WOYWW 623 - So what have I been upto?

No desk to show, but I have got screenshots of what I have been up to.

 So the garden is on the back boiler due to it raining for the last two weekends, but working during the week is helping to keep my mind focused.

So as I could not get into the garden I have instead been focussing on researching the family tree, as some will be aware both Shaz and I did a DNA test through a company called myheritage these were one of tests that trace your DNA origins, but it does so in a way that gives you your geographical origins rather than a family history (hope that makes sense?) 

so for an additional fee (subscription) you can take start to build a family tree, using some of their automated research tools that dips into births/deaths and marriage registers etc along with a bunch of other places like others own trees.

It has been interesting, enlightening and kinda therapeutic at the same time.

As you can see from the image to the right, I am mostly English and Welsh, this I knew already and was the expected result.

And 
lets face it

 Boring in comparison to Sharon's which we will look at next..

 

So here I give you Sharon, and her DNA, with just 14.8% English  &  27.0% Irish/Scottish/Welsh  that amounts to 41.8% for the UK .

Still less than the 42.9% Scandinavian, and all the other bits from the Viking pillaging ha ha .


Now that my friends is a cool Origin story worth investigating.

And therein lies the problem.

I cant see Vikings registering many births.

But I have found some of Sharon's relatives (yet to be fully confirmed) below is a screenshot of as far back as I have gone, each colour (blue and pink) above a picture is additional branches so it would be impossible to do an all inclusive picture.

At the bottom of the tree we have Sharon's Mother and late Father, above them I  have gone back as far as her Great Great Great Grandparents Thomas and Emma Morris and the year born in 1852 & 1848 respectively.

Mine goes back on my mothers side to my great great great grandparents Thomas and Mary lander 1861 and 1862 respectively.

Back to the garden hopefully this weekend as I have a new plan for the building I am building, more on that later.

So that's it from me, I am late posting this and I wasn't going to do it as a WOYWW post either , but hey ho, lets get Sharon's blog on the list again.


Gratuitous shot of us from our nieces (in the picture) 21st birthday party in 2013

So that just leaves the  and finally...

The live stream linky and info

 So I have scheduled this to go live at 7pm the eve of my wonderful wifelets funeral service.

Where possible view it on a single device please as it is capped to 400 simultaneous log-ins (we had it increased from the standard 150) so please do not share this out.

Also be aware that if you log in early and there is another service running, or the previous one is running over, be respectful and log back out again, this also is true at the end of our service, another follows on at 11am.

Take a note of this info as I may well remove it on the morning if I remember to prevent us from crashing the system.

Website linky click me

Username Zawe6942

Password 602702

The service will begin at 10:15am so grab your tissues, coffee and cake it you have some ahead of time


For those that are interested in the lead up to the service it will be as follows 

The hearse will arrive at our road at approximately 09:25  director will then get out of the hearse at 09:30 and lead the hearse past our house on foot, pausing so shaz can see the house from the outside for the last time (more on that later), the two limos and other cars will tag in behind at this stage.

From here we will head down to where we worked, arriving at approximately 09:45 where our previous colleges will be stood out to watch sharon off  (so love that they didn't bat an eyelid at this request, Sharon loved her job, we both did) we will be using the works entrance to turn around and head back out again.

From here we will be heading to the Redditch crematorium arriving around 10:10 am, the Director will then pop in and ensure all is ok before leading us ready for the service to begin at 10:15.

Due to social distancing Sharon's awesome glitter coffin can not be carried in by us, instead it will be wheeled in.

Shaz is holding her paper bouquet, and is as ready as she can be, her makeup, hair and outfit are beautiful, she is wearing her favourite necklaces, and bracelets too.


When it comes to the ashes, Shaz is coming back home, to be with me where she belongs, I have picked out a wonderful urn; I understand that this is not for everyone, but I am not ready to completely let go just yet😭 maybe in time, but that time is not going to be any time soon xxx

Here is a pic our our beautiful Shaz xxx

Tomorrow's order of service in case you wanted to print it.
Click me

We can't not have a funny, this one would make Shaz howl..

WOYWW - organising stuff and things edition

Another Wednesday which can only mean one thing, its time to visit our Julia at the stamping ground for another "Whats on your work desk Wednesday" So head on over the the Stamping ground for a view of some actual crafting.
 
As the title says, there hasn't been a lot going on, other than loads of organising, but with that said, take a look at the desk this week

Well, I take no credit for any of this little lot, we have more beautiful cards, if you look carefully in the top left hand corner, you will note I found the Sir Tim Holtz stamping platforms and dug out the large and medium one.
At front and centre we have 2 beautiful Bouquets in black and burgundy, the one on the right is Sharon's original bouquet she put together for our wedding 12 years ago now. 

On the left is one that Sharon's Daughter in-law and eldest son  Anthony worked on, this is (with the exception of the ribbon)  is created with all natural materials,  so paper flowers and wooden BBQ skewers etc.

I had this vision of having Sharon cremated holding the wedding bouquet, but with what it was made from I needed a plan B as plan A wasn't happening.


So a request for a duplicate with some minor differences, a flat side so  Shaz can have it lie flat on her chest


What an incredibly amazing job they have done on them too, they even have glitter on the leaves x


I kind of also ordered a stamp too for something I want to work on, I am a noob when it comes to ordering stamps so if this is a clone or copy please let me know. Clicky me
 
I could have looked through all of Sharon's binders but that would have taken forever and lets face it, I am not getting any younger.

