Tis The.....

 

Christmas Card.... And A New Kit....

Well, Dear Readers, Here it is at last..... And "Last" is the operative word as this is technically Last year's Christmas Card, finally finished (as is the usual case) in the new year! It is as always, 8.5 x 11 inches, watercolor and pen and ink on Arches hot pressed watercolor paper. I hope you enjoy searching out the familiar images.... yes, mostly just The Tree House, most of which is very old work, accomplished in 2012 and 2013 for the most part. But last year was a year that didn't seem to give me any time for focusing on minis, since there were some real-life distractions that took a lot of time and attention. Yes, there was the Leafy Green Rhododendron finally completed properly and a bunch of tiny tapestry cushions stitched.... and a little bit of rocky landscape and the Nursery wallpaper.... and The Nano House... but not much else! Yes, it was That kind of year! I am very much hoping for a more Fun and Productive year of making minis! And because that is next on my agenda since the Christmas Card is Done.... let me show you a little... just a little new kit.....

 

Yes, yes, I know.... 

why ever did I think I needed another new kit....?

 (This is how I get myself into Trouble... Right?)

 

But.... it is called the "Once Upon A Time Fairy-tale Wonderhouse"..... 

A miniature dollhouse shop only about 8 inches wide by 5 inches deep....

and 7 inches tall.... and the front swings open...

 

To reveal the most astonishing assortment of tiny Houses, 

some fully furnished....! and Little Vignettes... 

and a corner nook for construction.... 

and it comes with ALL the parts, 

pieces, printies, Led's, tools and trinkets...

 everything you will need except your Time and Patience!

 

How Could I Resist????  

Well, clearly, I couldn't!

 It is my this year's Birthday gift to myself... 

a Treat for being Soooo Goood all last year 

(Duty before pleasure and all that!) 

It arrived yesterday and I have already spent hours studying

 the Assembly Instructions which are a 26 page 

full-color wonder in themselves!

 I am starting to think of it as a wooden version of

 The Home Sweet Home stitched Cottage project 

I embarked on three years ago... 

it took a year to finish and I learned a lot

 and Loved every minute of the project including the finished product!

 

I am going to TRY to stick to the kit instructions

 and not deviate into glorious unknown territory!

 We shall see how that goes..... 

I really cannot promise anything.... 

 

So There you have it, Dear Readers....

 'tis the Card and a Huge New Tiny Kit .... 

and that means a whole Lot of

 wonderful Tiny Trouble!!!!

 

Traditions....

 

 The Card....

Well, Dear Readers, it is The New Year, and some Traditions really should not be ignored! I refer to my personal "Tradition" of being so late with my "Christmas Card" that it is a wonder it is still called that! As I have mentioned a time or two, I have been drawing an annual "Christmas Card" now for more than forty years. When I was a child, the sending of "Christmas Cards" was quite a big deal and you could buy many many commercial options to send to friends and family. Because my family leans to the artistic side, we often made our own. My Father designed and had cards printed some years... I remember quite a few of those, and recently came across one of his designs. Because "four color printing" was so expensive, his designs were black and white. Remember, these were the days before photocopying was possible! (Can you remember that?) When I was a teenager we made some linoleum cuts and wood-block hand printed cards.... I can clearly remember some of them, but don't think any of the originals survived. It was great fun to set up the "printing" process and make prints that had to be hung to dry all over the house! And then one year in my early twenties I discovered there was a local shop that would "photocopy" your original artwork in black and white...! I made a drawing and had it copied and hand colored the drawings at home. In the above picture you can see the first twenty-five years of the "official" Christmas Cards I began when my (now ex) husband and I got together in 1983. I began innocently enough with just pen and ink drawings... my favorite medium at the time and easy to get "photocopied"! As is often the case with my projects... I didn't have a clue what I was starting... but it very quickly became a "tradition" especially with the addition of children to the picture. If you look closely at the bottom right corner of the above picture you will see color copies had entered the world! My cards became pen and ink and watercolor..... which meant they took twice as long to make.....! So this year's addition to the pile.... not as late as some years.... again is a bit dark....

