Bug Gets the Boot and More

The green cloud has lifted and thanks to good drugs, hand washing and TLC, we are all feeling much better.

Instead of purging the house of the last lurking vestiges of germs or finishing up the last few unsent holiday cards, I decided to write a blog post.

That was this morning.

It is now 7:44 p.m. and this post has fought me like a cornered wild animal. Time to put The Sprout to bed and pop in tonight's Redbox rental, Inception.

I'll try again tomorrow.

Holiday Recap

Santa was good to me this year! I received four new shuttles and four free balls of Lizbeth Peacock Blues thread. Two Dresden Files novels, and iPad gadgetry.

Two of the new shuttles are included in the tatting photo below.

Nutmeg the Christmas Camel almost done.
More details after I finish, but doesn't the almost-camel look splendid in Tatskool's Nutmeg HDT?

Check out the shuttles. These beauties were hand-crafted by Georgia Seitz and her husband.

Georgia applied "leafy" origami paper over whitewashed wood for a lightweight, well-balanced shuttle I just don't want to put down. Hand-marbled paper is applied to the "surf board" shuttle for an even more gorgeous look.

Both are great shuttles that make tatting even more pleasurable. I will use these again and again. Can't thank you enough, Georgia!

More Shuttles, Treat Mints and a Teapot

I swear, Ciarrán has been such a poseur lately. Look at him lounging over the adorable teapot I received from Sw4nkyL4c3r. Must be the effect of having Miss Scarlet and Fergal comfortably close since September.

The scuffle of leprechaun boots and orderly habits of Miss Scarlet have been a joyous addition to the house. But sadly, in a few days it will be time to bid our guests farewell and safe journey. Maybe then I will be able to sit down, organize my thoughts and share details of their stay.

Get Thee Gone, Pernicious Bug

Silly Hat Central has fallen prey to a pernicious bug. The good news is that it is not necrotizing filitis, the thread-eating bacteria.

This viral scourge has spawned three sets of double ear infections, an abominable amount of mucus/phlem and now, two cases of pink eye. Oh the humanity!

Needless to say, Silly Hat Central is under quarantine while we fight the good fight.

I leave you with a much happier tatting day, December 29, 2009, when Sw4nkyL4c3r and I met for tea and tatting. Enjoy!

Set the WABAC Machine

Can anyone suggest a good chick flick? I am not limited to preschooler viewing options, as Big Daddy is home with pink eye too and the DVD player is at the ready.

FREE Teapot Ornament Patternand sharing in Coffee/Tea Rivalry

Didn't want you to miss out on this free pattern offered by Living Crafts magazine -- a teapot!



Image Source: Living Crafts Magazine
Teapot Ornament Pattern

More free patterns are available to download in the Craft Room.

UPDATE: A longtime and dear friend, MageSteve, posted this holiday haiku today on Facebook that I thought fit perfectly with this lovely teapot ornament:

a shining teapot
beside cookies and crumpets
coffee, who needs it
- MageSteve

An ongoing rivalry with another Facebook friend (who I will affectionately call JavaJoe) is perfectly served with this haiku. JavaJoe posts weekly with a coffee-inspired quote. I counter with a tea-inspired quote. Just love it when a pal sides with me on tea!

And just so you can share in the friendly rivalry (it's not eavesdropping if I show you, after all)  here is JavaJoe's response to the holiday haiku:

Coffee comes in five descending stages: Coffee, Java, Jamoke, Joe, and Carbon Remover. ~Robert A. Heinlein, 'Glory Road'

And I countered with this:

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty. ~Japanese Proverb

Isn't this fun?

Winner Take All

It is time!

After an anguish-laced week of choosing among the 12 entries, one box finally peeked out shyly from the crowd and quietly said, "I'm the one."

The winner of 25 free balls of Lizbeth thread is:

*drumroll*

Sharon 

Sharon, please contact me privately with your address so I may forward it along to Handy Hands.

And thanks to ALL of the entrants! This contest was such a treat, even though the choosing was brutal. All of the entries were tops!

Contest is Officially Closed

The Chocolate Box Decorating Contest is officially closed. Let the judging begin!

A small flurry of entries arrived on the last day (not surprising since entries for these sorts of contests do take time to conceptualize) so let me go through the list again for everyone's convenience.

Batatter kicked things off with this impressive entry: chocolate box

Tattrldy jumped in with both feet and completed this adorable chocolate box: TTT with Chocolates

Not to be outdone, Karrianne submitted this winsome, fabric and tatting entry: Mini-chocolate box

Yavamoni submitted this fresh-as-spring entry via Intatters: decorated box 

Val turned in this superb satchel: Chocolates

Fate is a Good Provider

There is a saying in French, "le hasard fait bien les choses," which can be translated as "fate is a good provider." Lady Fate tipped her hat to Sharon. Just look at her entry: It must have been fate.

