A Fantastic Tool For Every Home - but especially if you live with Chronic Pain

One job that we all struggle with in the home is moving heavy furniture and other items.  Since my Fibromyalgia got worse (and now diagnosed with Osteoarthritis too), I tend to avoid the cleaning where I need to move furniture, ie in our bedroom.

However, it became urgent when Milky the Cat recently brought fleas into the house.  Check out my Instagram Stories to see what I am using for flea control.  I needed to move the heavy furniture in our bedroom to hoover behind and underneath, and this is by myself.  We also have a really deep carpet in there.  I did try to move our super king bed, but it didn't shift even a millimetre!  Therefore, I got the EZ Moves out of the cupboard, and then it was relatively easy to move the bed across the room.

I have done some separate Instagram Stories showing this, and promised a link to somewhere where you can buy it in the UK.  It was sold out in most places, but I have found it on Ebay.  It isn't expensive and I think all homes should have one.

I will be doing some more videos and blog posts about how I cope with housework/organising etc whilst living with Fibromyalgia and other chronic health conditions.

WOYWW 635 - So Much To Show Off

First of all, I admit I am typing this on Tuesday evening (whilst watching Tim Holtz on YouTube).  I have a medical appointment (to see if they can start to diagnose my foot pain) tomorrow morning at 9 am, and then I have errands to do, and our latest house renovation project to visit (kitchen design to work on).  It may well be late in the day before I get a chance to sit down, so thought it better to get it typed and scheduled.

Secondly, I am taking a break from social media.  I need more time to look after myself, the house, business stuff, family moving to the nearby town and, of course, crafting!  I am missing a lot of the Facebook groups I was active in, and my beloved Instagram - but I know I need to try to go 'cold turkey'!  Pinterest and YouTube are still in my life, plus blogs/some forums, so I am still around 'online'.  

I missed last week, as the weather forecast changed and our family, who were in Pembrokeshire for the week, asked if they could spend Wednesday with us, instead of Thursday.  I hadn't seen my 2 granddaughters for over 18 months, so of course we immediately changed our plans.  Here they are on one of our nearby beaches.

I have made a lot of progress with my craft room makeover, but it isn't finished.  Been busy with family, the house renovation and then we found fleas on Milky the Cat.  I have been hoovering every day, plus she has a spot-on flea treatment and twice daily combing.  There hasn't been any spare energy for my craft room!  The good news is that all my hard work means I haven't found any fleas on her today, and the house is very clean.

The bulk of the Ikea Kallax cubes are in place, and I put together the specialist MDF storage for the top row.  I will do a separate blog post detailing it all.  There is also another single row of 4 cubes on top of the right hand side now, and I have pegboard doors for those, so I can display photos etc.  Not sure if I will have it all done by next week, as we are away for a long weekend (trip to Oxfordshire to see my mum and also go to an EV, electric vehicle, event at the Motor Museum at Gaydon).  

I have also had various crafty deliveries recently, including needle felting and sewing goodies, the new Distress Ink colour, the latest Crafters Companion Year of Craft set, and more!  I promise to show it all off soon.

I have been to some craft workshops, and again will do a blog post showing what we made (using heat embossing, stencils ...).

I intend to get round as many blogs as possible on Wednesday, but who knows what the day will throw at me.

Ali x

WOYWW 631 - Still Living With Piles!

Happy Wednesday from a damp Pembrokeshire.  The fields and garden needed some rain, but it is chilly too - and me and Milky the Cat definitely want some warm sunshine (she is 14, had metal put in her hip after a road accident 11 years ago, and the cold/damp makes her sore like me).

Other lovely crafters will be sharing their crafty workspaces today.  (If you would like to join in, click HERE.)  I cannot do that, as my craft room is still in a state of transition (from old brown bedroom furniture to nice shiny new Ikea Kallax storage).  The 2 old wardrobes (were my hubby's as a child - he is 54) are still in the room, but they have moved to the other wall by the door (they are too heavy for 2 people to carry them downstairs, so they are waiting to be dismantled).

We started putting together the Kallax units yesterday afternoon.  The smaller one (2 x 4 cubes) is done - and looks great.  Hopefully hubby can help with the other one (4 x 4 cubes) later today.  However, he is off into town this morning for a hair cut, followed by helping with the continued clearing of the rental house (more wallpaper stripping and carpet removal), so I might have to wait another day (I am so impatient - I just want to start filling up the cubes!).

