2015 is the year of the Sheep

This is the result of an online workshop I took over the festive season.   It is run by Katya Bespalova , one of the most talented soft sculpture artists.   http://teddykind.com/en/poyasnenie-kursov/

Although I sketch, design and create my own original patterns for my animals, every once in a while it is wonderful to attempt the patterns of other artists to learn new styles and techniques, or a more innovative way to achieve a certain result.  I cannot and will not share any of her ideas or techniques here, but highly recommend anyone who is interested to join one of her classes.  Isn't the internet amazing......Here I am in sunny Cape Town doing a workshop with Katya who lives in Nova-Sibirsk.   Everything is explained easily and there are tutorial videos to watch. It truly felt like I was in an 'actual' and not 'virtual' classroom.  

My last sweet fox was also one of her online classes.

Vixie Work in Progress

                   This little sweetheart is not for sale, but orders are welcome as usual.

I would like to thank all my blog viewers and the collectors for their support over the year.   I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and I wish you all a great 2015.  I hope to be more productive this coming year.

Thoracotomy........... and House Renovations

I have always wanted to bash down the internal walls of my home and create a larger, open-plan living space; but somehow  never got around to getting it done.    Finally this project came to fruition in mid August.  We packed our belongings into boxes and moved them, plus all the furniture into my workstudio and the spareroom.  We decided not to move out the house as we didnt want to put the cats into the cattery for such a long period of time.  Luckily for us our friendly neighbours were visiting relatives in the UK and offered us their home.   This turned out to be the perfect arrangement.   My husband could pop over the wall and check on the builders whilst I sat reading peacefully on the swing chair.  Lily and Pippa think that John and Jen's garden is paradise and feel very at home there.    As soon as our workmen left for the day we'd pop over the wall again and sleep at home.

The breaking down commences.........

my spareroom becomes our makeshift kitchen for 4 months

Lily at home on the neighbour's roof

Pippa wants to sit on the swing chair too

September was not for the faint hearted.  I had a left thoracotomy to remove a huge pericardial cyst from my chest cavity.   The recovery from this was long and painful and took the best part of the next 2 months.

 

I am now adding some pics I didnt want to show, but a number of people have asked how this cyst looked so here are the awful pics. 

                      the grey mass in this scan shows the cyst lying next to my heart

                and here it is...........             good riddance to this disgusting thing.  Ick.

the banging and clanging doesn't bother Pipsqueak

.........and the building up

 Then back to the fun part of redecorating the newly created room at home.  Of course there were frustrations, hitches and snags aplenty  ( there still are!) but we were able to move back in three days before Christmas.

Cats owning their new toys

  I love my new space.

before

After.