You all probably thought I had fallen off the face of the planet, but nope, still here :) The past couple of weeks have been exhausting and hubby has been in some pain, so that's when I have to devote my attention elsewhere.
The project is coming along albeit very slowly. I have redone certain sections about three times because they just weren't what I wanted. I don't get to quill as much as I would like and I know that everyone is waiting with anticipation to see the finished piece. Trust me, no more than I am lol. I want it to be finished so that I can start some other things I have in mind, but quilling pieces can only be certain sizes and I have to make thousands of them :( But if it turns out pretty decent then I will post pictures, maybe LOL.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
SU2C
Today is National Cancer Survivors Day. If you or someone close to you or even someone you know is battling this terrible disease. Visit SU2C website and honor them and their fight today. Donate if you can. Even if it's only $1. Every little helps to find a cure.
http://www.standup2cancer.org/
http://www.standup2cancer.org/
Friday, June 1, 2012
An amazing quilling artist
Although I am new to quilling I have come across some amazing artists during my online travels. I have been slowly adding quilling friends to my Facebook page.
On one of these journeys I came across a wonderful lady called Anastasia from Sri Lanka. She had been on a trip to Scotland and while touring she had lost her Rosary Beads which had been given to her by a late friend.
Well I hate to see anyone lose something so precious and sentimental, so I tried to help her get it back. I called the hotel where she had been staying and asked the duty manager to launch a search. He said he would do what he could and over several days turned the hotel upside down to try and find Anastasia Rosaries, but sadly he couldn't find it. I do appreciate Davids efforts though and I thank him for taking the time to try. One good thing to come of this is that Anastasia and I are now friends.
Below is one of her amazing quilled pieces, which I LOVE.
On one of these journeys I came across a wonderful lady called Anastasia from Sri Lanka. She had been on a trip to Scotland and while touring she had lost her Rosary Beads which had been given to her by a late friend.
Well I hate to see anyone lose something so precious and sentimental, so I tried to help her get it back. I called the hotel where she had been staying and asked the duty manager to launch a search. He said he would do what he could and over several days turned the hotel upside down to try and find Anastasia Rosaries, but sadly he couldn't find it. I do appreciate Davids efforts though and I thank him for taking the time to try. One good thing to come of this is that Anastasia and I are now friends.
Below is one of her amazing quilled pieces, which I LOVE.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Just a quick update
I have been so neglectful of the blog of late and for that I apologise. Life gets in the way sometimes and you have to prioritize.
Hubby has been in some pain lately and his PSA is back on the rise which is causing some concern. We spent a long day at the hospital only to find out they had forgotten to put his name on the chemo schedule, so we have to get his treatment done next week, which will make for another long day.
Sadly we had to say goodbye to one of our much loved dogs. Max, our Border Collie had been with us for 14 years and was a wonderfully smart, faithful friend. We miss him terribly. He had taken to following hubby everywhere, from room to room, never leaving his side. As much as I love pets and animals in general, it's times like these that make me want to say never again. It's heart wrenching when you have to let them go.
We still have our Cailin and she is still a bit lost since she has always had Max, but she has been getting some extra attention which she is thoroughly enjoying.
The "project" is still a work in progress and is moving rather slowly. I can't spend as much time on it continually, as I would like, so I am usually working on it in the wee small hours, when the house is quiet and I have a little time to myself. I did make about 100 circles while waiting at the hospital. It gave my hands something to do other than wringing them. As I had stated before there has been a lot of trial and error going on so that takes up time also.
I also have had other smaller projects, so I try and squeeze those in when I can.
I also had friends ask me to make them some jewelry and she liked it so much she wants me to make pieces for her sisters wedding in October.
Oh and a little bit of update on the Eilean Donan Castle site. They have added a live Webcam so I can check in and see what the weather is like back home. It is amazing how many people who are vacationing there who heard from family to turn and wave to the camera lol. They have had more than 10,000 visitors to the Webcam in a week since it first went live. And the Facebook fan numbers continue to increase, which is great. They have been having some unusually hot days over there, so this has been good for the castle visitors. They also have their gift shop open online and will be adding to the items they have available. I am sure that will also be a success.
Hubby has been in some pain lately and his PSA is back on the rise which is causing some concern. We spent a long day at the hospital only to find out they had forgotten to put his name on the chemo schedule, so we have to get his treatment done next week, which will make for another long day.
