Well, as I sit here today, the wind is howling outside but thankfully we don't have any snow, unlike the majority of the UK it would seem, judging by all the news reports and Facebook pics from my friends across the land!
It's been a while since I posted here. I am sorry!
I have been so busy with my work with Womb Cancer Support UK, the online support group I setup for women, like myself, who have/had a womb cancer diagnosis.
Its 3 years today since I went into hospital for my hysterectomy - had to go in a few days early due to severe anaemia which resulted in 6 blood transfusions before the operation!!!
I would like to say that I'm fully recovered and back to normal, but sadly that's not the case. I have been left with long term health problems from the chemotherapy and radiotherapy but there you go, swings and roundabouts!!
Needless to say, I still have my lovely Macmillan nurse Morag, come to visit me so I am still raising funds for the charity.
As well as the jewellery that I make and sell via my buteartism page https://www.facebook.com/buteartism?fref=ts I now also sell mobile phone charms that I call "Angels of Hope" https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angels-of-Hope/490513110981929?fref=ts We have just passed the £200 mark through sales of those so in total I am very pleased to say that I have raised £800 so far for Macmillan in just under 3 years.
Thus wouldn't have been possible without the support of lots of lovely people, including of course the ones who have purchased bits of jewellery and the angels.
As some of you may be aware, I also help to raise funds for a vital womb cancer research project
http://www.justgiving.com/Debra-Parry0 through the sale of selected pieces of my jewellery.
So, as you can see, I have been busy!!!
About Me
- Kaz
- Isle of Bute, West Coast of Scotland, United Kingdom
- Too old to be a rock chick, so I am the hippy hen! Environmentally and socially conscious, eco aware vegetarian goddess. Human and animal rights activist Against discrimination in all its forms. LGBT Ally. Lover of music, chocolate and crochet.. Womb cancer survivor.
Monday, 21 January 2013
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Still here!!!
Well, its been a while since I've posted and I make no apology other than I've been so busy just living my life and trying to get back to normal!!
My fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support is still going strong and I now split my fundraising efforts between Macmillan and a womb cancer research project.
So far I have raised almost £6oo for Macmillan and I want to thank again everyone who has helped in the past by donating beads etc or buying items.
The lovely folk over at Folksy were a huge help in the early days when I started fundrasing just over 2 years ago when I was having my treatment for womb cancer.
As well as raising funds for Macmillan, I also now help to raise funds for a womb cancer project http://www.justgiving.com/Debra-Parry0 that is being funded entirely by donations.
Items for sale specifically for the womb cancer research project can be found here http://www.etsy.com/shop/buteartism and my other items can be found here https://www.facebook.com/buteartism where proceeds are split 50/50 between the two good causes!
If you or anyone you know, needs any help or support you can find it here http://wombcancersupportuk.wix.com/home
I promise I'll try and not leave it so long before I post again! xx
My fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support is still going strong and I now split my fundraising efforts between Macmillan and a womb cancer research project.
So far I have raised almost £6oo for Macmillan and I want to thank again everyone who has helped in the past by donating beads etc or buying items.
The lovely folk over at Folksy were a huge help in the early days when I started fundrasing just over 2 years ago when I was having my treatment for womb cancer.
As well as raising funds for Macmillan, I also now help to raise funds for a womb cancer project http://www.justgiving.com/Debra-Parry0 that is being funded entirely by donations.
Items for sale specifically for the womb cancer research project can be found here http://www.etsy.com/shop/buteartism and my other items can be found here https://www.facebook.com/buteartism where proceeds are split 50/50 between the two good causes!
If you or anyone you know, needs any help or support you can find it here http://wombcancersupportuk.wix.com/home
I promise I'll try and not leave it so long before I post again! xx
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Bute Art
Some of you might know that I live on an island off the west coast of Scotland called Bute. Its a lovely place. We moved here just over 9 years ago and have made lots of friends - quite a few of them are very talented artists and creatives.
So today I thought I'd let you know about some of the wonderfully talented people that there are on Bute.
One of the first "arty" people I became friends with is the lovely Gill, who moved to the island just after we did. She is a potter; well actually she's lots of things!! Gill is an extremly creative person. Not only does she make wonderfull ceramics, but she makes stunning textile wall hangings! She is also musical and sings aswell!
