Engraving machine/ Shuttles / Doily

It's been a busy couple of days.
Yesterday I ran some errands and then came home to take care of my sick hubby. I feel so bad that he is sick. It's been a week. He's getting better so that's a good thing. He goes back to work on Friday. I think it's kind of silly to go back for one day, but the doctors only kept him out thru Thursday.

I returned the CNC engraving machine. The seller told me that as soon as they got it back, they would refund the rest of my money and the shipping charges. They owe me $185. They got the machine yesterday and I'm still waiting for my refund. I'm not happy right now. I have all the documented proof that they said they will give me my money back. I'd better see my PayPal balance jump very soon.

So shuttle sales are going nuts, or at least the promise of shuttle sales. Everyone on FB keeps saying that they want to orde shuttles and I have gotten a few orders, but not as many as you would think. Well, maybe everyone is waiting for payday.

Shawn and I are designing 4 new shuttles, 3 with bobbins and 1 without. I am so excited that we are so close to coming out with them. I love to see my designs for shuttles come to life. I can't wait to be able to post pictures of them. One is getting ready to go out for testing. What a huge stage.

So I'm almost finished with round 5 of the Renulek Spring Napkin. Here is a picture of it after row 4 was completed.

Of course it's ot blocked or anything. It's coming along nicely. I love the color I chose. I want to do the summer doily also. She said it probably won't be as big as the spring one. I've already picked out and purchased my colors.

Oh, I also got two special orders for thread. One I have to try and match some crochet cotton for a doily. I have the photo sent out to the customer now.
I also have a special order for thread to do the Renulek summer doily. Pix of that also went out to the customer. It took me 3 tries to get the color scheme the way I wanted it. I hope she likes it.

Lots of packages coming and going

Well, It's been a few days since I checked in.

I have been busy making shuttles and dyeing thread. I think I mailed out 30 shuttles on Friday. 13 packages. 6 international and 7 within the US. Shuttles were flying all over the place in the house. I got so caught up in making them that I even made one or two extra ones. I wanted to get some swaps going and got a little carried away. I now have a lot of stuff coming back my way. One of the things I wanted and got was a shuttle I have been chasing for years.

This is a picture of a similar shuttle except my bobbin in white. I am just overjoyed that I was traded for this shuttle.

I have all kinds of things coming. Thread, bobbin lace bobbins, some bags and pouches, decorated shuttles, Joythi shuttles, a leather shuttle made by a 12 year old, a beaded bracelet, and some surprise things.

I went to the mailbox today and had 5 packages waiting for me. I bet the postal worker was sick of putting packages in our box.
Here are pictures of what I  got.
 

This is a picture of everything I got today. What a nice haul.







I expect several more packages soon.

Shawn has been home sick since last Thursday. I feel so bad for him. He's been caughing and hot and cold. He tried to go to the doctors today and couldn't get in. He's going at 8am tomorrow. It kills me to know he is so sick. I don't think I've ever seen him this sick before. My poor hubby.

One a good note, the bank called today and advised us that ou house appraised a lot higher than we thought it would. We were shocked and happy.

Hopefully the loan will be processed within the next two weeks. I am so ready to start this remodel. Just the fact that I get new carpet is enough for me. Let alone a larger deck, better doors and an improved kitchen. I'm not going to know what to do with myself when the house looks the way I want it to, after 17 years.

I've been tatting away on my Spring Renulek doily. I am loving it. But she started a new one also. Now I have two to do. I got some really pretty thread to do the summer doily with. Pink, lavender and soft green.

Not much else is going on. I'm tired and going to bed.

Good news today

I had to return the CNC machine to the seller. I'm happy that it's gone. I get the rest of my money back and my $100 shipping charges. The package weighed 53 lbs.

I also mailed out 2 Etsy orders and some shuttles that I ordered for Val in Singapore. I can ship to her much cheaper than if she ordered it directly.

Shawn and I have had a crazy week. Lots of drama on one of the FB pages I'm on. A person befriended me and then entered into a swap with me for some shuttles I have been trying to obtain for a long time. Well I found out last week that she had promised the same shuttles to a lot of people and had scammed more than 20 people to get them to send her shuttles. She never intended to send anyone any shuttles. We had to delete her from the group and she started talking bad about us. I finally had enough and posted my experience on the page. It opened a lot of eyes so people finally understand why we had to delete her. All is back to happy on the page.

