Feeding My Stash

I've been ordering some goodies! Oh, what fun!

This is what arrived last week:

beautiful hand-dyed thread perfect for tatting

I ordered this book from Georgia Seitz, and she very kindly included two thread samples!

Sorry for the glare.....it hides some of this gorgeous 3-d crocheted butterfly on the cover of Piecework. I wonder if this design could be tatted.

ribbons, and more ribbons, and vintage sequins

an assorted package of materials, ribbons, lace, thread, and trims all perfect for CQing!









And more lovely 'Wildfowers' thread

 

I'm building my stash for projects that are in the planning stage. 

I've been terribly naughty, and I ordered more wonderful items. I've been waiting for them to arrive, but it's taking soooo long.

Have you been building your stash, too?

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs from Suz

Tuesday Tats May 24/11

Hope you had a nice weekend.
 I'd recently received my copy of Mary Konior's "Tatting with Visual Patterns" and I fell in love with 'Black Magic'
So, I began with Yarnplayer's 'tourmaline' thread. I began several times.
I was more than half- finished when I spotted what I thought was an error, and, ahem, corrected it.
It was only when I was near the end that I discovered my 'correction' was the error. So, not having enough thread left to cut and correct, I made do and created a variation of the pattern.    cough.                          

                                                                                                 
 








            I think it might make a nice pendant, if it wasn't a little wonky.
I do like the way the glass beads pick up the pink/burgundy color.

This tat may find itself sewn onto a future CQ.





I guess I really shouldn't tat a new-to-me pattern while watching TV!


Hope you're having a good tatting day!


                                                                                                   
                                                                                                 
Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz                  

Inspiration Sunday May 22/11

It's Inspiration Sunday!

 Just a glimpse at a little garden bed by the main entrance










 My challenge?
card 1:- Using liquid glue, do an automatic painting on paper with the nib. Once dry, paint over this surface
card 2:- Use only complementary colors and black 

I was using  white glue and I thought, well, that wouldn't show up on white watercolor paper. I tinted the paper with a light green wash.
looks more yellow here

 added the glue








Adding more green

 More red and some black
I like how the glue has created separate areas of color in places. Using watercolors means that the white glue shows up through the paint. I tilted the paper and spritzed with a bit of water to encourage some paint flow.



 Once dried I scanned each half of the painting.
It's not quite as bright as when wet, but I like the texture the glue adds to the piece.













I was thinking of cutting this painting up and creating some cards.
If you'd like to have a card, please leave a comment letting me know.







I should be able to make at least 12 cards, so the first 12.........Of course, if there's not that many interested, there may be multiple cards available!


The next challenge:

card 1:- coat your paper with white gouache, then, when dry, paint over with thick watercolor. After drying, lift out lights and areas using water and tissues
card 2:- select one pigment each for the mental, physical, and spiritual side of your nature. Use in a painting

Happy Victoria Day!
Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

A Shopping Spree

My Darling DH spoiled me, and took me out for lunch and a shopping spree for a Mother's Day Treat. We had a Chinese Food Buffet, and I went to a fabric shop and a craft shop, and came home with these goodies:

Oh, I am making some plans for a new white CQ block, and for a 1:1 RR with a friend. I'm going to have me some fun!
Hope you're having some creative fun today, too.
Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

Travelling Tats

While travelling to the city, I kept my hands busy (no, I wasn't driving! ) by tatting a few doodles:

I liked this one so much, I added to it:

It has a lot of motion, I think, and although the pattern repeats itself, it doesn't look exact. I know that some people won't like it because of that, but to me it has an organic feel to it.       It's a little strange: kind of like me. lol

It's just chains and JK's.

What do you think of this doodle?

Hope you're having a creative day.

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs from Suz

Inspiration Sunday May 15/11

My challenge for this week:
card 1:- paint an edifice--a barn, a shack, a house with character or any portion of the building that interests you

card 2:- paint using only primary colours

I love architecture. But you might as well know that perspective is my nemesis.
I've taken perspective in some workshops, and I even have a couple of books on the subject, but I seem to have a block when it comes to transforming the information on the page to a painting.
So without further apology, here's a portion of a building I sketched freehand from a photo:

This piece needs more detail added to show all the patterns in the stone, and the statues in the recessed arches. But in spite of the wonkiness, I'm happy with the result so far.
 
 
 
 
 
The challenge for next week:
card 1:- Using liquid glue, do an automatic painting on paper with the nib. Once dry, paint over this surface
card 2:- Use only complementary colours and black
 
 
Hope your day is a sunny one!
Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

Warm Tones Beginnings

 I've been stitching on a pieced cloth of warm tones.

Included are rusty bit, swap, and stash fabrics.

 stem stitch

 playing with fly stitch on rusty bits fabric

 french knots and straight stitch

 In tatting, it's called a cluny, but I embroidered these leaves using a woven picot stitch

rusty bits cotton with varigated thread

I love the colours on this fabric: brown, turquoise, and golden yellow













here's my tatted millipede!
and some tea-dyed yarn couched onto an upholstery fabric strip












I've made a small beginning. What will it become?
Have you been creating today?
Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

A Sunday Stroll

It was a lazy, sunny, Sunday. It was Mother's Day.
Down on the dock, we spotted this guy:

 He was still for so long, I wanted to check and make sure all was well.

I snuck down to the lake for a closer look, and disturbed him!  Mr. Mallard had been napping in the warm sunshine.  I made a slow retreat.

 

I spotted some of my daffs in bloom. finally

.

Later, Cody-dog and I went for a little walk and took the path towards the beaver pond.

















we followed the rushing spring waters down the creek a ways. I can hear the water from our yard as it gurgles and rushes over rocks, and stones.
















 

 Foaming as it swirls, it flows from the beaver pond, cascading downhill and around boulders.





 reflecting the blue of the sky as it puddles around mossy rocks










making ripples

Returning home, I spotted the forsythia in bloom.










Maybe, you'd like to join me for lunch cooked in the lakeside fire pit?

Or sit looking at the lake while we tat or stitch?                                                      

 Walking into the house, I enjoyed seeing my Mother's Day bouquet welcoming me home.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and a lovely Mother's Day!

Thanks for visiting
Hugs from Suz