A New Lady & Pearls

I happened up on a nice little intaglio brooch last week and finally got around to taking an image of her:

What shall I call this new lady?  While she is not a shell cameo, she has her own unique charm.  I am currently busy dressing her up.  She has received a bezel of champagne pearls and is in the early tatting stage.

Speaking of pearls:

Here are the champagne pearls.

And imaged below are the silver peacock pearls.

They are more of a lavender color than silver.

If any of you have a good name suggestion for my new lady, let me know.

THE WINNER OF THE PINEY WOODS SUMMER VACATION EVENT WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON THURSDAY, JUNE 7TH!!! 

If you've not entered, click over to the Summer Vacation Event blogpost and leave a comment on how you'd use the goodies.  Good luck!

Well, the intaglio brooch is patiently waiting for me to finish round one of the foundation tatting, so I'd better hop to it.  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

Jeep Driving

I don't have much in the way of tatting to share with you today.  Jocelin and I played in the Jeep most of the day and just had some wonderful mama/daughter time. 

The ladies are still being "dressed" and will be ready for their debut soon, so stay tuned for the upcoming "Cameo Cotillion"!

DON'T FORGET:  the Piney Woods Summer Vacation Event winner will be announced on the blog on Thursday, June 7th!  To enter, leave a comment on the Summer Vacation blog post from last week and let me know how you'd use the goodies.  Good luck!!!

Guess I'd better go wash the mud off the Jeep before I get back to tatting.  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

Happy Memorial Day!

Good morning, dear readers!  To all of you here in the USA,

Happy Memorial Day!!!

For those of you who do not know what a special day it is, this is the day we take to remember all of those who have died for our freedom.  It is a time of rememberance and a time for family.  Many will be celebrating with picnics, cooking out, or going to special memorial events.

We will be cooking out, spending time together and remembering those family members who have served our country and are no longer with us.

Jim will be grilling chicken breasts, steaks, and pork chops and I will be making the following dishes:

Fresh snap beans from our garden, seasonsed with onion, cilantro, oregano, homemade bacon bits and cut-up turnip greens.  I harvested the snap beans, onion, and turnip greens from our garden very early this morning.  The beans were snapped, onion and greens cut up, and all were added to a single bowl.  I then went to the herb garden and snipped some cilantro and oregano.  They were then cut up and mixed along with the bacon bits I make myself and keep in the fridge.  Water will later be added & I'll slow cook the mix on the stove for about an hour.

The other special dish I'm preparing is my own version of Southern fried squash.  I harvested 5 small crookneck squash from the garden, thin sliced them, then added oinions, cilantro, oregano and a small hint of mint.  The squash will then be dipped in a mixture of cornmeal and bisquik.  It will then be fried in a shallow fry pan of extra virgin olive oil.  When the squash is a light golden color, it's done.  Then it will be very well drained and blotted with paper towels.

Of course, I'll make a huge pan of cornbread, too.  The blueberries are ripening and I hope to have enough to bake a cobbler later.

Well, I had better get busy.  As you can tell, I've a lot of cooking to do! 

May you have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Meet Adalaide

Good morning, dear readers!  I have had several emails inquiring about what I do to the cameos.  I had planned to wait until I had all of the ladies "dressed" and ready for their debut, but I will give you a peek at one of them.  Keep in mind that she is not fully dressed yet, but at least she is somewhat decent-

This is "Adalaide". 

 She began as a small carved shell cameo in a nice 12K rolled gold filled filigree brooch mounting.  She has been dressed up with a bezel of cultured rice pearls along with picot accents of 3mm Swarovski crystal AB bicones, a few more rice pearls and just a bit of tatting featuring Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk in S49.  More tatting will be added to finish her ensemble.

I have worn embellished antique cameos for years and have been asked to make a few available for clients.  Each piece is carefully selected and lovingly enhanced.  No two pieces are ever the same. 

