The Sunday CD challenge - Winter Wonderland

Hi,
What a beautiful day, yesterday was lovely and today is just as good but warmer, Summer has come back if only for a short while.
Today I bring you my card for the Sunday CD Challenge, this week it is winter wonderland. Oh I spent a long time thinking about this card and printed off several ideas and then came to this image. Its from my favorite Cd of Joanna Sheen, Enchanted Dreams,
I love this picture with the snowy Owls flying across her cape and the village scene at the bottom and northern lights at the top of the image, there is so much in these pictures and always something new every time you look at them. I mounted the image on silver card and used the backing paper off the CD matching the image. At the top I put white snowflakes and crystal blue flowers and clear gems in the middle of the snowflakes. At the bottom I made parchment flowers spaced then with ice blue sheer ribbon and the blue crystal flowers amongst the parchment flowers with clear gems in their middles. Glittered the flowers and image and finished off with ice blue sheer ribbon tired down the side.

I hope where ever you are the weather is as nice as it is here, take care until we meet again here in blog land.

Hugs

Margaret

Tatting Challenge Yourself - Look what I received.

Hi,
Oh what a beautiful day, and really warm for the time of year, at last summer has come back, they say its going to last to the weekend, as far as I am concerned it can last until Christmas and beyond. I know I am stretching it a bit, but I hate winter, and I don't like snow, OK its lovely to look at but not when you need out and about in.
As you know from my last post we are doing a tatting challenge on "intatters", this is from my partner.
This beautiful lighthouse bookmark arrived this morning, its from Snowflake77, who lives in Germany. she included the pattern for it which was a Tat it and see 2008 by Ladyshuttlemaker (Sherry Pence) link to her blog she challenged herself to doing block tatting.
She did not include the name of the thread used so I cannot tell you what she used. but its very well made and will be used in my tatting books.
Thank you Snowflake77 (Karin)
I was asked about my last post, I forgot to say what thread I used on the card, its was a Coats yellow, I don't know the number it came from a very old ball and Lizbeth Gold, both were no 20 and worked in very well together even though they were different makes.
I hope you are enjoying this lovely weather and until we meet again take care.
Hugs
Margaret

Tatting Challenge Yourself Exchange - Celtic Motif

Hi,
I thought you might like to see my tatting challenge, over on "intatters", we are doing a challenge called Challenge Yourself Exchange in doing something we have not done before.
This is Celtic tatting rather different from ordinary tatting, let me explain for those of my followers who are not tatters. In Celtic tatting the chains or rings are woven in the design. I used the 5 point Celtic motif, only I thought it was too small so I did 10 points instead, it worked out just as good as the 5 points pattern link here

This is the first part of the design a ring of single rings and chain.





Second part of the design.





Third part of the design parts one and two are interwoven.





Then after they are interwoven the last round is tatted around the whole design, this is a close up of the pattern, the top picture shows the whole design.

Last Sunday I said I could not show you Suzanne's birthday card, I used my first tatted piece of the Celtic motif on her card, I could not post it until my Challenge Exchange Partner had received my challenge piece in Romania.
Ladybird has now received her motif and I can now tell you I used Lizbeth thread No 20 in the new colour Raspberry Frappe. Its lovely colour of pink and raspberry and I think it will be a firm favorite for many tatted items in the future.

Until we meet again take care

Hugs

Margaret

The Sunday CD Challenge, Black and Blue

Hi,
Well the sun has been shining, and I think its just a bit warmer today.
Here is my card for the Sunday CD Challenge this week, the theme is Black and Blue, I used the Glitter and Glitz Art Deco Christmas CD by Debbi Moore Designs. This is the first Christmas card I have made this year.
I used the backing paper and images off the CD, matted the images onto silver card, dark blue ribbon along the top of the card and bow, and used a piece of the backing paper for the silver peel off Happy Christmas, finished off with silver peel offs.

Close up of the art deco ladies, I add glitter to their dresses, but I don't think you can see it very well.

