Birthday Preparations

9 am -  Today I have set myself the task of making a Matisse Blue Nude cake for Weef's Birthday. Also a second cake to take to out tomorrow night for a friend who shares the same date. A pleasant day ahead then. Step one place all the necessary ingredients photogenically on the counter and put on baking music.

12pm - Why did I think making simultaneous cakes today would be a good idea? What illusion was I under when I thought It may be relaxing? And why does the phone keep ringing? I have perfect white frosting to whip up...I don't have time to deal with other life related issues right now.

 

1pm - Assembling: snow white frosting,smooth fondant icing. Make a stencil and sort out the blues sugar beads. I was pushed for time so had to buy mixed red,white and blue selection in Sainsburys, the blue is just the right shade but separating the colours is a bit annoying.Placing the balls individually with tweezers is bliss....complete concentration and utterly absorbing.

9 pm - Task finally completed. The kitchen floor is covered in stray sugar balls, we have no supper cooked and I have to wrap presents and make a card.... All in a days work for an Artist's Wife.

Artists Books

The Artist has a new obsession that he is slowly drawing me into.Our flat is a mess of cut outs and folded bits of paper: origami is his latest porn, I return to a room to find him pouring over sites with diagrams for intricate folds, he quickly closes the laptop guilt oozing from every scrap of paper on the table. Tiny boxes are turning up in the loo and by the kettle. We discuss the pros and cons of  paper types , the advantages of short grain folding for book pages. Folio? Octavo?
This is all leading up to what constitutes An Artist Book - If I say my book is one does that make it so? Does it have to have pages? Are words vital? What else can be used to to make pages?
We both have stashes of books we have made previously, many before we met, in a time when I didn't know such a thing as artists books existed. I made little books for my daughters to amuse them and keep up the pretence that I was still able to be creative whilst full time mummying. This in turn leads me to question whether (how) one can be an artist and a mother; more folds and layers; turning corners debate, debate......  I fold a paper chooser with my choices hidden. Mummy? Artist? Wife? Baker? Gardner? Decorator? Chauffeur? Slob?
The Artist gives me a little book with his thoughts: An Artist's Wife?