Merry Christmas!

From Our Home To Yours

Merry Christmas

Seeing Stars!

Wonder what this is all about? More details to come .............

Tat On!

Bonnie

Angels in the Snow

On Dec 13th, I told you about the gift exchange I received from my partner on The Tatting Forms.

On the form I see that the person I gifted to has received her package so I can show you what I tatted for her.


Your right, it's Miranda's "Angels in the Snow". How did you guess? Oh the title gave it away, yeah I would guess it would :-)

Tat On!

Bonnie

Bling!

Wendy at Umi & Tsuru is sending me a blinged shuttle she dolled up. Part of that deal was I needed to bling one and send it to her.

The first two shuttles I enhanced went to Lace-lovin' Librarian Diane some time ago. I didn't think to take pictures of them, but so here they are using the picture off Diane's blog.

Since they were so pretty, I wanted to make another similar to that one for Wendy. Before I mailed it I decided to test tat with it ....... When I tat I use the pointed tip alot. Sadly I determined that the paper on this tip did not play nice, so it couldn't be mailed. (I think you maybe able to see it on the photo below.) Did the one I sent you do that, Diane?

Pretty but not practical.

Okay so onto a different idea. I couldn't find printed tissue paper in my small town, but I did find white. In a former crafting life I was a stamper, so I took a permanent black ink pad & markers, a small flower stamp and added it to the paper. I also stamped tissue paper for the back, but that will have to wait until Wendy gets it to be revealed. Then I decoupaged the stamped paper onto the shuttle. I wet sanded it, very gently (my first attempt sanded off the paper) to make it smooth. I could still see the brush strokes, which I wasn't happy about but didn't know how to change that.



So here's mine, Wendy, and it's on it's way to you.

As soon as all my Holiday projects are done, I'm going to have to make me a couple of these for my own use.

Sorry for the bad quality pictures, they were taken with my cellphone in low light.

Tat On!

Bonnie

Pattern Revisited

As Christmas grows nearer my hands get busier, not only with tatting, but that's a different story.

Recently we exchanged Christmas gifts at work. I really dislike the stealing gift games, I like to know who my gift is going to. That way I can get/make something specificily with one person in mind. (In fact in past years I've refused to be a part of the gift exchange when "stealing" is involved. I greatly dislike it!)

Regardless, the past few years I've taken control of our Holiday luncheon/gift exchange because then I know we'll exchange names and I'll be a part of the celebration.

My person really enjoys reading. In fact many lunch periods I've seen her at her desk unwinding with a book. So it wasn't to hard for me to realize that I had to tat her a bookmark. But gosh there are so many good ones out there, which one to do.....

I have to admit I went with one I've made and showed you many times before. It's Julie Patterson's Hearts and Flowers Cross Bookmark.

It's made using Tatskool's ChocoRaspberry HDT. I'm not sure, but I think it's done in size 40.

Tat On!,

Bonnie

Sine Wave Star

On November 11th, Lily at Tatterme.com did a blog post intitled "Who Am I and Who Do I Belong To?" . At the time I found it quite funny as I was working on the same project and was at about the same point in the pattern as she was.

A couple of days later Lily unveiled that it was Jeff at Bridge City Tatting's pattern Sine Wave Star.

Here is mine.

Not that it took me over a month to finish it, it just took me that long to show it to you. :-)

Tat On!

Bonnie

The Tatting Forums' Gift Exchange

Erin at The Tatting Forums hosted a Christmas gift exchange.

My Gifter was Maria from Portugal.

I'm excited to show you all the loot I got.

I wouldn't allow myself to open the package until I'd mailed out the one to my partner, which I did early last week.

Look at it all! Am I the luckiest tatter around or what? The strawberry in the right lower corner opens into a shopping bag. It's super cool.

I feel like I've got to give you a close up view of the 2 tatted pieces.

It's an ornament with tatting inside!

And look at this tatted lovely.

Thank you, Spuriportugal -Maria, for the great package.

Tat On!

Bonnie

Thanks to LaceLovin'-Librarian ...

........for turning me on to Kersti Aneari's Stumpy pattern. Back in September Diane, aka LaceLovin'-Librarian, posted some stumpys she made and it set me off in that direction. My tatting time is limited so I'm always on the lookout for patterns I can do up quickly.

