WOYWW 294

A very quick blog post, as I should be making/eating lunch/sorting out laundry/turning out ponies etc, etc!

We all join in on Wednesdays to share details of our workdesk/crafting projects.  Go to Stamping Ground for more details.

I am not spending so much time in my craft room at the moment, as it is not the warmest room in the house, so my photo today is of my latest addiction - needle felting.

I bought a kit to make a Xmas present for my mum (she loves dachshunds), but never got round to starting it until this week.  Now I see what all the fuss is about!  Really enjoying the process - and already planning my next projects, including doing some of my own designs.  It is very good for making me rest and distracting me from my pain.

I am making his tail now, and then it is the ears/feet/face to finish.

The only thing I have new on my craft desk is my washi tape storage solution - a wire basket I found in a local shop.

 

Hope that everyone is ok.  I will find some time later on to have a tour around other workdesks.  It is good that I am so busy, but there really aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done.

 

Ali x

Fibromyalgia .................

I am not sure whether I have ever typed a specific blog post about my Fibromyalgia (I nearly missed out the 'my' part, but then remembered that Fibro is different for everyone).  Fibro Fog (one of my many symptoms, and which seems to be getting worse) is very 'foggy' this morning and I haven't got the energy either to do a few clicks and look at my list of blog posts.

Why now?

In my strange and ever-changing life I generally just find myself doing something.  They say that there is a reason for everything, but I have learnt to stop searching for reasons.

In fact trying to find a reason for pain is like trying to find a snowflake in a blizzard.  (I was going to do a lovely piece of digital artwork with these words - but it is definitely too early in the morning.  I may well include something one day not too far away, I hope!)

Am I having a flare because of travel, because of having visitors in the house, or because of a trip to the supermarket ..... ?  No one can answer those questions, except for the truth I now know - Pain has no reason.

Fibromyalgia is a nightmare I cannot wake up from.  I am sitting at my desk early on a cold and dark morning, attempting to read the very interesting blogs on my screen.  My sight varies a lot and early mornings do not help.  It is a struggle to focus, the words are blurred and fatigue makes my eyes water.  The answer right now should be to go back to bed and sleep more, but the pain in my lower back that forced me out of bed at around 5 am will certainly return as soon as I lie down.  I have given up on the reading (there are always a few websites open waiting for me to return soon) and this blog post popped into my head.

I should be wrapping Xmas presents or making the final card on my list (for my wonderful husband).  Both of those activities will have to wait.  They will wait until my pain lessens and my brain allows me to consider doing something that is not vital (I struggle to keep myself, hubby, animals and household cared for - so 'fun' stuff like crafting, wrapping gifts and clearing the leaves from the garden have to wait until the clouds of Fibromyalgia lift and let some sunshine through).

I cannot offer a blog post that includes links to research, useful coping skills or indeed anything of much use, except that I can offer support and understanding. 

YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO SITS IN FRONT OF THEIR COMPUTER FAR TOO EARLY IN THE MORNING.

Gentle hugs, Ali x

WOYWW 286 - Crafting again!

Happy What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday everyone.  Pop over to Julia's Stamping Ground to join in with the party.

I am late here today.  The day did not start well, waking up at 3.20 am with cramp in my legs - and the pain would not let me sleep after that.  I did catch up with lots of tv though, and the cat enjoyed my company on the sofa.  I am understandably a bit slow today, getting through my usual animal care/housework whilst waiting for more parcels to be delivered.  For the past few years I have done most of my present shopping on the internet - so much easier when we live 10 miles away from the nearest shopping and I struggle with driving now.  It does mean that we get a lot of courier vans making their way down our narrow lanes - apologies to the local horseriders and cyclists!

The good news is that my craft room is back up and running.  I made 2 simple Xmas cards this morning - just printed off a sheet of fab Pollyanna Pickering toppers (the Jack Russell and donkey look just like my Buzz & Doris!) and using various bits of card from my Xmas Stash Box.  My big intentions to make fancy cards for a lot of family and friends will, as usual, be put to one side for another year.  Not enough energy or inspiration, sorry!

This is my work area right in front of my pc screen.  Some crafty essentials - Collall glue, tape pen, scissors, ruler.  Many other miscellaneous items - pot of pens, calculator, Reiki verse, good luck charm from Lanzarote, business card box etc, etc.

I will be doing some blog-hopping for the rest of the day, inbetween taking the dogs out in the field again, feeding/medicating/mucking out ponies/donkey, attempting to cook some sort of meal this evening and I may even end up in my craft room for a while again.

