The Sick Chick » Healing Arts Charity Program http://thesickchick.com From Illness to Wellness Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:08:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=4795 en hourly 1 Can you give me a hand? http://thesickchick.com/can-you-give-me-a-hand/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://thesickchick.com/can-you-give-me-a-hand/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:02:31 +0000 Juliann http://thesickchick.com/?p=167 A "missing" hand

I really need a hand...

I’m struggling.  My health has been worse than usual this past year and although I don’t talk about it much it has been very hard.  The depression is coming back after having been at bay for a long time and I’m spiralling downward into malaise.  I want desperately to get Healing Arts (formerly The Sick Chick Crafts for Causes) up, running and fully legal (and thus tax-deductible!) but it’s a lot more work than I had initially imagined.  It will be very worth it, but…like the people I want to help, I’m in a bad place right now and could really use a little lift.

Can you give me a hand?

I mean that literally! I’m asking you and anyone, everyone, young and old to send me a cutout of a hand, decorated any way you please and made from whatever materials suit your fancy.  I’ll use these hands to cheer myself on by affixing them to the bare walls in my room and also sending hands to anyone else who seems to need one. Please write your name or nick on the back so I/we will know who is lending their hand to this project :) (And if you send other contact details I will write you a thank-you note eventually!)

A cut-out in the shape of my hand, coloured with watercolour and markers

Here's one I made earlier...

Please send hand images to:

The Sick Chick
P.O. Box 904
Cary, NC 27512-0904

I will be ever so grateful and hopefully this will be what I need to get myself out of a funk and get cracking on helping others!  Many thanks in advance!

]]> http://thesickchick.com/can-you-give-me-a-hand/feed/ 12 Items to Craft for Chronically Ill Friends & Relatives, Part One http://thesickchick.com/items-to-craft-for-chronically-ill-1/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://thesickchick.com/items-to-craft-for-chronically-ill-1/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:41:51 +0000 Juliann http://thesickchick.com/?p=161 National Invisible Awareness Week has ended but it’s still National Pain Awareness Month and right now I’m well aware of my pain so I thought I’d blog instead ;)  In honour of my Crafting for Causes charity program (which has NO donations yet *sniff sniff* — whatcha waiting on people??) I thought I would list just a small sampling of items that could brighten an ill person’s day and/or make their lives easier. Of course some of this depends on what kind of illness they have but you’d be using your judgement, of course!

Papercrafting

  • Handmade cards and postcards (can involve sewing/quilting/fabric/etc too!)
  • Signs of good wishes to hang up near their bed/lair
  • Mini-books filled with inspirational quotes
  • Personalized stationery to make it easy to write notes to friends — with postage included
  • Blank journals to record their health, feelings, dreams or wishes, etc.

Quilting

  • Lap quilts for wheelchair users (I like 30 inches square finished size)
  • Small throws for lounging on the sofa
  • Bed quilts, especially for the hospitalized to bring to colour to the room
  • Padded cases for eyeglasses
  • Thick quilted “pot” holders to be used for hot OR cold items (my hands can’t handle taking things out of the freezer, for instance)

Sewing

  • All kinds of warmers made with grains/rice inside of fabric that can be microwaved; these can be shaped for certain body parts or square for a generic heating pad
  • Nice pillows to put said warmers into, or just in general
  • Fleece hats
  • Extra-warm Mittens
  • Bed jackets and shrugs
  • Bags and totes for carrying things to appointments
  • Bags, “backpacks” and other items to add storage space to a rollator or wheelchair
  • “Slanket”/”Snuggie” type throws
  • Cute animals to cuddle up with — yes even adults like to sleep with a friend sometimes! — ideally very soft as well

Knit/Crochet

  • Lap blankets for wheelchair users (see above)
  • Throws for lounging
  • Shrugs and cardigans for those who get cold easily
  • Gloves, mittens or fingerless versions thereof
  • Wrist, arm, legwarmers
  • Hats, especially soft ones that are washable but don’t have bulky brims (for those of us who have to sleep in hats a bump at the brim can be uncomfortable)
  • Handmade socks
  • Prayer square where appropriate
  • Cute, soft animals (see above)

Toiletries — check with the person first for allergies/sensitivities!!

  • Lotions for those with skin problems
  • Unscented items for people allergic to perfumes
  • Exfoliating items for people who can’t bathe/shower every single day (dead skin can build up quickly)
  • Aromatherapy blends for relaxation, stress reduction, mental clarity, etc.
  • Bath blends without harsh chemicals; salts are usually good for this
  • Massage oils safe for use on the temples and forehead or warming or cooling ones for the body

Beading

  • Bookmarks
  • Stretchy jewelry for people who have trouble with hooks and clasps
  • Pretty, sparkly things for women who may be feeling unfeminine b/c of illness or side effects of treatment
  • Prayer beads where appropriate
  • Tiaras to make them the Queen of their Domain :)
  • Medic alert IDs — make the medic sign very visible
  • Awareness jewelry relating to their specific disease(s)

This is really a small sample of things that can be made, and things I plan to make for others.  Watch this space for more ideas in the weeks to come, and of course feel free to ask any questions about the items listed or to make suggestions of your own!

]]> http://thesickchick.com/items-to-craft-for-chronically-ill-1/feed/ 1 Sick Chicks, Chaps and Children Who Craft — Represent! http://thesickchick.com/sick-chicks-chaps-and-children-who-craft-represent/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://thesickchick.com/sick-chicks-chaps-and-children-who-craft-represent/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:33:19 +0000 Juliann http://thesickchick.com/?p=151 I’ve been trying to make a list of everyone who has publicly acknowledged that they have a chronic illness and who also are crafters.  Maybe they make their living crafting or just use it to cope with the everyday stresses of living with illness.  However, this is obviously an impossible task — there are millions of people who fit this category!  So I’m just going to do what I can and start the ball rolling!

Since this is Invisible Illness Awareness Week, I can’t think of a better time to start ah, taking names ;)

If you are, or know of, a person who is out about living with chronic illness (please don’t divulge secrets not your own!) who is into crafting, please please comment!  Leave the blog, website, Twitter, Facebook, Etsy or other URL where we can find them so we can spread the encouragement!

Invisible Illness Awareness Week 2009

Invisible Illness Awareness Week 2009

And please don’t forget that I am crafting for the chronically ill & their support teams, donations of craft supplies & postage greatly needed!!

]]> http://thesickchick.com/sick-chicks-chaps-and-children-who-craft-represent/feed/ 23 Crafting for Causes — Check out my new charity work! http://thesickchick.com/crafting-for-causes/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://thesickchick.com/crafting-for-causes/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:55:25 +0000 Juliann http://thesickchick.com/?p=139 In case you haven’t seen yet, I have pledged to craft little gifts for chronically ill people, their carers and medical professionals that deserve our thanks. I am in need of craft supplies, but anything else anyone might want to send to be distributed to these lovely people would be greatly appreciated!!! Chronically ill adults benefit the LEAST from programs designed to give cheer to the sick. Most of the money and effort go to children or adults with terminal illness or cancer, while funds for chronic illnesses go to research. Research is a good thing, but when you’re feeling isolated and lonely it’s not much to go on.

Since I know most of my readers ARE chronically ill people, what I would really like from you is just to spread the word that I am looking for supplies. Please tell everyone with excessive stashes or any craft supply companies or book publishers who might be able to donate. Thanks so much for your efforts!!!

For more info please see: http://thesickchick.com/causes

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