Lydie-Bug Ornament

This week a friend told me that her granddaughter has cerebral cancer. She's only 1 year old and the cutest baby I have seen. I cried so much for such tragedy. The baby, even at her young age is a true warrior. You can read her story and see her precious photos here: CaringBridge / lydianichols / Welcome



Inspired by her I made this ornament. I call it Lydie-Bug, that's her nickname. If you can please add her and her parents on your prayers, meditations or duahs.


You can find the pattern on my eSnips

Resplandecent Star

I haven't design in awhile but I need to make something special for the Online Frivolite Class that was about working with buttons and sequins. So I came with a "lighter" version of another star I made for my Frivolite newsletter. I really love this one. It sparkles a lot more than the photo shows. Mom also love it and want to decorate her Xmas tree with these. I think this time I'll make her the set because she separate the silver sequins from the big mess bag of sequins. lol The pattern for this one is already posted in Spanish on the http://frivolite.org website if you want to get it right now. But if you want to wait to get it in English it will be post on my site later.

Estrella Resplandeciente

Inspiration

Last night was a painful and awful one because I had to go to the hospital for a Polysomnography (Sleep Disorder Studio). Gosh, they put cables everywhere and I sleep mostly on my stomach and for the test I had to sleep on my back. Then my right arm started to hurt as hell. So when I arrived home I couldn't do nothing but sleep a nap. *pft* A 6 hours nap! lol When I woke up mom arrived from work and brought me a little package. Inside was an order from Foxy Findings. Gorgeous! This made my day a better one. I got 2 strands of 16" of 8mm pearls and 2 tubes of 11 seed beads (chocolate and holiday red), the wedding ice tube was a prize I won from a Twitter Contest. If you have Twitter follow FoxyFindings. It's well worth! I have won already 3 prizes, this is the 1st one in arrive.



So after my brain was well awake I was inspired to do this. It's a small pendant with a pearl surrounded by red beads. Isn't it cool?


















I tried here to take a close up of the pearl. But my camera doesn't take macros. But I think it's pretty close to see that there are four strands of beads around the pearl. I will write the pattern tomorrow. I haven't share a pattern since my BD. So this will be at my web site later on the weekend.

Decorated Canvas Tote

I'm still in the long road of recovery and healing, but a few days ago there was enough "sunshine" for me to work in this canvas tote. I got 3 of them at a local fabric/crafts/etc shop. They were super cheap and came with a set of fabric markers and 2 stampers (leaves and a flower). I got 3 of them because as soon as I saw them, they screamed decorate me!

I stamped the leaves and paint them witht he markes and draw some stems. Then I tatted some decorated buttons that look like flowers and added a cute button butterfly.

I think it needs something else, but I can't get what is missing. May be some grass? Or more butterflies? Could you help me with ideas?

Also I got a cool set of 20 colors of Sharpies (permanent markers). They are supper cool! I have been painting the clear buttons I got a couple of months ago and also painting my tatting. Yes, painting already finished tatted items. This opens a great creative window. Can you imagine that you need something in an especific color and you don't have time or the money to buy the thread or to dye it. Then paint it with a Sharpie! lol

Here I used white thread for the rings and pink for the chains. I painted the picots. The colors bleed a little because I wanted them to be very dark. But I love the way it looks!!! The button was also painted with the Sharpies.

What do you do when life gives you buttons?

Yesterday was "payday" and I told mom to get some canvas totes we saw a couple of weeks ago for $3.99 with markers and stamps to decorate and some bags of buttons. I saw this cute bags with tons and tons of buttons. Gosh! All of them shiny and pretty. Who can resist them? Not me, that's for sure! Each bag have over 300 buttons of all shapes, colors, sizes; with 2 or 4 holes and some with shanks. I got a pastel-tone bag and a clear tone bag. Aren't they amazing! So I went happy with my booty home. How much I spent in buttons? Ahem... Just a mere $12. But I deserve this treat. Buttons make me happy. lol Okay, now I'm being silly. So now... What to do with so many buttons?



Make flowers, of course! The brown caramel buttons are from a previous pattern I made. The 2 variegated ones and the pink are designs I made last night. The browns are for a t-shirt mom wants to decorate (still need to make 7 more) and the other 3 are going to decorate one of the canvas tote bags that I bought yesterday. I already paint one with the leaves and stems. Just need to make 2 or 3 more and sew them. I think I can finish one tonight and will take a photo.



Patterns for the flowers will come soon. I'm also making some butterflies. A few of patterns are on my web site.

Extreme Tatters Round Robin - Camille

I signed to the Extreme Round Robin a while ago. I forgot to post about it. But here is what I made for Camille, who is my 1st partner.