Check out some of her work on her website http://www.beautifulbaboon.com/
Another arty friend is Nicola Jones. When we first met Nicola, she had a small art shop on the island selling craft supplies and also prints of her artwork of scenes around the island. Now a mother of 2, she is still selling her work, this time via other outlets on the island and also at http://www.zazzle.co.uk/nicolajonesartist
A man who paints some beautiful paintings is Brian Large. He's well know for his paintings of puffers; but also paints some stunning landscapes from around the island.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Large-Artist/208620999170754
A lady who creates some stunning jewellery is Shirley K Lloyd. Her Isle of Bute shaped pendants, earrings and cufflinks are a wonderful way of promoting not only her skills but also the island itself. https://www.facebook.com/ShirleyKLloydJewellery?sk=wall
Living in such a beautiful place is a photographers dream, and Bute has its fair share of talent in that area aswell. Four that I know of personally are John Lawson, John Williams, Zak Harrison and Dave Murty. All have a great eye for spotting a photo opportunity!
Aswell as all the talented artists and craftspeople around, we are lucky to have some fantastic outlets for these people to sell their items.
We have the Castle Gallery, http://www.thecastlegallery.com/ situated across the road from Rothesay Castle; Picture Bute, http://www.picturebute.com/ which is stuffed full of artwork, jewellery, handmade cards, aswell as t-shirts, mugs, coasters etc all printed with various images from around the island.
Then we have Brandish Bute. This was set up as a social enterprise to bring together some of the talented people on the island and give them a platform to market themselves and their products and also the island itself. It has a small shop but also an online presence http://brandishbute.com/ and has been busy visiting trade and craft fairs over recent months to take the "Bute" brand to a wider audience.
Its a small island and it seems like you are never far away from a creative person! Whether it be a painter, a potter, a photographer or a jeweller.
Why not come and visit our little island and see for yourself! Visit http://www.isle-of-bute.com/ and find all the details you need!
So today I thought I'd let you know about some of the wonderfully talented people that there are on Bute.
One of the first "arty" people I became friends with is the lovely Gill, who moved to the island just after we did. She is a potter; well actually she's lots of things!! Gill is an extremly creative person. Not only does she make wonderfull ceramics, but she makes stunning textile wall hangings! She is also musical and sings aswell!
Check out some of her work on her website http://www.beautifulbaboon.com/
Another arty friend is Nicola Jones. When we first met Nicola, she had a small art shop on the island selling craft supplies and also prints of her artwork of scenes around the island. Now a mother of 2, she is still selling her work, this time via other outlets on the island and also at http://www.zazzle.co.uk/nicolajonesartist
A man who paints some beautiful paintings is Brian Large. He's well know for his paintings of puffers; but also paints some stunning landscapes from around the island.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Large-Artist/208620999170754
A lady who creates some stunning jewellery is Shirley K Lloyd. Her Isle of Bute shaped pendants, earrings and cufflinks are a wonderful way of promoting not only her skills but also the island itself. https://www.facebook.com/ShirleyKLloydJewellery?sk=wall
Living in such a beautiful place is a photographers dream, and Bute has its fair share of talent in that area aswell. Four that I know of personally are John Lawson, John Williams, Zak Harrison and Dave Murty. All have a great eye for spotting a photo opportunity!
Aswell as all the talented artists and craftspeople around, we are lucky to have some fantastic outlets for these people to sell their items.
We have the Castle Gallery, http://www.thecastlegallery.com/ situated across the road from Rothesay Castle; Picture Bute, http://www.picturebute.com/ which is stuffed full of artwork, jewellery, handmade cards, aswell as t-shirts, mugs, coasters etc all printed with various images from around the island.
Then we have Brandish Bute. This was set up as a social enterprise to bring together some of the talented people on the island and give them a platform to market themselves and their products and also the island itself. It has a small shop but also an online presence http://brandishbute.com/ and has been busy visiting trade and craft fairs over recent months to take the "Bute" brand to a wider audience.
Its a small island and it seems like you are never far away from a creative person! Whether it be a painter, a potter, a photographer or a jeweller.
Why not come and visit our little island and see for yourself! Visit http://www.isle-of-bute.com/ and find all the details you need!
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Auction full of goodies!!!
My activities as "buteartism" have taken a bit of a back seat lately, not just because of the goings on over at Folksy either!
I'm not going to bore you with all the details as no doubt you already know, and besides, because I've been busy doing other things, I don't really know the full story myself.
However, I know enough to have decided to close down my shop on Folksy and just continue to sell via the Facebook page.
The fact that Folksy intended to charge us more because of VAT was one of the factors behind me leaving as more money for them meant less money for Macmillan Cancer Support - which is where the money I make from selling my items goes.
