted.

E-mail - staff@hhtatting.com

ALL SAMPLE PHOTOS SHOULD BE SENT TO HANDY HANDS.

Motif 11 - Tatted Jewelry

Sipping Dream by the Fire tea and surfing tatting blogs has been a guilty pleasure that has distracted me from today's Tatting Tea Tuesday post. Huge apologies, Tat Land!

But I have been tatting. Tatted Jewelry by Marilee Rockley has been at the top of my list.

One Shuttle Glamour Earrings
Designed by Marilee Rockley
Tatted by IsDihara

Motif 11 - One-Shuttle Glamour Earrings
These intermediate level earrings are quick to tat, use around two (2) yards of thread and yield a big, sparkly bang for the buck. What's not to love?

The ones pictured above use Lizbeth^® 20 Rootbeer Float (#150) and Sea Island Citrus (#161), size 11 seed beads, 6mm and 4mm round beads and Swarovski crystallized^™ 4mm bicones. Goodness! How fast my bead "garden" grows.

A question for more experienced tatted jewelry-makers: Are split rings always preferred over jump rings to attach findings?

Thank you, Marilee, for getting this pattern booklet published. It is a treasured addition to my tatting library.

Whether you're tatting jewelry, snowflakes or something else, may you all find time to dream by the fire and create something beautiful. See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

Snow Angel Poetry WINNER!

HO HO HO! Here's the prize!

Thank you for all the inspired entries for this contest! You all did SO GREAT at filling in the last line of poetry. Talk about tapping into creative energies and taking charge of a challenge! You rocked it in ways I never considered.

I wish I could award prizes to each and every one of you, but as they say in Hollywood, "There can be only one" so. . . *drumroll*

The winner of the Snow Angel Poetry Challenge is....Crazy Mom.

She followed up Fox's playful entry (which was spot on for expressing frustration) with a sly rhyme. Both were terribly clever and made me laugh out loud.

Does anyone else see the humor in the photo? I stuffed the prizes into Santa's pants! (But seriously, what a cute gift bag, eh?)

Thank you for helping me celebrate my 300th post! And a hearty HO HO HO with mistletoe and lots of tatting joy for the remainder of 2011 and into 2012.

Snow Angel Poetry Challenge

Snow Angel © 2011 Sharren Sarver Morgan
Tatted by IsDihara

Snow Angel Poetry Challenge
As angel lace reeled off the shuttles and visions of snow angels danced in my head, a poem was born, or at least most of one.

My 300th blog post is coming up fast (this post is number 298) and I thought, 'What better time for a quick bit o' knot-tea fun?' So I'm having a giveaway!

The challenge is to find a suitable last line to the following bit of verse:

Snow Angel by IsDihara (and...you?)

It's fun to walk in the sparkling snow,
And hear my boots go crunch.

Frolicking in a frosty 'spance
thrills my heart a bunch.

Swooshy imprints in the snow,
Give my cheeks a rosy glow,
And leave behind a cool halo,

Snow angels are big funch!

ADD YOUR LAST LINE IN THE COMMENTS FOR THIS POST.
PLEASE LEAVE ME A VALID WAY TO CONTACT YOU.
IF I PICK YOUR ENTRY, YOU WIN A PRIZE!


DEADLINE to enter is THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011, at midnight, Eastern Standard Time.

Contest is open to all domestic and international followers of Ambitatterous. You must be a "regular reader" to qualify. That means a reader who has spent a minimum of three months following this blog.

I will pay shipping for the winning entry.

I will announce the Poetry Contest Challenge WINNER on Friday, December 9, 2011.

Thank you for reading regularly from your corner of Tat Land, wherever it may be! Good Luck!

Giveaway - Tuscan Lace Prize Pack

What Do I Win?
This Tuscan Lace prize package will bring a little ray of sunshine to warm up a wintry day.

