Here is a peek at the final row of the large doily I am making. The progress is slow but I am taking my time and working on it in a relaxed manner and not trying to hurry it along as I find when I do that I break the thread when I close the rings. I am really looking forward to getting this done and being able to post the picture of the finished project for all to see. Soon.

Grizzly Mountain Arts has bestowed the " Arte Y Pico" Award upon me. This is my first award and I am very honoured. The award is passed from one artist to another to honor their creativity. To keep the karma flowing and to share this good fortune I am honouring a few fellow artists with this award.

Tattycat/ Laura's Tatting Muse
A tatting friend who has joined the designers world and shows great creativity with shuttle and thread.

Marilee/ YarnPlayer
An inspiration to all of us who adore her Hand Dyed Threads. Wonderfully talented at jewelry making. Recognized and published by "Belle Armoire" magazine.

Mark/ Tatman
A multi-talented tatter who generously shares his wisdom with all tatters. Thank you for your website Mark it has helped a lot of us.

Thank you again Grizzly Mountain Arts for giving me this award today.

We have finally finished planting our gardens and I wanted to give everyone a view of what our backyard looks like when it is first planted. Keep in mind that we are under snow for 5 to 6 months a year and I think you will be amazed at the tropical getaway that we create for ourselves to enjoy each year. All the palms are real. For more pictures click here. I hope you enjoy the view and when the gardens come into full bloom I will post new photos.

These two wonderful shuttles arrived today from David Reed Smith. His handmade shuttles are made from exotic woods and are very light, smooth and a joy to tat with. They also hold a ton of thread and are available in a variety of sizes with or without a hook or pick. The lighter one is made from Tulip wood and the darker one is made from Purple heart wood. They are a welcome addition to my collection and as the saying goes you can never have to many shuttles.

Well I have finished two more rows and they set up the foundation for the FINAL ROW. Yes I am very excited as this major project is coming to an end. I know there are a lot of people who are not crazy about doilies but I think there is something special about a large piece of tatting like this that we can pass down to our children or someone special. There are few things left in this world that are special and are still handmade I say lets carry on the tradition before it disappears in this made by machine society.