Craftsy's sale and my schedule page

Craftsy is having a sale on all their online classes (900+) through November 1. Since I'm an affiliate, if you start browsing their site from my link http://www.craftsy.com/ext/MarileeRockley_holiday and then decide to sign up for any class at all (it doesn't have to be one of mine), I earn some money; not a lot, but it all helps.

My workshop schedule for 2016 is now listed on a separate page of my blog. Mostly I put it there to remind myself of where I'm going when! You can find it, and my other stand alone pages, by clicking on the tabs at the top of my blog. I'm not sure how that works on a mobile device, so for convenience, here's the link http://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com/p/workshop-scedule.html

In just 2 weeks I'll be teaching at Tatting Corner in Indiana!

I'm currently working on a pattern for teaching at Finger Lakes in April 2016, and will post that when it's decided upon.

This tatted jewelry set is going to Wyoming

These new original pieces were in my Etsy shop less than 2 days and someone liked them enough to buy the set! I'm thrilled, you betcha!

Okay, about the techniques used to make them: 

The necklace pattern is the same one I used in the steampunk gears pendant in my previous post. By the way, I need a new pattern to teach at the Finger Lakes Tatting Convention next April. Should it be this one?

Accessorizing with mixed media seems to be the key to making a design really "pop" as jewelry. I added brass links, then ribbon, a disk bead, and "tatted beads" on the ribbon. Maybe I should include "tatted beads" in the class? I've only just started experimenting with this concept so I'm sure there is a lot more to explore.

The earrings are based on my "Giddy" pattern found in the book Tatted Jewelry. However, I fancied them up with more beads, a wire wrapped dangle at the bottom, and hand formed niobium earwires. (I learned basic wire-wrapping on Craftsy from classes like this one by Aga Kruk http://www.craftsy.com/ext/MarileeRockley_62_CP (it's my affiliate link giving a discount).

The thread is a new hand dyed experiment that will make it's way into my Etsy shop eventually, probably in a few weeks. It has shades of aquamarine, teal, light green, and ecru brown...I think I'll call the colorway "Pond".

If a tree falls and there's no one there...

..it does make a sound, but no one gets hurt!
This photo was taken on October 15 (a blustery day) just a few minutes after one of the boys looked outside and said, "Hey, did you see, there's a tree blown down in our yard." So then we all rushed out to see!

Luckily the tree fell in the one direction where it would cause the least damage, missing our garage and also missing any of the houses nearby. We lost telephone and Internet service for only a day, and the neighbors who owned the tree had it removed very quickly. So, we're all okay.
Whew!

In the meantime, I had taken up the challenge suggested by this picture from Design-Seeds someone posted on Facebook:

 and interpreting it in hand dyed thread:

What I came up with, I call "Lilac Sea".

Another project that I played around with turned out to be a new original design:

I used "Adventurer" size 10 and Lizbeth Linen Medium #693. I added gears at the top edges to give a hint of steampunk styling, and incorporated size 11/0 Toho large hole seed beads, size 8/0 seed beads, 4 mm round beads, and an 8 mm brass saucer bead in the center. I like the way the hand dyed with the sold gives it sort of a patina. I've started another one in a different color, but need a different saucer bead. Off to the bead store!

"Adventurer" new batch

Yes, camouflage colors. I was happy to find a container of "olive drab" dye and added some to my "Adventurer" recipe which before was basically shades of khaki. I think the new result is more interesting. Obviously they're muted, "blend into the background" type of colors, and sometimes that's needed in a design.

In case you haven't checked out Tatting Corner's site lately, do take a look! They have a show and tell tatting contest that you can enter! And, their 15th Annual Tatting Days event is coming up sooner than you think! I'll be teaching my tatted feather pattern at that one! Click here for more information.

Outside my comfort zone with wire-wrapping

 Wire is not something I ever thought I'd do anything with. 

As a child, I used to watch my uncle pull copper wire out of old electric motors (he ran an electric motor repair service) and it wasn't pretty :) 

But while watching Aga Kruk's class "Wire-Wrapped Stones, Crystals, and Clusters" on Craftsy I was inspired by her exquisitely beautiful jewelry and decided to try some of the basics, So here is my version of the chandelier earrings project from her class. Do take a look at the overview of Aga's class with my affiliate link: 
http://www.craftsy.com/ext/MarileeRockley_62_CP 
it'll give you a discount.

I'll admit that it took me ages to be able to wrap a "simple loop" with any success (the wire-wrapping equivalent to the shuttle tatting "flip") but after that I've moved on to making findings to finish my tatted jewelry.

Grace's bracelet - design inspired by the Celtic tatting of Rozella F. Linden

The bracelet that my friend Grace commissioned me to tat for her is finished now. I wire-wrapped a toggle clasp of gold filled wire to finish it. Looking forward to her reaction at our next get-together!

Showing the wire-wrapped clasp on the bracelet.