Ali x

WOYWW 285

Hello to everyone on this windy Wednesday.  Life has been busy for me for the past 2 weeks - plus a nasty cold struck me down, and I am still suffering now.  My craft room is almost empty.  The main rear wall had to be replastered - and the painter is in there now putting colour back on the wall.  As usual for me, everything is last minute.  We have family coming to stay tomorrow, and the contents of my craft room are currently in the spare room!  There will be a lot of moving around later.  Wish me luck! 

Looking on the positive side, it does give me the push to really sort out what I HAVE to keep and what can go (whether to be sold or given to the charity shop).

I found myself watching a calligraphy show on Create & Craft last week - and several items fell into my flexi-basket.  This includes some gorgeous wax sealing stash, and I plan to decorate Xmas gifts/envelopes with these.  Will show some of the results next week.

Here is my empty craft room.

If you would like to find out more about WOYWW (What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday), go over to Julia's Stamping Ground

I am off now to tour around a few of your blogs.

Ali x

WOYWW 283

Late again today, but got my mum staying for a few days - and the sun is shining for the first time in a while, so we took the dogs down to the beach.

For those who are wondering what WOYWW stands for (What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday) and would like to join in with this weekly tour around craft desks, take a jog over to Julia's http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/

My actual desk this week has nothing much on it.  The Xmas card production line has ground to a halt.  Therefore, I am showing the cushion I finally finished this week.  My first 'proper' project with my sewing machine.  I discovered Craftsy, which has so many wonderful classes.  I have signed up for a few - some of which are free.

You may think that it is just a simple square cushion - but it has French seams!!  Yes, I did not know what these were either!  I have learnt so many useful skills with this first project, and I am starting to work through the preparation work for the next project - a skirt (I hyperventilate at the thought).

I am sure that many of you will be off to the NEC this week.  I so wish that I could get there.  I look forward to seeing pictures of purchased stash next week.

Ali x

WOYWW 282

Another week has gone by and my promise to myself to blog more often has not been realised - again!  Oh well, at least I am here a bit earlier this week.

If you want to know more about What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday, go over to Julia's Stamping Ground and join in with the fun.

I have managed to do some crafting this week - birthday and Halloween cards.  No more Christmas designs unfortunately.  Of course I will be regretting it next month when I am rushing to get them done! 

My craft room has been turned upside down, put back together and now it turns out that the builders need to replaster the entire back wall, so again everything will be in turmoil.  I am looking forward to finally getting everything in its place and be able to sew, in particular, as my sewing machine table is pushed up against my other desks at the moment.

My photos show one of my new purchases - been wanting/needing an A3 guillotine for ages and when I saw it on Create & Craft at a discounted price, it just had to be ordered - and also my messy main desk.  You can see a finished birthday card waiting to go in the envelope, 2 Halloween packages ready for the postlady, a fab new photography software suite, all of my washi tapes have decided to jump around the desk and various other 'things'.

I hope that everyone is having a good week.  It is a F1 weekend coming up (Texas), so I will be able to sit with my laptop and get some more blog posts written.  I hope that you come back and have a read.

Ali x

WOYWW 281

What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday is nearly over, but I told myself that I would join in, so here I am.  Was meant to get in my craft room early this morning, but overslept (a very rare occurrence for me) and then we went out shopping for most of the day.  I bought a fab crafty item from T K Maxx, so I hope you will excuse my absence.

Here is my desk -

 

 

I started seriously making Xmas cards yesterday.  Finished the cute Yorkie design (the others in the pile are left over from last year - need inserts) and printed out a sheet of fab donkey/Jack Russell toppers to make some more.  You can see the 2015 diary/planner which I bought today, and the scrapbooking/journaling kit.  My collection of washi tape is stacked up at the back - any ideas on a cheap way of storing them?  The calendar is produced by a Facebook friend who has a gorgeous family of Chihuahuas.  If you are a fan of the breed, then let me know and I will give you her contact details.

 

If you have no idea of what WOYWW is, click on this link http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/.  All will be explained and you can join in with this weekly tour around the world's craft desks.  

In the next week I will be making more Xmas cards, birthday cards (why are so many people born in October and November?), actually dusting down my sewing machine and finishing a cushion that I started ages ago, and my craft room should be painted (just one wall, but still need to empty out a wardrobe that I store my CDs in).

One of my dogs has a part-time job now - helping out with training courses for people with learning difficulties/mental health problems etc - so I chauffeur him on those days - and I will be starting my new paid work, Internal Verifier for the same organisation.  Should be only a few days work every month, so I hope that my annoying body will allow me to earn the much-needed extra income. One of my ponies has been diagnosed with PPID, which means daily medication for life - approx. 80 pence per day. 

I will get this published now, promise to be back soon, and will then go and have a nosey around some more blogs. 

Ali x