Enforced quiet time

Although I have no pictures to share of my tatting I have been busy. In fact, over the weekend I managed to tat enough to have a burning feeling in my elbows. The source of the problem is in fact a small store called McBead Creations. Its a wonderful place full of lots of fun things. They have these wonderful and cheap plastic crystal beads similar to what they put on fake chandeliers. They look lovely and come in all colors. So I've been making lots and lots of stuff with them that can either be Christmas ornaments or sun catchers.

Despite trying to garden and do other stuff the call of the crystals has been too much for me to resist. I kept pulling out new colors. The burning in my elbows forced be to drastic action to stop tatting. I emptied my purse, organized my junk and still was drawn to the thread. So I was forced to do my nails! lol

I pulled out my french manicure kit and started polishing. If you've never done your own you don't know how easy it is. My big mistake is that I fuss too much and eventually there's a nail or 2 that gets overdone. You know what? It doesn't look that different from the experts and it lasts about the same time. Drying is the tricky part and I'm often too impatient to let each coat dry. Last night I let everything dry really well between coats. When you are really sure the polish is dry then rub your nails together and if they don't stick or feel gross they are dry. Do stuff before they are completely dry the polish will flake off the next day. So that's how I forced myself to stop. I definitely didn't want nail polish on the thread.

Most of the muscles that move your fingers and wrists come from your elbow. Which is why I got into trouble. Rest helped but I also used ice, truameel (inflammation modulator) and got adjusted. So I will be back at it shortly. If you ask me what I did wrong I could tell you easy- too much tatting too intensively and not enough breaks. Totally my fault and totally avoidable.

Dropped out of sight

I feel like I've dropped out of sight the last few weeks. I haven't posted because I didn't have any photos to share. I don't read blogs with no pictures so I always try to include some sort of picture on mine. Yes, that means that if you don't post a picture I won't read what you post. I'm ashamed of my shallowness but what can you do? Instead of pictures I'm sharing a few thoughts worthy or not about what other people are posting.

Fox has posted a good idea and followed it up with some action over http://www.tat-ology.com/. She's put together a way to exchange thread informally over the distance through this blog http://thethreadexchange.blogspot.com/. The beauty of this exchange is that you know who's making the exchange with you. If the thread doesn't arrive you can contact your exchange partner directly to resolve the issue. I've been doing exchanges long enough to get burned a few times. Its no fun to wait for a package that never arrives. I have great sympathy for those who are brave enough to organize an exchange. Herding a bunch of tatters is probably like herding a bunch of cats!

One of these days Totusmel (http://totusmel.blogspot.com/) is going to give me a kick in the head because I keep giving my 2 cents worth about her designs. I am amazed by the way she uses tatting. She's just finished a really neat flaming mask. So much different than what I could even imagine.

I've decided that cruelty must be a chief characteristic of test tatters (you know who you are). Why else do they flaunt patterns not yet published and taunt us with their blocky goodness? I've been seeing a lot of Martha Ess's newest block critters on different blogs. Her newest book is due out in August just in time for the Palmetto Tat Days.

Just so you all know I'm going to steal Jane's earrings the next chance I get...probably won't get the opportunity for a couple years. I'll post you when it happens. http://janeeborall.blogspot.com/ (so you can see pictures of the earrings)

I was going into withdrawls when Tatting Goddess stopped her regular posts. She's back at it if you haven't noticed. However, I didn't read her post today because there wasn't any pictures! (kidding)

Did I mention that Sherry ( http:/ladyshuttlemaker.blogspot.com) is severely knocked up? So is my sister and they are due around the same time. A few other people I know are pregnant and due in the fall. I don't usually know so many fecund women... Even though there's a 1/12 chance of being due at the same time I've decided all these pregnant woman are a sign the stars are aligning. For what I don't know! By the way, I mean Sherry as in the shuttlemaker and not Sherry as in the celtic dreamweaver (http://celticdreamweave.blogspot.com/).

Finally I lied and found a few pictures I haven't shared. They are both Mary Konior's patterns and tatted in Sherry's hand dyed threads. I love single shuttle patterns!

