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All the photographs have been taken by myself including those of holiday.

Tuesday 28 February 2012

The Sunday CD Challenge - Recycling

Hi,

Another dull day with some drizzle again today here in Somerset, where has the sun gone, funny they say we might get some sunshine and we get cloud, although the tempurature is quite mild around 10 to 11 degrees. The weather forecasters can never get the weather right.

Today I am showing my card for the Sunday CD Challenge, link here this week its Recycling. I expect you are wondering what I used for the recycling bit, well let me tell you first that the card is shaped into a point, and mark the lines using the Hougie board, then I used the Royal Horticultural Society Collection Cd by Joanna Sheen, the image is on Disc one and is one of Caroline Applebee pictures. I used her lily image and matted it on a gold card with the corners rounded and backing papers to match. The daisies are from a birthday card which was sent to me last year from a friend. Now for the best part of recycling is the lace, I had an old pair of knickers, knickers I hear you say, yes they were clean and I cut the lace panel out of the front lace part, I might add they were from Marks and Spencer. The ribbon is from stock.






I hope you like my card, I will be away for a few days, so I hope you have a good week and see you soon.

Until we meet away in blog land Take Care

Hugs

Margaret

Friday 24 February 2012

Knitted Butterflies

Hi,
Its another dull day in Somerset, where has the sun gone, the snowdrops and crocuses are out so spring is not far around the corner.
Today I am showing these knitted butterflies, they come from the book called 75 Birds, Butterflies and Beautiful Beasties to Knit and Crochet by Lesley Stanfield
I have used different double knitting wools in lots of colours and brown wool for the edges and bodies.
Although I like the patterns in this book I have one complaint, the person who wrote the book made up her own abbreviations which can throw you when knitting the patterns, I have been knitting since I was three so there's not a lot patterns i have not done. Well knitting patterns have been around just as long and there are a lot of abbreviations in knitting but never have I had to keep looking at the page with there meanings as I have with this book. I love the German patterns they are done on graph and once you have done one they are easy to master.
I hope you like my butterflies, I am also doing some knitted squares at the moment towards a new blanket for Mother, I found a lot of knitted squares in her bungalow so I thought by making a few more it would be nice to use them for a blanket for her knees, when its finished I will show you, it will take a few weeks to finish with the border as well.
I hope you have a lovely weekend, until we meet again take care.
Hugs
Margaret

Monday 20 February 2012

The CD Sunday Challenge - Wings and Legs

Hi,
Its quite mild today and they say its going to get even milder this week, what a funny month February has been. I hope we don't get snow next week as we are going away for a few days towards the end of the week.
I am sick of this bug, I have had it for a week and feel absolutely weak and tried, I still have the pains in my stomach and feel as if I have a cold now, the cough never seems to get any better. Anyway enough of me today I am showing you this weeks challenge card for the CD Sunday challenge which this week is Wings and legs. link here

This beautiful image comes from the Joanna Sheen's Cd Enchanted Dreams, its not one I have used before but I love the way the butterflies are pulling her along on a flower. I put the image on a blue card and punched the corners twice, once with one that's makes a slit for the corners to slid into and then the rounder corner punch. I put the multi colour peel off butterflies onto acetate and cut them out and stuck them together so the large butterfly has three layers, and the one at the bottom has two layers. The background paper I wanted to do something different so I folded it and made pleats for a change, the background paper is the one that goes with the image on the CD
I finished off the card with a blue ribbon from the Joanna Sheen online shop and silver peel offs.
I hope where ever you are you are keeping well and until we meet again take care
Hugs
Margaret

Friday 17 February 2012

A tribute to Gina

Hi,
There was a request to put a piece of tatting on the blogs today in tribute to Gina (The Tatting Goddess) who died last Monday.
Well here is my piece, its the first time I have done this pattern, it strange the first piece never looks its best and its a long time since I did netting.
The pattern is one of Gina's Netted Hearts, its not my best piece of tatting and it needs blocking but at the moment I am suffering from a bug and was sent into hospital last Sunday night for a few hours, whatever the bug is its really taken its toll on me so please excuse my tatting. I wanted to do a piece in honor of Gina. I never meet her and I only found her blog last year but she gave a lot of inspiration to every tatter around the world.
My thoughts are with her family at this sad time.
Here is a link to her blog
May you rest in peace and tat with the angels, and if they can't tat I am sure she will teach them. Margaret

Wednesday 15 February 2012

A very sad day in Tat land



Hi,

I was very sorry to hear that Gina the Tatting Goddess ( link to her blog here) has passing away last Monday.

I only discovered her blog last year, and I never meet her but she was part of the world wide tatting community and therefore we are all sad at her passing.

I hope she is tatting with the angels. My thoughts ate with her family and close friends

Margaret

Saturday 11 February 2012

Playing with Mary's Butterfly

Hi
Do you remember Mary's butterfly, pictured here in various colours well I have been playing with the pattern, I thought it would make a nice pendant.
So I stated to play yes I could tat a round without beads then I thought I would try some pearls, but the pearls proved to be very heavy, so I thought I would try a lighter bead..............


Close up with the pearls, I still think it looks lovely but its very heavy in weight.



