New Year Resolution

My New Year Resolution is going well so far, I am having a massive clear out and being quite ruthless and throwing lots of things way.  Mainly stuff that I have kept because "it will come in useful one day" and of course it never has, and probably never will!  Amongst my finds were some blank cards, some I have thrown away, because they looked a bit grubby, but the rest I am adding tatting to so that they can be transformed into greeting cards.

The only tatting which I had to do for this card is the wheelbarrow which can be found here on Jane's pattern site along with the butterfly and the slug. All other bits were found in my stash.

New Earrings

I like to see what earrings people (generally women) are wearing because some of them fascinate me especially the elaborate and colourful ones.  Although saying that just simple stylish ones also draw my attention.

Now I do not have pierced ears myself so when Jane gave me lots of clip-on findings I really wanted to have some new earrings.  These cross ones were originally for pierced ears and in my stash, I altered the findings so that I can wear them now.  It is a pattern I designed and my favourite earrings were a black pair ones, until I gave them away to a young girl who also did not have pierced ears.    

  

Then I looked in my stash of beads and made these

Christmas Tatting

Well this was all I managed just before Christmas, which is so sad as I have the shuttles and thread to do more, but sadly no time in my busy life to do much tatting, or for that matter any other craft work.   The pattern is called Chris' Broomstick Snowflake from Martha Ess's book 'Playing with picots'

With the top two snowflakes I wound two 80 threads together, the bottom two are size 20.
My new year resolution (which usually carriers on from year to year), is to be more tidier and do do more tatting!  

Singapore shopping

Well a bit of an exaggeration, shopping was extremely difficult when you have at least two men with you most of the time and because of transport, time and logistics there wasn't any opportunity of going it alone!

My favourite place to visit for beads and findings is the People's Park Centre in China Town. An amazing place to buy such pretty things, there are many shops selling beautiful items that you never see in any other place. This time though I resisted  buying any more beads etc because I have too many, and unfortunately there wasn't a particular project I needed them for.  Instead this thread caught my eye.  It looked similar to the Lizbeth thread in appearance but as it was wrapped in cellophane could not even see what the strands looked like, or how thick they were, so decided to buy a reel and take a chance.

Yesterday I tried to tat with it, it is lovely and works well and looks as though it is coming out as a 20 but need to tat more to really find out. Have now kept the bag giving the shop it came from and the original wrapping.  Interesting enough it is called 'stringing material' but when I asked the assistant whether it would work for tatting she had not a clue what I was on about! It also came in a selection of colours, shame now that I only bought one reel!

Nearly Finished

I looked back at my blog posts to discover that I started this mat in January, not sure if it will be finished by the end of the year but only plan to tat one more row.

Today is is very dull so the colours are not coming out very well either. Indoors or outdoors there does not seem to be any natural light. 

Well I suppose I should do some Christmas tatting, as so many people will be expecting a little something in less than a months time!

Poppies

It was May when we first decided to organise a poppy cascade from the tower of a very old church to commemorate the WW1-100.  We asked the community to knit or crochet poppies and by the end of October over 4,200 had been donated.  Some even came from the USA where a family who used to live in the village had moved to.  How to construct the installation took a lot of thinking about, but finally it all came together and at the beginning of November it went 'Over the Top'.  That is the name we called it, as those who fought would say those words as they climbed over the trenches into battle. 

Over the last ten days it has rained and the wind has blown but fortunately the cascade has remained in place, although a bit soggy!    The porch was also decorated.

And this is what it looked like on the evening of Remembrance Sunday.  

The poppy installation has attracted wide press coverage and hundreds of visitors have come to see it and look at the exhibition inside the church.  A fitting tribute to those who gave their lives so that we can live in peace. Even if there are people who do not believe in remembering such events, I am sure they would agree that this poppy cascade is a work of art if nothing else!

Craft Evening

I am busy preparing for another Adult Craft Evening, an opportunity for people to have a go at different crafts.  Here are a couple that will be on offer. 

And pyrography on some holly wood 

The top pentagon has tatting on but actually the crafters will be making this one as I do not have enough tatting to go round everyone.