Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit

Hi,

This picture was taken just outside one of the gates to the Old Town of Rhodes,  its a tree but by the shape and with the eye painted on the trunk it looks like a rabbit.  Well I just had to share it with you.

 Here is a closer picture.






Hope you enjoyed this rabbit.
Until we meet again take care
                 Hugs
               Margaret

Rhodes Greece

 Hi,
I think its time I finished this piece about Rhodes,  Rhodes is situated in the south-eastern corner of the Aegean Sea,  11 miles from Turkey,  they have on average 300 days of sunshine,  it is the biggest island in the group of islands called the Dodecanese,  which is part of Greece.  The city of Rhodes itself has been declared a World Heritage Monument by UNESCO.   It plays a large part in Greek Mythology being named after Rhodi daughter of the goddess Aphrodite.
This is just a few pictures of Rhodes Town,  I have so many that I thought I would split the post and show you some today and then do a piece on the old Town with it Medieval Streets and shops.  We took a train ride around Rhodes Town which is the capital of the Island of Rhodes ( or Rodos as the Greeks spell it)  these are just a few of the pictures from the ride.

This is the train that takes visitors around Rhodes Town.






This is the entrance to Mandraki Harbour,  this is the ancient navel harbour of Rhodes.  There are three harbours in Rhodes Town,  the elegant bronze stags on top of the columns,  these are the spots where according to tradition the feet of the Colossus was placed.   sorry its not a very clear picture of the stags.

Beach looking down towards Ixia

Beach on the Windy Side of Rhodes Town

 This picture shows you Turkey,  Turkey is only 11 miles from Rhodes and the Aegean Sea,  doesn't that colour of the water make you want to jump in and swim.





Temple of the Rythian Apollo in the Saint Stefanos Hill overlooking Rhodes Town.

The Horseshoe Stadium probably built in the 2nd century BC








Top of the Hill before going back down into Rhodes Town overlooking towards Ixia.

Another picture of the Temple from the over side as the road goes around before going down the hill.

This beautiful Fountain is opposite Marks and Spencer in Rhodes Town

I leave you with the sunset 

I could write pages and pages about the Greek Mythology but to be honest I don't know enough,  its an island full of History and interesting places to visit.   well worth a visit,  and don't forget 300 days of sunshine. while we were there we did not see a cloud until our last day and then it was just a little puffy white one.
I hope you have enjoyed the pictures and in the next couple of days I will post the Old Town.
               Hugs
            Margaret

Lace Mat Tat Along Challenge Round 2

Hi,

This is my 300th post,  so I wanted something brilliant, well that was the idea unfortunately being ill has put way to that so instead here is my round 2 of the Lace Mat Tat along Challenge from Jon,   please see last last post for details.

This challenge is being done all over the world,  by so many tatters, and its amazing what colour combinations have come up with.   I am sticking with my original colour of Lizbeth no 20 Scottish Thistle.  As you can see I have not blocked it yet or  sewn  in my ends.  

I was going to post about Rhodes,  its in the draft section but as I took over 60 photos I am spiting the post in half and will do a special post of the old town with its medieval streets and shops.

I did see this on a wall by the bakery which we walked pass most days,   well some days I did divert into the bakery for a cake,   naughty but I was on holiday.   I think this is a brilliant saying but I have no idea who wrote it,   all I say its in English on a Greek wall......
                                                  

Well I hope you like my lace mat,  I will post round 3 when I have done it,  in the meantime take care and hope to see you again soon.

Take Care

                             Hugs

                         Margaret

Lace Mat Tat Along Challenge

Hi,

Its pouring with rain and quite windy such a contrast to yesterday,  looks like we have this weather for a couple of days,  its part of the hurricane that has come across the Atlantic from Florida.
Today I am sharing with you round one of the Lace Mat Tat Along which is a challenge to all tatters from Jon in Malaysia,   link to her brilliant blog here.   Please do pop over and have a look at her blog and if you can tat why not join in with the tat along.
The picture is round one I have not blocked it or sewn in the ends but as you can see I have chosen one of my favourite colours Scottish Thistle,  Lizbeth no 20.
The pattern is by Norma Benporaths tatting designs made available on-line from the Trove Website.
Jon got permission from the National Library of Australia,  the body that publishes the Trove site to re-write the patterns using modern notations provided she cite's the original source of each pattern.
Jon has worked out and drawn the pattern out,  she's done the most brilliant drawing, which can be found on her web site.
 I will when I have done each round will post it so you can see my process,   don't expect the mat to be made very quickly will you.
Have a nice day,
                Hugs
             Margaret

