More tatting

I tatted this bracelet Sunday. I still have to put a closure on it. I used a plastic rhinestone trim for the center and tatted around. Very simple to make.

Name bracelet & earrings

This is a new Christmas bracelet I made. I got the idea from a pattern by Jane Eborall. I changed up how the name beads are added and how the outer chain is done.

Also I tatted these Christmas wreath earrings for a lady. They are some of my favorite Christmas earrings to make.

New tatted earrings

I have been working on tatting new earrings lately. Just finished this pair for my child to give her teacher. My child has finally made it through college! We are so proud!

Long time no post

I know it has been a long time since I have posted.   I'm just so bad about taking the time to do posts.  I love reading everyone else's post but just don't seem to take time to do my own post.  I also have been trying to figure out how to do post from my iPhone or nook.  Have not been able to do post from either of them.  So I had to download my photos to my laptop and do the post on it..

My daughter, Tara, graduated from her schooling at the Navy Base in Pensacola, Florida in September.  She then came home for a few weeks leave before she had to fly out to California.  From there she went to Africa and is now on her ship.  She will be on board ship for about 7 months.  We can only get emails from her.  She is doing great.  We sure miss here.

Here is a picture of Tara and me while she was home one leave.  She came up to were I work and had lunch with me.

Below is Amber, Me, and Tara.

Here we are with my Daddy at the nursing home.  It was his 81st birthday on Oct. 13th.

My baby boy, Keith, is in the band at his college.  He sure looks handsome!

Keith is the second from right (the tallest one)!

Clark, Amber, Tara, & me.  We just had supper celebrating Amber's 25th birthday.

Here is Tara doing a practice of carrying all her gear!  That sea bag on her back weighted 46 pounds!  I don't know how in the world that little girl carried all that stuff!

Tara the day we took her to the airport to fly to California.  She sure looks sharp!

These are my Daddy's siblings.  Uncle Junior(age 82), Aunt Vivian(age 79), and Uncle Goat(age 76).  Uncle Goat came up from Miami to visit his siblings and children.  This picture was taken at my Aunt Vivian's house.

Uncle Junior, Uncle Goat and my Daddy.

Christmas earrings I tatted.

Earrings I tatted.

Me and my best friend, Barbara.  She flew down from Minnesota for her son's wedding and stayed with me.  I was so glad to see her!

This is a Christmas tree pin that I tatted and added extra beads to.

I was in our city hall voting for president and took a picture of this lovely quilt that is on the wall there.

Me and my baby boy, Keith.  He had on part of his band uniform.  This is an old covered bridge at his school.

This is just a small portion of my Mama's plates that are all along the top of the walls in our den and kitchen.  As long as I can remember my Mama collected plates from different states, countries, etc.  I spent a few days taking them all down and washing them and the walls.  I love her plates!

My beautiful Tara in the airport in California before she started the long journey to Africa.

This is my hair.  I had about 15 inches of it cut off and got it permed.

Here I am after the haircut and perm.  This is not the greatest picture and it was taken the day after I got it cut and permed. 

This is a friend of mine's handkerchief.  I tatted some edging for it.  It thought it turned out pretty good.

Here is my Christmas tree!

This is my Christmas cactus.  It has had more blooms on it this year then ever before.  I have it at work.  It is beautiful!

I have still been working at the Medical Store.  I have also been spending a lot of time tatting lately.  Just finished a pair of earrings last night for my daughter to give to her teacher.  Amber's last day of college is Monday.  Yeah!

College, Family Music, Embroidery

My baby boy Keith left for college this past weekend.  He will have band camp for two weeks and then his classes will start the next week.  He took a lot of his stuff with him this past weekend and will be coming home for the rest this coming weekend.  I miss him already! 

This is a picture of Keith's best friend, Phillip, and Keith right before they left for college.  They have been best friends since 1st grade and will be roommates in college. 

Recently I got out my Daddy's old reel to reel recorder/player.  We have lots of tapes that have his and his brother's music on it and one special tape that my brother, George, recorded.  George died in 1967.  So it is great that we still have this tape.  The old reel to reel was not working, but I worked on it and got it to working.  It is only 40 years old!  It was fantastic to hear some of these old tapes.  I am working on getting a device to plug into it so I can record the reels to CD and share them with my family.  While working on this I did a search on the Internet on Tommy Spurlin (that's my uncle).  Back in the 50's my Daddy and Uncle's had a group called the Southern Boys.  They were known as Tommy Spurlin & The Southern Boys.  I found a web site that had a lot of information about them on it but only one picture of my Uncle and it was not even him!  What a hoot!  So I contacted the person who did the website and sent him pictures to put on the site.  Here is a link to it if you would like to see:

http://www.bopping.org/tommy-spurlin-the-southern-boys-from-average-hillbilly-to-superlative-rockabilly-louisiana-and-florida-1954-56/

Some of the information is not correct.  The part about my uncle being sacked by the band and my Daddy assuming his identity.  I have contacted the man again about correcting this and he has assured me he will as soon as he gets back from his vacation.  It has been fun looking at all this old stuff and discussing it all with my Daddy.  I took a couple cassettes of their music up to the nursing home and played them for Daddy.  He was so happy to hear himself and his brothers singing and playing again!

Below is a picture that my Daddy drew in the 50's to promote their songs.  I recently found it and it was in very poor condition.  I had it laminated to protect it.  I could not scan the whole thing at once on my scanner as it is too large so I did it in two pieces.

Here is a picture of my daddy and The Southern Boys:

That's my Daddy on the left in the white hat and playing the mandolin.  Uncle Tommy Spurlin is at the mic.  Uncle Goat (Jerry) Dumas is kinda behind Uncle Tom.  Uncle Junior (Ivy) Dumas is on the far right playing the guitar.  On most of their records my Daddy is playing the bass fiddle.  I don't know who the man is that is sitting close to Daddy playing the steel guitar.  It might be Bill Johnson as he played some with them.

I have still been working on some of my journal pages and  embroidering some other pieces that I hope to put together to make a purse.

Here are a few things I have made recently:

First is a journal page of my Daddy's hand and his picture.  I worked on this a good bit while sitting with him at the nursing home and he loved it!

The flip side of this page is a copy of a doodle picture my brother, Keith, drew when he was in high school over 40 years ago.  I traced it onto fabric and embroidered it.  If he were still alive he would love it!

Below are a few pieces I have done that I plan to make into a purse.  Just have to decide how! hahaha

Tara's silhouette (when she was young)

Keith's silhouette  (when he was young)

Amber's silhouette  (when she was young)

Cupcake ATC I made for a swap.

Hodge podge piece I made.

For a larger journal.

Emblem off of my brother's (Keith) car.  I have had it for years and finally decided to embroidery around it.  Don't know what I am going to do with it now.