This is a button I made when I was with the button fever, thanks to Jane. lol The pattern will be available later. The thread looks pink but I think it's the reflection from the flash. It's white, with silver bugles and pink glass seed beads. I love this pattern. Pretty quick to do too.


This one is a mini doily I called "Faerie's Ring". I need to re-tat this one for the upcoming book of "Wings for Hope". If you notice the outer repetition looks like little faeries. I'm thinking in using different colors to "pop" more the design. So now you have a little preview of the upcoming book. ;-)

Here is the photo of everything I sent to Camille.

Homework and Marriage

Well, it looks like I haven't post in a few days. I have been so tire lately. I guess those sleepless night caught up with me. *sigh* But today I decided to tat for awhile.


These are the 2 versions of the motif I made for Lesson 3 of Design-Tat. On the left the 1st version I made and on the right the improved and beaded version. It lays much better than the one on the left, which ruffles a little. I made a diagram and I need to write the notation for Lesson 4. Probably will post it tomorrow morning.

This is my homework from last Monday's class. I will make the other motifs too, but I like this one so much that was the 1st I made. I added beads in every picot. :-)


This last photo is not tatting related (except for the edging in the scarf) but I wanted to share it with you. This was our wedding day. Sorry but this is the only one we have and almost got arrested for it! lol You see, you can't take photos inside the Ministry building or in the nearby. But we were so happy that we took this one. The police forgave us. When you marry here in Egypt in the Ministry, they make 5 copies of the paper. On each one they put a photo of the couple and we have to fingerprint each photo. After that you spent the happy day with your thumb stained blueish-purple. lol So here we are showing with pride our stained thumbs, symbol that at last we are married. :-)

OMG! I'm getting marry tomorrow!!!

Sounds weird but yes. Hubby and I are getting marry tomorrow. :-) We have been married only by Imam (Muslim minister) for 3 years and we could legalize the marriage until now for several problems. This morning hubby called me (he spent last night at work) and asked me how I was feeling and that tomorrow we were going out. It was suspicious because I know we don't have money to go out, so I asked and asked until he answered. "Habibti (darling in Arabic) we are marrying tomorrow". Yay!!! I woke up very ill this morning but just listening to these words resolved everything and felt better.

So I had to hurry and make the headscarf I bought for the "wedding" day. I was thinking to make it more adorned but just having a day to make it, I decided to make a simple edging, add beads and sequins and Voila!


Here is a snap shot of the scarf. It's a nice purple grape with silver threads woven. So I used another purple shade, clear seed beads and the silver big sequins I got a few weeks ago.


Here is a detail of the edging. I still need to make the pin to secure the scarf. But that will take only a few minutes. To make the decoration of the scarf (one side only) took me a little under 4 hours. Not bad, eh? Now I'll got to the Online Tatting Class.

Playing with big sequins

First I was playing with small sequins, then with beds now I returned to the sequin-mood bt this time big ones. These are part of my last loot from Cairo.


The center of these ones uses a technique by Jane Eborall that can be found in her web site. I made only 10 rings instead of the 12 that Jane made because these sequins are a little bit smaller. Then I tatted something simple round. On the center of the sequin I made a hole and added a smaller sequin with a bead in the center and tie it to the back. I'll be glueing these ones to a hair pin. Need to find first where I placed the hot glue gun. lol



Theb I mde this one. It's a very simple flower. The sequins are joined in the ring with picots between them and then tatted a chain forming petals. I like this one lot.

The inspiration came this morning as part of a headache! lol I'm not called NeedleDreams for nothing! Now I'll ply with chllenge that TotusMel placed on InTatters. See ya later!

Tatting: My Therapy

Even if I feel depress I try to tat even a small butterfly or a little project. The treatment of prednisone causes on me depression, add it to the fact that I'm Bipolar and an insomniac and you will have a not so pretty combination. So I try to keep myself busy and not think about anything else. thanks God for the wonderful husband that understand what I'm feeling and he helps me in the house and makes me smile.

So yesterday I spent the day making these adorable earrings by Jane Eborall. They work pretty fast and in 4 hours I had 2 pairs done and a pin too.


Aren't they adorable? I'll try to make the bracelet or an adaptation of the one made by Jane. I think I'll make a giveaway with a pair of them as gift. I'll see next week.

Now I'm just finishing making Sunday's Spanish tatting lesson and watching "Interview with a Vampire". The movie channel is having a mini-marathon of Vampires movies because is Friday the 13th. :-D

Some new tatted earrings

These are my latest creations. I have been playing with the new coins and beads all morning. It feels like a brainstorm. lol I place them on Etsy. A few days ago I sold the orange collar and the Oval Doily. I'm very happy for the sales and I hope they can continue. Also I'm sharing some of my Egyptian coins. :-) Go and check them out!

Look what I got!!!

