Peachtree Cottage Creations

In The Works...

2012-02-24T11:40:00.000-05:00

I've been a bit quiet lately. Why? Two reasons.

First - My injured wrist got reinjured (I shouldn't have tried to pick up the computer - ugh), so it's aggrevating me and I am trying to let it rest as much as possible.

Second - I have a customer order that I'm working on. It's a rather large order and included having to create a new design. I won't give it away just yet, but I hope to make this my first published design when I'm done with the order. Once the order is done I should be able to draw up a pattern diagram and write out the instructions as a pattern.

Here's a sneak peek:

It's a rather large design and this is only a small piece of it, but I can't give away what it is just yet :-)

So....while I might be a bit quiet...I am here. I am working. I am creating. I hope you all are too :-)

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T14:25:00.002-05:00

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

2012-01-20T19:29:00.000-05:00

I got a chance to do a little bit of tatting so I made up a couple of Valentine Heart Bookmarks. The first is from a very pretty design by Irene Woo. I tatted it in thread that is shades of pink then added a cord with a coordinating motif on the end.

Motif # C3-3:

The next one is a white lace heart which surrounds a red paw print in the middle. I thought this was a great design by Heather Johnston to show some pet love :-)

Motif # C3-4

They both can be found in my Peachtree Cottage Etsy Shop - http://PeachtreeCottage.etsy.com

Quilled Card

2012-01-05T18:52:00.001-05:00

The last few days I've been working on this card for my daughter. She hit a major milestone today and I wanted to give her a special 'congrats' card....so I made one with a quilled butterfly. It's in her favorite colors (pink and black) and while it's simple I think it came out very well.

Not too bad for my first attempt at quilling other than making the basic shapes!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T15:32:00.002-05:00

Whew! Last minute sales and orders right before Christmas, along with the typical holiday activities, kept me from getting much new work done. I'm hoping to get off to a good start this year!

Hope Everyone is having a Wonderful New Year!

Holiday Bracelet and Earring Set

2011-12-17T02:44:00.002-05:00

For the last few days I've been working on a special order from one of my customers. She wanted a Holiday Bracelet and Earring Set in Red, White and Green. The request included that the earrings be 2 inches long and the bracelet 2 inches wide in this particular tatting design. I ordered in the thread and worked it up and here's the results.

Motif: C3-2

It came out better than I originally thought it would. I think the color spacing on the thread worked up nicely and the way the earrings turned out they can be used with either ear wires or posts. I'm very happy with how this set turned out and I think my customer will be also.

Score!!

2011-12-15T15:02:00.001-05:00

Look at what I got! I have the others and this completes the set. I lucked out and found this on Ebay.

Now I know a lot of you will say they sell for a really high price now but, as I said...SCORE! I got this for $36.00 !!! It arrived today from the UK. It's in perfect condition...doesn't even seem to have ever been opened. Now I have all of her books! I'm a very happy tatter today!

Ryan and his Wreath

2011-12-08T02:54:00.001-05:00

A new little bear! Ryan is only 2.5 inches tall standing but he's ready for Christmas! He's gotten out the Christmas Wreath which is decorated with gold beads and a red bow. However instead of putting the wreath on the front door, he's decided to wear it around his neck!

Ryan's Wreath is tatted with Lizbeth threads in shades of dark green and accented with gold beads and a red satin ribbon bow. The Wreath is removable.

Ryan is currently available at a special holiday discounted price in my Peachtree Cottage Etsy Shop -
http://PeachtreeCottage.etsy.com

Another New Color Test

2011-12-02T23:37:00.001-05:00

When I first saw these new colors I thought they would make up well together and they did. The lighter one is shades of cream, ecru, light tan and reminds me of old vintage, tea stained, lace. The brown is a deep rich shade that makes me think of dark semi-sweet chocolate. I used them together in a Quatrain Bookmark. The Quatrain motif was designed by Joelle Paulson.

With this I will be starting my 3rd set of 25 Motifs - Motif # C3-1:

I am also trying to split my blog to have a seperate one just for my tatting. My new Tatting Blog is Tatted Delights - http://TattedDelights.blogspot.com

To coordinate with that I have also set up a Tatted Delights Etsy shop were this bookmark can be found - http://TattedDelights.etsy.com

Testing More Colors

2011-11-28T12:24:00.000-05:00

I decided to test out another color of the new Lizbeth threads. This one makes me think of Neopolitan Ice Cream (think Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla). It worked up nicely, I think. I think this bookmark design is by Sandy Scales but I'm not totally sure.

This is my last motif for my 2nd round of the 25 Motif Challenge. Should I continue and do another set of 25 for the challenge, or should I just keep tatting and not worry about keeping count for the challenge?

Motif # C2-25

Currently available in my Etsy Shop - http://PeachtreeCottage.etsy.com

Hot Apple Pie

2011-11-24T12:32:00.000-05:00

The lovely colors in this thread remind me of Red Delicious Apples, Yummy Caramel and Fresh Whipped Cream. I think it works up nicely as a bookmark.

Motif # C2-24

This bookmark is currently available in my Etsy Store - http://TattedDelights.etsy.com

It Makes a Pretty Snowflake Too!

2011-11-23T10:33:00.001-05:00

I've been testing out some of Jon Yusoff's new snowflake patterns and decided to try the new pretty blue and green Lizbeth Thread on her Adan snowflake design. I like it! This colorway has definitely become one of my favorites!

Motif # C2-23

This Snowflake is currently available in my Peachtree Cottage Etsy Shop - http://PeachtreeCottage.etsy.com

Beautiful Colors!

2011-11-16T12:50:00.000-05:00

I think I've fallen in love! I just love this new Lizbeth thread colorway. The colors go together so perfectly. At first I wasn't too sure how it would work but once I started on this bookmark I saw how well they worked together. I will definitely be making more items with this one!

Motif # C2-22

Isn't it pretty!? It's currently available in my Etsy Shop - http://PeachtreeCottage.etsy.com

More Thread Calls To Me

2011-11-14T14:33:00.000-05:00

As you all know, the new Lizbeth thread "Blue Ice" called out to me to make snowflakes. Well, their "Jungle Greens" called out to me in a different way. I looked at it and I didn't think "jungle"....I thought "evergreens"....so here's a little tatted Christmas Tree in 'evergreens".

Motif # C2-21

It's available as an ornament in my Etsy Shop - http://PeachtreeCottage.etsy.com

Let it Snow!

2011-11-08T14:28:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's not really snowing here in Georgia, but, when I saw the new Blue Ice thread from Handy Hands it just called out to me to make snowflakes with it. I used size 40 thread and they came out about 2.5 inches across from point to point. I've done 2 and I'm working on a 3rd which I will post soon. They look like lovely ice crystal snowflakes to me :-)

First we have Kira's Star

Motif # C2-19

Then we have Eileen Stafford's Snowflake

Motif # C2-20

They are available in my Etsy Shops - http://TattedDelights.etsy.com and http://PeachtreeCottage.etsy.com

You Never Know What You Will Find

2011-11-07T15:50:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it really pays off to go hunting through blogs and checking out older posts. Recently I went to the 25 Motif Challenge blog...there I saw something made by Tatting Goddess that I liked so I went to her blog. I had some time on my hands at that moment so I went checking through the older posts and came across a design that just called out to me so much I had to put aside other things I was making to work on it. I'd not seen this design anywhere before and I'm sooo glad I found it!

The design is for a Christmas Tree, and it was designed (per the post) by Maus. The diagram for it was also posted. So I went searching through my threads to see if I had something similar in color, and I dug out my beads and started tatting away. Not quite the same as the one I saw but close.

Motif # C2-18:

This turned out to be a somewhat big design, since I did it in size 20 threads. It's 4 inches across at the widest part of the base of the tree, and 5.5 inches tall from the bottom to the beaded top. What the picture doesn't show well is that in a way it is somewhat 3D as well, since the beaded chains sit a bit on top of the rings.

It took a lot of time to get this done, and alot of retro tatting ... hehe, but it's finally completed. I think it will make a wonderful ornament hanging on a Christmas Tree.

With finds like this, I think I will go 'post digging' more often :-)

Mumford II

2011-11-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

Mumford II is a special order bear. He is designed to be similar to my Mumford bear. This one stands 2.25 inches tall and wears a sunshine yellow satin ribbon.

I'm still working on a fuzzy bunny that I'm hoping to have completed soon.

Another Baby Blanket

2011-11-03T15:09:00.001-04:00

While I had my baby yarns out I went ahead and made up another baby blanket. This one is striped and made for a little girl. It's approximately 30" x 34 " (crib size) and perfect for a sweet little girl to grow up with. It's also reversible :-)

This baby afghan is currently available in my Babywear Boutique Etsy Shop - http://BabywearBoutique.etsy.com

More Tatting is on the way. I've been working on some snowflakes that are currently being blocked and will be adding some 'sparkle' to them. Then they should be ready for a picture taking session.

Baby Blanket and Booties

2011-10-23T16:12:00.002-04:00

I love working on baby items. They are so soft and sweet and innocent and pure and....well you get the idea. While I work on them it clears my head and gives a pleasant glow to the day....and most of all, makes me smile. So every once in a while when I have some stressful times...I pull out the baby yarn and work on a baby afghan, sweater, hat, booties or something. This time it was a baby blanket (crib sized afghan) and a coordinating pair of little booties.

The baby afghan is all white with a textured center and multi-color organdy ribbons (with gold edges) woven in and out and around the edge. There are 4 bows (one on each corner) where the ribbons meet.

The booties are made with the same soft baby yarn and multi-color ribbon bows are attached to coordinate them with the baby blanket.

The afghan and coordinating booties are available now in my Babywear Boutique Etsy shop - http://babywearboutique.etsy.com/

I had some extra baby yarn still so I also went ahead and made a couple of additional baby booties as well. They will be available in my etsy shop in the next day or two.

They were fun to make and I have some white flowers like the pink ones above that I can use to make pretty baby booties which would be perfect for an unknown gender shower gift or for use at a baptism.

Another Scarf

2011-10-18T15:03:00.000-04:00

I still had some charcoal gray yarn left over so I decided to make another scarf only this time in a different stitch. I selected the waffle stitch because it's textured, a nice design, makes for extra warmth, and is great for either men or woment in a scarf. I kept stitching until I ran out of yarn so this scarf is extra long (76 inches long) and great for those who like to wrap their scarves around their necks a time or two and still have plenty left to hang down. This came out great. I'm definitely going to have to try this again with some other yarns. Here are the pictures.