In other crafty news - I went to a craft workshop on Sunday afternoon.  We made 3 cards - none of which I have photos of.  I will write a separate blog post eventually.  There were also some boxes of stash for us to shop from (a local crafter was having a destash).  I rummaged through the boxes of treasure and found some stamps, Distress Ink pads, Distress Stickles and an embossing folder.  No photos of our crafting, but I couldn't resist the gorgeous colours on the shop shelves (yes, we do the workshops actually in the craft shop, which could be very dangerous, but I am strong!).  If you are ever in Haverfordwest, then go and see Ben at the shop in Bridge Street (or shop on their website - they often beat the TV prices - click HERE).

On Saturday I went to a Craft Sale (in aid of Macmillans).  Sadly, one of our local crafty ladies died recently and very kindly the contents of her craft room were donated to be sold.  A large hall at the British Legion had to be used, as there was so much stash.  She had every Tattered Lace magazine and all of the dies, plus most of the Hunkydory products, Kanban and a lot more.  A lot was unused.  I went looking for embosssing folders and inkpads, which I did get - but also some stamps, a couple of Tattered Lace magazines (because I loved the dies that came with them), embossed cardstock and some goodies from the £1 table.  It is a shame that we couldn't all have been there, as you would have loved it!  I forgot to take any photos to show how much stash was in the hall.  If anyone is in Pembrokeshire soon, there was still a lot left to sell and that is in the craft shop at Milford Haven Marina - InHouse Crafts.

I will take photos of my new stash and show them off next week.

I have been doing more housework than usual this week so far, and definitely needing a rest - so this morning I will be assembling the plastic boxes that will be in the Kallax cubes.  Done one (which took longer than it should have done) and I am sure the next 11 will be easier!  I also have 6 denim boxes arriving on Friday, which will go on the bottom row.

Progress photos on my Instagram - @aliwadedesigns

Ali x

WOYWW 630 - All Piled Up

Good morning from a very sunny Pembrokeshire.  Perhaps we will be able to go out without a coat today?  It is Wednesday again and the last day of the month (where did June go?!).  If you would like to join in with this tour around crafty workspaces, click HERE.

My craft room this week is looking very different.  I finally made the decision to order the Ikea Kallax storage that I had been considering for a while (a cube storage system) and my delivery date for most of it is this Friday.  Therefore, I have emptied all of the old 'brown' bedroom furniture that I had been using for over 11 years, and my crafty stash is now piled up in the corner of the room.  The 2 heavy wardrobes are waiting for hubby (and colleagues) to take outside (my stepdaughter is going to have them in the house in Haverfordwest when she moves there in August).

The Kallax will be going up against the end wall.  I have just ordered the ones that are the right height to fit across the room below where the sloping ceiling starts.   That is 24 cubes.  I have ordered 12 white boxes and 6 denim ones (going to get some 'proper' inserts for storing papers etc when my budget allows).  I will then measure again to see how to fill in the 'sloping' top part, and order more cubes for that.  Hopefully by next Wednesday, it will all basically be up and in use.  I am sure it will take some time to get it organised in the best way.

If you wondered where the guinea pigs are, they are now in a fancy new hutch out in a stable on the yard.  It is cooler for them on a hot day (my craft room can get stuffy if the door and windows are shut all day) and the hay/bedding etc is right next to them.  Much easier for me to clean them out and no more dust/hay in my craft room.  I am missing their constant company though.

I am having a busy week partly due to the big craft room clearout.  I went to the tip with a load yesterday and have an appointment to drop lots of bags off at the charity shop this afternoon.  Also sorting out the rental house.  Most of the wallpaper has been stripped.  The greenhouse was taken away (stepdaughter didn't want to use it, and a hazard with the 2 young children).  Our decorator decided that he wouldn't be able to do the work by our deadline, but hubby/colleagues are going to do the internal work and our builder is arranging for the external painting (which will save money - more budget to spend on the kitchen!).  We are going to the kitchen and flooring supplier this week hopefully to choose the styles/colours we want.  I have already chosen Metro tiles for the walls in the kitchen/bathroom/cloakroom etc.  I think they look great - and nice to keep it simple.  If anyone wants to see progress photos, I post regularly on my Instagram @homewithchronicpain.

For those who loved our Renault Twizy, it is now being using around the farm - and we take it for its MOT on Friday.  I have had a drive and been a passenger in the back - "such fun" !!

Ali x

ps  Forgot to add that I have been trialling the HelloFresh boxes for a while, and loving the tasty recipes.  I had some free boxes to give away, and have one left (plus have a code for £20 off).  If anyone wants to try it out, just email me (aliwadedesigns1971@gmail.com).