A gorgeous, 50-yard skein of sun-drenched Tuscany HDT by LadyShuttleMaker in size 20, a box of Lipton "Tuscan Lemon" Black Tea and an 8-ounce jar of luxurious, Tuscan Lace hand and body lotion made by New Hands Soaps and Lotions.

REMEMBER TO ADD YOUR LAST LINE IN THE COMMENTS FOR THIS POST.
PLEASE LEAVE ME A VALID WAY TO CONTACT YOU.
IF I PICK YOUR ENTRY, YOU WIN A PRIZE!
GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Motif 10 - Snow Angel

The final Tatting Tea Tuesday in November dawns grey and overcast with a steaming cuppa (pumpkin spice tea) and wistful sighs over the inevitable end of the turkey leftovers.

(Thanksgiving celebrations in my corner of Tat Land can range from a simple turkey dinner to unrestrained food orgies. The feasting at Silly Hat Central was reasonably controlled. For example, I made four pies for six people and was chided for having a ratio that was less than 1:1.)

On the bright side, I have new tatting to show.

Snow Angel © 2011 Sharren Sarver Morgan

A Pair of Snow Angels - can a choir be far behind?

Motif 10 - Snow Angels
These angels are another inspired creation of Sharren Morgan. Are you amazed to see all the beads? Slowly I am befriending them (beads) and even having a bit of fun.

Tatted in Lizbeth^® 40 #163 Blue Ice, these delicate angels wear sparkly halos of size 10 silver-lined crystal seed beads. Their wings and robes are edged in size 11 blue glass seed beads. I also played with adding bugle beads to one angel's empire waist just for fun.

Each angel measures 1.5 inches wide by 2 inches long. (3.8cm by 5.1cm)

This pattern is included on the Palmetto Tat Days 2011 fundraiser pattern CD. Click here for details.

Sharren's method of encapsulating a safety pin yields a charming holiday pin. Mine are pin-less and will be lovely tucked into cards.

Snow Angel © 2011 Sharren Sarver Morgan

One of the things I am learning is that beaded tatting can be a challenge to photograph! These three images were the best of the lot.

Shawl Shenanigans

Favecrafts.com recently mass e-mailed an advertisement with an intriguing hook (no pun intended): The Goddess Shawl makes you as beautiful as Aphrodite!

Ever the skeptic, I call shenanigans!

If nubile beauty and infinite desirability were as easy to achieve as tossing on a shawl, wouldn't we all have it? And never take it off?

I admit the crocheted shawl in the ad has a definite charm and appeal. Is it the shawl's gorgeous drape? The mysterious allure of the model?

After fantasizing about it, (Didn't you?) I concede the possibility of tossing on a shawl, if it were tatted, to attain epic beauty and allure. I mean, why not? It worked for Kathy Berndt.

Kathy really does look beautiful in her lace, doesn't she?

Libido-lifting Lace?
Advertising claims aside, the Goddess Shawl posits some food for thought.

Why pineapples?!? Did Aphrodite like pineapples? I like pineapple as much as the next person, but it never seemed like a nubile fruit to me.

Well, whaddya know? The aphrodisiac history of pineapple.

Now I Really Want One
Is it possible to tat a Goddess Shawl?

Tatting the pineapples should work, since tatted pineapple doilies exist. But methinks the rest would require some re-engineering.

What say you, Tat Land?

Tatting Tea Tuesday - Motif 9 Cross Your Heart

Motif 9 - Cross Your Heart
It is done! This could be the prettiest heart I have ever tatted. It demonstrates the versatility of edgings and bookmarks.

This dainty heart is adapted from Hearts Afire Cross © 2011 by Crazy Mom and Hearts © 2001 by Dee Powell. It is tatted in Lizbeth® 20 Victorian Red #670 and measures 4 inches by 4 inches (10.2 cm by 10.2 cm).

The Hearts Afire pattern is on the 2011 Palmetto Tat Days pattern CD. Mrs. Powell's "Hearts" bookmark is in "Tatted Bookmarks - Needle & Shuttle" (edited by Barbara Foster of Handy Hands, Inc.) on page 8. It is simply called "Hearts."