All were made using HDT ..... from Left to Right, is Tatskool's ChocoRaspberry size 40, next is her DaffodilDell in size 20, next LadyShuttleMaker's Spring Poppies in size 20 (I ran out of thread so the tail is kind of bare), and lastly Tatskool's FlameLantana in size 20.

Kersti has other tatting patterns posted which I would encourage you to check out while you're there.

Tat On!,

Bonnie

Tatting Forum

Have you heard about the newest Tatting Forum, brought to us by Chris and Erin from the Shuttle Shop? On Sept 1st there were 167 users, that's great. I recommend you check it out if you haven't already.

They are teasing me with a new shuttle called "the winder shuttle", can't wait until it's on the market for me to get my hands on! (Chris & Erin, let me know when your ready for my order.) Now Chris is talking about "suspending a tatted motif in epoxy" and making a shuttle from it.
Oh my, I'll start saving my pennies now. :-)

All teasing aside, I enjoy new tools and I hope the tatting community continues to come up with new products.

Tat On!

Bonnie

Part Three of Three

Here it is Blooming Trellis by Eliz Davis.

Front

Back

It was made using Tatskool's HDT Apple Blossom and coordinating pink in size 50, it was the only colorway I had that I felt went together, since it was made to go together LOL.

Now that I wear glasses all of the time, I'm really not a size 50 or smaller tatter. I know that sounds backwards but it's just to small for me to work out any errors.

Regardless it was made over many weeks because sadly I just don't have a lot of tatting time. (To be fair, I should say I don't MAKE alot of time to tat. Sad!)

It was a gift for my mother for her birthday. I took it to her when Holly and I went to visit our family in ND a few weeks ago. Not sure why I didn't think to take a picture of her with it.

Thank you, Eliz aka Tatknot for sharing such a great pattern with us. (click on her name for her blog where she lists some of her other patterns.)

Tat On!

Bonnie

And Part Two of Three

I'm sure you've got it now, if not here's a big hint.......

Tat On!

Bonnie

Really I Do Tat

............ I just don't have enough time to tat often.


So I'm sending this project out in blog stages. This is the first of three.

Anyone want to take a guess as to what pattern name is? Some of you may recognize it right off.

None of these pictures will be very good they are all form my phone's camera.

(Shoot, I messed up post 3 and posted it instead of set it to post in the future. I deleted it, but some of you maybe able to see it anyway, sorry.)

Tat On !

Bonnie

Earring

Finally some tatting to show.

From Yarnplayer's new book.

Tat On!

Bonnie

Fox's Travelling Book

A couple of months ago, well on International Tatting Day April 1st to be exact, Fox got some of us tatters excited about a book that she's willing to share with us. I for one am excited to say that at some point I will be able to get my grubby little tatting hands on it. Three lucky tatters have gotten their chances with the book so far, and including Fox where it started, it has already traveled to 4 countries. Click on the icon above to learn how to get your hands on it.

I'm really looking forward to my turn!

Tat On!

Bonnie

"Tat On"

On my last post, Isdihara's wrote that her word verification was TATON, it really tickled my fancy and has become my new phrase, like "rock on".

It's become my way of expressing when I think something is cool or neat, or when I show surprise like "oh my goodness", sometimes I even use it to say good bye.

When I hear "Tatting rules the world!!", I think of Jane. Maybe when people hear Tat On they will think of me, so with help from Isdihara I leave you with .....

Tat On!

Bonnie

Happy 60th Birthday, Friend!

I would like to share with you what I tatted for a dear friend who is turning 60 this week.



It is Eliz Davis' Teddy Bear, the pattern can be found here. I was surprised to find that I had the rocking horse button that is in the photo on the pattern, so I was able to gage about how much space would be in the tummy area in order to add a button to that section. I wish I had picked a different one though, it seems to big, or maybe it's just to dark/drab of a color against a tan thread. I'm all about color so that maybe what it is. (That seems to translate into I need to make another one.)

It did give me some problems though. The first time I completed the head section and realized I needed to tat it tighter. The second time, I had to retro tat a couple of times, first I had problems with the nose section and then written directions missed a join, but over all it was another one that was fun to watch come to life.

