Using Cardboard And Black Paper Punch Outs...

As dusk approached, Rutledge hurried home, wondering if the mushrooms he saw were there before or had recently appeared, much like how they were described in a poem he had come across:

“Overnight, very Whitely, discreetly, Very quietly

Our toes, our noses Take hold on the loam, Acquire the air.

Nobody sees us, Stops us, betrays us; The small grains make room.

Soft fists insist on Heaving the needles, The leafy bedding,

Even the paving. Our hammers, our rams, Earless and eyeless,

Perfectly voiceless, Widen the crannies, Shoulder through holes. We

Diet on water, On crumbs of shadow, Bland-mannered, asking

Little or nothing. So many of us! So many of us!

We are shelves, we are Tables, we are meek, We are edible,

Nudgers and shovers In spite of ourselves. Our kind multiplies:

We shall by morning Inherit the earth. Our foot's in the door.”

Poem is: Mushrooms by Sylvia Plath www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/mushrooms

The Busy World of Richard Scarry, Episode 52: "Pumpkin Heads"

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

The Secret Garden (1993), dir. Agnieszka Holland

1996 Barbie Convention Doll/ “Bandstand Beauty Barbie”/ Philadelphia.

Behold my interchangeable diorama! I start by explaining how I make the backgrounds, and then there is a clip of me changing scenes. Enjoy!

Doll of the Day: Faraway Forest Fairy Kingdom Wedding Giftset

On April 30th Mattel released the last dolls in it’s very nice Faraway Forest Collection. They are a bride and groom on a wedding themed giftset. IDK if you guys follow the Faraway Forest Collection, but IMO it’s one of the nicest things Mattel has produced in recent years. All photos in this post are by Mattel. All Rights Reserved.

From Left To Right: Lady Of The White Woods (2015), King of the Crystal Cave (2017) The Wedding Giftset (2018), Queen of the Dark Forest (2015), Water Sprite (2016) and Elf (2014).  The whole collection is very beautiful, with marked exceptions - giving Water Sprite’s iridescent plastic skirt the side-eye as I write - and I’d gladly have almost all of them. As it is, I own Lady of the White Woods, King of the Crystal Cave and now the Wedding Giftset.

Wedding giftsets are nothing new to Mattel, and I’m bored out of my wits by them selling the idea that a wedding is the highest point in a woman’s life through their dolls. Non-binary that I am, I also wish for a non-binary wedding couple as well. C’mon, these dolls are directed to the adult collectors, and I’m pretty sure we’re all big enough to handle the fact that the world is a diverse place. Still, with all my pet peeves, I like the dolls and I’m really sorry to see this collection end.

On to the couple itself. I really like the fabric on their matching outfits, and since matching couples is a period thing, I really like it. Her outer dress is also a bit reminiscent of a Giornea, a Italian Renaissance style which I love to bits. The big golden bough is blown out of proportion IMO. It would be prettier if it was a bit smaller.

See what I mean? Still, it’s not ugly per se. Her sheer chemise is probably attached to the upper gown, which is a pity, but that’s usually the way Mattel does these dresses.

Her make up is ok. The blue shadow bothers me a bit, but I’ve seen much much worse from Mattel and other doll companies. I love her fiery hair and her crown is gorgeous!

Her groom is very nice! He’s wearing a mix of  a male Houppelande and a Courtepy. But it’s a Fantasy doll, so everything is possible.

The trim down the front of the tunic is not too shabby. The velvet undersleeves are nice. Some lining on the outer-sleeves would have made the tunic look so much better. His belt is very nice and the buckle is downright gorgeous!

His boots though… They are well into “The Realm of WTFery” ™. Why-the- fake-dirt-oh-Valar-why… I can’t even… Agh.

His crown is very nice too, and his shoulder piece is cool. It’s a pity he doesn’t come with a floor-sweeping cape like King of the Crystal Cave. But still, he is no doubt a very nice doll. For now that’s all I have to say. I promise another Doll of the Day about them with real life photos as soon as they arrive!

You can learn a lot of things from the flowers for especially in the month of June