Queen of Broken Hearts

I decided to tat Mary Konior's "Queen of Hearts" as a gift for someone.  Since said person likes purple, I went for it.  BIG MISTAKE!  Every time I touch purple, it twists, tangles, and knots itself into submission!  I go two rings and three chains in and then the thread decided that it wanted to hate me.  I set it down and, after three days of fighting with the same knot, I think I've given up.  It means not having enough purple to finish, but I'm pretty sure I'll get over it.  I just can't get this stinkin' knot out no matter what I try.  Frustrated?  Oh yes, I am!  I'm going to give it a go in another thread, even if it's not favored colors.  I can always do purple another time.  Right?  Right.  (Not that I'll ever buy purple, but variegated with a touch of purple, sure...).  


I have to get bookmarks done and I want to work on edging the plain bath towels that fill my bathroom when my favored towels are getting washed.  I also still need to finish that bear (yes, I know I'm horrible... I'm just intimidated by it) and I finally found these really pretty bandannas that I bought a few years back to make a pillow with.  Of course, they're red and don't match... no, red matches my blue couches, right? Right.  (It's also just about the same print as my bath towels, but those are black...). 


Okay, less rambling, more tatting...  
 See y'all later!


-Stephanie Grace

How does it work?

So, I won't "sell" anything because I haven't designed it and I've gotten offers from people.  Here's the question of the week:  What if you buy a book and the pattern is from said book?  If you're not mass-marketing, but get a monetary offer from a friend to compensate for time and thread, is that okay?  

I mean, I've actually refused money offerings because the design I used was created by a member of the tatting community and the pattern was free.  I've directed them to the designs, but so many don't even know what tatting is or don't want to make it for themselves and then, if the designer doesn't have that pattern for sale... I mean, I actually feel bad for telling people, "No, you cannot buy it."  And I really can't afford to just keep tatting and giving things for free, so I'm just wondering what YOUR take is on this whole copyright situation.  

As an added note: I would NEVER offer anything for sale that I didn't design myself... I'm just talking about people asking, "How much do you want for that?"  If you make it and share a picture and someone asks, just for that one thing, and you'll only be getting, say a buck for it to cover shipping and thread, is that really so wrong?  I'm asking before doing because I hate that I have people wanting things that I just have lying around... ALSO, what if you use a free pattern for a different project?  I mean, say it's offered online for free, but you're using for embellishment of a different project, possibly a completely different medium... What then?

Yeah, yeah, me with the questions. ALWAYS.  I like to know what I can before I do anything to avoid any "bad" that could arise...  So, what are YOUR thoughts?

-Stephanie Grace

Ugh. Argh. Grr.

Have I ever mentioned that I am incredibly blonde?  Sure my hair isn't the platinum blonde of my young years anymore, but my brain is SO there!  :-/

The other day, I was tatting in my bedroom.  (I'm a good wifeypoo and opted to watch television in there so the hubby could watching television and listen to his radio in the living room... Silly me...).  I came out to go on the computer and got a bit lost.  Hubby kept complaining about my tatting stuff being all over the bed (well, it was his side...), so, in a huff, I went in, grabbed it all, and brought it back to the living room.  I MUST learn not to do things "in a huff"!  

Fast forward to the following morning.  I awake thinking, "Ow... It felt like something poked me."  I laugh it off, figuring I'm still half-dreaming (so not true that you don't feel pain in dreams --I feel it all the time --and never wake up when I actually get hurt while sleeping).  Of course, I make the same motion I made the first time... Ow! It feels like something poked me!  This time, I get up... and then I see it... A thread.  My heart sinks and I dare not touch it... but I must.  

Yup, you guessed it, I pulled the thread and, at the end, was my finest tatting needle!  :-O  It was embedded so deeply into my blanket, that, had there not been string attached, I would have had a VERY hard time getting it out...  Needless to say, it's bent beyond recognition.  I tried several ways to straighten it and, well... No such luck.  Thank God my birthday is on the third and I'll be able to get new needles!  :-D

Since that dreadful day, my tatting seems to have come to a standstill.  It's not even the needle I use most often (it's in second place, though), but, for some reason, since that happened, I just haven't sat down and really concentrated on my tatting.  :'-(  Tomorrow, I need to get reviews done over at the writing website (writing.com) since my membership runs out at the end of the month and I don't want that to happen, but I swear to tat at least SOMETHING!  I still have more cards to do, so maybe I'll work on that --but I'm so incredibly sick of butterflies and flowers right now! LOL.  I need to make bookmarks for someone, so perhaps I should try and figure that out.  I've never even completed a bookmark --Tried, but never cut enough thread. :-(  Yes, at least one bookmark tomorrow.  Maybe I'll take out the paints and cardstock and use them as well as tatting...?  Hmmm....

