The CD sunday challenge - just because

Hi,
Well the sun has now come out to play, they said it would be cloudy all day, but its nice to see the sun shine. We have had the coldest summer on record since 1993 and the its been wet, funny we had the warmest spring on since records began this year followed by the coldest summer, and they say we are having global warming!!!!
Today I bring you my card for the Sunday Cd challenge this week its Just because, so I thought of a red rose for my card. I used Robert Adams Roses CD for the roses image and backing sheet, I added the words from the computer, a piece of lace for down the side and red ribbon, with two red heart gems, finished off with gold peel offs.

I do like this Cd there are some lovely real life roses on it in so many different colours. Its a really good CD and a real must in my collection.

Its nearly a week since I had the latest operation, its still sore but they did go down so deep when they cut. I am trying to be good and not bend down, reach up, etc I just wish I did not feel so cold all the time, and not feeling very well. The surgery wondered if I had an infection but the scar is clean and looking good so they say, I cant see it as its on my back. So they have taken a blood test today to see if I have an infection.

I hope you like my challenge card today, and that you are keeping well, until we meet again in blog land take care

Hugs

Margaret

I got third on the CD challenge plus update on op.

Hi,
The weather is very changeable today and we started off with sunshine and blue skies, so Vernon put the washing out, only in a few hours its cloudy and looks like the rain that was forecasted.
I was amazed and very over the moon to find out this week my card pictured here from the Sunday CD challenge (14.8.11) won third place, its only the third time I had entered so I was not expecting to even get anywhere.
I thought I would let you know how I am after this op, it went well, although I am very sore and have to rest over the weekend, which is a pity because we were going to Oxford to see Vernon's Dad and that's been cancelled, being shaken around in the car over potholes etc would make my back more painful, so hopefully we will be able to go up next week or in a couple of weeks. I had to cancel my craft table today as I am not well enough to go and do it.
They took one centimeter of skin around the scar, and went down to the white fat layer, he was adding more local anaesthetic as he cut. I have stitches in inside and out, he has done a drawing for nurse when the stitches are due to be taken out so they taken out how he wants it.
he was discussed with the scar and how it was done. He has been getting quite a few people from my area, he knows the doctor who did it, he had two nurse in the room with him helping him, one suggested that he comes to Frome Hospital and teach them and the other one suggested that he invites the doctor to the clinic and show her how to stitch up. He said he spends two days in Cornwall he does not have time to go and teach them.
The Bristol Plastic Surgery Clinic is a lovely place, clean, very clean, the waiting room had newspapers to read and they were the days not several days old and new magazines from this week, no old torn and well thumbed copies. A coffee machine severing fresh coffee/tea. All in all a really nice experience and place to have an operation
The clinic is in Queens Square in the heart of Bristol, these pictures I took on my mobile, this is the statue in the middle of the square, see the sea gull on his head, he never moved even with people walking passed and taking photos of the Gorilla


These Gorillas are all over Bristol, painted in all sorts of designs, these will be collected at the end of the summer and then auctioned off for charity.
This one had words painted all over him. Some have been vandalised already and one was set of fire and destroyed he was re-placed only a few days after.

Well I am still sore, I cant bend, or stretch up, no exercising, have to lay on my side in bed, not allowed to carry any heavy items or lift anything. The stitches will be in for 14 days, and a month for the stitches in inside to dissolve. I will be able to do some knitting and tatting if nothing else. I think the housework will have to wait for a while, as I am under strict instructions to have a rest over the weekend, at least Vernon has an extra day at home this bank holiday weekend.

I hope you have a lovely weekend. until we meet again take care

Hugs

Margaret

Dream catchers, Mobile phone charms, and update to new Op. appointment

Hi
Well I thought it was going to rain but its a beautiful sunny morning, and quite warm. In the US on the east coast they have had an earthquake, not known earthquake's on this side of the US before, I thought it was the west coast that had them, this world is changing there has been so many this year and with the weather changing who knows whats going to happen next.
I am not doing the Sunday Cd challenge this week, its nursery rhymes this week, but my mojo is not working and I cant come up with anything, not surprising with this hospital op hanging over me.
Today I am showing you some dream catchers, I made from tatting, I made up a pattern for Vernon's Anniversary card and I thought it might be something new for my craft table. I will put my little pattern on my pattern blog when I get time and have written it out. It is hard to keep coming up with new ideas, and with my mojo not working at the moment. I have also made some mobile phone charms again with a tatted charm, in the picture there are butterflies, hearts and a funny looking dragonfly which I am going to take off and start again. I am going to make some flowers as well to go with them.

