Frustrations and Flowers

 It's Handmade Monday!

It feels forever since I last look part in this fab blog tradition! It's hard to believe it's been going more than a year, it only seems like only yesterday the "Handmade's'' were in the double digits.

So, what have I been up to this week?  Well, I have taken advantage of the lovely weather and have been taking some photo's around the garden, I love this time of year (I've probably said that on this blog a million times up to now!)

You can just make out my sparkly slippers on this one!

Don't you just love how bright and fresh everything looks? Love it!! 

I was at clinic last Wednesday for my monthly check up, I've managed to avoid another stay in hospital for the next 5 weeks at least (well, baring anything happening, the nature of CF is pretty changeable , I can be well one minute and be flat out the next,  it makes planning a real hassle!) I've done pretty well after the rubbish time I had at Christmas, it's taken a lot of hard work, but finally my lung function has started going in an upwards direction which is a relief! 

I've been making necklaces with the pendants I have made using the glass molds I got for Christmas.  I put them up for sale on EBay 2 weeks ago thinking that £8 for 11 would be a bargain price for someone looking for car boot joblots ...I've only had 17 views and no bids, I'm feeling very frustrated and a bit despondent if I'm honest and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong or where I can sell ( I've had a few on Etsy but again hardly any views. I'd love to sell them at Craft fairs but I can only do those now and again as they are such hard work and tire me out for days) I'm not really sure what I can do now... any advice (including "just give up!") greatfully received!!

Here is the Ebay listing if you fancy having a look Here.

I've also been making bracelets again after having a bit of a break from them. I think I will list this one on Etsy in the next few days. I do love the making, I think I just need a plan of action and do a bit of research on promotion so I can sell and afford more glass and beads! I'm not going to give up, just need to start feeling a bit more positive !

Have a fab week everyone!

Elbow.

Well, its been awhile since I last blogged so I thought it was time for an update. Health wise I've been doing ok, I've still got a kidney store which I hoped would have been sorted out by now but after being fairly ill in January I had my last lot of Lithotripsy postponed and have a new appointment with the kidney doctors in September, I must admit its really frustrating having to wait again to get something that I thought would have been fixed by now actually sorted . Meh! 0ther than that I seem to be doing ok, my lungs aren't great at the mo but the doctors said I just need to be patient and if they haven't improved by my next clinic then I have to go in hospital for a bit for some heavy duty antibiotics. The Joy ! HaHa!

Its my birthday tomorrow, I'll be 32!! Scary! I've already had a birthday treat, last Wednesday I went to see the band Elbow with my two best friends who hadn't really heard of them but, after an absolutely amazing show, are now fans. It's nice to musically educate people! Ha! I've wanted to see Elbow for such a long time, it feel great that I finally managed it. It was the best gig I've ever been to (yes, even better than my first love,Radiohead.) with Guy Garvey's voice just as amazing live as it is recorded, he has some serious talent.Great Expectations nearly had me in tears as embarrassing as that is to admit! Of course they couldn't play a set without the anthem One Day Like This. The whole place was on their feet. It was a magic night.

Have a great weekend!

Some Etsy Items

Here are some items from the talented members of The Crafty Folk Etsy team. All photos are links to the shops.

Back to Etsy.

I have finally, (finally!) managed to list something on Etsy last week. I've been feeling a bit down about my shop lately, I've let things expire and haven't really done much promotion. Partly because I haven't had much success and partly because real life events have been a bit tough...BUT... now it's time to pick myself up and get back into it.

I've been enjoying playing around with some new glass molds I was given for Christmas and, after a bit of experimentation, I made something that I thought was good enough to list on Etsy (the photo is a link to my shop) I really like this way of making pendants, I could get addicted to making them.

I'm also sharing some of the work of the The Crafty Folk team members. All photos are links to the shops.

Crafty Folk

Here are some items from the brilliant Crafty Folk. All photos are links to the shops.

The Crafty Folk.

Here are some of the lovely listings from The Crafty Folk Etsy team. All photos are clickable links.

17 days later.

Well, that was a rude interruption! You could say life  took a bit of a road down a bad neighbourhood for a while, I don't want to bore you with the details, but it involved 19 days in hospital sorting out (well that was the plan) my kidney stone (it's still there, just in bits) three weeks at home where I picked up a virus (the common cold one) which has really hit me hard. I fought it for three weeks as I had a few important things going on that I didn't want to be away from. Plus I'd just done 19 days, I didn't want to go back in!

I woke up the Saturday after boxing day in epic, epic back pain and knew it was time to take myself to hospital. I must admit I was tempted to take a load of painkillers to see if I could ride it out but its a good job I didn't. I had to be admitted to the ward through casualty which was a novel experience and while there I  was found to have a heart rate of 150, sats of 84 (the measure of oxygen in the blood- it should be at least over 90 for me)  and a crp of 235. Crp measures how much infection you have, it should be under 10 so with 235 you can tell how rough I was!

Once on the ward I was put on oxygen and had to sleep with it on, something new for me and something I wasn't too happy about, it felt like it was a sign I was getting worse. Still, I sucked it up and did what I was told, I was pretty determined to get out, however every morning I'd wake up with the mask on top of my head so I'm not sure how much o2 I was actually getting!

Things gradually improved, after a week I was allowed off the oxygen in the day and not long after I was taken off it at night which was a massive relief!

I finally escaped after 17 days and have been enjoying my freedom, though not too much as I'm still a bit tired and I'm finding it hard to climb stairs as my legs have lost a lot of muscle mass. I think I'll need to give exercise a serious thought!

Hopefully I will have some crafty bits to show you in the next few days.