Happy Halloween

Hi,
Happy Halloween,  its wet, windy, wild  and  really horrible outside and I won't be going out.  So for all those who love halloween,  have a wonderful night you will get wet if you are going trick and treating.
This is my tatted pumpkin,  I used Falling leaves no 20 and instead of a green leaf I put a leaf in the same thread after all its autumn not summer.  I might add this is really an apple designed by Mark Myers but it makes a lovely pumpkin   I must thank Joelle for finding this lovely pattern,   do pop over and have a look at her blog today with her wonderful tatting,  pumpkins and halloween bits,  link to her blog here plus there is a link on her blog for this pattern.
I was planing to do something different for today but I am having a bad day with a lot of pain and a bad headache. so please excuse me and accept my little pumpkin.
Have a lovely wet night halloweening and take care
I would like to add a note to all my American Followers I hope you are all safe from the storm,  we have seen a lot of pictures of devastation and damage,  and I hope my Canadian Friends and Followers are also safe,  as the storm is heading their way.
                           Hugs
                        Margaret

Tat along by Renulek (Intatters) Challenge and Orchids

 Hi,
Yesterday was lovely day cold, blue sky, and sunshine,  I went out for the first time for some time   ok it was only to the wool shop but it was out, I got the buttons for the babies cardigan I showed you a week ago now I can finish it off and put it in my esty store, (there is a link to the esty in my sidebar I was asked last time) Then in the evening we went to friends for a couple of hours,  I know I was in pain by the time I got home but it was lovely just to get out of the four walls. Today its cold and rainy, dark and overcast totally different to yesterday.  My scan is on Thursday,  crossing fingers they find what it is.
I have started doing the tat along Challenge from "Intatters" this is another doily pattern,  and I have no doubt I will keep this one too.   This time it was set by Renulek link to her blog  she is Polish oh and shes called the doily a napkin.   The blog is in Polish but blogger will translate the blog.    This is round one and two,  I am using Lizbeth No 20 Sea Island Citrus,  which is a new thread and I have not used before, I treated myself to this one when I brought some thread a couple of months ago.   Its working up very pretty,  I hope I will feel the same when I have done round four it looks a bit of a nightmare. 
  

My orchid is flowering again,  I took this picture on friday,  well you know I love orchids,  they are my favorite flower.  If you have not seen Wendy's blog over the last couple of days, please pay her a visit link to her blog   she has put some gorgeous pictures of Orchids on her blog,  one is marked especially for me.  Thank you Wendy for finding the photograph and thank you for sharing those wonderful pictures.
Thats it today I hope you have a lovely weekend,
Until we meet again take care

                      Hugs
                   Margaret

The CD Sunday Challenge - Poetry Corner

Hi,
At last I have put my best foot forward and over the last few days made a card,   It was printed out a few weeks ago for another challenge but as I did not feel well enough to do it,   its been sitting on the table waiting for attention.  Its from my new CD which I bought when it was on special offer and brought it to cheer myself up.
My scan yes at last I got my appointment will be next week on the 1st,  Vernon says hes going to have B and B at the Royal United Hospital as he also has a MRI scan a couple of days later.
This is my card for the CD sunday Challenge this week is Poetry Corner,  I have used the Joanna Sheens - Patience Strong's CD.   I really recommend this CD,  OK this is the first card I have made with it but there are some lovely poems and images.    I made this stepper card using the backing paper that belongs to the image, the image was matted onto dark blue card.  The ribbon is dark blue from Joanna Sheens shop,   pink gems,  and finished off with silver peel offs.

The picture was taken today but the light has been dull for several days and the flash came on so I am sorry but without nice light which I have no idea when we might get I hope the pictures are OK.
I can't wait for Sunday night,  we are enjoying the third series of Downton Abbey   I can't say too much because my American followers are way behind us and it would not be fair to say too much,  but this series is brilliant,  and I have to say I really enjoyed last sundays when the ladies of Manor told his lordship where to go,  wow it was BRILLIANT,   even Vernon laughed and said well done.  The old lady never does disappoint with her wonderful witty lines.  Who ever wrote her lines are doing a wonderful job,  we only have two more left and I will be sorry when this series finishes.  The series features Highclare Castle, Berkshire, and the inside sets are done at Ealing Studios.
Until we meet again take care
                            Hugs
                        Margaret

Update this card made 1st on the CD Sunday Challenge

Angels Bookmarks and Fluffy Snowflake, 22/25

 

 Hi,
I cant believe its a week since I posted anything here on my blog,  I am still awaiting this urgent CT scan we are now in the third week and it was up to four weeks waiting time.   NHS at its best.  In the meantime I continue to live on painkillers. 
Its not a bad day here and yesterday was lovely with sunshine but today has been duller and we had mist before the sun finally came out,  I think its a little warmer today which is good.  If we could just get a few days of warmth Vernon might be able to cut my meadow lawn before the winter.