WOYWW 620 - Paper almost too gorgeous to use

Morning from sunny Pembrokeshire.  We are having a long spell of dry weather, which is pleasing hubby as he is working on a field reseeding it for a different crop.  He is hoping for rain from Friday lunchtime, when he will have finished the field and then needs it to grow well.  

I had grand plans to get this blog post published earlier this morning, but then sat down to watch some tv and attempt to start a latch hook rug kit I bought last month.  I used to do a lot of latch hooking back in the 90s, but it must be my 'more mature' mind and I just couldn't figure out how to do the 'hooking'.  I have watched a couple of YouTube videos now, and will attempt again later.  I know it is simple, but I just couldn't coordinate my hands/hook/yarn.  Anyone else do latch hook?

My crafty work table on this fine Wednesday shows a paper pack I ordered from the tv craft channel which used to be called Hochanda a while ago.  It finally arrived yesterday and is as gorgeous as shown on the tv.  I am determined to get using it straightaway, well within a few days when I have finished some blogging/Etsy stuff/Pinterest etc.

You can also see my bullet journal and the various pens etc that I was using at the weekend to do this week's pages.  Cheap pens from Amazon and Arteza, which do a good job for the price.

I recovered from my first Covid vaccine within a couple of days.  Horrible at the time, but worth it.  Everything is starting to open up again in Wales.  I went to my friend's craft shop in Milford Haven last week (go and see Cheryl @ InHouse Crafts if you are ever over in Pembrokeshire - she has a treasure trove of a shop with a big variety of stash).  I have booked for my first craft workshop on 21st May - making mobiles/wall hangings from air dry clay.  Very exciting to be out and about again.  

We have decided to treat me to my own electric car.  We bought our Jaguar I Pace in August and it is fantastic (would never go back to petrol/diesel again).  However, it is a big car and I worry about parking in tight spots.  Used to have a Smart many years ago and always wanted another one.  They do an electric version now, and I plan to go and test drive in Swansea soon.  We have solar panels/battery storage, plus charger for the car, on one of the farmyard sheds closest to the house.  With some changes in routine with dishwasher/washing machine etc, we are mainly using free electricity from the sun now.  Most of our car journeys are from this free electricity too, so we are saving a huge amount of money each year.

Hope everyone is well.  I was very sad to hear about the passing of Victoria Thatcher last week from Covid.  She was an incredible digital designer, famous for her printable planner kits, and was always so lovely when ever I contacted her over the years.  RIP Victoria xx

If anyone would like to join in with WOYWW (What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday) this week, click HERE.

Ali x

WOYWW 614 - adding to my Crafters Companion 'A Year of Craft'

Morning, everyone - from a windy and wet Pembrokeshire.  Hope everyone is happy and that March is being kind to you so far.

I have some new additions to my craft room in the past week.   There has been some crafty projects finished (Thank You cards and ATCs).  Check out my Instagram for photos of those (@aliwadedesigns).  I also show my progress in my latest Diamond Painting project over there.

I bought a bag of random wood shapes from Etsy to do some different pyrography projects.  I also saw one of the latest Facebook Lives by Craft Buddy with their latest stamp sets for  crystal art (aka diamond painting), and couldn't resist the set with the daffodils (my favourite flowers).  I bought the main set of drawers for the Crafters Companion 'A Year of Craft' at the beginning of the year, and they promised further additions.  I happened to turn on Create & Craft last week, and there it was - another layer, and perfect to create my Mothers Day and Easter cards.

Lets get straight to the photos.

I am going to create the teapot-shaped card for my Mum today - and will do a separate blog post.

Edited to add - here is the finished card.

Definitely going to be keeping indoors for today and tomorrow, until this storm has passed.

Ali x

WOYWW 612 - something strange is happening on my crafty table!

Good morning to you all from a misty and damp Pembrokeshire.  More high winds and rain forecast for later, but then the return of high pressure and some settled weather for the weekend.

However, I am not here to give you a weather forecast, but to share my crafty workspace - along with many other crafters from around the world.  Join in HERE.

I have actually been crafting!  New stash from my recent 50th birthday and a realisation that I can't spend all my time earning money has made me put aside time most days for some creativity.  (Apologies in advance to Julia - there will be more photos than normal, as I catch up from my recent absence.)