This scarf is currently avialable in my Etsy shop with FREE SHIPPING ! - http://www.etsy.com/listing/84145315/extra-long-scarf-crocheted-for-winter-in

Stitching Up A Storm

2011-10-16T09:57:00.001-04:00

I can't seem to get in enough stitching right now. Every free moment I'm stitching away at something. I've got 2 scarves done and working on a 3rd, finished a baby blanket and have completed 3 pairs of booties. Pictures will be coming soon but here's an advanced sneak peek at some of it.

Part of the Baby Blanket:

And here's one of the scarves:

Here's another one:

As soon as I can put down the hook to grab up the camera I will take some more pictures!

A New Pendant

2011-10-14T17:52:00.001-04:00

I made this pendant based upon the Flower Medallion design at Be-Stitched. I decided to make the center part pink and lavender to make it seem more like a 5 petal flower, then edged it with black to give it more of a victorian or goth look. I like how it came out but I'm thinking it would look even better with a more vibrant color center. I'll have to try it again and see.

Motif # C2-17

By adding a jump ring and putting it on a chain I turned this pretty design into a pendant which is now available in my Peachtree Cottage Etsy Shop - http://www.etsy.com/listing/83879322/flower-medalion-pendant-tatted-lace-with

The Holidays are Coming!

2011-10-11T14:17:00.000-04:00

This time of year we have holiday after holiday after holiday. From Halloween to Thanksgiving and Christmas, plus all the other holidays as well, there is almost always something we can celebrate. I decided one way to celebrate would be to make some holiday earrings. I used the Joyful Bell pattern by Yarnplayer to make these pretty white Christmas Bell earrings:

Motif # C2-15:

Plus I also decided to make these pretty Candy Cane Earrings as well. They are from a pattern by Mary Maynard:

Motif # C2-16

All in all I was very happy with how both sets of earrings came out. I'm currently working on what I hope will be a pretty beaded Christmas Tree. It's looking good so far :-)

My tatted items are currently for sale in my Peachtree Cottage Etsy Shop - http://peachtreecottage.etsy.com/

Another New Bookmark

2011-10-04T16:54:00.001-04:00

This is another bookmark I made recently. This one is shades of a pretty green with sunny yellow flowers in the middle. This was made by making the rings in yellow while adding a leafy green edging. I really like how it turned out and might do more in additional colors.

Motif # C2-14

This bookmark is available in my Peachtree Cottage Etsy Shop - http://PeachtreeCottage.etsy.com

Maple Leaves Everywhere!

2011-10-03T13:47:00.001-04:00

I'm not usually a red/yellow type color person. I much prefer softer blues and pinks and other pastels most of the time, but this year for some reason I fell in love with fall colors! I loved how the colors of the thread worked out on the little maple leaf earrings I made...so much so I decided to make a bigger maple leaf! Once I'd done that I decided to turn it into a bookmark. I just might have to try this again soon with some more thread in different fall colors. Only problem is these put me in a 'lazy day' mood and that just doesn't work for trying to get things done!

Motif #C2-13

Available in my Etsy Shop - http://peachtreecottage.etsy.com/

Pretty Pastel Pendant

2011-09-30T14:13:00.003-04:00

Pastels of pink, blue, green, yellow and lavender matched with a solid lavender make for what I think is a very pretty pendant. I know I saw this design somewhere and tried to replicate it, however I've searched all my files and searched the internet and can't find where I discovered it so I can't say who created the design. If someone knows please let me know so I can update this post with the designer information.

Motif # C2-12

As usual this pendant is available in my Etsy Shop - http://peachtreecottage.etsy.com/

Next Up ... Bookmarks!

2011-09-29T09:20:00.001-04:00

A while back I took part in an event where I ended up finding some beautiful beads that I just couldn't resist. I wasn't sure what to do with them but I liked them so much I just had to get them. I decided to turn them into a tatted bracelet with tatted rings between each bead.

Motif # C2-11

I think this simple design works well with these beautiful beads. What do you think?

This bracelet is currently available in my Peachtree Cottage Etsy shop - http://peachtreecottage.etsy.com

Autumn Earrings

2011-09-28T16:48:00.001-04:00

Finally got the pictures taken of some fall style earrings I've been working on. The leaf ones are from one of Yarnplayer's patterns and the other style is from Free-Tatting.com. I worked them up with some Lizbeth threads in what I thought were great colors for the autumn season.

Motif # C2-9

Motif # C2-10

These are all available in my Etsy Shop - http://peachtreecottage.etsy.com/

More tatting stuff coming soon!

Gunther Goes Trick or Treating!

2011-09-26T18:01:00.000-04:00

Gunther has searched and searched and finally found his favorite Halloween Costume.

He's is wearing a ghost costume that hangs over his head with the eyes cut out so he can see. He's carrying a little bat friend to help him spook people on Halloween.

I think he'll get lots of candy, don't you?

Gunther is available for purchase in my Etsy Store:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82521015/miniature-artist-bear-mini-thread

Coming Soon - More Tatted Earrings!! I have 4 pairs of autumn/fall theme tatted earrings that I'll be sharing soon! Just need to get the pictures done (hopefully tomorrow!)

It's Bath Time!

2011-09-20T08:12:00.000-04:00

When I saw these holiday colors in cotton at the store I just had to get some and make up some holiday wash cloth sets! These are great for using as wash cloths, dish cloths, pot holders, hot pads, etc. The cotton is so soft and gets even softer with use. I even made a coordinating soap bag too!

All of these are found in a new section of my Etsy shop - Washcloths, Etc. - http://www.etsy.com/shop/PeachtreeCottage?section_id=10445917

Here are pictures of the 3 different sets available (and the soap bag!)

A Quick Little Pendant

2011-09-14T08:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was able to make up a quick little pendant. It's a pretty little butterfly and it's done in shades of pink! I know it's fall and I should be using fall colors etc, but I'm a fan of pastels and use pinks and blues alot, no matter what time of year!

Motif # C2-8

The Butterfly Pendant is available in my Etsy Shop - http://www.etsy.com/shop/PeachtreeCottage

I can also be followed on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/peachtreecottage - and on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/peachtreecottag

Tatted Pendant

2011-09-12T11:50:00.000-04:00

I was finally able to get a picture of a pendant I tatted not too long ago. It's tatted over a cabone ring and is done in shades of pink and rose. It was a struggle getting a good picture but I think this picture shows it well.

Motif # C2-7

I have listed this Pendant in my Etsy shop - http://www.etsy.com/listing/81626910/tatted-lace-pendant-shades-of-pink-in-a

I also am working on some earrings and bookmarks in fall colors and hope to get them photographed soon!

Is It Defective?

2011-09-12T08:04:00.002-04:00

Ok, well I got some good sunlight and a chance to work with the new camera. 2 hours, 47 pictures later...only TWO were in focus. I'm starting to think this new camera is defective. I will give it another try, but if it still doesn't work right, then I might have to just send it off for repairs or something :-(

I'm working on some fall tatted items as well as a new bear and bunny. So hopefully will have something new to show (when I can get pictures!!) soon.

Sigh....

I've Got A New Camera!

2011-09-04T12:03:00.003-04:00

I've needed an updated camera for a long time now. So has my daughter. We recently bought one she picked out and found at a very good price. Unfortunately she has decided this camera is not the right one for her. What this means is now I get it! It's not the one I would have picked out for myself but it's a major upgrade from the one I had.

Now comes the hard part. Most of my picture taking is macro settings and close up detail pictures. The settings on this new camera are confusing to me and I think it's gonna take some time to sort them out to where I can use the camera the way I need to use it. Ugh. I have so many things I need to take pictures of. I have new bookmarks, new jewelry, several sets of cotton washcloth sets, and I'm nearly finished with a new bunny I'm working on. Plus I also have a couple of baby things I've made up and would like to try selling too.

So please bear with me (no pun intended) while I practice and play around with the new camera to see if I can get it working for my picture taking style. I'll be posting pictures as soon as I get some decent ones!

Summer Colds, and Stuff...

2011-08-22T20:35:00.000-04:00

I feel like I've neglected my blog. :-( Please don't think I'm forgetting about the blog or that I don't care! A summer cold really knocked me out and got me all out of whack with everything. I've gotten behind on my emails, keeping up with my friends, creating things to sell, just about everything is way behind. But I'm feeling better and trying to get caught up with everything.

I have tons of emails I'm weeding through, and trying hard to make a few things to sell. I've sold a couple of my little bears so I really need to make some more to put in my Etsy shop! Ugh...so much to do, so little time.

My sleeping patterns are all way off key. I'm up until around 5-6 am and then I sleep until around 2 pm, get up and try to get things done. I know I'm whining and I'm sorry. I get backed up like this every now and then and I know eventually it all works out in the long run. I'm just feeling the pressure of being behind. Never did like that feeling!

Hope to get something more posted here soon. I have tatted items I need to take pictures of, I'm working on a new little bear, and I might even have a couple of other things available soon. Just gotta push through this catch up phase and get back on track!

Status: Tatting, Bears, Etc.

2011-07-21T13:34:00.000-04:00

Well, as I posted before, I'm a bit busy atm working on a special order and catching up on some things. It's muggy and hot and I just plain don't do well in the heat. It wears me out quickly. What this means is that creatively ... I'm working on stuff. I have some finished items that need blocking or assembly, and I have some that are blocked or finished that need a photo session....but right now I don't have anything that I can share today. :-(

I've seen on some blogs about 'Tatting Tuesday". If someone out there reading this knows what that is, could you please explain it to me? I'd like to 'sync up' if necessary.

I got in some new Lizbeth threads yesterday. They are colors that I don't typically use (browns, tans, etc.) but I have an idea for a couple of them. I was very pleasantly surprised when they arrived. The colors were more vivid and much prettier in person than I'd thought from the online pictures I'd seen. I got Jon Yusoff's new book and hope to work on a few of those designs with my new threads!

I have plans for a new bunny similar to the one I use as an Avatar in most places (Pieris). The thread used for them is discontinued so my supply is limited now, but I haven't done one like those in a good while and I think it's time to make another. Probably a bear too. The thread is very 'slippery' and I'm still dealing with some tendon pain in my thumb from when I fell earlier this year. This makes working with that thread more difficult so this might take a bit of time to get done, but it's in the works!

