Assembling . . .
Spacing is critical in this project, so we have to be precise in the placement of our pieces.

First, tape your background paper on the backing board so it will show through the image window. Tape the top of the mat in place temporarily with removable tape.

Use Crafter's Pick Ultimate and a brush for the best results. You will have a bit of time to nudge things around before it sets. Do not brush glue edge to edge on the back of the piece so you will have a little room for error.

Glue the centerpiece in place first. Use a ruler to find the exact center - vertically and horizontally. Each piece is 1/2" wide (2.5" total) and your image window is 3.5". The remaining 1" must be divided into 6 equal spaces. That’s hard to measure, so it’s easier to “eyeball” the placement as follows:

Glue the two side pieces approximately 3/16" in from each edge of the image window. Check with a straight edge that the bottoms are aligned with the center piece. Then glue the two remaining pieces centered in the spaces that are left. When the glue is dry, insert your sticks.

You can create a shadowbox mat for this work, or let it stick up (as shown) and frame it without glass. The Sheer Heaven part will be just fine - in fact, you should make your background of Sheer Heaven if you wish to do this. The mat will need a few coats of acrylic spray sealer to protect it from dirt. Remove it from the art before spraying.

But, you just never know what lies ahead in the road, and this time it was a very serious health crisis for one of our feline staff. Of course, everything takes a back seat to caring for a loved one, and other stuff just doesn’t get done. Our beloved Purrfect is still fighting for his life and all we can do is hope that he wins - with every bit of help we can give him along the way.

It’s always amazed me just how deeply I love my animals, but when I found this Dear Me! cartoon from the 70’s I realized that the love goes a long way back - to my single days even.