Anyhow, on top of raising money for Macmillan, I am also fundraising for womb cancer research via Womb Cancer Support UK http://www.wix.com/wombcancersupportuk/home the online support group that I set up earlier this year.
We have our own blog; twitter and Facebook so we are reaching out to the many women with womb cancer who want and need support.
As part of raising awareness of womb cancer we designated September "Womb Cancer Awareness " month and held various events to do just that, raise awareness.
Members of the support group distributed awareness leaflets; held coffee mornings; - real and virtual ones!!! - and I have also been selling some of my jewellery to raise funds for womb cancer research.
Our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/WCSUKFundraising has details of some of the wonderful items that have been donated to the auction which runs until 6pm Friday 30th Sept. We have about £250 of bids so far, so thats a great way to finish our 1st Womb Cancer Awareness month.
We are also runing a petition calling for a dedicated womb cancer charity - as there isn't one at present. Please will you add your signature? http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/wombcancercharity
With over 7,500 women each year being diagnosed, you never know when you or a friend or relative might need some help and support so please share the link with as many people as possible!
Kaz xx
I'm not going to bore you with all the details as no doubt you already know, and besides, because I've been busy doing other things, I don't really know the full story myself.
However, I know enough to have decided to close down my shop on Folksy and just continue to sell via the Facebook page.
The fact that Folksy intended to charge us more because of VAT was one of the factors behind me leaving as more money for them meant less money for Macmillan Cancer Support - which is where the money I make from selling my items goes.
Anyhow, on top of raising money for Macmillan, I am also fundraising for womb cancer research via Womb Cancer Support UK http://www.wix.com/wombcancersupportuk/home the online support group that I set up earlier this year.
We have our own blog; twitter and Facebook so we are reaching out to the many women with womb cancer who want and need support.
As part of raising awareness of womb cancer we designated September "Womb Cancer Awareness " month and held various events to do just that, raise awareness.
Members of the support group distributed awareness leaflets; held coffee mornings; - real and virtual ones!!! - and I have also been selling some of my jewellery to raise funds for womb cancer research.
Our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/WCSUKFundraising has details of some of the wonderful items that have been donated to the auction which runs until 6pm Friday 30th Sept. We have about £250 of bids so far, so thats a great way to finish our 1st Womb Cancer Awareness month.
We are also runing a petition calling for a dedicated womb cancer charity - as there isn't one at present. Please will you add your signature? http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/wombcancercharity
With over 7,500 women each year being diagnosed, you never know when you or a friend or relative might need some help and support so please share the link with as many people as possible!
Kaz xx
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Midsummer Solstice
Well, its nearly Midsummer, although it feels more like mid-October than mid-June up here on the west coast of Scotland!
As lots of folk will be gathering to watch the sunrise at Stonehenge on 21st, I thought I'd share some appropriate goodies with you in this blog!
http://www.folksy.com/items/1682913
http://www.folksy.com/items/1664109-Solstice-Sunrisese
http://www.folksy.com/items/1427473-Stonehenge-Box-Canvas-and-Easel-Watercolour-Painting
http://www.folksy.com/items/1431381-World-Heritage-English-Site-Stonehenge
And finally, this is one of Terrys - an acrylic on canvas! http://www.folksy.com/items/1402337-STONEHENGE-ACRYLIC-CANVAS?shop=yes
Whatever you do to celebrate the longest day, enjoy!
xx
As lots of folk will be gathering to watch the sunrise at Stonehenge on 21st, I thought I'd share some appropriate goodies with you in this blog!
http://www.folksy.com/items/1682913
http://www.folksy.com/items/1664109-Solstice-Sunrisese
http://www.folksy.com/items/1427473-Stonehenge-Box-Canvas-and-Easel-Watercolour-Painting
http://www.folksy.com/items/1431381-World-Heritage-English-Site-Stonehenge
And finally, this is one of Terrys - an acrylic on canvas! http://www.folksy.com/items/1402337-STONEHENGE-ACRYLIC-CANVAS?shop=yes
Whatever you do to celebrate the longest day, enjoy!
xx
Monday, 30 May 2011
Every little helps!
I've posted before about fundraising auctions that held on Facebook and I myself have no worries about supporting them. I have held a couple myself and they have both been well supported.
I am running another soon for a German Shepherd Rescue centre that is run by a lovely lady called Marcia. You can find more about their work here
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001931876969
I also run a regular auction of crafting goodies that I no longer need to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer care. The last 2 raised in excess of £100 and I shall be handing over a cheque this Tuesday.
