Stella and Alec Wedding Day

Hi,
Today we should have been going to Stella's and Alec wedding party but well we are in Rhodes,   someone booked a holiday without thinking and remembering that I had RSVP we would be at the party in the Cadbury House, in Congresbury near Bristol.
Stella was one of my Bridesmaids when we got married ten years ago.
I have sent a present and this is the card I made.
I did a parchment card,   the bride and groom are peel off's which I put on parchment and worked a pattern in the middle and then cut out and 3d onto the parchment,  I did a design around the outside and placing the bride and groom inside, finished off with a sheer white ribbon edged in gold and gold peel off lettering.  I am still learning parchment and enjoy it but I don't seen to find enough time to practice.
I am pleased with the card and I hope they like it and the present.
I hope they have a lovely evening and the actual wedding went OK aboard.
I wish them every happiness for the future.
                Love and hugs
                    Margaret

Summer Fun........... what this summer? 13/25 motif challenge

Hi,

This is a new thread I treated myself too, when I had to buy some white thread,  its called Summer Fun, by Lizbeth.  I used No 20 thread.
Summer Fun not this year its been the mostly a wet summer ,   with a few sunny dry days just to let us know there is a sun up there,  well it was shining somewhere but not necessarily in the UK.
These are what I made with the new thread, 

The Bookmark is Kersti's tatted floral bookmark which I have done several times.
If you would like the pattern here is the link

The heart is a new pattern which I was not happy with I found that the written pattern just had how many double stitches and picots  but nothing to say where the joins were.  As when I read the pattern it was 3 double stitches between the picots,  so I followed the picture as to where to join.   I do like the heart now I have made it,   the pattern is from Free Tatting Patterns -  tatted heart (Valentine) 1 link here


By the time you read this I will be on my way to Rhodes,   I hope you enjoy the scheduled posts I have left for you and until I get back take care.
              Hugs
           Margaret

Happy 21st Birthday Adam

Hi
Today is Adams 21st Birthday,  Adam is Vernons nephew,   its been a horrible year for him and I hope this is a turning point for things to change.
His Dad (Peter) was killed in Kenya and then last month Peters mother his grandmother died,  it can only get better from now on.
I did a My craft Studio Klever Konstruction card for him,  he's into cars and engines etc so I hope he likes his card.
I know there are plenty of things planned for this weekend and no doubt he will drink too much,    but you are only 21 once.
Hope you have a great weekend Adam.
                     Hugs
                   Margaret

Shepton Show

 Hi
I thought you might like to see my table at the show,  I took these on my mobile phone,  gosh I never realised until seeing these pictures that my cloth was a bit crooked.  They show the inside of the tent,  gosh we were hot but what a good day.  The weather behaved to a point,  it was humid first thing with cloud,  then it got foggy and chilly,  after a while the sun came out and it was hot hot.   Too hot to be in a tent.
I did quite well and I was pleased I had a lot of interest and many questions.  one lady brought a heart because the thread was so beautiful,  she had never seen beautiful thread,  she was a lace maker and is taking the heart to show fellow lace makers at their next meeting.   Lizbeth thread is made in the US so the average crafter in the UK has never seen the thread,  let alone the colours they produce.
I had one lady who came up to the stall,  I had my shuttle in hand and asked if they were "handmade".  I kept my cool but I really wanted to say something else.  I think that was the gem of the day.
They had a display of birds,  they had a young Kestrel he said it was the first time he had been at a show,  he took off,  and circled the show ground,  he called and called him,  then he put food on his hand,  still he flew around,  then he put food on the rope they swing around (sorry I don't know what they call it)  and finally he landed.   He said that they have a radio aerial connected to his tail feathers so if he did fly off they could track him and find him.
There was so much going on including ferret racing, dog racing, show jumping, old tractors, steam engines,  old vintage cars, and lots more.
I did not see much of the show being stuck in the tent,  but there was a lot of people and everyone seemed to enjoy the day.
We left early and missed the Wurzels performance,  I was disappointed but they did not go on stage until 4.30.
We went to see Mother in the nursing home,  the home made her a birthday cake and gave her a birthday card,   she seemed to be having a nice day.   To be honest by then I was knackered so we got a Chinese on the way home.  
Taking about customer stories,  I did a craft show a few years ago and this woman came up to my table and ask what machine made the snowflakes,   I tried to explain I use my hands they were handmade,  I got my shuttles out and showed her,   she said Oh and walked off I should have charged her for the demo.  So if you don't know your hands are machines?????
Well that was my Tatting demo,   now I can get ready for the holiday,
Take care
Hugs
Margaret