So basically what I'm saying is...best laid plans, etc., etc., have been waylaid due to muggy heat and lack of energy...lol When it's this hot I should be on vacation !!

Car Repairs Suck!

2011-07-14T16:38:00.001-04:00

What more needs to be said?

Ok, let's start with it needs a tune up. What's that? it needs a new O2 sensor? Ok, but what about the sqeaking noise? Ohhh that's the brake pads glazed over, so it needs new brake pads too....and also the rotors need turning. All that will fix the blinking 'check engine' light right? What do you mean "No, that's another repair needed"?

Ugh...that's how my day has gone.....so I repeat...car repairs suck!

Big Brother Time!

2011-07-08T21:31:00.000-04:00

Most people aren't aware of this but during the summers I watch the TV show Big Brother. Part of the fun for me is also watching the live feeds from the Big Brother house that are on 24/7. Usually what I do when the show starts is find a few projects to work on and stitch away while watching the feeds.

Well BB13 (Big Brother Season 13) started yesterday. So I'm searching for projects and watching the feeds. Hopefully I'll have a few new things to share in a few days.

Been Too Long

2011-06-29T14:58:00.001-04:00

I know it's been a while since I posted. I don't like to go this long between posting but sometimes life gets in the way of the things we prefer to be doing. I've been dealing with some personal issues that are hopefully settled down now. And I've gotten a chance to create another little one that I'd like to share.

Allow me to introduce Ella, a little pink crocheted elephant. She is my own design and stands only 2.5 inches tall. She has a beaded tiara which matches the beads on her crocheted (removable) dress. The doll house size rocking chair is used for display only and not included with Ella. She is available in my Etsy Shop at http://peachtreecottage.etsy.com/

I've also completed another doily which is currently being blocked and some more tatted items that I will be posting soon.

Awareness Ribbons

2011-06-15T15:48:00.001-04:00

I was very busy the past few days making up some Awareness Ribbons for Huntington's Disease (a special order). I'd hoped to lay them out and take pictures of them because they turned out really nice. However I had to get them out in the mail today to arrive in time for a fundraising event, and I didn't have time to take pictures :-( What I do have to show you though is the sample one I worked up for the customer (it's not the color for Huntington's). The pattern I used was by Lenore English and can be found here. It's really easy to work up!

Motif: C2-6

The ones I made were in Navy Blue and Medium Lavender (5 of each). They will be made into an awareness pin and be embellished with a crystal. The money from their sale will go as a donation for Huntington's Disease. I was very happy to be asked to make these.

Citrus Summer Fun

2011-06-11T14:51:00.001-04:00

More Earrings!

hehe I told everyone I'd be working on more earrings and other jewelry type tatted things. These are from a free pattern found at free-tatting.com. I've also got a coordinated tatted bracelet in the same colors.

Motif: C2-5

Motif: C2-6

I have a request to make some special Awareness ribbons for Huntington's Disease and will be working on those for the next few days. I will post a picture when I have them done.

Have a great weekend!

In Creatin' Mode

2011-06-09T13:14:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I get in a creating mode where I just want to create something all the time. I keep going and going and going, til I burn out, then I take a break, then I start in again. Right now I'm in create mode...lol...

Here's my newest little bear... Sam

My daughter suggested I make a white bear and decorate it for 4th of July. Sam is the result. He's a traditionally sewn out of synthetic fur. Every stitch is handstitched, including the seams. His face is embroidered and he has onyx beads for eyes.

Sam is currently available in my Etsy Shop at http://peachtreecottage.etsy.com/

Next up is....um...I dunno yet...hehe...I have an idea I'm working on and we'll see how it turns out.

Hope everyone has a great day!

More Dangly Stuff

2011-06-07T17:23:00.001-04:00

A long time ago I saw some tatted earrings that I thought were very pretty. I don't remember where I saw them, I don't have a pattern for them, I don't know who made them...like I said it was a long time ago. But they have stuck in my mind so I pulled out some thread and a couple of dangly beads and tried to recreate them on my own. This is the result:

Motif # C2-4

They are made with Lizbeth thread and the dangle beads have both pink and a slight touch of green in them to go with the colors on the threads (it's kinda an aqua/mint green in there next to the pink and blue)

More earrings coming tomorrow :-)

(if interested these are available in my Etsy shop - http://peachtreecottage.etsy.com/ )

Something Different

2011-06-01T11:36:00.002-04:00

One of the groups I belong to had a challenge to make something totally opposite of what we normally make. Well since I normally crochet contemporary style bears, that meant I needed to sew (not crochet) a traditional (not contemporary) bear. With that in mind I pulled out some cashmere bear fabric that I had on hand and a pattern that I'd used before and started cutting away. Then I threaded a needle and stitched every stitch by hand to make Aryanna. Once she was done she needed some finishing touches, so I tatted (again no crochet!) a collar and little flower for her ear.

Motif: C2-3

My fingerstips are sore from all the stitching because they are not used to pushing and pulling a needle! I will admit to poking myself a few times as well..hehe. All in all I think it was a good exercise for me and I might make more traditionally sewn bears in the future.

Dangly Stuff

2011-05-28T15:09:00.002-04:00

I've been wanting to make more tatted jewelry so I pulled out some deep raspberry wine color thread and started tatting away. I think they came out nice. I have a couple more pairs of earrings but the pictures didn't turn out well so we will be having another photo session soon. I hope to share them with you then.

Motif: C2-2

I've also been working on a tatted rosary with some beads which is nearly completed. I plan to have that in the same photo session.

More coming soon!

Hootie is ready for Graduation!

2011-05-26T15:41:00.001-04:00

From this:

To this:

Meet Hootie, a little micro owl standing at 1.5 inches tall. He's ready for graduation and is wearing his cap and tassel. Hootie is made from various acrylic threads in colors of brown, cream, white and yellow, with black cotton thread for his graduation cap.

What I'm working on

2011-05-17T13:13:00.002-04:00

I thought I'd give a sneak peek at some of the things I'm working on. First there is this:

What is it? hehe I'm not telling...It will become a new animal but you're welcomed to make a guess as to what kind!

Then as a break from crochet, there's this:

But I'm not saying what it is either :-)

Hehe don't you just hate little teasers like this?

Someone asked me what I do with all my little bits of left over thread after working on a project. Here's a picture of what I do.

Once I make these up I use them as various little 'thank you' decorations for my customers. I hope they like them!

Time for some Tatting Updates!

2011-05-10T16:24:00.001-04:00

I got some things blocked and photographed so now it's time to do a little updating on my tatting.

I've never done a cross bookmark yet but when I saw the one Julie did as a tweaked version of a cross bookmark pattern in Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns by Monica Hahn, I just had to try it. This is my attempt in Medium Purple and White.

Motif # 24:

I love making the Black Magic design by Mary Konior and enjoy working it up as a bookmark. Here's one done in soft spring colors.

Another bookmark I saw recently done by Lace-Lovin Librarian I also just had to try and that was the Lace Bookmark by Emsyjane (pattern available in her Etsy store - http://www.etsy.com/shop/emsyjane). I also did it in the same soft spring colors.

Motif # 25:

That last one completed my first go round of the 25 Motif Challenge....but I'm signing up to do it again so here's the first one of the next set.

Last but not least...I don't remember where I saw this edging but I had to try it as a bookmark. It is similar to Curds and Whey by Mary Konior but not quite the same. I think it came out nicely done in a pretty pastel aqua.

Motif # C2-1

All of these will be available in my Etsy store as soon as I can get them uploaded.

I have more to take pictures of, so watch for more soon!

Celebrating Mother's Day

2011-05-08T12:59:00.001-04:00

I thought I'd celebrate Mother's Day this year by sharing a new little one with the rest of the world. As most of you all know I'm the Founder of the Thread Artist Guild (R). Periodically the Guild holds challenges for it's members and right now they are holding a "Something Different" challenge. The members have been challenged to make something that is 'not a bear' doing something 'that the animal wouldn't normally do'. With that criteria in mind I started out designing what turned into little Antoinette.

Antoinette is a little Hippo that loves to Ballet Dance! She just got a new TuTu and is practicing her 'en pointe'. She still needs to hold on to something to stand on her toes but one day she will be a prima ballerina! Her name is Antoinette (pronounced "An - twon - ette") and means "en pointe" in Hippoese.

Antoinette is 2.5 inches tall, made of gray acrylic thread, and is wearing a net tutu and incorporated ballet shoes (tied in the traditional ballet manner). She has an open mouth design and her facial features have been slightly shaded to give her an enhanced expression. Her little tutu was specially made for her by Lindsay's Whimsies Tutu on Etsy.

Antoinette is available for purchase on Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/listing/73655649/miniature-ballet-hippo-ooak-artist

For the rest of today's Mother's Day I'm going to kick back, relax, and do as much of nothing as I can for the day. My daughter gave me some gifts that I plan to really enjoy and a very nice card to tell me that she loves me. :-)

Tomorrow I will start on my next creation. I already have an idea for that which was giving to me by one of the fans of my facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/peachtreecottage

I have done some more tatting and as soon as everything is blocked and photographed I will post them!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Mother's Day!

I'm so bad

2011-04-27T15:52:00.000-04:00

I know I should be blogging. I know I should be crocheting. I know I should be tatting....well I have been crocheting and tatting....

I finished making the parts for my next creation (it's not a bear and I can't say what it is cause that will give it away). It's being made for the Thread Artist Guild 'Something Different" challenge. So it can't be shown anywhere until I have posted it to them first. However (here's the I'm so bad part)...I've been in an energy funk lately. I think it's weather generated. We've been having lots of rainy days and I just can't seem to find my 'start' button.

I have been working on tatting here and there and have some bookmarks, earrings and a bracelet done. But they need blocking and photographing. This is where the 'lack-o-umph' comes in. So I'm gathering them all in one place and hope to have a nice bright sunny day soon where I'm full of energy so I can block these out and put my creation together.

Hang in there with me. It will happen. I promise!

Still Redesigning

2011-04-13T11:15:00.000-04:00

I'm still working on my redesign of my new idea, but it's working out much better this time. In general things are going slower for me due to recovering from my fall about 2.5 weeks ago. BUT....I'm starting to really feel better. Yesterday was a much better day painwise and today is starting off like yesterday. :-)

I have managed to work up a couple more tatted bookmarks, just need to block them and take photos. I've also been working on some crocheted cotton washcloths and have a few sets of those and some facial scrubbies to photograph too. Boy am I going to have to set up a good photo session soon. Maybe I can get some today if all goes well.