Another charity that I regularly support is Jades Smiles - run by a very brave young lady called Jade Swain. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jades-Smiles/108058812609330?sk=info She has au auction running at the moment to which I have donated a few pieces.
A new one that I've just found is this one
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-A-Hedgehog-Hospital/194675883882015 and again I've donated a couple if items. They have some lovely items up for grabs so I shall definetly be bidding on a few items there!!
The last one I want to mention today is one that I simply couldn't not offer to help out.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Home-crafted-Auction-for-Lillie-Mai/162886860442060
Little Lillie-Mai Jackson contracted meningitis at 14 weeks old. Despite being given just hours to live at one point, she pulled through. Unfortunately though, she lost both legs and an arm in the process. She will need many prosthetic limbs as she grows up, and they are very expensive.
Again, some wonderful people have donated some lovely items to this auction so I shall be there when the auction starts to support them.
I know that times are hard and sometimes it can be difficult for crafters to donate items to all these charities but even sharing a link on FB helps, so next time one pops up in your list of posts please, please repost it and share the link love.
Take care.
I am running another soon for a German Shepherd Rescue centre that is run by a lovely lady called Marcia. You can find more about their work here
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001931876969
I also run a regular auction of crafting goodies that I no longer need to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer care. The last 2 raised in excess of £100 and I shall be handing over a cheque this Tuesday.
Another charity that I regularly support is Jades Smiles - run by a very brave young lady called Jade Swain. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jades-Smiles/108058812609330?sk=info She has au auction running at the moment to which I have donated a few pieces.
A new one that I've just found is this one
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-A-Hedgehog-Hospital/194675883882015 and again I've donated a couple if items. They have some lovely items up for grabs so I shall definetly be bidding on a few items there!!
The last one I want to mention today is one that I simply couldn't not offer to help out.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Home-crafted-Auction-for-Lillie-Mai/162886860442060
Little Lillie-Mai Jackson contracted meningitis at 14 weeks old. Despite being given just hours to live at one point, she pulled through. Unfortunately though, she lost both legs and an arm in the process. She will need many prosthetic limbs as she grows up, and they are very expensive.
Again, some wonderful people have donated some lovely items to this auction so I shall be there when the auction starts to support them.
I know that times are hard and sometimes it can be difficult for crafters to donate items to all these charities but even sharing a link on FB helps, so next time one pops up in your list of posts please, please repost it and share the link love.
Take care.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Pretty, Pretty Beads!!!
I just love beads! All shapes and sizes and colours! I especially love handmade lampwork beads and have been lucky enough to purchase some beads from some very talented artisans!
So today, I want to share with you some of my favourite bead makers!!
First up is the lovely Claire Morris, also know as Rowanberry. http://rowanberrydesigns.co.uk/wp/
Her beads sell out faster than hot cakes so you have to be pretty quick to catch them! Aswell as selling the beads, she also turns some of them into stunning items of jewellery and she's also a wonderful artist!! Her tree beads are to die for!
Next, is Vickie at http://beads4breakfast.co.uk/ She's only been lampworking for a couple of years but she produces some lovely colourful beads in her kitchen workshop!!
Next up is http://www.folksy.com/shops/dragonglass I bought a huge bag of her orphan beads last year!!! There were some stunning beads in there!!!
Over on Etsy is where you will find the lovely beads made by Jane http://www.etsy.com/shop/janehamill
I adore the cute little viking beads made by http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadCatGlass
Until next time!
So today, I want to share with you some of my favourite bead makers!!
First up is the lovely Claire Morris, also know as Rowanberry. http://rowanberrydesigns.co.uk/wp/
Her beads sell out faster than hot cakes so you have to be pretty quick to catch them! Aswell as selling the beads, she also turns some of them into stunning items of jewellery and she's also a wonderful artist!! Her tree beads are to die for!
Next, is Vickie at http://beads4breakfast.co.uk/ She's only been lampworking for a couple of years but she produces some lovely colourful beads in her kitchen workshop!!
Next up is http://www.folksy.com/shops/dragonglass I bought a huge bag of her orphan beads last year!!! There were some stunning beads in there!!!
Over on Etsy is where you will find the lovely beads made by Jane http://www.etsy.com/shop/janehamill
I adore the cute little viking beads made by http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadCatGlass
Here a few beads from my ever growing collection - if you like them as much as I do then check out some of the above stores!
Until next time!
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