Mondo Monday 20th Giveaway Prize goes to.....

I entered all participants of my Random Monday Mondo Giveaway into an Excel spread sheet. Everyone was assigned a different number and those who were eligible for two entries were assigned two numbers. I then used a random number generator to randomly pick the winning number and the winner of the lovely one of a kind bookmark hook pen is Happy Bluebird. Congratulations!

Stay tuned for there will be more Random Monday giveaways coming soon!

It's MONDO MONDAY YAY!!! Givaway XX Beautiful Hook Pen

In celebration of my 20th Mondo Monday Giveaway I am offering one of my original hook pens. This bookmark hook pen is a size 11 and ONE OF KIND as are all my hand made tatting items.

Please visit my Etsy Shop for more hook pens.

Please review the giveaway rules here. If you are new to my giveaways please make sure to sign up on THIS post.
The sign up for this giveaway will last for three weeks.

The winner will be announced on July 18 2011.

***A SPECIAL NOTE***Everyone is welcome to enter my giveaways.
However, I can no longer afford to ship my giveaway prizes internationally.
If you live somewhere other than the U.S., PR, AK, HI, or Canada and you still want to enter, you must agree to pay the shipping charges.



HAPPY MONDAY!!!

Glitter-fied hook pens

Size 14 Purple Glitter Hook Pen

Because these reflect so much light it is hard to get a good photo. Anyhow, I will have even more for sale soon. I have been having way too much fun "blinging" and as a consequence glitter is ALL over my house now. Even Piccadilly is covered in purple glitter.

New Ceramic Shuttles and Hook Pens added to the shop

Really trying my best to get back into "the swing of things" as far as the Etsy shop is concerned. A lot of new items have been added to the inventory.

Ceramic Shuttles


Hook Pens
It feels good to get back to work!
Cheers,

Awww Crummy!!!

It's a lame day. Hubby is gone again...BOOOOO! I am going to vent for a minute...so if you don't want to hear it...avert thine eyes and skip to bottom of page!


I am SOOOO sick of the military life! I HATE IT! When hubby is home he works 15 hours a day 6 days a week! No kidding! Is he even remotely adequately compensated for that kind of hard work??? NOPE! My husband has a very dangerous job where he puts his life on the line everyday in order to protect all of us. DH gets paid the same as the guys who sits at his desk all day, takes two hour lunches and goes home at 5:00pm.
What I wouldn't give to have my DH home at the same time every day?!?! I dream of sitting at the table together for dinner....they are so few and so rare....that a dinner at home with my DH is like an Haley's Comet sighting
You married people out there who have regular schedules....take stock and be grateful!
This has been my life for the last 10 years, so I think I have earned the right to say that I am tired of all of it! Tired of doing everything by myself, tired of moving all the time, tired of living life "on hold", tired of wondering when I'm going to get the phone call that hubby will never come.
I had to get up early this morning after crying all day yesterday and see my hubby off once again. He is gone more than he is home and when he is home he may as well be gone!
I didn't get married to be all alone....and I just don't think I can take another 10 years of this CRAP!
Could it be worse?? Of course, isn't that what people say when things suck??? "It could be worse." What a stupid, useless thing to say. I am just finally expressing what thousands of other military spouses feel.

...and now I am done. I am sure I will feel better tomorrow.


So for those who have skipped past the ever so necessary rant (I mean do you really think I should hold all THAT in???)

I have listed new hook pens in Size 13. Also, I finally got my shipment of Size 14 hooks in so for those who have been wanting one you can customize it!

Valentine's Day is around the corner

VICTORIAN VALENTINE

MY SWEET VALENTINE
With Valentine's Day around the corner I thought I would list the appropriate hand dyed threads. Don't they look romantic?

Rain Girl
I have also listed many new tatting hook pens today including this sweet little gal.

Newest HDT and Oriental Hook Pens

Here is a new batch of hook pens being added to the shop.

here


HIMALAYAN POPPY

**** CUSTOM Hook Pens **** Whoo Hoo!

MAKE YOUR VERY OWN HERE.
Since I made my very first Hook Pen I have wanted to do Customized Pens and some of you have even emailed me with suggestions. I had to wait for an order of white pens to arrive (took forever...and they are more expensive than the colored ones...go figure).

I experimented with a custom hook pen/shuttle set for Suneeti pictured above. I created the image on the hook pen from some of my own actual tatting.
Whaddya think?
Anyhow, the possibilities are endless. You can choose your image and your hook size for your very own unique Tatting Hook Pen.


