New Years Resolutions....

The Christmas Card.... At Last!

I finished this Year's Christmas Card two days after Christmas, Dear Readers, which is Not how I would like to have it happen! But so it goes when there is a busy life and I set myself a difficult task. This year it was a drawing of my Memory of Christmas Morning fifty-four years ago.... when I first set eyes upon The Lovely Old Dollhouse... and the "Never Ending Story" began! I won't go into detail about the struggles I had with drawing this Perspective! I just knew the "Vision" in my Memory..... and had to make it work on paper! There are no photographs of this.... so I am sure there are a few details that might be different if there were. I was only four years old and my sister was three and the dollhouse was built by my Grandpa from designs drawn up by my Daddy.
The little details around the edges are the current pictures.... if you follow this blog you will recognize many of them.... (with me hard at work painting things at the lower right)... but I had to take liberties with the perspectives to make things fit the spaces!  The original painting is 8 inches by 10 and a half inches, done in watercolor and pen and ink. It took me over a week to complete it. I do hope you can forgive me for taking you on this journey down memory lane.... the Lovely Old Dollhouse is what started it all!

So now that we are putting Christmas behind us for another year..... 

and looking to the future... the New Year is almost upon us....

which means many of us are Making New Years Resolutions!

(Usually I avoid this challenge!)

But this year I find I really want to resolve to Finish projects sooner....

(Don't laugh!)

And really, I have spent the past couple of days working on partly finished  things...

Do you remember the embroidered bed curtains for the Pagoda bed in the Tree House?

Well, I added the final flower and the details to another flower....

Then I started on the leaves....

This will mean the first curtain is nearly done!

It is the one for the back side of the bed... towards the wall...

That way I can make mistakes and it doesn't matter as much!

Each curtain is two and a half inches tall!

Perhaps I shall start the second curtain tomorrow...!

 

And because I have So Many Unfinished Painting projects.....

I decided to work more on painting the Saints on the Castle Hall Ceiling!

You may remember I started it last July....

Here above is a close-up of how I left the Saints Hedwig and Mark... 

partly done.....

And this is Saints Mary Magdalene and John.... 

Barely started!

So I got busy and spent a Wonderful day painting details....

I added the darker outlining for Mark,

as well as the Lion and the book stand...

And I did the face and hands of Hedwig...

and worked more on her head covering and halo.

Here she is closer.... 

with some of the details started....

there are still a ton of details to paint...

And another closer view of Mark...

 I still need to work on the highlights of his robes 

and add another layer to the background....

Here you can see I have added a lot to Mary Magdalene...

 

She will need another layer on the background 

and more highlights on her cloak...

And I also worked quite a bit on John...

 He still needs details everywhere....

but the basic colors are laid out....

Just a tiny bit more was added here....!

It is really difficult to get a shot of all of the Saints together....

It is so dark out and the light reflects off the curved surface....

but you can see that I still have to start the six Saints for the other side of the ceiling!

Maybe I will get that started Tomorrow!

Meanwhile.....

Here is a closer view of Mary Magdalene....

I also need to work on her hands....

And a closer shot of Saint Hedwig....

Lots still to do....

I don't know why I am bothering with so many details on these Saints....

They will hardly ever be looked at... 

up on the dark ceiling of the Great Hall!

But somehow I can't seem to help myself.....

Like with the tiny embroidery, and the Christmas Card....

I just Love the details!

Perhaps it is the Saintliness of the Saints 

which inspires this New Years Resolution....

(We'll see how long I keep to it!)

Happy 2014 Dear Readers!

May your New Year be Wonderful.... 

And may your Resolutions be truly Inspired!

 

On Christmas Day In The Morning....

The Gift Of Light.....

I arose before the Sun on Christmas Morning, Dear Readers, which is not difficult to do at this time of year as the sun does not rise until after eight in the morning. And like many on Christmas morning I went rushing around through my Houses to see whether or not Santa had come in the night! It was such a relief to see that he had! But like many homes where there are no young children eager to get to the presents.... breakfast was the first priority in the Lovely Old Dollhouse....

Pollyanna and Arthur are joining Helen and Charles and Victor in the Kitchen for tea and Pie....

The sun is still not up... but there is light at the window and it promises to be a Lovely day...

But I felt the need to check on the rest of my Trees.... 

to make sure Santa had found them all...

So I rushed over to the Castle....

Where the dogs were still faithfully waiting by the fire....