I have not been up to much but I have been playing and done some designing I have one test tatter and I am looking and hoping for a couple more before I tell you anything more about my new little pattern.  I do hope you will like it when I unveil it.
I did make this Leens Tatted Angel,  I was not happy with it,  all the more so when Vernon asked what is it supposed to be,  this from a man who knows nothing about tatting when I meet him and he had never heard of it let alone seen it.   He could not see the head and there is really no head just a halo,  which I think the round space put him off. 
So I put a round ring in the middle for the head,  he preferred the ring in the middle as the head.  I had thought of putting a bead in the middle.  Perhaps its the colour I used,  Lizbeth Christmas Delight No 20,  would it look better in white I will try another one soon and perhaps some beads around the halo and bottom of the shirt.
This is the one with the ring in the middle,  I will leave it you as to what you think.  Link for the pattern is here


I did another Flowering Quatrain Bookmark by Joelle,  I love this pattern again I did the tassel with a square of the corners of the bookmark   this time I used Lizbeth Butterfly Breeze No 20
Link for the pattern here

I thought I would try this pattern for the first time its the Spiral Bookmark which was adapted from edging # 1,  page 23 in Tatting Doilies and Edgings Dover Press edited by Rita Weiss,  which I got from Intatters,  I used Lizbeth white and Butterfly Breeze no 20,   I like this pattern and are planning to do this again in different colours.

Now for my Fluffy snowflake, designed by Wally Sasa   I saw this on Mary's Blog link here  When  I saw Mary's I had to do it,  I had a job to find the pattern but got there in the end,  unfortunately I don't have a link for it but I found it on Needles-N-Shuttles.  I used Oben Bayan Koton Perle no 8 in  variegated blue and white.  not sure if this is really the right colours for christmas but I really like this fluffy snowflake something different for a change.  I am planning to make more of these.
Back to my playing and finishing off my little pattern,  a clue as to what it might be is on this page........
I hope you are having a nice weekend,  the sun is shining on you wherever you are.   Until we meet again take care
                       Hugs
                   Margaret

Tat Along Tating Challenge Round 4 and Finish 21/25

 Hi
The sun is shining here in Somerset at last,  and the best day we have had for some time,  Still waiting for the CT scan  so its keep taking the painkillers.  
Here is my tat along challenge mat finished,  this challenge was set by Jon from link to her blog.   Its been a very sucessful challenge with so many tatters around the world joining in and the range of colours used is amazing. The last round had clovers, clovers for those who are not tatters are a set of three rings which you will see at the ends sticking out around the mat,  there are eight in all,   there was two ways of doing them,  I took the easy way due to not feeling well.   I made the clovers separate and then attached them as I tatted the last round.   I am very pleased with the mat and I am going to keep it for myself.   I used Lizbeth no 20 in Scottish Thistle.  I took the picture on the windowsill so it may not be the best picture but its was the best place for the light.

I had this brilliant card from Fox the other day,  he's sitting on my fireplace at the moment,   she sent some of her silk thread which she says she does not like the thread,  and sent to me some to try.   Thank you for the thread and here is two butterflies that I made with some of it.
The first one is Mary Koniors butterfly from her book Tatting Patterns,  its one of those patterns that I have learnt by heart and if I want to test or find out how colours will flow this is my pattern.   The second Butterfly is Papillon,  oh dear I did not do very well with,  its a gorgeous pattern by Joelle link to her blog  unfortunately this pattern does not like me even though I think its beautiful,  the last picture shows my first attempt,  in Lizbeth Blue River Glades in no 40 thread.

First attempt at Papillon

I hope you are having a nice weekend and enjoying the sunshine,  until we meet again take care.
                       Hugs
                    Margaret

Commissioned card - Embroidered Twins

 Hi,

This is the commissioned card I was asked to make at the end of July,  the twins were not born then but I made it as far I could,  then my customer fell off the face of the earth so to speak.  
A week ago I re-listed on etsy to see if I could sell it,  one week later my customer was back and still wanting the card,   It is now finished and winging its way across the pond,   So now I can show you.