On a totally different topic....lately I've been having a craving that just isn't going away. Cakes...cupcakes to be specific. I'm not craving to eat them....oh no...that's not it. I'm craving to MAKE them. I don't normally do alot of cooking and even less baking so for me to have such a strong desire to bake is odd. And what I'm craving to make is strawberry cake/cupcakes. Why? I don't know...lol...but it seems soon I will need to spend some of my time in the kitchen! LOL we'll see how this experiment goes.

It's a beautiful sunshiney day today. I think I'm gonna go soak up some sun for a few minutes then try to finish the parts I'm working on. Then we will see what happens next....

Designing Dilemnas

2011-04-08T13:59:00.000-04:00

I have a great little idea I'm trying to do. Even found the perfect little accessory for it. But when I stitched it up, it turned out TOO SMALL (is there such a thing?). The accessory overwhelms it and I can't get another accessory in a smaller size, this is as small as it can get. So off to the designing room to redesign and see if I can figure out how to make my newest animal bigger! Sheesh!

In between resting periods for my injury (from the fall and rebreaking my tailbone) I've managed to tat up a few more bookmarks. Need to get out the camera and have another photo taking session. I've also worked up some crocheted washcloths/dishcloths and need pictures of them too. Then all of that can go into my etsy shop ( http://peachtreecottage.etsy.com/ ).

The injuries from the fall are generally better even though yesterday was a really bad day for pain. Overall I'm healing and hopefully will be back to full normal soon!

Good News, Bad News...

2011-03-28T17:18:00.000-04:00

The good news is that for the last 3 days I've had items in various Etsy Treasuries!! About 4 or 5 of them all total. It's really nice to get the exposure for my bears and tatting!

The bad news is last Friday I fell....hard! I was standing in the garage talking with my daughter and leaned back against the door going from the garage to the laundry room. I thought the door was latched closed but apparently it wasn't. The door flew open and I went BAM on my butt. The results are that I've aggrivated my broken tailbone (recieved when I was in the 8th grade) so it hurts if I sit too long and really hurts when I move from sitting to standing or vice versa. All I can do is keep it heated (heating pad) and lay down when sitting hurts too much...plus some Alieve. But in addition to that (which is bad enough!) when I fell I tried to catch myself on the doorjam. Scraped the palms of both hands (thank goodness no splinters!!). At first I thought it was nothing more than friction burns on the palms, but my left hand developed a bruise in the palm about the size of a quarter or a little bigger on Saturday. That hand has been hurting every day and as of now isn't feeling any better yet. The bruise is getting better (at that green/yellow stage now) but the ache is still the same. At the time of the fall I carefully checked the bones to make sure nothing was broken, but now I'm thinking I might have stress cracked one of them.

What does all this mean? It means a delay in getting anything done. It's hard to sit at the computer for too long and typing makes the hand hurt, plus I can't do much tatting or crochetwise with the hand hurting...ugh...I'm sure it will all be better in a few days, I just hate being 'laid up' and not being able to do things.

That's it for now...hand is hurting from typing this and I am gonna go rest a while.

Something Exciting Happened

2011-03-22T17:01:00.000-04:00

Well it was exciting for me anyway....Yesterday one of my tatted items (Merriment Doily by Jon Yusoff) made it to the Front Page display on Etsy! It was only there for an hour but getting to the Front Page of Etsy is quite difficult, so it was an honor to have one of my works displayed there.

Here's the picture they displayed:

Thank you, Jon, for providing us with such a great doily design! I've already counted this for my 25 motif challenge. I'm still working on some things and hope to have something new to show and for the challenge soon.

What's better than a bird in the hand?

2011-03-14T16:38:00.002-04:00

An Easter Chickie in the hand!! Chickie has been sitting on some Easter eggs that are due to hatch soon!

Chickie stands at only 2 inches tall and is crocheted from acrylic threads. She comes wearing colorful feathers and sitting on candy eggs. Her facial expression has been embroidered and slightly shaded to give it extra depth. Her name is Chickie (pronounced like "Chick-Eee") which means 'Easter' in chickeze.

More pictures of Chickie can be found at - http://www.etsy.com/listing/70024315/miniature-easter-chick-ooak-artist

Where does the time go?

2011-03-06T12:51:00.000-05:00

Well, February 17th was my birthday....so I decided to take a few days off from 'working on stuff'. I enjoyed my little work break but then one thing lead to another then another. Now I find myself out of sync and am trying to get back into my normal flow of things again.

I have been doing some creating. I've tatted a bracelet to test a pattern and I've stitched up a new little 'critter'...not a bear, not a bunny...but something else that's a little surprise. The last few days it's been raining and the natural sunlight I try to use for picture taking hasn't been there...so I'm waiting for sunlight. I hope it quits raining soon! Then I will have some pictures to share of those.

I know I shared Luckie's picture but I don't think I've shared Fleur's. So here she is in all her finery :-)

Fleur is a little flower fairy bear that lives amongst the cherry blossoms. The beautiful pink blossoms have tinted her irridescent wings pink! Fleur has a little flowered hoop that she likes to play with and use as a swing. Fleur is crocheted and the flowered 'swing' is tatted.

Motif # 23:

I hope to be back in the next few days with more pictures!

Ode to Hand Dyed Threads

2011-02-14T16:43:00.001-05:00

I love Hand Dyed Threads! I buy them all the time. Then when they arrive I set them aside to wind. After a few have accumulated I have a 'winding' session. Last night I was peacefully winding away when a song popped into my head. I took the song lyrics and adapted them to Hand Dyed Threads. lol...I had fun doing this and hope you enjoy it... and feel free to sing along!

Ode to Hand Dyed Threads

The long and winding thread, lets me tat more and more
Knots never disappear, hand-dyed threads galore
They always lead me here, let me tat some more

The wild and vivid dye, that has been rinsed away
Has left a tired tear, dying all the day
Why leave me tangled now, let me knot away

Many times I tat along, and many times I've cried
Anyway you'll never know, how many times I untied

But still I do come back, to the long tangled thread
I left my shuttle there, a long long time ago
But though my hands are sore, let me tat some more!

Treasure x4

2011-02-13T19:23:00.002-05:00

Whoo Hooo....My Little Luckie was featured in an Etsy Treasury today!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5727bc14df8eefddd335f2/good-luck

AND...my little Tatted Heart Earrings were featured in another Treasury today too!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5762a34e456d916dd8aac8/a-parade-of-hearts

AND then later the Spring Flowers Bookmark I tatted up was included in another Treasury!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d5890245ced8eefcd3bb24c/spring-is-coming

Oh My ! And another one!! For one of my crocheted bookmarks!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d58b3e6d3868eef0fe8fec7/c-as-in

This made my day!! Be sure to go look at the treasuries and click on Luckie and the Earrings to keep the treasury active! Thanks!

Lucky Luckie

2011-02-11T20:09:00.002-05:00

For my 22nd Motif of my first go round of the 25 Motif Challenge (yes I will be doing it again I think after I get the next 3 done), is a tatted shamrock....held by Luckie! I tatted up a miniature dimpled ring shamrock to go with Luckie's "St. Patrick's Day" green theme.

Motive # 22:

Luckie has a little present for you. He found a Shamrock and wants to give it to you for good luck!

Luckie stands at only 2.25 inches tall and is crocheted from acrylic threads. He comes wearing a green vest and carrying a tatted shamrock. His facial expression has been embroidered and slightly shaded to give it extra depth. His name is Luckie (pronounced "Luk-key") which means 'shamrock' in beareze. He will arrive in a clear display box with an artist signed picture Certificate of Authenticity.

My miniature bears and friends have been made to be displayed as collectibles and were not created to be toys, therefore are not meant for children! Please handle them gently!

Luckie can be purchased from my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/listing/67918723/miniature-teddy-bear-ooak-artist-thread

I'm already working on the next bear and it will have some tatting too!

Finally!

2011-02-09T15:16:00.001-05:00

Believe it or not it's taken until today to get my little lost bear found and redelivered to her new home. She just got there today...Finally!

So I'm in catch up mode and trying to get things back to normal around here. I woke up early this morning and put the extra time to use putting together the parts for 2 bears. I still need to give them accessories and finishing touches but it's progress. I have an idea of a way to combine some tatting with one of them and plan to make the other a St. Patrick's Day themed bear. I will post pictures of them on my Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/peachtreecottage ) and here when they are completed.

On the tatting front I've completed two more bookmarks. One is the Black Magic design by Mary Konior made into a bookmark and the other was designed by Tattrldy (http://wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/09/odds-and-ends.html). I liked it so much I just had to try it myself. I think they both came out rather nicely.

I had a photo session for the bookmarks today too so here are their pictures. I tried some new set ups to see if it would show them off any better. I'd love any feedback on that because I'm trying to improve my pictures.

Motif # 20

Motif # 21:

I made some Deviled Eggs earlier today...off to have a snack on 'em! Yummmmmm!

Why I've been quiet lately...

2011-02-03T23:57:00.001-05:00

There have been 2 basic reasons why I've been so quiet lately...both things out of my control.

First, I sold one of my little bears, Frostie. That's a good thing :-) However, she got lost in the postal mail system. First she was sent to the wrong address, then she was marked as 'missent' meaning she was sent to the wrong post office (which she was), but the bar code on the label wasn't marked out so every time she got scanned it said to send her back to that wrong post office. They kept putting her back to the sorting center, which scanned her and sent her back, etc etc. I thihk you can see the processing loop she ended up in. My customer was upset (I don't blame him!). One day the post office would tell us where she was, the next they would say they couldn't find her...it was a royal mess!

So stressing out over that and trying to get that mess worked out and find her had to take priority and took up alot of my time. It was determined that she might be permanently lost so I then had to work on making a replacement, which took up the rest of my time.

Well late last night I finished up all the parts for the replacement...only have to stitch her face and assemble her to have her completed...so of course Murphy's Law stepped in and little Frostie showed up back in my mailbox today! Thank heaven she's been found and not stranded out in the cold any longer. Tomorrow she will be taking an overnight trip to her new home and all will be right again.

Not sure what I'm going to do with the replacement parts. I'll probably hold on to them and use them later in the year for another bear.

