Gold-dipped feathers are all the rage (or they were a few months ago, so I'm totally counting this as on trend).
My feathers are not exactly "dipped" so much as "sponged" because "dipped" looked so very "dippy" (read artificial) to me. But that gorgeous Delicata gold ink shimmers and shines perfectly! Add a few silver half beads, and you've really got something.
The feather punch is from Fiskars, and the faux shaft running down the feather was made with an embossing stylus free-hand.
I want credit for that, too. Because crafting is all about keeping score.
Right?
No?
Well, alrighty then.
Speaking of "dippy," my grandfather, David Lee Willis, was the inspiration for this B-24 nose art during WWII.
 |
| Source |
He was the pilot of this plane, which went down over the Himalayas when it ran out of gas...as many B-24s flying "the Hump" did. Those were some terrifically long missions. Nearly 1,000 men and 600 planes were lost flying the Hump during the China-Burma-India campaign. Years ago, The National Museum of the United States Air Force had an outstanding--and deeply moving--exhibit on the Hump, with photos of all the men lost. I still remember it vividly.
Papa made sure his entire crew got out before he jumped. All the men survived that mission. Papa kept a piece of his parachute. It was the only time he ever jumped out of a plane. He said he didn't want to practice something he could only do once. Smart man.
Guess he wasn't so dippy after all.
Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Birthday Basics
ink: Delicata golden glitz
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: sponge, dimensionals, embossing stylus, Fiskars feather punch, silver half beads
Ooooo! I REALLY like this!
ReplyDeleteI love hearing "live" history stories. To me, that is what history is, stories. Facts are facts, but stories make it real.
Your gold tipped feather makes quite a statement. That's a great story about your grandfather.
ReplyDeleteSo pretty. I really feel the urge to CASE your card. I have a feather die that came with a magazine. Cannot wait to try this myself.
ReplyDeleteWonderful story about your grandfather. Happy to hear he and his crew survived this particular mission. You must be proud of him.
What a gloriously CAS card. That Delicata ink is fab! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful family story with us.
ReplyDeleteI love this story of your Papa. I'm so glad he and his crew all survived that jump. Your feather is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHow did their survive the Himalayas?
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, they got separated during the jump, but they formed several different groups on the ground and started walking. Only one guy was totally alone the whole way back to Kunming. It was grueling; I think Papa broke his foot when he landed. You can read Lt. Williams' account from his diary at the link below. If the link doesn't work, copy and paste it. Scroll down to May 4, 1943 and read through May 10. I do know that one of the crew (not sure which) died a few weeks later in an unrelated incident. Not sure how he died, though.
Deletehttp://kitwilliams.com/ww2/index.html
The Dippy Dave was completely destroyed.
*they
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you so much for taking the time to share the story & links. I must confess I am thoroughly confused geographically, now...it seems the raid on Hainan Island (in the Pacific) and the crash in south China must have taken place separately from the crossing(s?) of the Himalayas?
ReplyDeleteMy correction is posted! Thanks for making me look closer at this. Oral history is, it turns out, fraught with peril. But then again, as my post indicates, so is written history.
Deletehttp://simplicitybylateblossom.blogspot.com/2016/06/dippy-correction.html