Creative Arts / Big E

Tatted Hearts

It's that time of year again!  The Eastern State Exposition is opening for the 101st time on September 15th!

Before the fair - all the craft folks get to enter their creations and they are judged.  Ribbons and awards are handed out - and the millions of folks that attend have the opportunity to see the crafts.

What crafts?  There are quite a few!  The division for this one, Tatted Hearts,  is #4 Lace.  I've also entered Lace into #12 Crochet - seems like crochet lace is still excluded from the Lace group (errrrr).

Come to the fair, it is truly a great time!

You can see more of my previous year's entries at the link below.

My previous Creative Arts / Big E Entries

UFO's - UnFinished Objects

What are they......

Here's some random thoughts I have had about my UFO's 

I'll say IT IS MY Choice. Sometimes projects had a great calling to my creative spirit when it was started. There was a challenge, new pattern, stitch, colors, etc. It waned and became a UFO.

About a year ago I ventured on a 30 day Minimalism Challenge (more on my blog). What a difference it made. I organized the UFOs by level of completeness. Then looked at my life and whom would receive the finished item today. Great questions to ask.

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Before I knew it, some projects were re-claimed (torn down to reuse the thread) , some were cut off and added to my 'sample' book, others were tenderly put back for another day (emotional ties).

I gave up on a dozen or so UFOs since that time. I now feel free, I have not lamented over the early terminated projects. I paid a sweet homage to them as those projects were part of my journey. They were holding me back from completing the projects I wanted to do.
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It was almost two years ago that I wrote those words.  Since then I've enter the BIG E twice.  I've moved my studio to a different room and consolidated some items.  Not enough yet, and the new space isn't really working for me yet.  Nonetheless, I've got it in better shape, just missing a few more "ah ha" moments to get it in the shape I need it to be in.

I've been brazen in eliminating unfinished projects.  After conquering the technique or the puzzling pattern, lately written in russian, italian, or spanish, I cut it off and move on! 

 

This year I've entered a Motif challenge at Annual Tatted Lace Motif Challenge on FaceBook.  This challenge has helped me to finish the various little motifs I've tried in tatting.  I'm still having technical challenges with their website, though I'm working at it and the Admin helped me some today.

For today -- it is consolidating more of the ideas, patterns, threads, etc.  I've got to pack for the BIG E...  my volunteer day is Wednesday! I get to demonstrate making lace, see the fair, and enjoy a great day away.

Enjoy the day...............  More Lace!

Living my 60th Year - Sharing

Photo Credit Alan Levine

I made a remark about the posts upon posts in FaceBook over this past holiday.  It wasn't to be taken as a snide remark.  For me, more isn't better.  It is nice that many folks are sharing their good wishes.

As I looked at the various communities that I belong to, one of them posted a link to a pdf on beads! Oh my goodness - what an amazing resource.  

I've started using some beads in my crochet and tatting work.  It is like learning another language only this subject matter isn't static.  This little pdf is such a great primer.  

So here's a shout out to Big Bead Little Bead shop for the pdf and to FaceBook group N.F.A. Tatting for posting the link.

Now I need to match up beads to my various crochet and tatting threads!

Enjoy the day........

Here's to a year of catching the dreams you chase,

doing what makes you smile,

and loving the life you live.

Minimalism - What a difference a day makes.

What a difference a day makes as the song says.  

The minimalism challenge has come full circle.  A year ago November I began a 30 day challenge to pick up, organize, clean out, recycle, and/or reuse. Then I turned it into a monthly update.

My behavior learned during the challenge really helped me look at the stuff that accumulates in my life.  

It was a successful year......

Cabinets with just what I really need.  Easier to cook and create.  Also stopped the duplicates at the store!

The cubby space is actually usable and I can find what I am looking for!  Success is getting all like items in one place.  It keeps evolving as I determine, all those cookbooks I don't use much any longer.  Now I search my favorite sites for new ideas.

  
Dresser drawers are another place that helps everyday living.  I can find it all with no muss or fuss.

What a difference a year can make.

Last winters storm damage to the 3rd floor carpeting pushed me to clean up my bedroom, closet, dresser, bookcases and such once again.  Bags of clothing were donated during the year to those that could use them.    Boxes of books were sent to the library for the Friends sale where the proceeds help the Lucy Robbins Welles Library in Newington.   Now it is a very peaceful room to rest and relax.

What a difference a year can make.


There was time for the garden and growing lots of veggies that I am enjoying today.  Started canning some of the tomatoes and with the winter squashes have been relishing the new recipes I'm trying out.


There's a sense of peace at the garden.  Enjoying the camaraderie of my fellow neighbors, trading secrets on how to do a better garden.  What works and doesn't work in the Newington soil and weather along with a dose of politics of course.

All this is happening due to my gardening space in the garage being cleaned up and organized!  


What a difference a year can make.

1st Place Big E 2015

1st Place Big E 2015

I finally got back to my lace.   I worked on coming up with entries to the Big E this past September.  Three presentations in tatting.  I received two firsts and a second!   

The firsts are shown here.  A collar and a series of hearts.