This is the lighter bead, only its went a bit wobbly, I think I made a loop too big somewhere, the piece looks OK and worked out how I thought it would, yes OK a bit wobbly but I am still not happy with it, so I will be playing with it a bit more, I think the idea works just getting the right beads.

I still think the pearls make a better looking pendant perhaps every other ring with a pearl would take some of the weight off it. What do you think?

The thread I used for both was Lizbeth no 20 in white and Grape Pizzaz.

Any ideas will be gratefully received.
Just one last thing I found that Janette left a late comment with the guess on the TIAS so I will be making one for her, I have your address Janette but what colour would you like.
Until we meet again I hope you are keeping well, warm and staying safe in this cold weather.

Hugs

Margaret

Friday 10 February 2012

TIAS Day 12 It's Finished

Hi,

I hope you are warm, its a very cold day we woke up to snow, yes we are white again but not as much as last time, its slowing melting so hopefully it will go by the end of the day.

Today is the end of the TIAS (tat it as seen) so now I can reveal what it is, oh boy I have had a laugh over the last few days, I really thought you would all get it and I would be making this animal for so many of you but I am sorry to say only one person got it. I am happy to say Sue won so will Sue please e-mail me with her address and what her favorite colour is.

I wanted to find a picture of a mountain but this is all I could find, I really wanted to say High on hill, a lonely Goat herd, So have you got it................. Its a Goat.


Here's a picture of him on his own, I have to say that my Sister in law Sheila got it a few days ago so she will be getting one.

I hope you are keeping warm and safe in this cold weather and look forward to seeing you again soon in blogland.



Take Care

Hugs

Margaret

Thursday 9 February 2012

The CD Sunday Challenge - A La Mode

Hi,
Today I bring you my card for the Sunday CD Challenge link here this week its A La Mode, I was not sure about what to do with this challenge. I used a blank white scalloped card and in the end I used Robert Addams Roses CD, for the backing paper and the pink rose ( I think its the wrong shade of pink) I only used part of the rose decoupage so I can make another card with the remaining pieces. I used the shoe from a pack of cards in the shape of shoe, I cut one in half and used just one side. The feathers I had in my craft box, the pale pink ribbon I placed under the ribbon roses top and bottom of the shoe, place a doily under the shoe for the lace effect and then used the heart ribbon and cut into pieces putting a heart on the roses and at the top where I put Mother for the wording, I thought it would make a nice mothers day card. This heart ribbon I found in a craft shop its brilliant you don't need to use a lot and its cuts into little hearts so my few meters is going a long way. I finished off the shoe and the card with gold peel offs.
Its not my usual card but its nice to try something different for a change.

Until we meet again take care and keep warm.
Hugs
Margaret

Wednesday 8 February 2012

TIAS day 11

Hi,
Another freezing cold day here, the temperature has not gone above freezing all day.

Day 11 of the TIAS (tat it as seen) only one more day to go, I am sure you must know now what it is. So far I have had guesses of a Dog, Kangaroo, rabbit, turtle and a bird, I am sorry but your wrong. Would you like another guess, I promise to make one for anyone who gets it right.

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

Hugs

Margaret

Sunday 5 February 2012

TIAS Day 9 and Day 10

Hi,
The snow we had yesterday has melted away during the first part of the night but when we woke up this morning it was a skating rink outside and still very cold. It been below freezing all week. No way would I go outside in the garden to feed my wild birds, I know where I would have ended up, Vernon put the food out and checked the water a little later in the morning. Its still wet outside and if it freezes again tonight its will be very icy at least we don't have the snow and cold temperatures that the rest of Europe have at the moment.
Today I am showing you Day 9 of the TIAS its a bit late above, as so many of us have guessed what it is Jane published day 10 today as pictured below. Day 11 will be published on Tuesday and then Day 12 on Thursday. Now I think you might have guessed what it is, so if you leave a comment with your guess, who ever guesses what it is, I will make you one and send it to you.

I hope where ever you are you are keeping warm and staying safe. In this bad weather home is the best place.
Until we meet again take care.
Hugs
Margaret

Thursday 2 February 2012

Day 8 and the Winter Tatting Exchange

Hi,
Its is bitterly cold again today, no more snow but we had a hard frost last night and the temperature has not gone above freezing all day. Its going to be another hard frost tonight and we might have some snow at the weekend. I really want to get Mother bungalow cleared now, we are nearly finished and it should be all done by the end of next week.
Today I am showing you Day 8 of the TIAS (Tat it as seen) now do you have any ideas yet, I have but I am not telling, I think it might be an animal.

This is what came though my letter box yesterday, I joined the Winter Tatting Exchange on "Intatters" back in late September, I know I sent mine late due to the problems and not having a great deal of time, I have not heard if the person has received it yet so I will post it if and when I have heard. Anyway this parcel arrived from the USA, from nctatter she sent a snowflake, a Christmas card, a skein of beautiful hand dyed thread, a packet of Valentine sweets, 2 glittery Easter eggs, and a notepad. On the note it said she wanted to send something for 3 holidays. It was a nice surprise, I thought it was lost in the post, but it arrived.
A close up of the snowflake, the white middle and lovely colouring around the outside, very different from the usual plain white. It was shuttle tatted in Lizbeth thread, sorry I don't know which one she used.
I hope you are keeping warm, stay safe and until we meet again take care.

Hugs

Margaret