HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM....

MUM'S LAST BIRTHDAY BEFORE SHE PASSED ON 17/12/08

Just wanting to wish you a Happy Birthday Mum as it would have been your 70th today.

Me, Martin, Dad and Caz went to your favourite place to eat today and then me and Caz went shopping, another of your favourite passtimes!.

To commemorate your Birthday today i brought a new charm for my Pandora bracelet, an angel. Everytime i see it it will remind me of you and the special day we had.

Mum never ever forget how much we love you and know that one day we will be able to celebrate your Birthday together again.

Below is the card i made you and a pic of your memorial after all of your special Birthday gifts were left.

Happy Birthday to the best Mum in the world. Miss you every single day. Love you always, Clare xxx

A Couple of Cards

Just wanted to post a couple of cards i have been making. My mojo is starting to return and yesterday i went to the South Stamp Show in Worthing and got so much inspiration, especially from Jenny Mayes from Hobby Art. She is such a lovely lady and she does my all time favourite kind of stamping, landscape and scenery stamps.

And of course i just had to buy some new one's and really want to try them out this week.

So the first is an Anniversary card i was asked to do for a friend and i am also entering it into the card challenge over at Scrap Therapy. I used the Bo Bunny Sophie collection which i absolutely adore.

As you can see, lots of fussy cutting, lots of bling and my brand new Spellbinders fancy tags (thanks Keryn!!!).

The second card was for a friends Grandson who has just turned 16 today. Thinking it called for Imaginisce Live Loud collection i got to work and made this.

Thankyou for stopping by xxx

Pop Over to Scrap Therapy & Check out the Challenges!!!

BAD BLOGGER!!!

Hi everyone!!! I know i have been a norty blogger. Cannot believe how quickly this year is going and how time seems to fly by. Have heaps to tell so will probably cover it all over a couple of posts.

Firstly since my last write up i have been in to St.Wilfred's Hospice and have introduced myself to some of the patients that go in for day visits between Tuesdays and Fridays. I went in last Thursday and met the art therapist who goes in each day and between us we decided that when i go in for my card sessions i will cover the afternoon which will be for 2 hours. I felt like i did not want to interfere with the work she covers with patients so if she can do the mornings and also the patients will not have to decided whether they want to do art or cards that day.

I also know that i am better healthwise in the afternoon as in the mornings it takes me a while to get going as my joints are so painful and have to dose myself up with meds.

The good thing with voluntary work is that i can go in when i feel well and can also go in at last minute if i decide. I would feel bad if i had planned a day and couldn't manage it though, i would feel as though i was letting the patients down. I guess i will have to deal with that if it happens though. I also have the option of going in any day between Tues-Fri and the patients vary each day.

So this week i am going to go into the Uckfield day centre for the day as the patients keep hassling poor Wendy saying "when is Clare coming in again?" and poor Joyce is itching to finish her two cards!!!. So i promised and figure that if i can go in atleast once a month it will keep the troops happy!!!.

I will also do 2 hours at the hospice on Thursday afternoon as one of the patients would like to make his wife an Anniversary card (ahhh bless!) so how could i refuse!!! im a sucker i know. Funnily enough there were three gentlemen patients who were so enthusiastic about taking part and one of them even does cardmaking at home in his spare time.

So i will let you know how things are going throughout the weeks and take pics and make updates. Thankyou so much for all of your interest, it makes my heart feel warm.

Love & hugs Clare xxx

WOW HOW LUCKY AM I????

Wow what a lovely start to my morning!!! I have been awarded 2 wonderful blog awards from my gorgeous friends KERYN and CLAIRE!!!!! Thankyou sooooo much beautiful girls.

I have to follow the rules for each award so in no particular order, here goes.

