Tuesday's Treasures: Today is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day!

~My Faithful Fibro Companion, Arwen~

May 12 is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, thank you for visiting! My Etsy store is donating 5% of the total sales before taxes and shipping to Fibromyalgia Awareness charities this month in honor of this day. Please visit to see some great items, and feel good for helping a great cause at the same time!
Here is some very important information about fibromyalgia:
Government Data confirms that Canadians with Fibromyalgia are very disadvantaged

The following information was extracted by the National ME/FM Action Network from the Statistics Canada datafile for the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey.
An estimated 390,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Over half were between the ages of 45 and 64. Roughly a quarter were younger than 45 and 20% were 65 years old or older. Over 80% were female.

Canadians with Fibromyalgia showed a high degree of activity limitation:
*Need help with preparing meals:
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 16%, Canadians in General: 3%
*Need help with getting to appointments and running errands:
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 28%, Canadians in General: 5%
*Need help – doing housework:
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 35%, Canadians in General: 5%
*Need help with heavy household chores (such as spring cleaning or yard work):
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 57%, Canadians in General: 12%
*Need help with personal care:
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 7%, Canadians in General: 2%
*Need help moving about inside the house:
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 8%, Canadians in General: 1%

Canadians with Fibromyalgia also experienced socio-economic disadvantage:
*Permanently unable to work (ages 15-74):
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 14%, Canadians in General: 2%
*Annual personal income less than $15,000 (ages 15+):
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 43%, Canadians in General: 29%
*Food insecure:
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 11%, Canadians in General: 5%
*Very weak sense of belonging to local community
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 13%, Canadians in General: 10%

There are gaps in service to Canadians with Fibromyalgia:
*Unmet health care needs over the previous 12 months:
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 26%, Canadians in General: 11%
*Unmet home care needs over the previous 12 months (ages 18+):
Canadians with Fibromyalgia: 11%, Canadians in General: 2%

The National ME/FM Action Network has being telling government health officials for years that:
• Fibromyalgia is a very disabling illness,
• the illness has substantial impact on people's lives
• there are significant gaps in health care delivery.
Now Canadian government data confirms what we have been saying.
Please share this important information with others. Help to make this information as widely known as possible.
About the Canadian Community Health Survey:
The Canadian Community Health Survey is a major survey designed by Canadian health authorities to identify and monitor health issues affecting Canadians aged 12 and up. There were 27,100,000 Canadians in scope for the survey. Over 130,000 Canadians were interviewed.
About the National ME/FM Action Network:
The National ME/FM Action Network is a registered charity working on behalf of Canadians with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. Please visit www.mefmaction.net.

****These tables were compiled by Ms Margaret Parlor, President, National ME/FM Action Network. Ms Parlor recently retired from a 30 year public service career where she worked as a statistician, policy analyst and manager.

Excerpted from an email from:
Lydia E. Neilson, M.S.M., National ME/FM Action Network
Tel. (613) 829-6667

Thanks for reading! I hope you learned a little bit of our struggles, and many of our triumphs! We are getting recognition for our disease - more and more reputable medical clinics are now doing trials and testing and soon we may have a cure or totally effective treatment for our disease :)

Lots of New FibroAware Jewellery!

EarringsBraceletNecklaceRing
~All of the Beautiful New FibroAware Jewellery~

So yes, I've been busy! Etsy teams and making jewellery and birthdays and so much more, I am surprised I haven't been absent on the blogger front for longer. That being said, I am so excited to show you my new additions to my FibroAware line of jewellery. This line is made to shed light on those suffering from Fibromyalgia, as I myself do every day. Many are unable to work outside their homes (myself included), and some are unable to work at all. This line is devoted to pledging 10% of the total sales before taxes to charities that help those with Fibromyalgia. Not only is it a good cause, this jewellery is gorgeous too! These newest items are made from sterling silver wire and amethyst, or other purple beads, as purple is the colour for fibromyalgia awareness. The earrings are made from dark amethyst bead drops, and Czech glass fire polish beads in "crystal" for the center of the earrings. I used the crystal to represent the tears that we sometimes shed, and the fibromyalgia purple amethyst to represent the community of fibromyalgia sufferers and supporters rallying around. The newest bracelet and necklace are made from two types of amethyst - light and dark in such beautiful, contrasting shades, it makes you wonder that something can come in so many different, and beautiful, colours. The light shade is almost a drop-style of bead in that it is quite long in relation to its width, and you are able to carefully spin them so that it can look very sleek with the beads facing one direction, or edgy with them facing different directions. The dark shade is a great contrast. The sterling silver beads make the whole thing really pop! The ring is made from sterling silver wire, hand coiled into a Celtic style of ring with small amethyst nuggets nestled between two Swarovski clear Crystal bicones. Very sparkly and pretty, this is made to be on your thumb, but I can make similar ones to fit your fingers.
All of these (and more to come!) are available on my Etsy store at: www.littlestudiojewels.etsy.com - Don't forget that between September 15-30 Etsy for Animals is having their birthday bash and you will bet 20% off everything in our participating stores with the coupon code "LITT"! Start your holiday shopping then and you will have it out of the way in good time, supporting local artists - and saving money while you're at it.
I hope you visit and thank you!
Meghann

