Tatting for myself

I entered the weekend with no orders to fill so I decided to tat for myself. I began with one of the "Wanda" bracelets in black with gray, marbled beads. Then I needed a pair of earrings to match so I needed a new design! I then worked up some earrings by another design I created a few weeks ago that combines some ideas from "Starry Night" and "River Dancers." There is yet another new pair of earring jackets, too, but you probably won't see them until after Christmas. Here is a picture of my new bracelet and earrings.

More bracelets

I've been busy producing more "Sarah's Sparkling Glamour" earring jackets and "Wanda" bracelets to fill orders. I am having such a great time with these bracelets, playing with a variety of colors of thread and beads. The bracelet pictures have been posted with the listing on Etsy, but I'll put them here as well. I hope you enjoy them. I got to choose from my collection of buttons for the two in the lower picture.

I started a new job last week, too. I'm helping college students prepare for the job market and recruiting non-profit organizations to partner with the university to provide internships for our students--a great benefit to both the organization and the students. I love what I'm doing. I feel so blessed. I have a people intense job that is very rewarding and a work-by-yourself business that seems to revitalize me in ways it is hard to explain to someone who does not have that desire to create.

I may not get to post more than once or twice a week, but know that I'm thinking of all of you and eager to come back and see what you have been doing.

Custom Tatting

I'm working on a few orders this week - all bracelets at the moment. The first of these are some Sport Your Colors Bracelets for a small wrist. All of her favorite colors will be paired with black which is the staple in her wardrobe. Nice idea! Red and black is finished. Now to get the others done.

Another bracelet - Wanda

I finished the design, the test-tatting and got my first one ready for delivery. The customer loves it--says it is just what she had in mind, which is always great to hear. I already have orders for two more which is also nice. The thread in the one pictured here is Lizbeth Harvest Orange Medium and the beads are in shades of brown.

Sorry, no pictures today.

I spent a few hours yesterday trying to put things in order in my new work area and spent the rest of the day working on drawings for a new bracelet. My customer selected the thread and the beads and gave me a general idea of what she wants. I finally settled on something this morning. I'm about to begin the tatting and, if it works up as I hope, I'll send off some pictures to get the design approved. Maybe I'll have a bracelet to show you tomorrow.

All healed & River Dancers bracelet in Purple

It was hard to keep my hands off my threads for a week, but I knew my fingers would heal faster if I did so. So I played foreman to my family crew as they moved furniture around to get my workroom set up for me. I managed to get a work area established so I can get right to work on the four orders I've received for the multi-colored earring jackets. It will take me weeks to get everything organized like I want it in the two rooms I wrecked in order to make my space, but I'm already loving it.

Here is the purple River Dancers bracelet I finished just before I hurt my hand. The color of the coordinating earring in the picture is closer to the color of the purple (Flora 215). The flash makes the bracelet look a bit too red. Flora calls the color Dark Purple.

Amazing Discovery!

Okay, well it is amazing to me and I stumbled upon it by accident. If you've read the listings at my Etsy shop, you know that when my cuff bracelets get a little stretched, I pour hot water over them to tighten them up again, then lay them out to dry. Well, being a bit impatient with the drying process and determined to wear my bracelet, I put it on while still damp. It was like having an air conditioner on my wrist! Why didn't I discover this earlier in the summer?! However, since the heat wave continues, I plan to wear matching cuff bracelets spritzed with water, maybe even scented water, for the duration of this weather. Here is the latest one I listed at Etsy today. Oh, and I got the beaded one listed, too, calling it River Dancers. Thanks for your help in naming it.

More Bracelet Designs

Well, I got the next snowflake in the Crystal Collection listed in the shop. If you've tatted my Celtic Snowflakes, you will recognize this pattern. (The next in the series will be a new one.) I need to finish the counterpart for the Peppermint Collection and get it listed as well, but I've been distracted by more bracelet ideas.

Here are my latest bracelets. Several months ago, I made a bracelet using Carolyn Groves Two-fer Bookmark. It just didn't work as well as a bracelet as it did as a bookmark, but my youngest daughter still liked the basic idea of it. We've been playing around with some variations and settled on these two. Finding it difficult to decide which I like best and having my daughters each choose a different favorite, I'll probably use them both. The one with the button is mine. The one with the toggle will go in the shop. I've got a request for another like the one with the toggle, but for a smaller wrist and with a lobster clasp. I personally prefer the button clasp and I had this beautiful button (see the closeup).

The beaded braid bracelet never made it into the shop. It is off to a new home, still without a name. I need to get another done. Many thanks for the name suggestions. You've given me some nice ones to consider, but I haven't made a decision yet. I guess I have at least until I get another tatted to list.

Bracelet needs a name

My daughter and I found some braided beads at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago that we felt would combine well with tatting to form a bracelet. That turned out to be much easier to envision than to do. After numerous trials and errors, this is the result. I'm thrilled to have completed it, but brain dead at the moment. The design needs a name. Got any suggestions?