Firstly, needle felting.  I have done a fair bit of stabbing wool with needles in the past, and then saw the first 'Craft For Cats' mentioned on Facebook.  This Saturday we will have a 'Felt-a-Long' creating cats - and half of the money goes to The Cats Protection.  This is the kit from the fabulous The Makerss - enough to create 2 cats.  I am going to do Milky (our white cat) and then attempt a tabby (in memory of Tiger, one of the farm cats).  If anyone wants to join in, then be quick, as I know that they will post a kit out today.  The workshop will be recorded anyway.

This is my crafty table this morning.  My pyrography kit is open (left the tool to cool down yesterday), which was a birthday present from my elder sister.  There is a pack of carbon paper, which I ordered from Amazon so I can transfer printed designs onto wood.  I have created one thank you card so far - from my stash of diamond painting greeting cards.  Also my small collection of card sentiments created with the WeRMemoryKeepers spray pen set, that I treated myself to when I saw it demonstrated on Create & Craft recently.

The first card I have created using a combination of the spray pen and my very first attempt at pyrography, which I am very proud of !  My stepson and his girlfriend got engaged at the weekend.  I cut up a piece of double-sided card from my scrapbooking stash, which you will understand was quite difficult.  This is the sort of card that sits in a drawer and gets stroked occasionally!  The wood texture is very realistic.  

The above photos show the spray pen set (which came with extra pens and stencils) and some of my first playing session.  It is as fun as I thought it would be and will be much used.

I have plenty of crafting planned for the coming week - a Disney diamond painting ATC, more pyrography, scrapbooking and the needle felting.  Follow me on Instagram (@aliwadedesigns) for almost daily updates.

Ali x

WOYWW 607 - Kit in a Bag

Happy WOYWW to you all (What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday - click HERE to join in).  It is still morning here, just about.  My Psoriasis has flared up in the past few days, so had a quiet morning watching some tv and sorting out my Instagram accounts.  I try to keep Wednesdays as a more relaxed day, with housework etc, but there is still a fair amount to do each day.  I spread it out throughout the day, otherwise I just get too exhausted.

In my craft room today I am actually making a start on a 'Mixed Media Kit in a Bag' that I got from one of our local craft shops last summer.  She has not been able to hold the usual craft workshops, so the tutor kindly puts together project kits with full instructions.  This one is for a Notebook Box Set with Holder.  Just my sort of thing (I prefer craft projects that are useful).  I have grand plans of getting on with it, but the farm business is being particularly 'needy' with admin today - so got vehicle insurance to sort out first, once I have got this typed and published.

I got my first diamond painting project finished.  It was a freebie kit and not the best quality, but great experience for me - and will still look good up on my craft room wall.  (I am giving away a similar-sized kit, perfect for a beginner - read my blog post and comment to enter, or enter via Instagram @aliwadedesigns).

Apologies for not visiting any blogs last week - will be making a start later today, so I don't end up missing out a week again.

Lockdown is definitely not boring here!  I managed to escape out of the farm on Monday - just to go to the tip, but lovely to be out driving again.  We have a 'Fish Friday' once a fortnight, and go and get fish & chips from one of two fantastic local chippies, and of course driving anywhere in Pembrokeshire is a real treat.  I hope the weather is better this Friday - a fortnight ago we nearly got blown away going to the chippy in Porthgain!

Stay safe (anyone had a vaccination yet?).

Ali x

Introduction and links to my old blog

I have been blogging with Wordpress since September 2019, which to start with worked out well.  However, recently it has been getting increasingly difficult to open that website and to comment on the blog posts.  When I got the hugely increased bill from Siteground to renew my hosting plan (more than double what I paid last year), I decided that I would return to Blogger.

I am not going to be spending so much time working on my websites this year anyway, with some other commitments starting, so fingers crossed that everyone will be able to read my blog posts on here!

I am not sure how long that Wordpress site will be up and running, but here is the link - Crafting With Ali.  I will be attempting to transfer the blog posts over at some point (posts are from October 2019 to January 2021).

My old Blogger site is Me And My Life.

INTRODUCTION

My name is Ali Wade, I am nearly 50, and live with my farmer hubby in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, UK.

A true Multi-Crafter, I love to try out lots of different crafts, techniques and crafty tech.  However, scrapbooking and digital crafting are my two favourite ways to spend time in my craft room.

I create digital planners and other digital designs for my Etsy shop (click on the link in my sidebar).  Lots more designs coming in 2021.

I live with chronic illnesses - Fibromyalgia, Psoriasis and Hyper-Mobility Syndrome.

I spend time in Instagram and Pinterest.  Come and join me.

Ali x