I should explain that I am going back into hospital tomorrow for a minor op, as you know I had a mole removed in June, after two opinions the mole was just beginning to change and turning cancerous, I am now under Frenchary Hospital who are going to cut out more skin around the scar and go deeper. Frenchary Hospital is too busy to get this done quickly so they are farming me out to the Bristol Plastic Surgery Clinic, in Queens Square, Bristol, to get the work done quickly. I am not looking forward to this op and having the scar opened up but if it clears up a bit quicker than it did last time and not pop open when the stitches come out then I might be a bit happy, as it has only just healed from the last time, it still itches and it sore. I wont be able to bend over for about month, I thought I had finished with hospitals hopefully this will be the end and I can get fully fit now.
Hope you are keeping well and until we meet again in blog land take care
Hugs
Margaret

The Revival of Tatting

Hi,

I wrote this piece some years ago and was recently updated, I thought you might like to read it. Those who already do tatting will already know all this but for many of the readers of my blog that are not tatters I hope you enjoy this piece.


THE REVIVAL OF TATTING

Tatting dates back to the seventeenth century although it did die out towards the end of the eighteenth century and returned back by the middle of the nineteenth century, tatting as it is today was just beginning to develop.
There are many theories how tatting came by its name either it came from the English "tatters" as tatting is made up of bits and pieces of rings, chains, picots, ovals and scallops. Or from the French "tatter" which means feel or handle and in modern French the word for Tatting or Knotting (which is what tatting really is) is Frivolitã´. The English Dictionary defines Tatting as a kind of knotted Lace made be hand with a small shuttle and used for trimming, with its origin unknown.
The basic technical is very simple and involves using a shuttle and a ball of thread, also a tatting hook is necessary but a thin crochet hook would be alright if a tatting hook was not available. Antique shuttles are still around but do take a bit of finding. These were made of ivory, tortoise-shell and Mother-of-Pearl, but these days plastic has taken over making the shuttle is slightly larger than those made of these semi-precious materials, also there are wool ones available. Some shuttles come with a hook attached, or a hook lip. The smaller the shuttle the neater the work and the faster a tatter can tat too large and they became awkward and inhibit the movement of work. A tatting shuttle has two points each end, which only just meet this allows the cotton to be wound on to the shuttle more easily.
The best thread is Mercerised Crochet Cotton but alternatives can be used as long as they are evenly spun, smooth and hardest. Although there are some new threads on the market, with a metallic thread which are worth trying, anyone who loves tatting will find it is worth while trying to see how they look and work. Embroidery thread can be used with care. Some of the best thread is now coming from Turkey, and the USA with some beautiful colours and variegated threads.
The thickest thread that can be used is No.5 up to the thinnest No.150 although this thread is only just strong enough and would need to be used with caution as too much pulling will make the thread snap. No 5. Is the best for a Christmas tree stars making them large enough to be seen.
The finer the thread the smaller the tatting will finish up and the size of thread given in patterns are only given as a guide and a more experience tatter can adjust the thread to suit herself. At the beginning No 10 and 20 mercerised cottons are recommended and the use of finer threads will came in time. It is advisable to keep the hands clean when doing tatting although tatting can be hand washed carefully in either a mild washing up liquid or washing liquid, powder does not always dissolve so a liquid works better with tatting. Large items of tatting can be machine washed if put in a pillow case or similar item. As a final touch tatting should be pinned to shape and ironed under a cloth and then left to dry naturally this is called blocking.
Tatting is made up of knots, the knot is a double stitch comprising of two stitches, one a mirror image of each other worked on an independent thread. These are worked to form rings or chains or a mixture of both. Often the work is reversed when working in rings to chains but this must worry the beginner which sounds daunting at first but with patience and careful following of the pattern are simpler than first thought.
Picots are made by leaving a small space among the stitches, when the stitches are pushed together this forms a picot. Further rings can be made and joined to these picots to form designs. It is possible to work with two shuttles of different colours, thus making a design in more then one colour.
To make something even more special beads sequins or pearls can be added in the construction of the edging's or motifs. These can emphasise the design, and can be threaded on to the thread or onto the shuttle. Also picots can be pulled and then cut frayed to add more interest into making a picture such as blade of corn or a flower.
There are many books on the market with an array of patterns in with, and many patterns are both written and done with diagrams.
One of the stitches used is The Josephine Knot, which is a survival from the eighteenth century knotting and was named after Napoleon's Empress and is still used today. Is consists of a very small ring of single stitches which form into a perfect circle.
The use of Tatting can be very vast; Kipling's verse Laces for a Ladies and in Kipling's day Ladies did wear laces as well as the Gentleman. These could be tatted ruffles to the wrist, neck and knee and an theme of the Edwardian's was tatting put side by side in a juxtaposition in pin tucks on semi-transparent Georgette or lawn material for either a seductive or prim wear. Collars can also be made of tatting and can be added to a plain dress to enhance it.
There are many uses for Tatting including edges to tablecloths or doilies, collars to dresses or individual fragments such as butterflies, crosses, or flowers. Handkerchiefs can be either edged in tatting or have a tatted corner added and many who do tatting still make the tatted handkerchiefs as presents even though we now have tissues.
Smaller motifs can be used in paperweights, small frames or even on the back of the mirrors and brushes that have a clear plastic or glass top and where there is enough room to slide a motif in. Very small motifs can be made into a brooch or put in a pendant or key ring. Even blank cards can be used, by placing the motif on a plain piece of fabric (usually clipped by a couple of stitches) and then glued to the card these can then be used for any occasion. Motifs can even be used on a wedding veil together with an edging
With all the endless possibilities which Tatting can produce, tatting can become a worth while hobby not only enhancing one's home but as a gift.
I hope those who have never tried tatting maybe inspired to try this ancient art of lace.
Until the next time we meet take care
Hugs
Margaret

