Handicrafts by Kate Perry and other ramblings

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

WOYWW 168

It's Wednesday once again, so here we go on our trip around the blogs of friends and fellow crafters, courtesy of Julia at Stamping Ground.
My desk has been quite busy today because I haven't done much this week, for reasons I'll explain later, but today I have been down here all afternoon, and it now tomorow, (I mean I started this on Tuesday night but it is now gone midnight so it is Wednesday. Perhps I should just go to bed!). Anyway I thought I'd just do a quick post about what I have been doing.

This morning I had post - yay! Part of it was a big plate of Chocolate Baroque Christmas stamps, so I decided to mount them up on foam and actually use them straight away, which is a first for me. So instead of making a set of matching Christmas cards this month, I am going to make one using each of the new stamps. Here you can see the first ones stamped up, and a little bit of colouring on a couple. I have out my tray of Memento ink pads because if I use these, I can add colour with my copics. They are very compatible. My pens are out at the side, along with a box of inks in the background. The colour chart is one I made for my copics, using the card/paper that I generally use for stamping, so I know what the colours will really look like. I have found it much more accurate and useful than the one I orginally printed out.

And now, for those who tried to guess what all my little cut out pieces of card were for, here is what I made! Not surprisingly, no-one got close, but not too many folk waste a week constructing a drum kit. This was part of my efforts last week to get to grips with my silhouette cameo machine. I didn't design it; I simply bought the file, and I made a whole load of mistakes in the making of it. 
The silver card was much too thick, and it had a thick plastic coating on the back, so although I got the cutting settings right on the machine, and it did cut beautifully, it was too stiff to curl and didn't want to stick! Some of you know that one of my sons is a very talented drummer who plays with a heavy metal/grunge band, and when he was around twelve, we bought him his first proper kit. It was custom made, great big things, to give the right sort of noise, and their shells had mottled green metallic surfaces. Hence my use of alcohol inks on holographic card, but again this was too thick to curl properly, even though I wound it round my glue bottle and fixed it with a rubber band over night. The whole thing was a nightmare to put together, and it is quite small (about 6" high), so it was very fiddly. But I persevered and finished it, though I doubt it will have a long and happy life. It is clinging together with a wing and a prayer! But it was a good exercise and I learned quite a lot while doing it.

My non-productive week is down to the fact that my lovely Baggins is very ill. On Saturday he had what was probably a stroke, but it could have been an accident, though we have never known him to go on the road. He usually stays in the back yard, and would never have made it over the fences and through the house in the condition he was in. There is a possibility that he was frightened by some local lads who have been playing with fire-crackers this week, causing him to fall and bang his head. I found him on our bathroom floor at bedtime, when I was hunting for him to give him his supper.  He had had a nose bleed and was only just conscious. The vet is still not sure what happened to him, but he has definitely lost his sight in one eye, and his jaw is misaligned. All Sunday he didn't move except when I syringed water into him to stop him dehydrating. He has now had two days of antibiotic and anti-inflamatory injections, and also three doses of high vitamin supplement, because he hasn't eaten since Saturday morning. But today he is much better in that he has walked around a little, and lapped water for himself. He can't eat, but I have been using a syringe to feed him with a high calorie, convalescent food, that is a powder mixed with water, so he doesn't have to chew. Tomorrow he is off to the vet again, and if he is further improved they are going to try to manipulate his jaw. It isn't broken, so they don't want to put him through an operation if it is not necessary. Today I made him comfortable back in my craft room, which is why I have been down there to work all day today. I just hope he continues to improve. He is my shadow, and constant companion, and I love him to bits. He is only about five years old, but he was in a desperate state when I took him in from the rescue centre, so he has never been robust. Here's hoping...

21 comments:

Annie said...

Love the drum set....clever you.
Really hope Baggins continues to make a good recovery...big hugs.

A x #72

Ali H said...

Hi - the drum kit is a work of art (and blood sweat & tears by the sound of it !) - hope the power of prayer holds it together for you to enjoy it ! Hope Baggins makes a full recovery soon ! Ali #54

Ali H said...

Hi - the drum kit is a work of art (and blood sweat & tears by the sound of it !) - hope the power of prayer holds it together for you to enjoy it ! Hope Baggins makes a full recovery soon ! Ali #54

Trish Latimer said...