Since I am writing this on Sunday, and post dating it until Tuesday which is my friend's bday, I still have it with me, so I will measure it. In size 20 Lizabeth thread, it is 3" arm to arm and just a bit over 3.5" from tip of ear to bottom of foot. I am not as good as Tatskool who kindly gives us thread amounts used (which I really appreciate), but I can tell you both of my clover shuttles were filled and I ended up with very little left on either of them.

I was pleased when I showed it to DD and she knew right away it was a teddy bear. I'll attach it to a blank card. (I wonder if I should make some balloons for it to be holding, that would add some color............ hummm.)

Happy Life,

Bonnie

Happy Mother's Day 2010

I ran behind on getting my Mother's Day card mailed to my Mother,

so can I use that as my excuse for not having tatting to show you today.

(I gift away my work so quickly that most of the time it is given away,

and I don't think to scan it or take pictures before hand.

Although sometimes it's the same motif over and over for weeks or even months

and what good is that to share multiple times, that's a topic for another post)

Anyway............. Instead I will show you the beautiful flowers I received for Mother's day.

They arrived at work on Thursday, so I was able to enjoy them there for a few days before I brought them home for the weekend. They smell so lovely.

Note the single pink rose in the middle. When it first arrived it was a rose bud, and now it has opened up and is just beautiful. I believe it represents my only child, our Daughter.

I also say I recieved a lovely orchid, and some other gifts.

Auh it's good to be me. :-)

To All Mothers:

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope today you are surrounded by the love of your family.

No need to read, written as a form of self relief.

DH = Husband, DD = Daughter, and The Girls = our 2 dogs

Our daughter lives in a town just over a hour away. Sometimes she comes to stay with us for a few days at a time. This weekend is one of those times. Just having her around is a great Mother's Day present. But that isn't the reason why I am telling you this......... the reason is I have to get it off my chest it is weighing to heavy on me and just being able to say it will help me.
Last night DH was at work and DD was out with friends. I sent her a text asking when she'd be home, she indicated it was shortly, so I decided to wait up for her.

She was home shortly before midnight. I heard her come in, the girls barked for a second recognized her so they stopped. I called to her from the tv room, and she greeted me back. I heard her dig thru her laundry basket then go down stairs to change. Moments later, no less than 3 minutes from the time she first got home, I heard the door open and the girls started to freak again, I assumed DD had forgotten something in her car, but the girls wouldn't stop barking. I called to DD, but I didn't expect a response because I'd heard the door open but I also thought I heard her go downstairs. She replied that she was downstairs changing, then I heard the door close. We both rushed to the kitchen but no one was there. (we live in the countryish, meaning we do not live in a town setting, we are rural but our neighbors are still close) There were no cars in our driveway and we didn't see anyone leaving. We turned on all of the light and locked all of the doors and windows. I called DH at work and on his way home to check on us, he was stopped by the police for speeding, so he explained and the officer called it in. DD and I went to watch tv together to get over the jitters, and heard a knock at the door, both of us basically freaked out more. But it was the police, at least 4 or 5 police cars, followed by DH.

The area was checked, but nothing was found. All 3 of us had to provide our full names, DOB, phone #s, etc, there will be a report. :-(

Both DD and I know someone at least opened the door to our home. Even though our girls were not happy the person remained for awhile, a minute or so, seemed like forever but maybe was less. DH's cellphone (he can't have it at work), his ipod, and our checkbook were right there on the counter, they were not taken.

I am so shaken up. In nearly 20 years of living here I've never felt violated, ever. I'm so thankful that DD was with me this weekend, not to mention was already home safe, and that between the girls putting up such a ruckus, as well as DD and I calling to each other, the intruder left.

Even though the girls were snuggled in tight with me and DD was sleeping dowstairs with the tv on, I hardly slept. I didn't know our house had so many night time noises.

When I was a young preteen I had issues, but it has not affected my life, I am not scared. I have a loving family and am very active in the community, I love life and am not afraid. I leave for work in the dark and DH works odd shifts, never have I felt afraid in my own home. I'm praying that GOD will help me to not let this change me.

Pharmd2009, please do not tell M&D about this. This post is for no one other than me, just to try to give myself a release, I do not want them to know.

