Off to meet Santa on Saturday.

Well, I've been busy over the past few weeks sorting out my stash of goodies and have parcelled up and sent items to various good causes that I support.

I sent a parcels of items to AMMF as there will probably be some of their supporters holding Xmas fundraising events and they will pass them on to them and I also sent a box of goodies to Rainbow Valley as there is a fundraising event being held this Saturday 26th Nov in Glasgow to help raise funds for them.

If you are in Glasgow then why not pop along and support this great cause.

I held my final online sale a couple of weeks ago and raised over £300 which will be added to my total raised throughout the year for AMMF and WCSUK. The total raised will be split between these 2 good causes as the end of the year. Total currently stands at £554.50.


Also this Saturday I am at a local event  here on Bute. I shall be selling my items to help raise funds for our local dialysis unit group who are trying to raise £300,000 to get a dialysis unit here on the island. At present, any patients requiring dialysis have to travel to the mainland 3 times a week which is a tough thing to have to do when you are seriously ill.

So fingers crossed that there is a good turnout and everyone has a good time. I hear that Father Christmas will be there so I must remember to be a good girl!!!

Did someone mention Christmas?

If you know me, then you know that we don't "do" Christmas! Apart from the fact that we're not religious, neither myself or my husband are into all the commercialism and materialistic crap that goes with it. Far too much money and natural resources wasted on just one day so for the past 20+ years we haven't bothered.

25th December is just like any other day in our house. On Christmas days here on the island, before I was diagnosed,  we used to go out for a long walk on the day. For the past 7 years we've just spent the day doing the same as we usually do - which isn't much very exciting!!

Having one of my regular sort outs recently I cam across a few packs of card blanks that I've had for ages and never got round to using and before you know it, I was making Christmas cards!!!!

Now, don't get too excited - I've not converted and come over all festive!!! I'm going to be donating them to one of my good causes  - sending out Christmas cards is another thing we don't do either.

So, if you see me covered in glitter and sequins then you'll know what's been happening. Hopefully I won't enjoy this creative process too much otherwise it might become an annual event!!!

Bah, humbug!! xxx

The end is nigh - well not quite!!!

If you read my last post then will remember that I had been reported to the DWP for allegedly benefiting from my fundraising activities! The allegation was made anonymously via the DWP fraud-line and my husband was called into our local job centre for an interview.

Thankfully they accepted that it was a malicious allegation and no further action is being taken but it made me so angry that I decided to stop fundraising for the charities and good causes I support.

However, after having time to think about it, if I do that then that means that the nasty person who reported me has won (and the charities and good causes are the loosers) so I have come up with an alternative solution.

I am still making my jewellery and other items but am now sending them directly to the organisations I support for them to sell or pass on to other people who are fundraising for them. That way I am still supporting the good causes close to my heart but can no have the finger pointed at me for benefiting from what I do.

I sent off a box full of handmade goodies to AMMF earlier this year and will be sending them another one in the run up to Xmas and have recently sent a box of items to Dr Hadwens Trust who are the UK's leading non animal research charity. They have a charity shop in Hitchen and I sent the items there for them to resell.

As well as some of my handmade jewellery and accessories there was also some of Terry's artwork which he very kindly donated.

Hopefully it will help raise some pennies for the great work that Dr Hadwens do.

Still got lots of handmade goodies left so will be parcelling up some more in the coming weeks. I'm not about to let some nasty, spiteful person stop me raising funds for the organisations that are close to my heart.

Kaz xx

The end is nigh......sadly.

Well, thanks to some nasty vindictive lowlife my fundraising efforts will shortly cease.
I have apparently been reported to the DWP for benefiting from what I do and my husband was called into the local job centre on Thursday for what he believed was a routine interview.
The woman immediately started talking about me and what I do with Womb Cancer Support UK (WCSUK) and my other fundraising activities and said that an anonymous call had been made to the DWP fraudline saying that I was profiting from the money I raised.
Thankfully hubby knows enough about what I do to be able to explain to her and she accepted his explanation and said no further action would be taken.

