Serious Tech Upgrades

Renovations

Good morning, dear readers!

Well, we sort of have our tech issues resolved.  It seems that we had an unexpected power surge that took out our wireless router, cable modem and insulated surge protector.  Fortunately, the laptop & desktop computers are on different surge protected circuits.  They were unaffected. The router and modem have been replaced, but Jim is still working on setting up our home network to his exact specifications.  What a blessing it is that my husband is an electrical engineer!

 

I am taking the next few days to help him get our home network set up and everything connected and protected as well as organizing my thread, bead and vintage items.  The Plain Jane Project will be revealed later this week as we really need several days to get things squared away and back to our liking.  Sorry for the delay, but unexpected things sometimes happen.

 

The blog theme for this month is "Renovations".  I plan to rework my favorite tatting areas in the house, Atelier and tatting shanty.  I'll let you know about some of the neat storage and decorative goodies I find and throw in a few peeks at some of the pieces in my upcoming Olde West Collection and a few new additions to the Romance of the Piney Woods Collection.

 

Rosie Fey is giving me the "look".  I had better take her out and get on with my day.  This is my antique/vintage button sorting day.  Hope your day is wonderful and full of joy.  Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Plain Jane Beginning

Olde West Inspiration

Good afternoon, dear readers!

We had a busy weekend dealing with the garden and putting up our harvest.  I did manage to get some tatting time in and have a little surprise for you- we are going to have a tat-along on the blog this week.  Here is the beginning of the "Plain Jane Project":

 

 

Using a size 7 tatting needle and a ball of size 8 Valdani Pearl Cotton in M49 "Subtle Elegance", tat 6 ICRs with the following counts:

ICR 11 followed by 5 graduated picots (sm, med, lg, med, sm) 11 CL

ICR 13 very small - 13 CL

Tat 3 of each, alternating for a total of 6 ICRs. Tie, hide ends & cut.

(For a tutorial on needle tatting ICRs, click here.)

 

The next step will be featured on tomorrow's post.

 

What did you do this weekend?  Any interesting projects being tatted out there?  I'm busy working on OOAK pieces for my upcoming Olde West Collection and adding to the Romance of the Piney Woods Collection.  I'll have to hit the estate sales and auctions soon as I'm running low on antique cameos & intaglios.

 

Rosie Fey is ready for an afternoon romp.  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

 

 



Cameos and Stash Organization

Pearls & Lace

Good morning, dear readers!

I decided that I had better get today's post done as we are supposed to have some scary, severe weather this afternoon & evening.  That also means I will have intermittent internet access.

 

I have been getting things gathered up and ready for serious tatting work in the Atelier.  The plan is to have all new original pieces available in May.  Here are some of the cameos I've acquired at auctions and estate sales:

 

 

It was hard to get good images due to the glare this morning, but you can get a general idea of what the "before" cameos look like.  The earrings are screw back, but I plan to cut off the backs, file down the rough and use them as pendants.

 

 

These two ladies need a good cleaning, but I expect they will dress-up quite nicely.

 

The intaglios and vintage brooches have been sorted, catches & mountings checked, and are neatly organized on my jeweler's bench in the Atelier.

 

Now, I am awaiting the cultured pearl order that was placed a couple of weeks ago.  Oh, yeah- I also need to order more Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk.  Lots to do to add to the Romance of the Piney Woods & Olde West Collections!  I'm off to inventory the Valdani threads.  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

 

 

 



Rosalie Giveaway

Good morning, dear readers!

 I have a special treat for you- a new giveaway featuring Rosalie.

As I mentioned yesterday, I went back to Rosalie and added a little bit extra to her- not much, just a bit.  Here she is:

A touch of ruffled tatting under the pearl gave her a bit more stability. The finishing touch was another chain round around the pendant.  I hope you like her.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this blogpost.  If there is something I can do to improve the blog or Atelier website, leave a comment.  If you really like something specific- let me know.  Simply leave a comment that will help me to better serve our tatting community.  The winner will be selected by a random number generator on Monday, July 30th, and announced on the blog that morning.  Good luck!

Here is another view of Rosalie.  A jumpring will be added before she is shipped to her new home.

Well, I am off to the Atelier to work on more tatting.  May you have a fantastic day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Weekend Off Roading

Good morning, dear readers!  I hope you all had as fantastic a weekend as I had!

Early Saturday morning, I packed a picnic lunch and the ice chest with plenty of A&W rootbeer, ice & Gatorade.  After throwing a quilt, paper towels and handwipes in the back of the Jeep, we headed out to the Jackson-Bienville Wildlife Management Area for a bit of off roading.  The new all-terrain tires are wonderful!  I had no problems going anywhere and they performed beautifully.  Yes, I am one happy Jeep freak!

This will give you an idea of some of the trails I played on.  It was fairly thick in a few areas, but "Rubeline" (my little red Jeep Wrangler) wasn't phased at all.  She is ready for more agressive trails!  Or at least some muddy ones.

Jim worked on our home computer network this weekend.  My upload problem is probably not related to the photo apps/editing software, as I had thought, but rather the security settings/encryption programs Jim had put on our system.  He is working on a solution so I can upload more images to the website and still maintain a high security level on our home network.  MANY thanks for your patience, everyone!!!

I have managed to get a couple more Romance of the Piney Woods pieces up on the Atelier.  In case there is some unforeseen snafu, here are the images:

This is the finished eternity pendant I've been trying to upload. 

And here is a better image of the cultured pearl brooch.

Oh! I almost forgot to include the big tease!!!  Stay tuned later this week for a FREE pattern from my Romance of the Piney Woods collection AND a new giveaway event with a piece from said collection!

Well, I've got to get busy on a special tatting project.  I'll be sharing it with you next week.  May you have a beautiful day full of creativity.  Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Still Plugging Away

Well, I managed to get some of the Romance of the Piney Woods collection up on the Atelier website, but not nearly all of it.  My photo software had an update that somehow does not work well with the webserver I use.  I've contacted tech support but haven't heard back yet.  I may move the image files to another editing software to see if that works, but really don't want to waste valuable design time.  Sooner or later I'll get it figured out and all of the pieces up.  Many thanks for your patience!!!

I do have a little peek for you of a current work-in-progress:

This is going to be a OOAK original piece in the upcoming Camo Couture collection.  I actually lucked up on two of these vintage pins!!!  Each will be given a different renovation.

There are a couple of Eternity pendants waiting for final touches and the pin pictured above is still teasing me with it's possibilities.  Guess I'd better get busy tatting, then check my email later- let's hope TS has a solution for me!  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Cameo Cotillion

Good evening, dear readers.  Welcome to the Cameo Cotillion!

I only have five ladies to present to you as four have "eloped".  One is already "spoken for" but has been given permission to attend the Cotillion.

Without further ado, I present to you:

"Katherine" is our lady who is "spoken for".  She is enhanced with Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk in "Forgotten Lavender" and has Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearl accents.  It took almost 3 spools of the Valdani silk to dress her, but I am pleased with the results.

"Eustacia" is our next lady.  She is surrounded by a bezel of olivine Swarovski crystals, a few freshwater pearls and is festooned with Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk in "Golden Moss".  She was rather fussy and demanded a frilly look.  Two full spools of silk later and she gave me an approving nod.

And making her grand entrance is "Adalaide".  This is the lovely lady who has graced several blogposts.  She is surrounded by a freshwater pearl bezel and is accented with crystal AB Swarovskis and a few additional freshwater pearls.  Her "gown" is tatted with Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk in "Subtle Elegance".

"Eunice" is enhanced with artisan hand dyed freshwater pearls, olivine Swarovskis and an airy wrap of Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk in "Golden Moss".

Our final debutante is "Delphine".  She is graced with a bezel of lavender freshwater pearls and surrounded by frothy tatting in "Mauve Orchid" Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk. 

So, what do you think of my ladies?  Each one is painstakingly searched for, evaluated, cleaned and dressed with the utmost care.  All are hand carved shell cameos mounted in 12K gold filled frames.  I have worn cameos like this for many years and at the encouragement of several clients, have made some available for purchase.  Each lady is original and takes MANY hours to complete.  I use Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk exclusively on my ladies- only the best will do.  They are priced accordingly and are now available on the Atelier site.

Which lady is your favorite?  There will be more ladies and other Romance of the Piney Woods pieces added to the website each Friday.

Well, I am off to carefully put each lady in her box. Thank you for attending the Cameo Cotillion.  May you have a wonderful weekend full of whatever makes your soul sing!  Until next week~

Happy Tatting!



Pearl Brooch

While the ladies are waiting to make their debut tomorrow evening, I have been busy working on a new brooch.

The brooch base is 12K rolled gold filled and features 14 genuine cultured pearls.  I have used Valdani Luxury Pearl SIlk in "Icy Leaves" to add tatted accents along with antique beige Czech seed beads and 4mm olivine Swarovski bicones.  This piece goes very well with the Eternity pendant I finished yesterday.  Hmmm... I may have to present them as a demi-parure.  What do you think?

Please note that the Cameo Cotillion will be posted tomorrow evening, as will the Romance of the Piney Woods on my Atelier site. 

 I do not have as many pieces as I'd planned due to early sales, but I hope you will be pleased with what is available.  Friday is only the first installment of the collection.  Additions will follow on subsequent Fridays, so please be sure to check out the website often.  And remember, these are one-of-a-kind ORIGINAL pieces and are priced accordingly.  Patterns inspired by the collection will be available in August.

Guess I had better get back to the brooch so I can list it tomorrow, too.  May you have a wonderful day & until tomorrow evening~

Happy Tatting!



Still At It

Yep, I'm still working on the ladies.  They need lots of attention and I have the habit of going back and tweaking my work.  I do want the ladies to look "just so" at their cotillion.

Other than dessing the cameos, I've been working on the Eternity pendants.  This one (done in "Icy Leaves" Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk) is turning out nicely.

It still has a couple more rows of tatting to go, but I love the color of the silk.  Olivine Swarovskis go extremely well with this thread!  Hmmm... I may keep this one for myself.  Or at least keep it until I debut the Romance of the Piney Woods collection.  It seems like I can hardly keep enough pieces in stock.  Guess I shouldn't complain about that, though.  Thanks for liking my work to those who could not wait for the big debut! 

Well, I have tons of work to do before Friday.  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Preparing for the Launch

I have been busy preparing for the launch of my Romance of the Piney Woods couture tatting collection. 

 The official launch is Friday, July 13th- this Friday! 

Please bear with me this week as my blogposts may be short and erratic.  There is so much I have to get done.

I did work on a couple more Eternity pendants this weekend:

This Eternity base consists of White Lotus 6.5mm pearls, wine 4mm Swarovskis and pink opal 4mm Swarovskis.  The tatting is done with the fabulous Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk in color S78.  The image above is of the very beginning of the pendant.  Be sure to check out the Romance premiere Friday on the Atelier to see the finished piece!

Well, I am off to get more tatting work done.  May you have a marvelous day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Another Cameo Brooch

Another day, another cameo...

It is absolutely sweltering here in the deep South!  I am keeping myself cool and occupied by sipping some nice mint sweet tea and enhancing another cameo with tatting.

This is the cameo that gave me fits beading the bezel around it!  It was a booger- but I think she is turning out okay.  This is just the first little bit of tatting that I'm adding to her.  So, dear readers, would any of you care to suggest a name for this difficult lady?  There are a few bouncing around in my head, but none that I'm satisfied with.  I'd appreciate the input.

Well, I do believe I need a sweet tea refill.  May you have a marvelous weekend doing whatever it is that makes your heart sing!  I will be working on cameos and Eternity pendants.  Until next week~

Happy Tatting!



Cameo Bracelet Progress

It has been SO hot here in the Piney Woods!!!  Fortunately, I have been busy inside the Atelier, working on more Romance pieces.  Here is an image of the lovely cameo bracelet I happened up on last weekend:

I am in the process of adding bezels around each cameo using 3mm bronze Swarovski bicones.  Everything is going well with the exception of one thing- I only have one spool of the Valdani silk I need and this bracelet will probably take at least 3 spools.  Guess I'll be making another Valdani order a bit later!

After I complete the bezels, I plan to work on adding tatting to another cameo.  An image of it will be posted tomorrow.

So, what are you doing, dear readers?  What are you doing to beat the heat & keep cool & occupied?

Well, the Atelier is waiting and I want to get some work done before it gets too hot.  Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

Moonlight & Magnolias

Here is another preview of a special couture tatting piece from my upcoming Romance of the Piney Woods collection:

WARNING-This is an original copyrighted design!

"Moonlight & Magnolias" began life as a plain 12K gold filled vintage Van Dell filigree pin.  I added 2 rows of champagne pearls, beige antique Czech seed beads, and a few freshwater rice pearls along with copious tatting.  The tatting is done with Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk in S49 (Subtle Elegance).  I used 2 1/2 spools of the silk! 

This piece will be available for purchase on my website Piney Woods Atelier once the collection debuts.  The scheduled premier date is July 13th, so it won't be long now!

The Atelier is full of pieces waiting for my attention, so I'm off to finish a few things.  May you have a marvelous day, and please let me know what you think of my latest couture tatting creation.  Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

Working, Working

I have been busy tatting away for the upcoming Romance of the Piney Woods debut.  Between tatting the pieces and making count annotations for the pattern collection inspired by said pieces, my fingers have been most productive.  I did make a point this past weekend to take a break & spend some quality time with my daughter.  As many of you know, dear readers, Jocelin and I adore antiquing/junquing.  We found the lovely cameo bracelet featured in yesterday's post and I thought I'd share the other goody we discovered:

It is a rare Hamilton & Hamilton sterling silver faux pearl brooch.  Of course, tatting accents will be added along with a healthy helping of Swarovskis!  I may even have to add a few genuine pearls.  This is a piece I would typically pass by as the pearls are faux, but the sterling silver mounting is exceptionally fine and is perfect for my kind of additions. 

Keep your eyes peeled for tomorrow's blog post!  Something pretty is going to be previewed!

Well, this isn't getting those Eternity pendants finished or the bracelet more along in its progress, either.  I did receive some wonderful inspiration from our chick-flicks yesterday afternoon!  Guess I'd better hop to it.  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

Cameo Bracelet

You are not going to believe the fantastic piece I found!

Jocelin and I decided to go antiquing this past weekend and I found this fabulous piece.  It is 12K gold filled and has 7 different tiny cameos.  Each cameo is surrounded by a filigree frame- perfect for attaching tatting and goodies to.  Guess what I'm going to be playing with this week!!!

After a nice morning of tatting (let's hope I can get plenty of work done!), Jocelin and I are planning to have a chick-flick afternoon.  Our movie playlist includes: Sense & Sensibility and Jane Eyre.  There is plenty of ice cream in the fridge and I do believe we may put a serious dent in it!

Well, I'm off to the Atelier.  There is no shortage of work to do.  Have a great day!  Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

Champagne Pearl Filigree Pin

After the aggravation of adding beads to the latest cameo, I decided to go ahead & tackle the gold filled filigree pin.

This particular pin is very sturdy and I thought it would look neat to add two rows of champagne pearls.  As I plan to tat in between the pearl rows as well as around the exterior, I spaced the pearls out a little further than I typically would.  At the moment, I am debating which Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk to use- "Earth Silk", "Subtle Elegance" or "Icy Leaves".