Is it True.......

....what "they" say about better late then never?

I wasn't able to post on International Tatting Day, so I'll catch up with it now.

A few weeks ago, Paula asked what we were going to tat for International Tatting Day, which was April 1st. I told her I hoped to tat Kersti's Sweet Heart Tatted Bookmark.

I didn't get much tatting in that day, however, I did eat some dark chocolate. I think you can see that I didn't even have 3 complete rings here, and already I had the candy open.

I didn't get very far that day, however since then I have made many of these bookmarks, probably a dozen or so. Here are just a few of them.

They are made using size 20 Lizabeth threads, in solid colors.

I hope Kersti doesn't mind, but I revamped the pattern a bit. I made it so that the tail is a seperate piece of work. For the final chain of the heart, I joined to the very first picot of the first chain, then chained 5 more ds-s, tied and hid the thread tails. I sewed the tail thread into that final picot join before I wound the shuttle, then tatted 2 ds and proceeded to finish of the tail.

Great pattern. Thank you, Kersti! I feel very comfortable with this pattern. I think I could do it in my sleep now. I have heard that some tatters make pieces to gift away to people who comment when they are tatting in public. This could be that piece for me. I like all of the picots on the chains and rings and I think it shows off the art of tatting very nicely. It would be a great way to share tatting with the world.

I do have a question about gifting bookmarks though. I am looking for plastic sleeves to put the bookmark in, something like this. Is there a better supplier out there. I have only been able to find that one size of sleeve. Also once I get them, how would I get it to lay nicely inside the sleeve? The only thing I can think of is to tack it to a piece of cardstock, which would give me a place to write a note, so that's not a bad idea.

Lady Shannan

Like Martha and Steph I was given the opportunity to test tat one of Heather's Ladies from her new book "Tatted Ladies In My Life".

This was my first time being a test tatter and I really enjoyed it. I would gladly test tat again for anyone who thought I was capable. (I'm just throwing that out there, so you talented designers will keep me in mind for the future. LOL)

Now that Heather has her book ready for us, I can share Lady Shannan.


Lady Shannan is tatted in Lizabeth threads direct from Handy Hands. The varigated is SpringTime and the green is Spring Green. (Both are colors I got directly from Handy Hands, not the stuff I had problems with from JoAnn's.)

Christina

Background:

Since I don't live close to any craft stores, when I get their coupons, and can get my husband to take me to the store, I hoard up on supplies.

Story:

Chapter 1

I had a bunch of coupons for JoAnn Fabrics, so off we went to Buffalo, about a hour and 15 minutes away. I rushed in, coupons in hand and ran straight for the Clover tatting shuttles. I went there first because my husband can only drink so much coffee at the shop next door, so I was in a rush to get in and out. And I justify more shuttles by thinking ...... when the tips of the shuttles seperate I toss them and start off fresh. ..........oh who am I kidding, I always have various stages of different patterns going, so I rarely have empty shuttles, therefor I need MORE, right? (Auh come on say I'm not the only one with a couple of dozen shuttles going at all times.)

Imagine my delight when on my way to the shuttles, I was awe struck by a section of Lizabeth thread. Not many colors, some I already had, but I HAD to use up ALL of the coupons and I don't get to the craft store very often, both reason I could used to explain to my hubby why I had to have more ............. (not that he cares, it just makes the story more "setting on the edge of your seat" interesting)

I was delight to use up all of my coupons, got an "I need color" fix, and walked out with my pockets a bit lighter but my smile alot bigger.

I'd purchased some Lizabeth thread from Handy Hands before and enjoyed working with it so I was delighted to have some more to add to my stash.

Chapter 2

My last post was made using some of the Lizabeth thread I purchased that day. I was very disappointed in the black. It was not the quality of thread I'd used before.

It will be added to my pile of not worth my time threads. (I can't possibly throw it away, but I'll never use it again .....what do I do with it?) This may have been part of my frustration with that pattern as well.

Chapter 3

I wanted to see if all of the threads I got that day were like that. So I started another project. This thread was not as bad, but still not up to the quality of the other few threads I'd gotten directly from HH. If I remember right, they had a problem with some of them when they first rolled out the line. Maybe that is what's selling in the stores.