So yes, watch this space I hope ..

A cheeky shot of Sharon with one of her Granddaughters (Merlin)

And that just leaves and finally...

WOYWW but its the last one.....

Welcome back you lovely lot X

 
So here is a dilemma I faced the other day, you see I asked the lovely Annie to make me some bears, not just a few either as we are a large loving family.

So I did what anyone would do and think, right I need a thank you card. 

Shaz made large amounts of cards, and kept them in a large box all sorted with index cards so you could find them ( I know right how organised is that?) , anyway when I go into box to get a card out there is just the one thank you card left.

Now I know what some of you are thinking, it was meant to be.

But for me I was in a dilemma, this was Sharon's last thank you card, and it was sealed down, how could i open it and use it, I wanted to save it....

So conflicted I take it out the box and take it downstairs, staring at it willing it to somehow multiply, but alas it did not. So still unopened I went to bed, the next morning the bears were due home (they may need a lift, it's a long walk and they only have short legs) so I needed to make a decision.

I could almost hear Sharon mocking me "the cards are to be given, not kept, you keep received cards not unsent ones"  

Anyway I open it and to my dismay, there is no stamp on the back?, It is sealed you unfinished? WTF, this cant be right!

I can't hand this over like this, it has to have a stamp on the back, Sharon's handmade by ShazSilverwolf, it was not there...


Slow down, yes I did but let me tell it.....

Now I am not a stamper, so I could really stuff it up, right, couldn't I?

This is the last of its kind, there will be no more of these made by my wonderful Wifelet, and I am about to deface it.

The decision was made, the next challenge was to actually find the stamp, it had to be close to hand as surely it was in constant use, so a draw maybe, on the desk possibly.

And it was, but OMG the ink, wtf does she need this many ink pads for, ink is ink right, I get the different colours but come on... Really?  

There is just so much of it!

So with shaking hands after looking at the colours on the table, at the bottom of the pile is one that compliments the colour on the front of the card, it’s a "VersaFine Clair  - Warm Breeze" and I am now looking for Sir Tim Holt's stamping platforms, (look I am a noob ok , don't judge)  Shaz had at least 3 of them in this room ........somewhere......But I can’t find them.

I am going to have to free hand this bad boy

 The time is ticking and i need to be on the road, so the stamp gets peeled off and stuck on the acrylic stamping blocks, cleaned with the baby wipe and dabbed dry on kitchen towel and I practice until I am happy.


Jobs a good one, I did it and it looks kind of OK, not wonky, not as defined as I would like, but I did it, go me!


I close the ink pad, dry it and think, but there are other things on that sheet, and the top needs something. Like the newbie I am, I open the inkpad upside down and end up with ink on my finger.



Does this make me a crafter or clumsy ?

                                                         answers in the comments below


I then balance it out with little crow, and dragonfly that was with the set, (had a smart and stuck them on opposite ends of the long thin acrylic block, give them a quick dry with the warm air gun and take it down stairs feeling like Shaz is just grinning at me all the way down stairs.

I did not think to take a picture of the back of the now finished card, but i am Sure Annie will be sharing it ..

For actual proper bona fide, qualified crafting head over to the queen of the deskers at the stamping ground  and check out some more crafty goodness from those that actually know what they are doing.


Another gratuitous picture on our way to Tenerife back in 2016

And that just leaves the and  finally ...

Note to self type much less ha ha 

Donations preferred over flowers please

 I have been asked about flowers etc for Sharon's funeral..

 We will of course be having some on top of the coffin, and if you feel like you would very much like to do something in memory of Sharon please donate to either Cancer research UK or Wolf Watch UK or both.

You guys know the history of sharon and cancer, but let's talk about the wolf side (no she is not part wolf) but she did love them, so much so that I adopted one for her through wolf watch UK, this Wolf called Pepe sadly passed away in 2017 but before that we went out to see him.

A nice day out in 2009 to visit wolf watch
featuring Maddah 

Pepe was a male Timber wolf  bourn in west Midlands safari park back in 2004, where he was ousted in a scuffle for dominance.

Pepe lived out the rest of his days at wolf watch where he was able to roam the vast 100 acre with a beautiful valley on the shropshire/welsh border.

In Sharon's memory I have adopted 2 new wolves  Bosch and Sansa, and plan on continuing to do so going forward.

Meet Bosh, Bosch is a grey wolf (almost silver) and is not quite a year old born in may 2020, he was owned privately until the human malware pandemic meant that his owner could no longer afford to look after him.

He has been well socialised and extremely well cared for.

 Bosch is settling in nicely in his new home and has a delightful nature. He appears to be quite comfortable around women but is cautious of men he has not met before.

Sansa is as the name suggests is a female, born  April 2016, she is a Norwegian wolf, hence why I was drawn to her.

She is inquisitive, and likes to know what is going on, and is typically the first to investigate food, or chase of birds trying to steal the meal.

Sansa is a wild wolf, and not social at all, although she is getting used to people passing by the enclosure.

Funny thing about the Norwegian bit, take a look here 



Wolf Watch was established in 1993 by the founder Tony Haighway, and has been a safe haven for displaced  wolves ever since. It is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the rescue, welfare and conservation of displaced wolves from captive situations across Europe.

Please use the links below to donate , thank you