After my colorful breakfast yesterday I went out with hubby. I separated around 200 LE for my "tatting fix" this month. I deserved it after a month and a half of pain and crabbiness. So after convincing hubby to go to the Al Husseiny area (on Feb 22 there was an explosion in that area) we took the buses. I was feeling in a very good mood and even took my camera to snap some views from Cairo. Love to take photos of the old buildings and surrounding area. Hubby was thinking that may be the area was still closed but no, it was full of people! You see, this is the oldest market area in Egypt. A lot of building have over 100 years, even a few over 300 years!!! But the area I like to visit is the textile area. There are streets packed to the maximun with fabrics: silks, cottons, oraganza... You name it, they got it! Also threads and beads. There's a shop that we always visit to get the threads and most of the beads.

On the top photo you can see all the loot! lol I got a lot of seed beads, some heart beads, leaves beads, 2 hanks of rayon/cotton thread and little baggies. That was in a shop. Here is a bigger photo showing the hearts and leaf beads. Aren't they gorgeous?! I wanted to get hearts in a shade of green, but the money was almost gone and I wanted to look for "coins".


After we left with the huge bag of all the pretty beads I told hubby that one day I saw a smaller shop down the road with more threads and beads and I wanted to see. Just to see. Yeah, right! ;-) I found the coins I wanted plus more! OMG! It was beads heaven! lol

You can see in the photo that it's covered from floor to top with beads bags. Each bag is like 1/2 kilo and the price is very good. I only got the little coins and some large sequins to play and make earrings.

After that we return home. Not before falling in the street 2 times. I guess my legs were weak from resting in bed for too long. But I didn't care about the fall. I was happy with my loot. :-) And hubby was more happy because he saw me smile. Isn't he the sweetest guy?

Well, time for me to play! See ya around...

Before go, just a lovely photo of Al Ahzar mosque in the sunset...

Playing with buttons

What happens when you have a box of beads and a jar of buttons like this one?


Buttons with tatting!!! I have been following Jane's adventures with her MOP (mother of pearl) buttons and her "new" way to add tatting to buttons. I must say that is very, very cute and fun!!! I understand now it's a little tricky to write the pattern because it depends on the size of the button and thread.



This flower-button I made it using a 3/4" 4-hole button, frosted green bugles and glass seed beads. There's an "E" bead on the center of the button. The color of the button is a strange green, looks more like a dark blueish olive green. The thread is black cotton perle El Beida #8. I think I have to adjust the counting a little bit on the center's rings and the joining picots. But I really like this one. I was going to continue playing but the light bulb in the room went off and hubby is not at home to change it. The light in the room is a white fluorescent one but the rest of the house is the regular yellow light and I can't tat very well with that light. So I have to wait until the morning to make more buttons.

Thanks Jane for the inspiration!!!

Very crappy day

Today is really one of those days that is better to stay in bed. I have only slept 3 hours. A sandstorm star ted early night and now is very strong. So all the flat is closed, except the small window in the bath and kitchen (they're interior windows). That means that the apartment is getting hot. We don't have AC or fans yet. *mumble, mumble* Add to that that I can't find the TV remote and this kind of TV you MUST turn it on from the remote. Anyway, with this weather probably the satellite won't work. The pain on the hip is still there, like a pesky reminder that YES I have Lupus. At least last night fever is gone. I finished a choker/necklace that I started last night and my hands feel numb. So yes, it's a crappy day for me. >-P

I'll breakfast now, take my medicines and will try to sleep.

But to finish this post with a happy thought here is a motif I tatted a few days ago and didn't post it. It's from a Spanish tatting booklet called "Maravillas en Frivolite". It's not yet done completely. I need to make a beaded tassel for it but run low on silver beads.

More little doodles

Yesterday I was in a "BEAD" mood, not bad. lol Thanks God (and the Flexeril) they ciatic pain is lessening, the bone pain too. But if I walk, after a dozen of paces it returns. So I have to walk with the walker even inside the home. At least from the bed room to the living room a few times. When cooking I have to sit also and cook siting. *sigh* But hubby have been home a few nights straigth and he cooks and do everything in the home, so I just have to tat. *VBG*

Last night, while watching a marathon of "Back to the Future" (my fav is the 3rd one) I made these pins. I didn't follow any pattern. Just happen that I got out the red thread added some beads from the tray and VOILA! They are so fun to make. I will make a few more but to attach them to hairpins and then to the shop. I opened again my Etsy. Let see if I can sell something.

Can you guess my mood?

Yep, as you can see from the photos I'm in a bead-mood. I have been making small beaded motif from the left over thread from the TIA doily. All of these will be attached to eye-pins to be use as scarf pins or just a quick brooch. For the Muslim women that use headscarf these are the latest fashion and they call them dangles. I love them too and started a mini collection of them. But none of them as the pretty tatted ones. :-) I think I'll start a line of scarf pins and place them on my shop.

