Last week, a lot happened. It was simultaneously really productive and then interrupted. My friend Siobhan turned 24. She lives in my home town and I didn't get to see her, which makes me pretty sad. we send each other packages on our birthdays though. I've always been really poor, it seems to me, so I send her something I've made usually and try to buy her something if I can.
This year I made her card which was fun because I've bought some card making bits and bobs. I'm specifically referring to some lovely recycled pre-cut card and envelopes which I bought on Etsy and some ink stamps that I bought from a local craft shop I often visit. HOWEVER, I don't think I took a picture of the card and my BLOOMIN' camera won't let me look at the photos I've taken. I will make another one and put it on here before I sell it. Promise.
I also made her a brooch. I found the tutorial here: http://dozidesign.blogspot.co.uk/2008/05/paper-flower-tutorial.html
I made my flower and practice flowers out of book pages. It's a book called The Legend of Zenda, and if anyone has tried to look for and read this book and subsequently not found it, I sincerely apologise for destroying it in the use of craft. In my defense, it had pretty much fallen apart when it arrived in my lap (my mum loves hoarding second hand books, I have no idea where she finds some of the gems she finds, she's a bit magical).
I made three practice ones and one final one to send to Siobhan. It was tricky getting the paper tight at first, and then when I decided to glue the bottom, that was a bit tricky too. I ended up glueing the bottom of each curl with Copydex so it all stuck together and then stuck the brooch piece on with SUPERglue.
So that was the beginning of my productivity. Then I started making a sleeping mask for the partner of my boss. Apparently he likes snorkling so it was sea themed. I kept getting angry at myself for getting things wrong, so I quit and thought I'd continue the next day. But the next day I found out that a friend had passed away. It was completely unexpected and it's shaken me a bit. I always knew life was fragile, but I guess I never quite saw it. I simultaneously want to see everyone I know and love but can't fight the desire to stay at home and hide away from the harsh reality of real life.
I'm not certain of how my friend died. But he leaves behind a wife whom he loved with more heart and soul than I've known anyone to love. He moved to America to be with her and they have three beautiful children who he was enthusiastically proud of. He was only 24. He spent a great deal of time of internet forums; he was so computer smart. A forum has been made in his memory and it's full of people sharing their condolences; people he had never met, but people who he had spoken to online and helped, conversed with, or befriended in someway. It was so reassuring to read the words. and knowing he touched so many people he had never met, I felt so proud to have known him and held him as a friend. We were at school together.
Adam, who will always be in my thoughts.x