Sadly we had to say goodbye to one of our much loved dogs. Max, our Border Collie had been with us for 14 years and was a wonderfully smart, faithful friend. We miss him terribly. He had taken to following hubby everywhere, from room to room, never leaving his side. As much as I love pets and animals in general, it's times like these that make me want to say never again. It's heart wrenching when you have to let them go.
We still have our Cailin and she is still a bit lost since she has always had Max, but she has been getting some extra attention which she is thoroughly enjoying.
The "project" is still a work in progress and is moving rather slowly. I can't spend as much time on it continually, as I would like, so I am usually working on it in the wee small hours, when the house is quiet and I have a little time to myself. I did make about 100 circles while waiting at the hospital. It gave my hands something to do other than wringing them. As I had stated before there has been a lot of trial and error going on so that takes up time also.
I also have had other smaller projects, so I try and squeeze those in when I can.
I also had friends ask me to make them some jewelry and she liked it so much she wants me to make pieces for her sisters wedding in October.
Oh and a little bit of update on the Eilean Donan Castle site. They have added a live Webcam so I can check in and see what the weather is like back home. It is amazing how many people who are vacationing there who heard from family to turn and wave to the camera lol. They have had more than 10,000 visitors to the Webcam in a week since it first went live. And the Facebook fan numbers continue to increase, which is great. They have been having some unusually hot days over there, so this has been good for the castle visitors. They also have their gift shop open online and will be adding to the items they have available. I am sure that will also be a success.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Not an ordinary day!!!!
May 3rd 2012 started like any other day. I got up and did my usual routine and then my husband was just settling down for his afternoon nap which he does almost every day, he tires very easily these days between medications and the disease itself, when I heard the familiar sound of an e-mail. I checked to see if it was maybe a response to one of the many I have sent out regarding clinical trials or from a fellow cancer survivor from one of the message boards I am a member of. It was neither of these things, but an e-mail from GoFundMe informing me of a donation. A donation from a very dear friend. A woman that I have known since 2009 and who is a fellow seller on a site called Etsy. We had got to chatting on their forum and found Trudy to be a warm, kind, funny lady. She had told us about losing her sister and it touched all of our hearts. I wanted to do something for her and sunflowers have a special meaning. Now Trudy is an artist and she had a painting of a sunflower in her shop on Etsy. So I "stole" the picture and I put it into a necklace and used turquoise and carnelian gemstone clusters for the chain. I sent it to her as a gift and to this day she still talks about and wears the necklace.
I have not been active in my online shop or the forum for the past year but Trudy had gone to visit it and saw this link which was hidden away in my profile.
Being the wonderful, sweet, generous soul that she is, sent a very generous donation. I had to thank her, not just privately, but publicly on Etsy where everyone who knows her or comes in contact with her, falls in love with her.
Of course at the mention of Trudy in the title, fellow Etsians flocked to the thread and the Trudy "fan" club was born.
But Trudy, again, being the person she is couldn't or wouldn't hog the limelight and immediately turned the spotlight on me.
What happened next had and still has me so overwhelmed, I doubt I can express what I feel, in words. The outpouring of thoughts, prayers and generosity of fellow Etsians was more than I could bear. I spent most of yesterday afternoon and evening in tears.
For people, some I know and some I don't know, to give of themselves in such a way, for someone they have never met is really beyond my comprehension. Especially in this economy when everyone is struggling. These are stay at home moms and dads, trying to pay their own bills using their hands to create their own little masterpieces. They are not big corporations, but small shops and the people behind them are individuals going through their own struggles. Yes, there are times when we complain or protest some of the changes in policies we don't agree with but at the end of the day it's a community. A family of people who come together to support another member in any way they know how. Whether it be with kind thoughts or words, prayers for strength and healing, or giving of their hard earned money to ease the burden.
There are no words and I don't think there ever will be, to describe the selfless actions of these wonderful "family" members. Because that's what we are. It has been proven on many occasions, that when there is someone in need, they will rise to the occasion.