Tatted Booties

Hi,

The sun is shining, and its a fine day after yesterday it rain all day, my washing is out on the line so hopefully it will dry.

Its Mother's birthday today, shes 89 today, when we got married we did a little birthday party for her 80th was only three days from our wedding.

Today I bring you the booties I was asked to make for a christening. This pattern is from Three-dimensional patterns, but I can't remember who wrote the book as I only have a copy of the pattern which I took when I borrowed the book years ago. OK I know the tatting police are now standing by to pounce but this copy was taken years and years ago possibly over twenty years ago, those who are members of "intatters" will know what I mean.

Each bootie takes 9 hours to tat, after Michelle worked out how long I timed myself and yes she is about right 9 hours is about right, the blue ones seem to drag on as the last one drove me up the wall and was nearly thrown across the room, all I did was mistakes the faster I tried to make it the worse it got, if it had been mine and not for someone else they would have gone into the garden.

They were both made with Lizbeth thread no 20 in white and the blue ones are Turquoise Twist.

These have not got the ribbon in as I don't know what colour she wanted so I have left it up to her to put in. In total 36 hours of work not bad to get them finished by the weekend seeing I was only asked for them at the end of last week.
I am sure you are looking at these flowers and saying .... Lovely, well yes they are but the perfume is driving me up the wall, I have already taken some percetamols for the headache which I am sure is down to them. I brought some end of last year and said never again, these were in bud (which is how you should buy flowers to enjoy the full benefits of them) and yes I did it again, they will be out in the garden bin soon, I have the windows open and still the perfume is too strong. Note to self don't buy them again.

Nearer the time next week I will tell you about the latest on the mole hole which is going to be re-operated on.

Will Kathy Niklewicz who left me a comment on my last piece, will you please contact me there is an e-mail button on my sidebar as I have some information on your question you asked.

I hope the weather is as nice with you as it is here, and you have a lovely weekend whatever you are doing, until we meet again in blog land take care

Hugs

Margaret

The Sunday CD Challenge - ovals

Morning,

Today I am bring you my card for The Sunday CD Challenge - ovals I used the image from the Art Deco Timeless Keepsake CD, the oval background and backing paper also came from the same group of images for this art deco lady. Unfortunately the camera has not picked up the background as it was very pale, I added flower from my stock and the ribbon , and finished off the card with gold peel offs. Although this is only my third card for the challenge, I do enjoy doing them.

I hope you like this card and I look forward to seeing you again in blog land, as I have some new things coming in the next week.

I have nearly finished the booties, last night we had family over so I did not get a lot of tatting done, just one bootie to finish. Michelle left a comment saying it takes her 9 hours to do a booties, I worked it out and yes it does take me about the same time.

I also had my friend over yesterday afternoon she I liked the basket and it will soon be finished, I will bring you the photos of it soon. I was very pleased about that after the hours of hand sewing.

