Craft Withdrawls

[Jcandleattic]

I'm going through severe crafting withdrawls here. It had been a few weeks since I did any crafting before coming here, and I've been here for 6 weeks, and still have 2 weeks left to go before going home. 

 

Told my boss today that I wanted to make a batch of soap, a few candles, and crochet, and he thought I'd gone mad. LOL I just miss crafting!! Can't wait to get home and start creating again... 

 

How long did any of you go without crafting involuntarily? 

 

I thought I would be able to buy some lye, olive oil, and make some soap here, but I didn't take into consideration a scale and the safety gear. To get everything I would need to make 1 batch of soap here it would have cost me right around £120. (which equals to about $155 ish) LOL Too expensive for a batch of soap. 

[TallTayl]

I feel you. I gave up all crafting when I worked a 'real'  job. It wore me out mentally. i loved travel, but it got some to be away from home. Only two more weeks. Hang in there.

[Jcandleattic]

I can understand quitting because of burnout or whatever, but when you really want to craft, but just literally can't, it's a horrible feeling. I hate it. 

 

I don't mind travelling and go for 8-10 weekends a year around the US, but being away for 8 weeks is a little excessive. 

[Sponiebr]

Oh JC...
SURELY you can do ONE batch without scales and safety gear... You have EXPERIENCE!  For goggles just use "safety squints". Gloves... Pull your shirt sleeves down over your hands... apron... BAH! WHO NEEDS'M? Scales... Honest To farts truth: I used a ruler a couple of paper clips, a thumb tack and coins (pennies) when I was in college and making fireworks (just fountains, lance, and small stick rockets.) It worked well enough and all, (every single one) worked perfectly well. 

Do you need me to send you a bedazzler?

I went about 5 years without being able to make a damned thing when I was in Europe. It SUCKED, all I was ever allowed to do was glue shoe soles back on and change lightbulbs/home repair work. 

[Jcandleattic]

17 minutes ago, Sponiebr said:

Oh JC...
SURELY you can do ONE batch without scales and safety gear... You have EXPERIENCE!  For goggles just use "safety squints". Gloves... Pull your shirt sleeves down over your hands... apron... BAH! WHO NEEDS'M? Scales... Honest To farts truth: I used a ruler a couple of paper clips, a thumb tack and coins (pennies) when I was in college and making fireworks (just fountains, lance, and small stick rockets.) It worked well enough and all, (every single one) worked perfectly well. 

Do you need me to send you a bedazzler?

I went about 5 years without being able to make a damned thing when I was in Europe. It SUCKED, all I was ever allowed to do was glue shoe soles back on and change lightbulbs/home repair work. 

 Oh boy...  LOL 

[TallTayl]

if really desperate I'd learn to like crochet or knitting ? I know what you mean about needing a creative outlet.

 

earlier whe I wrote it wore me out, I meant the travel and job, not the crafting. 

[kandlekrazy]

6 months and I was bonkers but I couldn't do much of anything during that time.  You might bring your crochet with you next trip.  Or you could take sponie up on that bedazzler!

[Jcandleattic]

2 minutes ago, kandlekrazy said:

6 months and I was bonkers but I couldn't do much of anything during that time.  You might bring your crochet with you next trip.  

Yeah, I should have. There are no yarn stores, or crochet/knit type outlets anywhere on the island. This place is so small, I'd be amazed if I could even find 100% lye anywhere here... 

[coconut]

Maybe you can buy a bar of soap and take up soap carving...

[Sponiebr]

2 hours ago, coconut said:

Maybe you can buy a bar of soap and take up soap carving...

@Jcandleattic You're at a hotel right? They give you fresh soaps in the room each day right? Sneak a plastic knife from lunch while humming the Mission Impossible Theme... (Act like it's all covert and sh... uh, stuff... Start chopping up the little freebie soaps... Grab some creamers and a few styrofoam cups... REBATCH THAT JUNK IN THE COMPLEMENTARY COFFEE MAKER IN YOUR ROOM!!!! Snag a HIGHLIGHTER! Pull out the core of the highlighter and soak it in the purloined creamers to leach out the dye... Tear up a coat hanger and make some SWIRLS!!!!  Hoard the used coffee grounds and raid the sugar... Make some coffee sugar scrubs!!!! Bring these treasures into the office and offer them for sale at lunch... Get your hard core pushy used car salesman on! SELL! SELL!!! SELL!!!! 

Rebatched hotel soap! He says what we're all THINK'N!!! 

I got more bad ideas if you need some help JC... LOTS AND LOTS of bad ideas... Don't worry... I'm RIGHT BEHIND you! 

Sponiebr: THE Executor of BAD Ideas and Sundry Services! (At your service m'lady! ) 

[kandlekrazy]

hysterical @sponiebr  I don't know how you come up with this stuff but keep it coming.