There was my crochet snowflake project going on since last Christmas at the same time.  

2nd Place Big E 2015

I have been making needle tatted flowers to practice.  I can carry it with me and in a few minutes I have made another flower.  Then I started giving them away.  By the time I realized it, I had given away around 200!  Now I'm keeping track of who they have been given to and the story that goes with them.  Everyone should have a piece of handmade tatting lace!

Once again -  clearing out nooks and crannies and organizing the would like to do patterns vs. notes on techniques and in various forms of handwritten notes, pdfs/jpgs, photocopies and books.  It's definitely better now.


What a difference a year can make.  If you start today.......  before you know it, you'll have made a difference just for you!  Enjoy

Here's to a year of catching the dreams you chase,

doing what makes you smile,

and loving the life you live.

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Snowflakes - Look what I found!

Yes, I've been away and unfortunately not making my snowflakes.

It feels like summer here.   When I wrote last time, it was winter at the end of April.  Now the snow is melted and everything is in bloom.   Lately, I've been feeling 'blessed' as much that I am working on is coming together.  The first time in a long time.

This is one instance of my work coming together.  Back when I challenged myself to make the snowflakes, it was two fold.  One to make a snowflake and second to take the time to write about the process of making a snowflake.  Sometimes we go along without a bump, then there are those bumps that take you out of circulation.  It hit one of the later bumps.

Lucky that bump didn't last for long. This past week I was taking a part the studio.  Reclaiming old projects, cutting off projects,
and deciding what I truly wanted to complete.

This one is a reclaim project.  I found another use for this thread - I needle tat five petal flowers.

I can do them in my sleep and when I'm in a meeting or waiting, I can whip off one in about 15 minutes.  Since I started making the flowers last fall, I think I made at least 50-60 of them of which I have given most of them away.  This week alone - I made/gave away nine  of them.  It is so cool to do as the recipient is surprised and pleased and I know in my heart there is a little bit of handmade lace in another home!

Okay - back to snowflakes.  I found the snowflakes in the pictures above!  Viola!  Fifteen of them, most white (10) and five of them are in ecru.  Not too sure about the ecru ones yet.  Of course - they need to be blocked and I need (to make peace in my mind) find out which pattern book they came out of.  While I've been away since April 22nd, I need eight snowflakes complete by today to keep on track to be done by November!  Looks like the crochet spirits are with me and have rewarded me with a few spares.

Therefore...... based on the 21 completed so far..... and the white ones - I've 31 completed and a few to spare.  I'm feeling back in the saddle again and look forward to posting new snowflakes and beginning to get them starched!

Living My 60th Year - I still can't find the beads

Those are now empty boxes no longer needed!

Haven't you swore that you had something, remember buying it as if it was yesterday and then you can't find it?

Lately I've been looking for several items - crochet stars, beads from the Fiber Fest this past November, additional handmade snowflakes, and 
 crystal chandelier to name a few.  

What is it with our memory sometime?  Are we not exercising the grey matter enough?  Is there just too much on our plate, that the thoughts just pass through at lightning speed?   

With picking up and rearranging that I started last November, some items seem to have gotten put in the mystery place.  My minimalist strategy has been working quite well except now I am getting to critical mass.   There are spaces now at that stage.  The studio/bedroom and the garage are those places.  

Besides lots client work, office admin work, planting at the farm, neighbor cookout/party at Jim's driveway,  it has been a good week.  Plenty productive!  Best of all, it was housekeeper week and it looks so nice about my space on earth.  

I decided to get to the studio, do a little bit each evening.  I want to find those beads.  Not in the two places where the beads should be - I looked several times.  In the mean time, I am getting distracted with the 'stuff' in boxes, bags, books, etc.  Yesterday, I decided I would dig in a bit further into the various work-in-process projects, maybe, just maybe I'll find those beads.

Reclaiming is great - it's when you undo the work that was done and have yarn/thread for another project.  I reclaimed three projects - nice work though no I'm longer interested in the project.  Two others I cut off the work and placed the work in my samples box.  It's a little box with bit 'n pieces of trying out a yarn/thread or a pattern that I've collected over the years.  


Another project is the stars project.  That kicked off my energy on Sunday.  I needed to starch them, so I made the potion (equal part's Elmer's glue and water), soaked them and repinned them to the drying board.  Later I found that I have another  19 to starch and probably enough yarn to make another dozen.   Yippie. 

It's is snowing in the studio - another one for me!   I found another fifteen flakes already

completed.  From the notations in my various pattern books, I knew I did more, though their abouts were not easily found.  While emptying more mystery bags, I found them.  This find will keep me on my track of making 50 (plus) snowflakes for this year.  


 When you are on a roll, it's amazing what you can find.  Yes I found the chandelier!  The chandelier was packed away in January in the garage so that it would not be bumped into.  Problem was I changed the  box it was packed in.  My mind was telling me one thing and my eyes were not listening.  Another mystery solved.

As for the beads - still can not find them...............  stay tuned, I know they are in that space!  I need to "see" instead of "look".   Have a great week!

Here's to a year of catching the dreams you chase,

doing what makes you smile,

and loving the life you live.