That was reason one, now for reason two...as if all that wasn't enough, I've been feeling run down lately, have little to no energy and can't keep awake...end up nodding off in naps...ugh...that doesn't make for getting things done. I'm sure part of it is stress related due to worry about Frostie, but maybe some of it is fighting off a cold or something...dunno...I just haven't 'felt right' for a few days. Maybe now that will fix itself!

Hopefully now I can get caught up on my emails, postings, bear making, tatting, living, breathing, etc. lol

Leaning Picots

2011-01-25T15:53:00.001-05:00

So I was tatting this pretty little snowflake (Sweet Rose from Jon Yusoff's Tatted Snowflake Collection)...it's very easy to tat up and I love it and had no real issues with it...until I was done. Then I laid it on my desk and looked at it and noticed something odd....

All my picots were leaning to the left! What the .... ? When I blocked it I was able to straighten them out but it was an odd thing and had nothing to do with the design but all to do with how I tat.

Being very curious as to why this happened I picked some more thread and started tatting it again, same thing...all the picots leaned to the left. I had to figure out what I was doing to cause this and correct it! So I started stitching it again and paid careful attention to what I was doing when making a picot. What I discovered was surprising to me and might help others so I thought I'd share.

For those who don't tat, a picot is made by having a gap between the double stitches and the thread is carried across this space then the next double stitches (DSs) are pushed next to the prior ones so the carried thread bends up to make the pretty little picot loop. Well, when I was making mine I was using my left hand (I'm right handed) to pull the DS's over to those already done. This put my thumb and index fingertips on the DS and picot loop but because I was 'pulling to the left' the loop was also 'pulled to the left'.

Once I saw this was the cause of the problem I tried different ways to correct it. I tried tightening the shuttle thread to make it slide the DSs over...didn't work for me, it just made my stitch tension uneven. I tried pushing the already done stitches to the right to meet up with the new stitch...nope, that also pushed the picot loop out of whack. I tried pushing the new stitch over to the existing stitches with my right thumb and index finger...ah ha...better...but still not quite right. Then I tried something new...I tried using my right hand fingernails instead of fingertips to slide the new DSs over to the previous ones (not that easy to do because I don't have long fingernails)...WHALLAA ! The picots were correctly looped and positioned!

So I redid my little Sweet Rose snowflake doing the picots by sliding the DSs with my fingernails...and here's the result...nice pretty little picots. I can't show you the other "leaning" one because I can't find where I put it. Ugh.

Motif # 19:

What works for me will probably not work for everyone but if someone else is having a 'leaning picot' problem..maybe this info will help.

25 Challenge Motif - # 17 & 18

2011-01-20T15:34:00.001-05:00

One of the groups I'm in was discussing how to tat the Spring Flowers bookmark by Julie Patterson. I decided to give it a try making the flower parts multicolor while making the 'stem' green. It took me a while to figure out how to get the colors to come out where I wanted them but once I had that down I found this one very easy to make. The colors I used were Lizbeths' # 153 for the flowers and # 658 for the stem. Worked up in size 20 it came out 4 inches long, then I added the tassel.

Motif # 17:

I also saw Jane Eborall's blog about her new edging, Fandango, and just had to fiddle with it to see if I could turn it into a bookmark. I think it turned out really well. Again it's size 20 Lizbeth threads, colors # 156 & 615. Here's my Fandango Bookmark.

Motif # 18

Thanks, Jane, for the lovely design.

First Tatted Doily

2011-01-19T15:47:00.000-05:00

Today I'm posting about reaching another goal. I want to be able to tat all kinds of things not just trims and bookmarks. From previous posts you can see I also create doilies so one of my tatting goals was to tat a doily. This is a small coaster/doily called "Merriment" designed by Jon Yusoff. I tatted it in size 20 thread and it came out at 5.5 inches across the widest points. So YAY! I have done a small doily. Now that goal can change to making a larger tatted doily..hehe.

Here's the picture - Motif # 16:

I've been taking more pictures so expect more to posts to come soon!

Slow Days

2011-01-18T11:21:00.002-05:00

Sometimes days just go by slowly, especially those when you're hurting. With all the drastic weather changes that we aren't used to here in the south, some of my old injuries have been acting up and moving about is sometimes painful...so the days have been slow moving (literally) for me the past few days. When these kind of days come around I tend to hibernate and just take some easy time to myself....which is why I haven't posted anything in a bit, but it's time to catch up.

First of all yesterday I was quite honored to have a piece of my tatting shown to Georgia's online class as an example for people. Thank you very much, Georgia! This particular piece is one I did to replicate a design Fox created (with Fox's permission). It's for her design called Maeve. Here's my version of it using Lizbeth threads.

Motif # 15:

I've also put three of my doilies in my Etsy shop:

Cottage Rose Doily

Vintage Roses Doily

Wildflowers Doily

I actually stitched these last fall and just now got around to putting them out for sale.

I've been working on a few more tatted items and will have another picture taking session soon. Plans for a new bear are swirling around in my head and I want to start work on that soon. I've also been putting in alot of work getting my updated website ready. I hope to have it finished and online by the end of the week!

I'm ready for spring...I want all this cold weather to go away!

Boot Camp - Week 11, 12, Finished!

2011-01-13T14:11:00.001-05:00

The snow from the 2011 winter storm in GA is melting, roads are clearing, things are getting back to normal. So I decided to dive in and finish up the Etsy Boot Camp activities and get them DONE !

Boot Camp - Week 11
[ X ] Set your shipping deadlines (was done before this came out)
[ X ] Follow the tips for selling local
[ ] Post in Week 11's thread (Can't - in Catch up mode)
[ X ] Extra credit: Reading List

Boot Camp - Week 12

[ X ] Have Clear Shipping Options
[ ] Send a Letter to Your Future Self ( I don't get this one...no information just a link to send an email..ugh. I use a bring up fine and calendar reminders to remind me of things to do so I don't see the purpose in this one)
[ X ] Take the Boot Camp Survey (Did this earlier when it first came out)
[ X ] Share Your Final Thoughts in This Forum Thread (Done via Survey)

Boot Camp - Final Week

[ X ] Read this week's blog posts
[ X ] Ponder your plan for 2011
[ X ] This week's Reading List
[ ] Post in Week 12's thread (Can't since I"m doing this late)

The Boot camp was well worth the effort, but I wish it had been started earlier so these things were finished before the holiday season started. The gist of my feedback to them was about starting it earlier so the end of the activities didn't run into the holiday rush.

Having completed this I now feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. Instead of having this 'hanging over my head' waiting to be done...it's done and I can now breath a sigh of relief and get back to working on my bears and other creations.

Snow, Ice & Boot Camp - Week 10

2011-01-11T19:45:00.001-05:00

The weather here is awful! Snow in Atlanta!! Sunday it started snowing by Monday we had 3-7 inches...normally it doesn't snow enough here to stick to the ground if it snows at all. Then it turned to freezing rain so all that snow is now covered with a 1-3 inch thick layer of ice. Everything is shut down. Yesterday and today the Post Office isn't even running! The big 18 Wheel trucks are sliding into one another and at one point we had 9 of them in an accident and the some of the major highways totally shut down. Lots of them and some cars still stuck on the highways.

Today none of the entrance ramps are open. The little bit of sun we had today turned the top layer of the ice into slush but the weather is cold enough that it will be turning into more ice in the next couple of hours. More freezing rain/snow expected by Thurs and again on Sat.....Yuck!

But I'm comfy and warm inside and catching up on things....today I'm working on catching up the Etsy Boot Camp stuff and doing a little creating.

Almost caught up! This is Week 10's activities. 2 more weeks to go to finish after this. I might be doing these things late but better late than not at all and I'm still learning from them!

[ X ] Read this week's blog post (All about branding your packaging, which I already do)
[ X ] Schedule tasks & get more done! (This is about Time Management - I learned to do this years ago! I live by my bring up file!)
[ X ] Set your location in your profile (did this one back when this first came out)
[ ] Post in Week 10's thread (too late to do this)
[ X ] Check in with your buddy

Not alot new for me in this week's worth of activities...but good reminders of things I already knew.

That's it for now, gonna go grab a cup of hot chocolate!!

Something Different

2011-01-09T16:17:00.000-05:00

Today I'm posting about something different. I made a couple of doilies for my Etsy Shop. They are Valentine themed, white with either red or pink hearts. I think they would be perfect setting on a table for a romantic dinner for two :-)

Yesterday I got in some new threads and can't wait to try them out, but I wanted to finish up the tatted doily I am working on first. I finished the tatting and now just need to block and photograph it :-) Yay for progress.

Today I'm mostly doing some admin stuff and trying to finish up on my website redesign. Talking with my daughter about some ideas for it helped to develop a new way for me to set up the items I have for sale so I'm redoing that part. Then it's just the gallery of past bears and friends left to go! Hopefully I'll have the newly designed website on line this coming week! That's the goal anyway.

More Tatting

2011-01-07T14:00:00.002-05:00

Yay I finally got caught up on my blocking and pictures. Here are more of what I've been working on the past week or so....

Motif # 12 -

It's never too late for snowflakes! I've not made many of them and I want to make more so I'm working on them here and there. I'll probably still be making snowflakes in July!! lol

This one is Efflorescence, "Tatted Snowflakes Collection" designed by Jon Yusoff.

Motif # 13:

This next one is a bookmark, by (I stand corrected, thank you Beelizabeth) Jon Yusoff, called Interlocking Chains (I think that's the name). I was trying to make something for Valentine's Day but I think it ended up having more of a 'spanish' flair.

My daughter really liked it but told me I needed to make it in pink and white....so I did!

I really liked this design and found it easy to do!

Motif # 14:

Next is another bookmark. This was on a site of free tatting patterns but didn't give the designer's name. I worked it up in white and teal and I love how it turned out!

That's all for now. I'm currently working on Jon's Merriment Doily. I've not done a Tatted Doily before, but I've seen so many great versions of this I just had to try it. I'll post pictures when it's done.

Tatting 2011

2011-01-04T17:29:00.000-05:00

Along with catching up on some of my adminitrative stuff and working on updating my website (which I hope to have finished soon!) I've been taking little breaks here and there and at the end of the evening to do some more tatting. I finally got some of it blocked and photographed too! So without further adieu:

Motif # 10:

When I saw this little Hummingbird motif (by Heather Designs) I just had to tat it up in Lizbeth Caribean. I sometimes get real humming birds visiting the flowers outside my workroom window in the summer and this little one really brightened up a dull winter day!

