Crafty Destash Sale and Personal Update!

Posted on by Caly

Hi, Friends!!

I’ve been telling myself I need to destash my crafting supplies for over year a now.  It’s so hard when I’ve never done it before and most of the things I need to pass on have only been used once or never at all.  I hope they will go to loving homes and to crafters who use and adore them!  Warning…long personal story ahead.  Skip to the end if you’re interested in the destash info only :).

If you don’t already know, I moved about 5 weeks ago.  And prior to that, my mom was in and out of the ICU, had a stem cell transplant, and it took her twice as long to be released from the hospital.  She was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma last September. When she was released, she came to live with me because I worked from home and was able to keep an eye on her.  She couldn’t bear weight without falling and couldn’t feed herself.  A week later (two weeks before my big move), she experienced acute kidney injury and landed in the ER and ICU again – a big part of me feels like I didn’t adequately care for her even though I know it’s not my fault.  Anyway – we moved and when she was released, she decided to go home to live with my brother.  She was strong enough to be alone and probably didn’t want to burden me amidst my move…but I felt bad and maybe a little sense of relief.

We have been told for a few months now, that our address is not serviceable by any internet provider.  We kept keeping hope that one would become available before or quickly after our move…but it didn’t set in until my request to transfer addresses with my work fell through because of it.  Still, with weeks before my move and knowing I could use a personal service for work, I thought it would work out.  I never was able to pick up my job again.  I took vacation time for 1 week after my move and we had it all planned out for me to return, but still no service of any kind.  I requested for an unpaid leave of absence – never got approved and I realized I couldn’t leave my job hanging. 

My husband and I have talked of me stop working – but not for another 10 years or so and not under these circumstances.  In July, I would’ve worked for my company 10 years – so it’s a little painful to leave such a big part of you in the past so suddenly.  I have to admit, I have been feeling like I’ve lost a big part of myself…a huge sense of worth has dissipated suddenly.  I’m grateful that I’ve been so busy with the move, organizing and destashing that it has taken up all my brain power to not dwell on something I can’t control. 

So we are still without internet.  One company wanted $8000 to bury an internet line…in October (yes, 5 months from now) and others have put us on a waiting list with no timeline as to when it could be).  We could get satellite internet but opted for getting a third phone line to use as a hotspot.  We’re making it work, but the speeds are not adequate for work.  So a new season in life has begun. 

We’ve been dealing with a lot of bad weather, which has brought out the worst in moving experiences (sod slipping into the street, terrible erosion issues that we’re continually seeing and trying to fix). So the stresses continue and hopefully subside with time. I know not working will change how I use my time once the kids are out of school tomorrow.  I’m hoping to start doing YouTube videos again – so that’s good news!  Give me some time…fear of the unknown holds me back as I expressed above.  It’s been 3 years since I’ve done a video I’ve had to edit and do a voice-over on and frankly, it scares the crud out of me.  All the programs (and my computer) has changed so it’s a lot to learn.  I’m also hoping to craft more for fun – do challenges that I’ve never had time to participate in.  So anyway, thanks for listening to (*reading*) my story….let’s talk about destash!!!!    

DESTASH INFORMATION:

I have 21 (my favorite number so it must be meant to be!) boxes/packages valued at over $200 that I’m selling for $100 + shipping (3-day Priority shipping seems to be the best option and is $12.80 via PayPal or I can ship by weight and size and is about $7 – I will let you know the total before you pay). 

  • Everything is labeled and either stored in its original packaging, storage pocket, or zip-enclosed bag. 
  • Coordinating dies are stored with their stamps
  • Magnets are not included due to weight (but dies are bagged and with their stamp sets, if applicable).

To buy, simply email me at craftincaly@gmail.com and I’ll send you an invoice and you can pay through PayPal.  Please provide the following:

  • your PayPal email address
  • your shipping address so I can calculate the shipping
  • specify if you prefer a flat rate box or ship by weight (I’ll choose flat rate box if it’s cheaper).

I’m sorry, but destash packages/boxes are for United States residents only.  As I get more comfortable, I may open it up to international folks in a future (I hope you understand!). 

I hope you’ll enjoy the goodies from many of the companies I love.  If you have specific questions, I’m happy to answer them – I just don’t want to disclose information here to single out any specific company whether it be positive or negative.  I love the companies I purchase from and am sad to let go of the goodies, but I have to make room for more. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

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Leaving you with a picture of my new craftspace:

I made a letterboard sign…it reads: Money can’t buy Happiness, but it can buy Craft Supplies and that’s sort of the SAME THING! 🙂

28 thoughts on “Crafty Destash Sale and Personal Update!”

