Decision Made.

I have made the decision to start fresh with a new blog.  I will still be honoring the giveaway from this one as soon as I am able to finish everything (If you were one of the eleven, you can feel free to ask about the delay.).  

If you are interested in knowing the location of the new blog or cannot find it, send me an e-mail: StephanieGraceCrafts[at]gmail[dot]com

Thank you!  Love to all! 

♥,
Stephanie Grace

Hmm...

Hey, Strangers!  How have you all been?  Well, I hope. ♥

A few days ago, I contacted the wonderful Jane Eborall about one of her patterns.  Since I spoke familiarly, I explained that I used to run this blog.  It made me remember that I have this blog.  

Today (well, yesterday), I received an e-mail that I'd received a comment on my last post here.  It made me remember that I meant to update this blog.

Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm going to do at this point.  I am tempted to start up this blog again, or start a new one, but I just never get around to it.  I have to figure something out that doesn't mean having to update a bunch of things just because I finished a new project.  

To show you that I attempted starting something new:  Abandoned Page
I might work on that more at some point.  Maybe. 

I also have a Facebook Page: Sapphire & Grace that I always tell myself to be more active with.  I started it just to share my projects with my family instead of annoying my non-crafting friends with it all, but it's usually just pictures and quick descriptions.  I think I keep a bit in my shell there simply because I know family sees it (much like my mom sees this).  There is a huge level of discomfort for me when I know that my family is seeing things.  I am a person that constantly compartmentalizes everything in my life (including my life).  

Anywho, if you want, you can stop by and say Hi on my page. ;-)  Maybe it will give me a push to be more active there ... and maybe that will finally push me to make a decision about blogging. 

Love to all,
Stephanie Grace

Some random pictures of projects:
 

Am I Alive?

Am I alive?  Yes.

Am I still around?  Honestly, I haven't signed into blogger in months.  I haven't read blogs, etc...  

I'm not going to delve into reasoning or start justifying it because I just can't.  I think often of mailing the things out.  I think often of finally finishing the shuttles and giving them a coating of spray... but, I get distracted or remember my plan to go downstairs and spray by the open door which makes me want to cry because cold and stairs just mean pain.  I think of spraying up here, but I'm afraid of getting Ozzy high --or killing him, from the fumes (yeah, paranoia.  I love my baby.). 

I will still mail things.  I still have addresses.  Of course, it would be easier if you sent me a new e-mail with your address because my inbox is, as always, a mess.

Also, after everything is sent, I don't know if I'll update this blog anymore.  I want to blog still but, as with several other aspects of my life, I need a fresh start.  I have plans to start a new blog --and have even obtained an account and address for it, but it's empty for now and it will not be only tatting.  Yes, I still tat, but I want something that encompasses all of my hobbies --that encompasses me.  This blog doesn't do that anymore.  

I love you all and thank you all for reading my ramblings for this long. ♥

♥,
Stephanie Grace

I Apologize.

I am sorry.

Things will be sent as soon as I can get them out. 

I thought that I'd be "smart" and wait for Hubby's check to hand him things to mail.  Wrong answer.  What I failed to realize was that this pay had bills to cover as well as each of us having a niece turning sixteen (Blizzard of '96 remains a hassle).  

I also still need to respond to e-mails, but that's a whole different monster there.  

For those of you that e-mailed, I read every single one.  I just haven't put responses together in my head or I've just been distracted.  Again, I am sorry.

If you didn't send your address, please send it. :-P  For those of you who so generously offered to pay for shipping, I thank you, but I don't think anything will be too costly to manage --as long as I look at a calendar once in a while. *rolls eyes* 

So, there we have it.  My dirty laundry airing for all of you to see: I'm a dummy that didn't look at the calendar and realize that asking Hubby to mail things on a non-pay week would have been the right choice.  Who'da thunk?  Some just need a few stamps and I'd hoped to have them out tomorrow, but I didn't package them for Hubby to take to my parents' today, so maybe I'll do that tonight.  If not, it'll be Saturday or Monday for those.  I'll figure this out and get everything out as soon as I can.  ♥  Just... be patient.  I should have planned this better, I know that.  There were a few things, though, that could not have been predicted, so I'll cut myself a little slack there.

I meant to keep this short.  Sorry for the failure in that department.  *blushes*

Again, I'm sorry.  Life would be so much easier if I could take care of mailing on my own. :-/  

Apologetically,
Stephanie Grace

Baked with Love

When I asked about what other crafts you all enjoy, some of you mentioned knitting, so I hope that you all don't mind that this post isn't tatting-related.

Years ago, I learned to knit.  Then, I stopped.  I don't remember if it was because I'd learned enough to say I did it or because my brother saying something about me being pregnant and scaring the knit out of me!  Well, before we left for vacation, I decided to give it another go, stitched enough to realize that I could do it and then we left.

Odd thing: When I first picked it up, I was all Continental about it since it was just natural to me from tatting.  I thought that I was doing it wrong, found it was okay, and moved on.  We came back from vacation, and I'm all English versus Continental. O_o  How did that happen? LOL. 

