What I have been up to lately.....

Hello Ya'll *waves*

Are ya asking what I have been up to lately since I have been so silent? Well, Here Ya go have a looksy....

Ben and Karen Roth

This is the best pic he has taken to date and he has taken numerous gorgeous ones, let me tell you! This was taken on my last hike I was able to do, Silver Falls up near Entitat, Washington.

What I have been into :o)

Let me walk ya through it.....

Top Left: Spray painted a paper bell from our wedding. Then I hot glued the ribbons in the middle after I tied the ornaments onto the end of the ribbon.

Top Middle: is moi wearing my Christmas Corsage I made. 

Top Right:  Is the Hair Barrette I made.

Middle Left: Is a Dollar Tree Picture Frame I painted. The artwork is actually one of a few cards I received as I gift for Christmas.

Left 3/4 and Left Bottom: Is one of two Keepsake boxes I made that are now holding my paper clips and my binder clips on my desk :o) I am rather proud of them as they turned out better than I expected :oD. 

Top Middle Bottom:  Was the sweetest gift I had gotten for  any Christmas ever! I just love them as they came from my Wonderful sweet hubby after we had a fight on Christmas Eve due to my physical pain overriding my sweet heart because he was able to go to the family dinner and I was not able to ....Stupid reason to fight but that is how Chronic Illness is sometimes... You feel like you are being left out of life while all your family and friends keep living life like you were never ill and hold expectations that you can never meet even on your best day. So this is a gift I hold most dear to my heart. My sweet hubby found my sweet spot and the verse holds true...."A soft answer turneth away wrath..." 

Middle Bottom:  Are a complete set of booties I made for my sweet companion, Pepper Paws....Oh, My, I do not think I have laughed so hard as I did when I first put them on her and she first tried to walk in them...Oh, My! I kept telling her I was laughing with her and not at her but I don't think she believed me, lol.  She would take a step then shake her leg, take a step then shake another leg, it was so funny! While actually taking the evening stroll she would take a few steps then immediately lay on the ground on her tummy and lick her paws from where she had kicked snow up into the booties.

Bottom Right:  Is my Butterfly wreath I am in the process of making for our Vow Renewal. I still have to make flowers out of embroidery floss to add to it in between my blue Butterflies. When I am finished with them I may try to write up a tut for them as it is my own pattern :o)

Sorry if the pics are a bit blurry, I have hands that shake and my dear hubby was still asleep when I took them...He is an amazing Photographer....but then I am a bit biased ^.^ I do love him so!

Get Your Craft on!

Until Next Time,
Karen

tillie tulip - a handmade mishmosh: Photo tutorial of how to create the daisy

tillie tulip - a handmade mishmosh: Photo tutorial of how to create the daisy: To beg - chain (ch) 5 and join to form a circle Round 1: ch 2, 11 double crochet (dc) into ring Round 2: change to ...

This is such a lovely project..... I have yet to do it because I have been so busy working on my Keepsake boxes, Christmas Ornaments, a lace angel, a lovely butterfly and pearl wreath, Also trying to finish my Crochet hook case...I have also started a jean purse I am making out of a pair of shorts I can no longer fit into. I am hoping to get on it and finish it tomorrow. I want to add one of +Tillie Tulips gorgeous flowers but I am thinking of using embroidery floss for it that way I can maybe have 2 on it :o).

I also have a tree skirt I want to do but I am lacking the burlap :o(.  Anyone just happen to have some I can have? I will give you my address by email if you would be willing to mail it to moi *crosses fingers and prays real hard* Please, oh,  please?!

I have a plethora of Crocheting projects backed up to yang yang and now I have a bug to learn how to knit (needing size 8 & 10 aluminum needles and cannot afford them at the moment and .....a very big AND... I wanna learn how to Even Count Peyote Stitch......

Wooo! There I told you my New Years Resolutions :oD Whaddya think? I am trying desperately to keep attainable resolutions this year that is if my body would just stop fighting my spirit.....*sigh*

God please shine your face upon all of my followers and bless them richly and abundantly in this new year....

