This is a long one and if anyone want to know more I can grieve more information I tried to keep it on track.
Hello everyone my name is Judi here’s some personal background to my crafting journey to where I am at today. I have always loved to craft as a kid their was always something I was doing at one point I was tested for gifted and talented art even but my foster / adoptive mom was not a fan and did not let me do anything but get tested. I loved wood-shop in middle and high school as well as art the making clay figures was so much fun. I used to use toothpicks and ice ig to put designs in cupcakes as a teen and did the same with my nails. Besides emotional trauma I live my life to prove others wrong spending 7.5 years in foster care can do that to you… I chose to help out special needs classes instead of being mad about what happens outside of school honestly theirs nothing more pure then someone that sadly is treated like they are less then enjoying spending time with you they tell you how they see it and I believe they see true intentions. With that they teach you ways to make a craft you would never think about theirs nothing wrong with using stickers to make an items to show you the area you want an image in for example. I loved being apart of best buddies and helping a parson. I grew up 45 min form New York City in New Jersey so when sept 11th happens it’s was chaos in out schools I was in 8th grade at the time seeing all the trucks going to help on the closed road sit heavy with me so my plan was to join the navy because I wanted to be a presidents cook or cook for somone famous was my goal. So I graduated a tech school my adopted mom kicked me out I finished my hour at a summer camp teaching kids tie dye lanyard crafts archery and bbguns oh and painting with bubbles! Best adult summer of my life! Slept in my car a few night till a friends parents let me stay with them officially signed up to join the navy! I had nothing to lose and everything to gain…. Two years in I was having weird symptoms so after getting back from deployment saw a neurologist he said it was a pinched nerve r and I had re shaped my tendon in my ankle fun times. From 6-7 months later on thanksgiving night 2008 I had a headache that made your head feel like it was going to explode it took 4 days but at the age of 20 I was told I had a stoke ( in my popsicle hemisphere)they are not sure how I was functioning how I was. I was admitted to the hospital told I had a Rare brain disease that my blood vessels in my brain are to small it’s .0086 out of one hundred thousand people get diagnosed in the us…. So yup hit a generic jackpot… after being sent to Bethesda md for surgery and they had me stay. Art therapy is amazing and I had a blast and did sports therapy (how I met my husband) was slowly becoming the new me. I got to cook at the pentagon for the joint chief of staff so met my military goal of a famous person. I was able to get back into scrap booking cause I was not deployable so I collected paper trimmer craft scissors chalk I found a lot of stuff at Marshall’s . Fast forward to 2011 I had a second brain surgery and it was nit fun I got to learn to walk all over again I get drop foot some times still but that’s ok. It was a hit mess I had all of my hair donated well asked them to I was told it got sent out … so I am now beyond blessed to function in general I did polytrama rehab and they had wood burning and other crafts and loved it. Get medically retired with lack of vision on left side of both eye so have never been cleared to drive again. I was making things by hand to help a friend out in I think 2017 or 18 and she got me a cricut and boy did it make it so much easer I love it make shirts paper craft s floating Harry Potter candles from tp roll centers hot glue and paint and a circle to keep flame less candle up. But a can be moved clock like the Weasley‘s was my favorite made by me. I was back in a happy place because honestly cooking and I still have issues . So I was making things people asked for mainly the person that provided me with the cricut and having so much fun.
Now 2020 I have always had some type of sewing machine but had let it be used and it came back missing a item so borrowed one and used my cricut to cut fabric and sew masks I ordered a machine got scammed got my money back finally I get one that’s rated good for fabric can so letters embroidery 
have my friend on video call unboxing to get it set up and everything felt off my husband was fishing with his dad 4 hours away… I am 95% sure I had a mini stroke asl friend ri check my smile and after resting so I don’t fall down the stairs I go and check vitals chew a aspirin Celt ok a hour later so let it go but have a call ready for a ride to hospital because u did not want a med flight. Next morning I was worse couldn’t move limbs with out lots of thought and everything was off so walked into er after getting ride yes I walked in they looked at me like I was crazy but we know our own bodies …. As soon as I am hooked up I am swarmed cause yes I had all signs of an active stroke! 3 days in cause covid protocols I got to go home. At the time I was a admin for a fb Pearl page and a gem one I just could not follow how I used to and told them it’s not fair to anyone I honestly should not have been working but I had to try. My vision had changed more so my center of vision is more right then what it was before that stroke. But crafting you have so many tools rulers I said ied figure it a,k our again and sewing too so after having a fear of my craft room I asked if I could switch spaced cause I just was nit comfortable in the space it happens in I tried for months just I was never up their for longer then needed by myself…. I have reclaimed my crafting! I use stickers to help mark the center of things after I have found it I have used probably 4 different shirt rulers (I have not tried htvront yet) I know if I give myself usually 2in extra wiggle room it will be in the spot I need it and it’s ok to used. Bit of extra material some times. I don’t have proper muscle control my strength goes down as I use my hands. So for tumblers I used a cup caddy silicon thing and Velcro straps to tighten wrap then nape it . I have not had luck with the clip things cause I can’t squeeze them enough. It’s a process finding what works for you but you try!
The auto press was a savior for me cause the press I had I could no longer use safely (I gifted it to a person for nothing just so it could be used)
I ever want anyone to think I am trying to out shine or one up a story it’s something I never want we all have different story’s and journeys that bring us here.
If your still with me on this long post what disability’s do your craft throw wen not at medical appts or in to much pain to leave the bed. (I call those design days. ) I have constant headaches as long as I don’t have light bursts I can do something… so share your crafty ABILITY their disability! You’re not alone and we can help with tricks! Don’t let anyone steel your shine!
Judi, I’m truly moved by your story. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I read every word.