Cindy from A Happy Bluebird tatted "Hearts" in February, 2010. Her pretty Valentine Bookmark proved perfect for satisfying my crafty muse. 

Anyone interested in seeing more of Mrs. Powell's work is encouraged to visit Georgia Seitz' "In Memory Of" page, which will be available in the near future.

Tea Shop Mystery - Scones & Bones

Laura Childs' latest Tea Shop Mystery held my interest until chapter 22. The frenetic pace of the next two chapters rehashed previous material. By chapter 24 I had lost interest and flipped to the end to see "whodunnit." Surprise! I was wrong about the killer!

Scones & Bones gets a teacup review rating of 3.5 cups. Atmosphere and quirky characters move the story along well enough until the final 1/3; then peevish reader disdain set in. Where were the clues? It seemed as if the plot was circling the drain.

Don't get me wrong, beautiful descriptions of Charleston, interesting pirate lore and the Indigo Tea Shop's tasty treats were engaging. But are "light, cozy mysteries" intended to be short on plot?

Since this was my first "light cozy" I'm giving myself a second chance with Tea Shop Mysteries. Knowing that the intrigue is not easily predictable may keep me turning pages in the Jasmine Moon Murder. Let's hope a clue or two are buried, like pirate treasure, amid the gravestones of Jasmine Cemetery.

Edging Closer to Motif 9

The other day I read a comment sewmuchfun4 made in 2010 about "feeling less than tranquil" with tatting. It brought a knowing smile to my lips. Haven't we all felt like this at one time or another?

Sometimes putting your tools down and taking your mind off the setback will allow your creative muse to recharge. That is precisely what happened when I was playing around with Crazy Mom's Hearts Afire Cross.

I knew I wanted to expand the cross into a heart. Designing my own heart edging was a decidedly "less than tranquil" experience. And research into heart edgings available online left me stumped.

But the pattern book "Tatted Bookmarks - Needle & Shuttle" (edited by Barbara Foster of Handy Hands, Inc.) stoked my muse. On page 8 was an edging by Dee Powell^‡, simply called "Hearts."

Cindy from A Happy Bluebird tatted "Hearts" in February, 2010. Her pretty Valentine Bookmark proved perfect for satisfying my crafty muse.

See how pretty this edging looks adapted into a heart? It takes a curve so beautifully.

^‡Delores "Dee" Powell, 75, of Kansas, died in 2008 of cancer. Barbara Foster (Handy Hands, Inc.) has given permission to Georgia Seitz to post one of Dee' s patterns from the book "Tatted Bookmarks - Needle & Shuttle" online.  Georgia will create an "In Memory Of" page for Dee.

Almost Motif 9 - Cross Your Heart
This heart-in-progress is adapted from Hearts Afire Cross © 2011 by Crazy Mom and Hearts © 2001 by Dee Powell. It is tatted in Lizbeth^® 20 Victorian Red #670 and will measure 4 inches by 4 inches (10.2 cm by 10.2 cm) when complete.

What a tatting journey this experiment has led me on so far! Crazy Mom's cross fueled the fire for a heart. Taking a "less than tranquil" design path led to an existing source for a lovely edging. From there the creative spark ignited again to combine two lovely designs into a dainty new heart.

Or it will be once I finish...

Beyoncé Sighting!

I couldn't believe my eyes.

Sw4nkyL4c3r and I were driving down a familiar stretch of road, on the way to our lace guild's monthly meeting. There it was — a Giant Metal Chicken!

Funny thing was, it was standing in front of a rather nondescript, white house.

I wanted to rush up to the front door, ring the doorbell and ask the owners if they read The Blogess, but decided against it.

What if they had never heard of her? What if the owners had displayed the Giant Metal Chicken simply because they liked it? What if they mistook my contact for a chicken-induced come on?

File this under Truth is Stranger Than Fiction.

