Tatman's Chatline

Now that I know my “auntie” Sue has received her gift, I can show you what I worked on before Christmas

It is beaded pearl tatting over wire core. Same technique I did for Sherry’s necklace and earring set. I used size 11 purple irridescent seed beads and size 80 varigated green tatting cotton over 28 gauge wire. Sue likes purple and green

Funny thing happened this morning……..While running this morning I had a near run in with a road block. I was taking the route of running to my church and back, which is 2 miles. Yes, it was 13* F and I am a crazy person LOL! But I like to run and want to keep in shape, despite the freezing weather. As I approached the church from the road there was little light to be seen from the sky or street, except the flood light on the church parking lot. At this time of the morning it was before sunrise, so it was pitch black. I wear reflective clothing so the cars can see me as they approach. In THAT I am not stupid Anyhoo…..as I turn into the church parking lot, via the secondary road that is used for construction vehicles(because they are expanding the church), the flood light on the building was facing me so my field of vision wasn’t tuned. Needless to say I didn’t see this big wooden yellow road block that was set up….even though I knew they had one there. I nearly ran over a road block! Or I should say the road block nearly ran me over. In the dim light and the flood light in my face, I swear it jumped right in front of me waiting for me to hit it HAH. Caught my breath after a slight gasp and scream to myself. Then slowly climbed over it and resumed my running.

I thought it was funny and still thinking to myself that the road block was alive and out to get me

Now that I know that the recipient got her earwigs in the mail, I can show you what I sent to my adopted mom for Christmas

These fuschia flower beaded earrings are made with tiny varigated rayon thread and small 11? seed beads. It uses her double loaded beaded picot technique. I could let that technique stop there!! I took it one step further and loaded and joined that center picot in 3 other places to make it fill in the space. Hope you can tell what I did from the picture. The dangle part of the fuschia flower is done with a spiral tatted chain with a Swarovski crystal bead at the end.

Now that I know the lucky lady has it in her possession, I am now able to show you a tatted and beaded piece I was working on before Christmas as an exchange.

The techniques used are pearl tatted chains with a wire core thread to help give it some stability. Each shuttle had beads loaded. Each picot is beaded in the chains. The center part of the earrings and medallion is a split ring ground with beads on the picots and also on the core thread. I slide 4 beads onto the thread for the picot and before I close the picot with the other half hitch I slide on a bead from the core thread. Kind of what Nina Libin or Iris Niebach do in their beaded pieces. MIND YOU I am not a bead tatter and this was quite a challenge and out of my comfort zone! Unfortunately with this type of bead tatting you can’t(or hardly) see any of the double stitches which is the main feature in tatting. Hence why I don’t do bead tatting too much. I like to see my stitches and picots. But I do like how the pearl tatting on wire with the beads gives a unique effect. Very easy to design with. I could even throw off ring that were beaded on either side of the pearl tatted chain. But that is another beading challenge project for me.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL ! ! ! !

I have lots of pics to show you after the long awaited Christmas holiday and here it is the new year and I will have to go back to work on Monday.

Below is a slide show I took of our three lovely kitties. The slide show doesn’t seem to want to show up correctly on my blog. Just click on “VEW ALL IMAGES” to get there.

And finally I got the pic of the large 80th birthday cake that cause my trauma to my right arm. I really do think it must have been a 200 pounder HAH. Notice the titles and authors on the sides of the books. Private jokes of the recipients The fisherman is also made of rolled fondant. That was really fun to create! Notice the fishes coming out of the wicker tackle basket.

While we were visiting Kim’s family near Nashville, TN over Christmas, we took a day trip to Burgess Falls near Lebanon, KY for a really nice hike and to get some good shots of the falls.

Jack Frost even knows how to make lace!!!! I caught him making lace on my office window. GORGEOUS work!!

This is a pic of this years Christmas tree and you can see our make-shift fireplace, waiting for artificial logs for ambiance.

And lastly……..Look what “Rudolf” sent me!!!! Erin had some help this year from Rudolf tatting up this snowflake(looks like he left me the job of working in the tail ends LOL!) and making up the goodies in my Christmas package. I have a package to send to “Rudolf” too, but have to finish making it

That’s it for now and I hope everyone has a safe rest of the holiday and happy new year!!!