When he came back home and told me what had happened I think you can guess my reaction. I have always been totally open about what I do; I keep records of everything and have always donated 100% of proceeds to the charity or good causes concerned.
To suggest that I have been somehow profiting out of what I do with WCSUK made me so angry. I have spent the last 5+ years working so hard to raise awareness of womb cancer and support women who have been diagnosed whilst dealing with the long term side effects of my own womb cancer diagnosis and treatment. I raise funds not only to support the awareness campaign that we run but also for various other good causes and have raised a few thousand pounds over the past 6 years for Macmillan; CRUK and many other charities etc.

I have taken the decision therefore to stop selling my handmade items which ultimately means that all the various charities and good causes I support will no longer benefit. The woman from the DWP said that if I was reported again, which is highly likely if the person concerned is as nasty and vindictive as they would appear, then they would have to investigate again and the assessor may not be so willing to accept the explanation next time.

WCSUK has and always will be my priority and I will not let anything harm what I do there. I have had some wonderful messages of support from the women in the chat group and other friends and I will continue to do what I believe to be the right thing.

Midsummer madness

Well, July us almost at an end - where has this year gone?

Already seeing posts on FB for "whispers" - Christmas!!!!!

Not been doing much crafting lately - mostly due to ill health but I do have the occasional burst of creativity and manage to make a few things.

Been using up some of my stash of beads so have been making lots of beaded bracelets. These will be packed up later on and sent off to AMMF for them to pass onto others who are doing fundraising events.

Made quite a few bracelets but you can't see where I've been in the stash of beads!!!! Guess I need to make some more!!

The total of sales made so far this year is £187.50 which of course will be split at the end of the year between AMMF and WCSUK.

The womb cancer auction will be at the end of September - already have some items in the album which you can see here

See you soon.

Where is summer?

Well, July has arrived but sadly summer seems to have got lost somewhere.
The weather up here on west coast of Scotland has been more like November than June and July.
The sun is trying to shine today - in between the heavy showers!!!

Sadly, there isn't much to talk about really as sales have been very slow - mainly due to FB not showing posts. Post reach is down to single figures on most posts despite me having nearly 800 likers. Getting a but depressed to be honest so I can understand how some of the small businesses are feeling.
Not made a sale since the end of May now so the amount of money that I'm raising for AMMF and WCSUK is looking a bit disappointing. Hopefully things will pick up towards the end of the year.

Found a stash of lovely handmade focal beads that I hadn't found a use for so have turned them into some funky pendants with some suede effect tassels that I bought for something else. Quite pleased with the results.

You can find these and the others on the FB page

I am also sorting things out for the next auction which will be for womb cancer and will be at the end of September. Already have some lovely items listed - you can check the album out here 
Hopefully we have a few more donated items to come so am looking forward to adding them soon.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Waste not, want not!!

I hate waste, especially if it can be avoided.

Sometimes crafting can be a bit of a tricky ground as the craft supply industry seems intent on getting us to buy more and more stuff.

However, I like to try and re-use as much as possible or at least find new uses for things whenever I can.

Since making the fabric flower brooches, I'd collected a bag of fabric scraps that were not big enough to use for the flowers but I didn't want to throw them out.

Trying to find something to do with them was taxing my brain slightly - I'm not particularly interested in sewing. Making the flowers was really the extent of my sewing capabilities so I needed to find something else.

Eventually I found something suitable - so am happy now to announce that I am making fabric covered buttons!!!!
OK, maybe not worth a fanfare but I'm quite pleased with them and at least its a bit less fabric ending up in the bin.

You can find them for sale here

At the moment they come in two sizes but I will add some other sizes if they prove popular.

As always proceeds will be going to my 2 good causes AMMF and WCSUK