Test Tatting - The Duchess 19/25 Motif challenge

 Hi,
I offered to test tat the Duchess pattern for Fox,  link to her blog

As many of you may not know I came home ill from Greece,  I am living on painkillers,  my brain fuddled with them and as you will read and realise there's one thing you must do when doing a new pattern,  read the instructions.   The first picture is just completely wrong,  it does not lie flat and the petals are all over the place,  I did a ring in the middle as I did not have at this start a doodad but Fox said you could start the pattern with a ring,   but my ring was too small for the pattern.
No 2 I did a larger ring,  not quite right although it did lay a bit better but still the ring in the middle is still not quite bigger enough.   And the reason its not working this silly old nit (I said it no need to repeat it)  used Lizbeth no 20 Scottish Thistle,   why is that wrong....... the pattern says No 40 thread.  For those who don't tat the higher the number the thinner the thread.

No 3 with a doodad I have been given some,  thank you.  Back to no3  this was tatted with No 40 Lizbeth thread Blue River Glades,  I'm not sure about this colour, its not my colouring and I have no idea why I brought it but its something different and so here is the Duchess in all her glory.
I now know the pattern off by heart,   its an easy pattern and different from the usual motif patterns.   I would recommend the pattern but I have learnt one lesson no matter how long you have been tatting - read the instructions for a pattern,  no matter how long you have been tatting the instructions are there to be read for a reason.
I had a blood test a week ago and on Monday the Royal United Hospital in Bath rang me with an appointment for a scan on the next day Tuesday,   and then on Wednesday I had another phone call with an appointment to see the Gynecologist on the 2nd October. all this and we have only been home 10 days.
I was hoping to do the Sunday CD Challenge this week I did print off the image I was going to use but that's sitting on the table,  and looks at me every time I walk pass the table,   this week has not been a very good week.
I hope you are having a lovely weekend,   the weather today is beautiful here in Somerset today but tomorrow we have a weather warning and heavy rain and wind coming in,  the reminds of a hurricane from Florida.
Until we meet again Take Care
                 Hugs
             Margaret

Diana's Doodad Challenge 18/25

 Hi,
Lovely to be back from Greece,  weather is not quite as good as we had over there,  we left Greece at 29c and landed at Bristol to 4c just a few degrees difference,  and an air frost.  The journey home was a bit bumpy,  we were delayed an hour and took off at 2am Greek time,  after serving drinks and snacks they turned the lights down,  I just dozed off,  ping the lights went up and the seat belts to be put on,  dozed off,  I felt Vernon unclipped the belt,  I have no idea how long but ping lights on and again seat belts that happen three times,   we did the longest journey home by going over Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, Amsterdam, over the north sea, across London over Heathrow, and down the M4, I thought it was never going to end.
We never saw a cloud in the sky until the last day, 13 days of blue skies and then just this little puffy white cloud,  but who cares with temperatures every day over 90+,  although we did have some very windy days but that kept the heat at bay.  This time last week I was sitting on a beach,  now I am catching up with the washing and housework,  I know what I would rather be doing?
I have a lot of pictures of Rhodes and will share with you during the next week,  I also did a lot of tatting while I was away,  not as much as I did in Crete but while I was away I was taken ill and although I managed on pain killers I tried hard to wait until I was home and I saw the duty doctor on Thursday afternoon who is referring me straight to the Royal United Hospital at Bath,  now I have to wait for an appointment hopefully it wont be too long.  Its only four weeks since I was cleared of cancer and discharged from Frenchay Hospital,  I was feeling on top of the world not having to have any more hospital appointments,  that did not last very long.

Anyway while I was away I did Diana's Doodad challenge,   you may well be asking what is she taking about,   well we in tatland have been challenged to doing a piece of tatting with a metal thing,  we still dont have a proper name for them,  and so far I am having trouble finding them in this country.   These two gold ones were sent to me from Diana in the US link to her blog   
So the first one is a snowflake pattern which I adjusted to to attach onto the doodad,  its an Anna pattern 1291/32  or December 1991 pattern number 32. I used Lizbeth thread No 20 Scotish Thistle.

