Monday Mix: Random Acts of Kindness Week

My First Polymer Clay Sculptures - Not Perfect, but I'm Happy :)

 Good Monday morning on this, the first day of Random Acts of Kindness Week! I've got a great week in store for you all, so I hope you've buckled your seat belts. With this week being Random Acts of Kindness Week, I will aim to do one random nice thing each day. Today: Maybe we can send our special someone a couple of nice, short emails along the lines of:

You are awesome! 

I love waking up next to you :) 

You look great today!

Keeping them short and sweet makes sure they aren't bogged down reading lengthy emails when they should be working, but allows them to take 2 minutes to stop and smile :)

Before I get to this week's events, I'd like to share a milestone: yesterday, the Facebook page for Little Studio Jewellery by Meghann Lynch, reached 100 followers! The followers on that page have been given a little treat, so, if you want in on a pretty sweet deal, visit & LIKE the Facebook page and start saving. It's a limited time offer, so hurry on over and get yours today. The link is down and to the right on this blog --->

Tuesdays I like to unveil new pieces of jewelry, or show you pieces that I've rephotographed or redesigned. Tomorrow will be a grand unveiling of a totally new necklace inspired by Cleopatra's later life. Make sure you check back tomorrow for that! It is rich and luxurious, perfect for work or a night out.

Because, Really, Everyone Loves Seeing a Wiener Dog From the Side

This Wednesday, Arwen the Wonder Dog wants to show you her napping spots. She's been getting me to take her photo in her most favorite places, so get ready for some cuteness there :)

Thursdays are Treasury days, and though I haven't made that one yet, be prepared for a collection of beautiful handmade items from my fellow Etsy sellers. Any ideas on a theme? Let me know in the comments below and I'll do what I can...

This Friday will feature another great artist, Badgereels. You must stop by on Friday to see her work, it is really pretty (or manly, depending on the item) and functional, guaranteed to add a little whimsy to your workday :)

Finally, regarding the photos on the blog today: I've finally started playing with the polymer clay I bought almost 5 years ago. Amazingly, it's still very soft, so that was a relief (at $5 a small brick, I would have been seriously miffed to find it all dried)! While I'm sure I need another hobby like I need a hole in the head, I really loved making little sculptures throughout my childhood (though, thankfully, none have survived), and thought that this would be a bit of fun on my Sunday afternoons, when I try very hard not to do any business or work of any sort. The last few weeks I've white knuckled it. While normally reading or video games would help, it has been really hard to get away from the laptop, and so I knew I needed a stronger, totally absorbing distraction. Enter polymer clay, or "smooshing" as the experts call it (I am NOT an expert, but I like the sound of that word, so I might have to purloin it).

Inspired by My Own Playful Puppy, This Was My Second Ever Polymer Clay Sculpture

I have to say, I had an absolute blast! No pressure to make things to sell, no pressure to be perfect the first time (well, okay, I did have a bit of self imposed pressure, to be honest), and no pressure to be on a deadline. I spent a marvelous 2 hours conditioning, playing, pinching, sculpting and baking my first 3 little sculptures. I learned quite a bit; 1. blue clay under your nails is very hard to get out if it dries even the tiniest bit, and looks like you have cyanide poisoning; 2. I need armature to make the dogs' legs sturdier; 3. my cheapo, $20 toaster oven bought especially for baking clay is bang-on temperature wise (thank you, Black-&-Decker!), 4. I don't need to worry that polymer clay will spontaneously self-combust (I watched the oven like a hawk, biting my nails and occasionally throwing looks at the fire extinguisher "just in case"); 5. I LOVE POLYMER CLAY! I've already started adding polymer clay how-to books to my Amazon wish list (now 661 items strong - gotta love Amazon!), and woke up at 3AM this morning thinking of other things to make next week. I strongly recommend trying polymer clay "smooshing" if you haven't already. It is tons of fun!

Keep checking the blog this week to discover everything that's going on, and check back next Monday to see what else I was able to make with my new polymer clay hobby :)

