Merry Christmas, Everyone!


I hope all of you are well and warm. I've been busy, busy, busy preparing for the holidays. And I'm ready for one! I have a few pics of stuff to share. First of all, on Thanksgiving my sister, Amy, spotted this "lurking visitor" in the backyard. That was one of Santa's reindeer, no doubt, checking to see if we were being naughty or nice. We were trying to be nice at the time. It's hard to get into much trouble if one is stuffing one's face with Mattie's homemade rolls. Oh, they're good. We haven't been able to spot the reindeer since, however. I think it must be like Stonehenge where there's one day per year that particular shadow appears. Heehee!

We had a little surprise weekend before last. It snowed! And it stuck to everything except the streets! We seldom get snow before January here. I can only remember a couple of white Christmases ever. Who knows? Perhaps we'll have one this year. Anyway, this is what our street looked like. I love how quiet it gets when it snows.


































I've been busy making it snow inside the house as well. I love taking a pattern and playing with color and beads and such. This is the second snowflake from 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn (yes, Gina - I was tatting that snowflake also!). Isn't it interesting how the overall design of the snowflake appears to change with the addition of color and where it's placed. The little blue snowflake was the result of some bead play. The big snowflake is a beaded version of "Connie's Snowflake". We "studied" it in the online tatting class Monday. I put "studied" in quotes as a) my diagram and pattern had some "issues" and b) we were generally pretty rowdy that night. I don't know what they slipped into the tea that night!






















Connie's Snowflake






My sister, Amy, asked me for a painting this year. She wanted a painting of Santa Clause done in the style of Haddon "Sunny" Sundblom - the man who painted the Santas for Coca Cola (and also coined the phrase, "The pause that refreshes"). Dagwood painted one for us when we were kids and of course we all lust mightily for that painting. This isn't as good as Dagwood's, but here is the end result. Apres Sundblom, 16"x24", oil on canvas.

More about Tat Days 2009
On Friday Morning we started things out with a little Trade a Tip session which got everyone's tatting fingers loosened up. The classrooms at White Oaks are really lovely - lots of great natural light from the generous floor-to-ceiling windows. I learned lots of nifty tricks from the tatting borg, plus had a great time just being in the element. There is a certain comfort that comes with being with kindred folk.

















The Palmetto folk think of everything. All that tatting can really tax one's system. The gals saw to it there were always good provisions on hand. This is the glorious "hallway of food and drink" they set up with all sorts of snacks - chocolate, of course, and other sweet and savory lovelies. There was a complete coffee and tea service as well. And water. Don't forget the water. Hi, there, Sherry!



















Tracy Jackson was the "big vendor" - Here she is with her tremendous "ocean of thread". Oh, the colors! And the variety! She had some fabulous sales going on as well. I stocked up on size 70 and 80 cordonnet. Yep - I figure I'll be about 283 years old by the time I run out. Hey, Jane! Quit talking and buy more thread!



















Ronnie and Teresa Woods graciously manned the cash register for the other vendors. It would make my head swim for days to keep all that straight. They're always good for words of encouragement (Erin, this shuttle is so you! You really need to buy it!). Needless to say, I did, and I'm a happy camper. ;-) That's "G-L-O-R-I-A" Gloria with them. Gloria took care of the Silent Auction table which was located directly across from Ronnie and Teresa.




















Meanwhile on Friday morning we had folk still registering for the event. Here are Donna and Katharine hard at work at the check-in table. They also spent a great deal of time putting out the inevitable "little fires" and seeing to it that classes and events ran smoothly.

Tat Days Post!!! Finally!!!

If you read the Tat Days Post at Celtic Dreamweaver Sherry's Blog, then you got to see some of our initial visit. After Sherry got here and we slaved over shuttles and such, Georgia and Richard Seitz arrived. Oh, we had fun! There was much talk, laughter, painting and merriment. For dinner, we went to eat at my favorite South Knoxville restaurant, King Tut's Egyptian Grill. Georgia and Sherry got to be Tut-ettes.














































And Georgia Belle made the mistake of ordering "Chicken to Go".
























We shared the Egyptian and Vegetarian samplers (except adventuresome Raymond who had grilled chicken). Then we had basbousa (a little semonlina cake with sauce over it) for dessert. Yummy yum! Look! I have tatting in my lap!














After a great meal, we went home, slept and got up the next morning to head to Tat Days! Arrival was a blur of hugs, hugs laughter, more hugs, and seeing sweet familiar faces once again!









Oh, and I have no idea why Hope and I were staring at the ceiling. I think we were acting stuck-up. Look at that hummingbird on her derriere!

Before I get into updating things here, I'm posting a "quickie" of the wedding. It actually happened! Raymond and/or I didn't chicken out, the weather held out, we had a legitimate officiant, rings went on fingers and everything!

First photo - a man trudging to his happy destiny. Heehee!














Next - the actual exchange of vows - no one told me I still had my sunglasses on. Whoops. It's probably a good thing, though, since I was on the verge of a migraine. Actually I look sort of like I'm about to throw up here. ;-)

The beautiful necklace, bracelet and earrings are a gift from Sherry Townsend. I felt very glamorous wearing them.
















The big "sealed with a kiss" part...















Whew! It's official!