Well, I hope everyone out there is having a lovely day!  I know my days are getting better.  :-)  Thank God football has started!  (Okay, so only pre-season, but, still... it's football! LOL). 

-Stephanie Grace

Not Tatting Related by SO PRETTY!!!

Going with my theory that life gets better once Football starts has really changed my life!  Giants (my team) played their first preseason game last night and since then:

• I saved around $66 on an order from Snapfish, gettign 67 4x6 prints, 1 8x10 collage print, 1 8x10 print, and two photo books of 20 pages and around 95 photos all for $10.98.  Yes, happiness...
• Giants beat the Jets! (Yes, I know it's meaningless, but I still get to brag to Daddy whose a Jets fan! LOL). 
• I got an e-mail telling me that I WON a giveaway over at Fishing and Wishing!!!  I won a matted photo print from Lisa Caesar Photography!!!  I was stunned... Really, I turned into some bubbly, happy maniac at that point. LOL.  I never win such things!!!
• Got a call of warning and planning early in the day from someone who LOVES to wait until last minute to tell me things...  Yes, the Full Moon is only a few days away.  LOL.
• Got another call about something VERY good happening.  More details will come later, maybe... it's not anything to do with tatting or anything, but happiness nonetheless.  :-)
• Our finances may even be a touch better now... No, not through anything big, but we'll now make it to the end of January without too much strain (i.e. We can keep our lights and food! LOL).  

Now, what could I be posting about?  How about this: I WON from Fishing and Wishing and I want you to as well!  The latest giveaway, Framed Photo and Matching Cards, is just amazing!  The print and cards are from Blue Boat Photo and really made me want to jump through the computer and hug the woman who makes these amazing things --and of course the woman who does the giveaways.  

Just looks at Vintage Twinkle!!!  How can anyone not fall in love that image???  I WANT IT!!! LOL. 

My suggestion:  Head over to Fishing and Wishing and get yourself a chance to win this amazing offer!!!  Sure, it'll make it harder for me to win, but what are my chances of winning two such beauties in such a short span of time anyway? LOL. 

Well, that's all for now.  I may post again later, though.  I didn't tat anything today, but I did dream up something that I want to try...  ;-)

-Stephanie Grace

Glue

Another after-thought post. LOL.  When you dot your knots with glue, what do YOU use?  Also, when adding tatting to something else, do you use the same glue or a different glue?  

Thank you!!!

-Stephanie Grace

Revealed.

Since the cards that are going out in the mail tomorrow are already inside their envelopes and ready to do and this is going to a friend that doesn't tat (I thought it might, LOL), I figured I'd share with you all what I've done... :-D

I messed up with the flower on her headband... It was dark and I didn't realize that it was a different thread than what I'd used on this card.


So, here's more about it:  The tatting is done in an unknown LizBeth size 40 thread and LizBeth white size 40.  ;-)  My friend sent me a whole bunch of Cicely Mary Barker cards a few years ago.  Well, I haven't mailed stuff out like I did then (i.e. stopped pen-palling... THAT's a lost art form, not tatting!)  Anywho, when a beautiful soul sent me this thread, I immediately thought of this card... I think it matches SO well! I really could not resist putting them together.  A BIG thank you to Wanda for inspiring this and to Roni and "R" for providing the materials that made this come together.  Yeah, sure, it may not be perfect, but I actually like it! LOL.  Now, I just need to make some more and find threads to match the other cards! LOL.  :-D  (I have two more with this fairy going right now... have to tat more flowers for them, then I think I have three or four of this one.... And a bunch of others!  YAY!!!). 


Yeah, yeah, it's not much but I'm just so pleased to see my tatting being somewhat useful!  (My mom wants one like this to give to a neighbor for a thank you card...).


-Stephanie Grace

Thread?

While I have it on my mind, I have a question:  Anyone know of variegated threads which do not take forever to get from one color to the next?  I know I read something somewhere about LizBeth shortening the length between colors, but I'm curious....  With my birthday coming, I plan on getting some supplies since I'll *gasp* have a little money (I doubt that; by that time, I'm sure any money I get will be needed for a bill, but a girl can dream, can't she?).  I also need to really decide if I like 20 or 40 better, but I think it depends on what I'm doing....