                                      I hope you don't mind that it isn't very "Christmas-y".

And I hope you will understand that 

my Father's death last April has colored the year. 

It has been a challenge to "find Christmas" this year. 

But the card must happen anyway... 

so I am calling it an "honest" card....

 telling the story of this difficult year of sorrow.

The minis are in there... 

along with the Family events.... 

You might just have to look harder to find them!

So Thank you, Dear Readers,

 for your understanding and patience 

with my personal Tradition 

of being Late with the Christmas Card!

A Cloude (With an "e") Day....

 

And The Christmas Card....

You Might be Surprised to learn, Dear Readers, that "Cloude-With an 'e' " who spends most of his Time hanging out at The Cloud Palace way up on top of the clouds, was tired of being always above the clouds! It was plenty cold enough that he never had to be concerned about melting away, being a Snowbeary of modest proportions, but there was only so much to see from way up there. It was Winter down below, and he was restless.... he wanted to be Under the Clouds... where all the action was! It had been a long time since he had ventured far from the Cloud Palace, and since he had no wings to carry him gently to Earth, he had to make use of a Wishing Star to get there....

Wheeeeee.......!

It was quite an exciting ride!

He rolled and spun and swirled through the sky

 and landed a bit inelegantly with a "thump"

 in the snowy yard of The Folly dollhouse!

Oh, My! he thought... 

That was better than a roller coaster!

He sat up and wondered where he had landed....

 it had been a while since he had "toured beneath the clouds"!

"I say" he said to no-one in particular....

 "I think I remember this place!

Last time I was here there were some

 'Little Snowfellas' .... with hats!".... he thought.

"Hmmmmm".... he said, "I seem to have lost my hat!"

"I wonder where it got off to....?" he said as he climbed up

 the snowdrifts toward the Folly.

"Are you  talking to me?" muttered Mr. Gnome 

from under the snowdrift.

"Oh, hello!" said Cloude-With an 'e', 

"I didn't see you there under all the snow!"

"And you would be......?" asked Mr Gnome a trifle rudely....

"Oh! Said Cloude. "I'm Cloude. Cloude-With an 'e' " He said cheerfully.

 "I've just dropped in for a visit in the snow!" he added helpfully.

Meanwhile, the "Little Snowfellas",

 Mr Red, Mr. Green and Ms. Blue

 had ventured out to investigate 

what all the thumping noise was about!

"There's something out there!" said Mr. Red, sounding alarmed.

"Perhaps you should have a look...?" suggested Mr. Green helpfully.

"Of course... of course," said Mr. Red bravely.

"Well...? What do you see...?" said Mr. Green warily.

"There's a Huge Snowlump up there!" said Mr. Red, clearly agitated.

"A Snowlump...?" asked Mr. Green. 

"Where did it come from..?" he wondered.

"You should go ask it what it's doing here...!" he declared.

Mr Red climbed back up the snowdrift

 and from there he could hear voices ....

"Hey !" he called out....

"Who are you talking to...?" he hollered bravely.

"What...?" said Cloude turning to look behind him.

"Oh!" He said..."There you are!

 I was just asking Mr. Gnome If you Little Snowfellas

 were around anywhere!" he added happily!

"Oh, Hi!" said Mr. Red. 

"I didn't recognize you without 

your hat, Mr. Cloude!" he added politely.

"Ah, yes...." said Cloude... "I seem to have lost my hat in the wind....

"I have no idea where it got off to!"

"Maybe you should talk to Mr. Gnome about a Hat...." said Mr. Red helpfully. 

"They are really good at Hats!" he added.

"Ah!....... Mr. Gnome...." said Cloude thoughtfully... 

"What do you know about Hats?" he added.

"Hmmmmph!" declared Mr. Gnome. 

"Hats!" he added cryptically.

"What were you thinking of?"

Cloude paused for a moment, a funny look on his face....

Then.... Poof!!

A tall red hat appeared on his head!

"Whoa!" said Mr. Red, alarmed....

 

 "That is..... red!" he added.

"How does it look....?" asked Cloude.... a little nervously.