It's here! It's here!

Look what arrived late Wednesday afternoon in the mail. I was at the Yarn Cloud waiting for a student to arrive when Big Daddy and the Sprout walk in with a package for me. It was my copy of "Tatted Jewelry" by Marilee Rockley (published by Annie's Attic).

I'm so excited to have Marilee's new book!

Up for a Tea Shop Mystery?

Have you read any of the Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Childs?

I only just discovered them a week or so ago when a copy of Scones & Bones was on display in the "Fortunate Find" section of my local library.

I grabbed it, thinking it would be a casual bit of fluff reading. Probably not something that would hold my interest. Was I wrong!

It is a lighthearted read, yet held my attention even though I usually guess the murderer early on in typical murder mysteries.

The story is set in Charleston, SC, and revolves around resident Indigo Tea Shop owner, Theodosia Browning. I won't say much more, except that this is the 12th installment of the series. Here are two reviews if you want to know more:

• "Scones and Bones" by Laura Childs
by Christina Durner, Baltimore Books Examiner
• Like it a Latte: Laura Childs & The Tea Shop Mysteries
by Tiffany

The scene of the 5th Tea Shop Mystery, Jasmine Moon Murder is set under an autumn moon, making it a fun read for this time of year.

Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is catering a Charleston benefit, a "Ghost Crawl" through Jasmine Cemetery, when the organizer drops dead—and it looks like foul play. Theodosia stirs things up with her own investigation, and gets into hot water up to her neck.

Renee over at Renee's Reads has a fun rating system for her book reviews and I love that she sets aside time on Thursday for Tea, much like I do for Tatting Tea Tuesday.

As I am on on chapter 5 I will have to give you my rating in a few days. In the meantime, why not try a Tea Shop Mystery and let us know what you think?

Where Have You Gone, October?

I seriously cannot believe that this is the last Thursday in October. Where did this month go?!? Weren't we all just mourning the loss of August? Speeding through September to get to Tat Days weekend? Then BOOM! Hello, November.

With a new month comes a new resolve -- to befriend beads!

OctoStarFlake © 2011 Jane Eborall

The pattern is on the Palmetto Tat Days 2011 Pattern CD. The thread used for this motif is Lizbeth^® #135 Lollipop in size 20. The beads are size 11 Dyna-mites™ seed beads in blue/lilac. A few galvanized gold seed beads in size 11 found their way into the mix too, just for fun.

How many of you remember how OctoStarFlake started out?

As a magnetic brooch cum fridge magnet!

Donna Thompson, if you are reading, please accept my heartfelt thanks for all the patient attention you gave to me during this class at Tat Days. I will return your shuttles to you loaded in either the Lizbeth^® or hand-dyed thread of your choice as a thank you!

Imagine how hopeless a student has to be for the teacher to hand her two pre-wound shuttles (from her personal stash) to start over? Folks, I don't make this stuff up.

(That's Julie Beagle, who thought it was a great time to beg for a treat while I was taking the picture.) Lord knows, I wanted to go to Tat Days in 2003 but I didn't make it there until 2009.

And Lord knows I wanted to sail through this class brilliantly. But arriving late, not starting with shuttles wound CTM. . . To make a long story short, I just couldn't get my brain in gear. The words I used at the time were "I can't get out of the driveway."

But some class learnin' must have sunk in, because I made it through the pattern at home with no trouble.

No doubt this was due to the many gracious tips and warm-hearted help from the ladies seated next to me. This is ON TOP OF the patient direction received from Donna Thompson. Thank you, Donna! Thank you, ladies! I couldn't have completed this motif without you.

Is anyone else as amazed as I am to see a motif with so many beads reel off my shuttles?

Tatting Tea Tuesday - Scissors Fob

Slowly but surely I am whittling away at my Tat Days class projects. What do I have to show today? A darling scissor fob created with tatting and beads.

