Home at last

Well I'm home from hospital.. it was an unexpectedly long stay but I ll go into that my next post. I just wanted to say that curling up in my own bed with a packet of crisps and Father Ted on the telly is bliss.

On holiday....ha!

Well I'm in hospital again and just at the right time too as I have come down with an awful cold. I was due in anyway for routine treatment (my sort of top up, super drugs) but yesterday I started with a sore throat and headache and today I have a temp and am a bit shivery.I'm posting this while the paracetamol I have been given has kicked in.. I can slowly feel it wearing off tho so think this will be a flying visit and I will catch up on blogs tmw.

I thought I would share some pictures of my home for at least the next week and what I had for tea (the meals here are soooo much better than they used to be now we have our own chef)

My kitcheny bit

My bed.. not too messy yet.

Chips and lemon meringue pie...yum 

Drugs!! One down, 69 to go....


LH
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Spring Signs

Well I though I had better post again as it has been a while. I've been keeping fairly busy, experimenting with my kiln (more failures than success but still loving it) making lots of phone calls (I've heard "the number you are calling is unavailable" way to many times) and reading online tutorials for everything! I've also been adding to the epic bedspread project with a little "help" from my dog.

A first for me was planning ahead and sowing some sweetpea (one of my favourite flowers) seeds for next year. Now normally I'm not the most organised person, my mum said my middle name should have been Later, so this is a first for me. I have loved seeing the new signs of life springing up while everything else is cold and dark and it helps to remind me that Spring isn't too far away. I hope they survive over the winter.

I made some black and white beads the other day and thought I would wrap a piece of silver wire with thinfire paper and place between the layer of glass to make a hole. They looked ok, a bit of cold work is required to get them the shape I want but when I turned them over I found a dirty, yellowy mark in the glass. Nooooo! I *think* it may be because i glued the paper to the silver with prittstick as that was the only thing I did differently...more experimentation needed I think. I'm also thinking about glueing on a bail and forgetting about making a hole until I can get myself a drill... lots to think about.

The beads on the front...

The beads on the back, complete with manky yellow.
















still, waste not... I decided to make myself a necklace and bracelet.

Not too bad from an experiment gone wrong. :)

Have a great week!

Ps.. if you get chance watch Love on the Transplant List (it should be on iplayer) It's a documentary about a fellow CF patient and her wait for a lung transplant. I advise watching with tissues as it's very emotional but well worth the watch and highlights the importance of organ donation and what a difference it can make to someone's life.

LH
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A healthy breakfast

Hot chocolate and malteasers. In my defence I'am at train station and the choice is a bit limited.

Handmade Monday

The past week has been a one of craft firsts- First I sat down and made a plan of what I wanted to make, not my usual style of crafting but one I think I'll adopt, then I cuts shapes out of glass instead of straight (ish) strips (need practice and some way to smooth the edges out so they are..err..smooth, I used glassline to draw on the glass and I made my first blank.  

My pieces of glass waiting to be fired

This is the blank I made... well done to Caroline who correctly guessed Poppies! When I was sat down designing I was thinking of big flowers and just ended up with poppies, I think Remembrance Sunday must have subconsciously paid its part.
For my first go I'm quiet happy with how this turned out though I'm not that keen on the bubbles and think I may have to alter my firing schedule next time..also I wanted the petals to be more separate... I guess its all about experimentation at this point.

I wasn't just setting out to make a flat piece, nope, time for another first.. slumping! I bought a soap dish mold and, with a bit of trepidation, I put that and the glass back in the kiln....

Not very good photos, but I think it turned out pretty well and was gifted to my mum who is using it as a candle holder and not a soap dish!

Have a great Handmade Monday  everyone.

LH

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Can you tell what it is yet?

It's really great to be back to posting on my laptop, I've been so meh this past few weeks that I've just been eating and sleeping, I haven't had the energy to use my laptop for decent amounts of time, instead relying on my phone to read everyone's blogs. I think in part it's my health being a bit poo and partly because of the time of year. I always feel better when its lovely and sunny and warm. Anyway....

I've had a productive day today, trying out a few new things with my glass. I've been attempting to make shapes, its not been totally successful but I know I'm a bit better now at scoring and breaking than I was at the beginning. I'm in that rare( for me!) state in that I have a good idea what I am planning to make, normally I just make it up as I go along. This time though I sat down and planned it all out, drawing what I wanted, then altering when I found fault with the design. I really enjoyed the whole process, choosing colours, doing a bit of research and getting started. I must say that even though I had a plan I still ended up changing things in the actual making stage. Here is a pic of some of the items I used and the progress I made today. I wonder if you can work out what I am hoping to make... It's not very obvious at this stage.

I was shattered after doing all that scoring and cutting out.

I went to clinic yesterday, it went OK, I've put on a whole kg! wooooot! Only one more and I'm at my target :D :D :D Also got jabbed in the arm with flu vaccine. It's strange after all the needles I've had but that one makes me a bit :S Still, the nurse fussed me and let my mum hold my hand! HAHAHA! I wasn't that bad!
My lung function is down on last time which wasn't a big surprise after all the drama of a few weeks ago with the pleurisy. Luckily it's not a massive drop, I'm on my lower side of normal and so I'm booked in to go for a course of I.V's but not for three weeks. I could have started now and done them at home but I like ( actually like isn't the right word.. maybe accept is better) to go in for a week, have a drug called aminophyllin over night which can't be given as an out patient, and do some heavy duty physio. I then do the last week at home. I'm already planning what to take in with me to keep me occupied.. you'd think after doing this for 26 years I'd have it down to a fine art. HA! My laptop is a must, maybe my epic beadspead project and some jewellery making bits and pieces so I can put together a few things while I'm in. This gives me a great excuse to buy some more beads :D

Hope everyone's having a great Thursday.

LH
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Bonfire night!

Hello! It's been a very busy few weeks, but more on that when I'm not posting from my phone and have full use of a keyboard!  Want to say a big thankyou to thatfuzzyfeeling for the concern shown on my last post, go check out her owls, they are super cute and I wanted to comment but my phone doesn't seem to let me... honestly, go check them out now!

Had a (very slow) wander around to the local playing fieldthis evening  where they had a huge bonfire and a fireworks display . My lungs aren't happy with the smoke or me right now , but I've told them to shush, I want to play with sparklers! Think I may stick myself on some oxygen for a bit to get rid of the low oxygen headache I have going on. There is line you have to walk when you have cf, you have to decide which risks are worth taking and the ones that are just too much to gamble on. Sometimes doing the right thing, (and I have been known to be sensible sometimes!) is the most frustrating, upsetting, soul bruising thing ever,but it needs to be done. It dies make the small risks feel like little victories though :)
I'll leave you with some (awful , taken on my phone) photos from tonight.

LH
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Oh... there is a pic of my zelda inspired pumpkin in there too :)