Monday MONDO Giveaway Part VI

This weeks first prize is an original water color. It is not framed, and measures 6"X9". It is signed and dated.
Also included are two coordinating skeins of matching hand dyed thread.
"DEEP RED" and "DAISY DAZE" Both in size 20 cotton.


Please review the NEW giveaway rules here.
An extra winner will be added for every 25 entries so the more who enter the more prizes that will be given away...PLEASE share the good news.

The winner/s will be announced on Sunday.

Have fun and good luck!



....oh and if your comment doesn't show up right away please don't panic; I am out of town and away from the computer for a couple of days.

Tatting prize!

Why is it that tatting from other people is so much more special than one's own?
I won Wendy's prize from her November Giveaway.
Isn't it beautiful! Thank you Wendy! I will treasure it.

So I paid for 4 painting classes and they are over. Here is a picture of me painting in the second class. My instructor laughed at me because last week I chose to paint a snow scape and this week I chose to paint water. Yep...leave it to me to make things difficult!

This is supposed to be a leaf floating in a puddle with reflections. I don't really see it...but hubby says this one is his favorite so far.

I really enjoyed my painting classes and may continue them one day. In the meantime I'll keep practicing!

Fabulous GMA shuttle, not so fab ceramic shuttles and new painting

I custom ordered this beautiful patchwork shuttle from GrizzlyMountainArts. I am so pleased with my purchase. Thanks Dave and Jo!
I am not too fond of bobbin style shuttles but I may have to change my tune now that I have this beauty.

Remember back when I told you I was going to try making some ceramic shuttles here is Korea?
Well.....here they are. Not surprisingly they are not usable. Making ceramic shuttles is difficult anyway and this time I had no control over the firing process.
The groggy coarse clay was not suitable for this type of project but I decided to give it a try anyway. Kyoung-mi tried to help strengthen the clay by adding some glaze, but that ended up fusing the tips together. I guess I'll have to wait until my pottery "sabbatical" is over to make new shuttles. I am soooooo homesick for my studio. I have a lot of posts to write for my pottery blog but haven't written anything because every time I think about pottery the tears start to roll.

I love paintings with snow, so of course I had to tackle a snowy water color. What was I thinking? I'm in WAY over my head! This picture is not finished and I am not too happy with it. I may start again but I think I have some more learning to do first.
BTW, this picture is of a bridge in my lovely home state of Idaho. I am SO homesick!

On to a happy note: This was in my inbox today and I thought I would share it!

HANDY HANDS TATTING DISCOUNT 15% OFF - THANKSGIVING SALE - 15% OFF ONLY November 26 - December 1 COUPON Code 1201 - use just the numbers in coupon field when you checking out.

Tatting, painting with friends and tatting starter kits

I decided it's time for my girls to have their own tatting starter kits. I've just been bringing everything every week including patterns. I've since given them websites that offer free patterns and now they are set up to tat without my help. This doesn't mean 4 O'clock Rock is over....we will still meet on a weekly basis. Anyhow, they each have their own shuttles, threads, hook, beads, ball holder and picot gauges.
Believe it or not we are working on Ruth's new Celtic Snowflake pattern. Today they learned the mock picot and how to float rings. Once they complete this pattern we will move on to beads.
I don't have a picture of it this week but right after Hye-Soon learned to tat split rings, she made a couple of rosaries of her own design.

I have decided to practice some painting on my own so I chose a couple of my own photos to practice with. Here is the first:

Kyoung-Mi (my Korean me...the potter) also is a painter and when she learned that I am painting she offered to help me. So I showed up early at her shop today with all my painting and tatting supplies. This is what I painted with her guidance. She had really great tips for me.

I still have a long way to go but I am having fun so far. I will tell you that painting is waaaay easier than tatting......so far.

Here is a picture of my sweet puppy. I fell asleep in the back seat of our car on our way home from Seoul one day and my dog decided to take a nap with/on me. (She kept me warm.)

Happy Monday

All sorts of stuff....

Firstly, Wendy awarded me with the bookworm award. The book closest to me is Raising Baby Green by Alan Greene, M.D.
The fifth line on page 56 reads;

"Many women find that they can fulfill their desire to have a green birth more easily with the help of a midwife rather than with a physician, simply because the midwife often has more control over the environment in "her" birthing room."

Let me explain, a dear friend sent this to me as a birthday gift. The two of us are really trying to live a "green" more earth friendly existence. I think she has the "baby bug" and might be trying to infect me with it....LOL!

That was fun and thank you Wendy for the award.


Here is my second attempt at painting and my first attempt with water colors. I think that I had beginner's luck last week. Water colors are more difficult than acrylic but when I see watercolor paintings I just love them. Hopefully my technique will improve. Plus, I don't even know what style of painter I am yet.



Finally here are new shuttles listed in the tatting shop.

Ugly tatting thread??? and first painting!

I signed up for a painting class and tonight was my first attempt. With a little guidance from my instructor this is what I painted. My instructor kept hugging me afterwards so I hope it's because she is proud of me and not because she feels sorry for me.
I kept thinking about "Bob Ross" the whole time. His was my very favorite show when I was a kid. All those happy little clouds.

This new Hand Dyed Tatting Thread (HDT) is called "Swamp Thing".

I am having a lot of fun with color lately.