Gosh its been a long time since I put a card on my blog,  its embroidered  with pink, blue and gold metallic thread,   I use the outlines for the cradles from a peel off sheet,   and then stitched them on some oil based card that shines different colours in the light. 
 Placed them on a rainbow paper and then stitched around the outside with gold metallic thread.

The card is an 8 by 8 square,  scalloped edged.


There are hours of work in this card,  I was so upset with all the work I put in and then thought it was not going to sell.  
Oh well all ends well in the end. 
I hope she likes it when it arrives.


Have a nice weekend and take care
                     Hugs
                 Margaret

I love Yarn Day- 12th October, 2012

 Hi,
Today is Love Yarn Day,  and here is my lastest items that I have 
knitted,  and Oh boy did this yarn test me,   Its been a pain so much so that Vernon said throw the ball away.   But in the end I won the war of the ball so to speak and here they are.
These booties did not start out as booties,  I saw this ball in the wool shop in Shepton Mallet.  Lovely I thought, (not what I think now)  I took it to Crete and started a baby's jacket,   I got half way and found I did not have enough wool,  so when I got home I asked Mike do you have anymore,  oh he is so good,  he asked the rep and he found two balls.  Brilliant only when I knitted the sleeves I found the dye did not match the rest of the jacket.  What is it they say match the number before your knit,   well I thought I had,   I should have known better how many years have I been knitting and I missed the golden rule,   naughty girl.    So I unpicked the whole jacket minus the sleeves and re-knitted the booties and mittens in Rhodes.  Only the mittens pattern I took with me was for premature babies so they were tiny and booties for 0 to 6 months,   Had another go so here they are finally one pair of mittens and booties for 0 to 6 months.   They are in my Esty shop.  (Please sell I am fed up with them)

This is the jacket I finished it last night,  I forgot to get the buttons on saturday buts its finished,   so when I have washed it and put the buttons on, this will go into my esty shop.
I now hate this wool and I have one ball of blue,  yep I bought pink and blue,  I am going to put a plain colour with the blue and hopefully make a  jacket for a boy,  thats the plan,   but you never know with this wool that really might end up in the bin if its as much a pain as the pink.
The Yarn I have been playing with is Robin Jelli Been double knitting,  I think they have discontinued it,   Robin is good wool but I did get really fed up with it.   Usually I don't have much trouble with knitting all I can say is watch this space and I will let you know how I get on.
Hope you are having a good day.
                          Hugs
                       Margaret

I Love Yarn Day, 12th October 2012

Hi

I had an e-mail over the weekend announcing I love Yarn Day,  on the 12th October,  well I have never heard of it before,  perhaps something new who knows.   Anyway I will try to bring you something I have been working on in Yarn on the 12th.  (Its been a nightmare wool Vernon keeps saying throw the ball away but its so near finishing it would be a shame).

This is the Announcement from Lion Wools.

Announcing I Love Yarn Day

Celebrate your love of yarn on I Love Yarn Day!Wear your knit or crochet projects, teach someone to yarn craft, throw a crafting party...

There are so many ways you can participate!

Heres the challenge,   its over to you what will you share on the 12th October.
For more information here is the link

                           Hugs

                         Margaret

Holiday Tatting 20/25

 

Hi,

Today I thought I would show you some of my holiday tatting,   I have already shown you Diane's Doodad challenge which I tatted on holiday,  so this is the rest,   above is a selection of snowflakes and angels which I asked to tat for the Nursing Home Mother lives in,   They saw my snowflakes on my table at the summer fair and they asked for a selection for their christmas decorations.  They are from Anna magazine December 1991,  there are three SSSR angels by Anne Bruvold link.  and also three 3-Dimensional Angels by Katie Johnson which I did when I came home here is the  link which I have adapted the pattern to stand rather than glue the skirt to the body which I don't like,  so by adding two picots to the body I can attached the skirt. All were tatted in Lizbeth No 20 white.

I also tried this lovely pattern which I saw on a blog before I went away unfortunately I can't remember which blog but they were lovely with beads, so if you are reading this my apologies    Just to try the pattern and I did not take a lot of beads with me I did the pattern without.   Its Tatted Daisy by Mrs W.M. Odum.  I will be doing this one again with beads and plan to make them into pendants.
To find the pattern link   I used Lizbeth no 20 Summer Fun.