My thoughts, prayers and undying gratitude goes out to every single one of them. They have changed my life, in a way that it will never be the same. Thank you will never, ever seem enough, but here I will try. To let them know that their generosity means more to me than they will ever know. The past year has been a struggle and I have done what I could to make life as comfortable and stress free for my husband. I have been able to accomplish more than most and I am more fortunate than most. Now with the friends at Etsy and their donations, I will be able to accomplish even more. They have lifted me to a new height and removed some of the weight from my shoulders. I have a one day at a time motto for the situation that my husband and I are in, but today, this day, was like no other.
Thank you my wonderful Etsy friends. I love all of you.
I have not been active in my online shop or the forum for the past year but Trudy had gone to visit it and saw this link which was hidden away in my profile.
Being the wonderful, sweet, generous soul that she is, sent a very generous donation. I had to thank her, not just privately, but publicly on Etsy where everyone who knows her or comes in contact with her, falls in love with her.
Of course at the mention of Trudy in the title, fellow Etsians flocked to the thread and the Trudy "fan" club was born.
But Trudy, again, being the person she is couldn't or wouldn't hog the limelight and immediately turned the spotlight on me.
What happened next had and still has me so overwhelmed, I doubt I can express what I feel, in words. The outpouring of thoughts, prayers and generosity of fellow Etsians was more than I could bear. I spent most of yesterday afternoon and evening in tears.
For people, some I know and some I don't know, to give of themselves in such a way, for someone they have never met is really beyond my comprehension. Especially in this economy when everyone is struggling. These are stay at home moms and dads, trying to pay their own bills using their hands to create their own little masterpieces. They are not big corporations, but small shops and the people behind them are individuals going through their own struggles. Yes, there are times when we complain or protest some of the changes in policies we don't agree with but at the end of the day it's a community. A family of people who come together to support another member in any way they know how. Whether it be with kind thoughts or words, prayers for strength and healing, or giving of their hard earned money to ease the burden.
There are no words and I don't think there ever will be, to describe the selfless actions of these wonderful "family" members. Because that's what we are. It has been proven on many occasions, that when there is someone in need, they will rise to the occasion.
My thoughts, prayers and undying gratitude goes out to every single one of them. They have changed my life, in a way that it will never be the same. Thank you will never, ever seem enough, but here I will try. To let them know that their generosity means more to me than they will ever know. The past year has been a struggle and I have done what I could to make life as comfortable and stress free for my husband. I have been able to accomplish more than most and I am more fortunate than most. Now with the friends at Etsy and their donations, I will be able to accomplish even more. They have lifted me to a new height and removed some of the weight from my shoulders. I have a one day at a time motto for the situation that my husband and I are in, but today, this day, was like no other.
Thank you my wonderful Etsy friends. I love all of you.
Friday, April 27, 2012
The Long Haul
Working on the "project" is taking a really, really long time. I knew it would but never imagined that I would probably need some kind of mental and physical therapy afterwards lol.
However, I am undeterred and can see sections of it taking shape now which is spurring me on. I wish I could come up with another fringing solution. While the current tools available are adequate when quilling a smaller piece. It is something else entirely when it is an enormous project.
I find I have to stand a lot during this process and it is pretty stressful on the old back lol.
My only wish is that when this is finished, that it is of good enough quality to send to it's recipient. I am always my own worst critic, no matter what the project may be. I sometimes have to be reminded that this is a handmade project and not mass produced with machines and the beauty of any item made by hand is the small imperfections that can give it character and make it unique.
I find my mind drifting to other large projects, then the voice of reason chimes in asking me if I am completely mad and snaps me back to reality. But I am a glutton for punishment and I do like quilling, so there may very well be another one..........some day :)
However, I am undeterred and can see sections of it taking shape now which is spurring me on. I wish I could come up with another fringing solution. While the current tools available are adequate when quilling a smaller piece. It is something else entirely when it is an enormous project.
I find I have to stand a lot during this process and it is pretty stressful on the old back lol.
My only wish is that when this is finished, that it is of good enough quality to send to it's recipient. I am always my own worst critic, no matter what the project may be. I sometimes have to be reminded that this is a handmade project and not mass produced with machines and the beauty of any item made by hand is the small imperfections that can give it character and make it unique.
I find my mind drifting to other large projects, then the voice of reason chimes in asking me if I am completely mad and snaps me back to reality. But I am a glutton for punishment and I do like quilling, so there may very well be another one..........some day :)
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