On another note: I got the estimate back from the company who is supposed to recovery data from my damaged hard drive. They quoted $645 and that does not include the brand new hard drive I had to buy to replace the old one....that's another $169.....Oh and that doesn't even guarantee full data recovery.
I'm thinking this is totally OUTRAGEOUS...and there is no way I can afford this expense...especially with Christmas around the corner.
I will need to come to terms with losing everything. 13 years of photos, travel, family, special writings, tatting books in progress (yes I had some more books nearly ready to publish) music...everything.
I am numb just sitting here in a state of shock.
I can't wait for 2009 to be over with...it sure has been one tough year!

Is Christmas really right around the corner?

Just finished adding some old favorites to the Shop. We have "OLDE SAINT NICK" and "COUNTRY CHRISTMAS".
I've added dozens upon dozens of hand dyed threads(HDT) skeins today. Even with my wrist splints all the winding of said skeins have taken their toll. None-the-less I am having fun with some new colorways:

HOSTA LEAF

OLD ENGLAND

...and here's a fun hook pen.
I don't know why but I feel very "wintery" today. It must be because it is FREEZING in my house. I think I'm going to go have a cuppa this:

WASSAIL Ingredients:

1 gallon apple cider
27 whole cloves
8 cinnamon sticks
1 quart pineapple juice
1 can (6 ounce) frozen orange juice concentrate

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large crockpot and simmer. Serve hot.

....I almost forgot to add that my thread has made an appearance in an Etsy treasury.
YAY!

Tatting Hook Size Chart

New hook pens are being listed nearly everyday to the shop. I have included this picture to give you an idea the differences between the hook sizes. Size 9 (my largest) is perfect for sizes 10, & 20 thread all the way down to size 14(my smallest) which is great for sizes 80 & 100...and of course there is everything in between.


I am firing my kiln for the first time in FOREVER today, so if all goes well we will have tatting shuttles available next week.

Country girl through and through

I just returned home today from a nice little trip to the boondocks. I would like to say that I am rested...but I am not. I am exhausted which seems to be the theme of my life since my return from Korea. Anyhow, it was a lovely trip all the same.Just look at this beauty. I never want to leave Idaho ever again! I LOVE my beautiful State.



I have listed new hook pens in the shop. I now offer hook pens from size 9 (largest) to size 14 (smallest).
Here is a size chart to help:

HOOK PEN SIZE CHART
Size 9/1.40mm
Size 10/1.30mm
Size 11/1.10mm
Size 12/1.00mm
Size 13/0.85mm
Size 14/0.75mm

Short lived

O.k. So I am having another "down" day today. I am exhausted and I have had a set back with the pain in my hands. I have been approved to see a neurologist and am just waiting for an opening. Anyhow, I expect there will be many more ups and downs but I feel so supported that I think I can handle it. You guys do know that you are my lifeline right???
...and to all my moms out there, I AM taking your advice. So many good suggestions were given to me and I know many of you have gone through this so I am listening.

This humongous speed bump in my life is driving me MAD I tell you! (Ooops did I type that out loud???)

O.k. O.k, no energy for silliness today.....

I managed to list a couple more Hook Pens. I tell you I have been using them myself and the are really great and so handy, why didn't I think of them before??? LOL!!!

I have been able to catch up a bit on blogs, some of you have gotten comments from me. To be honest, I think that is why my hands hurt so bad today. So many blogs, so little time.
Anyway, if I didn't leave you a comment that doesn't mean that I didn't visit your blog. You know I love you all!


HAPPY GUY FAWKES DAY!!!

New Tatting Hook Pens listed in Shop

I want to thank everyone for all the encouraging comments on my last post. I am going to print them out and put them on the wall to remind me how fortunate I am to have such encouraging support.

This one is super blinged out...but it is still flush enough to put in a book.

...and this is one of my favorites...I call her "Sunflower Princess".

HAPPY

Keeping on....

I ran out of hooks but that hasn't stopped me from decorating cases...here is a preview of what is to come.


Me being me, I absolutely HAVE to decorate each hook pen uniquely...can't keep them plain or make several of the same....just can't do it! These are a lot like my ceramic shuttles that way. See the "Pin up" girl, the Sunflower princess and a church landscape? I included a close up of the cherub? Each of these have neat little details and special touches.

Just like everything I do, these are made with the most top notch materials I can find. I do not cut corners, nor do I go the cheap route when it comes to my creations. These have stainless steel hooks and the pen casing is very strong.

...needless to say I am making very little profit on these...I am doing it mostly for fun.


These are currently listed in the shop, I will be listing a couple more this week. Since I am out of hooks it may be awhile before more are listed.