Snowflake #12

I still felt like tatting so I made another small snowflake to bring my Tree's total up to 12!  It's a little easy one, but I didn't do the whole pattern and had a little trouble keeping my chains even so blocking it was a bit of a task.  Imperfections and all it's a cute snowflake and honestly no one but me will probably ever know it has flaws.  LOL
I used The Tarnished Tatter's pattern for the Shimmer Snowflake, and only tatted rounds 1 & 2.  I didn't really care for the look of the 3rd round but liked it best after round 2 so that's what I did!

Oh by the way if anyone is wanting to learn tatting I found a great site when I was pattern surfing!  It's Tatted Treasure's Absolute Beginner Tatting Series!  I thought the videos were really clear for teaching.  She also has some Tatting Tips etc. on her blog that I found helpful too.  For example the idea of using your stitches as a guide for your picots! (Tatting Tip: Default Picot Length)  I wish it had been there when I was learning to tat!  But it's still nice to have a good learning site or sites (I've learned from several) that you can reference if you forget something you previously learned and need a refresher.  LOL

Pretty Clover Snowflake

So I tatted another snowflake this one is a pattern by Sharon called Snowflake 2.  This makes snowflake #11 on my tree.  I always love clovers, and this one was so cute and easy.

Ever since seeing Diane's friend Marie's Christmas Tree covered in tatting I've been wanting to have more tatting on my tree!  Since I put up 2 trees, next year I want the smaller tree to be full of tatting!

So I had a great idea!

Operation Snowflake!  I am going to tat 1 snowflake a month over the next year which will add 12 more snowflakes to my tree.  And bonus if I end up tatting more than one then I'll have even more, but at the very least my goal is 1 a month.  Between this and the CQJP I will get a lot done this year!  I'm really happy about that!

Lace Finger "Shields"

I'm tatting another snowflake right now, but I wanted to share my little idea to protect my fingers from thread burn!  My pinky and middle fingers always get so sore when I do tatting and it gets unbearable if I do a lot at once.  I had a scrap of lace nearby and so one day as I was tatting I picked it up and pinned it around my pinky finger to shield it from the thread.  I kept using it over and over and it was working pretty well so today I decided to sew it, and one for my middle finger as well since the top of it gets sore from using it to pull the knots tight into place.

In the past I would use band-aids  but what I've found was that the thread usually slips from the more slick untextured band-aid right onto my skin where the edge of the band-aid stops...talk about annoying!  I used a stretchy lace that is kind of thick but not too thick.  It's like elastic but in lace form so not as thick and stiff.  I simply sewed down the edge of the lace to the size that would fit my finger and then clipped the edges.  I left the seam in place, sticking out, because it helps add more protection as a thicker ridge.  Also because the lace is textured the thread doesn't slip around!

It's the perfect solution!  Now I can tat and not get sore fingers from the thread on my sensitive skin!  YAY
Now back to tatting so I can finish this snowflake!  LOL

Tatting Snowflakes

Today I took some photos of my recent tatted snowflake additions!
I really loved this photo, I like how shiny "Joy" is and I love the twinkle lights shining out.

 Here's the Betsy Snowflake from my previous post.

I used the same Cebelia size 30 White Thread on all the snowflakes.

 This one I really loved the little thrown Josephine knots, they are so cute!  The pattern is the Knobby Bud Medallion from This'n'Tat.

This snowflake ornament I used a pattern for earrings that incorporates beads.  I used a silver lined clear seed bead and tatted one each from Gale's Pointed Petal Earrings.  Then I simply took clear thread and strung a Swarovski crystal and the two variations.
I love sparkle! LOL

Tatting: Betsy Snowflake

Well here is the Betsy Snowflake pattern all finished!  I've learned from the past snowflakes I've done, that I don't care for using the ends of the tatting thread to create the hanging string.  It's too "there" when you look at it on the tree.  So I started stringing them using invisible sewing thread.  That way all the focus is on the pretty form of the snowflake dangling happily from the tree.