But there was indeed a pile of gifts under the tree....

I wonder who they are for...?

But I mustn't linger....

I dash over to the Folly....

Well, I know Daphne didn't put up a Tree this year....

But I wanted to check in anyway....

And that was when the Magic Began....

The Sun had risen and was streaming in through the window of the Folly...

Illuminating the Creche Daphne had set up in the Window...

Oh, have I told you how much I adore the way the Sunlight comes to play?

A Little Sliver of Midwinter Sun reaches deep into my house....

Alighting briefly on the Folly Tree House....

And the Conservatory....

 

Where last night all was dark as we waited for Christmas.....

This morning it brings this World to Life.....

Gifting a beauty I could not dare to Imagine....

Glimpses of Things only Dreamed of.....

In places we've never been before....

Blessing every Corner of my Little Worlds.....

With a Radiance that is so Rare....

And so Brief.....

Reaching even into the Chapel Sanctuary....

Oh what Light!!!

Touching even the Darkest Dungeons.....

For Just a Moment!

And Look! Now in the Hall where before it was dim....

Now there is Light a plenty!

Is it too late for a Christmas Portrait?

Isn't it Amazing what the Sunlight will do?

But I still haven't gone to all the Houses....

I rush to see where else the Sun has gone...

Oh look! It has even reached Rose Thorn Cottage...

Where the Little Dreamers were safely nestled...

Is that the Sunlight kissing them awake...?

And what of Sally May's Shabby Sister House....

Did Santa Come....?

Oh My! He did indeed!

Is that a Dollhouse for Annabelle?

It is Quite Antique...

And a bit Shabby.....

Sally May expects they will have a lot of fun fixing it up!

Annabelle is enchanted..!

But I am aware that the Sun does not sit still...

So I rush back to the Conservatory...

For another peek...

I could not have staged this if I Tried, Dear Readers....

The Sun just came to play....

A Gift so Pure and Joyful!

And in the Lovely Old Dollhouse too...

The Greatest gift was the Gift of Light...

On Christmas Day in the Morning!

Ready Or Not....

Christmas Is Everywhere....

So Many things remain unfinished this Christmas, Dear Readers, that I hope you will forgive me if all I have to show is Glimpses of a "Someday" and a "Maybe one Year" Visions in my Mini Worlds! I have only just begun to build the Conservatory, but it has proven to be an irresistible Venue for small scenes and collections of stray items... Can we pretend that Someone, Fleur perhaps, has been using the Conservatory as a Seasonal location to sell her Flowers and Garden Decorations? And Can we think that Sally May happened by and was intrigued by the glimpse through the doors.....

You may not be aware, but her husband Chip is from one of those Old Fashioned New England Families that believe you should Never put your Tree up before Christmas Eve... and Always take it down on Epiphany! This year they have come to spend Christmas with Chip and Sally May and Annabelle, so Sally May is Trying to put on the Right sort of Christmas for them! In this part of the World, it is Late to be out looking for a Christmas Tree..... so Sally May is Overjoyed to find such a Beautiful Tree.....

She Loves the Shabby chic Style, 

and thinks this Silver Glitter Tree will be just Perfect!

She still has a lot of decorating to do.....

but that is supposed to be done After Annabelle is in bed!

It is Not at all the sort of Tree Ernie and Blanche are accustomed to!

But they are kind enough to keep their opinions to themselves!

Annabelle is so excited she is having a hard time Waiting for Santa Claus!!!

But she is still very young and is not Quite sure what it all means!

Sally May is hoping she will go to sleep early.... 

there is so much still to do before morning!

Meanwhile at the Lovely Old Dollhouse, 

Pollyanna has finally set up the Creche!

It is in the Same place as Usual.... 

but she is not sure the figures are in the same places....

Does the Camel always go here?

And speaking of Creches....

I bought a new one last Summer....

A Beautiful Porcelain one....

I wanted to make a special set-up landscape for it.....

But for now it is on display in the Conservatory....

Where Fleur quickly set up another Tree...

For who knows.... there may be other Last Minute Shoppers...

Still looking for the perfect Tree....

And over at the Castle.... 

Ken is still trying to get the perfect Picture of the dogs.....

The lighting will not cooperate....

But he may have to settle for what he can get at this time of year.....

Because Time is Running out, Dear Readers,

And Ready or Not.....

Christmas is Everywhere!

May You All have a Very Merry Christmas!