Happy 90th Birthday Mother

Hi
This is a scheduled post as I am today at Shepton Mallet Show doing a tatting demo.  I can only hope that it is fine which will make a change as this week we have some very heavy rain,  its a lot warmer than it has been.  Is this another summer quick minute and by next week it will be back to how it has been,  a wet summer.
Today is Mothers 90th birthday,  as you know she is now in a nursing home at Ston Easton,  she still has not walked since her fall and now I doubt if she ever will. She has settled in and seems to be happy as least I don't get too many moans,
Mother is a Japanese POW from world war II,    she was a nursing sister assigned to the Royal Navy on the Australian conveys,   the ship she was on was torpedoed by the Japanese and she spent two and half years in Japan.    She still has scares from her injuries she got when the ship went down,  plus the scars of being in the Japanese camp.  After the war she went and worked on the cruise liners when they started up again.
When I grow up I spent my childhood travelling Europe as Mother had a travel business,   it was an unusual childhood and I saw and went to many places that most people would have never heard of. We used to pick which hotels we wanted to see and then my father would work out a route to drive around Europe  We would then walk into the hotel,  and ask if they had a room,   we never told them who we were or book. They have suspected a family as being a travel agent. Up in the room it was checking out if there was dust under the beds,   was the bathroom clear etc, etc.,  go down to a meal,  next morning have breakfast and then go and pay the bill,  it was then they would tell them who they were.   Many receptionists face have drop and managers come running,  it was our way of checking out a hotel before we sent anyone to stay.   No good telling them in advance they clean the room,  cook special meals and try to win you over in sending guests to their wonderful hotel.  Better to have the same treatment as your guests so you know what they will get.
I hope she likes her card,   I used a flower soft image and made some parchment flowers,  the gems in the middle are ones I found last time I went to Rhodes a few years ago,  I only use them on special cards.  I hope to get some more when we go on holiday in ten days time. 
I hope you are having a lovely weekend and enjoying the sunshine that is if its shinning where you are,  as the north of England has rain.
Until we meet again take care
                    Hugs
               Margaret

Our 10th Wedding Anniversary

Hi,
Today is out 10th Wedding Anniversary and this is the card I made for Vernon (my husband)
The last two years have been hard on both of us with me ill and then having a cancer op etc, etc.  But here we are in double figures with Vernon now retired (and getting under my feet)  life has changed again.   It been hard getting used to having home all the time.
We had a wonderful wedding on the hottest day in August 2002,  it was a very wet month and up to the wedding day we both thought it was going to be a wet day but the sun came out and it was hot. Since we got married the hotel we had has been pulled down and the land is going for housing,  but as yet they have not started building its just a patch of weeds.   We are doing anything much today,  we might go out at the weekend for a meal.
The image has three panels the side panels I put so they were built up on the outside and bend into the picture,  the backing paper is from stock I have had sometime and blue ribbon and bow.
Hope you have a good day.
                             Hugs
                          Margaret

The CD Sunday Challenge - Exotic Birds and Blooms

 Hi,
After a real wet day with pouring  heavy rain all morning,  so dark I had to have the light on,  it had a very winter look outside.   As I have said before the sun was shining somewhere just not here in Somerset.
Today I bring you my card for the CD Sunday Challenge this week is Exotic Birds and Blooms.   They said if you did not have both you could do one or the either.   Mojo was not working very well on this one,  the exotic bird got the bird it was too big and well got canned,  along with the ideas for the card.   
So this is what I was left with this just a very simple card,  hope it will be OK.
I used Joanna Sheens CD The Royal Horticultural Society disc number two,   I love this image but as you know I love Orchids.  I put a glitter peel off around the image,   the backing paper is from the image on the disc.  I used parchment orchids which I brought sometime ago from Claire's Crafts,  they are on a sheet and you just cut them out and then bend them into shape.   Finished off with pink gems and pale pink ribbon.
I hope you are having a better day then me and the weather is better with you than here.
I shared with you a few weeks ago my orchid to my surprise it now has another flower stem coming off the one its flowering on,  so it looks like another few orchid flowers.
Have a good evening
Take Care
                             Hugs
                          Margaret

