The Happiest of New Years!

Well, at least that's what I'm wishing for, aren't you?

It's been a bad year for me healthwise. I had colds that lingered, allergies that hung around for months, and strains & pains besides the ever present agoraphobia.

At least I'm back to making things again! No pics of what I'm working on but will post some next time after the holidays. I'm having so much fun tatting rings that I stopped working on anything else. I did get out all the stuff I bought to make art charms about 4 years ago. I never did them because I couldn't decide what to put inside. Now I just want to have a go at soldering. I put a few sequin snowflakes between the slides so I have something to practice on. I'll post about it next time.

Happy Holidays!

Thought I'd pop in to wish you all a Merry Christmas and if you celebrate another holiday I hope it's happy, too. I finally got the tree up this afternoon and decorated the house on Monday. Just didn't feel like spending time doing it so I kept putting it off. Speaking of putting things off. I finally started gift shopping yesterday. I know, could I have waited any longer! I don't have many to buy so it was pretty easy. I just have a few more things to get either tomorrow or Christmas eve. I used to do all of my shopping on Christmas eve but stopped when people would stop by and I couldn't get out.

These are 2 more totes I made for Tapas in Sewickley. You can see others in my last post if you missed it. Janet, the owner, sent this great vintage fabric for me to sew whatever I wanted so I lined a jean purse and made the water bottle tote to match. I'm not a huge fan of the jeans purses so these will be my last. I'm going to use old skirts from now on.

Here are 2 more made from the same pair of kid's jeans. I lined the purse with star print. I love the water bottle tote. I found this great cat print for the top of it.

On Monday I literally stayed up all night going thru all the inventory lists I had for Tapas and the sold receipts Janet sends when she pays me. I haven't done this since 2003 so had quite a few to go thru even though she now only pays me about 2 times a year. I was amazed when I realized just how much stuff I have at that shop and how old some of it is (from the 90's!). If I can get my panic attacks under some sort of control I hope to get there sometime in the next few months and pick up a bunch of the older stuff that's not selling and is probably looking more than a little worn.

This pic is of the fall tatting patterns I'm finishing up on top of a pile of holiday fabric. I've gotten side tracked by tatting rings for the new etsy store I want to open just for tatted and beaded jewelry. I'd like to have about 10 things to put in it when I open it next month. Tonight I'll be making earrings.

*Merry Christmas * Happy Hanuka *

*Happy Kwanzaa * Happy New Year*

Pics of totes and more!

These are a few of the totes I made and sent to tapas in Sewickley. The denim ones with the embroidered flowers are from the bottom of a pair of girls jeans I got at the local Salvation Army store. Great place to look for things to re/upcycle. In fact I bought the strawberry fabric I used to make the next totes there, too. There were 3, 1 yard matching pieces with strawberries. Couldn't resist as they are my favorite fruit. I thought these totes would be great to carry a water bottle and few other small things.

This bear waas a special order for a Tapas customer. She provided a shirt and I cut it up to make this bear. I used the cuff for the collar. My husband had a hard time letting this one go. He's a Steeler fan and loved the face on this one. I have more pics of the totes I made that I'll post next time.

I have talked to the most lovely person last week. Tamalyn is from Washington and has now bought 4 of my Christmas dolls. It's so nice to talk to customers and get their feedback. It's the one thing I miss about not doing craft shows. What I don't miss is the early mornings of getting everything ready and setting up. As I've posted before, I'm NOT a morning person.

So what am I doing now? I'm still working on the fall and winter tatting patterns and I started a winter fairy pattern. She is so cute! I just hope everything will go alright with the design.

I should be decorating but I just can't get in the mood to drag everything out. I don't even have the outside wreathes and bows out. Jack took the metal box I always stored them in up to his camp and I had to put everything in a few cardboard boxes. Now it's not as easy to find them.

Ok, I've embarrassed myself enough that I'm off to the basement to find the wreathes!

Sold the Winter Witch!

This is so amazing, I guess I have a new fan! I just sold the Christmas wynter witch I posted at ebay. The same customer also bought 2 of my elves. It's so great when someone likes your work so much they buy more than one thing. I was so happy I included one of the small bears I've been making in her package. I wasn't happy about the postage costs. I offered free postage thinking it would go for $5.80 but it was $8.30! I hate how postage has gone up so much. I guess I need to either stop offering free postage on things that have to be boxed or up the price to help cover the cost.

I finished the bears I made for Tapas but haven't mailed them. I need a bigger box! I would like to try for a trip to Sewickley but I haven't been that far from home in over 4 years. In case you readers don't know I have agoraphobia. I can travel close to home but anything further than 15 minutes away and I start to have panic attacks. I've had this trouble since I was a small child.

We had a new furnace installed the past 2 days so while all that was going on I sewed and tidied up my sewing room (it needed it!). I'm not a morning person and getting up at 7 am was very hard. I think I slept 3 hours Sunday/Monday and 4 Monday/Tuesday morning. I'm not a napper either. I was such a zombie but I did get a lot done. I had a stack of purses to make so I've been sewing them. Need to get some pics taken. They'll go to Tapas when they're done. It feels so good to go into the sewing room now that it's tidy. I'm really in the mood for sewing and not sitting here at the computer so I'm off to sew ;)