My First Blog!

Welcome to my first blog! I decided to create a blog to talk about all things crafty~(Paper) and my love of fine china (Plates).  Shabby has a two-fold meaning~I love the shabby chic look in crafting and decorating, and that describes the way I feel all the time (shabby).
I guess I should explain the shabby feeling comment.  I have my license as a registered nurse.  After I had stayed home raising my three children for 12 years, I decided to return to work as a nurse.  Of course, part of returning to nursing requires updating vaccines.  I was told since it had been so long since I had received the Hepatitis B Vaccine that I should receive one dose to "boost" my body's cellular memory and show that I was immune to Hep B which is required for hospital nursing.  I had never had problems with vaccines, nor had any of my children or anyone in my family.  But ah, there is the little problem of statistics (a certain percentage of people who receive vaccines will have an adverse effect )!  So without any worry, on June 12, 2008,  I received a Hep B vaccine in my right arm and a Tetanus vaccine in my left arm.  The whole time that little voice in my head was telling me, "Maybe I shouldn't be doing this?"
Within two weeks, I started having trouble walking up the stairs and getting out of chairs.  My deltoid muscles in my arms had swollen like Popeye's and they were extremely painful.  To make a long story short--I have dermatomyositis (a form of muscular dystrophy) from vaccine injury.  Imagine my surprise and heartbreak to learn that I am permanently disabled due to a vaccine that we all are lead to believe is safe!
I don't like to bore people with my long story of seeing experts, having procedures done and the many lab tests I have had to endure over the last 2 years and 8 months. I will caution everyone  to be very careful with vaccines, especially Hep B because it can harm you!

Now on to the positive stuff!

I sell items on eBay.  Mostly I sell plates, figurines, etc.  I sell all the top brands.  I can usually find some great deals at thrift stores and other places.  The key of course is to buy low and sell for at least double your purchase price.  Simple economics! 


I also love to scrapbook.  Recently, I have discovered the Magnolia Tilda stamps from Sweden.  I am currently using them to make shadow box picture frames, paper piecings and scrapbook pages.

These are some of my paper piecings using the Magnolia Rubber Stamps.  I stamp on Bristol board and color with Copic markers.  The girl is named Tilda and the boy is Edwin.  Magnolia has an angel policy that you can sell their stamped images as long as you stamp and color them yourself.
These stamps are very hard to find.  I have only found the ones I buy on-line.  I currently don't know of any stores in this area who sell them.  Aren't they cute?

~Kathy
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P.S. Thanks for reading my first blog!