Regardless I did finish the project. The pattern is Christina from the book Tatted Bookmarks -cross-shaped by Lene Bjorn. I did enjoy the pattern and I look forward to tatting more from this little book.

(Sorry for the quality of the picture, it was taken from my phone's camera and I didn't realize I'd taken it at such an angle.)

I'm still not good with judging the size of things, so I didn't realize how big this would be in a size 20 thread. I wish I'd have thought to measure the size, which obviously I didn't. If I had to guess I'd say it was about 5 1/2" long by 4 1/2" across. I'd like to try it in a smaller thread, dare I say a size 80?

Chapter 4

Christina Cross Bookmark is currently winging it's way via US Postal Service to my Great Aunt Myrtle.

The End

Tatting Zen, Oh Tatting Zen Where Are You?

Fox at tat-ology gave me something to think about today, something that made me go hummm .... you know the old saying "things that make you go hummm", well that's me this morning.


She said something like she's enjoying the process of tatting, not being as focused on the end result.


Here's why this particular comment struck me ......... I get very frustrated with myself if my tatting isn't "perfect", if it doesn't look just like whatever the pattern picture is.


My tatting time is very limited, so I try to spend some of most days (even if it's just a half hour on my lunch break) tatting. Therefore when my piece isn't perfect, like I think it should be, it upsets me that I spent valuable time making something useless. Either I cut it off and start over or it just sets until I need more shuttles for a different project, then I trash it.


Last night when I was tatting, it took me 5 starts to get something going..........



And even though I finished the piece I'm not happy with it and won't show it to you. A complete waste of my precious tatting time. Tatting is a time consuming art form for me, I'm not a speed tatter, and to have spent so much time creating and have nothing to show for it leaves me sad and depressed.



Why can't tatting be about the process for me? Why can't I except it for what it is .... the process of creating; knowing that it's handmade by me, and since I'm not perfect my work won't be perfect either.


I'm jealous of Fox, Why can't I find my tatting Zen?

Heart's Desire

When we were on vacation in January, I tatted Susan K. Fuller's Heart's Desire pattern.

It was made using Tatskool (store link) size 20 ChocoRasberry. I did tat this once before, but I definitely need to practice tension if I'm going to tat this pattern again. I'm a pretty tight tatter, and I was concerned about how it would turn out if I tatted it in the tension I usually use, but maybe that would have made it more uniform.

I know alot of you have tatted this lovely pattern, in fact I believe it is Tatskool's (blog link) favorite pattern in order to check on color flow when she dyes new threads ......... anyway, I would appreciate any tips or tricks to this lovely pattern from anyone who has made it.

Happy Tatting, Happy Life,

Bonnie

As with my last post, this also was written on Sunday 2/21, but set to upload in the future. See I really do tat, I just don't make the time to blog about it. :-(

Snork!

Does anyone know the Tim Conway skit from the Carol Burnett Show, the one about the Siamese Elephants? Click on the link to view it on youtube, it was quite funny.

Well ......... two of the girls at work were talking about it one day at lunch and laughing and laughing. This started a "snork war" between them. One of the ladies, Linda, and I were talking about it and I said I wonder if I could tat an elephant. Then the conversation turned to I wonder if I could tat two elephants with their trunks stuck together. Well here are the results.

Elephant number 1 was my test elephant. It is Jane's elephant, made using the onion ring method, and is the way she intended it to be. It is made using the last of my size 20 Shades of Gray HDT made by LadyShuttleMaker. Even though I considered it a "test" it turned out very very cute. Notice how the ear flap sticks up, makes it 3-D and even cuter!


Now here is where the fun began. This is the first of the snorked elephants. I had to manipulate the trunks some to get them to connect. I wish I had raised them a bit higher.


This is elephant 2, which is the complete reverse of elephant 1's pattern. I am a front side back side tatter, so this was a bit more difficult for me to get my mind around.

Here are the Siamese Elephants, connected at the trunks.




And here they are completed. It was alot of work for a bit of fun, but I saw it make Linda smile and I'm sure when she gives it to Carol it will bring a smile to her face as well.

Oh yeah and the Snorked Elephants were made using Handy Hands size 20 Lizbeth Thread, Linen Medium # 693.