I also made this bookmark for a Friend whose birthday was when we returned,   I used Oren Bayan Perle 8,  I saw these in a shop in Rhodes and brought a load of different colours,   this is a mixture pink and I love the colours,  its a bit soft but has a lovely shine.  I brought so much that the shop owner gave me a free ball of red/gold Altin Basak Thread for my christmas.   I think he was rather amused on one of my visits yes I made several visits to the shop,   when I told him I could pack my husbands suitcase with thread from his shop and leave vernons clothes behind........  Vernon laughed but I don't think he would have be amused.  All in all I spent a lot of euros on thread and I have checked the prices since I got home and I did save a fair bit,  I have also found I can get some more from www.tatting.co.uk,   The pattern yes its Flowering Quatrain Bookmark by Joelle link
This finishes my holiday postings.  I hope you have enjoyed them.
Until we meet again take care
              Hugs
          Margaret

Lace Mat Tat Along Challenge round Three

Hi,

We woke to a lovely rainbow across the back of the garden with the sky as black as coal in the background   after more rain,   the sun is now shining but with rain to more to come,  its a windy day with the leaves starting to turn Autumn is here,  and winter is not far away.

Today I bring you round three of the tat along which Jon started. I have not changed colour or thread its still Lizbeth no 20 Scottish Thistle.   It was an easy round with long chains,  but the final round does not look so easy.  I still have the ends to sew in but I have decided to keep the mat for myself,  its ages since I did a mat and I love the colouring.

I went to the hospital yesterday and they are arranging a CT scan,   and took a sample but they have said its not cancer,  cancer according to this doctor is not painful until it gets into the last stages.  I am still in a lot of pain and not managing to do a lot,  I have not felt like making any cards which I want to do, lets put this way the heart is willing but the body says forget it,  I am missing doing the Sunday CD challenge,   for the last two weeks I have printed out the image and thats it they are still sitting on the table looking at me.  One thing with Vernon now retired and at home he is able to do most things for me.

Hope you are having a good day,  take care

                        Hugs

                    Margaret

Ice Cream............. anyone

Hi,

Knowing how many of you like Ice Cream,   I saw this lovely display in Rhodes Old Town,  I hope you can see the pictures OK,   all the different sorts had faces on the dishes,   the strawberry one was my favourite with real strawberries for eyes.  I just had to take a picture for you to share.

 Close Up.


Enjoy...........................




Hope you are keeping well,  when this is published I will be on my way to the Hospital hopefully they will give me the results to the scan.
                             Hugs
                  Margaret

The Old Town of Rhodes

Hi,

This is a selection of pictures from the old town,  I am going to let you wander down the page and enjoy the narrow street and shops that make up this walled town,   It has now been declared a World Heritage Monument by UNESCO.    There's a lot of history to this town  from the Greek Mythology,  to the Romans and then to the Knights of St John who established themselves in Rhodes in 1309,   the Knights renovated, strengthened and extended the Byzantine walls and made Rhodes the capital of their idiomorphic but important state.  This was rudely interrupted in 1522 when after a five month siege the island fell into the hands of the Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent,   that lasted for 390 years.  After the Greek Revolution of 1821 and the declaration of the new Greek State Rhodes remained under Turkish yoke until 1912,  when the Italians captured the island.  The Italians held the island until the defeat of the Axis powers during the Second World War when Rhodes was finally united with Greece.   (this information came from the Tourist guild to Rhodes) My history is not that good.

 We saw this growing in a little plot and we have no idea what it is?   but the plant was climb over the trees with this hanging,   there was some more higher up in the trees and it looks like a vegetable.

 This little square,  somewhere with a bit of shade for us to sit for a while, I was not feeling well on this day so a sit in the shade was welcome,   the shop keeper from the shop behind the tree spoke to me and told me it was 35c,  there was no wind and it felt really hot that day.

These Hibiscus were flowering in the little square,  there was some white bushes and these pink ones,  it was really colourful. Every so often there are little places of trees and plants growing.  

 This gate went out into a shady walkway where artist where painting and the rabbit see picture below was,   the walkway continued passed the grand Masters Palace,   and out to the D'Amboise Gate.

The Rabbit,  see last post,  yesterday.

 Wall of the Grand Masters Palace with the cannons sticking out,  I hope you can see them,  there's one just above the palm tree

Grand Masters Palace.

 The moat in between the gates.

The other side of Moat from the walk way between the gates.








Well I hope you enjoyed your walk through the Old Town,   this is just some of the pictures,   I could have taken a lot more.
That concludes my visit to Rhodes.   This was our second visit,  there is something about Rhodes that just draws you back.   I would recommend Rhodes as a place to visit.
Until we meet again,  Take care
                    Hugs
                 Margaret