I'm going green!!! 12 of 25 motif challenge

Hi,
The sun has finally come out to play,  it was supposed to be a fine day, haha,  we had heavy rain in the night and woke up to a thunder storm,  oh I hate thunder storms.  I thought I would do my washing today,  well I have now put it on to wash,  you never know it might dry today now.  Vernon was going to cut the lawn,  but with the heavy rain its too wet to cut,   it will take a couple of days to dry out,  that is if we can get another couple of days of sunshine,  this year has been two or three days of summer and two weeks of rain.
I have been teaching my Grand daughter Bethany to tat for a year now,  I don't see her very often,  but she could not get a ring,  her hands were a bit small,  she can do a chain and mock ring,  well last Wednesday she finally got it, the flip happen.  Great joy for the both of us,  I knew she would do it one day,  just a question of her hands growing.  I have told her while shes on school holidays to go down to the bottom of my blog and check out some of the tatting blogs,  it would do her good to see other tatters tatting.
When I did the PIF,  one of the winners said her favourite colour was green,  looking at my stock of thread,  very little green this promoted me when I needed some more white thread to buy a few new colours and amongst the new threads I brought Lizbeth No 20 Christmas Green Mix.  All I can say its worked out really pretty,  I may not be a lover of green but this thread is worth a place in my draw.
This is Floral Tatted Bookmark by Kersti.

 This cross is from Mary Konior book,  Tatted Patterns,   its an easy cross to make,   I have not blocked it yet so if it looks a bit creased it won't when I bock it.

This is Heart's Desire pattern,   I like this pattern,   its a pretty pattern but can twist when you tatted the right side. Sorry  I cant remember who designed this pattern,  apologies to the designer for not giving her credit.

This is my pattern,   I need a few Dream Catchers for the Demo I am doing next weekend at Shepton Mallet,   There is a link in my sidebar for my pattern blog and you will find the pattern on there.
It will look better when is hangs up.  


Tonight is the closing ceremony for the Olympics,   I am not a sporty person but I have enjoyed watching some of it.   There have been sports that I have not seen before and although I may not have know the rules to that sport I have enjoyed watching the horses,   yesterday it was the Modern Pentathlon,  I felt sorry for the horses having strange men riding them around the show jumping,  I had to laugh when the horse either knocked down the polls or in one case walked through the fence instead of jumping it.  One horse throw his rider,   it may not have been fun for the riders but it was a very interesting to watch.
I hope you are having a lovely weekend and the sun is shining on you,   I know the sun will be shining somewhere in the world but not always here this summer.  I am off to finish a wedding anniversary card for Vernon.
Take care
                    Hugs
                 Margaret

The CD Sunday Challenge - Bingo

Hi,

On this dull day here in Somerset to which we have had some rain this morning and I would not be surprised if it does not rain again today. Well that's face it the sun is shining somewhere in the world but its not here.  At the time of writing this I am watching the show jumping at Greenwich.   The person who design these brilliant jumps and scenery needs a pat on the back,   to me they are brilliant and shows so many parts of London and around.   If you have not seen them than you have missed a real joy.   The medal table is going up, after a slow start I wonder how many we will end up with.

On to today's card, this is for the CD Sunday Challenge,  this week it is Bingo,  see grid below and list,  everything has to be in a straight line.  I hope I have got this card right?

I found an image that I could cut into sections and still have the picture,  the image and backing papers are from the Joanna Sheens CD Enchanted Dreams,   This is my favourite CD,  I have not used this image before but I am reasonably happy with the picture.  One thing is you cant see all the elements in the picture,  these pictures have lots of little pictures within the wings of the butterfly.