The second is Fox's pattern Athalia which I used Lizbeth thread no 20 Summer Fun, I used gold seed beads to match the gold doodad,  to check out Fox's lovely pattern here is the link to her blog
This is has been a great challenge,  and thank you Diana for not only doing the challenge but sending the doodad's to me.
If you know the correct name for these little things and where I can get some more please let me know either by leaving a comment or using my e-mail address which is in the sidebar.
I hope you are having a lovely weekend and until I see you again take care
                           Hugs
                        Margaret

Tatted cards 17/25 motif challenge

 Hi,
This is the last scheduled post and we will be home today,  but very late tonight.
These are the cards that I made for my tatting demo which I did at the Shepton Show on the 19th August,  which I post about link to post
This card is gray and I put a White Sunbonnet Sue Motif with a spray of flowers and clear beads in the middle and a butterfly.

This card has a selection of butterflies made from Lizbeth thread Purple Twist,  the backing paper is from stock I had.

This blue card with again backing paper from stock and I selection of butterflies, in several colours,  the bottom one is white,  pink Parade, Butterfly Breeze and the top one is from some HDT I was given.




This cream card, I put a long spray of green and some yellow daisy flowers and put black beads in the centre and a small butterfly in the corner.

This is just a selection of cards but gives an idea what uses tatting can be used in. They were just simple to make and really were thrown together as I had a deadline to get them made.
I hope you are keeping well,  see you soon

                      Hugs
                   Margaret

Tatted Jewellery 16/25 motif challenge

 Hi,
Today I am bring you some earrings that I made recently,  this green pair is made from Lizbeth thread no 20 Christmas Green Mix, with mix shaded green seed beads  the pattern is called Tree Earrings by Nami link to pattern

 This is another Tree earring pattern but is made with black Lizbeth thread no 20 with gold seed beads.

This pair is called Floret from Marilee's tatting course,   I used no 10 pale pink with white seed beads,  the pink thread is very old and I don't remember whose it is but I think its possibly coats.

This is a great Tatting course and there is a link in my sidebar for anyone who wants to learn tatting.

This bracelet is also from Marilee's tatting Course called classic Edge,  I used Lizbeth thread no 20 Peacock blues.  and used gold seed beads on the chains.

Close up



I hope you are well and until we meet again take care

                      Hugs
                   Margaret

Interlocking Earrings 15/25 motif challenge

 Hi,
Do you remember this little play piece of interlocking rings that several of us were playing with some weeks ago
Well I liked my play piece and made it into earrings,  its a  simple pattern and I think it makes a nice pair of earrings,   I did eight rings interlocking in a circle and then an outer chain with small rings with silver seed beads on the rings.  I know it was a just a simple pattern but so far everyone seems to like them.  I used Lizbeth thread,   Peacock blues no 20.

close up of the pattern,   
These earrings will be in my Esty store when I get back.
I have some more ideas to play with the interlocking rings,  I do like them and now I have mastered them I can extend more on the patterns.

I hope you are keeping well 
Until we meet again take care


                Hugs
            Margaret

Intatters Summer Exchange - 14/25 Motif challenge

Hi,

On intatters we did a Summer Exchange this summer it was Clovers,  clovers for those who don't know about tatting is a group of three rings.
This was sent to Sarah in the US, she had it a couple of weeks ago but I kept it so I could use it on scheduled post while we are away.   So far I have not received my exchange item but if and when it arrives I will post it for you to see.

The pattern I used for both of them is the Tatted 10 point Snowflake from Be-stitched link here .
I like this pattern and the middle make a lovely little snowflake on its own,   I put red seed beads on one and the other has gold seed beads.
I used Lizbeth white thread no 20 on both of them
I hope you are having a nice weekend 
Until we meet again Take care
            
                      Hugs
                   Margaret

Message from Rhodes

Hi

Just a quick note,  I have Internet access from the hotel but it's not good,  I have been trying to leave comments on your blogs, so if you don't get a comment does not mean I have not tried.
I hope the following today got their comments, that's includes, Fox, Wendy, Kevin, Carol, Jane and Martha who I could not get it to publish.

I write the comment and then press publish what happens it goes down so I have to try again, again and again at times I give up.   But it is free at the moment,  so I must not complain.

So don't think I am missing you out,   I am looking and I am making sure my scheduled posts do appear hopefully over the next two weeks .

Just make you feel sick,  it's very very hot over here 90++  Cloudless skies not seen a cloud since we left Uk and arrived here in the middle of the night,  and the sun is shining,  see I always say its shinning somewhere in the world just not in the Uk
Until we meet again take care.
Hugs
Margaret