Anyone else like ORANGE as much as I do?!?

 Here are 5 new Glass Enamel Tatting Shuttles handmade by me just in time for Halloween or Fall.

Available for adoption for $25 each on my Etsy Shop:  www.etsy.com/shop/theshuttlesmith

New Pattern Uploaded to my website

Click here to access this pattern on TheShuttleSmith website

New Original Tatted Cross (almost) Done in time for Easter

I just finished the tatting of this cross this morning. 

The ‘almost’ done part of this project is all the ends (2 ends X  20 motifs = 40 thread ends) to complete. 

I have a train trip planned in about two weeks that this project is perfect for! 

This cross has 3 of my favorite colors in it.  It is a bold color choice….but it is MY color choice.

4 New Glass/Enamel Tatting Shuttles

Turquoise nugget.

Chartreuse Base with dark green & 2 colors of purple accents

Spruce Green base color with Dark Blue 'polka-dots'

Various shades of purple/pink--The 'Purple-Nurple' shuttle

I just added 4 new Glass Enamel Tatting Shuttles to my Etsy store:   TheShuttleSmith

Coming Soon:  Custom enameled shuttles with your monogram/initial(s)

My New Jewelry

     

#1: Carnelian beads coordinated with an orange focal (Jasper?) drop. #2: Flourite & amethyst beads with a flourite focal bead. #3: Sugilite and metal beads. #4: Jade & garnet beads with a jasper focal bead. #5&6: handmade (by me) enameled pendant drop & earrings sets

My handmade enameled jewelry sets

I have been determined to stay away from engaging in 3 things:  bobbin lace, quilting, & beading.  I KNOW I would enjoy doing all three.  BUT I know that all three of these artforms require a considerable outlay of time and money for supplies/materials.  In otherwords, these artforms can ‘consume’ a person such as myself.  Thus, I have stayed focused first on tatting (and other things relating to tatting: designing, publishing, shuttle-making–sterling silver & enameling) and specialty needlework techniques including needlelaces.

However, once a year I go to the local rock club’s (which I just joined this year!) Rock, Gem & Mineral Show with a good friend.  Once there, I am tempted and do buy some strands of natural beads.  This same friend (Thanks Lisa L.S.!) also taught me how to turn my bead strands into jewelry using stringing/finishing techniques.

Just recently, I pulled out all the beads that I had strung and finished them into necklaces–the four from L to R.

The bottom photo is of my handmade enameled jewelry.  I have a cobalt blue blouse I wear the right set with.  I still need to find the perfect outfit for the purple jewelry set.

My tatting shuttle collection

The photos shows what my tatting shuttle collection looks like.  This is the glass case that I have and the reason why I didn’t buy any of the metal/glass boxes I found recently in The Pottery Barn store.
I have had this glass/metal box for several years now.  I prompted my husband to buy it for me as a Mother’s Day present from this kids about 10-15 years ago.  It was for sale in a Hallmark store.  I actually got something that I wanted and liked that year for Mother’s Day!

I don’t consider myself a true tatting shuttle collector.  I first started looking for shuttles about 30 years ago in antique stores while my husband I were traveling.  I seemed always be there ‘the day after’ a really beautiful/unique one had sold previously.  Later, I found out that my tatting friend Cindy Costantinou was probably the one who had gotten them! But I kept looking in the late 80’s and as the years progressed started seeing the prices of antique tatting shuttles rise quite dramatically. At one point when I had found a rather beautiful, but pricey, tatting shuttle and was contemplating its purchase, my husband told me that I needed to decide whether I was a ‘collector’ or not.  I walked away from the purchase of that shuttle with the realization that I was a ‘Tatter’ not a ‘collector’. That decision saved me from spending a lot of money on a true tatting shuttle collection.  However, I still enjoyed (and still do today) the hunt for tatting shuttles and will occasionally buy one IF the price is reasonable.

I am fairly pleased still today that I am not a true shuttle collector.  The high prices that antique tatting shuttles (and other needlework tools) were going for in the late 80’s/early 90’s is not being realized today.  The other issue I see with collecting antique tatting shuttles from an investment perspective is that there doesn’t seem to be a reference guide with prices that antique dealers and collectors can use (at least with my knowledge of the industry about 10-15 years ago).  Sadly my friend, Cindy C. has passed away. Her brother has her collection.  I am sure that he is not able to get the value that she paid for each piece.

Shuttle Collection Boxes

I was having coffee with the neighborhood women this morning and decided afterward to pop into some of the stores of the shopping mall. 

 

I wandered into Pottery Barn mostly to look at colors (for my enameling work–can’t really justify their prices + I really don’t need anything!) and found these wonderful glass and metal boxes.  They were being marketed as ‘jewelry’ boxes….but I saw their beauty as being ‘tatting shuttle collection’ boxes.


I actually already have a glass/metal Tatting Shuttle Collection Box.  I had seen this years ago and told my husband, who bought it and let the kids give it to me for Mother’s Day.

Fun with Polka Dots Enameled Tatting Shuttle

I just added a new enameled tatting shuttle to my Etsy store. 

It features multi-colored polka dots on a rich, dark blue base color

www.etsy.com/shop/TheShuttleSmith

Can you guess what the subject of my next book is?

I was striving to having this book published by Easter in regards to its subject matter.  But I realized that Easter is early this year.  In addition, I am still creating 3 more what I call ‘just one more cross’ for the book.  I have decided that once I get these 3 designs done, I’m going to call it ‘DONE’!!!!

Now I need a new deadline.   Any suggestions?

What I did today INSTEAD of what I should have been doing today!!!

What I did today:  I went into my Etsy Store site and added in some information about me and my shop items.

The ShuttleSmith’s Logo Shuttle: “The Shuttle of Many (Primary) Colors”

First of all, I chose one of my glass/enamel tatting shuttles to be my shop’s ‘logo’ image.  I chose the one I named “The Shuttle of Many (Primary) Colors”.

Then I added a photo of myself.  Another Etsy store owner/tatter (thanks Marilee Rockley) had critiqued my store and had given me some pointers.  She had told me to add a photo of myself.  I have been avoiding this task for quite some time….I usually dislike photos of me.  I ended up choosing a photo of me torch-firing, working in my enameling studio. Inserting a photo of myself wasn’t as painful as it could have been after I  realized that the photo ends up quite small on the Etsy site.  Thus you can’t see as many of my wrinkles/imperfections/lack of makeup/etc. as could be possible.


Then I filled in some information in the ‘Shop Info‘ section of my Etsy Shop under the link titled ‘About‘.

If you go to my Etsy Store ‘Shop Info’/’About’  you will see what I typed in about myself and my journey to get to having an Etsy store.  Also in this page you will see at least one photo of my enameling/tatting studio.

What I should have been been doing today instead!!!!!!

I should have been prepping the walls in my kitchen to paint them. Note the tools on the floor.

I have a deadline of March 6th to get this project done because I am hosting book club.  I need a deadline to get things like this done!

Funky Glass Shuttle

I must have been in a funky mood when I created this shuttle!!! This one-of-a-kind enameled (glass on copper) tatting shuttle features a base of Pine Yellow with Sapphire, & two colors of purple accents. Actually, I'm not so much the 'funky' kind of person...I just really like vibrant colors!! Two of my favorites (the yellow and the Sapphire teal) are in this shuttle. See it (buy it) on my Etsy Store: www.Etsy.com/shop/TheShuttleSmith