Hello there…I have some news!

Sorry I don’t have the cards for the second round of the Inky Impressions DT call for you today…I’m afraid I’m suffering from the crafting equivalent of writer’s block!  It’s always the way that when you have to create something special…either in words or a card…then you get that terrible block where you just don’t know where to start. I have about 17 different ideas that I want to try for the Inky Impressions DT cards, but I only have two stamped images to work with…so I can’t try them all! Never mind…I will get there :)

Anyway, I thought I would show you the second card I made for Kristina’s CI #48….I ran out of time to get it posted then, but it’s kind of cute and I thought I would share it with you today before I tell you my BIG news….that way if you’re just here for the pretty pictures you can have a look and go on your way :)

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss & Whisper White.

Ink: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss & Choc Chip.

Stamps: Cheap Talk & Neighbourhood wheel.

Other stuff: Random SEI buttons & chocolate embroidery thread.

Pretty simple again…I’ve definitely gone back to the clean & simple look lately :)

Right…on to my news. This is a bit of a story, so if you’re not really interested that’s ok…just go on your way to look at more pretty pictures or do your laundry or whatever :)  I’m going to tell you about all of this now because I feel like so many of you who read my blog and leave me comments are my friends, and I like to now about my friends lives outside of what they make in their craft rooms :) Also, what I’m going to tell you is about a big change in my life and I want to share that with you, my friends.

As you all probably know, I spent ten days in the hospital earlier this month. Now anyone who knows anything about the NSW Health system will know that the Royal North Shore gets you out of there asap, so to keep someone in for ten days is pretty serious business. I haven’t really talked about it much because I didn’t want to bore you, or have you think I’m looking for sympathy…I am not telling you now for that reason either, it’s just an important part of this story. Anyway, for the first 5 days of my hospital stay I was in a wheelchair (have you ever tried to drive one of those thing? It’s way harder than it looks) and the doctors were rather concerned that there was some serious damage to my back. As you may or may not know, I have degenerative disc disease…which basically means that the discs in my back degenerate at a much faster rate than normal and that they are prone to damage more easily than normal. Anyway, I have had problems with my back for many years, but lately the pain has gotten much worse and tests revealed that I had managed to give myself another prolapsed disc. On top of that the disc has two tears in it. Basically this means that it’s not doing it’s job properly and giving me lots of pain. So now I have 4 discs that are seriously damaged and won’t ever get better.

So, the doctors have put me on two different types of morphine tablets…one is a slow release and the other gives a rapid relief from pain (well reduces it anyway). This all means that I have had a lot of problems trying to concentrate on my studies. Basically, it’s been impossible to get any proper work done at all. After consulting with both the hospital doctors and my GP and talking it over with my PhD supervisor and family members i have decided that the best course of action for the moment is to take a break from study. At this point the plan is to take 6 months off and then re-assess the situation.

As the only reason I live in Sydney is to be close to the University for study, I have decided that I will be moving back to Warwick to be close to my family for both physical and emotional support. There are a lot more things that I am unable to do right now and I need all the help that I can get. i don’t now about you guys, but I feel pretty uncomfortable asking my friends to do my laundry or vacuum the floor…but asking my Mama to do it for me is not as bad :)

I am rather happy that I am going to be able to spend more time with my family and get out of Sydney…I really don’t like it here. I’m a country girl through and through and going back to small town life is going to make me feel alot happier.

So what am I going to do with myself? I am not the kind of person who can sit around doing nothing, so I am going to find myself a nice place to live (all alone with NO HOUSEMATES!!!!) and try and become a proper  SU! demo, holding workshops and classes at my house to make it easier for me. I’m also going to try and sell my cards, both in a craft store in Warwick and through an Etsy shop I am setting up. I’m also starting a little business doing blog design and set up. I actually have been on a disability support pension for some time, so I will at least have some income. The other things will be to try and make some money so I can continue to buy yummy crafting supplies :)

I have given notice, organised my leave of absence, booked the removalist and by the end of next week I shall be back in sunny Queensland with my family. I’m going to be staying with Mama until I find somewhere to live and then I will be working hard to try and make this new life work for me. I’ve organised it so that everything I’m doing will be flexible and can revolve around my need for rest and recuperation.

If you’ve stayed with me and read all of this give yourself a big pat on the back…it was a bit of an epic huh? Anyway, I just want you to know that if I’m a bit sporadic with the posting over the next couple of weeks it’s because of the packing and moving and whatnot. I will return to normal as soon as possible :) I hope that you will all stick with me as I go through this big change in my life. For the last 6 years all I’ve known is academia and I’m slightly concerned about how I’ll go back in the REAL world…LOL! But I hope that everything will work out to plan and that I can make my hobby into something that is a successful business as well as fun for me.

I look forward to sharing this new adventure with you all, without your support and encouragement for my craft I would not have even thought that this would be possible….so thank you all for that. Even if we never meet in real life, know that I consider you all my friends and that you are an important part of my life…big hugs to you all,