This award is from Claire and firstly i have to thank the person who sent this award. THANKYOU CLAIRE!!!. Secondly i have to list three things i like about myself;

1) I think im a kind & caring person  2) I am totally genuine  3) I love to help people & animals & always want to make them feel happy/better.  Finally i need to pass on the award to 7 people. I am so happy i have received 2 awards as i get to choose another 5 as well as these 7!!!. The friends i have chosen are;

Margi

Deb 

Melissa

Melinda

Squirrel

Marelize

Corrina

This award is from Keryn and the rules are;
1) To thank the person who sent the award. THANKYOU KERYN!!!!
2) Display the award on your blog, which i have done here and on my side bar
3) List 3 things about yourself;
a) I am vegetarian and only buy cosmetics and house hold products that are not tested on animals. I think i probably have the most animal friendly house on the street!!!
b) I am a big believer in the afterlife and i am going to visit a psychic/medium very soon
c) I want to start growing my own vegetables & fruit next year. I love the taste of organic foods & hate pesticides etc. I love healthy foods and would love the feeling of "living off the land!!!"
4) Post a picture that you love;

Well it is a double one caught in two stages of a dance that Mum and Dad had on my wedding day, still the best day of mine & Martin's life as without it there would not be the beautiful memories like these.

5) Tag 5 people you would like to pass this award on to;

Claire (aka wanna-b-rich)

Tracey

Sue

Paula

Teri

Thankyou so much Claire & Keryn for thinking of me. I wish i could have named you both on these lists but i know you both had each received these awards. Instead i send you both loads of love.

This was so hard choosing names, not because i was not sure who i wanted but because i did not want to leave anyone out as there is still plenty i could name!!!.

So to each of you who i have named i want to thankyou for being such beautiful friends and for always commenting on my posts. Also your blogs truly inspire me each and every time i visit with your gorgeous creations.

Thankyou for letting me share.

Love & hugs Clare xxx

AN AMAZING DAY AT ST.WILF'S

Hi everyone!!! i would just like to share with you the amazing day i had on Wednesday at the St.Wilfred's Hospice Day Centre. Some time ago i was asked if would like to spend the day there and take my cards and perhaps show the patients how to make them. Wendy, my beautiful friend who works there, had taken a box of my cards in some weeks ago to sell for Wilfie's fundraising. They proved so popular and the patients asked about me and how i make them so this is how it all came about me being asked to go in there.

So this week it happened!!! i packed up my dolly trolley packed to brim of craft stash and me and Wendy headed to the temporary base in Uckfield. I was really nervous as i did not know what to expect as i had never done anything like this before. Instead of going in unprepared i made up some card packs with stamped images and made up some little files of card and papers already cut to size. I took lots of embellishments and sentiments too.  I made this card below so that the patients had an idea of the style of card we could make. I kept it simple and i had made sure that there were lots of different images for them to choose from and lots of different patterned and coloured paper to choose just so that everyone's card would be different.

I realised when everyone started pouring in to the day centre that i had not needed to worry. I had the biggest & warmest welcome imaginable. At first i was known as "the card lady" as the patients started talking amongst themselves!!!. The nursing staff and volunteers were amazing too and the kindest people you could meet. I was made so welcome and they could not do enough for me.

There were 6 patients in total on Wednesday (it varies week by week) and they all wanted to participate. They were all so excited!. The most amazing thing of the day was that i had a 97 year old man making cards! his enthusiasm was fantastic. Another gentleman who is 93 is really into art and he did a terrific job with his lighthouse image and got well into the Promarkers. He had brought a canvas in of an Aborigional scene which he had made and it was awesome!.

Some of the patients who were unable to physically make the cards themselves were included as much as the able bodied one's. I made up the cards but got them to choose everything they wanted on the card, from the image to what coloured Promarker they wanted & where. It was good as the volunteers helped me out. Some of the nurses were even making cards!!!.

I had a really big soft spot for one of the ladies by the name of Joyce. She was totally beautiful and the tiniest thing you have seen. Joyce made 2 cards and coloured 2 more images but did not have time to finish. We were all really sad when the time had come for everyone to go back on the minibus. I have promised that i will go back very soon and i have kept hold of the unfinished cards and will be taking them back next time for them to finish.

I feel so totally humbled by my day on Wednesday. How a wonderful group of people can get together every week just to take their minds off their illness and forget all their worries. I feel so close to everyone, just after a day.

I have been asked about the possibility of going in to the actual Hospice in Eastbourne to do some cardmaking with patients. I know this will be hard as it is where Mum passed away but i know she would want me to get over this and do it.