Motif 7 - Scissors Fob © 2011 Sharren Sarver Morgan

Tatted in Lizbeth 40 #638 Christmas Green with size 11 Dyna-mites™ seed beads in blue/lilac. The large bead reminded me of a Turkish "evil eye" bead (though it is not one) and 2 clear beads help keep the seed beads from slipping through the holes of the larger dangle bead.

Sharren Morgan taught this class and did a marvelous job working with students who got stuck. (Or like me, kept getting stuck again and again.)

I encourage you to take a class from Sharren Morgan. Full of Southern charm, laughter and patience, her inviting personality makes lessons approachable. Her command of the lessons and ability to problem-solve on the fly keep you going, righting stumbling blocks with ease. It wouldn't surprise me if she had a superhero alter ego. Sharren Super Tatter!

This class contained three new (to me) techniques:

• how to use a bead spinner and a curved beading needle to string beads
• Marie Smith's easy method of encapsulating a split ring (the metal ring used in jewelry making, not the tatted split ring)
• pearl tatted chain with two shuttles

What a gratifying learning experience this was, and what a fun tat!

This in-progress photo actually shows the beads all lined up properly. The finished fob (first photo) is slightly askew after The Sprout had completed his expert examination and declared it "good."

Hindsight being what it is, a red-wrapped split ring would have been a nice touch to accentuate the spot on the large bead. No worries, just something to keep in mind for next time.

Tatting Tea Tuesday
As for tea, I have sadly put away my Sun Tea jar, switching over to stove-brewed tea. A delicious decaf Pumpkin Spice warms body and soul while I tat and listen to Pandora Internet radio.

Watching The Sprout dance and sing along with the Radio for Kids music feed makes Tatting Tea Tuesday even more special. Wish you could see it.

Want a sneak peek of the class project I am working on today?

Can you believe I added all those beads? Me?!?

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful. See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea and an OctoStarFlake!

Waiting Room Giveaway Winners!

(Exclaimed in a southern belle voice, accompanied with appropriate mannerisms...) Why, I do declare Tat Land has nimble-fingered, quick-thinking HDT lovers.

Congratulations to the first winner, deft detective Karrieann!

Her comment arrived 62 minutes into the giveaway. Silly me, I thought it would take you all days to figure it out. Can you believe that Karrieann beat out the second runner-up by less than a minute?  Hoo-wee, that's playin' it shrewd and fast!

As I watched the entries come in, though, I wondered...

Did the hint that Shannon_in_Love unknowingly divulged 19 minutes into the giveaway help point any of you in the right direction? Her entry was RED HOT, but missing one key detail. She returned soon after with the correct answer, but not in time to beat Karrieann.

So I'm giving Shannon_in_Love a consolation prize. The second runner-up, Crazy Mom, agreed that she should receive it.

So congratulations to Shannon_in_Love, the second winner!

Shannon, please email me with your mailing address. I will also send you a 50-yard skein of HDT from my stash. 

And THANK YOU to EVERYONE who commented. Your entries made this my most exciting giveaway yet!

Motif 6 - Rosone

I have completed the rosone (Italian for rosette) from Il Lavoro Chiacchierino 14, page 8. The thread is YarnPlayer's Celery in size 20. It will count as Motif 6 in my second 25 Motif Challenge.

This is a very sturdy six-sided medallion. I really like it in Celery and think it would be even lovelier tatted in Yarnplayer's Roses HDT. That said, it also begs to be tatted as a proper snowflake.

As I tatted away, the stitch counts seemed odd. And I kept wondering two things: why are the inner rings double joined? (Aside from adding strength, I mean.) Is it an attempt to form hexagons?

A honeycomb center would certainly be pretty. Then the motif could be called "Honey and Clover." What could be done to make the inner rings look more hexagonal?

It is an interesting avenue for exploration, once I have completed my Tat Days class projects. But as is, this motif is quite inviting.

Waiting Room Giveaway

This photo of me tatting in the waiting room at the doctor's office (while DH's foot was being examined - notice I did not say 'head,' ha ha!) - was created with Paper Camera. The effect applied to the photo was called Comic (somethingorother), perhaps Comic Grunge?