(It wasn't as though he tried on new hats every day!) 

"Red, is it?" he added. 

"I'm not sure....." he added.... "Maybe red isn't my color...." he said.

"I was sort of thinking something... 'Cloudy' " he added.

"Hmmmph....!" declared Mr. Gnome.

"Cloudy...?" you say, he added grumpily.

Then.... POOF!

"Ah!!!" said Cloude happily....

 

 

"That feels..... more like Me!" he added.

 

"Well... what do you think....?" he asked Mr. Red.

 "Definitely an improvement...." said Mr. Red cheerfully.

"A little easier on the eyes!" he added quietly.

 Mr Green and Ms. Blue had come to look too.

"I think it makes you look like a 'Gnomeman'....!" said Ms. Blue giggling.

"A 'Gnomeman' ?".... says Cloude thoughtfully....

"Hmmmph!" he added. "I suppose I can go with that!"

"Thanks for the Hat, Mr Gnome!" called Cloude.

"I think it fits me perfectly!" he added cheerfully.

"Hmmph!' declared Mr. Gnome....

"Gnome problem....!" he added 

with a twinkle in his eyes.

Well, Dear Readers, I have taken much of your time

 with little to show with this "Cloude-With an 'e' " Tale.

 It has been snowing more in RL 

and the Cold came with it so nothing is melting.

But that is as January should be in these parts!

And I finally completed "The Christmas Card"!

I know.... 

why do I even bother calling it a "Christmas Card"?

But ready or not.... here it is!

Once again, I apologize for the poor photo...

 it is difficult to get a good photo of the printed card

 which has a slightly glossy surface.

As always it is pen and ink and watercolor on watercolor paper. 

It is drawn full size at 8.5x11 inches 

and features vignettes of my life from the past year.

I know this year's version is a bit "dark".... 

but I wanted to honor the dark time of year....

This is the 41st year in a row that I have drawn a card at Christmas!

And I hope that even your darkest days

 are filled with Illumination!

The Card...

 

Ready or Not....

Well, Dear Readers, here it is the Fortieth edition of my Annual Christmas Card.... every year since 1983 I have drawn and printed and sent to friends and family a Seasonal card! Yes, Christmas is long gone, but it takes a long time to get all the details right. And given the time constraints of employment and occasional illness it has rarely been completed by Christmas. And if it is Late as usual... then perhaps it is really right on time! At any rate, there are always dozens of additional tweaks and shadows and touch-ups that could be added, but I have to stop somewhere. So this is it! As always, it is 8.5 x 11 inches, pen and ink and watercolor on watercolor board drawn to actual size and color copied. The theme is always the events of the past year woven into  an illustration, almost always with a letter to capture the theme.

Here is a closer view of the upper part. 

This is the printed version and the glossy paper

 always makes photography difficult... the reflection is hard to avoid.

Here is the lower section.

And if you question whether The Dollmaker's Studio

 was the primary work of the past year.... 

well, all I can say is that it was worked on

 all year in tiny little slow bits... 

not enough to warrant much in the way of blogging....

But enough to warrant recognition, unfinished as it is!

And that's all I have to show, Dear Readers,

The Card, Ready or Not...

Finally Finished!

I hope you enjoy seeing it.

'Tis The Season...

 

To Procrastinate....

As Some of you might be aware, Dear Readers, there is a Large Task looming in my RL that always consumes a great deal of my focus at this time of year. I am referring to the Annual Christmas Card Drawing which I have managed to make every year for... um... this will be the fortieth year! And being fond of little things with lots of detail... I make an elaborate drawing that summarizes some of the high points of the year. It takes hours and hours over days and weeks... but I LOVE to draw and once it gets going it consumes all my creative focus. I like nothing better than to be able to sit at my drawing table hour after hour adding tiny details...... But, it is not always easy to get the current year organized into a workable idea.... and therefore... procrastination sets in while I dither about possibilities...! And while procrastinating last weekend, I decided to get into the Spirit by putting up all my Christmas Trees! So you can see the Tree has been put up in The Lovely Old Dollhouse, even earlier than usual! Charles is quite pleased with the Tree and Helen agrees that it must be the most beautiful one ever!

