Another snowflake

This one's in Heather's Summer Brights, size 40... much smaller than the DMC size 12 perle cotton!

I'm trying to get on a roll with snowflakes, but it's just not happening. Instead, I've started another Spinning Wheel glass mat... I just can't help myself!

Back to basics... again!

For the last few weeks, I just haven't been able to follow a pattern. There's been a lot of start, stop, snip, rip, mumble, grumble... and very little completed tatting! So, I went back to basics... basics for me any way. There's something about Mary Konior's Spinning Wheel glass mat that just soothes my tatting soul. I think I might be ready to try reading a pattern again!

Spinning Wheel glass mat from Tatting With Visual Patterns by Mary Konior
Lizbeth thread, size 40, color #128
Finished size - 4 3/4"

I hadn't planned on this!

I never expected that my decoupaged shuttles would be swapped so quickly! I'll make some more soon... promise!

Wanna swap?

I finally took some pictures that are decent enough to show off what Denise and I accomplished on Columbus Day... yea! Some have been given away, and we kept the ones we just couldn't part with. I guess you could call these our leftovers! Anyway, if you're interested in a shuttle swap, let me know which one you're interested in. The first to respond for each of these four shuttles will be the one I swap with.



Green floral - swap with H J Hess



Orange floral - swap with Happy Bluebird



Stripes - swap with Zarina



Pink floral - swap with Marty

October snowflake

After several false starts, I finally completed my October snowflake for the One Snowflake A Month challenge over at The Tatting Forums. I think I'll make my picots smaller the next time. It looks like I have little ladders for my chains! This pattern is from DMC Festive Tatting, Motif #11. I used DMC perle cotton, size 12, and it measures 3" across.

For some reason, I've been having a difficult time reading patterns for the past couple of weeks. I tried four or five different snowflake patterns before finally tatting one correctly! Maybe this will be my snowflake pattern for the year, and I'll tat the same pattern in different threads instead of tatting different patterns!

I received an email this morning about an article called "40 iPad Apps That Librarians Love." What a great article! I think some of these apps would be great for anyone. If there are any teachers reading my blog, you may want to check it out as well. Now I want to run out and buy an iPad! Unfortunately, it's not in the budge right now, but it sure is fun to dream about!

It's the little things that count!

Like an unexpected gift from a friend...


Thank you, Fox! I now have a beautiful new shuttle to add to my collection... and, no, I did not have one of these! I love the motif with clunies... inspiration is now close at hand. The buttons are adorable! I'm sure I'll find the perfect use for them!

Or indulging in luxuries!


Thank you for providing such wonderful, inspirational hand-dyed threads, Marilee!



Shirl, I love these up-cycled vinyl record shuttles, and now I'm the lucky owner of a matched pair!

And then, there's always that special eBay purchase!


I know I read about this book online, but I don't remember where or when. The price was right, so I bought it... just because it's blue, and because the little girl on the front reminds me of how little girls looked when I was that age. Today (and most days) I'm feeling like life is pretty good!

To flash, or not to flash...

that is the question! Some day, I'm going to read the manual that came with my camera, and figure out how to take a good picture. The true colors lie somewhere between these two photos!


In yesterday's mail, I received this beautiful thank-you card from Tatting Marie. I have card-making supplies, but somehow I've never gotten around to actually making a card. Thank you for the beautiful thank-you card, Marie!


I also received two of Heather's beautiful polymer clay shuttles... how does she do that? I'm loving the finer threads, and Heather's Summer Brights in size 40 called my name!

Yesterday I went shopping with my sister-in-law and two of her friends in beautiful Long Grove Village. We had a perfect day, and I did find some Christmas presents. However, I preferred Long Grove Village in the early '70s when most of the shops carried hand-crafted items. We did visit a wonderful little yarn shop, I'd Rather Be Knitting, which I had visited with daughter Alison several years ago. There's something about oodles of beautiful yarn that sets my fingers itching to knit!