Another close up.

--oo0oo--

This was my card for the Sunday CD Challenge a couple of weeks ago (4th September) I made no three. Can't believe I managed to get third again.

I hope you are keeping well and in the meantime until we meet again take care

Hugs

Margaret

Can you help, an appeal on behalf of the African Childrens Fund

Hi,

Its not very often I ask for help with something, but Dee Vernon's Sister runs a charity the African Children's Fund and they are trying to raise awareness to a problem that African girls have.
Tomorrow, the World Bank will be holding an Open Forum on Gender Equality and in preparation, individuals and organisations Have been invited to submit their suggestions for what initiatives could bridge the gender divide. The suggestions with the most support will be addressed during the Forum. In preparation for our forthcoming 'Education All Month, Every Month' campaign to give girls equal educational opportunities to boys, the African Children's Fund has proposed that the issue of sanitary towels for African girls is discussed during next week's Forum. If the powers of the world economy were aware of the need for such a campaign, perhaps they could do something to look at the issue.

It is a long shot perhaps, but of 155 proposals submitted so far we are recorded at number six. If we can climb just one place and get into the top five issues we have to believe we will be seen and read.

I would therefore be grateful if you could lend your 'support' to our suggestion simply by clicking on the link below & filling in the details. It will take less than 30 seconds of your time.

http://bit.ly/oaEuAb

Please feel free to pass on to any friends or colleagues whom you think might be interested.
Further news about our planned campaign will be available soon. To keep in touch with all that the charity is doing, you can also follow us on Twitter or Facebook at www.twitter.com/afchildfund or www.facebook.com/africanchildrensfund.

Thank you in advance.

If you could spare just a couple of minutes and follow the links they would be most grateful.
Its something that I am sure we ladies have never thought of, but in Africa girls cannot go to school, one reason they don't have knickers and monthly items. I was thinking during the night how would we get on in this country, how would we go shopping, to work, go out to dinner and do all the things we do, life as normal.
Thanks for reading.
Margaret

Knitted heart shape cakes.

Hi,
I hope you are having a lovely weekend, today we are going to near Oxford to see Vernon's Dad, so this is a scheduled post. Today Saturday its pouring with rain and although this morning was not good we did have some sunshine between the showers but now late afternoon its dark and raining.
Today I bring you my knitted heart cakes, another pattern from the twenty to make knitted cakes by Susan Perry, I used some very old wool in pink/white that has knobby bits in for the top and maroon for the sides and bottom. I made a ribbon rose in pink with a little green ribbon at the base.



Close up.




I would like to wish my Friend Suzanne a lovely Birthday today and I am glad she enjoyed her cake and card. This is a picture of her cake, knitted so she can enjoy without the calories. Her card will be shown on another day, she knows why I have to wait to show you.

I hope you like my latest heart shape cakes, these are for sale in my Esty store.

Have a lovely weekend, and the weather is better with you than it is here in Somerset.

Take care

Hugs

Margaret

Me and the Basket. plus Dream Catchers pattern

Hi

Have you ever thought to yourself why did I take this on, well I was asked by my friend to line a basket, she brought the material, some ribbon and the padding, plus basket.

Her daughter was having a baby and she wanted a basket for the baby things. (By the way she has had the baby a girl called Coco Sophia.) Now I know I have not been well and things have been hard to do but this basket proved challenging to say the least, or perhaps it was just me.

Its not very big but she wanted a handle, sorry in the end no handle, there are handles at the side which I managed to leave untouched so at least she has some handles.
The material proved more than a challenge for me and my little sewing machine. Lovely as it was Broderie Anglaise in squares with seams joining each two inch square together to make one piece of material looks nice but not until you try and sew it. The seams were thick in places and with the embroidery on it made the sewing hard and most of the basket ended up being sewn by hand.
In the end the basket was lined in plain cotton, I use the material for the pocket on one side and on the other made a section with some acetate and the material rolled around to make loops so she could put talc and shampoo upright in the basket.