[Jcandleattic]

On 7/8/2017 at 0:59 PM, Sponiebr said:

@Jcandleattic You're at a hotel right? They give you fresh soaps in the room each day right? Sneak a plastic knife from lunch while humming the Mission Impossible Theme... (Act like it's all covert and sh... uh, stuff... Start chopping up the little freebie soaps... Grab some creamers and a few styrofoam cups... REBATCH THAT JUNK IN THE COMPLEMENTARY COFFEE MAKER IN YOUR ROOM!!!! 

Nope, I'm in a self-catering apartment, (basically a furnished 2 bedroom apartment, that I don't have to clean myself) and they come once a week to clean and give me fresh towels, but that's it. I don't use the soap, so no idea if they would replenish it or not. They don't give me fresh TP so I doubt they'd give me extra soap. LMAO Also, I will never ever use commercial soap again, and haven't for the last 17ish years or so... 

And I'm in Europe(ish) (close too) so there is no such thing as a "coffee maker" here, because their idea of great coffee is Nestle instant. BLEH... LOL (Not even joking, it's horrible) 

 

I honestly have zero interest in carving soap. I used to whittle a little as a kid, but carving, that type of intricate crafting holds no allure for me. 

[Sponiebr]

2 hours ago, Jcandleattic said:

Nope, I'm in a self-catering apartment, (basically a furnished 2 bedroom apartment, that I don't have to clean myself) and they come once a week to clean and give me fresh towels, but that's it. I don't use the soap, so no idea if they would replenish it or not. They don't give me fresh TP so I doubt they'd give me extra soap. LMAO Also, I will never ever use commercial soap again, and haven't for the last 17ish years or so... 

And I'm in Europe(ish) (close too) so there is no such thing as a "coffee maker" here, because their idea of great coffee is Nestle instant. BLEH... LOL (Not even joking, it's horrible) 

 

I honestly have zero interest in carving soap. I used to whittle a little as a kid, but carving, that type of intricate crafting holds no allure for me. 

It's not about YOU! It's about YOU CREATING... Ok... SO no FREE soaps. Go buy a couple of bars. 

And FOR the record... I LOVE Nestle's instant coffee! (Oh especially the Nestle's Gold Cafe!!! ) 

NOW GET IN THERE AND CRAFT! 
DAMMIT!!!! 


Sponiebr

[Jcandleattic]

22 minutes ago, Sponiebr said:

And FOR the record... I LOVE Nestle's instant coffee! (Oh especially the Nestle's Gold Cafe!!! ) 

 

EWWW - Instant coffee is HORRIBLE BLECH! It's like a step and a half below Starbuck's (and I know people love their Starbuck's but I think most everything they have is horrid too - always tastes burnt!) However, they don't have Starbuck's here either. They literally have no chains of any kind here. Everything is either Island owned, or owned by people that live here, or by the Barclay brothers. (Apparently they are the UK's version of the Koch brothers *sigh*) 

 

They do have like 3 local starbuck's TYPE coffee places, but there is only 1 that I've liked, and that is like a 45 minute walk from the office. 

The office coffee is not bad, but they have a $6000 Swiss coffee machine. LOL 

[TallTayl]

Oh geez I remember English coffee... instant=gag. Their "filter coffee" as they call it is pretty bad, no wonder they don't like it. 

 

What a way to detox from American coffee.

[Jcandleattic]

27 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

Oh geez I remember English coffee... instant=gag. Their "filter coffee" as they call it is pretty bad, no wonder they don't like it. 

 

What a way to detox from American coffee.

Trust me, it's not been easy, however, I no longer get the caffeine headaches if I don't go a couple days without coffee. So there's the plus I guess!! 

 

Yeah, the "filter" coffee is only marginally better. 

They are all about the tea over here, and I can't stand tea, except Earl Grey and that's because it tastes like coffee. LOL 

[coconut]

No real coffee. No fresh TP. Isn't that against the Geneva convention?

[Jcandleattic]

1 minute ago, coconut said:

No real coffee. No fresh TP. Isn't that against the Geneva convention?

Right? 

[Moonstar]

On 7/8/2017 at 9:25 AM, kandlekrazy said:

hysterical @sponiebr  I don't know how you come up with this stuff but keep it coming.

I know right ??? lol ! Gets me laughing every time 

[Moonstar]

27 minutes ago, Jcandleattic said:

Trust me, it's not been easy, however, I no longer get the caffeine headaches if I don't go a couple days without coffee. So there's the plus I guess!! 

 

Yeah, the "filter" coffee is only marginally better. 

They are all about the tea over here, and I can't stand tea, except Earl Grey and that's because it tastes like coffee. LOL 

[coconut]

That is why the colonies revolted in the first place. Too much tea!