Last night on the Online Tatting class the discussion was about if it was possible to make a ric rac ribbon tatted.  It was a very interesting challenge.  Ruth Perry came with an ideaand was explaining it on the classroom.  I was at the same time tatting and didn't understood really well Ruth's explanations and after the class finished I sent the piece I tatted to her; thinking that it was what she was explaining.  Well, it was something totally different!  Here Ruth's Ric Rac method:


It looks like a real Ric Rac ribbon.  She got the inspiration from the crocheted ripples patterns.  It's made in 3 rounds.  Now here is mine:

My version are small blocks with a tiny chain between them.  I used 2 colors because that was the 1st thing I had near the computer. I think that the use of 2 colors gives a very interesting effect to the braid.

Then someone (I think it was Ruth) mentioned about adding beads.  Oh!!!  Another rush....  I had to try my Ric Rac with beads!  It looks amazing!!!  I made it short because the thread was finishing on the shuttle and was too lazy to get up and find the thread I was using.












But the thread was enough to finish a quick bookmark:
















It's a little stumpy-chubby bookmark.  But the idea is there...  So, this morning, after sleeping like 6 hours I woke up and had to work with the idea again.  I tried to make the Ric Rac bookmark I made several years ago but using the tatted ric rac instead of the fabric.  Anyway, I don't have ric rac here in Egypt.  It worked again so beautiful! 


I think I'm in love with this technique!!!

Now I'll try the same but with Ruth's version. 

I was thinking now...  This kind of block can substitute clunny leaves. 

I have to write the instructions for what I did, but you can find Ruth's version here and on her blog.  For my original Ric Rac bookmark you can go to my site.

 
Okay.  People have been asking me how I do my themes.  I'll try to explain my way.  It's not that I'm an expert of the CSS coding.  I'm more of a copycat.  I take a base theme, then I analyze the links of the graphics, make my own graphics and substitute the theme graphics for mine.  Some themes work better for me than others.

I will explain this by parts.  Because is near the time of starting again the Online Tatting Classes I'll be busy again.  So I'll do this weekly.  Please be patient!


First, let talk about what materials I use to make the themes.

You will need a graphic editor program like Paint Shop Pro or Adobe PhotoShop.  I use PSP X2 but will work with any version.  I haven't work with PS but is the same thing.  You can find trials at their web sites.

Corel Trials Dowloads

Adobe Trials Downloads

I don't pretend to teach how to use the programs, because I'm learning myself.  You will need at least know how to make a graphic with layers, to add text, crop  and resize.  I don't like to use a lot of animations, but if you know how to do them you're welcome to do add them to your themes.

The second thing you need are the photos or graphics.  You can search on the net for photos, but beware of copyrights.  If you have notice I don't like to use photos.  I use scrapbook kits!!!  They are amazing to use for themes.  There are thousands of places where you can get them for free (freebies).  Here is the "Mother" of all the freebies.  I have this page bookmarked and weekly I download freebies.

DigiFree - The Digital Scrapbooking Freebie Search Engine  This page will take a long time to load because is super heavy with graphics.  Also, I'm not responsible if you get addicted to them!  lol    No joking!  I have over 100 kits in the external hardrive (over 5 GB) and every week I get more.  Does anyone have the Scrappers Anonymous hotline? 

Some of the freebies are only obtainable if you buy a bigger kit.  Other are QP (Quick Pages) and that's a premade page where you place your photos.  Those are not good for themes.  So check that you're dowloading a kit.  Also they are usually divided into papers and elements.  The papers are, well, papers that can be use as backgrounds.  The elements are those nifty graphics like ribbons and clips and pearls, cute things like that.  There are the minis or samplers.  Those are smaller versions of a bigger kit, usually content 1-2 papers and a few elements.

Also I recommend this group on Yahoo  Scrappy Expressions.  Melissa, the owner, makes lovely sets that are more suitable to use on PSP because the resolution is smaller than a regular scrapbook kit.

Other thing you'll need.  The codes of premade or base themes.  I use the tutorials and help from the Customize your Multiply Profile group.  They are great people that know the CSS code and have very nice tutorials.  They have some codes written with the transparency settings and are easier to add your own code lines.  If you're going to modify the theme of another person be sure to ask permission if that person doesn't states that s/he allows modifications of their themes.

Other thing...  This is optional but highly advisable.  Get another Multiply account.  I have another account that I use solely for the editing of the themes.  That way if the code screw up the page, you can delete that account and make another and you don't screw up your page.

Also optional but advisable.  Have 2 browsers on your computer.  Some themes look perfect in a browser and totally horrendous in another.  I have Internet Explorer and Firefox.  FF is my default browser.  When I'm making the themes I edit the code on IE and then preview it on FF.  The Firefox browser can be downloaded here.

Well, I think that's all for today!  If I think something else that you'll need I'll let you know during the week. 

Next week where going to start analyzing a Base Theme:  Avlack.  I think it's the easier to modify...

So go ahead and get your materials.  Get a scrapbookit of your preference or we can use all one if you think will be easier.

Today I haven't done a lot.  Still feeling a little queasy from the nebulizer therapies.  I'm using it every day a couple of times.  Anyway, I managed to do this animated tag.  I love G-Juss and this tube was perfect for this tutorial.  The tutorial is by Clarey and you can find it here.  May be I'll do a theme using her.  If someone wants her with the name let me know.

