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Sorry for the grainy photo... was in a hurry to get it snapped, so used the phone cam instead of the normal; but anyway, right now I'm working on Linda Davies' Stargazer Lily (just scroll down, and on the right under her Free Patterns, you should find it listed... but make sure to read her blog - it's great!!)

her work is so beautiful, and I wanted to try something new - this is my first 3D flower attempt; here's hoping it will turn out better than all my Glass Mat attempts LOL!! haha

I have 4 out of 6 petals completed, and I just need to get to the craft store so I can get the stems and stamens. Her pattern and photo used 2 colors, but I thought, for my first try, I wanted to go with solid.

Oh, I can see this flower being made in LadyShuttleMaker's Copper Patina HDT... can't wait until it arrives!!! I ordered the Copper, Neapolitan, Faeries, and (I think) Winter Haze. I decided to try the size 50, 20 and the SILK - yum yum

I feel a song coming on...

I'm so excited, that I just can't hide it... I know, I know, I know, I know... I like it,  like it!!!!
 
 
So back in June, I was one of the lucky winners for IsDihara's Artbin Giveaway. 1 month later, I realized that I had won the giveaway. It was sent out early August and last night I received it. 
     Due to it being high season right now (where I live), the mail is slow to come in - but it came in nonetheless, and I was so surprised and happy by what I received:
1. Artbin (with nice heavy lock tabs and 3 divided compartments
2. This lovely handkerchief with beautiful, tiny tatted edging
3. A hand-written letter (which I have taped to the inside cover of the Artbin, so that every time I open it I can re-read the words that IsDihara so thoughtfully and eloquently wrote.
4. 4 Tea bags (2 Cherry Green and 2 Victorian Rose)

I'm planning to fill it soon with more supplies. I definitely need more shuttles... I have so much thread it won't fit in here.. I think I have 2 bags full (and yet I need more.. moRE... MORE!!!.. I want lots and lots of supplies.. Muahahaha!!)
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THANK YOU IsDihara, I will cherish it always!
 
 
Can I please cry now?... I must have spent 3 hrs last night working on the Spinning Wheel Glass Mat.

I was so excited... here I was on the last leg, getting ready to join the end to the beginning, when I thought "something doesn't look right... I don't see how I am going to be able to join the final rows"
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I finally went to bed around 2:30am... after I realized that I had made a mistake in a join several rows back.
Can you spot the 1st mistake? (yes, I did say 1st)

click 'Read More' for the rest of the story...
 
 
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Where was I... oh yes, I was getting ready to upload a photo of my 'battle scar' and a photo of the Glass Mat when I was interrupted by my baby brother wanting to play cards with me (I say baby brother but really, he's nearly 30). So I stopped what I was doing to have some 'family time'.

First, I'll get back to the battle scar. It's nothing significant really. When I came home from work, I decided that I was going to fix myself a nice, juicy hamburger (ah, haven't had one of those in a while!). The burger was on cooking (I like to cook mine with Cumin seeds), I got to conversing with one of my friends who happened to stop by and left my hunka-hunka burnin meat on. Needless to say, I went over to check it, and turned the stove off (I thought it was done)... when I came back to get the burger out of the pan, I saw some bloody juice! (Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I do not like my meat pink... no siree-bob! It has to be well done *I see pink - I no eat*)

So I grabbed the matches and (normally I put the jar down before lighting the match, this time I didn't) started to light it, some of the phosphorous flew off the match-head and in to my thumb -ouch! 

I ran and put some cold water on it, and grabbed the lavendar oil (somewhere I read that it's great for burns - not the synthetic stuff though, the real essential oil). Anyway, the doc said that a little Neosporan should do the trick and if it starts to look worse then give him a call.. thanks doc!

Not only did I burn my thumb, but after that everything else seemed to happen. I started knocking things over, dropping things, making spills... ah what a day.

Back to the challenge...
 
 
 
 
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It's been so hot, I was hoping that I could feel cooler if I started making and hanging snowflakes around the house... I'm working on my second one (albeit in black - which is what I had the most of *black snow, hmmm... not sure how I feel about this, but black is a cold color - and cold is the temperature I'm aiming for*)
Anyway, the snowflake pattern comes from the book 'Needle Tatting with Style Book I', the pattern was made by Sandra Scales. Beautiful pattern and so simple!!

I absolutely had to try this!
The snowflake is derived from the 'Christmas Ball' pattern (which is also in the book). The Christmas ball has 7 points, the Snowflake has 8 points, and my snowflake ended with 9 points. By the time I realized I was supposed to join the last leg of the motif with the first, it was too late and I didn't want to pick apart.

Besides, with 1 more point, it lays perfectly flat... no puckers, no baubles, nothing - I'm content. *the reason the 'flake in the photo doesn't appear to be flat is because I laid it on a a black pillow for contrast

You may be thinking... 'what happened to challenge #13?' Yes, I can read your mind! (not)

Well, I've put it on the back burner for now...
 
 
Yesterday my cousin had her baby... I'm calling her Miss Olive Oil (haha, OBVIOUSLY not her real name - but she will grow to be tall like her parents, and who knows about her future... she may end up with a spinach-loving muscle man!! LOL)

I wasn't able to make it to the hospital yesterday - I had to work (bummer for that but hey, income is income... we all need it, right?)

I'm hoping to get time today to stop in and see how they're doing. Doctors said both mom and baby did great... and a plus side? I hear she's a real cutie!!
 
 
Check out the 'Goodies' page for another yummy update!
 
 
I have got to let this out... photo below

So it's been about week that I've been working on the newest Glass Mat (the orange and blue one) and I JUST now decided to confirm something that came to mind... I've been making un-necessary joins!!! No wonder it's puckering where it shouldn't. AAAAARRRRRRGGGGG!!!

Not only that, but last night I spent about 2 hours working on it (while trying to watch some T.V series'), so I spent that time tatting in semi-darkness while glancing at the tv every now-and-again... THAT serves me right! I know, I know... my fault

Even though I'm frustrated with this, it is a good lesson (and I'm now laughing about it) - Pay more attention and try to work a little slower.

On a happy note, I received a *needle* tatting book that I'd been waiting on. It's the Needle Tatting with Style Book1 by Barbara Foster. HandyHands recently had some discounted books, so I lucked out and got that one!

I'm still waiting on the Art-bin from IsDihara to arrive. I was one of the lucky give-away winners!! I'm really excited about it! There's more to that story listed in my 'Goodies' page.
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So I've been looking in to a new home for my site. Don't get me wrong, for the most part I've been happy with my current location. 

The problem is of late, that I try logging in, and it immediately logs me back out (how annoying is that!?). I really would like to get on over to Blogger, and since I read somewhere recently that blogger now accepts registered domains, I'm ready! Blogger has a lot of nice features and seem to keep upgrading all the time. Plus, most of my online tatting friendsies use blogger... so why be an odd-ball out?