Until we meet again take care

Hugs

Margaret

Our 9th Wedding Anniversary

Hi,

Tomorrow is our 9th Wedding Anniversary (16th August), gosh it does not seen nine years, it was a beautiful day one of the very few days we had that August 2002, it rained and rained most of August, it really looked like it was going to be a wet wedding but on the day the sun came out and it was hot. I remember one thing from the wedding I made a speech not many Brides make a speech but I had on one to give me away and walked down the aisle on my own, anyway we had guests from different parts of the country and I started my speech with welcome to Somerset. I heard a little voice say something that was Sheila I know it was but I don't think at that time she realised that some guests had travelled to our wedding, my only disappointment was that my penfriend from the US had her leave cancelled and was unable to come. Lou is a lawyer in the US navy at the time of our wedding she was stationed at the Pentagon. Someone said I should have written the US President and complained, looking back I wish I had, may not have made any difference but might have made us feel better. I got though most of my speech and then the little voice spoke again the speech went out of my head totally, you see I made one mistake I never wrote it down I had it in my head, never again always write it down before hand.

Anyway my mojo has not been working very well recently, what with the trouble with the mole and the gall bladder operation, and now waiting for Fenchary Hospital. I seem to have a hit as a writer (well I have written three novels nothing printed) a blank page. A couple of weeks ago on the Sunday Cd challenge Dreams there was a card made by Carol, she made a card with a dream catcher design, do pop over and have a look at her lovely blog, her parchment work is beautiful. Well that gave me an idea we had the Indian pray at our wedding, and as we are both into country music this gave me an idea to get out the American Frontier Cd by Joanna Sheen.
The image is actually an insert and the backing paper both come from the CD. I matted the image onto blue paper and used the corner punch to hold the image. I then made a dream catcher in tatting with the beads on the ends, I was going to make little tassels but I did not leave myself enough cotton, I used white and the blue Caribbean thread Lizbeth No 20. I did not have a pattern but made the centre based on the motif on the booties I am making at the moment, just change it a bit and then did I another round of just chains and picots for the hanging loops

I added the blue thread as I had blue on the card. What do you think?

I might think about trying to make a few more for my craft table I think it needs a little more work on them to get them completely right, I don't have any very small feathers at the moment but I think the beads do just as good a job.

Yesterday I post my butterfly only I forgot to tell you what thread I used it was the Turkish Altin Basak Thread.

I hope you like my wedding anniversary card today and until we meet again in blog land take care.

Hugs

Margaret

Beaded Butterfly

Hi,
Today is just one of those days where Vernon and myself are not doing a lot. Hes cooking the dinner at the moment, something he enjoys so I let him get on with it. The weather is fine at the moment but there are a few clouds around, its breezy, and my washing is out so I am hopeful it might dry today.

I have some new bits for next week but in the meantime I don't think I have shown you this butterfly, its from the book Tatted Animals by Inga Madsen. I changed the butterfly a bit by putting beads instead of picots on the edges and inside the large wings I put the small wings, as I did not like having another butterfly in the large wings, as it was on the pattern. It worked out a bit wonky and loop sided next time I do it I will do a smaller version of the small wings for the inside of the larger wings.

My mojo is a bit missing at the moment, I have a job on doing two pairs of booties which I have been asked to do, I will post you a picture of them when they are both finished, I would have liked a bit more time to make them, I don't think people realise sometimes how long things take to do. It takes me three evening to do one bootie, either I am slow or its just the pattern needs time to get all the rounds done.

I have nearly finished the basket I have been lining for my friend whose daughter is soon to give birth, its been a hard job not helped by not feeling well when she asked me so I was a little naughty and left until I felt better, but I had a real go at it the other day, only my little sewing machine did not like it so theres a bit more hand sewing to finish it off. The material has been a pain as it Borderie Anglaise and its two inch squares joined together to make one piece and the seams are hard to stitch over, so I cut up an old sheet in the end and lined the basket with that plus the padding which she wanted made the seams harder for the machine to sew, hence the hand sewing, the pattern material is on the lid which I have mostly hand sewn. I will show the pictures when its finished.

It Sunday and the CD challenge is ovals, my mojo is working to think of something at the moment. I think I have something in mind but will let you see what I come up with later in the week.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend and until we meet again take care

Hugs

Margaret

The Sunday CD challenge - Buttons

Hi,
Its a beautiful morning here in Somerset, the sun is shining and its quite warm, I hope its the same where ever you are. This for me seemed a hard challenge , I don't like buttons on cards, but that's me and then I lost my mojo, so this is not the best card in the world. I used an image from The Pamela West Collection from Joanna Sheen. I do like her Cd's and this is an image I have not used before.
I put the image on an oil water pink sheen card, which reflects the colours from the image, rainbow ribbon from Spiral. The pink buttons I sewn into the silk flowers and then used silicone glue to fix them onto the card. I finished off the card with silver peel offs. I used a white scalloped card as the base.