I probably need to revisit the old ones that I used the tatting thread to hang them and put some of the invisible thread on them to string them too.  I have 7 hanging on the tree right now and 3 little ones need the thread changed to invisible!  So this one will make number 8!

All the really experienced tatters can probably pick out all my mistakes, those little chains that go around where really hard to keep perfectly even...and some of the little rings connected to them get a little pulled weird too.  But hey when you just glance at it and look not to critique but to just enjoy a tatted snowflake it's pretty!  I really love the shape of it and I have always loved clovers so the clover tips are really pretty to me!

Now it's time to transfer it to my Christmas tree, though I like the way it looks on this little crystal tree I have in my work space that I tied bows of lace to!

Tea and Tatting

Sipping some Holiday Chai and tatting a snowflake!  Just in the mood to do some tatting!  I am doing this Betsy Snowflake pattern.  The photo from my phone makes it look cream but it's really white Cebelia size 30 thread.  I did the split ring variation and though I remember how to do a split ring I had to look up how to join from the second half of it...it gave me trouble, but after seeing a diagram I did it easy with no problem and it was so simple I was mad at myself for not remembering! LOL  I guess I haven't done so many split ring things that every aspect became second nature.  Gotta love how you can just pick back up and tat at anytime and it's just like riding a bike, except for things you don't always use like that split ring join which I've probably only ever done twice!  OH I just saw my friend Diane posted about her friend Marie's Christmas tree all decked out in tatting!!! It's beautiful!!! Go take a peek!

Snowflake Ballerinas or Ballerina Snowflakes!

I just took some quick photos with my phone of these snowflake ballerina's I've been making!
Ever since I posted about the Nutcracker I've been obsessing just a little bit about the Ballet!  In fact I looked up The Nutcracker Ballet and found it and was able to get tickets to see it preformed by The Los Angelos Ballet!  AND I got orchestra seating and we go see it Sunday!  Woo!!!  I am so excited!  I've never seen a real professional ballet before!  Ever since I saw a great dance recital I've wanted to see one too!

 I had never seen The Nutcracker before either so I did research and found out the plot and watched a few versions on YouTube so when I go I can fully enjoy it all!
Ya gotta love the Dance of the Snowflakes!  And snow does look like it's dancing when it falls so pretty!  It doesn't take much imagination to think of little fluffy ballerinas floating about spinning and leaping!
And don't you think these paper snowflakes are the perfect ballerina skirt?!  Lovely serendipity!

 I had seen some snowflake ballerina ideas on Pinterest one of them was this one: Snowflake Ballerinas
I made them (didn't upload photos though) and then I loved them so much that I had to find other ballerina silhouettes and ideas for cut snowflakes and I made these.  They are a tiny bit smaller than the ones from the above link.  I added lace to all of them because I love lace and I think it just adds a perfect extra special touch to them!

I didn't have any poster board to use for the silhouettes so I traced them onto some heavy duty sketching paper I had and it is stiff enough for them to hold up.  And the snowflakes I just used regular ol' printing paper.
I liked this snowflake cutting patterns link.  I couldn't really follow any of them perfectly, it's really hard to cut through the paper all folded up.  So I just followed some them loosely, doing the best I could and they came out pretty I think!
I want to make a few more to hang on the sides of the wreaths in my windows from the curtains.
I also think a tiny version would look adorable to hang on the tree!  And I think making some out of special printed paper would be pretty too!  Too many ideas flittering about! ;D

Gifts for Friends

I've been having fun wrapping gifts for friends today, and then I had to take a photo of this cutie!  I got him at Ikea and then I bought a wired ribbon that is red velvet and silver sparkles and I created a perfect bow for him using my old-trusty-handy-dandy EZ Bowmaker (once I found it!!! LOL).  Now I need to package him up and get him sent off to my friend!