The First Flower....!

A Beacon In The Dark....

Perhaps you have Noticed, Dear Readers, that here in the North, the Dark is gaining strength! Every day is shorter than the one before.... and the Storms and Cold Winds are not far behind! I spent much of my weekend trying to put my RL house in order for the oncoming Winter... and the chief task is to bring all the house plants in from the porch where they happily spend the Summer. This by itself is no difficult task.... except that in their absence, the doll houses.... Cottage, Palace, Conservatory, Park, have all taken up residence in the Sunny window space..... (well, I do Love the way the Sunlight brings so much life to my mini worlds!).... and now must be relocated to make room for the plants. And there lies the rub! It is a veritable juggling act to find the right place for the houses.... because my RL house is Not large... and I might possibly maybe have a few more Doll houses than would be ideal... if you wanted to be able to Sit down anywhere that is! (I assume there are one or two of you out there that share this affliction and can sympathize!) The doll houses are here to stay... if there is a shortage of space.... the plants might have to go.... or I could just have Mini plants!!!  I know I have been saying Forever that I need to start to learn how to make mini plants... and with many of you out there as Inspiration and guides.... I have purchased some tiny punches and a few flower kits to get me started! And I know this will sound silly, but the punches arrived Really fast and the kits are still on their way.... and I could Not wait any longer! So I tried my hand at a flower. Just One Flower! I had also recently bought some crepe paper and thought it would make the perfect petals for a poppy....

And a bead on the end of some florists wire would make the flower center.....

When I shoved the bead onto the covered wire, 

it separated the threads and made them look like stamens....

I painted them black along with the bead.

(I forgot to take many pictures because I was just experimenting....)

I cut some leaves with my new punches... 

and cut slits into the edges of the larger leaf groups....

then I deliberately wet them and wrinkled them....

I glued them to the foam base....

covered in tea leaf "dirt"...

And added the smaller fern leaf pieces farther up the stems.

It is getting so dark out.... 

it is really hard to photograph this!

But I think it turned out quite well!

This morning as I was rushing off to work 

I noticed that Brother Beorn 

had "found" the flower outside the Cloud Palace on the Terrace...

He was ever so Excited! 

He has been trying to establish a few "planters"

on the Cloud Palace Terrace all Summer...

but it seems the conditions are a little challenging...

It can be quite cold and too sunny for some plants!

And they need to be watered constantly.... 

because there is no rain on Top of the Clouds!

He thinks it a Great Omen to find such a beautiful Specimen...

In full bloom....

appearing as if by magic overnight!

He has not decided yet whether it is Papaver 'Orientale', 

or Papaver 'Somniferum'....

He is fairly certain it is not Papaver 'Croceum' 

in spite of the Arctic conditions it is growing in...,

because the scale is too large for such a bloom!

I think he has been watching it all day!

But I am sure that What you are really wanting to hear more about 

is the Adventures of Tiny Bear, Dear Readers, 

so I will reward your patience and tell you that

Sir Orion and Tiny Bear rode like the Wind on Thunder....

They raced past the Castle and the Lovely Old Dollhouse,

and didn't even pause as they passed The Folly!

They rode on and on, but they saw no sign anywhere of the two tiny dolls!

 

 

 Eventually they came to the Distant Briar Moors...

 

And Rose Thorn Cottage.

 

 

There were two large dogs keeping watch on the porch.

But Thunder was not afraid of them.

He knew they were the Hounds of Artemis....

known as Madame Durant.

 

 

They often played with him, racing across the Wild Moors!

 

 

 Sir Orion jumped off Thunder and turned to thank him 

for carrying them so effortlessly on their Quest.

He knew that the Wild Moors were Thunder's home....

He would come again and they would ride together....

but for now, Sir Orion would travel on with Tiny Bear alone.

Tiny Bear was more than Happy to stay perched on Sir Orion's shoulders!

Sir Orion turned to speak with the dogs,

but Tiny Bear seemed to have lost his voice altogether!

"Good Evening, my friends" said Sir Orion.

"We are searching for two tiny dolls..... 

have you seen them anywhere?"

(Sir Orion was not afraid of the dogs.... 

but they did look a little bit hungry!)

"Did they look like.... small... warm... dinner?' 

growled one of the hounds.

"If they did...." growled the other....

"we haven't seen any. Dinner, that is."

"In that case," replied Sir Orion,  gruffly,

"We will be on our way."

 

And he turned to climb the Briar Moors behind the Cottage....

 

 And he explained to Tiny Bear that from the top of the Moors,

it was just a short flight to the Cloud Palace....

And Tiny should just hold on tight.....

And be sure to Not look down....!

It wasn't Too Far.....

But it was already Dark by the time 

they landed on the Terrace at the Cloud Palace.

 

There was a single lantern lit to Guide their way...

Or perhaps it was lit so that Brother Beorn 

could still see his Beautiful Poppy Flower....

But whatever the reason, Dear Readers, 

it was a welcome Beacon for the Weary Travelers!

Sir Orion went straight inside 

and Blue was there to greet him.

"I have found a little Traveler" he said.

"His name is Tiny Bear."

"I am pleased to meet you, Tiny," said Blue.

"Welcome to the Cloud Palace" she added.

"If there is anything you wish for, just speak up...." she said.

But Tiny Bear was at a loss for words. 

He was not sure if he was Dreaming this entire Adventure!

He had just escaped fierce Hounds....

and Flown on the back of a Warrior Bear up to the Clouds....!

And there were  More large Bears up there....

And a Palace?? 

He could no longer remember why he had set out in the first place!

He was, understandably, a Little Overwhelmed!

Sir Orion set him down in a Cloud chair.

"There's no need to say a thing, little fella" said Sir Orion.

"Just rest here as long as you like."

"And if you think of anything you need.... just say the word" said Blue.

But Tiny Bear was already fast asleep!

And Brother Beorn is still keeping watch over the 

Mysterious Poppy flower!

 

I don't know about you, Dear Readers, 

but that First little flower is like a Beacon in the Dark for me...

Showing me that maybe Someday I will have 

a mini Garden full of Tiny Flowers!