 Yes, it is the same tree as always, with nothing new added...!

And over in The Castle, the big tree has been brought in

 and all the candles are lit even though it is not yet night.

 

And because I am also putting up my RL Trees,

 I need to move some of the dollhouses to the Holiday Locations.

The Cloud Palace is once again sitting at my elbow

 while I am stitching my embroidery projects... 

and Blue has even decided that the Christmas Tree Skirt

 I stitched a couple of years ago belongs in the Cloud Palace!

(Well, of Course! )

 

With the Silver Tinsel Tree and the Wishing Stars...

Here you can see a closeup.... 

(I still have to add the "cloud-puff" edging to the skirt!)

And Sally May has the "Same Old Tree" in the same old spot....

So many new things she wanted to try this year...

 but there just hasn't been time!

Her in-laws, Ernie and Blanche 

seem to have gotten used to this tree...

 (it is not at all their idea of a "proper" New England Tree!)

Even Hardwick Hall has a small tree... 

although the lights have not been added, 

and the Hall has been moved to the inaccessible spot for the Holidays...

 to make room for the RL Tree to be put up in my Livingroom.

 

And because I am Procrastinating, Dear Readers,

 there is even a New Little Tree on the block!

 

The idea has been brewing since the beginning of this Project... 

but the particulars are turning out to be whatever I had in my stash....

A Sparkling green bottlebrush Tree in medium size 

With a string of clear mini lights wound around and around.... 

it is impossible to get a good spacing of the lights this way....

 but I am going to call that part of the Charm of this little tree!

So where does it belong....???

In the Dollmaker's Studio... 

also known as Sugarplum Studio!

Can you even see in there.....?

(Halleluliah, the plug outlet works!)

Here, I have turned on some of the other lights...

I know.... it needs to be decorated..... 

hung with gingerbread and little dollies...

 

And do you even remember the Teeny-Tiny

 little version of  The Secret Christmas House?

 

Well... I hate to admit it... 

but that full-size (144th scale) Secret Christmas House

 still has not been completed...!

There are several unfinished steps and pieces I need to add.

Will I get to them This year....?

 Well, you never know, Dear Readers,

 because it is the Season

 for Procrastination in  my House!

Finishing Things....

 

 

The Christmas Card and More...

Well, Here it is, Dear Readers, the Christmas Card at last! You might not be too surprised at the subject matter.... but the perspective, or point of view, might not look familiar! It is one that I noticed while I had the Castle pulled all apart to paint the back side last summer. The only way to see this view when the Castle sections are standing together, is to stick your head all the way inside the Guard Room and crane your neck to the left and look into the Great Hall through the "entrance" doors.... as if you were a tiny person walking into the room. Even a camera put in through the doorway has a hard time getting a good picture of this perspective! But being a Dreamer who is clearly obsessed with this Medieval experience.... I want to feel like I am walking into this Grand Medieval Hall with the soaring ceiling painted with portraits of Saints! And thus we have this rendition. I did finish the drawing on January 2nd, but could not get it printed for several more days because the Covid surge has caused many local businesses to be drastically under-staffed. I am sure you have all experienced this, and certainly, a late Card needing printing is not an emergency! As for the other "finished" items I referred to in my header.... there are not many! I have stitched many tiny items in the past two years, and the minute the stitching was done on each, I started another one, leaving the "finishing" for later!

Remember this cushion?

I finally decided I needed to actually finish it!

Here it is with the carpet for size reference.

The carpet is on 18 count canvas cloth,

 the cushion is on 40 count silk!

The backing is a faux suede in dark blue.

The stitching together is simply overcast stitches all around

 with a single strand of the floss. No turning required.

I stuffed it with small beads.

Here it is in The Lovely Old Dollhouse living room.

And that is all I have "finished" so far, Dear Readers,

but there is a long list of tiny things waiting their turn.

Perhaps I will get many things finished this year!

 

I hope you are all staying well, Dear Readers,

 and maybe even getting a few mini things finished too!