In Classes

I was in class over the weekend to earn Continuing Education credits. I always bring tatting to these things just to keep my hands busy. For some reason thrown off rings (TOR) was the name of the game on the weekend. I just kept going for as long as possible with this theme. I thought that I would end up with a doily but looking at a picture of it I realise that there's a heart in there too. I can now either mirror the bottom for a doily OR curve around the top to make a heart. If I make a heart then I have to retro tat to remove that big ring on the left (which would stupid on the heart but is my branching point to the next round on the doily). I'm likely to just go ahead and mirror the bottom. I feel some SCMR (which I almost never do) coming on to finish an outside round. Do you think that TOR are awkward on an outside round? Is it okay to have rings just sticking out there, hanging in space?

Not sure how...

I'm not sure how I can have so much time and never get anything done. There's a saying that if you want something done ask a busy person. I believe that's true. I've got lots of time and I never get anything done.

I spent the last few weeks getting ready for a Sparks (girl guides) Mommy and Me camp. This takes more time then you realise and I tend to obsess over details. I was a little worried because this was my first camp with the Moms. Everyone was great and things went smoothly. The weather was wonderful! I was so wound up the days before the camp that I crashed afterwards and pretty much slept away Sunday and Monday.

Now I just have to get all the crap I pulled out for the camp put away! An added bonus is that this is the last week for Sparks until September. I'll miss the girls but this will give me time to catch up.

Once the camp crap is away then I can spend all my time tatting. Oh no! The weeds are getting out of control...I guess I have to finally cut the lawn!

Totally addicted

I have a confession to make....I'm totally addicted to tutorials! Tutorials on pretty much anything but they need to have lots and lots of pictures. Something about a good picture that makes things look so much more special than the reality. I love to know how to do things. So I thought I would share a few sites that I check out on a regular basis.

http://totallytutorials.blogspot.com Totally Tutorials
http://www.oneprettything.com/ One Pretty Thing
http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/ The Crafty Crow
http://dollarstorecrafts.com/ Dollar Store Crafts

I'm not sure why I'm fixated on tutorials.

Tax time

In Canada taxes are due at the end of April and I'm currently working on finishing up my taxes. So its tax time not tat time.

This year I'm left wondering where the money went. Not that I've made a lot but just that I made more than it felt like at the time. I'm a fairly frugal person, I don't have a drug or alcohol problem and I didn't consider my purchases excessive in 2009. I did a lot of work on my house and most of my purchases have been for household stuff... and I might have spent SOME money on tatting stuff (why isn't tatting a tax write off?). I feel like there should be more money at the end of the year. I guess my money tree didn't grow this year...this spring I'll plant another loonie (Canadian dollar coin) and see what happens.

Update: Good news/bad news...I didn't waste as much money as I thought, I just missed a line. Bad news is that this line changed my income dramatically and I made less money in 2009 than 2008 (not surprising considering the economy). I feel much better about the way I handle my money but not so good about my income.

Home again

I had a great time at the Hector Tat Days. The new location at the Lodi Fire Hall worked out really well. The lighting was much better, there was more space and the bathrooms had more than one toilet! As usual the food was great and so were the classes. I took Ginny's Shirley Angel Class. I'm ashamed to tell you that poor Shirley's head did not turn out... I managed to make it inside out. I lost some steam after that and didn't finish it but I'm going to take some time this weekend and try again. Every year its hard to decide what classes to take and this year there were great choices. I'm hoping to work through the booklet and make all the angels. I'm not very good at following directions, fortunately I have the option of only sharing successful attempts.

The speaker we had on Saturday night was very good and I enjoyed her talk. Unfortunately I can't remember her name but she was very gracious. While she was speaking Ginny and I goofed around drawing out a pattern for a sugar skull. Yes, Ginny I have something to send you. I'm actually very excited about my descent into morbid designing. Its been fun. I've been entertaining myself with names for the collection like Hallow'tats, Lace of the Living Dead or the Tatful Dead. There's a large doily in all this I just know it.

In case you are shocked by this dark line of tatting I'd like to point out that Martha started it with her Pearl Tatted Skeleton, Halloween Bling (skull bracelet) and the brains (links provided below). I sound like a 5 year old defending why she's drawing on the wall. All I can say is that Martha Started It!
http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=302737&ck=
http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=326841&ck=
http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=326841&ck=