Grrr....

I got these beautiful beads from Running Springs (eBay shop) and I've been dying to use them, but couldn't find the right project for them.


Since yesterday's threads also included LizBeth 20 #661, I thought they'd go well together.  I also wanted to try the gold thread (also LB 20).  I also wanted to try a bracelet from the bookmark pattern since I kept putting the bookmarks on my wrist and thinking it would be pretty... 


Well... it was going to be "The Bollywood Bracelet" since that's what I kept thinking while tatting, but...

...That didn't work for me.  The thread split and my hand go sweaty and... ugh.  I'm going to attempt un-tatting even more than I already did, sewing in some ends and adding more thread... it'll be my first time doing that.  


The colors don't seem as vivid on the scan, but it was actually the vivid colors that made me think Bollywood. LOL.  


Well, I hope you all had a better tatting day...  :-*


With Love,
Stephanie Grace

She Reads Books At the Seashore (Motif #5/25)

What'd you think she does; sell seashells?  :-D


So, I got some new threads (all LizBeth, 20)  in the mail today!!! *HUGE smile*  I couldn't figure out ones to play with first and ended up going with Seashells (114) and the supposedly matching Shell Pink lt (626).  I like the color of Shell Pink Lt, but I don't like it with Seashells... it doesn't match ANYWHERE near as well as I expected.  

...If I would have known that Seashells would look so bad with the solid, I would NOT have ordered it.  It doesn't have the "antique" look that I was expecting... much brighter.  I am NOT happy with it.  :-/  ...That's what I get for having high expectations for something with purple in it, I guess.  Blah.  Well, at least I have a ball of thread that I won't mind wasting now. :-)  If I can find a color that looks better with it, maybe I'll just make a whole bunch of bookmarks with it so I can be done with it. ;-) 


So, has anyone else ordered these two threads and noticed that the Shell Pink Lt. has a much more "antique" coloring than the pink in Seashells?  THAT'S the pink I wanted to see... Not what I got...  :-/  Oh well.  Live and learn, right? ;-)


Well, that's enough of my complaining and rambling! :-)


With love,
Stephanie Grace

A Mark for a Spot (Motif #4/25)

Having finished my first doily, I realized that I never really did a complete bookmark with tatting.  We couldn't stand for that, could we?  ;-)  


I joined swap-bot.com and found a swap for bookmarks.  Of course, I figured this would be the perfect time to tat my first complete bookmark.  


I used HDTs Caribbean Waters and Hosta Leaves, both size 30 from LadyDustyRose, formerly my beloved trappedinabead.com.   


I wasn't sure about the combination, but I actually really love the way this came out.  It's the "Easy Bookmark" pattern from "Learn to Tat" by Janette Baker (I needle tatted it, but I bought the book with DVD in hopes of learning the shuttle....).

I might just have to keep this for myself. LOL.  It's not blocked or anything, but I REALLY love how the colors lined up (or didn't, LOL).  Even with all the picots, this has a more masculine feel than most tatted bookmarks because of the colors.  


I think that Kermit the Frog would be in love with this one! ;-)  And I am too!!!


With love and a ribbit or two,
Stephanie Grace


**After seeing this post, I realized that the colors are darker than they actually are.... Hopefully, this scan with a black background will give you a better idea....

To me, it does seem more true to the colors, but neither one really matches.... I'm going to have to play with the settings of my scanner, aren't I?  :-/

Doily Time! (Motif #3 / 25)

I finally got the last round done today!  :-D  I sewed in the ends for the first round, but it's time to do the dishes and I just couldn't wait to show that I finished something! *blushes*  


This is "Small Round #11" from Annie's Attic Ultimate Book of Tatted Doilies done in DMC Cebelia 712, size 30. 5 1/2" round. 

It's not as spiderweb-looking as I was expecting (which is good) and the picture is darker than it actually is, but it's finished!!!  :-)

With love,

Stephanie Grace

...And Again!

Might I just say: Hrrrrrmmmmmpppphhh!!!!!! Growl!!! Grrr! Argh!!! Blahh!!!!

As the saying goes, those who do not learn from history...

...are doomed to repeat it.  

Really, I don't know why I can't get this right.  To make matters worse, I feel myself becoming a bit obsessed with mastering it.  I love the pattern and want to see it with just the first two rounds.  I think I'd love it that way... Really, I wanted to cry when I messed it up AGAIN!!!

To make myself feel better, I started on a different pattern.  I'm not too fond of the doily it makes, but maybe I'll like it more when I see it "in the flesh"?  

