WOYWW 652

LONG, LONG TIME AGO....

Hi everyone! Today's blog features crafting but from a project that lasted about 18 months in total....

Do you happen to remember I showed a picture of a ping pong ball sprayed silver? This was last April-ish in the first lockdown. No matter if you can't here's a reminder of what it became:


It took a lot of acrylic gems to achieve this!

My friend Kim and I were entering a class in the County WI competition (which is quite a big thing) It was the Life Size Figure and the title was 'Who's That at the Door?'

We divvied up the jobs, Kim did a few things:


She did a fantastic job! I enjoyed making the leeks ;-D


And I did others - I've never painted a miniature before, it was fun!

And other things we did together:


Kim found glittery glue gun sticks which were fantastic for making cabochon jewels!

You've probably realised what we're doing by now! Well, the contest was postponed three times and we wondered if our creation would ever see the light of day but..hooray.. this weekend she was finally judged!

Now Project Betty had meant that I had to be very careful about how I took photos in the JanCave for the past year because in the corner was......


A very special lady indeed - HM the Queen! She used to freak visitors out especially at night time and Owen had to get used to her peering over his shoulder when he was working in there!


I carved a polystyrene head and put Modroc on it, then painted the details on. The mask made me laugh! Kim made the arms from Hello Fresh wadding and her old evening gloves! I turned a donated curtain into a cape and we made the ermine stole together.


We enjoyed getting all the little details just right.


We thought it would be funny if the Queen was checking if we needed anything from the shops!!

Though at times, the conversations about what we were doing could have been taken as High Treason if MI5 had been listening in.... especially during the creating process:


Ooops! Sorry......

But we had such a marvellous time and were pleased to get:


The extra points now mean that our WI Group win the County trophy, taking it from another group who have won it for centuries...yay, go us!!

It took a lot of different techniques but Kim and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. I'm going to be very very sad when I have to dismantle Betty, she'd become a really firm fixture in the JanCave!!

Back to normal crafting next week......well, I say normal......

xxxxxx


23 comments:

Sarah Brennan said...

A well deserved 1st plsce Jan - you have both done magnificently with Her Majesty! Taking the trophy for your WI group was a great bonus too. Stay safe and happy WOYWW. Sarah #3

Lynnecrafts said...

Woo, you won first prize with Betty! I’m not at all surprised. Well done you and Kim! Expect a call any day now for corgi masks by appointment to HM! Funny I had a corgi named Kim as a child 😏. She really looks great. I hadn’t thought about get being there when Owen was working from the Jancave. I bet he had to be careful with the angle for zoom calls. 🤣. I love the miniature and all the different techniques to make so many details.
I love that you’ve stolen the county crown from another WI group.
Take Zara and happy WOYWW
Hugs
Lynnecrafts 4

Helen said...

WOW!! well deserved, that is a triumph! HM looks marvellous. Happy normal crafting and happy WOYWW !! Helen #2

Christine said...

Absolutely marvellous!!
Such wonderful details, what clever people! I can imagine all the giggles Betty has brought forth . . . . I don't think the judges had a problem with choosing the winner and well done on the extra points!
Have a good week and thank you so much for sharing with us
Christine #11

Catriona said...

What a triumph-you are a very talented pair and the details are amazing. Happy crafting!

Sue said...

Hi Jan, I hopoe her Maj gets to see this. I know when she is at Sandringham, she often drops in on her local WI.

Just thought, don't dismantle her.....send her to her Maj:) LOL

Well done on 1st place. Well deserved.


Happy WOYWW
Sue

Julia Dunnit said...

Am thrilled skinny for you and Kim, totally inspired and brilliantly executed…I am one of the lucky people who met Project Betty and yes, was freaked out by her watching presence when crossing the landing at night en route to the bathroom! The details are wonderful and if you hadn’t got a first I’d have been very put out! Brilliant result for you and your branch too, that really puts it to ‘game on’ for the next year with the other branch! Love it!

Twiglet said...

Wonderful Jan - well done all. What a brilliant combination of skills and talents you showed there - each little detail - perfect! I will be in touch re the laundry basket but it really was a one off so might not be too helpful. xx Jo

Diana Taylor said...

That is a very well deserved first place - what an amazing achievement - you and Kim have done a fabulous job and I love those jewels - I definitely want some glittery glue sticks now!
I like the idea of the collages canvas you are doing in January - sounds like fun - but I don't know if I can be much help with suggestions for printing and cutting out - I never print out images as our printer isn't the best quality and the ink cartridges last days rather than weeks!! All my images come from old magazines, and I also make gelli prints and monoprints for cutting up and adding textures. It's very cheap and fun to do but probably too time consuming for you if you are doing this in one session.
Hugs, Diana xx #15

Lynnecrafts said...

