♥Gina♥

I'm not sure that I truly have the words to write this post or give justice to the grief and sadness that so many people from all around the world are feeling right now, but silence would only feed my own sadness.


I wish that I could say that I was closer to Gina -I always hoped to be, but I knew her through comments and e-mails.  Her comments, encouragement, and tips were always a great comfort to me and made me feel like more of the tatting community.  You see, I have this list in my head of 'tatting celebrities' --people that I admire and am awed by, people I am afraid to approach because I know they are far above my station in Tat Land.  Gina was high on that list and it always felt surreal to see her caring about anything I'd have to say.  


Some people forget that, or fail to recognize at all, that there are real people at the other end of our computer screens.  Gina knew that.  I do too.  This poem is old and badly written, but I feel like it's appropriate today:

Online Friend

Oh! How quickly my icy heart does melt

Whenever the warmth of friendship is felt!

Finding myself within another's heart,

To my soul, they become a vital part!

With a few words and a simple smile,

a friendship can cross many a mile!

For though you are a name without a face,

Within my heart, you have a special place!

And though we may live on and never meet,

In my heart, you will always have first seat,

For I know that you will always be true,

And that is one reason why I love you!

Our words, unspoken, but typed full-speed,

Contain a voice, though it is only keyed.

And though the tone may be a little off,

At the feelings, no one could ever scoff!

Through wires and words a friendship was born,

And, silently, a sacred pact was sworn,

A pact declaring we shall always be

a part of one another's family!

                                   -Stephanie Grace

                                                          (10/13/2008; 10 syllables per line; aabb).

Gina was more than just a name without a face --on the contrary, every picture that I've seen of her has made me smile.  Her energy and joy --her sparkle, comes through in each and every one and it's contagious!  She was more than those pictures too.  She was ...Gina.  I can't think of a better way to describe her.


Even beyond tatting, she was a continual inspiration to me.  It seems like everything she created left me awed --and a wee jealous. *blushes*  She was more than just a Tatting Goddess; she was a creative goddess, an artist, a beautiful role model, and a soul to be be admired and remembered throughout the ages.  How many people can ever touch as many people in as many different corners of the world as Gina did and will continue to do through her words and works and our memories?  


I drooled over so many of her shared creations and thought, 'I could never do that!'.  I know Gina would argue with me about that and give me a push to TRY.  Well, Gina, I started this year saying that I would learn RPL because I was so in love with your creations and I think I will --and, if I can do it, I know that I will think of you with every motion of the thread and will have you to thank for every smile (and frustration) that comes with learning the craft. 


Thank you, Gina, for all that you gave to this world and, most of all, for allowing me to call you a part of mine.  You will be missed more than words can say, but remembered longer than you could have imagined.  We will all be sharing our memories of you throughout our lives in such admiration and love that your memory will pass from one generation to the next and the next and... You get the point.  From your contagious love of art to your contagious smile, there was never any space left to doubt your goddess status --and there never will be!


Rest in Peace, Gina.  


My heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.  She touched so many lives in her time and has truly left a legacy of art, laughter, smiles, tatting, and through and through beauty!  


I'm going to go have a good cry now.  Love and happy tatting to all.


♥,
Stephanie Grace

Relax... Just do it...

I was up by five o'clock in the morning yesterday.  Don't ask me why; I just couldn't go back to sleep.

You'd think that would indicate that I got a lot done.  On the contrary, it left me lethargic and quite cranky all day long.  It probably didn't help that the first thing I did in the morning was untat the split ring I'd messed up the night before in my TIAS project --very discouraging.

So, I decided to tat one of those Heritage crosses that I've tatted over twenty times.  Of course, the shuttle I'd wound way too much thread on for something else emptied before I even finished the first portion of it.  That led to me doing a few stitches of finger tatting, just to try it, and then I moved on with my life. 

At that point, I was hoping sitting on the couch rather than pouting in bed, would make me sleepy enough to snooze.  Instead, I saw this cross sitting beside me: (LizBeth, Country Side, Size 20).

The next few hours of my life were spent tatting and untatting to create another cross, this one with shuttle and ball:

 I chose LizBeth Carousel and the supposedly matching Antique Blue Med because I figured that I'd mess it all up and I don't mind 'wasting' Carousel.  Surprising, I actually completed the cross!  

The Pattern is Gina B's Basic Ring-Chain Cross Bookmark .

I learned plenty while tatting this cross, including that I could be just as relaxed by and while tatting with the shuttle as I am with the needle.  

Now, I just need to start learning how much thread I should put on the shuttle for project (how it's estimated, etc...).  Methinks I'll try a few patterns which include the amount to be wound. 


Love and Happy Tatting to all!


♥,
Stephanie Grace

I Blame Jane.

While learning tatting, I've learned that it's a continual learning process.  Perhaps we like it so much because it's a constant challenge or because we're always learning something new.  Either way, The Wonderful Jane mentioned me comparing my experiences with needle and shuttle in the current TIAS in an e-mail and it led me to this...

Adventures of a Self-Indulgent Mock Tatter 

While I am still learning both methods (are we ever truly done learning?) and especially just learning shuttle tatting, I've decided to make a new blog to note the differences and hopefully help beginners by sharing what I wish I would have been told when I was starting out.  Those that have or have had a relative that tats or tatted may find it of little use, but that wasn't the case for me so I know that there must be others in the same situation.  With all the changes this world has undergone in the past few decades (and especially centuries), less and less is handed down in such a way.  We may not have blood ties, but that doesn't mean we can't be family; even if you've only been tatting for a day, please, go visit my new blog and let's share our experiences.  If you've been tatting from the womb, then you should be there to guide our trembling hands! ;-)

Okay, that's enough from me for today (or is it?).  I'm going to debate the next entry for the new blog... and hope that I don't wake up to a bunch of tatters outside of door with pitchforks and torches!