I decided to offer some of my shuttles for swap. I have 7 people I am swapping with. I'm pretty excited. I am only getting a couple shuttles in return. Most of the swaps are for other things. Bobbin lace bobbins, hand dyed thread, a shuttle pouch, crochet hooks. I do get one decorated shuttle, a leather shuttle that I'm getting from a 12 year old boy who is learning how to tat. I'm pretty excited about that and a Chris Hinton bobbin shuttle. I'm so happy to get to swap with so many good people.

Shawn and I went to the bank on Saturday to get some money to remodel the house. I found out today that the remodel will be happening soon. I am so excited. We are getting the kitchen floor and countertops replaced, the sliding glass doors replaced, new carpet, the front door finished and the deck enlarged. I will probably repaint the house also. I will be so happy to get the construction started and then finished. Shawn will be getting bids on the work.

Easter was a pretty quiet day. Rosemary and Pat came ove and Nicholas came for dinner. We tend to break from tradition. We grilled steak, baked potatoes, had baked beans, raw veggies and fruit salad for dinner and then lemon cake and banana nut cake. It was so good.

So now I just have to make 19 shuttles for an order and swaps. I'll be a busy girl for the next few days. I don't mind tho. I love making shuttles. Most of them are from the colored wood and one is zebrawood.

I wanted to offer the swaps for a few reasons. One was to get people talking about something different than the person we deleted and the other was to get people confident in swaps again. It worked. People are so excited to swap and know that we all can be trusted. By me sending the packages as soon as possible, it will show that we are back on track.

Yesterday I got to babysit Makaylee. I can't believe that she's 5 month old already. She is such a good baby. I had her laughing cuz I was being so goofy. We played with a bunch of toys and sang and talked. I think I wore her out because she fell asleep on me. Shawn and I are so blesssed to be the God parents of two wonderful little girls.

Post office

I'm at the post office so much, the people there know me by name. That's a good and a bad thing.

I've sent 8 packages out this week so far. I have shuttles to make for two special orders and I will be able to get them out as well.

I wish my Etsy store had this much traffic all year. It's kind of fun to know that so many people will be making beautiful lace using shuttles that I made and thread that I dyed. I never imagined that the little shuttle I mistakenly made would become a sought after item. It's thrilling to know.

I'm still working on round 3 of the Renulek doily. I'm taking my time because I haven't had a lot of time to tat the past few days. There is so much to do. Plus with the computer issues, I had to put the tatting aside. Now that it's slowed down a little, I will be able to tat some more on it.

I'm not prepared for Easter. I'm happy that I have adult children and don't have to make easter baskets any more. We never really did eat the candy any way. Usually we only ate the jelly beans. I'm going to buy some jelly beans and have them.

Oh, I weighed myself today and I'm down 10 lbs. So happy.

Nothing else right now to say.

Etsy Shop and more

Well, I got back home and last evening I reopened my Etsy shop. It took me about 8 hours to photograph, organize and list all of the times I had left to sell. I had 40+ items. Well, I don't have that many items any more. I got 8 orders within an hour of listing. 5 packages got mailed today. I need to make some shuttles for special orders. Busy, busy, busy.
I even have some request for flat colored wood shuttles. I have a lot of ideas for them.

I haven't had time to unpack my shuttles and goodies from the tatting conference yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Oh, so I forgot. While Shawn and I were on vacation, a rock put a huge chip in my windshield. The glass guy came today and fixed it. Safelite did the work. Man it is amazing. I can almost not see the chip. Before it was larger than a quarter, not it looks smaller than a dime. I'm so pleased with the work.

I've been working on my Renulek doily but am still on round 3. I haven't had time lately to work on it. It is coming out really pretty.

Shawn and I got our taxes done today. We have to pay a little to Fed but get a lot back from State. I'm relieved that we got them done. We always put it off until the last minute. But at least it's done.

Not much else going on. Kind of boring if you ask me.