He's made with size 20 thread but is just barely larger than an inch as seen in these pictures:

Motif # 11:

I also tried my hand at a couple of hearts which I did in DMC red perle 8 thread. I'm not sure where I saw the design and I'm afraid I didn't note it down at the time like I should have :-( I like the one on the left the best. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with them.

To finish off my left over red thread I did up a couple of little heart earrings adorned with a pearl. I've done these before so I'm not counting them for the challenge, but thought you might like to see them.

I'll upload more pictures tomorrow :-)

Admin Stuff & Boot Camp Week 9

2011-01-03T01:44:00.003-05:00

Boot Camp Checklist - Week 9

I've been working on administrative activities today. Lots of paperwork..ugh..also did more Boot Camp catch up. Here's Week 9's checklist:

[ X ] Read this week's blog post
[ X ] Organize/stock up on packaging supplies
[ X ] Read this Cyber Monday post (No longer applicable but some good info)
[ ] Post in Week 9's forum thread (Not gonna do this since I'm trying to catch up)
[ X ] Check in with your buddy

I got some great ideas on packaging for shipping from these articles. Some of them I'm already doing but now I have some more things I can try. Also found out about some suppliers that are nearby that I wasn't aware of...definitely gonna check them out! My Boot Camp Buddy and I stay in contact all the time so that one was EASY! Week 9 - Completed! Slowly getting caught up!

I did get some tatting blocked...hope for sunshine tomorrow for picture taking !

Ending the year with Etsy Boot Camp - Week 8

2010-12-31T16:45:00.003-05:00

Today I decided to finish up the year with blocking my recent crochet & tatting. I'm planning on taking pictures tomorrow so I can start off the new year with some new items!

I also wanted to get back to working on the Etsy Boot Camp activities and finish them up....so one of my New Year's Resolutions is to spend a little time working on this each day until it's done. Today I started where I left off with Week 7.

I was too busy at the time with the holiday rush to do the Boot Camp activities, but now I'm trying to catch up. Some of these things no longer apply because they are geared for the holidays which have just past, but I'm going to go through them anyway and try to pick up what useful information I can. So here's my check list for Week 7:

[ X ] Read this week's blog post (very valuable links to info on upcoming themes!)
[ X ] Plan for Cyber Monday
[ X ] Get Back on Track Here
[ ] Post in Week 8's forum thread (not going to do this one because I'm so out of date
[ X ] Add a Badge to Your Blog

Thanks it for now...back to working on my website update. Tomorrow is picture taking day (if the light is right). Have a great New Years Day!

A Dickens Christmas Treasury

2010-12-27T16:54:00.000-05:00

I just found out that one of my tatted bookmarks is featured in an Etsy treasury - a Dickens Christmas. I"m so thrilled...this is the first time that I know of that my tatting has been in a treasury!

Here's the link to it - A Dickens Christmas

Happy Holidays 2010 !

2010-12-24T20:12:00.000-05:00

The last few days I've been trying to get finished up on projects I had going. I finished a few of them but haven't blocked them or taken photos yet, so they will be coming after Christmas. Plus I had an idea for an adaptation of another person's design and I've been dabbling around with that, but so far haven't worked it all out yet.

My daughter baked some holiday cookies the other day. They are delicious! And tonight I will sit and watch It's a Wonderful Life. I just wanted to take a quick moment out to wish you all

May the Magic of the Holidays be with You and Yours!

Tatting Thread Inventory

2010-12-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned I love Lizbeth threads? Well I do. I don't have very many of them yet, but I want more and more. I was looking at the ones I have the other day trying to decide which one I wanted to work with next and it struck me that it would be really nice to have some sort of list so I'd know which ones I have and which ones I don't...that way when I get more I won't accidentally get duplicates, or to know when I run out of a particular color, etc. Sooooo.....

Yesterday I spent some time making up a spreadsheet to inventory my tatting threads! I have a page for DMC, a page for Lizbeth, a page for HDT (Hand Dyed Threads) and a page for Other. On each page I have a place to check which size thread I have, the thread number, name, color and in the case of Lizbeth threads, which threads they coordinate with.

Once I got the spread sheet set up I inventoried my tatting threads and already the effort has proved beneficial. I've been admiring a particular HDT in the maker's Etsy store and wanting to try it out. Well, during my inventory I discovered that I already had that colorway from them!

LOL now let's hope I can keep it updated!

Snowflakes - Motifs 8 & 9

2010-12-17T17:19:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's me again. This daily posting thing is getting to be a habit lol.

A week or so ago I saw a pretty little snowflake and just had to try it. I love the design, it's Miranda's Angels in the Snow, which is sold at a minimal cost to help raise funds for a very worthy cause. Even though I love the design and it is called 'angels', for me it was a devil of a time to get it done. It took me a bit of practicing to get the self closing mock ring (SCMR) down, but my biggest problem was that I always worked on this late at night when I was tired. I would miscount and have to undo and redo, doing that caused me to un out of thread so I had multiple ends (where I had to cut and start again).

I had a picture in my head of some new threads done in this design so I used them but it didn't come out looking like what I'd imagined...not sure why, it just didn't. All in all, frustration mounted and tired eyes/brain malfunctioned to the point of calling this the 'motif from hell'. When I was done I didn't want to even look at it anymore...so I set it aside for about a week before taking pictures. Now I'm ok with it and still want to make more in this design. I'm still not to sure about the color combo that I used (which I thought would look good together, but seeing it now I'm not so sure). So here it is....

Motif # 8:

On a brighter note a friend told me about a snowflake design by Samantha Melnychuk with butterflies in it. I tried it and it worked up really quickly and came out very nice. I must have done something right because when I showed this one to my daughter she said "It looks like a snowflake"...she didn't notice the butterflies till I pointed them out to her though.

Motif # 9:

I'm not sure what I'll try for my next motif but I'll figure out something soon.

25 Motif Challenge - Number 7 - The Learning Process

2010-12-16T15:29:00.003-05:00

Sometimes even mistakes work out ok. I wanted to try something different from what I'd been doing and to try something new. So I pulled out my copy of Jon Yusoff's Tatting with Rings and started on the first design, named Melati. The first mistake I made (but didn't notice until MUCH later) was that the center design calls for 6 rings. I had done only 5. And since I'd already decided to turn this into a pair of earrings, I did it (the mistake without noticing it was a mistake) a second time!

Then I set the two little centers aside and pulled out some beads. Faithfully counting twice since these were going to be earrings I put 50 beads on the thread (2 extras in case I'd miscounted). This sounds easy enough but it was a struggle for me because only about 1 out of 4 beads would let the needle pass through it so I really ended up having to go through about 200 or so beads just to get those 50. Whew, beads on the thread.

Next I started learning how to do the wrap stitch. I followed the directions and diagrams carefully and no matter what I did...it didn't work right. The directions and diagrams were right, it was ME that wasn't working right. I kept trying over and over and fiddled with it this way and that. I could see in the diagrams how it was supposed to be, but the threads in my hands just didn't want to cooperate. Finally something clicked...somehow the 'on' switch to my brain was flipped in the right position. I got the first wrap stitch done! YAY! More fiddling, more checking the diagram, and I finally got a 2nd one done...I was on a roll lol! I managed to get the first four of them done and by then I could see what I needed to do with my hands to make it work.

Time to add a ring...I know how to do those! I was so happy I was grinning from ear to ear...I knew how to do the next part! Hurray! Oh wait we have to add the little center motif...no biggie, I can do that....done, ring done, more wrap stitches. I was really on a roll now...another ring, yay....don't forget to attach to the center...got it...ring done...more wraps....wait a moment...something was wrong. I looked at it again and checked it against the diagram. Crud! I'm not supposed to attach to the center motif at EVERY ring, only the bigger ones! Sigh...get scissors, snip snip...Let's start over.....

So starting again, I did the wraps (got them down by now!), the little ring with a bead, more wraps, next little ring, more wraps, big ring with beads (I did get nice tight tripple beads on the top picot if I do say so myself). More wra....wait...that first bead doesn't sit right...it's on one side of the ring not between the two rings. What did I do wrong? OHHH I see I put the bead on the wrong part of the thread when working the ring. I can easily do that right going forward...but how do I fixt that first one...sigh...snip snip...

Let's start over (AGAIN!)...take deep breath....I've got the pattern memorized by this point - who needs a diagram? This go round it works great! Wraps are done, rings and beads in right places. Crud, ran out of thread, slide beads off the tail of the thread, wind shuttle, put beads back on the thread...start in again. Joins to center motif in right places, I've got this! First one completed and looking good. Start up the 2nd one. Going just as well, got 4 sections completed, only one to go....glance at the diagram. @#*%! These are supposed to have the ** 6 ** ring center motif, not the 5 ring one....only one section to go on the 2nd one ...I'm NOT going to start these all over again. The first one looked fine with only 5 points to it....so I made the 2nd one with only 5 points as well.

A matching pair! They are technically wrong because they have 5 points instead of 6, but they are done. I added the earring findings (yes one of the wires broke while doing that so I had to get another one). Done! Finished! Complete!....need pictures.....pull out camera and this is what I ended up with. All in all considering how the learning session went I think they came out well, don't you?

Motif 7:

It was a long crazy learning session, but I learned and won't forget how to do those wraps. I learned to be careful where I put the beads so they end up in the right place. I learned to double check the design...and I learned to COUNT the repeats/sections!

I Love Needlework!

2010-12-15T22:48:00.001-05:00

Today I while I was sitting and working on a little project a thought crossed my mind. I love needlework. I started out at the age of 7 learning to crochet, taught by my grandmother before she went senile and forgot how. My mother taught me knitting, and crewel embroidery. And her mother encouraged me to try other types of needlework, including bargello and cross stitch.

All my life my spare time has been retreating to some form of needlework. Learning new things and techniques, practicing and fine tuning what I have learned until I'm personally satisfied with the quality of what I do. Whenever I've been upset by turmoil in my life I've always been able to retreat into a realm of peace by sitting and stitching, and forgetting the rest of the world's troubles.

I've learned and done other things, other crafts, and I always come back to needlework in some form or another. Throughout the years I've had people buying the items I made, or I made gifts for others that they could treasure and hand down as heirlooms to their families. When I was layed off from my job a few years back I was able to turn to my needlework and not only find solice but an outlet for my inner need to create, as well as to turn it into a business to help meet expenses.