By the way to everyone who has kindly donated cards i managed to sell £16 worth of your cardson Weds!!! they also said a very big thankyou to everyone.

Thankyou for letting me share this with you.

Love & hugs Clare xxx

St.Wilfie's Update & a Stack More Cards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone, hope we are all well and busy creating!!! well i promised you all an update on Cameron's coffee morning and i can proudly say that £403.00 was raised on the day!!!! that is amazing for a 2 hour fundraiser!!!.

I am planning to do my own fundraiser a little closer to Christmas so i will be keeping you all posted ok. So that means that cards are still more than appreciated!!! i will also be doing some card classes shortly at the day centre and will be taking cards in to sell to raise money.

I cannot believe the amount of cards that have been sent in since the coffee morning and i have some more very special people to thank. I am also adding a few pics to show you the gorgeous cards proudly vacating my craft room!!!

I would like to thank;

Curt O'Brian for the 12 beautiful House Mouse cards which i will have trouble parting with!!! Curt sent his cards all the way from the USA!

Teresa Sherman for a big box of 36 cards! please pop by her Digital Stamp Shop too!!! This is the second batch of cards that Teri has very kindly sent!

Vicki all the way from OZ and one of my Scrap Therapy pals. Thankyou Vicki for thinking of us!

Thankyou so much guys!!! please make sure that you pop over and check out their fab blogs to see more of their creations.

I spoke with my sister Helen last week and she has a big parcel of cards from some of the girls in OZ who have kindly donated so cannot wait to get them. I will let everyone know when they arrive!!!.

So i am going to leave you with pics of some of the cards Curt, Teri and Vicki have sent.

By Curt

By Teri

By Vicki

Im so sorry about the glare in some but they had the plastic covers on the cards which i did not want to open as all sealed up with creators stickers on. Wish i could have photographed all but think i would be here a month of Sundays!!! besides you can go check out everyone's work on their blogs.

I will be back again soon with updates.

So sorry that i have not been very productive of late. Along with another flare up of my RA i am busy getting my life together as hubster has now moved out. All is cool though and he has moved very nearby and i think he has been over everyday day since he moved out!!!! We are both so happy that we are still able to be close & good friends, makes life a lot easier. He misses the furbabies dreadfully but he knows he can see them whenever he wants to.

I am now in the process of sorting out the bungalow the way "i want it", will be a bit of painting, adding to, sorting out and rearranging. Trying to make life easier around the house for me to live independently too.

Today me and Dad tackled the sheds!!! off to the tip tomorrow and now have a fully functioning shed less the crap!!! the other one is a bit delapidated and noticed there is a large area of flooring missing so once it was cleared out i shut the door behind and hopefully will make a nice home for any forms of wildlife wishing to habitat!!!.

So bear with me and soon i will be back to creating and you never know i may be able to post some pics of my rearranged pad!!!.

Take care & loads of hugs, Clare xxx

LOOK WHAT I HAVE BEEN MAKING!!!!

Hi everyone, so sorry about the absence but hopefully i am back with mojo intact!!!!

I have just had the best weekend at a wonderful "Card Feast" for two days. It was run at the local ESK store by the lovely Gaynor White & Ann Hide and we had 2 full days of creating & inspiration, meeting lots of lovely new people, a yummy meal and treats each day. Here are all of the things we made!!!!!

A CUTE LITTLE MEMO PAD & HOLDER

(DESIGN BY ANN HIDE)

THIS WOULD MAKE AN AWESOME TABLE SETTING!!!

(DESIGN BY GAYNOR WHITE)

SUGARED ALMONDS TO HIDE IN THE TEACUP 

 WE HANDMADE THESE GORGEOUS PETALS WITH SILVER WIRE & BEADS!!! 

 SUCH A LOVELY IDEA TO GIVE TO SOMEONE AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT. THEY ARE MADE OF CHIPBOARD & YOU CAN ADD PHOTOS!

 (DESIGN BY ANN HIDE)

 MY FAVOURITE STYLE! SCENERY STAMPED CARDS!!!!

 (DESIGN BY ANN HIDE)

 A SELECTION OF CARDS!!!