I must read more carefully
Take care I meant to type, not Zara!
Love Lynnecrafts

Annie said...

Wow wow wow. Amazing. Well done to you both for all the brilliant work and for winning....very well deserved.
Hugs,
Annie x #9

Neet said...

There is absolutely no end to your talent. You carved that head? WOW! It is so her Maj. What a fantastic thing to do. This was so worthy of first prize and I don't suppose any other came close to this. Well done you two! And what a fabulous Betty she is - did you name her because of who she was going to be? I cannot get over it Jan, she is utterly amazing. Every little detail, right down to the corgi mask. A-MAZE-ING as Craig would say, "fantastico" from Gino and "Beeping He-" from Gordon.
Hugs, from me and WOW.
Neet 12 xxx

Zsuzsa Karoly-Smith said...

My goodness Jan, that is a project and a half! You can't possibly dismantle her! Can you not give it to a shop or a cafe who have a free corner for her? It would be a sacrilege to destroy your hard work! And how wonderful that you won first price - yippee! Did the other entries even stand a chance? Big congrats to you and Kim - wonderful team work! I didn't get the leek reference, but I knew it wasn't random, so I looked it up. This is what I've found: "the Tudor dynasty issued leeks to be worn by their guards on March 1, known as St David's Day in honour of the patron saint of Wales" I guess that kind of explains it, but if there's more, let me know! Happy December and thanks for your visit! xx zsuzsa #18

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

This is amazing though slightly scary too. Not surprised you got the trophy, well deserved. I really don't think you can dismantle the queen! Have a lovely woyww. Hugs, Angela xXx

Elizabeth said...

Oh dear, Jan, are you really going to have to dismantle her. She's too fabulous for anything but pride of place somewhere - maybe not your room, but perhaps the local museum would have her. Somewhere, anywhere! And congratulations to you and Kim for winning 1st for your WI group, and beating the other group too. Happy WOYWW, happy December and have a great week. Hugs, Elizabeth x #21

Mary Anne said...

Even from across the room I could tell you would have to win a first. She is AMAZING. And OMG you cannot dismantle her. No, No. No. Offer her for auction and donate the money, I'd place a bid for sure. She is stunning. It would be such a shame to take her to bits.

Well done the two of you. Best thing I have seen in ages.
Happy December & Happy WOYWW!
Mary Anne (1)

Crafting With Jack said...

A very deserved number one spot! Well done the pair of you for a fabulous project. She is amazing! Happy WOYWW Angela #13

Stacy Sheldon said...

OOH MY GOSH, You guys must be so excited that all your hard work paid off with a Win Jan. how fabulous is she :) Congratulations!! ~Stacy #23

BJ said...

Oh my word, I was only thinking last week, what had become of the manikin project and wondered if I had missed it in my absence. And lo and behold this post, I'm quite astounded at its brilliance and yes it would certainly freak you out and make you feel like you are being watched - LOL. Wonderful job Jan and thanks for sharing. BJ#7

StampinCarol said...

You and Kim definitely deserve 1st in my book! Wow! Great job!
Have a wonderful week!
Carol N #22

Eva said...

Congrats to the first price!! You did such a good job!
First, I was so curious, what will the things be made for??...but than I forgot it.
Now - the result!! Amazing!
Warm wishes from
Eva, Austria, lockdown.

Ali Wade Designs said...

Happy Very Belated WOYWW !! I just laughed out loud when I saw Betty standing in the corner. No wonder that guests were freaked out. She looks so realistic. You are both so talented and creative. All the little details are incredible, but the corgi mask is my favourite (and you should definitely make some masks with different dog breeds to sell - can I have a Jack Russell, Pekingese or Whippet one?!). Well done for winning and taking the County trophy. I used to go our local WI, but they are a very close-knit and long-term group of ladies, mostly Welsh speaking. They have lived in the area for generations, know everyone and, although not actually unpleasant to me, were not exactly welcoming either. I would end up leaving early after they were just all sitting in groups and chatting away in Welsh about their families. Decided that my time is more valuable than that. We should move to your area! Ali x #8

Spyder said...

Sorry I missed the queen last week(or this week as I'm typing it this week on last weeks!) In the olden days...he linky thing used to change colour when I'd visited people so I'd know Id 'been' these days some name are already coloured change so its confusing! ((LYN)) Happy very very late woyww

WOYWW 769

 WE'LL MEET AGAIN.... I'm going to take a break from blogging for a while - please don't worry, all is ok! - think I just need a...