I was talking with Barbara about Teri Dusenbury.  She's a tatter designer that have been around for a long time with wonderful tatting designs with beads and regular tatting, if such thing exist!  Her blog can be found at The Lover's Knot and most of her patterns on Esnips.  If ound today a video she made and posted on Esnips.  Check her way of tatting.  It's called the Riego way and was how tatting was done at the old times.  There's more than one way to tat.  It's just a matter of how comfortable the shuttles feel in the hands.  Also in the video you'll notice that she's using a netting needle instead of a shuttle.  A shuttle is used only to hold the thread that we use to work, nothing else; so you can use almost anything to work as a shuttle.

It's a boring Sunday.  There's nothing on TV, there's no water on the apartment and I'm bore........



I got this tutorial from http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Gamocks_Creations_and_Tuts/ called  TatCapsule.  Isn't it cool?  Like if Kath made it just for me!  lol

I made the tube of the Tatted Princess using a photo I got online.  I have been lloking for the site again and can't remember where I got it.  I know that the Tatted Princess was made by a Lace Guild for a demo event and each member tatted a piece and that's what is forming the skirt, blouse and crown.  Here is bigger.  Isn't it a masterpiece?  Well, back to my boring schedule.  We're going to have dinner now.

This is the Greatest tool I have seen!!! It change the JAVA Script into HTML. You need to open it with IE only. The page doesn't work with Firefox

Tatting Demo 1/3

Tatting Demo 2/3

Tatting Demo 3/3

I have seen that some comments graphics site place banners and adds to your pages and then kinda "whack" the site and doesn't look pretty.  This is what I do to avoid those things.  It needs a little os patience but at least you'll be able to safely post those neat comment graphics.

First go to your favorite site.  For this example I'll use Glitter-Graphics.  Open what ever graphic you want to use.  You'll see the HTML code, it looks like this:

< a href=http://www.glitter-messages.com>< img src=http://dl5.glitter-graphics.net/pub/65/65305af2ly24i1d.gif width=491 height=218 border=0></a><br><a href=http://www.glitter-works.com target=_blank>glitter-graphics.com</a>

That will make the graphic look like this:


glitter-graphics.com

Notice the link to the site and if you click on the graphic will get you to that site.  Other sites will have banners included.  This site only place the link at the end of the graphic, so won't whack your site.  Anyway, to remove those things let see the HTML code again.  Basically the graphics codes are compose of 2 things, the relinking and the graphic.  What is in red is the relinking component and the rest is the graphic.

< a href=http://www.glitter-messages.com>< img src=http://dl5.glitter-graphics.net/pub/65/65305af2ly24i1d.gif width=491 height=218 border=0></a><br>< a href=http://www.glitter-works.com target=_blank>glitter-graphics.com</a>

Just delete everything that is before and after the <img...>  That's all we need for the comment.



See?  Now we have the same graphic but there's no link to it or within.  You can preview your graphics and comments before posting them.  This way you can be sure that you eliminated the correct elements of the code.

Now let have some fun posting pretty comments! 

BTW...  Some people don't like graphic comments.  If you're one of them please let me know privately and I won't send you graphic comments. 

Hope this helps!

A lot of former Y360 bloggers are backing up their blog here.  I'm doing it also.  I asked if there was a way to post the blog with the original date 'cause I didn't know.  Someone answered  me and was very easy!  Here is what you need to do:

First click on "Settings" beside log out.





After that click on "Posting Options"












The last step is choose "Advance Posting"  Yes.




Voila!  Next time you post a old one from Y360 you can choose the date to match the original posting.

Great place to learn how to make stats and/or web backgrounds



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WOW!

It's been months since I made a tag. Tonight while snagging some backgrounds and patterns I came to this site with a cute Lace Screen Frame. I can't resist anything that relate to laces, so I had to do it! I didn't use the pic of the tutorial. I got this cute TinkerBell pic and used it. I really like how it looks. The frame is so cool! I think I'll keep playing with it.

If you would like one, message me and I'll make it with your name.

Today I have been tatting most of it. Well, at least since I woke up; like 6 hours ago. LOL

Last week in the Online Tatting Class we discussed the Hanging Clunny. A clunny is a small leaf that is really not tatting but weaving. It's derived from the one made in Bobbin Lace. But the regular clunnies are like in chains, one after another. Mimi Dillan is called the Clunny Queen. Her instructions are great. I learned from her site. A few years ago, if I remember right, after an online lesson about clunnies Tim Clay came with the idea of a "hanging" clunny. The difference is that this one stands alone. The position of the core thread is a little different but the final result is the same.

Then a few months ago Ruth Perry started to play with the hanging clunny and came with an easy way to make it. I love it!!! It's so easy that I feel like I haven't work at all. So this morning I started making this little flower. The flower has a Daisy Picot Ring on the center and then the petals are mere chains. The stem has a cute little hanging clunny. It's a little distorted because I haven't work with clunnies like for ages! I have some ideas already for some cuties. Will try tonight. I still have full shuttles.

Thanks to everyone who has develop this technique!