Love and Happy Tatting to all!

♥,

Stephanie Grace

TIAS (Finally, pictures!)

My scanner is working again ... ya know, for now.  Hopefully, when I turn it off it won't make me go through all sorts of stuff again to make it cooperate...

Anywho, I'm enjoying being a part of TIAS this time.  I really don't know why I didn't participate before now.  It's challenging, especially since this is the first time I'm doing more than just playing around with the shuttles.  Some random thoughts:

• SCMRs bite!  I don't know why they don't like me and my needle, but they don't.  They just don't.  And I don't like them either, so there! :-P
• SCMRs aren't all that bad!  Something that has rarely worked for me in my nearly two years of needle tatting worked fine for me on my second try with the shuttles.  Go figure.
• Split Rings are so simple!  With needles, the worst part about SRs is having to un-thread and re-thread the needle.  Other than that, they're simple and just like any other ring.
• Split Rings bite!  Okay, so maybe not right now, but by golly did they make me want to throw a full-on tantrum!  Something so simple with the needle led to much cussing, un-tatting, and YouTube video watching.  I found three different ways to do it.  Dead Spider rocks.  If you're new to shuttle tatting, don't listen to any instructions that don't have you flip your hand up like a dead spider!  I can't say it made it work for me the first time, but it came together eventually.  SRs and I aren't best friends, but we managed to make nice-nice.

Now, for the pictures.  Both are done in LizBeth threads, size 20.

The one on the left is light turquoise and some thread with spring in the title, I think.  (I'm too lazy to get and grab the color card.)  The one on the right is Pink Cocoa (that I constantly want to call Pink Mocha) and is done with a needle.  It seems so bulky in comparison!  (Hmm.. will this experience turn me against my needles?  I think not, but I'm going to love if I can get to a point where I can choose which to use depending upon the pattern...). 


Of course, when you charge right into something instead of actually learning what you're doing beforehand, there's got to be a casualty, right?

That was my first attempt with the shuttles.  Don't ask me what happened... You know full well thread has a mind of its own! ;-)


Love and happy tatting to all!


♥,
Stephanie Grace

TIAS Day 2 (No pictures yet)

My computer is finally giving a scan option, so I'll catch up with all of that after I tackle some of my To Do list (which may or may not include rearranging my bedroom...).  

Anywho, Jane posted Day 2 so I jumped on that right after my tea (okay, during).  While this isn't a major thing to share, the decision I made yesterday might be... I decided to climb out on a limp (the one without a net under it) and do the TIAS twice --one with needle and one with shuttles!  My rings still aren't closing right on the shuttle and I'm not very neat yet, but I figured this would be great practice and, hopefully, by the end I'll be better.  :-)  It's a good theory, right?

Okay, going to finish watching Millionaire and then tackle the chores.  I'll be back later with some pictures --Or it'll be the first thing I do tomorrow! :-*

Love and happy tatting to all!

♥,
Stephanie Grace

TIAS (No Pictures)

No pictures, but Day One got tatted yesterday --ya know, once I got all happy because I realized that it was the tenth ... and the realized I lost a day somewhere!  LOL.. Ooops.

Love and happy tatting to all!

♥,
Stephanie Grace

Printer/Scanner hates me!

I was doin' pretty good with the whole new post each morning thing, right?  I thought so.  Then, my stinkin' printer/scanner decided that it no longer wanted to let me print or scan through WiFi.  Then, it didn't want to connect via USB to my desktop.  

Without pictures, I figured there was no point in a post, but how am I supposed to get used to a schedule if I don't go through the motions, right? 

Well, yesterday, I tried using the webcam.  Note that I haven't used one in probably ten years (at least), didn't play with settings, and am an incredibly shaky person.  

On Saturday, I received my copy of Ms. Marilee Rockley's Tatted Jewelry!  (Did I mention she SIGNED it? Eeee!!!).  I was in the middle of doing something and wouldn't let myself open it until I finished --good idea because I got lost for several hours after I ripped open the envelope!  

I dove right in and started making things right away.  Here are the three.  

These are "Keyed Up" on page 23 done in LizBeth 662 and 605, both include size 11/0 Czech glass seed beads.
(The green one that you see half of is in 144).

This one is in Color 109 --and wanted to jump off of the paper and lid that I'd laid it on for the picture! LOL. 


Those that have the book may notice that I omitted the top ring.  Personally, I like how they look better without it --until a jump ring is added.  Oops.  I knew it was there for a reason! LOL.  I already have more of these to shows and I don't think I'll be stopped with this pattern any time soon.  Perhaps because, when ordering the book, I was drawn to this pattern and almost ordered it at the same time in PDF format?


Well, hopefully I'll get the stupid printer/scanner (Stephanie, insulting it won't get it to work for you...) to work for me later --And actually scan at the right size which has long been a problem for me.  It appears, though, that I'm not the only one with this problem.  I'm thinking of blaming Epson, but I'd rather blame Windows. 


Enough rambling... If I want to add that to my list, I need to get started like yesterday! ;-)


Love and happy tatting to all!


♥,
Stephanie Grace