A Long Way From Complete....

Eclipse.....

It has been very hard to ignore, Dear Readers, that on This side of the Atlantic we have been presented with a Solar Eclipse that was a Total Eclipse for the entire path across the United States! If you were lucky enough to be near the path of totality, then I hope you had great viewing. Here in Northern New England, the eclipse was nowhere near a complete one, but still, it caused a few moments of complete focused attention, even in the Doll Worlds! Arthur and Pollyanna joined Will on the Terrace of the Folly which has a wonderfully unobstructed southern view!

With the special glasses, one could stare directly at the sun 

and view the moon's shadow as it covered the sun!

I stepped outside at work for a few minutes myself....

And took a picture through the glasses with my camera!

I know, it's tiny and far away, and terribly amateur....

But that is pretty much what we could see from here!

(Poke the pictures to see if it is better close-up!)

And while I was sharing my glasses with co-workers who didn't have any, 

I was noticing the shadows on the ground!

The sun cast crescent shadows through the leaves of the tree!

So even though it was not a complete eclipse in this neck of the woods...

it was a complete blast to get out and have a look!

And because it has been that kind of a week here, 

Dear Readers, I only have a couple of other 

small incomplete things to share with you!

As you might imagine, while I was painting the mural for the Tinker's wagon, 

I was also starting the kits for the final room of The Secret Christmas House. 

This room is the Parlor, and it will hold the Christmas Tree 

along with a decorated fireplace, clock, sofa, and two candle stands.

I started by assembling the fireplace, which has a lovely mantle 

and a hearth which I thought should be painted to look like bricks.

And then I decided that the top of the mantle 

should be painted to resemble black marble

 because the plain white seemed to disappear

 against the ornate walls of the room.

The fireplace has a lovely profile which you can sort of see here.

Here I have glued the mantle to the hearth.

 And then I realized that in order to create a more realistic fire 

than the one that is printed on the wall...

 I would need to attach the fireplace to the room, 

and I needed to "decorate it before I did that!

So instead, I assembled the rest of the furniture for this room.

A lovely Swedish style clock, 

a Victorian sofa and two candle stands or side tables.

You really do need another project to work on

 while you are assembling these kits, Dear Readers, 

because they take only a tiny amount of work gluing pieces 

and then long stretches of waiting while they dry completely!

And then you paint them..... and let them dry....

And then you varnish them.... and let them dry....

And finally you can add the printed art for the clock face!

And the lace doilies on the tables.....

And the upholstery for the sofa.....

And you will be relieved to know 

I did not try to paint my own cloth upholstery for this sofa!

I even glued the carpet into the parlor, in readiness for the furniture. 

And that's as far as I got, Dear Readers...

it's all still a Long Way from Complete... 

 

But like many things in life..... 

it's not really about how complete it is, 

it's about how much Fun you have with what you've got!

I hope you all have had safe and fun viewing of the eclipse....

However much you could see!

And if you are overseas and not near the path.... 

I hope you can enjoy the view from here just a little bit too!

Happy Eclipse!