Diva Divine Fuzzi - Part IX

I had very few interruptions today and managed to do much more than expected. Fuzzi's coat, feather boa and features still need more refining, but it went very well.

The boa has to be thinner so as to not hide Fuzzi's coat, but both feathers and fur have to be worked simultaneously. Her back leg has almost disappeared behind the feathers - I'll correct that tomorrow.

The crown embroidery started my day. I added a diamond mesh background to the cartouche and changed Fuzzi's name to a pink lamé colour.

Carol explained that Fuzzi's chemo treatment had changed the PH balance in her saliva, making the hair around her mouth reddish brown. This was not part of Fuzzi's natural make-up and was only a reminder that she had cancer. These two images of Fuzzi were my reference for her features, but she was painted without the staining. Fuzzi was really pure white all over.

More shading and highlights are needed on her coat and her eyes need a little more brown highlight, but I'm really pleased with her grin. That pink tongue fits in perfectly. As usual, tomorrow morning I will start by correcting and refining what was done today and will move on to the diamond collar and tiara.

Fuzzi Vignette:

Carol talks about Fuzzi's chemo treatment.

Fuzzi was an odd dog. She loved her chemo treatments. Because the drugs injected are toxins, the placement of the needle in the vein has to be precise and cannot be disturbed throughout the hour long treatment since the drug would destroy healthy tissue if it got into it. This meant that Fuzzi would be assigned someone to sit and monitor her throughout the treatment. Because she was assigned a "hand maiden" to focus on her, and only her, Fuzzi thought this was wonderful. She used to get out of the car and sprint into the VEC for treatments.

We would often meet other families fearfully clutching their dogs and waiting for their first chemo treatment, not certain of the outcome. When they would meet Fuzzi who was eager to begin it and they heard her story they seemed to calm and be reassured . It also demonstrated to them that dogs do not respond to chemo in the same way as humans. The first round of chemo resulted in zero side effects for Fuzzi. The second round a few years later resulted in some hair loss but it soon grew back. Fuzzi just didn't have time to be ill - she had too much to do. Her chemo days were often treatment in the morning and the afternoon devoted to doing things Fuzzi loved, like going shopping, getting something to eat and seeing the sights.

I remember the first treatment we had with Fuzzi. Judy expected the techs to bring her out wrapped in a blanket, weak and ill. Fuzzi came bounding out of the door all happy from the attention that she had received and ready to go on to the next thing. That was the pattern our chemo treatments always took. Strangely enough, Fuzzi proved that she could make any experience fun.