The lid was the Broderie Anglaise, padded and lace trim, and I made some ribbon roses which she decided she wanted in the corners.


Close up of the ribbon rose I made.

This is not a very clear picture, but I made a hook with tatting, just a tatted ring and then sewed it onto the side of the basket so I could tie the ribbon from the lid onto the basket.

Close up with the ribbon tied

Some months ago I showed you some baby clothes I knitted for her, well this basket is for the same baby. Apparently my knitted clothes I made her are the best the baby has, and they are very pleased with them, I hope they will be as pleased with the basket.

I made this little jacket for the baby, its a very old pattern Lister pattern no K551 which I have done loads of times, in fact the pattern cost 15p to buy so it shows just how long ago I brought it. Its a pattern that can be used for a boy or girl, This time I made it in cream wool and two flower buttons.

--ooOoo--

I have put my Dream Catcher pattern on my pattern blog, its just a motif with a chain around the outside nothing special, just played around with bits and came up with it, cant say I designed it, it arrived after a play session when I was tatting. I don't mind anyone using the pattern for their own personal use or to sell just please don't say its your own design.

Its not a bad day here and the sun has been shining, I have done some washing and for the first time put it out on the line, trying not to stretch too far, I know I had done it as the scar was complaining, still at least I tried to do something.

I hope you are keeping well, and have a lovely weekend,

Until we meet again in blog land take care

Hugs

Margaret

The Sunday CD Challenge - Alphabets M

Hi,
What another day of wind and rain, the day started off quite nice and the sun was shining, but by mid morning it clouded over the then the rain came, heavy showers and now its fine, sun shining but still windy. Its the reminds of Hurricane Katia, and now they say the hurricane off the British Virgin Islands could come up on the Jet stream too, so we could have another blast of windy weather. There does seem to be a lot of damage up north in Scotland and northern England but we have been spared some of the really bad weather that hit Scotland. Its only September and it feel like Autumn is really here.
Today I bring you my card for the Sunday Cd Challenge this week it is the Alphabets M, so M for mermaid. I used the image and backing papers from Joanna Sheen's CD Enchanted Dreams. Then I used some peel off images from a Kit I brought some time ago of mermaids and fish, and added some gold/silver peels offs of fish. Finished off the card with some white ribbon.



Close ups.

I hope where ever you are the weather is better with you than here and the sun is shining on you.

Until we meet again in blog land take care and stay safe.

Hugs

Margaret

Knitted Iced Doughnuts, plus 9/11

Hi,

Well the sun is shining and its dry for now although there are some black clouds around, I have taken the opportunity to do the bedding, if it can stay dry just for a few hours then it will dry. The stitches are out, they hurt like hell when Beth from the Surgery did it, the surgeon had written a letter on how to take them out, she had never seen anything like it before. He had put a sticky plaster on the stitches I can tell you it was painful trying to get it off so she could cut the stitches. They were sewn in the middle, she had to cut the two middle stitches and then pull the thread from the end though the scar. I was hoping that I could move but no I have been told I still can't bend, stretch, exercise, drive, carry or lift for another two weeks while the dissoluble stitches heal. There I was thinking I could do some housework and get out and about. Vernon will have to do carry on, doing the things for me.

Today I bring you my knitted Doughnuts, I thought it would be a change from knitted cup cakes, they are not difficult to knit and sewn up in the middle of the ring, I used seed and bungle beads for decorations.

This pattern came from the book, Twenty to Make Knitted Cakes but Susan Penny.

--ooOoo--

Today is a sad day around the world, they were asking were you where on the day, I was at my

Mothers sitting on her settee knitting, waiting for the film to start on the television, when the

picture changed and all of sudden I was looking at the World Trade building burning and wondering if the film had started. Seeing another plane going into the other building and wonder what what going on and if it was a terrorist attack.

