Wed 28 Jul 2010
Posted by Tatman under vacation
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I know it has been almost a month since we took our vacation. I am just now getting to organize the photos. There is lots to show and share! I come from a very large family and you will notice this in the pictures I will show you. My Gma(maternal) comes from 8 siblings and each of the siblings comes on average 3-6 kids, and from those kids comes on average 3-6 kid…….it keeps growing.
We arrived early Saturday morning(June 26) in time for the festivities. First off was a watercolor painting workshop by my late Great Aunt Sally’s best friend Beth who is a phenominally good artist. And we were honored to have her come to our reunion.
Here is the crowd looking on with her instructions.
I come from a very talented family. Come to find out there are several artists within our family. Here is my sister painting.
My great niece and great nephew painting…..
My great aunt painting on a card…….
Beth showing my cousin some good pointers……….
3 of my many second cousins(my mom’s first cousins) thoroughly involved in their paintings……..
cousin getting more done on her painting. She worked on it throughout the day…..
my third cousin(son of person in previous picture) is an awesome artist and going into college with that degree.
Putting the finishing touches on his masterpiece…..
Beths almost finished watercolor……..
There was also a birdhouse painting contest the night before and these got judged with prizes.
All for now. Look tomorrow for more pictures and stories!!!!
Fri 23 Jul 2010
Posted by Tatman under painting
[3] Comments
Friends of ours are getting married this weekend and we can’t really afford to buy a present for them right now. We looked at what they registered for and were not thrilled with the choices. We like to put a little personality in our gifts and make it more personal. More like…….”yes, that gift came from Mark and Kim, no doubt!”……….
So we tend to make gifts. And as our usual scenario, AT THE LAST MINUTE! So this past Tuesday I started painting a portrait of the couple using one of their engagement pictures. I finished it yesterday.
It turned out almost true to the photo, so my mom says 
I think it worked up surprisingly well. I am always anxious during the process because I want it to be just right and any slip up could ruin it. Like too dark or wrong color. I have done enough of these portraits to know my own process and how to handle the brush and paint. I am such a tight painter and would really like to broaden out and loosen up. Maybe I will do some trial portraits in a very loose impressionistic style. More like the essence of the person portrayed rather than every hair and wrinkle. Doesn’t hurt to try. I will probably go back to being tight and fiddly HAH
Sat 17 Jul 2010
I just uploaded into my Etsy Shop two pairs of bobbin lace earrings that I made not long ago. You can click on their pictures to go to their individual listings.
They are fairly quick and fun to make.
This past Sunday(11 July) I took my nephew with me to dig up some Queen Anne’s lace from a neighbor’s yard so I can transplant it into my butterfly garden. If I can’t get hybrid flowers to grow, and only weeds, then might as well try growing pretty weeds! Besides, we like Queen Anne’s Lace.
I have quite a bit planted in my garden, along with the perennials that decided to come up.
And with our little adventure into the weed patch, I brought back with me and unwanted present
POISON IVY!!!!
BEASTIE!!!! Can’t remember the last time I had poison ivy. But whenever I DO get it, it always is around the eyes. I think it has to do with my allergies.
For prettier pictures than that, here are a couple of the lilies in my garden that are bloomed.
Thu 15 Jul 2010
Posted by Tatman under Bobbin Lace, Lace
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Since I finished that one doily from the previous post, I went straight away to pic another doily to do using the same linen thread. Found another picture I like and that only uses 4 bobbin pairs for the bulk of the doily with two additional pairs for the outside row.
Here is a closeup of what I have done so far. It goes fairly quick
That is what I am working on at home in the evenings when I get a chance for “ME” time. Besides other little projects I have strewn all over, I have started another project at work during my lunch break. My leather watch band is completely GROSS and deteriating. So I am making another one. I am attempting to create something across the lines of tatted/macrame watch band. After all, tatting is very much like macrame. But I plan on using mostly tatted elements and just a basic macrame(have to, all I know are basics, and haven’t really done macrame before).
BTW……………..
Just in case you listen to 80s Planet on iTunes or other streaming audio, I just requested a rarely broadcast song(on this station) from the Carpenters. I am a HUGE fan(to put it lightly). And after making a donation(not necessary for normal 80s songs) Steve at the 80s Planet station will be playing later today “Calling Occupants”. It is one of his favorites of the Carpenters and I am thankful that he is actually broadcasting it. So if you are listening to 80sPlanet streaming audio today, he might introduce some wacky person from Greenville, IL, USA who wants to listen to The Carpenters LOL!!!!