Until Next Time,
Love,

 Karen 

For now, I will leave you with my sweetest dream...... Renewing My Wedding Vows wearing this dress with tweaking of course ;o)

Wonderful Fabric Contest to Enter + Update on ME

Hi there Everyone,

    Sorry to have been MIA for so long but I have been very ill and in a lot of pain. My dear 85 yr. old father-in-law Pa Bear was in the hospital as he had to have a foot of his intestine removed. He has been in there for the last week and they are hoping to release him early this week.
    I lost a really good crafting friend this past week as well, her name was Lynn Brookside (May She R.I.P.). Her loss was an unexpected one although I believe she knew her time was coming to an end as her last post to all of us was that she wanted us to know that she really loved us. It has been a week, but it is still hard to function at times for missing her. I think,  for me, the hardest part was knowing that she had died alone except for her poor kitty Bonnie Blue who is now missing and that she had been dead for 2-3 days before her friend came to check on her and found her. That is so hard to take in. I just pray that when it is my time to go that I have family surrounding me with love. They think that Bonnie Blue might have escaped while the ambulance was there to remove Lynn. I do pray they find her and that someone loving will take her in. I still need to make a card for Lynn's estranged daughter Angela. I just pray she will accept the card in love which is my intention. I would have done it sooner but I have been hurting too bad physically to do so.

    Onto, the happy news, I received the most wonderful present from my brother (who is in prison for the next 24 yrs.) So it is really special to me. It is a single pearlescent rosy pink rose that sits in a varnished sandstone base. It looks to be hand made. It is so very precious to me as he is.  Today is his birthday so I want to shout out to my brother HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  Stephen I love you and Miss you!!

   The last three days or so I have been keeping busy crocheting little bowls out of yarn. I plan to give a nested set of them to my dear sister-in-law who gave me the yarn to play with :O) I really hope she will make use of them! But I am not telling you who until after she gets them :o)

  Now who wants to win a lot of fabric besides me?
  Well here's your chance!!!

  Win a lifetime of fabric

  Just click on the link and it will take you directly to the form to fill out :O)
  Betcha thought I would keep this little linky all to myself didn't ya?
  As tempted as I was my good side won out so here ya go :o) Aren't I just so very nice?;o)
 
  Anyway, I've got to get back to making more yarn bowls  for my desk and crafting table and fancying up my binder clips. I also have my tote bag to finish. I am gonna try to do a tutorial on the tote bag. Hehe, I guess that is why it is taking me so long to do it as I am a bit nervous. It has been three weeks in the making so far as I can only handle sitting upright for a small amount of time before my back starts screaming at me to lay it down with the ice pack.

  Have a very creative week and hope to see you soon ya'll! *waves a paw*

Wildflower Pincushion and Crafting Links

Hello Everyone,

I sure hope that you are having a wonderful weekend.

I had a wonderful time on my birthday which was Saturday the 26th. My hubby took me for a most wonderful 8 hour round trip to commemorate my turning the big 40. It was so beautiful, so much greenery and lovely flowers, mostly Lupine. We ended the day by stopping and viewing Snoqualmie Falls.The most precious part of the whole trip was being able to spend all the time with my sweet, loving,caring,wonderful husband. It was completely computer and Android free, YAY!!!

Pardon the mess up on the pictures but it is Blogger's fault >.<

Snoqualmie Lodge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I wish we could move the pictures to where I want them  >.< Grrr!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snoqualmie Falls

Well, here is the link to the cute little Wildflower Pincushion. Give it a try and let your creativity flow. Send me an email with a picture of yours when you finish it (or them). I would dearly love to see them.

In fact, I think I shall get started on my pincushion :o).

If you are into crocheting as I am then head on over to Crochet Me.
Another good one is Crocknit. However, she is in the middle of an upgrade and the pattern pages are not yet working except for the free patterns. I have sent her an email regarding this. 

If you are into quilting then head on over to Free Patterns  another great place to start if you are a beginner is Easy Quilts

For jewelry patterns then head on over to Fire Mountain Gems Easy Projects.

Another great place to visit is Craft Bits. They have a variety of recycled and upcycled crafts.

Well, folks that is it for today. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be posting my finished pincushion :o). If not then bear with me as I am almost out of white thread.


 Happy creating until next time we meet!

Roses

My New Look

Hello All,

I just upgraded my look to one that to me looks more Artsy/Craftsy. So Holler and let me know what you think.

