Summer Phone Call

Come with me... And you'll be...In a world of...Pure imagination, Take a look..And you'll see...Into your imagination...**ring, ring** (someone answer the phone)**ring** "hello...anybody home? Hi (your name here) its Regina calling...how are you doing today? Staying cool I hope. It is hot here in Cincinnati...You are feeling OK today you say, that is good.... Um I was wondering if you could come out & play? (remember your eyes are closed therefore *imagination in use*) Figure maybe we could sit by the pool under the trees and sip cool drinks. Or sit in on my porch and watch the world go by. Do some handmade craft? Maybe a game of gin rummy or canasta? We are in the lazy, hazy days of summer you know **possible replies** well here is where you fill in the blanks,,, that is for your end of this conversation...**my response** "that's great looking forward to seeing you..you have a good porch for porch sitting you say some iced cool drinks on all ready and cookies fresh from the oven *really the store* .....Well great I will be right over. It will be good times" **phone disconnects** *BIG SMILE* someone can come out & play....

7000 Bracelets of Hope...

On Feb. 28, 2011 my outlook on my life was altered dramatically. I received a post on that day about it being World Rare Disease Day which linked me to the Global Gene Project and the 7000 Bracelets of Hope page. I thought wow…a chance to do something for the children who suffer and their families.  I have Polymyositis which I believe is under the rare category since it effects only1in 100,000 people. As an adult this has been a struggle for my family and I, since no one really understood the future challenges that we were to face. I cannot even imagine what it is like for a child or especially a parent to deal with diagnosis that very few people understand.

 

What caught my attention was the bracelet campaign. I thought here is something to pass on a bit of hope and support every day. I started making jewelry when a fall left me in a wheelchair and I had to give up my job. So I was all in with the bracelet project. These two blog really made up my mind to create some. A blog post from a parent …world rare disease-day-2011 and a blog from an artist The Rest of the Story left me certain I would be helping out.

 Sometimes it is the little things that can make a huge difference.  I had recently offered to make a necklace for a friend. I just really wanted to make her something easy to wear and would make her feel pretty when going to her Doctors appointments.  Her reply touched my heart in many ways… “That is the most kind offer! In fact  call me an emo, but tearing up right now!! I love everything...pearls, natural stone. but you surprise me! Anything you make is beautiful and I will like and treasure forever! It would be awesome to wear something to the doctors that you made so that I feel like I have piece of all my myositis friends with me, along with their strength.”  The fact that someone else thinks of me as strong…makes me feel strong in a way.

So I hope that the bracelets pass along a bit of hope, strength and good karma to all those who receive them. And they know that there are people who understand. And you to can send hope to a child.

My Handmade Holidays

The holidays are fast approaching and for most families money is tight, very tight. When my girls were young I was a single mom, we had very little money. So a handmade Christmas was what we had back then. One year my children and I made picture frames with cardboard, left over material and poly stuffing. Imagine an 8 year old and 2 year old with glue and fabric...messy to say the least.  Have you ever made Christmas tree ornament out of pine cones, ribbon and glitter? We made gifts and decorations from found objects. Found objects..little did we know we where green even back then! Oh no wait we also did that when I was little too. I can remember making stars and snowflakes out of aluminum tv dinner trays.
Fast forward to 2010...handmade has taken on a whole new look. There is all kinds of handmade venues on the internet, ArtFire is just one of many. You can find jewelry made from old pieces, journals and books made from old cereal boxes. You can find clothes knit with yarn reclaimed from discarded sweaters. Baskets made with yarn made from plastic grocery bags and old VCR tapes.
As artisans we can make anything old new again. On ArtFire you can find anything from vintage clothes and jewelry to cool guitar straps to pencils cups made from old computer discs. Stop by ArtFire and browse by trends, color, location or holiday to name just a few.
Stop and pour yourself a cup of tea and shop from your comfy chair.