I can work with fine sewing thread or big bulky yarn...it doesn't matter, as long as I'm working on needlework. I can make a little 2 inch bear or a 4x6 foot afghan....either way I am content on the inside because I'm creating with some form of needle and thread.

I LOVE NEEDLEWORK....it finally dawned on me in that moment of thought earlier today, that I really do love it! It's not something to fill my time, it's not a hobby, it's not a phase nor a passing fad...it's something I love to do! It's part of who I am....and I'm blessed to have been taught at such an early age so I could enjoy this love all my life.

Thank you Grandma Robinson, Thank you Mom, Thank you Grandma Mary and all the others throughout my life that have helped me learn and enjoy my passion.

To everyone else...share what you know, teach someone a skill, help someone learn....it just might turn out to be the passion of their life!

Motif Challenge - Number 5 & 6

2010-12-12T17:06:00.000-05:00

I saw this design a while back and have wanted to try it, but never seemed to find the time. Now that I have some dark green thread (thanks to that shipping error)...well the time was right for it last night. So I made a Christmas Tree then turned it into a bookmark!

The tree design is the Tatted Christmas Tree by Be-Stitched. I added a tassel to the bottom of the 'trunk' to make it into a bookmark. This is a very easy 1 shuttle design and works up quickly. It would be good for a beginning tatter.

Motif # 5:

I've also been wanting to test out some of the patterns from Jon Yusoff's Tatted Snowflakes Collection. I decided to do them in the order of their listing in the book. First is Alladin.

Motif # 6:

I'm looking forward to working on the next one! Tatting is so much fun once you get the basics of it down!

Dead Computer

2010-12-11T23:13:00.001-05:00

Two days ago my computer hard drive died a quick but inglorious death. One moment it was working, I glanced away from the monitor, and when I looked back I had the infamous 'blue screen of death'. The hard drive was to be no more.

I keep most of my files on an external hard drive so I didn't really lose alot of information. I still have all my pattern and business files for example. However, my email was on the main (now dead) harddrive so I lost all my emails that I'd saved and all the sites that I'd added to my favorites list etc.

My daughter came to my rescue with her laptop. We were able to quickly search online and found a really good deal for a new computer (smile). She went and picked it up for me yesterday and ever since I've been in the process of getting things set back up. My email is working correctly and I'm back online again. YAY!

It's great having a new computer, even though it was an unexpected and unplanned for expense. Please be patient with me while I relocate all my favorite sites.

On the creative front, I've finished a new doily and need to block it, and I completed another Lacey White Bookmark like in my previous post. I'm working on another bookmark and hope to spend the rest of my evening tonight working on it.

Off to go find some of my favorite blogs again....

25 Motif Challenge

2010-12-09T04:05:00.001-05:00

I've decided to participate in the Tatting 25 Motif Challenge as a goal to encourage myself to do more tatting in 2011. The bookmarks I posted about are my start for this.

To keep track of them, I need to number them. So I've edited my previous post to add Motif #s. I don't think I'll have any problem getting to 25, but I want to be sure. I also don't believe the same design should count more than once so for me it's a 25 Different Motif Challenge!

I've already lined up a few designs that I want to work on next. They will have to wait until I've done another Lacey Tatted Bookmark in White (Motif # 3) though because the one I showed below has sold and I want to make a replacement for it for my website and Etsy shop.

Off to do a bit more tatting before I head to bed....

Singing Songs of Christmas!

2010-12-07T14:47:00.005-05:00

I heard the holiday song "Santa Baby" the other day and it inspired me to create a new little bear.

I also found an interesting American Sign Language You Tube of this song that I thought I'd share too:

Special Request

2010-12-07T12:07:00.001-05:00

My daughter recently came to me telling me that she had a friend in the Army Reserves who was called to service in Afghanistan and she wanted to give him something special. So we put our heads together and she helped me design this new little bear. The bear wears the name of her friend and this is a surprise present for him so if any one seeing this knows him please do not tell him about it. He will be receiving it when he comes home on leave at the end of December. Allow me to introduce you to a very special bear, Sgt. Brandon Jones:

Good luck and Safe Journey as you serve our country in foriegn lands.

Tatting Frenzy

2010-12-07T12:02:00.002-05:00

I recently ordered some Lizbeth threads and when they arrived I was inspired to do some tatting right away. In fact I went into what you could say is a 'tatting frenzy'. I love these threads and how well they work up. Once I got started I couldn't seem to stop. I think I made 8 bookmarks and a new motif. Below are a few example pictures of some of the bookmarks. The motif I loved but had alot of problems and ended up renaming it 'the motif from hell'....so I haven't taken any pictures of it yet...maybe I will some day. I finished it and it looks great....I just don't care to look at it right now...lol.

When my new threads were ordered I was accidentally shipped the wrong order. I was told to keep the one ball of thread and book (which turned out to be a tatting book with several designs in it I like!). The thread was a dark green and went perfectly with a deep red that I had ordered on my order. I got bold and pulled out some beads too....here is my very first tatted bookmark with beads. The pattern is called Stumpy and was designed by Kersti Anear.

Motif # 1:

The next one is one I did is a braid design by Jane Eborall. I think the varigated Lizbeth thread works up great with this design. I did it in several colors but here are a few examples:

Motif # 2:

I also had a couple on hand that I hadn't taken pictures of. I made them a while back and don't remember where I found the designs.

Motif # 3:

Motif # 4:

I will be doing more tatting in the future. I've decided to sign up for the 25 Motif Challenge for 2011. I'm looking forward to working on things for it.

Is it Frostie Outside?

2010-11-26T20:53:00.001-05:00

When I shared pictures of Barnaby I said he was the 1st of 2. As most of you know I'm a pattern collector. I buy them all the time, but don't always make them up. This time I followed a pattern by one of the Thread Artist Guild (R) members, Stefanie Devlin, but as usual for me I made some small changes as well.

I didn't feel like messing with a bunch of beads on the hat so I just made a ruffly brim and added a bow. I took the same thread as I used for the hat and made up a soft winter scarf to go with it. The bear is made from punch thread and is a very pale cream color.

My daughter walked in the room just as I put the finishing touches on her and with one quick glance decided her name was Frostie.

I also added a picture of her next to my hand for size reference. Sometimes people don't really understand how small these little bears are!

Speaking of threads....the thread I got in the order that was shipped to me by mistake....it went perfectly with one that I had ordered (my order arrived the next day). These are size 20 tatting threads (I got some size 80 as well). I've been on a tatting frenzy the past few days and have made up several bookmarks....one using the freebie thread which came out GREAT! As soon as they all finish blocking I'll get some pictures and share them.

Surprise in the Mail

2010-11-21T11:05:00.000-05:00

I got a very nice surprise in the mail yesterday. I had placed an order for some threads from Handy Hands but they shipped the wrong box. They told me to keep it, that they would resend to the other person and that a box with my corrected order was sent out the next day (it should arrive on Monday). So I got some new thread in a different color than any I had and a book on tatting with some patterns that I'd like to try. Yay me !!

Holiday Rush

2010-11-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

My the time is flying by! I'm hurrying around trying to get bears finished and for sale, make new ones, working on special orders, starting my holiday shopping, hiding what I buy so my daughter won't see it, getting more supplies, etc. etc. etc. I feel like I'm spinning in a thousand different directions during the day...but in the evenings when I settle in to just work on the next creation it all calms down for a little while and feels like all is right in my world...that's a good feeling.

A few days ago I finished up a couple of new bears. One, Barnaby is already out for sale, the other I have pictures done but haven't posted her anywhere yet.

Here's little Barnaby. I tried a new style for the head. My daughter and I both like it quite alot so I will be making a few more in this style I'm sure!

More pictures of him can be seen by clicking HERE.

I'm still running a bit behind on my Boot Camp activities. I haven't found the time this week (due to all of the above) to spend any time on it. I'm hoping to catch up this coming week because Week 8 To Do list has already come out. I really want to complete all of the Boot Camp stuff because it's all been very informative and helpful!

That's it for now. I will be back in a few days with another update!

Etsy Holiday Boot Camp - Week 7

2010-11-04T17:51:00.006-04:00

Has it really been this many weeks already? Wow! The time not only seems to fly by but I'm learning so much that I don't even notice when one week moves into the next one.

This week is all about Blogging and Marketing Plans. Just by going through some of the reading material I already can see ways I can make my blog a bit more interesting and more informative. And I'm getting tips for using social marketing tools better as well. I haven't done the 'reach out' part yet. That one is going to take some background reading and research so will take a bit of time.

I'm about to start on the Marketing Plan section. This is something I know I need to do, so I'm sure this part of the "homework" will be very interesting!

This Week's Checklist:

[ X ] Read this week's blog post
[ X ] Develop a marketing plan
[ ] Reach out to a blogger
[ X ] Post in Week 7's forum thread

As always I will be updating this checklist and adding my comments as I complete the activities.

Edited to show some progress made. I fnished the Marketing Plan exercise. Now I need to do some researching and find a blogger to 'reach out to'.

It's Getting Cold Outside!

2010-11-03T02:36:00.001-04:00

~ Chelsea ~

A OOAK Micro Miniature Thread Crochet Bear standing at 2 inches tall !
by Mary Robinson of Peachtree Cottage

It's turning cold in my part of the world and little Chelsea can't wait for it to snow so she can go out and build a snowman! Chelsea stands at barely 2 inches tall and is crocheted from acrylic threads. She comes wearing a removable white hoodie which is accented with tiny little pink beads. Her facial expression has been embroidered and slightly shaded to give it extra depth. Her name is Chelsea (pronounced "Ch-L-see) which means 'snow bunny' in beareze. She will arrive in a clear display box with a signed picture Certificate of Authenticity.

Chelsea is available in my Etsy Shop - http://www.etsy.com/listing/60669093

Holiday Boot Camp - Week 6

2010-10-28T18:33:00.001-04:00

Hellooooo out there!

First off let me say I'm starting to see some results from the efforts made with the Boot Camp Exercises. Not only am I learning and trying to put into practice what I learn, but I've also picked up more followers on my blogspot. In addition to that my website views have increased and I have pending orders that I'm working on. Yay for the Boot Camp !