Fri 9 Jul 2010
We are back from vacation! And still lots to do around the house. Wished it would just handle itself while we were gone and we wouldn’t have all this work to do……….in a perfect world!!!
I will be sharing many pictures with you over several posts of our vacation. So please check back often!
I took several projects with me while we did our vacation. Of course I took too many projects and really only worked on one. I took my bolster pillow and started and almost finished a Schneeberger (?) doily that I laced up from a photo. Didn’t have a pattern. Just used the photo. I got it from HERE. Uses 6 pairs of bobbins and I used a 2 ply linen thread(22 wpcm) I got from a vendor at a heritage reenactment. Here is the doily at the point I stopped at the end of our vacation
I just about got it finished at the end of our vacation except those last few inches and the center plaits. Here is a close up of the last part
And here is the finished doily off the pillow!
It was a fast and fun doily to make. And you can have a chance to own this treasure because I am selling it on Tatman’s Etsy Shop Please browse around.
I will post later with some pictures of our vacation.
Fri 25 Jun 2010
Posted by Tatman under painting
[2] Comments
Yesterday my co-worker and good friend of more than 10 years finished her last day here at work. We may have said our teary goodbyes, but she will be around for another month or two as she gathers what she needs in order to embark on her new life on the west coast. That is really where her heart is and she is following it. Something I wish I would do! I plan on meeting up with her while she is still in town to go on our last bike trip along the river road. And maybe a few other fun things. Of course we will be in constant contact via the internet. But am going to miss her 
On a more cheery note, this is what I have been working on the past week of lunchbreaks.
It is a watercolor portrait of my great aunt who passed away suddenly last October. She is the sister of my maternal Gma and the second oldest aunt that I had painted portraits. 6 girls and two boys in that family. Both my aunts have passed away. My Gma is still with us….bless her heart!….at age 93. My second oldest aunt got to see her portrait before she passed on, but this youngest aunt did not. And she is the well known artist in her circle and almost all of Florida. So it only seems fitting that I paint her portrait. She has blessed me and taught me quite a few things. I really felt her presence as I was painting this. I am sure she was correcting me as I went through the process
We are going to have a memorial for her at the family reunion which is this coming weekend. And it also is the start of our vacation. Which leads me to say that I will not have access to a computer the entire time. So you won’t hear from me for a while. I will be bringing my bobbinlace and tatting and probably packed too many projects to even try to finish anything. SIGH!
I will try to stay cool in this sweltering heat, as you do likewise!
Tue 22 Jun 2010
Posted by Tatman under Uncategorized
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This past Saturday was another hot and muggy Grande Levee in Vandalia, IL. It was only a one day event this year and not state supported(thanks to ex-Governor Blago[inexplicit]). Luckily they got local donations and support to put on the event. There are several around the state that have to find funding.
Anyhoo……….the breeze and being in the shade made it bearable and there was a good crowd despite the 95 degree F. We all had a good time visiting with our reenactor friends who we haven’t seen for a while. Chewed the fat and all that. One of my sister’s reenactor friends shot this picture of me working on my bolster pillow
I was working on the Brazilian edging that was presented by Christa of Heartland Lace Guild and I took on the challenge of working it up. It is a typical torchon edging and it works out nicely
This was an edging that has been on this pillow for quite some time. It is worked with DMC pearl cotton size 12. I got 3 repeats done while at the show. I needed the pillow for another project I wanted to work on and I was getting bored with the edging anyways. Imagine that!!! Me getting bored! I really do think I have adult ADD. Or just can’t settle on one project long enough, so have to jump to something new. Hence my collection of pillows with works in progress and other unfinished projects of all needlework genre. So I finished a repeat and cut the bobbins off. Some visitors happen to be watching me and I just went *snip* and they gasped. HEHE It was like you thought I neutered it! I told them I was bored with it and wanted something new. They understood. But I liked their reaction! Don’t know what I am going to do with it. The footside is 14 inches long. Can’t put it on a pillow case, but could go on the end of a tea towel. It might gather up into a nice flower. Any other ideas??
I will be working a large 14 inch oval doily on the bolster pillow next using some handspun flax/linen in white that I purchased a few years ago at another heritage demonstration. I will be taking this with me on our vacation. Don’t have a workable travel pillow, so will haul this monster. I tend to pack too many projects when going on vacation. Then I find I don’t really work much on them because I am busy hiking, running, enjoying nature. But I do try to work on my projects while having coffee in the morning while the rest of the campers are still sleeping.
