'TIS THE SEASON!

I need to get back on here and share some of the items I have been working on this year.  These are just a few of the items that have kept me busy.  It has been an eventful year.  And now, it is almost over.  I can't believe that last time I posted was last February!  

I am still teaching voice and piano, along with creating my tatting and vintage lace items.  I am also singing quite a bit every month.  

My beautiful kitty, Sophie, left this world in August.  She was 14 years old and this past year, she was not well.  I really miss her.

She was so beautiful--completely white with light blue eyes.  My husband does not want me to get another kitty, so I guess our days are over for having a pet as part of our family.  

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  My husband and my daughter are both working.  So I will be home with my grandson and he and I will be enjoying each other as I prepare a nice (hopefully) Thanksgiving dinner.  I will enjoy the day, I know.  I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your families!

IT HAS BEEN AWHILE

I am sorry I have not been on here for a long time.  I have been so busy with life going on.  Presently, I am working really hard teaching voice and piano at Music Instruction Studio (have about 35 students per week) and I am also tatting like crazy.  I have found the "Groups" on Facebook and joined many of them.  As a result, many people have ordered tatting  bits and pieces from me and I am furiously tatting every day to keep up with the orders.  Since I am semi-retired, that extra income has been wonderful!  

So I will try to do better and let you know what is going on more often.  

I JUST PUBLISHED MY FIRST BOOK!

Lately, I have been working on a book.  It is a book of tatting.  Over the years, as I would make projects, I took pictures of them.  Fortunately, I have kept all my pictures all these years.  I say fortunately, because I have since sold most of those Items that I made.  Little did I know that one day I would use all these pictures in writing my tatting book.  I have finished my tatting book,  and now it is for sale on the following link.  It is not a book of how to tat, but it is a book of crafts you can make using your tatting you have made.  It is available as a hard copy and also in PDF format.   Please look at the sample pages on the link, and let me know what you think.

http://www.blurb.com/b/5189430-vintage-lace-and-tatted-treasures

TATTING AND THE OSCARS

Last night, I enjoyed watching the Oscars.  There were so many beautiful gowns and many of them were predominately lace.  When I think lace, I think tatting.  Tatting is a form of lace making.  I feel there is no end to the ideas that can be incorporated into today's fashions.  I love making tatted jewelry!  It has a very different look from the norm.  You can see some of my recent pieces below.  And I have seen many beautiful pieces, including earrings and necklaces, here on the Internet.

Oh, by the way, my song won last night!  I teach voice and have about 10 little girls who are singing "Let It Go" for their lessons.  I have never seen such a love for a song.  This song will be sung for many years to come.

Well, back on to my tatting subject.  I would like your take on incorporating tatting into jewelry making and how successful you have been with it.  Please leave me comments on this subject.

IT'S A NEW YEAR!

It is already well into February and this is my first blog for 2014!  I  was very busy in 2013.  I tend to take on more than I can handle and this past year is no exception.  I gave up my job at Elmcroft Assisted Living to take on teaching more voice and piano students.  They asked me to come back twice a month and do music with them, though, so I still get to see my favorite residents.  So, my student load has increased and I also took on more tasks.  I opened up a small booth in a mall to sell my handmade items and in a few weeks I will start teaching jewelry making at our new local Michael's.  The class is on "Stringing" and it is a beginner class.  I am looking forward to teaching--I love to teach.  Hopefully, this will be a fun experience for me.  I will let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, I am working on designing more jewelry.  I have gotten into stamping bracelets and rings with sayings and special words.  It is very hard to get these words straight, so I have to practice quite a bit.  I will be posting more photos of my work soon.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

This summer has been really busy for me.  In July, we went to Navarre Beach, Florida and had a wonderful time.  We stayed in a condo right on the beach and I could sit out on the balcony and just watch and hear the ocean roll in and out.  That was glorious!  Then, in August, I just got back from Maine where I was born.  My family still lives in Portland.  My sister from Wyoming and my brother from Pennsylvania came also, so we were able to all be together.  It was a great time!  I came back, eager to get into my own routine again.

Ever since we had our store, I have tried different ways to get rid of the excess inventory.  I think I have come up with a solution.  I found a big consignment store right near my home that rents out shelves and booths and I am going to rent out four big shelves to start getting rid of my "stuff."  So, I have been busy pricing everything rock bottom so it will sell.  I sure hope this works.  I have everything from crafts to teapots to scrap booking stuff to rubber stamps.  So, it should grab somebody's attention, I hope.  My booth is located at the Peddler's Market in Highland Plaza.

I have also been making many wedding guest books over the summer.  Each one is different from the other, since all the handmade lace is different.  I let them choose the lace centerpiece by sending them  pictures of what I have.

I also have been making some other things, like the little gift bags below.  And something that has interested me lately is metal stamping on rings and bracelets.  I am trying to conquer this art, but it does take a lot of practice.  So, you can see that I am all over the place--plus I still teach voice and piano and have now over 30 students!  And I am very thankful for that.

SUMMER FUN!

We have had a very rainy summer so far.  That is unusual because it is usually very dry.  I am not complaining, though.  Our lawn is nice and green and beautiful and the temperatures are not so hot.  I have been creating lately--I really never quit.  I am making my tatted trees for the holidays.  I'm starting early because I always seem to run out and never have enough of them for a Christmas craft show.  Maybe I can do one this year.  Hope you are having a great summer!