Book Doll, Shadow Shot Sunday and Clowns

I have finished the book doll. I called her Muse as I felt very inspired to make her and it happened easily. Sometimes, even if enjoyable, making things can be hard so it is lovely when it is not! There are shadows here and more to come! Visit Hey Harriet for more shadows.

I decided not to paint her at all as I like the writing and scraps of picture. She looks more as if she has a nose in real life than in the picture. I used a Russian text book on her dress, cut out eyes and mouth from the same photo in a Sunday supplement, a cut out necklace, and brown paper from Anne's envelope on her arms. The flowery part of her dress is from birthday wrapping paper. Her hair is the same packaging shredded paper that I used for Edna's skirt. The cover of the book is a stamp from Candace.

Earlier, I went outside to take something back to the shed. The garden is so messy-I have not done anything to it for about a year and it shows. I swept up loads of leaves and pulled up a few weeds. I noticed some fungi growing in a pot with Rosemary in it. I picked a piece to have a look. It has a beautiful structure underneath-which reminded me a little of the book doll's skirt!

I have also been trying to finish the poor clown doll. I have made him a jacket, jumper and now tiny trousers-which are far too short-the hazards of being too lazy to measure properly.

I was quite negative about clowns a while ago here and since then keep coming across lovely images of them, not looking at all disturbing or sad. Clowns have got together to prove me wrong! This picture is from a magazine last Sunday and is from work by an artist called Paolo Ventura. His work is amazing-he has created the life of a fictional Italian clown through painting, model making and creating miniature sets then photographing the whole thing. It is called Winter Stories. There is a limited edition book which I would love-perhaps I will save up!

This clown looks so sweet. He is not at all disturbing and looks very happy. This harlequin lady is from the vintage ephemera site I mentioned the other day. I love her dress and her collar.

Things I noticed today and more about the book doll

How most of the products I use around the house and on myself such as shampoo, face wash, moisturizer and cleaning products often come in pump bottles. As if people have lost the ability to squeeze. This is the kind of thing I think about when I am too tired to do harder thinking such as is required by the list of work I have to do. Maybe tomorrow. A sunflower head emptied of its seeds by gravity, birds and children. The sunflowers are all over now and, all of a sudden, lots of the kids were desperate to plant the seeds. I got pots and trowels and off they went. The stalks make quite good weapons too. A little intervention was needed there!

How yellow these crab apples are. These make good aiming devices.

How tangled this rose is. I wanted some hips to put in a vase but they are a bit sparse. It is still flowering though.

The prettiness of this dolls house door. They make me thing of Charleston or New Orleans-not that I have ever been there but they just do. I put three big dolls houses out today as we were a bit bored with the trainset. These are all donated by parents-we have two more in the cupboard. It is great having so many as you can have a mini street and lots of children can play together. I love the tiny world of dolls houses and I could see that look of fascination at the magical little world inside them on lots of faces today.

These wooden toys are pretty old but I think they are great. I wondered what situation was developing here.

As I am writing I am having a glass of wine. It is an Australian riesling. I notice that it tastes like basil-really strongly. It is strangely pleasant and went well with my vegetable based tea!

The first stage of folding.

Gluing the back on with the help of some pumpkins. I think it is finished-I say I think as I am not sure whether to add any paint or other colour. I will wait till daylight!

I celebrated tidying up the area next to the draining board by lighting some candles!

The last two things I remember noticing today were the delicious scent of a couple of rosemary plants I bought for school (along with 160 daffodil bulbs for Forest School and the nursery garden) and the equally lovely smell of the Christmas trees hiding at the back of the DIY store. It was as if they were all waiting quietly for things to really get going. I wish I could blog smells!