Cross stitch Peacock

I havent cross stitched in maybe 15 years but suddenly got a hankering for it after finding my embroidery thread from middle school yesterday.  After searching through so many "grandma- themed" patterns, I settled on this awesome peacock pattern from 1742.  I love that someone hundreds of years ago was working on the same image and with the colors I have, it should turn out awesome.

I couldnt find a quilting hoop though so my hand started cramping from holding the fabric taut for even just half an hour.  I'm using a square of wool as opposed to cross stitch fabric so i dont get to see where the corners of the squares should be, but estimation works just fine.  I see this one as a practice run anyway to get my groove back:

workin up a mess

Mess Mess Mess

I pulled out all the christmas decor before cleaning up around here and before even starting on setting up the three trees, im really tempted to make some more stuff out of the coffee bean bags i have.   ugh.  every few weeks i transition from jewelry making to sewing then back and this usually creates even more chaos than usual.  plus im trying to get my studio completely organized.  oh well.  here are some photos from a couple days ago.

today im gonna work on the trees and making a masculine bag for my husband to put his guitar cords, extra pedals and other such music macabre in.   right after i tidy up the brows.

from the studio- they live in this little drawer and occasionally i open it up to say hello to the little family.  i have more members but theyre somewhere in the closet.

i recently rescued a lot of art and can't wait to put it up on the walls

9mm Luger and carved wooden skul

Leather Bracelets

I went into my studio to make rings out of old leather scraps when I made these bracelets instead:

This key one is unisex and I had my husband try it on.  Although he said it would be bad for guitar playing, he did like it.  I used leather and a key I found.

Here are the three I ended up making:

I love bracelets with "tails"; danglies make things much more awesome

Yoga and Ulcerative Colitis

"Yoga is one of the effective forms of treatment for ankylosing spondylitis"


Good to know.   I woke up this morning hardly able to move without horrible sharp pain in my very lower back.  Not a surprise since I was up so many times through the night and suffered yesterday as well.  Unable to switch into any position to relieve pain and being practically immobilized anyway- I lay awake, occasionally writhing from a sharp, shooting pain until I passed out again.   Sleeping next to someone is its own special torture.  I lay his hand on my back for the warmth which even if not soothing, was comforting but every time he moved it made me move with the slightest twist or turn causing much discomfort.  And also, I wanted to switch sides of the bed to avoid being moved as much when he got up to pee (he's usually against the wall) but this backfired!!  A couple times he came back to bed and almost lay right down on top of me forgetting we had rotated!  


When I first started having arthritis it was so baffling as I thought it was just my muscles.  Isn't laying down and relaxing supposed to help?  Fetal position, flat on my back, rolled into a ball and sleeping on my shins and forehead- NOTHING felt good and it all caused so much pain.  At the time I was an advil fiend (walmart brand anyway, cheapo) yet this did nothing.  As I've come to learn, it's usually worse in the morning and can ease up through out the day and with movement.  Knowing this I did do some yoga yesterday however they were modified movements at time and some stretches I right out skipped being extra sensitive of any signs my body gave me.   


I also suffer from arthritis in other joints (another kind of arthritis all together) and occasionally have problems with my knees, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, and shoulders.  The worst is when I think that maybe my crafty lifestyle causes the pain in the wrists and fingers but I do try and do stretches that combat carpal tunnel and knowing everything else I do about my body I doubt the pain is from my artsy endeavors.


The internet is so great for research but I do extensive reading because there are varying theories and sometimes conflicting information.  I take it all in, contemplate, and take from it when I can.  I also read a lot of books about herbs, Ayurveda, nutrition, etc.  Not one person can be right, I know this.  But I can find what's right For Me.  The more I search, the more I find.  When you know what's going on, there's an essence of comfort.  


In addition to arthritis, I find I will sometimes develop inflammation of the iris of my eye, experience extreme fatigue, form super painful canker sores, and can succumb to malnutrition.  The difference between regular canker sores and mine is that instead of going away in a week, they have lasted over a month and instead of one, I sometimes get patches of many.  It gets extremely painful to eat, sleep, talk, smile, drink, and just EXIST!


It's nice to know that there's an answer for these things I've experienced and focuses my determination to find relief.   Through yoga, meditation, stress relief, awareness, and diet I find I "get sick" less frequently- though in the midst of a "flare up" I have to catch myself when I start getting scared and upset.    


I've had more, longer periods of remission since making a determined effort to get a handle on my health and disease and that to me is progress.


As far as drugs are concerned, I don't take my NSAIDs and doctors think I should be on steroids.   A lot of health practitioners would maybe say I'm wrong and hurting myself.   If I found a doctor that actually listened to me and heard my concerns I would consider what they said but so far I've had a lot of bad appointments and have left in tears feeling so alone and ignored.   


NSAIDs come in two categories- Selective and Non Selective.  One is more known for causing internal bleeding and that's what I got for the arthritis!  Why would I take a drug that makes the disease that causes the arthritis worse? Numbing the pain with these drugs would only surge the CAUSE of it!  How much sense does that make???  When I asked about a local support group or a way to find one I was told there were none- must ve been a lie to mask his ignorance.  


One form of solace on mornings like this is research.  Reading others' testimonials, checking up on new studies and possible causes- it pulls things into perspective and into something I can handle.  


All in all, everyone's got something.  There are tons worse diseases and situations than Ulcerative Colitis.


With the recent passing of a friend, the stress of traveling so much, and a couple weeks of sparse yoga- I'm sure I know the cause of this discomfort.   At least I have my beautiful, new, yoga mat to inspire me to get back into my routine!

Dia de los Muertos 2010, Dream Catcher

My camera mysteriously died and then came back to life again hours later so I didnt get too many pictures of the Cleveland celebration of Dia de los Muertos.  Also, I was busy leaving Stella's memorial, to pick up lobsters, to swing by the celebration, make a quick stop in Wall Eye Gallery, and then on to a friend's house.  This is indicative of a typical Cleveland weekend.  Always something to do and always (usually) crappy weather.

 I've always wanted to make a dream catcher and looked up some instructions online.  I made this one, but out of wire so you can tell it took me a while to get the twists right.  Oh well.  It hangs from leather and is accented with gemstones and glass beads.

Makin n Makin Some More

An herb bouquet since my flowers are dying.  Rosemary and African Blue Basil:

A display is never finalized.  Any time I've ever sold somewhere, I've had a totally different set up.  Here Im using a drill bit box to display lower priced earrings:

The weekend show went really well and was profitable.  Im glad Ive been making so much lately!

Another necklace I dont want to part with.  It reminds me of an Egyptian Princess.  Though who knows if they even had princesses.  I used recycled jewelry here and turquoise.  

And I finally made a tote bag out of one of the bean bags!  I got these from a local bean roaster and I've recycled one into a nice tote with an interior pocket and brass, magnetic snap closure.  Really perfect.  I know I have to many bags, but how can I not keep this one?!  

I  also made a couple yoga bags for my old and new mats.

I graduated from my mat I bought at Walmart some 5 years ago for a nice one from Gaiam.  I'd been looking for a couple of months and shopping around price wise.  I was familiar with the thicknesses, designs, and other features like being made free from toxic chemicals.  I went with a reversible 4mm (wanted 5 but compromised for the color) grape/mauve sticky mat.  I love it so far however its hard to put in the back because of its anti skid features!  I had to add a nice thick strip of vintage fabric to the purple corduroy just to wiggle it in.

Last of the fall flowers...