Anywho, this is a "Baked with Love" dish cloth designed by Rachel van Schie.  It's unblocked and measures about 9" square right now.  It's the second dish cloth that I finished, but I can't share the first yet.  It's done it light blue yarn, but I couldn't get the color right on my phone --with flash, it was harder to see the raised part, without I lost the color.  The pattern, as well as others, can be found here.  What bothers me about this sudden knitting interest is that I learned it because I kept seeing knitted things that I wanted to make.  Since I started knitting, everything yarn-made that I've seen is crocheted and I can not crochet!  Ugh.  >.<  I crocheted some silly little something that looks like a crown or part of a flower, but that's about it.  I have no patience for dealing with my too-tight crocheted stitches.  So, I shall stick to knitting for now.  Of course, I only have two light blue, one off-white/natural/ecru, and one gray shade of yarns, so I'm a little limited at the moment (and only size 6 and 8 needles), but I shall keep on knittin'.  :-)

On the giveaway front, I'm hoping to have a few teaser pictures tomorrow.  ;-)  (As in, I'll show what's going out, but I won't say who is getting what).  

♥,
Stephanie Grace

The Ozzy Has Spoketh.

Unto me he spoketh, "Eleven, Ma?  Really?  Give them each a little something!"

Thus, I say unto you, e-mail me with your address if you are on this list: (Who can resist those curls?  I just can't say 'no' when he shows the twirl of his mustache with the curl around his ears!). 

01. Diane
02. Michelle
03. Bree
04. SuzTats
05. Shannon_in_love
06. Olga Tatiana Rostkowska
07. Beelizabeth
08. H J Hess
09. Bonnie
10. Webbies
11. tatting-marie

I've made my notes and will try to make everyone happy, but, please, don't be disappointed if you only get twelve yards of HDT and some beads or buttons.  I want everyone to get something without giving Hubby a heart attack with postage costs and/or leaving myself with nothing to play with, LOL.  

I also want you all to know that you commenting means the world to me.  I didn't say 'Giveaway' in the title of that post because I really wanted it to go to people that actually read my blog and ramblings.  Sometimes, I feel like I'm just on the outside looking in when it comes to Tatland and YOU are the ones that make me feel welcome.  I can't thank you enough for that.  

Okay, so since Ozzy decided to be so generous, I'd like to ask that everyone be patient and give me a week or two to get everything mailed since I have to finish stuff, sort stuff, and -of course- work around Hubby's pay schedule... Sorry for the wait.  :-/

♥,
Stephanie Grace

All That Jazz...

...Or maybe not jazz, maybe it's bling. (I can't believe I just "said" bling. So. Not. Me.).  

Again too lazy to re-size.

(From left)
01. I posted this one before, but I added a caterpillar to the bottom.  He came off the sticker sheet while the shuttle was in view, so I figured he wanted to be there.
02. MINE!  I actually kind of love this one.  I used pearl white and metallic silver paints, some flowers cut from shelf paper, and a glittery "S" sticker.  I wanted to use a blue "S", but the blue was the wrong shade, so... yay!  Mine. Mine. Mine.  LOL.
03. On this one, I just mixed lavender paint with pearl and white until it was that color and then added a miniature pressed flower and petals from another pressed flower.  
*On two and three, I also added a layer of white napkin before the pearl/ purple paints.  I'm not sure if it really makes a difference, but the napkin was nearby, LOL. ;-)

I sat with some skeins of HDT that I've had for a year or two (or longer?) today and wound them onto cardboard bobbins and bits.  Then, I grabbed a little plastic box (I'm obsessed with the shoe-box sized plastic boxes, LOL), and well... The "To Give" stash currently consists of:

• Aforementioned HDT.
• Stickers
• Tiny Nail Decals
• Size 70 and/or 80 threads
• Buttons
• A few beads (I didn't touch my bead stash yet, but I had a little envelope with a few beads in it on my table). More beads will definitely be added. 

I have another skein or three of HDT to wind so I can add those ... and beads ... and I haven't even opened my findings and metal boxes.  I also need to look at my boxes of cards since someone is definitely getting a pack or some random cards to decorate and/or use.  My li'l stash of tealight candles might get a good look, too.  I think that, of those who have commented, only Ms. Diane decorates shuttles so she might end up with all the stickers if someone doesn't speak up!  LOL.  ;-)  (Not much of a threat as they're pretty kiddo-oriented, but maybe her granddaughter would enjoy them, so you should all think about your beloved kiddos, too... LOL.).  

I'm rambling.  My fingers got excited when I was typing about the "MINE" shuttle and, well, they don't want to slow down.  Sorry.  

Any complaints/ requests/ suggestions as I'm compiling this stash to giveaway?  The more that goes in the box, the more winners we'll have, I think.  At least, that makes sense to me.  :-P  We're at... eleven(?) comments and I don't think it will get higher, so I'm wondering about consolation prizes.  Maybe beads and at least ten yards of thread for everyone?  We'll see... By the way, if you've commented or do comment of the giveaway post three posts down and read all of tonight's (this morning's) babbling, you can feel free to tell me your preferences about the things that I've mentioned.  I don't want anyone feeling disappointed.  I know that feeling.  It's not pleasant. ;-)

♥,
Stephanie Grace