Vintage and antique jewelry has been a passion ever since I was employed MANY years ago by a local jeweler.  I did not realize at the time how that one job experience would influence my creative career.  Being exposed at such a youg age to gorgeous estate jewelry pieces was such a blessing.  I learned much during the 2+ years I worked there, but have educated myself further over the years.

Don't forget to comment on yesterday's post for your chance to win the Piney Woods Summer Vacation Giveaway Event!!!  The winner will be announced on June 7th, so be sure to let me know how you'd use the goodies.

Well, I had better run.  I'm fixing a special lunch for my husband's office today and need to frost the butter pecan cake.  May you have a fantastic holiday weekend and until next week~

Happy Tatting!

Summer Vacation Event

Are you ready for summer?  Have a few tatting projects lined up?  Whether you do or not, I have a solution to your summertime blues:

The Piney Woods Summer Vacation Giveaway Event!

Up for grabs this time:  1 full yard of hand-dyed batik fabric, 2 skeins of DMC perle cotton (899, 4025), 4 skeins of Caron Wildflowers thread (034, 148, 112, 227), 2 GORGEOUS Czech art glass buttons, an assortment of antique shell buttons, a small bag of lime green fancy rocaille seed beads, a few rose colored Czech fire polish beads, a few 6mm pink Swarovski pearls, and assortment of green and lavender freshwater pearls, and some purple baroque pearls.

Here is a closer look at the fabric.

Pearls, Czech art glass button & antique buttons.

And finally, a better view of the other Czech art glass button, fancy lime rocailles and baroque pearls.

Do you think you'll be able to keep yourself occupied with this assortment of goodies?

For your chance to win, leave a comment on this blog post and state what you would do with the winnings.

The winner will be selected via random number generator on Thursday, June 7th, and notified via blog announcement.  The winner must respond no later than Monday, June 11th, or another winner will be selected.

Good luck!

I'm off to work on dressing up another cameo brooch.  May you have a great day and until tomorrow~

Happy tatting!



Parrish Pendant

The remainder of the ball of Valdani size 8 pearl cotton in M24 was calling to me to make a pendant.  Again, it was inspired by the artwork of Maxfield Parrish.  This is the result:

It began as an interlocking chain ring foundation and was expanded with subsequent rounds of tatting.  Accents are: size 11 Czech silver-lined seed beads in sky blue; an antique, carved, MOP shell button; and a 6mm sky blue Swarovski bicone bead.  This pendant will be placed on the vintage silver "gift tree" I keep just inside the hallway by my front door each Christmas.  Guests to my home are asked to take a piece with them when they leave after a holiday visit.

Well, dear readers, I have been busy sifting through my various thread, bead, button and fabric cabinets for items to use in the giveaway event.  In my opinion, this next one will be a "lou-lou"!  Look for the announcement along with all the details in tomorrow's post.

Jocelin and I have lots of household chores to take care of today, so we'd better get busy.  I'll finish rounding up goodies for the giveaway event this afternoon and take images shortly thereafter.  May you have a simply fantastic day doing whatever makes your soul sing!  Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



New Ladies

Good afternoon, dear readers!  I had a wonderful package in the mailbox this morning.  It contained my winnings from the latest estate auction.  Here are my lovely new ladies:

The cameos are both set in 12K gold filled mountings.  The upper right one is accented with 10K rose and green gold flower and leaf motifs.  The earrings are set in sterling silver and are glass intaglio cameos.  They will be used as pendant accents.  I can hardly wait to put together a new Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk order! If I weren't anxiously awaiting a cultured pearl order, I'd call them up today.  BUT- I want to get the pearls in so I can decide exactly what I need threadwise.

Well, dear readers, what shall I call these ladies?  Please post your suggestions.  I will announce the names of these ladies and the others from the previous post after they are added to my Atelier website shoppe.

OH!  This is my 200th blog post!!!  I just realized it.  Be on the lookout later in the week for a giveaway event.  I'm cooking up something special!

Guess I had better get busy on the other Parrish inspired work-in-progress.  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!