Monday, February 21, 2022

Useful

 

 Bleubeard and I have something Useful to share with you today for What's Your Style? which is our theme we are hosting this month at Art Journal Journey.

I had actually planned to share this for T Tuesday last week, but had to show more of my altered playing cards, instead.  At least, I have a few detail shots for you to peruse.








I chose sunflower colored Staz-on, to which I added 91% isopropyl alcohol for the background I added to 110 lb cardstock.  

Everything on this page came from a 1972 book on utensils used in cooking.  These pages showed tea and coffee pots from different centuries.  The text was part of the pages on which these images were found.  I used letter stencils to create the word Useful.

Since sewing paper to paper is such an important and integral part of my blog and art, I felt I had to sew these images to the text.  That is definitely my signature style today.  Bleubeard's style is to sleep while I am sewing in my craft room! 

Bleubeard and I are truly delighted you joined us today and hope to see you  at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of What's your style? 

For those of you who are interested in Squiggles, I will now share the details of his illness.  I didn't share yesterday because there were other visitors who don't normally drop by.  

Early last Monday morning, I was awakened by a yowl that was so intense, it shook me out of my sleep.  As an aside, both cats sleep with me, but Bleubeard doesn't let me hug or touch him, except on the top of his head.  No under the chin scritches for him.  However, he has to be in the center of any conversation when someone drops by.  

Squiggles is totally opposite.  He hides from everyone and Scott has only seen him twice in the time I've had him.  Squiggles is MY cat.  He wants to be held, cuddled, have me run my hands all over him, and love him.  He sleeps next to me in my arms.  

When I heard that horrible yowl, I got worried.  Bleubeard ran out of the room.  Squiggles continued this yowl about every ten or so minutes, each time it scared me, it was so loud.  I noticed he was trying to regurgitate something.  

Tuesday, he started to regurgitate white fluffy water.  He did this all day Tuesday, and the yowls continued, although less frequently.  Every time I tried to approach him, he would move to a different spot in the living/dining area.  

He continued to hide from me throughout Wednesday.  I even carried him to the office where his food and water are located, but as soon as I put him down, he hobbled back to the cold living room.  

Thursday I put a bowl of water by his head, because he was no longer moving.  Normally, he would get up and move to a different spot.  Not so on Thursday.  He laid in the same spot and didn't move.  I was sure I was going to lose him.  I was not prepared for that.  I sat in that cold room on the floor all Thursday night, stroking his head and talking to him.  I finally fell asleep on the floor and when I woke, he had moved. He was gone.  

I went looking for him and he was on the bed sleeping.   By now it was Friday and he still had not eaten or drank anything since Monday.  I was quite worried because I knew he could live without food, but not water.  I found a small can of kitten food left from when he was a kitten and he got canned supplements as suggested by the vet.  I opened it and added a good amount of water to the wet food.  I smooched it until it was quite liquidy, then set it next to his water dish.  After a few minutes, he was eating and lapping up the watery mess I had created for him.   I was exhausted and relieved, so I laid down on the couch in the office.  Soon he was nuzzling my arm and he laid with me while I rested.  Next, I decided to tell the world he was going to live, but found I had no phone or internet.

I have NO idea what he got into that caused him to be so sick, but I am sincerely hoping he is going to be well very soon.  The good news for me is he is drinking water and eating.  He is also snuggling.  I couldn't be happier.  I hope the worst is over.


16 thoughtful remarks:

My name is Erika. said...

Glad to hear the Squiggles has eaten and drank. That is scary, and a long time for him to not be doing well. But the good news is he is snuggling with you. I would think if he wasn't feeling good he wouldn't snuggle, and hopefully he only gets better. I'll be thinking of you. and I also want to say I like your useful page. Those are fun "vintage" images. I have to laugh at the vintage word since I remember these coffee pots, even though you don't usually see that style any longer. I hope all is well with you also after the Squiggles scare. Hugs-Erika

Sharon Fritchman said...

Oh my gosh, Elizabeth - I am so sorry to hear that Squiggles was so ill. Good news that he was able to move to his bed and is now eating and drinking and snuggling. Yes, I hope the worst is over now, too. Sending HUGS!!! And I absolutely love the piece you shared with all of the vintage images and your sewing! This looks amazing. Thanks once again for the awesome AJJ topic!! And thanks so much for your visits to my blog. They are very much appreciated. HUGS, Sharon

Valerie-Jael said...

Oh dear, what an awful time you must have had wit Squiggles. I'm lad to hear he's on the mend and hope it will continue. Love all the old pots etc in your journal page, and of course, the lovely sewing. Could you please link me again for TsfT, my bedtime here is very early! Hugs, Valerie

Mae Travels said...

Poor Squiggles! I hope he is over his illness, and will resume his job as your special friend.

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

aussie aNNie said...

Wow absolutley gorgeous, great colours and brilliant design. ♥

kwarkito said...

I like your art journal journey ! I've seen wseveral publication and it's a "régal"as we say in french

Divers and Sundry said...

What a fright! I'm glad he's on the mend, but it must be worrying not knowing what happened.

CJ Kennedy said...

That is very scary. Similar to what happened to Calli last month. Very lucky kitties to come through the scare.

DVArtist said...

Hope Squiggles is doing better today. Love this art today.

Cloudia said...

Bless your dear squiggles and you!

craftytrog said...

No wonder you were worried about Squiggles, it must have been awful to see him like that. I'm so pleased that he's eating and drinking again.
Great page by the way! ;-)
Alison

Debra said...

What a relief that Squiggles is ok. You take excellent care of him. Hopefully he won't get sick ever again. Your art piece is lovely. I love the stitching. The Ancestors piece is really nice too....

Jeanie said...

Oh, Elizabeth, I'm so glad he is doing better and feeling more like himself. That's such a good thing and I'm sure that watered down food helped do the trick. Just to be on the safe side, you might want to have him checked out by the vet for heart-related issues. This feels a little too familiar to me with Stimpy. It's never fun to pay the vet but it might be worth it to know what was going on. Big hugs to you both (not that Squiggles would let me hug him!)

Meggymay said...

What a relief it must have been for you when he managed to eat a few mouthfuls of the mixture you made up and that he seems to be going along okay now.
Its a fantastic page, nearly forgot to mention that.
Yvonne xx

Jackie McGuinness said...

Hopefully Squiggles is on the mend!!

da tabbies o trout towne said...

squiggles; best fishez two ewe dood ... long with st francis' blessings

ewe mite oh had a hairball that wood knot pass ore sum indigetionz...we hope nothin mor seer ee uzz.....we total noe how scared Eliabeth waz ~~~

we iz buzzed happee ta lurn ewe iz eatin & drinkin on yur own now and we prayz ewe stayz that way

kitten foodz iz good ta haz on hand cauz itz high in cal o reez N babee foodz iz good az well, noe salt kind...

ya hafta all wayz eat sum thin dood....other wize ya can suffer frum fatty liver....trooth

bee well ♥♥♥ and wavez two ewe bleu ~~~~