Tat Days 2011 - The Loot!

One of the niftier things about going to Palmetto Tat Days is The Loot. By Loot, I mean extra Stuff you come home with, separate from projects you were working on. You get lotsa loot at Tat Days.

This is what everybody attending Tat Days got this year when they got through with registration. A nifty bag to carry all your stuff, some Omega thread from Mexico (I think this was courtesy of Maria) and a clear bag CRAMMED with stuff. Tatting patterns, bead, paper clips galore, things to put your projects in, pens and pencils, notepaper, tissue in a cute (handmade) container, bookmarks, note paper, pin cushion, etc, etc, etc. The Tat Days folks are some classy ladies - they think of everything.

But my Tat Days freebies were not at an end. This was my Teacher Loot. (Ignore the shoes of the Stooges behind this.) There was this cool tatting bag with a lovely snowflake on it (tatted by Joanie), thread, beads, finger wipes, candy (for sustenance), pens, a terrific Miser's Purse made by Sharon Goldin, and two WorkBasket magazines, with tatting patterns marked. I also got a Tat Days CD with all the patterns from this year's conference on it.

The Stooges want the Miser's Purse - it's really cool.

And Isdihara brought me this little kit as a thank you for driving her to and from the airport. As you may know, Isdihara is a big advocate of Tatting Tea Tuesdays. The little beads on the tin are made like teeny-tiny chocolates! (Once again, the Stooges are claiming something. This time it's the giant eraser.)

And Nina gave me these gorgeous earrings, tatted by her. Sparkly and loaded with beads too. Aren't they lovely?

Here endeth my list of freebies. (Woo-hoo! Lots of freebies! I was very, very fortunate.)

Now begins the part where I Spent Money. And was kinda BAD.

I visited Vending. Always dangerous.

In vending I got a few (HA! Many!) items. Lizbeth thread, HDT, shuttles, books. Plus I got two more Tat Days CDs for folks back home. I got Nina to sign her book for me. Isn't the thread yummy? And I love the shuttles.

Then I went to the Silent Auction. And bid. And won. Above you see some of what I won. I got a bunch of Omega thread in size 20, some of the tiny crochet hooks (center), and the tiny stocking earring (on the Tat Days program). The itty bitty stocking are knitted, can you believe it? I bought the book by Ineke Kuiperiji from Riet. It has 3-D Christmas tatting.

But that's not all I won.

I got Nina's gorgeous, phenomenal silver beaded necklace. Yes, me! I kept thinking "Surely someone will out bid me." But no one stepped up, and I got mighty lucky.

See? And it is so lovely in real life. It looks like jewels. I love the feel of it.

Now - where am I going to wear this gorgeous jewelry?