Tea for Three Swap

It's swap time again! This time I signed up for a tea swap with three partners. I made some small drawstring bags from some left over scrap fabric and ribbon, each holds three teabags. As a small extra, I made each of my partners a coaster from 100% Irish linen and using the font 'Century Gothic', hand embroidered the word 'tea' on each one. Although this swap was very quick and easy, it provided me with great sewing and embroidery practice. I hope my partners like each of their packages.





I also made two coasters for myself. Using the font 'Girls are Weird' I made one simply saying 'tea' and to be a little more adventurous, I embroidered a quote from Monty Python's Flying Circus, which is by far my favourite, and a bonus, since I made it for me.



More at Flickr

Pincushions in Abundance

I have been doing alot of sewing practice over the last few days. I want to become comfortable with my mum's sewing machine before I attempt anything more advanced so I have been making a mountain of pincushions. My mum and I both have Brother sewing machines, but mine is very very basic, whereas my mum's is, well, progressive, to say the least, so it has taken a lot of getting used to.

Although they are practice pieces, I think they will make nice swap gifts/extras, and they weigh nothing at all so won't cost anything to send. :)




More can be seen on my Flickr page.

Hook a Book

It's been some time since I have done any beading, and while sorting through my bead collection in an attempt to put them in some sort of order, I found the motivation to pick it up again. I kept it simple and made some book hooks, which I know I will find useful (as I am always reading more than one book at a time) but will also be make nice swap gifts too. I have posted a few pictures, but to see all of them check out my Flickr page.

My First Swaps

So I wanted to start off slowly on swap-bot and when I cam across these matchbox swaps, I knew they were a perfect starting point. I joined four swaps, to make one each of, bead filled, button filled, brad filled and ribbon filled matchbox. I read my partners' profiles carefully and tried very hard to create something they would like. Together with the matchbox, I included a small extra that corresponded with something they mentioned on their profile. I have never covered a matchbox before, and had to purchase a bunch (I have an abundance of matches now), but I really enjoyed the process. It was very calming to sit down and do something so productive that I know will not only be appreciated but used creatively by someone else too. They are now packaged, addressed and ready to send.

I really think I am going to enjoy the whole swapping experience and I can't wait to receive my matchboxes. I am going to be cautious though, as I have read many of the forum posts about flakers, scammers and the ridiculous excuses used to fob off members who haven't received their swaps. I think the key is to take things slowly, and once I have built up my ratings with some mail swaps and proved my reliability, I will take part in more group swaps and private swaps, that way it minimises the risk of being flaked on or scammed.

Anyway, here they are, the matchbox line up. :)

I'm a Swap-botter

Whilst doing a search for penpals yesterday, I came across a website called swap-bot. How have I never heard of this site before? I am so excited to start swapping. I have finally found an outlet for all my crafting needs, and people who share similar interests. Yay! I am still finding my way around the site, and figuring out just how things work, but I am itching to get started on my first swap.

Look! I'm a Gardener

One of the first things I did when my eyesight returned and I was able to drive again, was go to Wimborne Market. I didn't go for anything specific, just a wander round to regain some of my confidence. I saw a stall selling flowers, seeds, herbs and a few vegetable plants. For a mere 75p I purchased my own little chilli plant. Its been a couple of weeks since I repotted it and plopped it in the garden, but it is coming along nicely and will be flowering soon. I am so proud of myself for keeping something alive. I can kill a cactus, so this is a real achievement. Yay me....and nature!


I have also potted two garlic cloves, and they are going from strength to stregth too. Look out Charlie Dimmock!

Craftalicious

My Doctor has signed me off for another few weeks, since she wants to wait until I have seen the Neurologist before signing me fit for work (ugh). So instead of sitting idly around the house moping I am throwing myself back into crafting.

Since I am able to drive again, I am planning on visiting my cousin Laura, in Wales this month. It will be the first time in 8 months I have been over the bridge, but I am looking forward to seeing her and her family.

Laura only drinks caffeine free herbal teas, with peppermint being her favourite. She always carries a few loose teabags with her, by the time she gets around to using them, they are crushed and covered in handbag fluff. In order to remedy the situation, I decided to make her a tea wallet. I am still very much a novice when it comes to sewing and I thought a small prject like this would be ideal practice for me and make a cute gift at the same time.

I am really pleased with the outcome. It is a great way to utilise FQ's and other scraps of fabric. I can see myself making alot more of these. I hope Laura likes it, although I am tempted to keep it for myself.

Back to Normal...whatever that is

I haven't posted for a while, which is down to the fact that my health deteriorated so badly, I wasn't able to use the computer for quite some time.

My balance issues continued to get worse, the altered sensations in my body were spreading to my arms and legs and then I had chronic double vision. I have had MRI scans, eye doctor appointments, Ear, Nose and Throat appointments, blood tests, visited the Emergency Medical Unit (EMU) at Dorchester hospital and the conclusion the Doctors have come to, is that I have suffered some sort of neurological nerve damage. Finally, they know what's wrong with me, I am no longer a medical mystery!