 (DESIGN BY GAYNOR WHITE)

  (DESIGN BY GAYNOR WHITE)

 (DESIGN BY GAYNOR WHITE)

 (DESIGN BY ANN HIDE)

(DESIGN BY ANN HIDE)

As you can see there was heaps of creations. We all really enjoyed the weekend and are looking forward to the next one being planned! thankyou Gaynor & Ann, MWAH xxx

Thankyou for stopping by. Will be back soon with more news and creations!

Lots of love Clare xxx

St.Wilfred's Fundraiser Saturday!!!!!

Wow what a great day it turned out to be!!!!! we were so thrilled with the turn out and for the whole 2 hour event i reckon we did fantastically!

It is Sunday morning and i am sitting here still in PJ's just chilling and reflecting about the manic week it has been! i am still amazed at the response to my beautiful friend KERYN'S blog appeal and the kindness that all fellow card makers have shown by sending parcels full of cards to donate.

Yesterday went so well and i do know that the cards alone made £70.00 in 2 hours!!! we should know in a week or so the total donations that were made so i will make an announcement as soon as those figures are in.

I would like to share some pics with you, in particular one's of a very special little boy who made the day happen. Here is Cameron!!!

  

HERE IS CAMERON TOGGED OUT IN HIS ST.WILFIES T-SHIRT!

IN CHARGE OF THE TREASURE HUNT & CRAFT TABLE!

ON THE BALL WITH THE TAKINGS!

HERE ARE PICS OF ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL CARDS EVERYONE HAS DONATED!

 ME, LOUISE (CAMERONS MUM), WENDY (CAMERONS NAN) AND CAMERON, BY THEN HE HAD DECIDED TO GET HIS FACE PAINTED!!!

Now that i have been part of a fundraising event it has inspired me to do one of my own so i am hoping to do one later in the year and make it Christmassy. Obviously i need to find out about it and run through more ideas but i would love to organise something with the help of my friends.

Cards that were left over from yesterday will be sold at future events and at the Wednesday care centre so every now and then i will be updating you guys on cards sale figures. Please also feel free to carry on sending any spare cards or crafty creations as each and every one of them will be sold and every single penny/cents will be donated to St.Wilfred's Hospice. 

Thankyou so so much everyone. You have all totally restored my faith in people's kindness. I was telling everyone yesterday who would listen about how everyone has been donating their cards, also from all around the globe!!! 

I would like to say a huge thankyou to all of these ladies so far;

KERYN, JODY D, BRENDA B, ANNIE J, SYLVIE, TERRY S, JODY P, JULIA D, CHRISSIE S,  CLAIRE, ENFYS C, SUE CARRINGTON, JO B, SUE COOPER, JODY, DEBBY Y, CRAFTY CHRIS & TASHA.

I am so hoping that i have remembered everyone! please thump me if i haven't ok. Any future cards that arrive i will still be thnking them personally & in blog posts. I know the girls at SCRAP THERAPY are planning cardmaking days to which the owners Lee-Anne & Danny are organising so watch this space!!!

I will be updating again very soon.

Godbless to everyone.

Love & hugs Clare xxx 

Wowsers More Coming in!!!!!

Howdy everyone, sorry im a little late tonight but had the girls over to help me sift through all of the beautiful cards which are still arriving each day. Apart from Dawny and Amanda pawing away in envy and "ooooh's and aaaahhh's" we did actually get all of the cards priced up which was such a big help.

Ok firstly, today not only did i get a visit from Mr.Postie but Mr.Royal Mail Van Driver!!!

Well to say me and the cats were excited is an understatement! i managed to distract Simone for 5 seconds with treats long enough to get this pic! so today i would like to say a very big thankyou to;

1. Crafty Chris

2. Claire

3. Debby

Please go take a look at their beautiful work over on their blogs. Thankyou so much girls you are so so generous.

I am so excited about Saturday now with having so many gorgeous cards to temp everyone with!!!

So tonight the girls were over and we decided to take some random pics of the cards and us generally pratting around!!!

I know, not the most flattering pics of us but it was late, hot and we were tired!!!!

Right off to bed so will be back tomorrow. Thankyou once again all of you very lovely and kind cardmakers out there.