Tentative list (so I don't forget):

• Notebooks (hey; it's back to school time and supplies get cheap... It's the one perk to having your birthday around Labor Day, LOL.... A "writer's" dream!
• Pens/Pencils (even though I have a million and one, I always need more).
• Glue
• More Tatting needles (so I can go ahead and bend them to the comfort of my hand via hours of tatting, LOL).
• More tatting thread; especially variegated threads.
• Black tatting thread --it's a must and I'm getting fearful on my stock! LOL.
• Green threads --sure, I'm not fond of the color, but I can't make flowers without stems and leaves forever, can I?
• One of them there plastic boxes to organize threads that are on the classic cardboard/plastic flat spools... (My mom is using one for beads that I used for beads when I was probably 6 or 7. LOL.  It has my name written on it, fading, and she's not givin' it up. LOL.)
• Cardstock.  
• Maybe a metal bookmark or two to adding tatting to?

Yeah, pretty sure that list is way above any amount of money I'll obtain, but, oh well... I'll put on my frugal hat and make it work! LOL.

So, after all that, here's a question:  As a tatter, what's your thread preference?  Do you have an absolute favorite?

-Stephanie Grace

I'm still here... I swear

I'm still here. ;-)  Just...yeah... Another sick family member (she's still in hospital... we're praying for her... I'd give more details, but this is the more private side of the family and I know I wouldn't appreciate people blogging about me without my knowledge, so I'll leave it at that.). ;-)


In tatting news:  Yes, I have been tatting.  :-D  I also learned that tatting on the beach on a breezy day is a HORRIBLE idea! LOL... Especially when a seagull (which we named Todd) decided to taunt me and set my "ornithophobia" into a frenzy. LOL.  Not fun. 


I'd love to show what I've done, but I cannot.  Not until I get two things in the mail and have the arrive at their respective homes... Then, I'll post away.  :-)  


I'm thinking, though, that I may take a break tomorrow from this "project" and do something else.  Making the same patterns over and over is starting to get boring. LOL.  Maybe I'll sit down tonight and design something else to tat tomorrow...  Just one thing different and then I'll get back to "work".  (Which isn't a lie as I was offered the possibility of selling what I'm making!  Yes, someone wants to PAY me for tatting!  I'm flabbergasted!  And, since I didn't get the pattern from a book or the internet or anything, I have no qualms with this. LOL.  This is why I need to design things myself:  So many people ask how much I would sell something for when I post a pic, but I can't sell something that someone else designed without permission and I don't want to have to obtain it for fear of being a nuisance...  or maybe because I'm just plain shy?  :-)  


Well, I'd say that's enough rambling from me.  I'm going to either go tat, go start trying to sketch something to tat, or get lost in some dumb Facebook game, LOL... Or maybe get lost going through all of the blogs that I follow and haven't been on to keep up with?  Sounds like a good choice to me. :-)


-Stephanie Grace

A lot of this and a little of tat.

So, here's the quick update of why I have not been here:

Thursday, July 22, morning: Found out that my Daddy needed surgery on his neck. 
Thursday, July 22, night: Found out that the surgery actually meant them cutting open his throat, moving his esophagus and larynx, and then putting some marrow from his hip into his neck.  SCARY! 

Friday, July 23: Found out that the surgery would be that Monday.  


Monday, July 26:  Daddy's surgery went fine and this Daddy's Girl was on Cloud Nine knowing that Daddy would be fine.


Tuesday, July 27:  Woke up to a call from my mom telling me that Jersey died.  Jersey was a beautiful Rott/Shepherd mix that my brother brought home from Colorado in 2002.  He was the BEST dog... a gentle giant and a beautiful soul.  It's torn up the heart of every family member.  Same day, we picked up Daddy and had to tell him that his best friend wouldn't be there when he got home.  Too much to handle, for me.  My heart shattered right there and is still nothing but slivers.  



Today:  Daddy is fine and we are all healing.  Poor Daddy cannot leave the upstairs of the house since that's where the bathroom is, so he's going stir-crazy, but he's okay.  (When he got home, I put a one-cup coffee maker in his room, gave him bottles of water, his mug, his tea bags, bottle of honey, two spoons, a soup mug, and packets of oatmeal. LOL... Then, I gave him my little netbook thingy and my brother hooked it up to his television and gave him a wireless keyboard and mouse --I'd be in HEaven if I was him! LOL.).  

So, that's all, in a nutshell.  And, now, a few little butterflies: