Lots of Earrings Made!

Well, coming up on the Christmas Season for the Farmers Market I bought a brand new earring display, then had to fill it with earrings.  We were off the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so I had 2 weeks to get all the earrings done that I wanted to.
Here is the display all filled up.

Here is a better picture of all the earrings.

The only ones here that are not on the display when I took the photo are the Christmas Trees.  Most of these earrings are now available on my blog store.
Even though the Market will be open one more week I will not be going.  It is just TOO cold!  Even with all the layers of denim and flannel I had on last Saturday I like to froze!  Not very many people came either.  Funny thing is that 3 people came who had never been to the Market and didn't even know we were there even with all the advertising we do and all the signs at the gate and along the road...gotta wonder about some people...lol

I have posted all the new Christmas ornaments on my store too but I really want to show you this snowflake that I test tatted for Frivole (from InTatters).

Criss-Cross Crystal Snowflake

I tatted this one according to the pattern but the next one I just couldn't resist adding beads.

Criss-Cross Crystal  Snowflake with Bugle Beads

Believe it or not, this one is exactly the same stitch count as the first one.  The only difference is that the picots are longer to accomodate the bugle beads.  For any interested in the pattern, Frivole has posted it for sale on her Etsy Shop.   I tatted both these snowflakes with Lizbeth Niagra Falls size 20 thead.  I just had to order me some Blue Ice that should be here soon to do better justice to the snowflake patterns that Frivole is coming up with.

Still Very Busy...sigh

I'm sure you are all wondering where I have been lately.  Well, truth to tell, I've been VERY busy with the local Farmers Market which is *planning* on staying open until mid December (weather permitting and we don't get a lot of snow)  Not only am I taking my tatted jewelry to the Market, I've been taking all of the cards I have made, the bags that I have made and I have been baking like a silly fool every week and taking cookies galore!  This week I had a new cookie plus 3 batches of fresh (home made) bagels and 2 batches of scones! :-O  I won't be making cookies this week but I will be making more bagels and scones to take as they sold realllly well.  The following week I start making Christmas cookies to take to the Market...yes, it is getting close isn't it?

This week I also started taking Christmas ornaments that I have been making.  These two baubles are my first baubles, but I'm sure more will follow.

This first one is made with the pattern Tat A Winter Star, done in size 20 Lizbeth thread.  In addition to the pattern I added a ring of 6-6 with an iridescent dagger bead dangling form the picot.  I attached it to the longest picot of each "arm" with silver jump rings.   I draped it over a plastic bauble using small drops of Liquid Fusion on the under side (at the junction on the clover) to keep it in place.

Tat a Winter Star on a Bauble

This next bauble is the Windows & Wheels Ornament, done in size 20 Lizbeth.  To make the glass ball glitter, I poured a little bit of floor wax inside the bauble, swirled it all around then dumped out the extra and sprinkled in two different sizes (large and micro fine) iridescent glitter.  Swirled that around then dumped out any extra there and let dry.

I was asked at the Market if I could make the above snowflake on a glass ball like the one below.  So now I need to make it to a store and get some more glass balls (this one was my last...sigh) and make some more baubles. 

Windows & Wheels Ornament

I REALLY like the way this looked as I was tatting it and thought it would make a GREAT necklace!  I'm adding a bead to the center of the center ring, seed beads to the 4 picots on the bottom of the outside ring and a dagger bead dangling from the picot of the bottom ring (the pattern is doubled for the bauble).  I have it started, using size 20 Lizbeth in color # 158 (Niagra Falls) with the center bead matching exactly the darkest of the aqua/turqouise colors and copper seed beads and dagger bead.  I will be sure to post a picture of it when I get it finished.

First Snowflake of the Year

Yeup, you read right.  This is the first Snowflake of the year...lol  Since I am doing the Farmers Market and my tatting is selling quite well I've started making Christmas ornaments.  Not only will I be doing the Market each Saturday until mid December, I have a Craft Show coming up on the first Saturday in December.  I'm still planning on doing this show as I have done it now for about 17 years.  So that means really getting my b*** in gear...lol

Anyways, here is the snowflake.  I have tatted this with a single strand of DMC Light Effects Embroidery Floss - White and a size 8 tatting needle.

This next one is a Tatted Christmas Tree that can be found on BeStitched.  This was tatted with size 80 thread and done with the shuttle.  I filled this shuttle (a Clover) with the thread and I want to see how many of these trees I can get with one shuttle full.  So far I have 2 done...I keep getting side tracked...lol

I sprayed the tree with a bit of Glimmer Mist (designed for cardmaking and scrapbooking) and stiffened it with hairspray.  I'm not all that impressed with how stiff it is with the hairspray so I am working on stiffening both of these with Clear Acrylic Spray Paint.  As soon as I get a few pennies together though I'm going to purchase THIS and see how well it works.

So much new jewelry!

If you are following me on my By Carolivy blog then you know that I have been really busy the last couple of monts at the local Farmers Market selling my cards, tatting and home baked cookies.  Well my tatted jewelry has been selling like hot cakes, so instead of posting the huge amount of photos I am just going to give you a link to my Photobucket where you can see all the new jewelry I've made (both shuttle tatted and needle tatted)

I hope you are all having a wonderful Summer and getting some wonderful tatting done.  I am going everywhere with my tatting now and even have several ladies who have asked me to teach them how to tat!  Yeah!  Spread the tatting to all you can. ;-P

Newest Tatted Jewelry

I've also been busy making some more tatted jewelry.  This set is Dream by Yarnplayer is up on my blog store. 
I made my set with Lily 6 cord Ecru thread in size 30 and Teal(ish) leaf and seed beads.