Godbless

Love Clare xxx

Toot Toot.......More Cards!!!!!!

Wow more cards today delivered by Mr.Postie!!! Just had a tally up and we now have 125 gorgeous cards towards Cameron's St.Wilfie's coffee morning!!!!!

Today i had a big parcel through from the very beautiful Teresa Sherman (Teri) with loads of yummy cards. Please go pop by Teri's great blog and also go visit her wonderful digi shop Delicious Doodles. Teri is such a very talented lady and draws all of her own fabulous digi images. Thankyou so much Teri, MWAH!!!!!

So here is todays pics for you just to show you the volume of cards coming in;

Teri's contribution today!!!

Wow Look at all of these gorgeous cards!!!!!

Here's my baby girl giving the paws up on the parcels!!!!

You will all be glad to know that Bert & Simone have to inspect all of the parcels on a daily basis, they are like sniffer dogs!!!

Well only another 2 days tomorrow before the big event so i am still creating. Will bring you some pics tomorrow of what i have been making. Just to reassure you all that any cards left on Saturday, well if there are any! will be sold at later events and/or when i pop in to the Wednesday day centre or the hospice itself. Please keep sending them in guys as i am also hoping to maybe have my own coffee morning, perhaps nearer to Christmas permitting.

Thankyou once again everyone, if i could i would wrap my arms around you all!!! will be back tomorrow.

Big big enormous squidgy kisses.

Clare xxx

Whoopie found it!!!!

Ok so i was a little hasty suspecting Bert & Simone of kidnapping the camera! it actually took Martin to find it tonight after he too turned the bungalow upside down. In the process of searching under wardrobes, chests of drawers etc he found half of the kitties toys so they are extremely happy tonight!!! all i seem to do is buy them ping pong balls, squeaky toys and foam balls because they go missing, now i know where, i thought they were eating them!!! It was found on the kitties radiator bed which i use for piling paperwork onto as they never go on it!

Anyway back to business and here is a picture to show all of the wonderful parcels that have arrived so far;

Today i received another two yummy packages, and one was all the way from America!!!!

So i would like to thank Brenda Butler all the way from Michigan and Julia Dunnit for all of their beautiful cards. Please pop over to their gorgeous blogs  by clicking onto their names. Thankyou so so much girls you are so kind!!!

I am currently working on a few altered creations now. I have made a few cards but i reckon that we are going to be well covered!!! so thought it would be a good idea to make some notebooks, decorate some trinket boxes etc. I will take some pics tomorrow along with pictures each day of all of the beautiful cards everyone is sending.

Thankyou once again (i do not think i can say it enough!!!) and also for all of your wonderful messages that you are sending on my blog and by email.

Love to you all, back tomorrow!!!

Aaaaaggghhh Lost my Camera!!!!

I am so sorry i am so late to post but have been searching high & low for my camera!!!! Every day this week i want to do a post on the progress of the St.Wilfies charity event happening this Saturday along with all of the wonderful card filled parcels that have started to arrive.

All evening i have been ripping the bungalow apart searching for the blinking camera. Two little pussycats are giving me "those eyes" everytime i look at them as if they are saying "it wasn't me!" the verdict is out on that one until i find it as i know they have been caught playing with it as they love the string thingy attatched to the case, Bert in particular is fond of it as it resembles the ribbon box!

Ok so no photies tonight but i have some very special ladies to thank today. Mr.Postman came with his reinforced postbag on wheels this morning with not one but six parcels!!!!!! me and the furbabies were so excites as they tumbled onto the bed ready to be opened.

Simone showed her approved by playing with bits of ribbon and string attatched to certain cards and the pair of them were "sniffing" on overdrive and rubbing & smooching against cards & parcels claiming them for theirselves!

So today the very special ladies i need to thank, in no particular order are;

1. Jo B

2. Jody P

3. Sue C

4. Chrissie S

5. Enyf's C

6. Sue C

Out of respect i will not include these ladies surnames but i have linked all of their names direct to their blogs so please, please go pop over to see their beautiful work.

THANKYOU, THANKYOU, THANKYOU BEAUTIFUL LADIES!!!!!!!!! 

