got my mini swap item

Okay, how cute is this? am i a lucky duck or what? my bud, Vivian, hosted another doll swap, this time with a "mini" criteria (no taller than 5 inches). Vivian makes lots of awesome dolls, stuffed bears, etc. so go take a peek. My partner this time was Barbara, of 123 Lavender Lollipop Lane (cute blog name, huh?). She made me this darling bunny with mohair and some Rachel Ashwell fabric that she'd been saving for a special project. the bunny has the sweetest handstitched mouth and the button eyes just make my heart melt. we were suppose to create an accessory for our mini, so she created this book assemblage in a vintage frame with the flowers, etc. so i could hang up my bunny. she made it so that if i wanted to remove my bunny i could. i just love it and want to thank Barbara for the sweetest thing ever. now for Barbara i made her a kitty doll. she is the cousin to a kitty doll that i sent to Vivian in another swap. She's an altered doll, so i used bits and pieces to create her. Now, i have to tell you that i feel really bad because i totally forgot to make her accessory. i remembered after mailing it off! i wanted to make the kitty holding a balloon that was to be in the shape of a mouse. i'll have to figure out how to make it up to Barbara. anyway, here's a picture of the doll i sent her. she's sort of a Victorian kitty.

news on boo: her biospy came back as a carcinoma - a "not good" tumor. the vet said it wasn't labeled aggressive or not, so he wasn't sure how fast it would return. so it is a wait and see type of situation. if it is aggressive, it could grow back within months. but he said he's seen cats not grow any back or it took longer. so wait we will. she is doing well. lots of resting and i've noticed that she's laying very close to me (before she only would lay at my feet and wasn't a very snuggly kitty). now she's purring and laying close to me. so i am giving her lots of attention. she has a check up tomorrow and stitches come out next week. i will spare you pictures of her 3" incision, because it is harsh.

mini funky wallpaper people

yesterday i worked on some small wallpaper people. i made 5 to try and sell at my show on sunday. we'll see. people are here will either think they are super cool, but not buy them or they will think they are odd (and not buy them!).

Boo is doing fine after surgery. they removed a "mass" and the biospy will be back in a few days. the vet said there were several old bit marks at the area as well, indicative of old fights. he said it is not unusual for cats to develop these tumors from infections. i'll go get her tomorrow at 1:30. apparently she has quite the incision; about 3" long. poor kitty.

UPDATE: boo is home and doing well. she was a little agitated when she first got home, but now she's resting (under my bed). the vet said it was a big "mass" and thought maybe it wasn't the good kind of tumor. if the biopsy comes back as a caricoma, he said it will eventually grow back. i'll know on sat.

so boo is off to the vet tomorrow to remove this "whatever it is". interestingly though, tonight when i was petting her on the other side, she acted like it was sore. (but doesn't act like the tumor is sore). so i'm like what the heck? now, i'm starting to think she's been in a fight or something. something is definitely off; especially since she did not have this when i left and the vet said that tumors usually don't grow that fast in one week. hmmmmm. i'm so glad i notice this though and i will bring it up tomorrow when she gets dropped off and discuss it first before surgery.
tuck when to school today. i got up at 6:00am to start getting him ready. he needs some breathing treatments and CPT (gently pounding on his back to bring up secretions). then i got him fed, dressed and ready to go. the second i heard that bus coming i turned him over to jeff and went back to bed til 10:00 (or was it 11:00?). the rest of the day i've spent creating little funky wallpaper people. i made 5 of them. mine are about 1' 4" versus the 5' we did in class! they turned out great and i will put them up for sale at my show on sunday (unless anyone wants to see them first, just let me know). i'll post pictures tomorrow.

tuck is doing better

tuck slept so good last night - a much needed rest for him. his cough is much better; although the steroids tend to stress him out a bit. school could be an option tomorrow, but we'll see. on another note in the journal of "could i catch a break", i found a huge lump on the hind quarters of my kitty, boo, this morning. she tends to sleep under beds and hides, so i don't see her often and with tucker sick, i just didn't notice. but it definitely wasn't there before i left. she jumped up on my bed this morning and i noticed her eyes were very dirty, like they had been draining and then dried. so then i started petting her and that's when i found the lump. it's a good size. it doesn't seem to hurt when i palpate it, which makes me think it's not an abcess. so off to the vet we go in about 10 minutes to check it out.
update: Boo does indeed have a tumor. she will have surgery wed. morning to remove it. it will be sent for a biospy so we know what we are dealing with. the vet said it was better that it was movable versus a tumor that does not move and is attached to the bone. he was surprised that she is only 9 , which is still pretty young in cat years. i think maybe her lineage might have something to do with it. her dad was a wild cat with no domestication, vaccinations, etc. her mom was a house cat, but i don't think she was taken well care of. she was pregnant every time i turned around - so i wonder as well about her health care.

here's Boo peeking out of the cat carrier at the vet's office. she was a real good kitty.

1st class @ Artfest - "a wee book" with Nina Bagley

my finished book and some of the pages inside



Janet Wilson working on her book and Nina showing us how to use liver of sulphur.

my friend, Kim, was also in the class. me and her, kim working and then Kim peeking out the window before class. I wore my favorite vintage fedora hat around Artfest as a way for people to identify me or find me if they were looking for! it was great because people knew right away who i was since i had informed everyone i was to meet that i'd have my hat on!

shadow pic of the awesome doors outside on building 204