Here's hoping Baggins makes a full recovery! Love the drum kit too, a real labour of love by the sounds of it! Trish #90

Sarn said...

Fantastic drum set Kate.

So sorry to hear about Baggins. I hope he continues to recover. Fingers crossed.

Happy WOYWW.

Hugs, Sandra Take a peek at MY DESK here

kiwimeskreations said...

Oh poor Baggins - I do hope he comes through this. I hate it when my fur babies are not well.
Wonderful drum kit :-) I know the noise these can make in a house - we lived with one for a while too.
Blessings
Maxine

Jean said...

I love the drum kit, well done for persevering with it, it looks very fiddly.
Poor Baggins, I do hope he recovers. Jean xx

Unknown said...

Hi Kate thanks for popping by. Give Baggins a gentle stroke from me. Poor thing. I hope he rallies.

Your little drum set is fab. A labour of love though it sounds like!!

WOYWW Hugs to you from Helen 15

Deb said...

hope Baggins recovers soon! love your drum kit, that is so clever,at first glance I thought it was a real full size one!
Debxx

Lunch Lady Jan said...

Baggins is still a young cat, he'll pull through. I sympathise..I hate it when my animals are ill....
Love the drum kit - you must have huge patience to have made that. I'm very impressed :)
Hugs, LLJ #71 xx

505whimsygirl said...

Very cool drum set! And lots of nice new Christmas stamps.

I hope little Baggins continues to improve. Our pets are our family, no doubt.

Thanks for visiting me. I'll show a photo of my desk next week, promise!

Hugs,
Kay

Queenie Jeannie said...

So sorry to hear about your furbaby!! Hugs and prayers for him to feel better soonest!!

Enjoy your new stamps!

Jeannie #62

Sonia said...

Love the beautiful Drum creation! GREAT JOB!
Enjoy your stamps
-Sony
sonia-studio60.blogspot.com

peggy aplSEEDS said...

i'm so sorry to hear about your Baggins. i'm glad he's improving and hope that he will make a complete recovery! your drum set project is so amazing! how very very detailed and so cute!

thanks for visiting me!
hugs,
peggy aplSEEDS

Tertia said...

Poor Baggins, hope he is a lot better by now.
Your drum kit is amazing!! My son would love that!
Happy belated WOYWW!
Tertia #52

Helen said...

Your drum kit is amazing. Sending gentle hugs for Baggins.

Helen #77 xx

Shoshi said...

Oh Kate... I am SO SORRY to hear about poor little Baggins! The poor little chap... It's so hard for them to be in pain, they don't understand... He must be so glad that you are there with him, holding his paw and helping him through this. I do hope he makes a full recovery and doesn't need surgery. I really feel for you.

Your little drum kit is amazing, and your son will love it I am sure. Beautiful mottled finish! You are right - nobody would have guessed what you were making. We were convinced it was PacMan lol!!

Thank you so much for your lovely comments - hopefully after a few days in hospital my Dad will start to improve and be able to come home again. Seeing him yesterday in that hospital bed looking so frail, with a drip and everything, was very hard. My hubby has gone out to visit them both now, so I'll have news later, how he's getting on now he's been on the antibiotics for a few days. As for me, I'm having a restful day at home.

Happy belated WOYWW,
Shoshi #35

Julia Dunnit said...

Poor Baggins, I hope the second vet visit was more reassuring....
the drum kit turned out beautifully, I understand the frustration of the holo card, argh!! Now all you have to do is work out how to make it fold flat so you can make the most impressive pop up card ever!!

Julia Dunnit said...

Poor Baggins, I hope the second vet visit was more reassuring....
the drum kit turned out beautifully, I understand the frustration of the holo card, argh!! Now all you have to do is work out how to make it fold flat so you can make the most impressive pop up card ever!!

okienurse said...

great looking desk with all the stamps, stamp pads and fun things to play with. Poor fur baby! I hope he gets to feeling better and eating on his own soon. Love the drum set you made! Sorry I am so late getting around but it is what it is with family, crafts, etc. time can sometimes become a premium! Have a great week and thanks for sharing. Vickie #68

Angy B said...

Domino and I are sending our love to Baggins Kate. We do hope he gets over this and is well again. (Tell him that my Mum's cat 'Peanuts' lost his one eye in an accident and still gets around perfectly fine).

The drum kit looks great despite the toils and troubles. I'm sure you enjoyed the challenge. Angy xx