This weeks homework sounds simple but it's really not. The reading was mostly about frame of mind/attitude which can get really 'deep' sometimes. The pricing exercise will be valuable to alot of people, but for me it confirmed that the method I use for my pricing is appropriate. Each pricing exercise I did was right in line with what my current prices are :-)

Here's my checklist:

[ X ] Revisit Your Prices
[ X ] Check out this Reading List
[ X ] Connect with Your Buddy

I'm hoping this kind of "Boot Camp' activity will continue in one form or another after the holidays.

New Pictures

2010-10-26T16:05:00.000-04:00

Part of my Etsy Boot Camp Week 5 homework was tips on photography. Here's some pictures I took today of my tissue covers that I made for a customer. I think the pictures came out better than my old ones. Those photo tips were very helpful.

Etsy Boot Camp - Week 5

2010-10-22T02:44:00.004-04:00

I'm so excited about everything I'm learning via the Etsy Holiday Boot Camp! This week I got in the email with the weekly activities and started in on them right away. The focus of this week is photography. Some of the information shared I already knew and some was new to me. I have ideas now that I want to try with my next set of photos...which I hope will be in the next day or so.

Here's my status:

Etsy Holiday Boot Camp - Week 5:

[ X ] Check out 7 Lessons from Adam Braun
[ X ] Read Etsy's Guide to Photography
[ X ] Shoot Photos of Your New Work
[ X ] Check in with your Boot Camp Buddy
[ X ] Post in the Boot Camp Forum

The activity for the 7 Lessons from Adam Braun was to watch a presentation video. I have to admit that I found him dry and dull as a speaker which left me uninspired. However his 7 Lessons have value. This is what they are:

All I need now is to have a photo session and I'll have my 'homework' for this week done already! Yay!

Bethany

2010-10-18T14:32:00.001-04:00

I had a wonderful surprise happen to me over the weekend. As some of you know I'm participating in the Etsy Boot Camp activities and one of them is to work with a Boot Camp Buddy. Well my buddy is writing a blog article for Etsy and she wanted to put a link in it to one of my bears. So I quickly finished up little Bethany in time for her blog article.

Bethany stands at only 2.25 inches tall and is crocheted from acrylic threads. She comes wearing a removable pink and white dress which is accented with tiny little pearl beads and a little bow with 3 tiny pearl beads by her ear.

Bethany - Available in my Etsy Shop! - http://www.etsy.com/listing/59282323

Etsy Boot Camp - Week 4

2010-10-18T13:32:00.010-04:00

There's lots of reading with this week's Etsy Boot Camp activities. I'm busy reading up and working on my Etsy "Homework"

This week's 'Homework" is to:

[X} Read this week's Boot Camp Article
[X] Etsy Sucess Keyword Exercise
[X] Update Your Profile
[X] Check in with your Boot Camp Buddy
[X] Post in the Boot Camp forum thread
[X] Extra Credit! Tips for Authentic Writing

Keywords are important so doing the Keyword Exercise will definitely be a helpful activity. Plus I've been needing to update my Profile....so I'm thinking this will be a good week of activities for me!

My keywords:

Buyer Attributes
collector
classy
homemaker
upscale
values time
parent

Style
miniature
sweet
pretty
cute
ooak
unique

Artistic Values
unique
quality
master artist
artistic
long lasting
creative

Etsy Boot Camp - Week 3

2010-10-11T17:56:00.000-04:00

Time to check in with my Boot Camp homework! hehe...here's Week 3's checklist. Notice it's all completed!

Etsy Boot Camp - Week 3 Checklist

[X] Read this week's Boot Camp article

[X] Fill in the Blank Exercise

[X] Six Success Secrets Exercise

- [X} Be Me - I already am me. I'm a quiet work in the background, don't make alot of noise, but get it done type. I'm not a corporate type. So, I work from home, making things quietly, working on things each day...and I'm content with what I do and who I am :-)

- [X} Trust Your Compass - I try to do this especially when I'm creating my little bears. I know that my mood shows up on their faces when I stitch them...so I check my internal compass and make sure I'm heading in the right (positive) direction before I start stitching a bear face. No frustrated, angry, sad, upset bears from me!

- [X} Embrace the Optimist - Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the day to day stresses, but I learrned a few years back that I just need to set the 'stress' feelings aside and just 'know' in my heart that everything will work out fine. I believe in the power of the Law of Attraction so I put out positive thoughts ... and good things happen.

- [X} Surround Yourself With Love - This is a tougher one for me. Because of my 'Be Me' I tend to close myself off and am not around alot of people. But I do have my daughter's support in what I do and she also believes in embracing the optimist/Law of Attraction outlook. I also connect with other supportive bear artists and did so by creating the Thread Artist Guild to give us all a place to grow, communicate and support each other.

- [X] Know What You Need and Get It - For me that's mainly getting the money each month to pay the bills, and somewhere down the road getting a newer car. Every time I make something and sell it I am progressing towards these goals. I also need peace and stability in my life....what I tend to call Calm Happiness. Being "OK" with me and content with who I am and what I'm doing helps me with that goal too.

- [X] Enjoy Where You Are - I know this might sound silly to some but a few years ago I read 2 books that changed my life. The first was "Conversations with God"...now I'm not saying I agree with everything in that book but it did help me to open up my eyes and look at things from different perspectives and to really appreciate who I was and what I had. The second was "The Secret"...which taught me about the Law of Attraction and how powerful it can be, as well as reinforcing the gratitude for what I already have. Putting all that together allows me to allow myself to be content. I can enjoy my day to day life taking each day at a time without all the stress and worry for the next day or the day after that. I spend a moment each day being grateful for THAT day, for the things I was able to do that day, for just being alive that day....well I think you get the drift.....Do I want more out of life...sure, everyone does, that's natural, but I'm "OK" with where I am and that feels good too.

[X] Check in with your Boot Camp Buddy

[X] Get a Head Start on Your Holiday Stock - Already have some items made that I need to take pictures of and working on new items as well.

[X] Post in the Boot Camp forum thread - I posted my Fill in the Blank Exercise there and made a positive affirmation post on the Facebook Boot Camp Fan Page.

Jynx is going Trick or Treating for Halloween

2010-10-06T03:01:00.000-04:00

Allow me to introduce you to my newest little bear.... Jynx

~ Jynx ~
5-Way Jointed and only 2 Inches Tall Standing !
(not counting the hat)
A Peachtree Cottage™ Micro Miniature Bear
by Mary Robinson - Peachtree Cottage ™ Bears

This year Jynx decided to dress up and go Trick or Treating for Halloween. Watch out for her though, she loves to pop up out of nowhere and hollar "BOO!" while waving her billowy arms costumed arms. Her name is Jynx(pronounced "Geenks") which means 'Trick or Treat' in beareze.

Jynx stands at only 2 inches tall which makes her a micro miniature bear. She is crocheted from acrylic threads and comes with her removable hat and Trick or Treat bag. Her facial expression has been embroidered and slightly shadded to give it extra depth. She will arrive in a clear display box with a signed picture certificate of authenticity.

Week Two of the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp

2010-10-04T16:25:00.003-04:00

Well, it's Week Two and now I have more homework to do. The checklist of things to do this week is as follows:

[X] Read this week's Holiday Boot Camp article

[X] Make a list of your most popular items

[X] Brainstorm new work you'll offer this season

[X] Find your Boot Camp buddy

[X] Post in the Boot Camp forum

As you can see all of these have been done except for finding a Boot Camp Buddy. I've posted on the Boot Camp Facebook site so hopefully I will get a response to that soon. If all else fails I'll buddy up to my daughter for this but it would be nice to get outside input going forward.

My newest creation is done, just finished up the accessories today and plan to take pictures tomorrow so ... watch this space! lol

UPDATE: I got me a Boot Camp Buddy! It's Mary Catherine from Hide A Heart. Check out her Etsy Shop! http://www.etsy.com/shop/HideaHeart She makes beautiful glass hearts!

Look What's Hiding in the Halloween Candy!

2010-09-29T11:31:00.000-04:00

It's little Cornelious (pronounced "cor-Kneel-e-us") which means "candy corn" in beareze.

Cornelious is stitched from fine acrylic threads and made with hundreds of tiny stitches. His eyes are onyx beads and have shading to give him expression and added depth.

I listed him in my Etsy shop ( http://peachtreecottage.etsy.com/ ) and before I knew it he SOLD! He will be heading out to his new home in Australia tomorrow.

Thanks to my daughter, Jennifer of Bubble Bee Creations ( http://bubblebeecreations.etsy.com/ ) for her suggestion I make a bear like this!

I Took The Pledge

2010-09-27T03:43:00.001-04:00

I admit it. This summer I had a tendancy to slack off and not make too many things. I was a bit burned out and needed a break. But I'm back in action now and to get myself going again I have taken the pledge:

Etsy Holiday Boot Camp Pledge: I, Mary Robinson of Peachtree Cottage, pledge to participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp to the best of my abilities. I vow to check in every week, do my homework and support my fellow Holiday Boot Campers. I will read the weekly newsletters and blog posts, check in on the weekly forum thread, read the weekly blog post, check off the checklists and salute the mascot. I promise to share what I've learned with those who need it, support my fellow Etsy indiepreneurs and, most of all, have a positive and persistent attitude. I understand that together we can spread the word about our handmade and vintage goods, making this holiday season a more unique and meaningful one to gift givers and give-ees everywhere.

In addition to the pledge one of the weekly assignements is to create a holiday mission statement. I might adjust it later but this is what I have for now:

Mission Statement:
To use my skills and knowledge to make creative, quality made artist collectable miniature teddy bears. Also to create beautiful as well as functional items for home, babies, doll enthusiasts, etc. which will enhance their lives and bring a smile to their faces at affordable prices.

In support of this mission statement, this holiday season I will:

- create holiday specific items

- add new items to my Etsy shop

- promote awareness of Artist Collectable Teddy Bears

- participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp

- have at least one 'special' or 'on sale' item in my Etsy shop at all times through the holidays

I will try to keep posting here about the activities involved and what I'm doing. It seems like it will be fun (even though it's also technically 'work').

1895 Country Fair Outfit

2010-06-04T15:48:00.000-04:00

I have competed a special order for a customer of a 1895 Style Lace and Angels Country Fair Outfit. This outfit has 10 panels in the skirt, each with 4 sections, 2 of lace and 2 of crochet, a crochet and lace bodice, and a lace and ribbon embellished Bolero jacket and coordinating hat. There are 44 tiny crocheted roses in the complete outfit.

Whew...this was a lot of work, much more than I had originally anticipated but I think it came out wonderfully and I'm very proud of it.