A Little Perspective

Feeling a Tiny Bit Blue.....

Very Little has been accomplished this week in my Mini Worlds, Dear Readers, due in part to my being so busy recently telling Tall... I mean Tiny Tales, and in part to the inevitable challenges of the RL World! So I thought I would begin by once again putting this house in perspective by showing the Tree House in relation to The Folly! The Early morning Sunday Sun was shining on the Houses in just such a way as to light them with natural light.... and here is a closer view....

 And if we zoom in even closer....

We see the kitchen and the Salon.....

Where our Little friends are enjoying the morning sunshine....

And the Library.... 

where the furniture has been removed while the Ceiling is under construction!

It is not yet Finished, Dear Readers, in fact, 

the Sum Total of the accomplishments can be seen in the photo below....

If you look closely you will see I have added a black chain to the Tiffany lamp......

 And have started to make the Brilliant Blue and golden star studded ceiling....

which I will show you even though it is far from finished!

This ceiling is inspired by the Sainte Chapelle in Paris.... 

but also by a ceiling in a Church visited by Two of my Dear Blogging friends....

 who posted about it last Spring..... 

where you can read about this BLUE that I Love so much....

And More of This Blue can be viewed Here.....

All of which reminds me of my Other Blue Ceilings that are still unfinished....

In the chapel of my Castle Dollhouse..... 

which Samuel Whiskers and Anna Maria are Visiting....

 Having heard about this Blue......

Oh, This Blue, this BLUE.....

I So Adore this Blue....!

As you can see, I still have quite a bit of painting to do to complete this ceiling..... 

(and the Larger scale Projects are Calling to me... !)

Anna Maria and Samuel Whiskers are either admiring the Ancient Art.....

Or looking for a New Home....

 

And I am thinking Blue..... 

Tiny little Bits of Blue.... 

Studded with Glitter and Golden Stars...

That somehow I can Never get enough of....

Just a Little bit of Blue.....

And a Little More Perspective!

The Tail End

Would You Like To Meet The Little Creatures....?

If you Ever Find, Dear Readers, that one of your Little People has gone and inserted themselves into Someone Else's House, thereby causing you to Begin to tell a Story before you even have all the Characters MADE, then you must be willing to accept Whatever sort of Creatures you are able to make in a hurry! Such is the case with the Little Creatures I made for my Tiny Tree House... I really don't think they are the permanent residents or Owners of that House! I really had some MUCH OLDER and more grizzled inhabitants in mind... and as I mentioned in the Story... I am calling these Creatures the Nephew and Niece of those Owners.... who have not yet been created! (DON'T ask me where these Creatures will live when the Uncle and Aunt are at home...!) But nevertheless, I am Quite satisfied with these little Creatures as examples of how to make the Tiny Residents of this Tree House! 

They are made with sculpey on a wire armature.....

I used a very fine gauge brass jewelry wire..... 

and baked the creature in sections..... 

head first then arms then legs.... 

so the un-baked clay would not get messed up as I was working on the parts.

The eyes are black beads pressed into the clay... 

and the ears are the finest glove leather I could find.

The arms and legs and tail are also the glove leather wrapped and glued around the wire. 

I only wrapped just enough to overlap and glue in place. This leaves the limbs quite skinny.... 

but that is essential at this scale so the clothing when added doesn't make them appear too fat.

Here you can see how small they are.... 

about one and one quarter inch tall!

Here I have also wrapped a layer around their middles.... 

although it was not technically necessary.... 

as clothes would surely cover this part...

But I couldn't bear to leave them "incomplete" under their clothes!

 Here is Samuel Whiskers with his trousers and neckcloth and Waistcoat on...

The buttons are individual pieces of gold Glitter that is a Round shape....!

And here is Anna Maria with her lace petticoat and her sleeves attached...

And her blue silk gown with a silk ribbon tied at the waist....

I rubbed glue on the edge of the silk fabric and let it dry 

before cutting the hem with pinking shears... 

this way it will not ravel!

Samuel's coat is made out of green velveteen.... 

with the edges treated with glue before cutting....

And more wonderful "brass buttons" made from pieces of Glitter!

Here you can see them in Residence in the Salon of the Tree House....

Oh Dear.... did we interrupt a Tarot Reading...?

Please Forgive us for intruding...!

As for Naming them after some Very Famous Rats of Literary Renown....

I really couldn't help myself, Dear Readers! 

I have wrestled for a Long while over what sort of Creatures will call this place Home... 

and have reluctantly acknowledged that given the scale of the Tree House (1/4 inch scale) 

in relation to The Folly (1/12 scale) they can only be a Family of Rats! 

Mice would be too small.... 

Rabbits too big.... and so forth...

So while I am Not a fan of Rats in General.... 

and Samuel Whiskers is the Bad Rat in the Tales told by Beatrix Potter.....

I am taking Liberties and imagining him as a younger Rat.... 

with Family and Relations.... who still have Not been made!

There will surely be other characters from other stories of Renown... 

thinking Ratty and Mole from "Wind In The Willows" who will eventually be created..... 

