Wednesday 23 May 2018

WOYWW 468

Yaaayyy! I’m back!

Sorry to be absent for so long but those who follow my blog will know that I have recently been seriously ill. However, I am now well on the road to recovery, and celebrating lots of milestones along the way – finishing my antibiotics, getting my own breakfast, starting to prepare simple meals, and generally getting back into the swing of things again. Thank you to everyone who sent good wishes for my recovery.

A major milestone was yesterday – first session back in the studio! It was driven as much by necessity as desire, because tomorrow is our 32nd wedding anniversary, and having failed my hubby miserably by resorting to a bought birthday card for him recently (shock horror) and what’s more, one that was bought for me by a kind friend, I really felt I must make the effort to make him a decent card for this occasion.

Here is my desk today.

A little explanation is necessary. Last Friday (another milestone) I made it to the County Show, which you can read about here. This was something I’d really been aiming for and it helped my recovery to have a deadline to work towards – I was darned if I was going to miss the best day out of the year because I was poorly again. Anyway, amongst the exhibits was a stand with beautiful hardwood kitchen boards (I was sorely tempted to buy one but resisted because I didn’t really need one, and not at that price) and attached to the most expensive and beautiful one was a little die-cut wooden tag that really took my fancy.

I immediately thought that I could replicate something similar with card.

I cut the pieces with my Cougar electronic cutting machine and stuck a small square of gold card behind each initial. To make the thickness of the ornament, I cut about a dozen heart-shaped frame pieces and laminated them, and threaded a string through the top before sticking the front and back pieces on, completing the piece. I will be doing a blog post about this project once it’s complete.

On my main desk photo above, you can see various cut pieces of card, and the card base being made. To create the woodgrain effect, I painted the pieces with beige fluid acrylic, and once this was dry, painted the surface with Desert Sands Infusions, using a flat brush and broad vertical strokes.

The heart ornament will be suspended in the middle of the circular aperture, and will hang and turn freely when the card is standing up. I’ve got quite a bit more work to do today to complete it – it needs quite a bit of reinforcing, and I want to add a bit of gold embellishment to the front of the card as well. Watch this space.

I shall soon resume uploading the blog posts about the process of making the mini-album about my mum. Next projects in the pipeline are to make two identical boxes to keep the two copies of the album in – Mum’s friend eagerly awaits hers as her copy of the album currently resides in a biscuit tin! – and to complete the long-overdue Infusions Mini-Album which has had to take a back seat for far too long.

As well as it being our anniversary, tomorrow is also our kitties’ first birthday!

I cannot believe that they are now officially grown up, and I had a little pang when I bought their first pack of adult cat food this week, marking the end of their kittenhood. I feel like a mother sending her child off to school for the first time… A real sense of bereavement as they were such adorable babies and the kitten stage lasts for far too short a time. I am glad I’ve got all the videos of them, though. They are both so big now, and very heavy – I find it quite difficult to pick them up – that is, if naughty teenage Ruby will even let me near her which isn’t often these days – she’s turning into a real independent little Miss. We will soon be letting them outside for the first time, something which always makes me anxious with new kitties. Hopefully my hubby’s kitty defences around the garden will be 100% effective – 99% won’t do because kitties are designed to find that 1%, you can bet on that.

It is so good to be back, and just in time to celebrate WOYWW’s 9th anniversary. Sorry not to be taking part in the ATC swap, but I wish you all joy in your giving and receiving of each other’s miniature works of art.

Happy WOYWW!

18 comments:

  1. Happy 9th Anniversary to you. I'm hoping to pop round to visit everyone this week....depending what work comes through my door of course.
    It's good to hear your health is improving and you're managing to get back to crafting.
    Here's hoping we can all enjoy many more happy years of fun and friendship.
    Hugs,
    Annie x #1

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  2. Hi Shoshi, so good to see you back and hear that you are doing so well. Like you, I often look at things and think' I can do something similar!', lol. Happy Anniversary to you both, and Happy Birthday to the kitties.Happy 9th Birthday, Have a lovely week, Love & Hugs, Shaz #6 XxX

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  3. Hi Shoshi, Happy to hear you are on the mend and to see how the girls have grown. They are beauties and plan to give you lots of grief( called birds, lizards and butterflies) when they finally get into the great outdoors
    Monica #35

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  4. WELCOME BACK!! glad you are recovering and even getting crafty again. off to read about the county show now - I love that polished wood look but know what you mean about the prices! Helen #4

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  5. There's lots of congratulations to send to you today - 9th WOYWW, your anniversary and the kitties' birthday! So I'm sending big hugs to you all and am very glad to hear that you're on the mend. Those tags are fantastic, I do like the way you tackled the idea :-D
    Hugs LLJ 2 xxxx