Fri 11 Jun 2010
I just added more items to Tatman’s Etsy Shop. CHECK IT OUT!!!
And also added two more designs with my CafePress.com shop. Go to the Magic Thread Shop and scroll down to the t-shirts and click on the two right images with the new designs.
Or you can click on these two shirts images to get to their respective shops.
Let’s go Shopping!!!!
Thu 10 Jun 2010
Posted by Tatman under Bobbin Lace, Lace
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Last weekend we went garage saling(Tag sale) to find some camping stuff for our new pop up camper. We do our usual browsing for good bargains. Our found a bargain! To my surprise I found this painting sitting amongst other junk! It is of an old time bobbinlacer at her pillow. It is painted in oil on fiber board. The artist signed it “Oberhellmann” and dated 1966. I inquired of the lady selling it and she didn’t know much about the painting, but knew that she was bobbinlacing. She got it locally and that the lady sold it to her was familiar with Belgium lace. And this lady that I was chatting with knew about bobbinlacing just that she only knew of Belgium and lacemaking. So I got into a long discussion about all the different types and styles and cultures of bobbin lacemaking. She was surprised that I knew what it was and that I was a lacemaker! She said she was glad that it is going to someone that actually makes lace.
This painting is impressionistic and executed with large brush strokes. It is a nice gem. Not sure what I will do with it. Don’t have the wall space. I did get it for a nice price. I may sell it. If you know of anything about an artist by the name “Oberhellmann” or may have come across information about this lacer, I welcome all comments. Probably just an unknown artist painting from a picture of someone they knew that did bobbinlace.
This past Sunday was our 23rd anniversary and we went to the annual rendezvous at Fort de Chartres near Prairie du Rocher, IL. Below is a slideshow of our visit. We like to visit with our fellow heritage demonstrators(we do some shows together). But I especially like to see the bag pipers and the Scottish dance. Enjoy the slideshow!!
Sat 5 Jun 2010
This will be our 23rd anniversary, tomorrow. And this is our present to each other and what we are picking up today
We have been searching hard the past month to find a pop up camper to upgrade from our disheveled tent. Plus we have to bring our diabetic cat with us camping now to give him his shots. Bummer, but what we do for our loved ones!
We were about to give up and have to find pet friendly cabins or hotels to stay in for our vacation. It was getting worrisome and we didn’t know what to do. Most cabins are booked now and our vacation is in less than a month.
We haven’t been thrilled with the prospects of the cheaper tent campers that have been listed. Only had so much money and we were stuck between “too cheap and disgusting” to just over our breaking point and too expensive and nice. But not nice enough for what they ask. One of our main criteria was that it have A/C. We do not tolerate heat. Plus we have a cat that will be in it for the entire time we camp. So we have to keep it cool for him as well. We won’t be leaving him for any length of time by himself. We will just veg out at the campsite. Altho I get too antsy and have to break free and go running or hiking or something! And we like to take little drives. So we may have to take him in our car for those drives. It isn’t a good situation, but kennels cost too much and there hasn’t been anyone that I trust to give a cat a shot. Guy and I have an understanding about that. I give him his shot at certain times and he gets a treat and won’t swat at me. If we get off that schedule, he is apprehensive and gets testy!
Anyhoo……This camper popped up on Craigslist at the last minute so yesterday we went to take a look at it. We liked what we saw. It was very clean and taken care of for a 1994 Coleman model, it was small and our SUV could hall it easily, had most of what we were looking for……..
EXCEPT NO A/C! and no refridgerator.
It did have a thermostat exhaust fan. But we plan on putting a window A/C in it. I know…….spoiled rotten!! I do it mostly for Kim….and the cat. Me…I grew up sleeping on the ground in a bag under the stars. Growing up my family did have an Airstream trailer to house all the good things from home. But no A/C!
So for the price we paid, we still think it is a good deal and we can upgrade it some. Today we have to borrow a truck to pick it up. That’s right. We haven’t any hitch on our car. That still has to be done soon. And license plate and registration sticker, OH MY! What a monster this has turned out to be! And such a small monster. But we will enjoy it.
Here are a couple more pictures of the inside
!!!!!!! HAPPY ANIVERSARY TO US !!!!!!!