Can anyone tell what it is I am tatting? (The lace draped over my right hand.)

The person who posts the first correct answer in the comments will win a 50-yard skein of hand-dyed thread from my stash.

I haven't yet chosen the winning thread, so tell me your favorite color and I will try to match the winner with HDT in his or her favorite color or at least a colorway that includes his or her favorite color.

I will not reveal the correct answer until Saturday, October 22nd at 12:00 noon EST. So hurry, that is less than three days away!

P.S. If nobody guesses the correct answer I will ask DH to take another photo with PaperCamera using another bit of tatting and you will have a second chance to win!

Everybody ready? Let the guessing begin!

Tat Days 2011 Loot

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island.”
~ Walt Disney

And there is more treasure at Tat Days than a Disney dreamer can imagine. It comes in many forms and guises.

Crazy Mom shared photos of her uber swag haul from Tat Days 2011, including the large tote bag, size 20 Omega thread and a clear bag jam-packed with nifty trinkets of every size and description.

I took the liberty of spreading mine out for a more detailed view. It is just one of the many ways Palmetto staff attend to every little detail for their guests. They excel at this.

Snack Room Treasure
Feeling peckish between classes? Need a late night snack? No problem. The snack room is filled to overflowing with every imaginable treat and refreshment. Another example of how Palmetto staffers attend to every little detail for their guests.

Finding Chocolate Strawberry tea in the snack room was a delightful surprise. I was so busy squealing with glee I forgot to snap a photo for the blog. Crazy Mom came to my rescue with this link - Chocolate Tea. Thanks, Crazy Mom!

Tat Days 2011 Spoils

Vending Room Treasure
Having experienced wicked, hedonistic shopping impulses in 2010, I came prepared with a shopping list. For the most part I stuck to it, only splurging on the Rosemarie Peel pattern book.

Two copies of Martha Ess' Playing with Picots and Tat Days 2011 Pattern CD were purchased. One copy of each item now lives in the Piedmont Lace Guild of Virginia's library.

Aren't you all impressed with my willpower?

Shuttle Lab Trends was a new vendor (for me) whose wares I am eager to try.

In 2009 I had seen photos of gorgeous, drool-worthy HDTs from this vendor, and lace made from them, show up on other blogs, but none were available in 2010.

Imagine me hovering vulture-like over the display of threads, beautifully blinged shuttles, etc., deciding what to take home. I bought four fabulous HDTs.

---

Beanile Treasure
The loot I am most thrilled about are Nina Libin's beanile lace kits.

Winter Solstice © 2011 Nina Libin

Did you see my first completed earring in the above photo? No? Here is a close up.

Dazzling, eh? When the second earring is finished I will block them together. Then on to the exquisite necklace and pendant. This could be the beginning of a beautiful beanile relationship.

The second kit is an icy, crystalline enchantment called "The Snow Queen - I." It will be a snow day tat later this winter. Nina gifted Crazy Mom with the Snow Queen - I earrings she tatted. You can see them here.

Can you believe I'm not finished? (Almost.) Crazy Mom was so generous, she let me pick out this custom mix of gemstone beads. They're so pretty!

And last but not least, Georgia Seitz handed me this creative button sample on the final day. Her online tatting class page gives lots of inspiration for embellishing them. I'm looking forward to playing around with these to see what I can come up with. Thanks, Georgia!

Here is what they look like when you find them in their commercial packaging.

Whew! My fingers are tired! I hope you enjoyed this loot post. Back to tatting for me!

Lookie See & Loot to Come

Thanks to my eagle-eyed niece, Jalice, for alerting me to this notice:

It is good to see Yarnplayer's latest pattern booklet getting some buzz-generating promotion. Yarnplayer, can I get my copy autographed, pretty please?

Come back tomorrow for the long-awaited TAT DAYS 2011 LOOT post!