I have a pair of blue leather ballerina slippers being handmade for me complete with blue satin ribbons. An Etsy friend Just Plain Flats of mine is making them for my birthday. I am so excited that I can hardly wait to see them. I just know that they will be beautiful!

I managed to get just one square crocheted on my French Provincial Afghan, Woohoo!

Seriously, my health is bugging out at the moment so it is really hard to get much of anything done.

I did manage to clean my dainty antique Victorian detailed necklace and earrings today. The best cleaner for Costume Jewelry is Colgate toothpaste, my friend, in just plain white with a soft bristled toothbrush. Then just rinse under a tiny stream of lukewarm water until the toothpaste is completely rinsed off. Then set onto a couple of paper towels to air dry.

Anyone have a pet rock that they prefer over any other natural made rock?

I do, Mine is Quartz! All clarities of it. I am partial to rose quartz but alas do not own any. I would dearly love a piece to set on my desk in front of my computer monitor.

Well, I hate to cut this short but it is my nap time--I take three hour naps to rest up to be able to make it through the evening most days, not all, in Summer, it is so light I manage to grab just about an hour. But then I usually feel better in the Summer except for my new found allergies and the major painful Concentric Bulging Disc in my L4-L5 region. When that flares up I am down for the count with my friend the Ice Pack.

Happy Creating!

Head Pain Finally Figured Out!

Hey there Everyone,

I finally figured out my head pain on my own on Mother's Day when it finally came to a massively severe pain-wracking full blown Migraine. Now it is just down to a Allergy Headache. SO No Tumor as originally thought!!!

My sweet hubby surprised me with a Orchid corsage and a dozen Carnation Pink Carnations for Mother's Day! I love them Darlin'! Thank you so much and I love you dearly!

I am working on a French Provincial Afghan pattern I found in an 1986 Afghan book I bought at the Goodwill here. I have changed the color scheme a bit to adjust to my tastes. I will try to do a tutorial on it as I go. It may be after I finish it completely that I post it though. As it takes quite some time and money to make at least 55 squares, then to single crochet two different colors to each square, make 55 flowers, attach the flowers then to join all the squares and to finish it with a Picot edging. But then I am taking a Lap Robe project and turning it into a full blown afghan for a queen sized bed :O).

I have been getting quite the crafting bug here lately but my poor thumb is so sore I cannot do much other than to crochet. I may have to talk to my doctor again about it as it has been really sore at rest and I have not sprained it. I think it is an inflammation in my ligaments. Very painful. Nonetheless, I have been perusing other crafting blogs for inspiration and to see creativity at its finest as a Do-it-yourself kind of person.
I just may show you my ugly dining room slipcovers and afghan if I can ever feel well enough to finish them...actually they are not that bad.

I am sitting here wishing I had a craft room all my own...but I am crammed into the bedroom with a meeting table with a table skirt I made. I just wished I could afford the right kind of chair to use for my sewing and quilting, Right now I am using a dining room chair which causes my lower back to really hurt after an hour of sitting at the machine.

Ah well, tis the life story of one who is extremely poor and disabled and cannot work.

Anyhoo, back to designing more crafts to do when I am able to do so!

Happy Creativity and Crafting Y'all!

Baby Afghan and Health News

Hey there Everyone,

   How are we today? Me, not so well.
 
   I have been having intra-cranial pressure building up since February 23rd. The doctor thought it was Shingles so I have gone through two prescriptions and still not any better. So I am trying to get her to okay an MRI to find out what is really going on with my head. I have developed visual disturbances and I have almost fallen three times this week. The pressure is building steadily. She wants to send me to the pain clinic to get a nerve block but I told them that I was trying to get my doctor to order an MRI and that I really did not want to waste the doctor's time with the nerve block if it calls for something else. They were very understanding and told me to give them a call if I changed my mind.

   On to the good things!

   I finished that baby afghan I have been teasing you guys with and I think it is gorgeous!

 
    I started out with oversized granny squares.  I was desperate to find a way to join them. My way just wasn't working. So I googled and ran across Carina's Craft Blog
She was a life saver and didn't even know it! Check her out sometime. 