Happy Tatting, Happy Life.

Bonnie


Today is actually Sunday 2/21 but since I already posted once this morning I'm setting this one to upload during the week. That way your not in shock to hear from me twice in one day.

Crosses

My Friend, Flo's Mother recently passed away, so right away I got out my cross patterns and went to work on a couple of them.

Both were made using Yarnplayer's size 50 Nicobar Pigeon HDT.

The first one is from Wendy's Crafty Hands. It is her Split Ring Cross. I don't mind making split rings, so it was quite enjoyable.



The second one is Elizabeth's Lace's Tatted Cross Pattern.

Sorry for the bad quality pictures. They were taken with my camera phone.

Happy Tatting, Happy Life.

Bonnie

One World One Heart Winner

The winner is ........... Why can't I figure out the paste in blogger??



I'm going to have to type out what it says.



I used Random.org.

Random Interger Generator

Here are your random numbers:

161

timestamp: 2010-02-15 01:07:54 UTC

161 is L'Helene. Congratulations! Again I'm going to have to type out what she said "How Cute! I have a friend who's mad about geckos, and who's birthday is coming up, this would be perfect for her. Thanks for the chance to win!"

I'm so glad someone won him that will enjoy him, rather than someone who was at my blog for 10 seconds, just long enough to put in a copy and paste response and be on their way.

A special Thank You to Lisa for all of her work to make One World One Heart a success.

Bonnie

One World One Heart 2010

One World One Heart 2010

The creator of this event is Lisa from A Whimsical Bohemian. She said "I created this event in 2007. The original idea behind this giveaway event was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way."

If you are new to my site, WELCOME. Please allow me a minute of your time to introduce myself. My name is Bonnie and I currently live in Western NY, but I was born in Minot, ND and lived there for many years before my husband of 26 years brought our family here. I am a crafter at heart, but this blog is mostly related to tatting. I learned this art form in late 2007and I am really enjoying it, as well as the wonderful online tatting community who opened their hearts to me.

For my GiFtaway, I offer up to you "Poppy" a Tatted Gecko. She was shuttle tatted by me especially for this event using an original pattern from Jane, at Tatting and NOT Alot Else!. The thread is LadyShuttleMaker's Spring Poppies size 20 HDT (hand dyed thread).



You don't have to be a blogger to participate in my OWOH GiFtaway, but you must leave a comment on this post and I need to have a way to contact you if you win. I will use a random number thingy to pick the winner on January 15th about 9 PM New York USA time.

Now that I have my giFtaway posted I feel like I can allow myself some time to check out more blogs of the other people who are participating. Sadly I will not be able to visit all of the blogs participating before the event is over, but I have already added a number of new sites to my google reader to follow. (As of this morning there are 1009 sites participating in this event!)

Thank you for stopping by and please visit me again.

Bonnie

And The Winner Is......

Thank you to everyone who commented on my give away blog post!

There were 11 comments, so with help from the Random Integer Generator ........ ( I couldn't figure out how to take a snapshot of it, so I had to "cut and paste") here is the result......

Here are your random numbers:

2

Timestamp: 2010-01-20 16:21:22 UTC

The winner is..... Isdihara, Congratulations! Please email me your mailing address to mbhp12 at iwon.com

My Turn For A Give Away

If I have done this correctly when you see this post I should be enjoying a life of luxury somewhere on a ship in the Carribean. So to celebrate I'm having a give away.

Want to see what the give away is .............. it's a fabric postcard, made by me.  It shows some of my favorite things about Spring, the Sun to represent warmth & more daylight.  Flowers, Grass, Butterflies, and a Dragonfly to represent the beauty of spring.  And a Bee thrown in for good measure, but mostly because our daughter hates them, so it was fun to add.

To enter leave a comment on this post and when I return to the land of lake effect snow on January 19th I will use the random number thingy to determine who the winner will be.  If you do not have a blog please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you in case you are the winner. 

Stay warm, everyone, I know I will be when you see this.  :-)

Bonnie

Vacation = No Worries, Right?!? or Gotta Love Vacation

Which blog title fits this post best, you decide............