Fingerlakes part 2

Part 2

After the classes were over, we had a spaghetti dinner. Shawn was getting tired, so he went to the condo and I hung out. We had an auction and I won a basket with a bunch of tatting thread and tatting goodies in it.

I got to spend some time with Sharon Townsend. Oh she is such a sweet lady. I've known her online for 15 years and finally got to meet her in person. She and I got to chat for a while. She had the most amazing shawl on. Well, I found out that it is really supposed to be a tablecloth. Gosh, you have to love tatters. We will think of anything. And she made a really cute hat.

 

 

On Sunday morning I took a class making a Bluebird of Happiness. I had a hard time getting the bird started, but I did finish it. I will redo it because I messed up the changing of threads and twisted the wrong way.

 

We had lunch of sandwiches and snacks. Did the rest of our shopping and then I had the best class of all.

 

I took a class with RUTH PERRY. OMG, she is one of my tatting heros. You would think that someone with her credentials that she would be snobby or stuck up. She is the most down to earth person you will meet. She's so nice. We did a miniture doily and it is an amazing pattern. I only got part of it done because I was yapping the whole time. I'll post pix of that when I'm done with it.

 

So now Fingerlakes is over for 2014. I have Palmetto Tat Days to look forward to, if I can go and then Fingerlakes 2015.

 

Vacation starts now. So I'll see ya next week.

Fingerlakes part 1

Oh my goodness. I had such a great time at Fingerlakes. Friday night we were supposed to have a pot luck dinner in the fire hall but the room was double booked. The firemen were so kind that they moved a fire truck out of the garage bay and set up tables for us to eat there. We had a good time fellowshiping and getting re aquainted with old friends and making new ones. Here a some shots of that night

The fire trucks

Some of the ladies setting up.

Selfie



Tia, Sharon and me acting goofy

 

 

Saturday began a little slowly because we couldn't set up on time Friday night so we got to help ZigZag Corner (one of the vendors) set up and shopped while we helped. I picked up 3 of the GR8 books and several GR8 shuttles. I made a bug in my first class. I named him Fred.

 

This is my bug, his name is Fred

 

 

We had lunch and shopped and chatted some more. Lots of talking and lots of laughing. No one is a stranger at Fingerlakes. If it's your first workshop or your 16th, you are a friend the minute you step in the door. I accurately put more names and faces together. And the Canadians came. Jane, Vickey, Susan, Jeannine and the rest of the wonderful ladies from across the border.

 

 

Ruth Perry aka Rozella F. Linden came the farthest. She's from Tampa Florida. I was starstruck when I met her. More about her later in this post.

 

After lunch we took our second class. Mine was an Amigurumi Owl. I haven't photographed him yet. His name is Darius aka Hootie. Shawn got there as we were about to finish our class. I introduced him around and introduced him to our newest family member - Fred.

 

 



Oh and we have a man who came this year. His name is Gary and he's been tatting for 30 years. He is such a nice man. He uses Tatsy shuttles. He has comissioned Shawn to make him an extremely large Arrowhead shuttle.

This is Gary.



Finished my necklace

I finished my 3rd necklace that I want to wear at FingerLakes.

I even had to buy 2 shirts to match the necklaces. Sad.
Anyway here are pictures of the necklace and earrings I finished tonight. The picture doesn't represent the color well. It's reallly a seafoam green. The beads really do match the thread.

This is my own pattern.

 

 



I also got my thread for the Renulek doily. Once I get packed tomorrow for my trip, I'll load my shuttle and start that.
Pix of that to follow.

International Tatting Day

Happy International Tatting Day

I got to spend a good portion of my day with a new friend. We met at Panera Bread in Laurel. This is the first time I met Darline. Boy we hit it off so well. We talked and tatted and shared stories of our past and it was like we've known each other for years. Happy that I got to meet a new friend on a day set aside for those of us who are tatters. What a joy.

This is what I'm working on now. Its's my own pattern and will be a necklace.

I hope that she and I can get together again and have another day. I feel so blessed today.

Oh, I also rode my motorcycle. Now to do more to get ready for my trip. 3 more days. Yippee