What are you doing this weekend, dear readers?  I plan to have a blissfully quiet weekend full of tatting and perhaps a little crochet.  Whatever you are doing, may you have a marvelous time!

Until next week~

Happy Tatting!



Frustration & Cameos

 It has been frustrating in the Piney Woods lately!  I purchased a gorgeous cameo-

She is so lovely, but the rope bezel around her is not as friendly to adding tatting and beads as I had hoped.  She has taught me a very valuable lesson: don't forget to put on my glasses before going to an estate auction!!!

But I did eventually manage to get some 3mm Swarovski bicones and rice pearls around her and securely anchored.

She is not as symetrical as I would like, but I think she will be stunning with swirls of tatting in "Golden Moss" Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk.

I am still working on a few Eternity pendants and hope to have them finished this morning.  After a little break at the local park, I plan to get to work on the cameo.  For some reason, she seems to be a Myrtle or Gertrude.  What do you think?

Well, I'd better get busy.  Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!



Louisiana Summer Pendant

As today is the Summer solstice, I thought it would be appropriate to debut a particular piece in the upcoming Romance of the Piney Woods couture tatting collection. 

This is "Louisiana Summer", an Eternity pendant tatted with size 12 Valdani pearl cotton in color M80 (Distant Grass) and enhanced with White Lotus pearls, Swarovski crystals and Czech seed beads.  It will be available for purchase on the website in July!

A set of patterns for this piece and several other Eternity pendants will be available in August.  I love working in the round!  Some folks may find it boring, but I love to add layered tatting, beads and vintage accents.  Something simple can become so much more with just a little effort and imagination.

So, what do you think, dear readers?  Would you like to see a few other sneak peeks soon?  I have a number of these Eternity pendants made up and am considering offering one of the patterns as a freebie on the blog. 

Well, I had better get back to work in the Atelier.  There are several larger works-in-progress on the tatting table that require my attention. Have a great day & until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!

 

New Earring Design Started

Last night, as I was sifting through my tatting tray, I came across just a bit of Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk left on one spool.  Not one to waste thread, my mind began pondering what I could use the leftover portion for.  After rummaging through the miscellaneous box in the Atelier, I came across a package of endcaps for beads.  Hmmm.... I began to imagine options.  This is what I did:

It is only the beginning, but will eventually be a pair of earrings.  I added some light grey pearl Czech seed beads and 4mm light rose Swarovski bicones with the Valdani Luxury Pearl Silk (color S204 "Nostalgic Rose").  Today will be spent fleshing out this new design.  Think I'll add it to the Romance of the Piney Woods collection.

Jocelin and I will be going to an estate auction later this morning and after a nice mother/daughter lunch, we'll need to get some Father's Day shopping done.  Big Daddy & Pappy need some nice, new goodies! 

Well, the earrings are waiting and I've a very busy day ahead.  Hope you have a marvelous Father's Day weekend!  Until Monday~

Happy Tatting!

Eternity Pendant Teaser

Okay, after receiving a couple of emails requesting it, here is an image of the very beginning of one of my Eternity Pendants from the Romance of the Piney Woods couture tatting collection:

The pendant starts with a ring of pearls and Swarovskis and builds out from there.  I will have a pattern set of several of these pendants available in early August.  These little buggers have been occupying much of my tatting time the past few days.  They are fun to do and work up quick once you get the hang of manipulating the circlets.

On another note, I am highly anticipating an upcoming estate auction to be held later this week!  My sources have let me know there are a few cameos, brooches and pins that may be of use in my artwork.  Plus, another little birdie whispered in my ear that there may even be some antique fibers as this lady was an avid needleworker!  Perhaps I may even stumble upon some shell buttons.  Oh, yes, I am most definitely looking forward to later this week!!!

The pendants and cameos are beckoning me back to the Atelier.  May you have a fantastic day doing whatever makes your soul sing!  Until tomorrow~

Happy Tatting!