  2. Wow, Caly! That’s a lot of juggling and a lot on your plate. Speaking from experience, it is not easy to care for aging or ill parents. It’s a lot more physical, mental and emotional stress than people think. And when things don’t go well, you’re left with lots of self-doubt and guilt. But try to not to blame yourself. It was not your fault. You’re a good daughter. You did your best. You have siblings … it’s OK that she rotate to another sibling’s care. You shouldn’t feel bad and it’s perfectly normal to feel a bit of relief. Congratulations on your new home! Stressful but exciting! Hope your internet struggle will pan itself out soon. Sorry to hear that you had to give up your job. But for what it’s worth, now you’ll have more time for the family, more time to actually sit down and enjoy your lunch (instead of grabbing a quick bite before getting back to work) and more time to craft in that beautiful new playroom! Excited about your videos already! Keeping you and your Mom (and your whole family) in my prayers. ❤️😊

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  3. I hear you. How I wish I could work less to spend more time with my family (especially my parents). My dream is to finish paying off my student loans to be able to work part time, spend time with my mom who hasn’t been feeling well for the last 4-5 years, and also to do a little more crafting (which is my safe haven amongst all the stressful things in life). Praying that everything turns out ok for you and your family. Have fun in your new craft room.
    -Mayra Jannette, crafter, wife, optometrist
    Instagram @soulful_art_studio
    Soulfulartstudio.etsy.com

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  4. In 2017 I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma after not 1 but 2 bone marrow biopsies (the 1st without anesthesia), or should I say mis-diagnosed. For 6 weeks my family and I were in turmoil over the news and waiting to be seen my specialists at Emory. Turns out I really have Smoldering Myeloma, which progesses at a MUCH slower rate, and sometimes never does even develop into full, active cancer. I get tested every 3 months for changes in my light chains, just to be sure. I am VERY familiar with the seriousness of Multiple Myeloma and its affects on blood, kidneys, and bone marrow. Do not hold yourself responsible for the affects of the cancer, but do try to be present in this time you have been granted. Have you thought that perhaps the lack of internet and situation with your job is happening so you have the availability to spend much needed time with family? I’m not a very spiritual person, but I do think things happen for a reason and I try to embrace that when it seems like life is in a state of chaos. Things always settle down eventually and in hindsight I always sense a purpose to the chaos, even if I couldn’t see it at the time. Any company who valued your work for 10 years will gladly take you back in some capacity when the time is right, too. Have faith that this is meant to be. Try not to let the stress of the move and complications thereof wear on you. You need to be strong for your mom, not run down and stressed any more than you already are for her. My thoughts are with you and your mom. Wishing you the best, Karen

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    1. Hi Karen! Thanks so much for sharing your story with me! I hope you can stay healthy and lead an active and healthy life! We try to encourage my mom but she’s not very motivated.

      And yes! I’ve absolutely considered that everything has happened for a reason with our move and job. A fresh new season, for sure!

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      1. Give your mom time… she’s going through a lot, both physically and emotionally. I was only 45 when I was diagnosed, and was an emotional wreck thinking of all the things I might not be around for. My son’s graduation, college decisions, marriage and kids. Not being there for my husband hurt too as we’ve been together more years than without. Realizing your own mortality when you had envisioned living a very long time is mind boggling. You feel like you wasted so much valuable time, and you can’t decide how to spend the time you have (whether you will survive the cancer or not!) and not having the money or resources to do what you want anyway is frustrating. Try to get her to set small goals and be sure to keep her spirits up with whatever works. For me it was quality time with family and friends. I will say that I stopped crafting for a long time, and that was possibly a mistake. It is my therapy. But I wanted to spend every waking minute with my family and not hidden away in my craft room. I learned that I can craft on the couch… a whole card doesn’t get made in 1 sitting, but I stamp out a bunch of images 1 day, and color as I have time. Sometimes a card gets made from the pieces and sometimes not, but I still got in my therapy. Speaking of therapy, ain’t nothing wrong with a support group. Your mom may benefit from being around others going through the dreaded C, especially those with great attitudes about it, or those in remission. There are groups for family members and caregivers too. Also, check out CaringBridge as a way to share info with family and friends without having to repeat it 100 times, which can be depressing during challenging times. For our situation, it was going to be the best way for my husband to be with me as much as possible and keep the family informed without them driving him nuts 😉 Hang in there.

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      2. Sounds like you have a wonderful support system, Karen! I will be thinking of you and praying for you and your family. Thank you again for sharing your wisdom-it means so much! I wish I could express to you how different things are for us. The cultural, language and emotional barriers make it extremely complicated to have those types of conversations and even a relationship with her. But I hope that those thoughts you have after being diagnosed are going through her head even if she’s not expressing it. Without saying too much, all I can say is that I think she’s been through enough trauma in her early years that she has given up on living the best life and as a result, we did not have much of a childhood. Becoming a mother myself has made me realize that my low self esteem and abandonment stems from that. But that’s another can of worms! If you want to chat via email, we can move the conversation there. (craftincaly@gmail.com)

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