Then they were talking about Washington, and that a plane had hit the white house and then it was some where else, then they said the Pentagon. At that split second I knew Lou was in the Pentagon, my heart jumped. Lou is my American Penfriend and at that time was stationed in the Pentagon. I phoned her that evening Steve (her husband) said she was OK but he did not know when she would be home. Her story of the day was she watching the television in her boss's office watching New York, when a clown (her words not mine) said behind her that they would never hit the Pentagon, with that there was a bang and the building shook. Someone came running though the office and shouted everyone out, she picked up her cell phone (mobile phone) and run. She was in the next section to where the plane hit.

We have meet when she was over here on business, and she was coming over for our wedding but they cancelled her leave. She is now stationed in Nebraska, hopefully one day we will meet again.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend, and the weather is not too bad, we are in for some rough weather coming over the Atlantic and the remains of this hurricane, they say it will be no longer a hurricane but I have heard that before, I still remember the hurricane we had in October 1997.

In the meantime stay safe and take care.

Hugs

Margaret

The Sunday CD Challenge - Inspired by Peacocks

Hi,
What a day yesterday, with a 9 force gale and what comes naturally we had a thoroughly wet day here in Somerset, today has been slightly better only showers and the wind is not so bad and seems to be dieing down. It was not only an Autumn day but felt cold and its only the beginning of September. I had to go to the surgery for the dressing to be changed I got soaked, only a couple more days and the stitches will be out.

Today I bring you my card for the Sunday Cd Challenge
this week it is Inspired by Peacocks. My card is a peacock stamp by Creative Expressions, which Vernon brought me last year. I heat embossed the image with white, a touch of green and purple embossing powders. The backing paper came from Joanna Sheen's, The royal horticultural Society CD collection which I cut into strips and weaved together for a change, the flowers are from Joanna Sheen's shop and the parchment feathers in white and purple parchment paper white which I made myself. The pattern for them came from the Parchment Magazine last year. I used up scraps of ribbon in a various colours of a peacock.
A close up. Unfortunately the colours of the peacock don't seem to have come out in the photo. Gold peel offs to finish the card off.
I hope you like my creation today.
Well I know the weather is going to be changeable this week so I hope its not too bad where ever you live.
Until we meet again in blog land, take care
Hugs
Margaret

Ruffle Scarfs

Hi,
I hope you are having a lovely weekend, although at the present moment the sun is shining, there are some black clouds around, its not cold but not as warm as it has been. Looking at the weather forecast for this coming week, rain seems to be the thing.
I found this lovely wool in the wool shop in Shepton Mallet, I just could not resist trying it, Mike said they are selling well on the Internet, so these two scarfs are now in my esty store.
It does not take long to knit and on size 8mm a ball is soon becomes a scarf. The wool is called Tivoli and is made in Turkey.
This is purple and pinky violet although Vernon says is light purple, he is no good at colours!

This is a multi coloured one slightly shorter, it has six colours in the ball, still in the same wool,
I have another three balls to knit up in different colours, one is black and white, on in blue, and a bright red so far I have not made one for myself as yet I am seeing how they work out before deciding which one to have. I am sure when my grand daughter Bethany and Melissa see them they will be disappearing.
I can't wait to get the stitches out on Friday although it will be at least another two weeks before the dissoluble ones have gone. I get fed up with myself as I cant bend, carry, lift, stretch, exercise and Vernon is having to do most things for me. As I dropsy, and drop things very easily, its usually the small things that drop the most, I will one day have to have my carpol tunnel done on both hands, but at the moment they have to stay on the floor until Vernon gets home. He's had a variety of items from beads, knitting needles, pens, thread, wool, scissors, tatting shuttles and hooks. I made Fox laugh the other day as she was having a dropsy week and I left a comment for her about my week so far, I am glad Fox had a laugh, thanks Fox for the lovely comment you left on my blog.
I hope to bring you some more new items during the week, and I hope you like my new scarfs.
Until we meet again, take care
Hugs
Margaret