There are some lovely cards on the challenge site so do pop over and have a look link

I hope you are keeping well and until we meet again in blog land, take care

Hugs

Margaret

Mole News

Hi,
Another beautiful day here in Somerset today after the rain of yesterday, although we have some cloud at times it is dry today and I have got most of my washing dry.
As many of you know I had a mole removed in June and then the scar opened up and Vernon had to dress it every other day on holiday in Italy.
After a second opinion on the mole which was done at Southampton Hospital, it was decided that the mole just just beginning to be cancerous.
I went to see a plastic surgeon from Fenchary Hospital today who does have a surgery at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. I have to have the scar re-opened up and the skin around it and deeper in the scar removed. Hopefully they will not find any more cancer. This will be done at Fenchary in the next few weeks as a day patient. Fenchary is the other side of Bristol so at least I wont be kept in over night and can come home the same day. I will be unable to bend over and pick anything up for a month. The scar will be longer and sewn up with dissolvable stitches inside and out and will take a month to dissolve.
I am so fed up with hospital's that the news of more treatment was not good news, and I did not say anything before as we were not sure what was going to happen. They have given me the once over for lumps under the arms and groin, which I have to check regularly in the future.
He said it was a good job she took the whole mole out as I would be in a worse position than I am now.
One day I will be free of hospital's, I don't think there can be much more than can do to me now, at least this is will be over quite quickly.
Have a lovely weekend and enjoy whatever you are doing.
Until we meet again in blog land take care
Hugs
Margaret

The Sunday CD Challenge - Bling it up

Hi,
This is the first challenge I have ever done, I don't get a lot of time to do challenges, but this challenge took my eye so I thought I would have a go.
This is from the CD Kelver Konstruction On the Shelf - once in a lifetime Volume two. This is a new Cd for me but I wanted something different for my craft table so when they were on speical offer I grabbed them.

This is the first card I have made from this CD, I have blinged it up with glitter and 3d parts of the card plus I but some very very small flower gems, I found these in Rhodes a few years ago and kept them for very special cards, they are for nails but I thought they would look good on cards, when I had brought several packets I found they were made in this country, yet I have never seen them in our shops. they are in the middle of the voilet flowers, I also added a couple of gem butterflies.
I hope you like my card today, the link for this challenge
There some lovely cards on this blog so please pop over and have a look.
I hope you are keeping well, the weather this morning here in Somerset is gorgeous but they say we are going to have rain later. I might get a few hours in the garden later to read my book.
Until we meet again take care
Hugs
Margaret

I can't believe my luck

Hi,
What a beautiful day, the sun is shining and its quite hot.
Today I bring you my new books, firstly my Mary Konior book, that I manage to find on Amazon on Friday, I know its secondhand but its a miracle that its even for sale, OK it was expensive compared to what I usually pay for a book, but now I have all four of her books. Mary died last year and these books are out of print so to find one that I could afford was a miracle. There are some lovely patterns I have some tatting on the go at the moment but I know which book I will be using for a while.
Now this book I got the other week, I wanted some inspiration for some flowers and this book has done it. If you have not yet got this book then I suggest you try it, it has some lovely flowers in it.

These are what I did with the book, the cream and gold thread is very old and I have no idea now what is was called as this was made from a bit of a ball left in the draw, I added gold beads to the middle. Then I made the other one with double knitting dark blue wool no label on the ball so I cant remember what that wool is was either, but I added so sparky thread in the middle, must have been good Melissa (DIL) walked off with it, saying she loved it. I have now knitted another one.
I did on Saturday brought the knitted cake book in the series as yet nothing as been knitted from it, will show you some lovely new knitted cakes when I have.
I hope the weather is good with you and until we meet again in blog land take care
Hugs
Margaret

Congratulations to Jenson Button F1

Hi,
Many of you know I am F1 fan and with out local boy winning the Hungarian F1 yesterday, I just have to say congratulations to him. It was his 200 race and the first race he won was the Hungarian 5 years ago, in the same weather conditions.
It was a hard race, will a lot of charging the tyres due to the weather conditions, with 88 pit stops there was a lot of action, including a fire and what I have never seen before the car exploded with one of the marshals standing beside it.
Nice to have a race with a lot of action in.
Keep up the good work Jenson.
Hugs
Margaret