Other than a few times, I try not to blog about the non tatting parts of my life here.  I think people who visit this blog are here to see tatting.  However today this post will be used as an outlet for me.  Here's my story.... after 2 days of travel we have arrived in Austin, TX.  We left our home, the land of lake effect snow, on Friday at 3 PM and drove to Buffalo NY, it was snowing no big deal, it's western NY it's snows for months at a time there, the airport can handle this, no problem, right?! ......... went to check in at airline and the machine told us to see a representative, we did, no problem.  Security checkpoint, no problem.  Went to terminal, problem!  It was about 5 PM at that point, our flight was scheduled for 6:25, the rep who checked us in didn't tell us that Atlanta Georgia was having freezing rain issues and the incoming aircraft, which was also our outgoing aircraft, couldn't leave there.  These things happen, that's why we left home 2 days before the ship sails, it'll be okay, we waited,and waited,and waited, and left Buffalo after 9.  Needless to say when we got to Atlanta we had missed our 9:55 connecting flight.  We stayed the night in a hotel there, and after roughly 4 hours of sleep (rough being the key word), showered, put back on our dirty clothes, and headed back to the airport.  Thankfully the flight was non eventful and we arrived safely in Austin at 10 AM on Saturday, on a plane that was less than half occupied ....... However, our new luggage did not arrive safely.  But it will still be okay, right........ no not quite yet.  I then made a missing luggage report.  And it was located in Atlanta.  Seems that the 8 hours it was there wasn't long enough for them to get it to our aircraft.  Okay okay we can deal with this .............. Me "We need it for our cruise tomorrow morning."  Airline Rep "Should be on the next flight, IF there is room after that flight's passenger's luggage gets on, they take priority." ........ the flight we were on should have had more than enough room for it originally since there was hardly no one on it.  Okay so.....  they will bring the luggage to the home after it arrives.  I went thru all of that and then found out that it will come to the home within 12 hours of arriving in Austin, but they can't promise when it'll get to Ausint. It goes to an outside agency who takes it to a warehouse, sorts it into areas to be delivered to, then sends it out.  No way, can't chance it, we'll come get it then.   I stressed for hours because the flight it maybe on was 3 hours late in arriving to Austin.  Then we were told we couldn't pick it up right away because it would take at least a hour for it to be located and delivered to the airline's office.  After hours and hours of worrying, my husband went to pick up the luggage.  Nice it was home, we have clothes for the cruise!, all is well, right? ........ I opened it only to find that some how (I expect tampering!), the security locks (TSA approved) on both pieces had been broken off (there is no note on or in the luggage saying that it was opened for inspection).  Was it opened in the hours and hours it temporarily lived in Atlanta, or was it at the Austin airport while it was waiting outside their office to be picked up ........  we will never know. I didn't have the heart to go thru it all to see if anything is missing (there was nothing of any value to anyone else, just clothes and heath care items, everything else was in our carry ones).  So now our new luggage, both pieces, are slightly damaged.  Not beyond use of course, just sad that our new luggage is messed up after just one use.  I couldn't deal with life at that point and went to bed.  After a few hours of sleep I woke up at 3 AM and at 5 AM have now prepared for the day.  I am enjoying my morning coffee and have come to the understanding that today, after traveling about 4 hours by car, we will get on a cruise ship and have the time of our lives with no worries for the next 7 days, our vacation will get better .... right?!?!

TIAS Day 2

Tat It And See - Day 2

Because I leave today, Jane shared the link for day 3 & 4 with me, then a friend from work printed them and put them in sealed envelopes for me to do while I am gone, I won't have any way to post them until I return from the cruise though.  

Today is the day we leave for my Texas to start the first phase of our trip with my Sister In Law and her husband, Susie & Mitchell.  I didn't sleep well last night, to excited.  Today I entered a 12 day worry free zone.  My father in law is coming to live with "the girls", our dogs, while we are gone, so no worries on the home front.  And tomorrow I start phase 2 of the no worry zone, for 10 days I will be not have to deal with snow!   Life is Good  :-)

I'll have a Rum Punch for you my friend, and you, and you, and you and.......... Boy will I be busy.   

Happy TIAS!  See you in a few weeks. 

Bonnie

TIAS (Tat It And See) Day 1

  TIAS is where the creator of a pattern dishes it out to us tatting groupies in pieces over a period of days.  Then we all tat it together and watch everyone's progress on the TIAS progress page. 

