A Birthday; a day to celebrate and to give tribute...

Today U-Handbag is 2 years old.  My site went live on the 12th of November 05 and Alan and I bit our nails to our elbows until the 15th of November when Michaela of Hampshire was my first ever customer.  We had another 2 orders that day and so began the job (if you can call it that; I certainly don't feel like it is) that has made me feel the most happiest and fulfilled in work I have ever been in my life.  Another anniversary that is special to me is that I started blogging 1 year ago in November. 

I'm trying not to come across as overly sincere or gratuitously mushy, but I don't think that's possible for this post.  So I just have to come out and say it: I really want to thank my all readers and customers with a big fat virtual hug and a nuzzle for making me feel so welcome on the web.  People can say whatever they want about virtual vs face-face contact.  As far as I'm concerned it's all about making connections with other humans whether that be by means of a keyboard or over a cup coffee, it's all still talking and sharing with each other.  You have all been so generous in your encouragement, support, sharing of your ideas, and making me laugh.  You are my crafting buddies, because my Londoner friends (bar one) aren't crafting fiends like we all are; they don't quite understand like you do.  So I love it that you are there all over the world, I just need to switch my on PC there you all are busily talking and sharing with each other...  It's prevented me from feeling lonely many a time.

I was wondering how to mark this occasion, should I do a giveaway or a tutorial.  In the end I thought 'why not do both?'  In readiness for preparing the tutorial I got out my bag of origami papers, and I came across this old birthday card...

My 20th birthday card from my family.  I keep this card in my origami papers bag because I know it will be well protected and also I don't use this bag often...

This birthday card is one my most treasured possessions because it is the last birthday card given to me that was signed by my whole family.  I am one sibling short (or as my other sister Wendy puts it: 'a caterpillar who can walk, but who is missing a leg'). The little girl in the photo is my youngest sister Jenny, she died of cancer aged 13.  She was emotionally and academically as sharp a pin, she always spoke her mind, she was worryingly charming, and an absolute craft fiend.  After diagnosis Jenny lived for anther 3 years.  During that  time we all dropped what we were doing, moved back to the family home, and tried our best to make her remaining years the best a young girl could ask for.  And I think we did it too; there was so much love in our home (I am crying as I write this!), there was a constant stream of family and friends in our home, and we were blessed with enough time to make some very special memories together.

In the last 9 months or so Jenny knew she was going to die (God, I can't see the keyboard through the water!  Some might ask 'why make yourself sad thinking about this, why write this down on your blog, and why write about this on a birthday post?'  For me there is a point, for me this is relevant and cathartic; and perhaps you'll agree by the time you get to the end of this post), after she accepted the reality she cried a few times (just a few! I know this because we shared a bedroom), and she then turned herself into a craft machine. 

She set about drawing pictures, making rugs, sewing stuff, embroidering things, and writing prose, poem, and leaving letters.  Jenny made it very clear to us that she was creating these craft items for us to have has keepsakes after she was gone...her biggest fear was not of dying, but of being forgotten.  Before Jenny knew she was going to die I asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up, and without hesitation she said she wanted to run a craft shop.  So, after 10 years later of her saying that, I'm not sure if I am running a craft shop because she wanted to, but I know that she would approve.

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Here is one of my T-shirts that Jenny and I have decorated; that was a fun afternoon together.

My shop forms such a large part of my happiness and this blog is so closely tied in with that.  So whilst I am mindful of celebrating 2 happy years of running my shop, I have also been able to give Jenny a little crafty tribute which will remain somewhere permanently on the internet.  I think my parents would like that, and I think Jenny would too.
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Tutorial will be in the next post