Wednesday, November 30, 2011

nuntium quinquagesimum et secundum (52nd post) snow in MN

We tried another Oovoo together last night, it worked well for three of us but the others for a variety of reasons weren't able to join us.  Technology is wonderful when it works.
We're supposed to get snow tonight but I've been working on it for awhile.  I'd been working on a bracelet which I dunked in mint tea but it just wasn't right.  Frivole made some brilliant suggestions so after taking those into account, here's what I ended up with.
But it was so picky!  So I thought I could make the top half and using split rings go from one motif to the other.  But that didn't work so I made fake rings with chains.  What do you think?

Can you guess which is which?  Maybe not above but in this close-up below it's easy.  Was it worth not having to weave in all those ends?
 
motif #25!!
I made earrings to match.
And this necklace which isn't my own idea but again Decoromana's - don't worry, I'm not selling it, it's just for me.  : )
Wish that were my pretty neck- it's my daughter!
Here's the "set".

I'm wearing them all tomorrow for December 1st!


Latin for today:  ningat, ningat, ningat = Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!


Friday, November 18, 2011

nuntium quinquagesimum primum (51st post) no tea tragedy today

Two posts, two days in a row.  But today involves no tea-dunkin'.

I saw this lovely snowflake on Decoromana's gorgeous blog and decided I had to try it. Isn't it pretty?  An easy tat too.
motif #24


Since I dunked the snowflake bracelet in the tea anyway, I've decided to start over. I think Frivole's suggestion of fewer beads makes a lot of sense so that will be my next try.

Thank you for all the nice comments about the Latin and I LOVE to hear stories about your own Latin teachers,  they are such wonderful stories, I wish I could relate them to the teachers themselves.  We teachers  love to hear these kinds of things so I encourage you to send an email/ note/ card to your favorite teacher if you can and tell them too.  It will really make their day or week or month.

Latin for today:  noli haesitare = Don't hesitate!




Thursday, November 17, 2011

nuntium quinquagesimum (50th post) Tatting Tea Thursday goes terribly wrong

Do you ever have brilliant ideas until you do them?  I thought that a snowflakes were so pretty and then- well, wouldn't they look lovely as a bracelet?

But in actuality, not so much.  I'm not sure I should continue.

Here's another picture which I think shows the beads more.


So what's with the title of this post?  Well, I often tat during meetings- I think I pay attention better.  (Or that's my excuse.)  And it was so cold today... so I made hot tea before the meeting which was after school today.

You see where this is going, right?

I was tatting. They handed out papers.  I quickly set my tatting down to grab the paper and....

Yep, there went the tatting into my mug of mint tea.  I had nothing with me to dry the tatting so there I sat with the tatting air drying and me wondering if it was going to change color.  Talk about "damp hands"!

I also admired this motif from Gina and made it lickety-split.  I love how she rewrites these patterns.

motif #23

And lastly, I got a real chuckle out of this today:


It doesn't happen often but this one is a Latin word.  plorabit - s/he will complain.

Latin for today:  noli plorare = don't complain

Sunday, November 13, 2011

nuntium undequinquagesimum (49th post) Oovoo tatting!

You've probably read about our Oovoo meeting on Happy Bluebird's or Teresa/Dena's or Lace Lovin' Librarian's blogs.  But it was SO fun, I have to do it too.
It started because the last time the Bluebird and I met (by the way, she really is Happy.), I posted about it and several people commented about how nice it would be to have someone to tat with.  And it is.  I can't tell you how energized and excited I am before we meet and then to talk with someone who understands and get frustrated with the same things or can help with the worst thing and make it easy is just so wonderful!  Plus my tatting pal is really fun!
So I thought a little about Skype and tried to figure out a way to do this.  But it's expensive to have an account where more than one can meet and even if you pay it's only for 5 at a time.  Then Teresa recommended Oovoo but you know how life is, I just didn't pursue it and there was work and family and, and, and...

Oovoo lets you do 6 people for free so I thought I would sign up for that.  Friday was "a DAY at school" but I managed to download Oovoo somewhere in there and found out for the first month, you can have TWELVE for free!  What to do?  I don't really know how Oovoo works but TWELVE!  Wow!

So Bluebird and I thought of people to invite (fast) and came up with a quick list- please don't feel insulted if we didn't invite you this time, we were thinking of people in between work, grading, dinner, a high school play, a husband in pain, and emails that we could find fast.  (Kathy N- are you reading this?  Where's your email? )
Oovoo works in two different ways.  One is similar to Skype and one with with web link.  Unfortunately yesterday we tried to mix the two and that didn't work (I'm really sorry Frivole but I think that was our problem.)

Plus we learned that meeting in a public café with a giant coffee machine next to us wasn't ideal.  

So, I'd like to try another Oovoo meeting- what do you think?  Either everyone will have to have Oovoo downloaded on their computers(free) OR we'll all have to use the weblink.  If it works and people like it, I'll get a subcription to Oovoo for my Christmas present and we can do it more often.

And Bluebird, Teresa, Dena and Lace Lovin'- thank you for being my tatting pals yesterday!  What fun!

And lunch was REALLY good.