Thoughts on Having My 3-Year 'Fibro'versary

~My Faithful Fibro Companion, Arwen~

Today is the three year anniversary of when I first got sick with Fibromyalgia. I didn't know it at the time, however. I went to bed the night before a little more tired than usual, thinking I might be coming down with a cold, but happy that the next day I was off work and would be able to sleep in, work out, tidy the house, and work on my photography. That fateful morning I woke up and felt like I had run face-first into a brick wall: my entire body hurt - bones, joints, skin, hair, nails, everything. My head felt foggy, like lead in a bucket of water, I just couldn't think or make sense of anything. I was definitely coming down with something, probably the flu. I rested and went back to work the day after, thinking I felt pretty horrible, but I needed the money.
I collapsed at work, began shaking uncontrollably and ended up in the emergency room with doctors scratching their heads not knowing what was wrong. After almost 2 years of going through test after test after test, not knowing if I had cancer, ectopic pregnancies, endometriosis, cysts, fibroids, allergies (YES I do), asthma (I always have, but not bad), and many more terrifying things, (including mental illness and wondering if I was, in fact, going crazy...I wasn't) I finally had an answer: Fibromyalgia. I hurt all the time, I'm exhausted all the time, I feel weak, get dizzy, get grumpy (who wouldn't when you don't sleep and hurt??), and many more not-so-fun (!) things, and there is no cure. I've tried over $1500 of medications in the last year alone that have done nothing but make me very, very ill. I've lost friends, jobs, had to stop going to school for accounting, which I loved, and had to give up many other very enjoyable pastimes.
Why do I bring up all of this yuckiness, you ask? I'll tell you.
I have learned so much in these last three years, grown so much, that I have to share.
1. I have learned that being sick is very frustrating and annoying, but not the end of the world. I don't have cancer, AIDS, Ebola, or many much worse diseases that kill. I will not die, despite saying on occasion that I would like to after the pain gets really, really bad. I will not die. That is important.
2. I have learned that real friends are the ones who keep calling and understand when you don't always call them back. They don't just call when they need something. They understand that you are sick but still care about them. That is wonderful.
3. I have learned that not everyone believes in fibromyalgia, many people think that because I look 'normal' (minus the huge bags under my eyes from lack of sleep and my hobbling around in pain), I must be fine and am therefore faking it. I am not faking it. I am very, very sick, but if they don't want to understand after my educating them politely, I am not going to take it personally, or try to make them understand. Life is too short and important to waste it on people who don't/won't bother to understand. You can't see diabetes....are they 'faking' it?
4. A good husband, family and good friends are so vital, even if you don't always see eye-to-eye or meet face-to-face every day. Support is so crucial. A kind word, email, or very gentle hug can make all the difference between bottomless depression and feeling like there is hope
5. Everyone has problems, and we need to LISTEN. If you see someone and ask "How are you?" Mean it. Listen to their answer. If they just say "Fine," they are not 'fine', and something has to be going on. In this day and age of electronic impersonality we lose contact with important human connections. Reconnect. Care. You'll be surprised how much it means to you and the other person.
6. A happy dog's wagging tail, or a cat on your lap can melt away almost every bad thing for a while. Animals are instant stress relievers and the more stressed you are, the more attention you need to pay to your dog, cat, fish, rat, etc. They really do help. Plus, they like the attention - wouldn't you?
7. Distractions are great. Hobbies are essential no matter how healthy or busy you are. Teach yourself to knit, crochet, paint, make tables, anything you like to do. It is also a great stress reliever, and you never know, you might find something you are really passionate about.
8. Talking or blogging is so great. You can vent, cry, laugh, say almost anything and you'll feel better. And you meet really cool people, often sharing your experiences.
Thank you for joining me on this reflective day. I hope it makes an impression on you - it certainly has on me.
My love and positive thoughts to you all, I wish you a healthy, happy and prosperous future :)
Meghann

Thankful Thursday - Hobbies are Wonderful Blessings!

So the last few weeks I have been pretty much incapacitated by pain and exhaustion due to my Fibromyalgia. However, I am not complaining as I have learned to take these times and teach myself various lessons: how to relax even if I don't think I can or should, how to find interesting, educational programming on television or the Internet, how to learn new hobbies like knitting and crocheting that don't require much more than my hands, brain, and a couch for me to stretch out on. It is times like these that, although I still get frustrated, are teaching me a lot about myself, and how much I am able to learn from my own living room. What a blessing in disguise!
I have just started learning amigurumi - the Japanese art of miniature crochet. All I need is a crochet hook, some yarn, and a great little book called, "Amigurumi World - Seriously Cute Crochet" by Ana Paula Rimoli. It is seriously cute, and seriously easy! I picked up some yarns on sale and have been experimenting for a few days now. I have made 2 bears (the first is now being chewed on by my mom's cat after I sprayed it with some catnip spray - pics to follow when my mom sends me some), and I am starting a pink elephant, lol. I am hoping to make these and sell them as cat toys with the proceeds going to animal shelters. I may also turn the smaller ones into key chains and zipper pulls, again, to sell for charity. I have some safety eyes on order so that they look a little cuter (not that sewn eyes aren't cute, but safety eyes stop me from poking myself with a sharp needle!), and each animal I make is getting better and better!
I'm not stopping the jewellery or photography, never fear, but having a new hobby is always a great way to return to your work with a fresh perspective. "A change is as good as a rest", as the saying goes, and that will certainly turn out to be true when I am able to get back to my jewellery table!
I am listing new jewellery items daily, as I had a bunch of pieces photographed at the same time, so please keep checking my Etsy store for new jewellery suitable for every budget and taste!
Meghann