These lovely ladies cards are so yummy i might have to keep them all!!! no, seriously i believe we are going to be able to raise a lot of money for Cameron's coffee morning. I feel totally humbled by the response of Keryn's plea over on her blog last week. We have both received so many emails with the offer to send cards, not only in the UK but USA, Australia and even Gibraltar!!!

Just remember everyone that this plea is not only for Saturday but will be an ongoing fundraising pledge.

I will be thanking everyone personally but i will also add them to my blog posts as soon as they arrive as i know that Keryn has received some too which are being sent on.

Ok so i am going to hunt a bit more for this flipping camera and will be adding pics as soon as i can. Failing that i will be asking people to send me cameras also, NO IM ONLY JOKING!!! sure i can borrow one!

Thankyou again for all of your efforts & kindness everyone. I will be back tomorrow after stalking the postie. Best go get on creating in my craft room.

Warm hugs, Clare xxx

P.S Feeling a lot more human this week, steroids kicking in  atlast and not needed Morphine, just normal meds. Will be keeping Morphine in the bathroom cabinet only for really bad pain & parties!!!

When Your Friends Come Together...

I can never get used to the sheer kindness of people who i am proud to call friends. During my time of being out of action i have had a big worry on my mind, i promised a little boy by the name of Cameron, who is only 7 years old by the way, that i would attend the coffee morning he has arranged at his house on 17th July to raise money for St.Wilfred's Hospice. He asked me to make lots of cards for him and anything else crafty to help make more money towards his coffee morning. He is a totally outstanding little boy and is where his Nan Wendy works as a carer. Many of you also know that the hospice is totally close to my heart as they looked after my dear Mum and is where she spent her last days on earth. Wendy is also my neighbour and also looked after Mum. 

The big worry comes from me because i have been out of action and unable to make any cards of late. I have a few to contribute but really wanted to go that extra mile for this little boy who has even sold some of his toys to help raise money.

So this morning i heard from my beautiful friend KERYN who has made an announcement on her BLOG appealing to all of her friends to donate cards for this wonderful cause. Not only has keryn had response from her blog followers but also from challenge blogs she enters. So thankyou so far to Claire, Chris, Tasha, Sue, Annie, Enfys, Sue C, Chrissie and Jody who have all so kindly agreed to send a card or cards. I am so overwhelmed at everyone's generosity and has made me really teary, but in a good way!!! So if there is anyone else out there who is interested please feel free to email me on earlygirl1@hotmail.co.uk and if you can just pop up in the message box "For St.Wilf's Card Donations" just so i know i am not being spammed!!! If you are sending cards please make sure that you put your name on the card so that you, the designer can get the credit, feel free to add a contact number/email/blog too so that people can see your future work too.

This will be an ongoing cause in my heart as when i am well enough i am going to go to the St.Wilfred's day centre when i can. It is open every Wednesday in Uckfield and is open for the local patients in surrounding villages and is somewhere they can get together to take their minds off their illness, get them out in the community, advice on treatments, have a nice cooked meal and have a good old chin wag. St.Wilf's are looking for volunteers, especially in the craft areas to go in and make cards, get the patients involved and have a bit of fun as well as being there to talk and share experiences etc. It is a very laid back day for all to chill out and have a bit of pampering, as well as meeting some amazing people. So i will be constantly making & selling cards and every penny will be going to the hospice.

I will be thanking everyone personally and am also going to be taking pics and will announce the funds that are raised on Cameron's special day.

You have all made me feel so happy in my heart tonight, thankyou beautiful ladies xxx

P.S Keryn you are my guardian angel, and i have now stopped blubbing!

  

An Update!

Hello beautiful friends, just an update to let you know what is happening. Monday i spent the morning on the phone to GP to hospital, back to GP, back to hospital & then back to GP. It took me to end up in tears on the phone to actually get something done and my doctor rang me at 1pm after being in consultations all morning. He did not seem too thrilled that i had been buggered around all morning 
and still not having the letter from the hospital he did a prescription of his own. So the past couple of days i have been in an almost comatosed state of Morphine and steroids and complete bed rest. Not that i could have done anything else, boy is that morphine good and helped no end but you just cannot function!!! My doctor is going to prescribe the new painkiller when he finally gets the letter but he wants me to keep the morphine as a breakthrough drug incase i ever get that bad again.