I have to see a Neurologist on July 9th to confirm the diagnosis, but as it has been explained to me, nerves in my brain have been stripped of their protective coating, much like an electrical wire, and the nerves have become exposed and have short circuited. Thankfully, they have repaired themselves, it just took time for the protective coating to regenerate.

The Neurologist will be able to fill me in on more details, and let me know if this could happen again or is a one off blip. But I am so pleased to be able to see again. That was the worst thing I have ever suffered in my life. I became completely dependent on those around me since I couldn't even make myself a cup of tea because when pouring the water I would miss the cup.

The down side to all of this is that it has knocked my confidence teribbly. It has left me depressed and with odd mood swings, which I am told are all part and parcel. My Doctor had no choice but to sign me off work, I couldn't see, or even walk properly, so I know working was out of the question, but it is all I had to focus on, so I am looking forward to things continuing to improve so I can get back into the swing of things.

Labyrinthitis, Virus or We-have-no-clue-itis

So, I have been flitting back and forth between two Doctors at my local surgery, depending on which one is on holiday, working part time, etc etc, and neither can agree on a diagnosis of my persistent health issues. The balance problem has become worse, to the point where I can't walk in a straight line anymore. I have weird altered sensation in parts of my body, and I feel nauseous all the time. One of my physicians thinks it is a virus, the other thinks it is Labyrinthitis. I have been on three different types of medication, in addition to the antibiotics, and none have made a difference to my condition. One course of tablets I couldn't even complete because they gave me insomnia. I didn't sleep for 5 whole days!

I finally went to MIU at our local hospital. They didn't have a Doctor on call, so I had to get my mum to drive me to Shaftesbury hospital to see someone. Once again, a diagnosis could not be decided upon so she said that Doctor # 1 could be right with her diagnosis of a virus, and Doctor # 2 could be equally as right with her evaluation of Labyrinthitis. In other words, you don't have a freakin' clue! So it was a waste of my time, my mums time, the nurses time, and the Doctors time.

Now all I want to do is catch up on some much needed sleep. After not sleeping for so long I am cranky and starting to look like the living dead.

Labyrinth...itis

So as it turns out, my Doctor thinks I have something called Labyrinthitis. It affects the inner ear, therefore explaining my balance problems. My Doctor presribed some tablets for the Labyrinthitis as well as some antibiotics in case I have an infection of the inner ear. She has booked me in for blood tests too, which I am not looking forward to, since the last time I had blood taken, I nearly fainted.

Unfortunately, if it is Labyrinthitis, it means it is a reoccurring problem, and could come back at any time. Oh joy!

On a Merry Go Round

I have been suffering some weird balance problems over the last week and I can't figure out for the life of me what's going on. When I lay down the room starts spinning round and round and I feel nautious as hell. If I stand up too fast, or move my head too quickly, I get the same sensation and feel like I am going to fall over.

My cousin Tracy came to visit a few days ago, and on the day she left I started to feel very unwell and went to bed, which is unusual for me considering it was 4 p.m. I slept until 9 p.m. and woke up feeling absolutely awful. I could barely walk and only just managed to make it into the bathroom before being sick. I have made an emergency appointment to see my Doctor, but as is always the way, I am starting to feel better today.

Christmas Review and Yet Another New Year

Well, our family Christmas was rather subdued yet again. With Kevin away on civilian duties for his second Christmas in a row, we didn't really feel in the mood for any sort of celebration. Rather than the traditional English fare of roast turkey, brussel sprouts, stuffing and a mound of other veg, we had am Italian Christmas lunch this year, consisting of homemade lasagne, tomato baked chicken, lots of salad and made-from-scratch tiramisu.

I did make a Christmas cake this year, but I forgot to photograph it. I was somewhat disappointed with my efforts in the cake department, it turned out to be very flat. Just as well I don't eat it I suppose, but the family liked it.

New Years Eve and New Years Day were equally uneventful. On New Years Eve, I wasn't in the mood for a night on the town, so I had a glass of wine, toasted in the New Year and went to bed. I think hitting 30 has had a calming effect on me, I no longer like crowds and music so loud my ears bleed, and I have never been one to get so drunk I can't remember my own name, so it was the perfect New Years Eve. Boring yes, but just what I needed. New Years Day was a family affair with a few aunts, uncles, cousins and friends stopping by to say hello and chew the cud. All in all it was a quiet day with lots of laughs and catching up, my favourite kind.

Now I am looking ahead to what 2009 will throw at me. So far things are off to a slow start. I need to get back to looking for a job, finding a place of my own and getting myself settled again, in that order. I hope, for my sanity's sake, it won't take too long.