Flowers and Flowers and stuffs... Oh My! (Motifs #19&20/25)

So, I just might be the most redundant tatter in all the land... That whole "getting stuck on a pattern" thing got a bit extreme last week.  Well... for a few days. 

See, I was talking to friends and trying to get them to start tatting.  To show them how easy it is, I posted TotusMel's wonderful video on my Facebook page for them.  I watched the video and... BAM!  I start wondering if I can even remember how to tat off the ball.  I've gotten so used to a cut thread AND a ball that, between her video and the lady at the bead sale a few weeks back, I was scared that I might not be able to do it anymore...  Naturally, I grabbed a ball and needle and had it... again... and again... and, well... By flower four or five I'd decided to challenge myself to get 25 flowers done by the end of the week... It didn't take early that long, of course, but I did it!  25 flowers! :-D  All were tatting with LizBeth size 20, different colors and --and different tensions as became very apparent quite quickly.

Two got added to a bookmark for a friend:

 My first time adding a chain, etc...  It actually looks complete!  Did I actually finish something?  Hmmm...

And then there were the others... 

I don't have scans of all 25 and, well, some ended up in a framed present for my mom for her birthday so I used them before I even got the chance.  

End result:  Why, yes, I can -somewhat- still tat off the ball.  I went back and forth between off the ball and my usual way, but I'm still truckin' with the off the ball and going back and forth.  I think it's good for me to continue to do both since some patterns might tat better with one method and another pattern might come out best with the other... Does that make any sense to anyone but me? LOL

Lastly... The two motifs...  

I did a random flower and then decided to add more to it... I'm not completely happy with it, mainly because I should have given more thought to it being added to a necklace BEFORE I finished it, but it's my first go at a pendant-type-thing --and without a pattern at all, so.. yeah... live and learn, trial and error, right?  Tatted in LizBeth, Size 20, Victorian Red.

The final motif is being subbed the "Obnoxious Summertime Bracelet".  No, not because it was a bother to tat or because I had any trouble with tatting it, but just because of the colors, LOL.  I'm not a "bright color" kinda gal...  It's made up of LizBeth size 20 in Juicy Watermelon and Lime Green. 

Well, this is a very long post... Oops.  

Thank you all so much for your kind words and prayers.  It's nice to know that I'm not alone and that there are more prayers going to my family than I could ever manage alone.  THANK YOU!  They're so appreciated --and needed! :-*  Happy, Love, and Prayers to you all!


-Stephanie Grace