More playing! I wasn't fond of the brown...........nice reminder of chocolate, but otherwise depressing, so I went to a more comfortable color vibration. Changed the email tag. Will look for a better contrast on links. And maybe a more pleasant color for the header.

In the meantime, I started tatting a heart last night. The pattern is Bev Dillon's Paisley Heart from Georgia Seitz's Tatting with Friends. available here This heart is a little different as there is a center motif and then the 2 sides mirror each other and are done separately. LOTS of split rings in this one, if a person is interested in practicing split rings. I'm adding picots on the outside chains. I have ideas for threading flowers through some open places, but I don't know if that will work or not. I would love to add beads but it's going under glass so beads are out on this one. The frame doesn't have a hair of extra space! One thing about this pattern in the book.......go to the diagram on the next page. The directions are wrong, but I didn't realize that until I had tatted all the split rings for one side and was adding the chain part. Several of the rings need an additional set of picots and they are shown on the diagram but missing in the directions.

I used to hate visual diagrams but I'm finding them very helpful anymore. I still want the written part, whether it's the long version or short form, because it's easier to find my place and I'm the kind that needs a designated starting and ending point. A diagram without one is like thowing darts at a dartboard for me. Trust me........you'll want to protect yourself if you are in the vicinity.

I got the shuttles I won on Ebay a few days ago. I thought one was a Boye, but it isn't. Looks like it but no name on it whatsoever. The other one, the one I really wanted, is plain silver, but not shiny slick. I thought it might have a slight textured finish from the photo, but it doesn't - just more of a satin look than gloss - if there is such a thing in metal. There is a ton of thread on it so I can't tell yet if there are any markings on the inside to tell me more. I like it more for show than tatting. Wintertime heating dries my skin so bad that it doesn't take much to get a cut. Cardboard slices into me as easily as paper and this particular metal is so thin, I'm sure I'd slice something off! I'll save trying it for summer and humidity. I've also got a shuttle coming from The Shuttlemaker I liked the color on the one I'm ordering.

LOL! Here's what I should do...........scan my shuttles and set them up to trickle down the sides of this blog! Look fast before it's gone!!

I got Sharon Briggs' newsletter last week with her new patterns. I especially like the crocuses and the heart motif. The heart motif reminds me of a basket and I'm anxious to get to that one eventually. Maybe make a May Day heart basket filled with crocuses! If you are interested in Sharon's newsletter, go here. You can see the current projects and place a subscription. If you go elsewhere on Sharon's site, you will see that gorgeous butterfly she used for her bridal headpiece. Once upon a time I had hair down to "there" and would've loved to stick little butterflies and flowers like this in it......but time marches on and I'd rather place them on my coat or jacket these days!

That reminds me......in some roundabout way that makes no sense at all........of pocket peepers. I don't have an example to point you to, but they are hankies with a corner embellished that hangs out of a pocket, whether it be blazer hand pocket or chest pocket. A special bit of tatting or silk ribbon embroidery are nice on these. Hint::::: makes a lovely gift! I used to have a boss who wore "business suits" the majority of the time but she would add little feminine touches to soften the effect. I always meant to make her one of those but never got around to it.

Well, chores need to be done and a birthday party for a 10 year old this evening.