Most years I have a special year-end project. The holidays are a good time to find consecutive days in the shop, and there’s often a special gift to be made.

This year was a bit different. It was my first year of retirement so consecutive days in the shop were not as elusive as they used to be. And as the holidays approached I didn’t have a special project in mind. That felt a bit weird.

Kim solved that conundrum. As she was taking Christmas ornaments out of storage she also unearthed a little treasure. A tiny baby shoe. (Only the one, because apparently the dog ate the other one.) Kim asked if I could make a shadow box for it, to be hung on the wall. Suddenly we had a year-end project. The project didn’t take much time. Kim cut the glass and selected the paper for the backdrop.

It’s now hanging in the passage between the living room and the kitchen, with some other little treasures.

Poplar, aniline dye, metallic paper, glass