Celtic-Style Hammered Copper Necklace and Earrings

~Necklace and Earrings Together~

~'Dagger' Drop Bead Detail~

~Spiral Clasp Detail~

This last week has been really something. I am now officially teaching some wire working jewellery classes at The Bead Store in Kemptville starting in September, I've been working on several jewellery projects at once, I've been cleaning and gardening, taking photos for a friend, and I've been really sick with my Fibromyalgia flareups.
The piece above was originally going to be a mock-up for a Fibromyalgia Awareness jewellery set, but after making a few heart-shaped links, it took on a life of its own (as so often happens with art) and I was inspired to change a few things and make the necklace in its entirety. I then had to make matching earrings for it (of course!). Over 7 feet of copper wire was hand-wrapped and hammered into 21 Celtic-style hearts that are connected with silver-plated jump rings. 7 'jet' Czech glass 'dagger' beads are suspended from the bottoms of select hearts for extra style and substance. A sterling silver spiral clasp is the perfect accent, and also hammered to match the copper wire's hammered finish. An additional 2 hearts are suspended from sterling silver ear wires, with an additional 2 Czech glass 'dagger' beads in turn suspended from the bottom of the hearts. This necklace is lighter than air, despite it's appearance.
I'm now working on a similar-but-different piece in 14karat gold-filled wire with amethyst beads for a necklace, with matching earrings and a different take on the piece for a similarly-styled bracelet. I'll do a similar set in sterling silver when I'm done. I'll have them all for sale, but I might just keep some for myself - they are that gorgeous!
I'll keep you updated on the progress of the new pieces. Check the web links to the right of the page to go to The Bead Store's website and check them out!
Stay adorned, and until next time,
Meghann

Fibromyalgia Awareness Jewellery 3

~Fibromyalgia Awareness Jewellery~
~Sterling Silver, Amethyst, Swarovski Pearl and Swarovski Crystal Necklace~

I think what I love about this jewellery is that people don't necessarily know right away that it is a piece of awareness jewellery, or what illness in particular it is bringing awareness to. The great thing is that it encourages conversation. People will ask what the piece is about, and you get to tell them, and explain the illness. It is a great way to start a conversation and educate people on the disease. I think that is very positive. I am sick, but I have great jewellery because of it - there is a silver lining to every cloud!
I LOVE this necklace! Its made of sterling silver beads, a custom sterling silver clasp, real amethyst nuggets and smooth amethyst chips, as well as Swarovski crystal pearls and Swarovski crystals. I wanted this to look good with a pair of your favourite jeans, or a fancy evening dress.
I love how it starts out as a simple necklace and then transforms with a beautiful multi-drop pendant with more amethysts, crystals, and sterling silver beads swinging and catching every bit of light. A beautiful sterling silver awareness charm is suspended from the center dangle.
The necklace is about 16 inches long, with the 3 inch dangle.
This is a beautiful, sparkly piece that will make you feel special and make any occasion even more special!
This will be available for sale on the website shortly at www.littlestudio.ca
I'll have more jewellery soon - this line has really inspired me!
Take care,
Meghann

Fibromyalgia Awareness Jewellery 2

~Fibromyalgia Awareness Jewellery~
~Sterling Silver and Amethyst Earrings~

Here are the matching earrings to the bracelet - which I made custom for the client who has purchased the bracelet and these earrings already! These are also one-of-a-kind. I'm trying to get more amethyst nuggets to try and make similar ones - though even if I tried, the hand-wrapped wire means that I'll never make 2 identical. I like that. I like being able to give people the chance to own something that no-one else has. They may have something similar, but never the same - makes you feel special!
I'll be making more jewellery soon, including a line of interchangeable earrings with Fibromyalgia Awareness pieces in those too.
Next post: the necklace, and boy will you want to see that!
Take care,
Meghann

Fibromyalgia Awareness Jewellery

~Fibromyalgia Awareness Bracelet~
~Amethyst, Sterling Silver, and Swarovski Crystal Bracelet~

I've finally finished the first piece of jewellery in a series of Fibromyalgia Awareness jewellery items! It is a one-of-a-kind bracelet made with Amethyst, sterling silver wire and Swarovski Crystals, and is absolutely gorgeous. The awareness colour for Fibromyalgia is purple so I used amethyst. The beads are smooth, tumbled nuggets about 1cm in length, and are wrapped with nearly 3 1/2 feet of sterling silver wire, symbolizing the control we aim to have over the disease. The Swarovski crystals are about 6mm wide and when light flows through them, it creates a rainbow of colours, symbolizing the light that shines from within each sufferer. I will be making more items, but this is the first, and is very special, especially as it is the only on eof its kind. This bracelet is available for sale on the website at www.littlestudio.ca Just follow the links to the bracelets page.
All of the Fibromyalgia awareness items will have 10% of the price of each item going towards charities that help those with Fibromyalgia, such as the Canadian Arthritis Society, instead of the regular charity of the month.
I will be making more items as I can, as well as putting together tutorials for teaching you how to make your own beautiful jewellery pieces! Keep checking back for more information.
Take care, happy adornment!
Meghann