Main Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HorizontalDesigns
Retail Website: www.etsy.com/shop/horizontaldesigns
Wholesale Craft Supplies: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StudioCreateSupplies
Everything started as Horizontal Designs, back in the days when I was in bed (horizontal) and very ill. Happily, many years later aftr a blogging break, I'm on my feet and doing much better! My whole family is in on this little business and blog endeavor we have going, my kids will model stuff when they feel like cooperating, and my husband does much of the heavy lifting and mailing :) You will see pictures of them all over here and in my Etsy shops.
The Gimpy Hooker name comes from the fact that I was a chronically ill and disabled crocheter/crafter, and I found it quite a funny name. I have had to laugh my way through this journey, or I'd end up in a padded room!
I've found much healing and relief from a multitude of chronic conditions using neuroplasticity, you can ready more here about that journey, if interested.
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Policies:
~Refunds~
THERE ARE NO REFUNDS ON PDF PATTERNS.
For all other items: If there is any issue with your item, contact us within 48 hours and return it for a full refund or exchange (if possible) once the item is received. Shipping is not included in any refunds at this time. One of a kind jewelry items may vary slightly if they need to be recreated. We are not responsible for breakage of any small clockwork parts after 48 hours, please handle your costume style pieces with care.
~Yarn and Care~
All our items are handmade, and we recommend hand washing gently and hanging/laying to dry. Do not iron. This will prevent any stitching from fraying, as is the nature of yarn. Some yarn is technically washable, but we do not recommend washing anything unless specified (some children's items are fine to wash) - especially that has multiple parts, or fringe/poms. We are not responsible if an item is cared for incorrectly.
~Patterns/Picture Copyright~
Feel free to use your finished crochet patterns for whatever purpose you like (it's the law!). Please do not copy and post any patterns and claim as your own, they are copyrighted by Horizontal Designs. Paid patterns MAY NOT BE SHARED, copied, or reproduced in any way shape of form. You may share photos that include the Horizontal Designs text only, and use of photos or altering of photos without express permission is prohibited and copyright protected.
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Learn a little about me (Claire!), if you like:
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| My baby girl and I, she was about 8 weeks old. |
I am a single Mom of two amazing kids. I love my family dearly, and currently am a stay at home Mom due to the shut down of my successful floral design business when I became seriously ill. I have had a chronic illness that was very manageable for over a decade, but intensified with the pregnancy of my daughter in Dec 2010. I was hospitalized for 9 months, but luckily we both survived, though I'm a little worse for wear, but improving and doing more and more each day. We found out that I have Lyme disease as my underlying cause, and I have started the road to recovery and treatment.
Prior to that, I was a marine biologist, then a science teacher, and then a business owner/floral designer. I've had to adjust and adapt due to my health. This endeavor is my latest adaptation, since over the last years I have had time to crochet and learn to design and make jewelery, since I have been mostly bed/wheelchair bound until the last 6 months. I can still do both when not feeling well.
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| Me and my son (now 4) pre-really-sick times. |
I'm very type A, and hate laying around doing nothing, so staying sane has involved keeping busy. I should continue to recover from my daughter's pregnancy and birth, it's just slooooooooow going. But being that I have a chronic condition, it will never fully go away. Making/designing things is very calming and therapeutic for me, it gets my mind off my health, and I just plain love art. And design. And music. And gardening. And a lot of stuff!
So that's it in a very brief nutshell. My other blogs have more info regarding my journey with my chronic illness, parenting, and more:
-From STOP POTS (and Dysautonomia), my blog about my health conditions.
Thanks for stopping by!
---Claire
5 comments:
You're an incredible young woman Claire and an inspiration to many. best of luck with this new venture that continues to display your resolve to not let the affliction you have stop your creativity from flowing forth into the world. Congratulations Clair and thank you for being who you are. :-)
I just stumbled upon this website while looking for a crochet pattern, and low and behold,you have the same condition that I have too! And your other sites are sites I'm familiar with and had been reading for a bit since my diagnosis.
Small world, eh? I say to you what everyone has been saying to me.... You do what you can, the rest can always wait. I'm currently bed bound with my symptoms as well as some injuries related to passing out and falling hard, so I'm crocheting away as I can. I also design jewelry and have fun playing with my beads and fixings when I can get to them. Currently they are undere my bed, but the yarn sits in top of my table and is always here,
Awesome site, can't wait to read more!
Oh wow. Because of you I know I can support my kids the same way. I am also a single mom that stays home due to an illness. Gillian -Barre syndrome. Hit me all at once out of nowhere. Confined to bed and wheelchair for several months, I finally got enough strength back in my hands to pick my needles back up! Woohoo! Some hope came back to me. While I will eventually recover it is a slow recovery. Unable to stand still on my own I can still crochet! Yep, I'm ok with that. I came across your website and read your story. Once again, more hope has been restored to me because of you. Just know that your journey is helping pull me through mine. Keep up the great work girl. We can do this. Thank you for all that you do!
I so love your work.
I respect your efforts & can understand your day to day trials.
without my crocheting , sewing, writing, cooking I would surely go nuts.
thank you for being there.
Herbal jo
Hi Claire,
I stumbled across ur blog while browsing pics of Fairy Gardens. I loved ur work, but I kept reading because I identified with ur story. I suffer from Lupus, Scleroderma, Fibromyalgia, CFS & a bunch of related chronic illnesses myself - as u will no doubt know, chronic illnesses tend to hunt in packs.
I too, am confined to bed (or the couch) for much of my time & I've found that artistic & creative pursuits help to keep the frustrations of it all at bay. Having spent my whole life working in the fast-paced banking industry, being forced to stop & be still was extremely difficult & caused great anxiety. The mental process of creating & physically keeping my hands busy has helped to calm my mind & that feeling of being 'productive' helps bring back that self-esteem that we seem to lose when a big part of our former life is no longer accessible.
It's great to see so many other sufferers of chronic illness find positive outlets for their creativity & flourishing, I really believe that keeping ur mind healthy is an important part of caring for urself, particularly for the chronically ill.
Wishing u all the best.
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