So this morning i have felt a lot better and hopefully the steroids are kicking in. I have not needed the morphine today and got by with my regular pain meds. It says that your body gets over the side effects when you take it regularly but i do not want to get used to it. That strictly stays in the med cupboard if nothing else helps. Like i say it is a an exeptional drug for pain relief but could not handle being in a zombi like state 24/7!!!

Thankyou again my friends for all of your well wishes. Hopefully i will be back to creating real soon xxxx

Thankyou xxx

Would just like to say a big big thankyou to all of my beautiful friends for your wonderful well wishes. Can only keep this brief as unfortunately my Rheumatoid is now affecting my right hand (yep thanks for that you bastard disease!). I have had a really bad week, hence no creating. Tomorrow i will be chasing my GP again as still no word on my new treatment which is now 2 weeks since i saw my specialist, it is so bloody frustrating!!!

Your lovely messages, emails, phonecalls and gifts (thanks Keryn!) mean absolutely everything to me and give me a real boost and keep me going. You are all just the best!!! xxxx

BIG, BIG UPDATE, MAY NEED A CUPPA FOR THIS ONE!!!

Hello all of my gorgeous blog family, i am so sorry it has been a while but i do have several good reasons, believe me!!! im afraid i bring no cards at this time as i have not been doing a lot of late (which i hope to rectify shortly!).

So here goes...............deep breath........and away we go..........................

I have not been able to write about this thus far, you have probably noticed i have not been my usual chirpy self of late (again hopefully soon to be rectified!) and i have had a lot of family (who read my blog) to inform first, that being my blood family, not my blog family! unfortunately me & the hubster have decided to seperate. No one else in the frame, no animosity, no nastiness, no rowing......we still remain very close, best friends infact, which was one of the reasons our marriage did not work. We love each other dearly, but just as friends, and we want to remain in each other's lives. It has been one of the hardest decisions in my life but i think it is best for both of us. We both have many plans for our future, seperately & together. Our friendship and our furbabies will keep us linked, and as my family is  also his, this will keep us united.

I have also been feeling really unwell for the last 3 weeks with my Rheumatoid as many of you know. As well as a lot of pain i have been feeling totally exhausted and not having much enthusiasm to be creative. I know a lot of stress has not helped and i need to start taking more control over my life. I went to see my Rheumatologist on Tuesday and to say he was a little shocked at how much i have deteriorated since he last saw me is an understatement. For the past few months i have only being seeing my Biologics nurse who has been supervising my drug trials but Dr.Sam now wants to see me on a very regular basis. The first thing he wants to do is get my pain under a lot more control. Over the next 4 months he wants to get me on daily steroids (i have been having injections every few weeks) and a slow release & long lasting pain killer, along with breakthrough meds if needed. Although i am worried about being on daily steroids, at this point i am willing to give anything a go. Mum was on them for 20 years and they did so much damage to her poor body but they helped to keep her alive. There are 2 more drug trials coming out in the next couple of months so Dr.Sam wants to see which one will be suitable. He also wants me to have another MRI scan as it has been a couple of years since i last had one. He is concerned about my spine so i guess he wants to see what kind of deterioration is going on there too. So all in all it was a good appointment. I have to wait for my GP to prescribe the new meds so guessing i will be starting these some time next week.

I have many plans for my future which i will be sharing with you all over the following weeks. My main goal at the moment is to get my RA under more control. Me & hubster need to get the finances sorted and all of the crap that goes with it (lots of form filling i guess!!!). I should be able to stay in the bungalow with the furbabies which i am relieved about as could not bear that upheaval.

Thankyou to all of my beautiful friends and thankyou for listening to me harp on. I find that my blog is the best therapy around. Your comments are absolutely precious to me & keep me going through the good & bad times. I promise i will be popping by everyone's blogs very soon as i know i have let that slip big time. I have always made a big effort to update my reading list daily and comment on all of your blogs but have not even been on my laptop as regular as normal.

I love you guys and will be back soon, just bear with me! xxxxxxxxxxxx