I am currently working on another necklace and earring set and should have it up very soon...if all goes well.  I haven't been doing much tatting lately as I haven't really been feeling well lately.  Been getting a LOT of reading done lately, not much else...sigh...

Bookmark Exchange

Over on InTatters we had a Spring Bookmark Exchange.  I made a really cool bookmark using Red & White Rickrack that has been wound together to look like a Candy Stick.  The pattern is called Tatted Rickrack Candy Stick Bookmark.  (the pattern used to be on Freepatterns.com but is no longer there)


Edited to add: I have had several requests for the name of the designer of this bookmark.  It isCharlene G Finiello.

I received a gorgeous bookmark from Louine along with a beautiful Rose Brooch.



Spreading my wings a bit...

Well, I have decided to spread my wings a bit. I'm in the process of putting a Blog Store together that will feature my handmade cards and other handmade crafts as well as my Designer Resource Graphics. I don't have a cart up and running yet, but the prices are listed, so if you see something you like, drop me an email (found in the Contact Me) and let me know what you are interested in. There are NO minimum purchases and special requests are welcome as well.

http://www.customcreationsfromcarolivy.blogspot.com/ Come on over and check me out, bookmark me, follow me and keep checking back. I have loads to put up, but have to sleep some time...lol

Bag making frenzy

Hey all!  I haven't been doing much tatting lately, but I HAVE been making Bags to carry the tatting in!  I have made one called a Dorset Bag or Origami Pocket Pouch, the second bag is a Drawstring Pouch, the last is just a pouch that has a zipper pocket added to the outside of it (no pattern here...just followed one I already had)

Inside of Dorset Bags

Dorset Bags (Origami Pocket Pouches)

First try has a full size CD....made the bag toooo small, IMO

Used a Mini CD inside this one...much better size!

Now I have it!  Use a Wide Mouth Canning Lid and make a Pincushion out of it!

Need to find some more zippers...really like the way this bag came out!

I'll be taking these bags with me to the upcoming Craft Show on February 12, so we will see if others like them as well as I do...lol  I think of all the material I've used, I like the golds and browns of the last Drawstring Bag.
Oh, the Christmas Bag is NOT going to be sold!  That one is mine!  I'm adding tatting around the edge of that triangular pockets as well...will show you a finished pic of it when I get it done.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs
Carol

So Sorry!

I really do need to post more often!  I have been doing tatting...really!  I've just been so busy, I forget to let you all know what I've been doing.  So, this post is going to be picture intensive.....I'll put a little blurb in with each photo too...(go and get a cuppa, I'll wait....)

Lacey Bookmark done with shuttle

This bookmark is tatted with a size 10 Grey thread that I had intended on using on the following Two-by-Two bookmark, but it was a different weight size 10 than the burgandy I did the center with....so, since the shuttle was already loaded, I made up this bookmark.

Celtic and Two-by-Two Bookmarks

 I really like the burgandy and cream thread of the Two-by-Two, but really think the bookmark would have "popped" more if I had been able to use the grey thread...ah well.  I LOVE anything Celtic, so this bookmark was a joy to make.  What a lot of color combinations you could use to make this gorgeous bookmark!

Jane's Bookmark (shuttle)

 This little bookmark has to be one of my all time favorite patterns to work, needle or shuttle!

Color Challenge

These bookmarks are the results of an interesting Color Challenge that one of the ladies from InTatters put on.  Tat something with a Variegate, then with the Variegate and a Solid Color, then reverse those colors, then the Solid Color.  I had a limited amount of the size thread I wanted to use, so that is why my solid bookmark is Cream instead of White.

Jane's Bookmark

This is Jane's bookmark again, using all of the thread leftover on the shuttles from the Color Challenge.  Not enough for a "full length" bookmark, so I added ribbon to both ends.

Hematited Bracelet

This bracelet is made with Split Rings and Hematite Beads (alternating round and square), then the Chain done after all the Rings are done.  I made this bracelet to give my youngest daughter when we picked her up at the airport right before Christmas.

Greenman Necklace

I made this necklace with Split Rings, various sizes of Hematite Beads and 4 Garnet Beads (right near the Green Man).  The Green Man was a gift from my friend when I went to visit her in Upstate New York late last Summer.  Originally, I just had him on a silver chain, but it just didn't "work".  I think this necklace works really well with him.

My Christmas Earrings

Ok, last tatting picture for today.  These are the earrings I made for myselft for Christmas.  I had made another pair that was similar and when I was at a Craft Show in early December, a lady wanted a pair of Christmas Earrings, and I didn't have any on display.  I was, however wearing a pair that I told the lady I could make a pair like them for her if she wanted.  Well....in the end, I just ended up selling her the pair out of my ears...lol....so I had to make myself a new pair.  The thread is actually some that I plied myself.  My OH made me a spindle, based on the CD/dowel spindle and I used 3 strands of Machine Embroidery Thread.  After plying the thread together though, it had way toooooo much twist, so I found both ends and let it "untwist" onto itself, essentially re-plying itself again in the opposite direction.  I really like how the thread ended up and will be making more of it to tat jewelry with.

Christmas Craft Show 2010

Here is the display from the Christmas Craft Show that I did.  I sold a few cards and actually sold quite a few of my tatted earrings.
I have another show that I am getting ready for on February 12 that will be at the Country Club again.  I can just hope that i do as well there as I did at the Christmas Show.

Now that you have seen what I have been doing since I posted last time, I will "try" to post a bit more frequently so my posts aren't this long again...

Sending you all hugs
Carol