I cut the picture into a grid,  matted it on gold miri board, I thought my lines were not cut very well as I need a new blade in the guillotine so I put some gold peel off lines to tidy it up,   used flowers,  two peel off butterflies which I put on some of the backing paper and cut them out.    Two pieces of ribbon and a bow on the side,   and gems in the top corner.                                                                                                So the three elements I used from the grid was Gems, Flowers and Ribbon

I hope you are having a good day,  enjoying the Olympics 

Until we meet again Take care

                  Hugs

                Margaret

Interlocking Rings and a Bracelet (11 of 25)

Hi,
Yesterday was a golden day for Great Britain so I am writing this in gold just to prove I am enjoying the Olympics I never thought I would but I have enjoyed the things we don't see normally,   the Show Jumping,  the Bicycle racing in the Velodyne,  Canoeing and the Rowing.  I was made to feel very homesick when they did the road racing,  I grow up in Surrey,  and lived not far from Box Hill,  and then in Kingston upon Thames,  if they have gone just 200 more yards up the road before they turned off to go into Richmond Park I would have seen my old home and I could have shown Vernon.  Kingston has changed a bit since I lived there but I was able to see bits I knew though my childhood. Don't get me wrong I would not want to live up there now and commute into the City of London, I think I will stay in Somerset.  10 Gold medals so far,  at least they have put the Great back into Great Britain.
The weather is not good we have very heavy thundery showers with a little sun popping out here and there,   Oh it would be nice if the summer would come back.
Today I have the Interlocking rings,  yes I have got it,  not perfect but its there, I used Lizbeth no 20 Raspberry Frappe but its come out purple,  I think it has to be the bad light when I took the photo. I put a chain with little rings on the outside so the rings could be seen better.  I feel a few new designs popping out of this,   I am going to try the interlocking chain,  when I have time
 I am making a few bits for the show I have been asked to demonstrate tatting on the 19th August,  at Shepton Mallet.    I hope the weather will be kind to us at the show.

 This is the bracelet from Marilee's course called Classic Edge, its a nice design but I don't have much no 10 thread, so I used one of my favourite threads, this is Altin Basak (Turkish) number 3054 its a bit finer than Lizbeth, so I had to do a few more rings on the pattern. There are three beads on the chains which I used pink seed beads. I am at present making another one in Lizbeth thread blue with gold beads and I will show that one when I have finished it.






A close up,  this is number 11 of the 25 Motif challenge




I hope you are having a lovely weekend and enjoying the Olympics,  pity the weather can't behave but that's the British weather for you.
Until we meet again take care


                  Hugs
              Margaret

The CD Sunday Challenge - Mainly Men

Hi,
I hope you are enjoying the Olympics,  and the weather is better with you than it is here in Somerset,   its been quite dark most of the morning although the sun is trying to pop out,  its a lot cooler and windy again we have had some rain,  and more is forecasted,  last week must have been what they call a bip,  hopefully that is not all the summer we are going to get.

Today's card,  this is for the CD Sunday Challenge and this week it is Mainly Men,   I find men's cards hard,  I wonder why perhaps because its for a Man!!!!!!
I used for the image Joanna Sheens Pamela West Collection CD,  I love this image and for the backing paper I used the backing paper that came with the image.  I matted the image onto gold miri board.
Now for the smug fisherman I cut out the fishing man from Jolly Nation its an easy 3d card image but I think he leads his way better on a card rather than being the card.
I 3d the fish and glittered his scales,  and his head,  added a gold dot for his eye.    Finishing off with  a peel off fishing line and fish and finished off the card with peel off's around the edge and a happy birthday.


I saw the show jumping yesterday,  I thought it was brilliant,   OK a few horses knock a poll or two off but it was the arrangement of the jumps and the special care and attention to detail to make the jumps so lovely.  I loved the way each jump had a theme,  Stonehenge,  Trafalgar Square,  in particular.   What gets me cross is that these commentators say that we will get a medal in this or that and then we fail,  why do we fail because they are putting too much pressure on the competitors and not letting them do their own thing.  For the host nation to be so far down the table for medals is getting a little embarrassing. Enough of my rant.
I hope today we win a gold from something.
Until we meet again I hope you are keeping well and take care
Hugs
Margaret