All the motifs are from a Russian book called "Frivolite". Don't know who is the writer.

New pendant and earrings

After a whole day of "bad" tatting I managed to make some things. And above all in black thread! I love the look of black lace. It makes it so elegant and mysterious.


This is inspired in a design by Aga from Poland. I wanted to give the outer round a more flowery look and came with this gradual bead placement. But these beads are a little too big for what I wanted. Anyway I think it looks nice. Will repeat it again with smaller beads. The beads are from a TOHO mix I got in Walmart before coming here to Egypt. Yes, I ransack the beads and floss from the Craft Area before traveling. lol

Then I made these earrings. Also inspired by Aga. I love the design! They are like 1.5 inches. the beads are the same I used on the pendant, copper and gold (the one on the center). I'm in a mood for beaded things so will refill the shuttle and make a necklace set.

Now I have a question for those that sell tatting. Do you make and have an inventory of already made items or you make the sample and tat the item when you receive an order for it? I'm curious to know what others do. Anyway I'll be tatting and "saving" these until I return to PR, because there I'll apply for a small space on the San Juan touristic area. Also I'll apply for the Puerto Rican Cultural Institute. Just to add "fame" to my Licensed Artisan status. :-)

Finished Collar

Last night the pain worsen and hubby had to put me an injection. I was able to sleep 3 whole hours. They felt like a blessing. But then woke up at 2:30 am and couldn't sleep any more. So I decided to finish the collar. After I made it I found a way to make the clover fillings and the outer rounds in one pass. So I'll make this one again but in other color and use split rings and SCMR to make it in one pass. The motifs also can be simplify using one shuttle. Definitively is a pattern I'll repeat!

Here is a close up of the collar. I added extra beads on the bottom round. Started like a mistake but I saw it looks prettier this way so I continued it instead of repairing it. :-)

I will post it on my shop later during the day if someone is interested in buying it. The orange is not a bright one. It's more like a dark peach or like the color of an orange sorbet. The beads are clear silver-lined.

Tatting thoughts

I spend a lot of time along with my tatting. Hubby works far from home so he stays a few nights at work. Last night and this morning was one of those days that I tat a lot. Tatting is my therapy and companion. I don't know you, but when I'm tatting, specially a pattern that I know by memory, I tend to think a lot. Different things, thoughts, plans, dreams... Some times I feel like my brain is running 100 mph! lol Some times I even have to stop tatting to write down a note, idea or a quick drawing for a design.

Some of the things I thought this morning are:

1. Decided that I'm not going to use a pattern from a designer for my 40th BD souvenirs. But I'll make my own design (as I do every BD).
   
2. Also won't use HDT. Though the HDT are so beautiful I will need a huge amount of it for the BD project. So I'll be using a thread that I can find without any problem. Probably will make it with El Beida (the Egyptian thread I use).
3. I'm in the "angry" phase of the griving process about my Lupus exarcebation (sp?). Still in pain, meds don't work good and I'm angry. So, sue me!
4. I got an idea about a book to get donations and awareness about Lupus. I got the idea from a book in Annie's Attic for Breast Cancer and a blog called "Stitch Pink". The title will be "Wings for Hope". The color of Lupus awareness is purple and the symbol is a butterfly. What you think? The month was change from October to May. So that leaves me 2 months for designing, proofing and publishing the book.

I already have a few motifs designed that I can include in the book. Need to contact the LFA (Lupus Fundation of America) to get a simple "What is Lupus" for the book and to see how to establish the donation thingy with Pay Pal on my site and web shop. Probably will sell the samples also. In the last few years I have been getting more active in geting people know about Lupus. Nobody can imagine how difficult is this illness. *sigh* OK... I'm not going to start rambling about it. At least not now. ;-)

Well, those were my thoughts this morning. The photo are the motifs I have finished already for decorating my headscarf. I still need to make 6 more; 3 with pink beads and 3 with green beads. I'm thinking also in making the 1st round only for "filling" motifs and probably will make a edging too. I just need to decorate one end of the scarf because the other gets hide in the wrapping.

I will breakfast now and will take a break from this motif and tat something else. See ya later!

Also yesterday I came with this design. It's pretty simple to make but I just love the look of it with the beads.


This one was the 1st try I did. I fall in love with the design but the center space is too big. Also I added 2 beads too much and when I closed the center ring they got stuck on the begining of the ring. :-(



Here it looks better. I added small rings to the center and instead of making a center ring I did rings and chains with a bead on the core thread. Also added a few more beads to the tip of the flower. I think THIS is the motif I'll use to decorate a new headscarf that hubby got me a couple of nights ago. It's is black and it's screaming for decorations. lol I will also share the pattern of this one but a little bit later.