Sadly, Georgia was not able to submit an entry using an empty plastic celery bag. No worries, the idea alone gave us all a good chuckle! However, a silly celery hat may still be in the works. (By me, not Georgia.)

HUGE, groveling apologies to RainbowRose, who I left off the list earlier today. You don't want to miss her life-saving Tatter's First Aid Kit!

I offer up this slogan for Rainbow Rose's kit: "Supplies that Save Lives" and jokingly suggest adding a No Celery component (button, sticker, lanyard?) to the contents.

Icelas made her own box because she ran out of Whitman's chocolate boxes. New Bon Bon Box
(Now don't you wish you could be adopted?) ツ

Tattips' entry is truly a labor of love. Feminine, romantic and lacy: A Valentine chocolate box

Tatterjil sent in this entry, inspired by her childhood pet: Hedgehog Chocolates

Victats supplied a super-secret Sapphire storyline to accompany her entry: chocolate mmmmmm...

Last but not least, is Trayna who is having trouble getting her photo out of her camera (or scanner, can't remember which or maybe both).

So Trayna has been granted an extension and I will post her photo as soon as I can. (If it fails to arrive before December 6th I will have to disqualify her entry.)

UPDATE: [12/02/10] Here is Trayna's entry: Christmas comes but once a year...

Have I missed anyone?

If you have turned in an entry and don't see it listed here, please contact me immediately.

A winner will be announced on December 7th.

Thank you to all entrants!

Your boxes are all such brilliantly inspired creations. Browsing through the list never fails to give me goose-bumps. Well done, everyone!

Chocolate Box Contest Update

Just a reminder that the deadline for my decorated chocolate box contest is November 30, 2010. A winner will be announced on December 7th.

Here are the entries so far!

Batatter kicked things off with this impressive entry: chocolate box

Tattrldy jumped in with both feet and completed this adorable chocolate box: TTT with Chocolates

Not to be outdone, Karrianne submitted this winsome, fabric and tatting entry: Mini-chocolate box

Yavamoni submitted this fresh-as-spring entry via Intatters: decorated box

IMPORTANT NOTE: A window opens on Val's blog asking for you to enter a password. This is a phishing scam! Click on the "X" button to close the window. DO NOT TYPE IN A PASSWORD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

Val turned in this superb satchel: Chocolates

Fate is a Good Provider

There is a saying in French, "le hasard fait bien les choses," which can be translated as "fate is a good provider." Lady Fate tipped her hat to Sharon. Just look at her entry: It must have been fate.

O, Woe is She!
Georgia asked if she could submit her entry using an empty plastic celery bag, since her doctor has banned chocolate from her diet. Georgia, of course you can! (Fingers still crossed for this entertaining entry.)

In fact, I have half a mind to tat celery in protest of Georgia's plight. Or make a silly celery hat. Does anyone out there know of a block tatted celery bunch?  Martha?

This Just In!
Icelas made her own box because she ran out of Whitman's chocolate boxes.  New Bon Bon Box
(Now don't you wish you could be adopted?) ツ

Tattips' entry is truly a labor of love. Feminine, romantic and lacy: A Valentine chocolate box

Back to the Contest
Wow, y'all are really making this a tough choice. The boxes are all so brilliantly done.

(Honestly, if I were entering I would be more than a bit intimidated.) Did I say that out loud?  ツ

It is not too late to get your entry in!

Remember, 25 free balls of thread are waiting for 1 lucky winner!

But you've got to be in to win.

Good luck!

Motif #17 - "Angels in the Snow"

"Angels in the Snow" © 2010 Tatting Fool
Snowflake HDT in size 20 by Yarnplayer

Motif #17 - "Angels in the Snow" Flake

Time to show off my pretty snowflake tatted in size 20 Snowflake HDT by Yarnplayer.

It measures 9 cm. (3 3/8 inches) in diameter and took somewhere in the ballpark of 14 yards to tat.

Tatting Fool (also known as Miranda) offers this dilly of a design as a PDF download for $3 US to help raise money for the Brain Injury Association of New Mexico.

Tatting Tea Tuesday

With the the US Thanksgiving holiday just two days away, I should talk about turkey, the Macy's parade and football. But here I sit, sipping Santa Spice tea, nibbling Pepperidge Farm "Milano Slices" and listening to holiday music CDs while I wind shuttles.

"Angels in the Snow" © 2010 Tatting Fool
(same snowflake on a black background)
I am trying to stay motivated to tat snowflakes.

What I want to be doing is crafty tatting to decorate satin balls for my holiday tree.

Other tatters have a flurry of snowflakes to tuck into seasonal greeting cards. So far I have completed one. (Hey, I'm not knockin' it. One is better than zero.)

My next flake will be another "Angels in the Snow," but this time adding a few beads. Shocking for me, I know!

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