  You cannot see it in the picture but the light colored squares are actually a pale pastel blue, yellow, green,  pink and white.  Man was this yarn ever soft! I even made a couple of washcloths with the antique white yarn and they left my body so soft and silky. As soon as I have time and get to feeling better I plan on making some more. I wove ribbon throughout the edge of the afghan and stitched it down with my sewing machine. I also gave her a photo album that I had decorated with ephemera, ribbon, and buttons. It was so cute.  I divided it into activities and special moments such as "Playtime", "Daddy's Boy", "Dream it Up Little One", "Momma's Sunshine" just to name a few. Then I also gave my niece a devotional book just for Mommies. I was so very touched when my niece told me that our gifts would be family heirlooms. I almost started to cry because I was so very happy as that was my very wish while I was working on the baby afghan. I prayed over that afghan so many times as we all were afraid that since both parents were Preemies that this baby would also be a Preemie. But so far he is heading towards full term!. He appears to be strong and very healthy. According to my niece she told everyone when they had a 3D Sonogram (?sp.) that he looked so cute and angelic.  I cannot wait to see him!  I am so looking forward to being a Great-Aunt.

  In other news, I ordered the fabric for the skirt part of my Vow Renewal Dress. I received the lace trim yesterday. I just love the fabric to my skirt I plan on mixing it with a white polished cotton as it is polished cotton as well. I cannot wait to get started on my dress but I have to wait until I can order the rest of the fabric needed.

 Here's a snippet of it:

   Is this gorgeous or what! It is so romantic. I am such a romantic at heart and very sentimental. I just love the roses.

  Well, that's it for now. Happy crafting until next we meet!

Health Update

        Just a short post to let you know that I am battling with no health insurance and a herniated disc in my L4-L5 region. I am trying desperately to get coverage so I can have my surgery to no avail at the moment. I am very frustrated and in an excruciating amount of pain on top of my usual Fibromyalgia pain. So please keep me in your prayers.

       New News- 11-08-2011: I have a Referral Request in the works and am just waiting to hear back from Virginia Mason Spine Clinic as to when the appointment is. Wish me well! 

      The pain has increased and it now feels like my low back and right hip are on fire constantly. Also it feels like my right hip is actually bone-on-bone which makes it excruciating to walk even from the bedroom to the bathroom which is like just five feet from each other. The last three days I have pretty much spent all my day catching up on missed sleep due to the increase in pain. Using an ice pack several times during sleeping hours.  The pain is somewhat tolerable upon waking but as soon as I sit up on the edge of the bed it kicks into high gear and becomes unbearable. 


        To give you an example of one such night: I went to bed at midnight, woke up at 1 a.m. grabbed an ice pack and laid with feet propped up on pillows on the loveseat. I went back to bed and fitfully slept until 2:30 a.m. I painstakingly made my way to the bathroom, took 2 Percocet then grabbed ice pack and laid on loveseat again. this time it took until 4:30 a.m. to get the pain level back to somewhat bearable then I went back to bed and slept until 6:17 a.m. at which time I was friends with my ice pack again and my over-the-counter Salonpas pain patch. I was awake until 9:45 a.m.  then I laid back down in bed and fitfully slept until 10:30 a.m. at which time I then got up to spend time with my hubby until 12:30 p.m. and then I crashed and burned until 4:30 p.m. 


        I am truly hoping in my case that the surgery improves my sleep. I however, have heard of cases where one surgery begat five more surgeries and then chronic pain. I am truly praying for a decrease in pain as far as my back is concerned. I know that I will never be pain-free because of my Fibromyalgia, but I do pray for my constant level tolerable pain back again. Having my back out pretty has pretty much bedridden me even though I do when the pain is somewhat tolerable get out and walk my dog, Pepper.  I truly miss being able to sit at my craft table working on my crafts whatever they may be. I do, however, have an idea for an adult sized version of a beautiful baby afghan made with 2 yarns crocheted at the same time into little shells. Hopefully, I can get stated on it soon and maybe I can work on that while I am laid up . We'll see! In the meantime, please keep those prayers rising up to God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.


       Also, share some of your crafting websites with me so I can get even more creative ideas :o) So I have something positive and cheering to look forward to!

My Baby Girl, Pepper, My Emotional Support Animal

     Keep on creating and exploring different crafts this week and I will try to get back to you later this week or as soon as I know when my surgery appointment will be.  God Bless and keep you!