I'm trying not to let this get the best of me and trying hard not to feel discouraged, this is truly depressing the poop out of me!!!

With love and tears,
Stephanie Grace

If at first...

Yup... It's just like "they" say... If at first you don't succeed,

Try...

And Try...

 And try again...

Well, those are four out of my five or six attempts to do the first round of "Four Point #16" from Ultimate Book of Tatted Doilies. *screams*  With the last one, I even tried going back to off the ball instead of working with a strand and a ball.  This is just plain craziness!!!  How many times can I keep trying the same pattern before I give up? 

I think that it's time to step away from it, try a different pattern (or at least tat another heart since I know I can manage those, LOL) and maybe try this one again another day... *rolls eyes*


Well, hopefully, I'll have SOMETHING to show for the day later... :-/  (Oh, let me not fail to mention that, aside from this pattern, me attempting hairpin lace, once again, ended in miserable failure ...as did me trying the shuttle again --even with the darn DVD!).  It's been a very frustrating 36-48 hours... GRRRRRRRRR.....

With love and lots o' growls,
Stephanie Grace

Gothic Elegance? (Motif #2 /25)

First off, thank you all for your comments yesterday!  :-*  I got some great ideas and really can't thank you all enough for your encouragement.  I have an on-line "to do" list about five miles long, but, hopefully, I'll get to send some responses tonight. :-* Thank you!!!

So, what do I have for show today?  Another fan!  ;-)  By the time I got the third round done, my brain was a bit stuck on calling this one "Gothic Elegance".  It's rather sloppy, but I'm glad I got it done!  :-)  It's done in LizBeth black and 670 with Cebelia white, all in size 20 (and I think I'm right in my thought that Cebelia 30 looks better with LizBeth 20...).  

I couldn't figure out a color for the background, so you get your choice.  

Currently [unblocked], it measures around 4" by 4".  

One more I thing that I think deserves a mention:  Notice the ends!  There's less than half of what I had yesterday!!!  :-D  Why, you ask? LOL.  Well, a while back, I tried to "tat over" my ends when starting them.  It worked, but I figured that there was a good reason I never saw it any instructions or anything.  Then, I was reading Lady Shuttermaker's Blog the other day and she said "tat over tail".  Of course, this delighted me and, well, I went back to it.  :-D  I also sewed in some ends --my first time!!!  I'll sew in the rest tomorrow, maybe ...or when I figure out what in the world I'm going to do with this fan! LOL.  I definitely think these make better wall decorations than doilies ...Could just be me.

Well, that's enough of my rambling!  Hope you are all happy, safe, and having fun!  :-*

With Love,
Stephanie Grace

Happy New Year!!! (And Motif #1)

Happy New Year, my darling bloggy friends!  :-*  May this year bring you much happiness, love, and thread! ;-)  (I figure if 2011 is as good as 2010 was bad, then Hubby and I should I be millionaires by my birthday! LOL). 


Okay, on to the tatting... I lost count for my 25 Motif Challenge. Instead of going back and figuring it all out, I've decided to just wipe the slate clean and start fresh.  This also made me want to go bigger.  I mean, how many little hearts and butterflies can a girl tat before the idea creeps in that maybe she really can tat? ;-)  


So, I grabbed my copy of Annie's Attic; Ultimate Book of Tatted Doilies and looked at the pretty pictures.  Then, I finally went for the one I've been scared of since I got this book early last year...  I haven't "cleaned it up" yet, but I'm so thrilled that I finished it that I just couldn't wait to post!!!

It's "Fan #10" (page 17).  I royally messed up the first round (the center), but I kept going anyway.  It's done in DMC Cebelia #223 in size 30 and, before blocking, measures 3 1/2" wide and 3" long.  Quite peacock looking in my mind! LOL.  Yes, I realize that there's an extreme amount of ends to be dealt with. LOL.  I'll take care of them as soon as I figure out what I'm going to do with it ...I'm thinking that it might end up on some silly little plaque or something, but not sure...


Of course, as soon as I finished it, I was so proud that I had to give the pattern another go.  This time, we're going with Lizbeth size 20 with black for the "handle" part, a dark red for the the fan, and, I think, white for the rings of the final, outer round. Once I started this one, my brain kept thinking of the little pearly beads I have ...perhaps a third one will be created once I figure out where I'd want the beads???


Well, that's all for tonight.  :-* Also, if you know about lace, etc...., please read the preceding post.  If you can help or have any ideas/thoughts, PLEASE, let me know. :-*  THANK YOU!!!!


With love and a new fan "doily",
Stephanie Grace