Jane is hosting the first TIAS of 2010.

Here is my Day 1.  I am using Tatskool's Coral Reef in size 40. 

I will be out of the internet area for awhile, but Jane has kindly given me the links to the next few days.  I am going to ask a friend to print them for me tomorrow, put them in individual envelopes and lable them for me so I can open them while I am away.  I don't miss out on all of the fun and I don't want to get to far behind.

I will check with everyone when I return.  Happy TIAS-ing everyone!

Bonnie

Answers to Comment Questions

Krystle asked if my friend Mark used resin to make the Rosette paperweight, I believe he did, but I'm not sure.  He told me he poured it in layers; when the first layer hardened he put the rosette in then put the next layer on so that the motif would be suspended in the paperweight.  To anyone who is thinking of doing this I should tell you that the thread is more vibrant then when I gave it to him.  I believe that is because it gets "wet and doesn't dry out".  Of course not that it matters, in this case it complimented the motif, but just an fyi.  (I wish I knew how to do this paperweight thing myself because I think it's a great way to display tatting.)  Anyway I think Mark did a fabulous job, **note that he make sure the "right side" was facing up and that each little picot was flat.  I think my friend Rose really liked it because she said "it's not staying at work, it's going home to be displayed".  Thanks for asking, Krystle. 

Also Tatskool asked what the name of the book I found the Daisy Heart pattern in.  Sorry, why didn't I think to include that information in the original post?!  It is called Aunt Ellen's Treasury - Tatting Patterns - By The Staff of The Workbasket Magazine.  I didn't connect the pattern to the missing February '88 Workbasket but when I checked the name it maked sense, "the staff of the workbasket magazine", no wonder! 

'08 & '09 Christmas Memories

Do you remember last Christmas when I told you about my friend, Gary, and how I tatted him Jane's Hippopotamus, then used it to make him a special fabric Christmas card? (Jane has the pattern under animals, but I wonder if it should go under celebration patterns also LOL!) Gary and I had alot of fun with it and it became one of my favorite memories from Christmas '08. .............. However now the joke is on me because people get me hippo stuff whenever they see it, hippo plate, a hippo chip clip ........ well you get the idea, it goes on and on.

Now where is this story going you ask...........

For Christmas '09 one of my favorite memories is what my friend Rose and her husband Jim gifted to me. It's a ...... wait for it .......... auh you guessed it, it's an I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas ornament.

I've got to tell you that there is a button on Santa's gift bag and when EVERYONE presses it it plays I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas.

It'll stay out with my mini collection to be enjoyed all year round. (Does anyone know how long the battery in an ornament last ....... *sigh*)

Bonnie

Happy New Year

Happy 2010! Has it really been 10 years since the Y2K scare?

Dare I say YES ....... Where have the last 1o years gone?!

As you are aware my Great Uncle Francis, the person who inspired me to tat, passed away this year. So when I sent Great Aunt Myrtle's Christmas card

I wanted to send her something extra special........

Marilee, Yarnplayer, shared her "Remembrance" pattern with us. The pun of the whole string around your finger made me laugh out loud when I first saw it. I HAD to make it for Aunt Myrtle. It is made using Sherry, LadyShuttleMaker's size 20 HDT ..... I'm pretty sure it's Peach Pandorea.

I also sent her this motif, called Daisy Heart.

It is made using YarnPlayer's size 30 HDT Roses and Leafy.

I'd seen this motif when I first started tatting, but had a hard time finding the pattern. According to what I'd written down it was in a Workbasket dated February 1988. I must have every Workbasket they made except for February 1988. However about a month ago I was looking thru my other pattern books and found the pattern!

VicTats asked about our favorite Christmas tatting patterns, although this isn't a Christmas item, it has become my favorite to tat over the last few weeks.

I fell on Monday and cut the palm and finger tip of my hand pretty good, I'm praying it will heal enough before we leave for the cruise next week so I can tat on the plane ..... and well I'm enjoying a life of leisure :-)

My goal for the year is to remember to take pictures of my tatting to show you before I give it away.

My New Year's wish to you is for a

Happy and Safe 2010!

Bonnie