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  6. Well you are certainly back with style - what a gorgeous little heart - I just fell in love with the little wooden one but yours is even better - I love the design and could just see several of them painted red and hanging on a Christmas tree. I bet your hubby is going to be thrilled with his card. Hope you continue on your road to recovery and Happy Birthday to the kitties - don't they look all grown up now.
    Diana x

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  7. Yay Shoshi, so good to see you back and to hear that you've made it back into your craft room. My how Ruby and Lily have grown! Your card idea is beautiful. Happy anniversary (x2) and meow to the girls. Sarah #14

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  8. Hi Shoshi, lovely to see you back, and happy WOYWW anniversary. Your two initial ornaments look like they are made of wood. How talented you are to come up with how to make them ... I wouldn't know where to start. Which is one of the reasons I read a few blogs. Have a lovely week Heather x #17

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  9. Hi Shoshi. Good to see you today. Happy 9th anniversary. I looked back through your posts as I didn't know you had been so ill - have been a bit in and out of WOYWW these last three months - but I'm so pleased you are now feeling more like yourself.
    You should have had this comment much earlier - I don't know what was going on in my computer's brain, but it wasn't letting me leave comments anywhere!!! So, off the computer had to go and now I'm trying again.
    Take care. God bless.
    Margaret #9

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  10. I'm so glad you're back in the studio, Shoshi! Upwards and onwards! Happy birthday to Ruby and Lily - I can't believe how they have grown! They look like two little tigers in that chair - their markings so pronounced - very beautiful kitties. Can you really cat proof your garden? I wouldn't have thought that was possible. If they can't jump high enough, they will claw their way up the fence - I watched Oreo do it. He easily climbs over a 6-foot fence. We were very nervous as well when we first let him out - my son even cried when we couldn't find him - but I got him back - he was hiding in the conifers - that was in our old house. We still get uneasy when he is not back after an hour or so, but he's never really far away and if we call him he comes back - most of the time. Sometimes he pretends he doesn't hear us but turns up a few minutes later. I'm sure it will all be fine with Ruby and Lily! Thanks for your visit - re: Oreo's eyebrows - he has some black ones as well, but it's the two white ones that stand out and make it look like he's only got two. He looks really stupid when he loses one of them and not the other LOL. They eventually always grow back though not always at the same time! Happy anniversary! xx

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  11. I must have been late because I came to your blog, not your WOYWW post. I read about the card for your husband, so it wasn't a surprise when I saw it later. It's beautiful.

    Those kitties are adorable, and I can see why you feel that twinge of sadness as they age.

    It's nice to read that you are doing better. That card is a true test of anyone's ability, and you came through it with incredible aplomb. Hope you are enjoying the WOYWW party. Happy 9th anniversary from #13.

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  12. I managed to wish you a happy belated 9th Birthday WOYWW in your newest post! Glad you are getting out and about again. Only just letting out the kitties?! I must admit that it would only be a few weeks here at the most - as soon as they know where home is. Ali x

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  13. Lovely to read that you’re on the road to recovery, you sound very positive and that makes me smile. Love the wood grain, I’d say you nailed it (har har). That waney edge chopping board is gorgeous, but really they are hugely overpriced, apart from a bit of sanding and some polyurethane based coatings, there’s barely any work in it at all. SPeaking as a Joiner’s wife who buys timber....! Anyway...like you, I’d love one, but if I did splash out, I think Mr Dunnit would finally give up and leave me!!

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  14. First of all, that bee on the left scared the "bleep" out of me. LOL It is so realistic and I almost died and then almost died of laughter! Glad to read that you are feeling better and determined. Your project is so cool. Happy 9th anniversary and have a great week. Dorlene #40

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  15. Happy Anniversary! I'm trying really hard to get to everyone, but work time just isn't cooperating! I'm glad you are feeling better, and I love your anniversary card (I peeked ahead a post!) Have a wonderful week.
    -K #32

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  16. Happy Woyww #9 Welcome back nice to hear your on the mend and that card turned out lovely for your hubby looks like wood perfectly :) hugs Nikki 10

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  17. Happy Anniversary not taking part this year but am trying to visit everyone who has posted. Love your kitties I have only the one now and she attaches herself to me, Last week I took on a 5 month old puppy, he is the size of a grown labrador already. Kitty is the boss though and has put him in his place. Ani #3

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  18. Hi Shoshi, nice to meet you. I'm quite a newbie here as they say been a watcher and now an participant for the part couple of months. Good to know your health is improving and that you are enjoying lifes loves. Wonderful cards and yes it's great when we can put our own take on an idea we have come across.
    Wishing you a very Happy Anniversary and Thank you for sharing WOYWW.
    Creative wishes and Take Care Tracey #18
    P.S Love those kitties xx

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