And the next picture which is self explanatory:














And (drumroll, please) THE BABY!!! Being held by my big brother, Rusty.

So Janie Lou Eborall thinks she's the only one who can get kidnapped!

Okay - so I used Jane's Super-Secret-Southern Name, Janie-Lou. However, Sherry T. the CelticDreamWeaver is presently being held captive in Knoxville. I have chained her to a chair in the livingroom and have forced her into hard labor.



We're busy at work - it's amazing how quickly two people can mess up a couch. And it's really and truly incredible how much crap one can cram into a little tatting bag.

Our concentration skills are truly incredible. Observe our intense focus on our tasks at hand. Secret agent tasks only revealed in the distant future to attendees at the 7th Annual Palmetto Tat Days at the White Oak Conference Center in lovely Winnsboro, SC.

















Hopefully some other Secret Agent Items will arrive tomorrow so we can intensely decorate them in time for Georgia-Knows-What. Only with the passage of time will more be revealed...........until then, Secret Agent Erin and Hostage/Kidnap Victim Sherry signing off!

Still no tatting to show yet, but I did have a couple of funny pictures to share!

Princess Stinky likes to "help" me do things - especially during the evenings. She's such a *good* little helper.





A contented cat at her pillow. Speaking of pillow - this is the nifty pillow Mark Myers made for me - dig the groovy beaded fringe. Barbie likes it very much, too, thank you. The pink keeps me awake. He gave me that vivid pincushion, too. It's a ball of felted wool. Great pincushion!

The multitudinous bobbins are some I've painted, but mostly ones that Sherry (Celticdreamweaver) has painted for me over the years. They are dear treasures. Sherry's a dear treasure, too. ;-) And she's going to visit very soon and we're gonna play and have fun!



While I'm on the topic of cats, I came downstairs this morning and saw this: Two little innocent cats napping in the livingroom all cuddled up together. I thought, "Awwwww." And took a picture.



Then I went around to the front to get another picture from another angle. This is the result: Devil Cats from Hell....heehee!

And Sherry this is for you!

I almost forgot to post about the Ben Franklin store I visited in Kingsport Sunday. I've never been to one before and boy, my eyeballs almost fell out!

Here is the "ribbon aisle". I've included Raymond in there for scale.










Then I proceeded to take pictures all over the store so I could "browse" at my leisure on the way back home. The cash-register girl said she could see flashes happening all over the store.

They had lots and lots of beady things.....








And lots of other goodies! This is the knitting notions wall. Yes, Virginia, they had shuttles, too! And tatting needles for the needle-y folk, and also books and tapes from Handy Hands! Yay, Barbara Foster!






Alert - tatting content ahead! (Don't faint!)

Here is a little fluttery I started in the spring and haven't finished yet. He's made with the Dutch Needle Tatting technique per To De-Haan Van Beek in Kleurrijk frivolité (translated to English as New Dimensions in Tatting, published by Lacis). If you don't have that book, I highly recommend it. It's value for the eyecandy alone makes it well worth it. I always have a dozen ideas whenever I browse that book. Ah, inspiration!

I need to give the poor fellow another wing and a better body. After I do that he gets a little outline of black. Then he can flutter away!









Oh - this was a sign in Ben Franklin's. I thought it was pretty funny!

Sherry tells me I'm sorely due for a Buhlawg update....This is young Coleman 8 1/2 weeks later....He's a whopping 14 lbs. and some odd ounces. Baby and mama are doing just fine. I just love babies! Sigh.

I've been working on tatting, tatting and tatting, but don't really have anything to show presently. I've mostly been working on things for Tat Days. It'll be here before you know it!







We've been having lots of late spring/early summer storms. I took these snapshots from my office at work. This was one incredible storm. I wish the pictures could better convey the sheer size of the storm clouds. They were beyond huge.




































I snapped this one on my way to work day before yesterday. It was foggy and the sun was rising. The light was bouncing off the mirrored windows of this building and shooting those incredible rays of light through the fog. Whoa.

Bliss!

I promised an update on yesterday's time-killer.

Guess what's in the garbage bag?



Give up? Try for a whole bunch o' bows! I elected to use tulle as it can be brought back to life easily and thus more easily transported that ribbon-type bows. We're having a little awards thing at work and don't have much of a budget for decorations and such.





Some of us had the "bright" idea to make paper flowers. It will take at least six months for my fingers to get un-sticky from handling so much floral tape. When will I remember to apply lotion to my hands before diving into the stuff? Anyway, here are the last of what we needed.









And with it being Mother's Day and all, I had to keep a couple for Mattie.

Okay - This isn't tatting again.....

but I had to finish these guys for my sister, April's, school play. They did Annie Get Your Gun and April needed some prop ducks and medals. This is what I came up with.








I was stumped as to what to use for medals. At about 3:30 in the morning I came up with this idea. I'll see how long it takes you to guess where I found the basis.



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Don't ask why I have that many jar lids in my house. I'm a tatter, remember? We all collect* small, sparkly, shiny things.

Here's little Bertie Wooster with his eyes opened. He displays an uncanny ability to focus for one so young. At least that's what his grandmama says.





After while I'll post pictures of today's timekiller. Hint: My fingers will never recover from being this sticky. Heh.