But it was Way too tempting to imagine Beatrice as a possible little Beatrix Potter....

(although Beatrix Potter was not born until 1866 and our Beatrice was born in 1848...)

and place her in this scene....

And speaking of Our Beatrice..... 

the poor child really was Not Well AT ALL by the time she reached home!

Clarence carried her upstairs and put her straight to bed....

Charlotte was Beside herself with worry as Beatrice's Fever climbed higher and higher....

Snowy would not leave her bedside 

as she tossed and turned with a fever that lasted for three days!

And to tell the truth... 

she raved quite wildly about a tiny Tree House and little creatures that talked to her....

And when her Fever finally broke and she was on the mend.... 

was it any Wonder that Nobody believed her Tale of Tiny Creatures?

And whether or not you want to believe that she Could have been somehow related to Beatrix Potter..... 

she never stopped telling stories about her little friends.... 

and even drew pictures of their Home from time to time....

So that, Dear Readers, is the end of the Tale, or the Tail End!

PS. Even Snowy was made in a Big Hurry for this story... 

such a hurry that I took no pictures and cut some corners.....

But I am Very Happy at how he turned out... 

a Little Creature with a Big Heart!!!

A Scary Tale - Part Three

All Hallows Eve.... Time is Up!

It was the Very End of the Afternoon, Dear Readers, when Guard Ian set off from the Castle with the Children. He carried them astride Ghost Rider, the Stoutest Horse in the Stables. They rode like the wind as the day drew to a close.

They passed a Dark Forest and continued on, ever on.....

As Dusk closed in around them.....

Heading for the Gates of Time.....

Where Guard Ian must Go No Further.....

And the Children Must wait Alone!

For the Forces of the Ages were Stirring, this All Hallows Eve! 

A Storm was Coming.... the Winds were Rising.....

And the Veils of Time were Opened Wide!

Travelers Must be Wary ..... or Find themselves Lost amid the Years....

With No Guide Home.....

Even as the Children Reach the Gates, 

Deep in the Caverns below the Castle, 

The Wizard and Old Meg are Casting the Spell....

Dipping the Chalice of Time deep into the Simmering Waters

And Pouring it into a Crystal Phial.....

"And with the Phial take these Three seeds.... 

they must be dipped in the waters of the phial and fed to the Child....." said the Wizard.

"It is Essential that she eat all three seeds for the charm to take effect! 

The Creatures will be able to feed them to her and she will remember them no more!"

It is completely Dark by the Time Clarence and Snowy approach the edge of the woods where the Gates of Time are Open! Clarence has no Idea that such a place exists... but he has complete Faith that Snowy will track the Children down...

Tommy is looking anxiously for any sign of his Father arriving... 

but at first when he sees a light approaching in the distance.....

He thinks for a Moment that ......

A Horrid Specter is approaching.....

But then Caroline cries out "Papa, Papa...We are here!"

And suddenly There is Snowy leaping on him and Papa with a Lantern... 

and Tommy is Sure that everything will be alright...!

But then Papa says "Where is Beatrice...?"

And Caroline bursts into tears!

But Snowy is racing ahead of them and Barking.....

So there is no time for questions or explanations.... 

they simply Must follow him as quickly as they can!

Meanwhile at the Cottage, Hazel and Agatha have gone to Summon Help!

They stand by the Garden Fountain and gaze into it's depths....

This is the Mystical Fountain of Seeing... 

where the stars are reflected in the waters...... 

even on a Starless night.....

And that which you Think you see......

Is that which you WILL see.....

They gaze into it together and think of Old Meg....

And they are Not at all Surprised when she is suddenly With them!

Old Meg takes the Crystal Phial and pours the Potion over the seeds....

Carefully letting the Charmed Water fall back into the Fountain.....

Then she takes the seeds.... 

and follows Samuel Whiskers and Anna Maria to their Home in the Tree.....

Where she finds Beatrice cozily seated in their kitchen....

She gives the seeds to Anna Maria.....

Who Very Politely asks Beatrice if she would Please eat the seeds...

as they are Sure to help her feel better....

Beatrice is Not so Sure.... she doesn't think Anything can make her feel better... 

she just wants to go home to her own little bed.... 

but she doesn't want to refuse such a kind offer...

So she takes the seeds....

And she eats two of them 

before she remembers that she probably shouldn't be eating Strange foods from even Stranger creatures....

So she pretends to eat the rest but really spits one out.....

And then Old Meg calls her to come outside to sit with her....

Where her Father will be able to find her.....

 And Beatrice thinks that would be a good idea....

And she won't mind waiting in the dark if she is not alone....

Old Meg says not to worry... nobody can see her..... 

And before they can even get tired of waiting... 

Suddenly there is Snowy jumping up and licking her face...

And in another minute there is Papa with a Lantern.....

And he picks her up and holds her close......

and Beatrice Knew there was no better feeling in the World than her Papa's arms....!

And then Tommy picked up the lantern and they set off for home.....

With Snowy leading the way.....

His white tail waving like a flag in the wind....

The Storm was coming...... But they would make it home in time...

Because This All Hallows Eve.....

They had Time on their side!