Christmas Wishes

Sorry I haven't been around, but after a day Christmas shopping with my daughter, I came down with COVID. I will catch up with you all again in the new year, but for now I'm going to take some time out.

Finished!

 This may well be the last post I'll be making before Christmas, but I thought I should let you see the diorama of the Paris studio apartment finished.

Well as finished as it's going to be at the moment . . . I'm still undecided about the pulls for the blinds and I need some miniature pampas grass or something similar to go in my large black urn . . . maybe I'll end up just finding something in my garden.

I hope all of my readers have a Happy Christmas despite the current pandemic . . . stay safe and well until my return and if you need something to occupy time in lockdown, check out this link to the artist who drew this Christmas card!

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM DOWN UNDER!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas

Here's a quick photo of our Christmas tree decorations this year, it's a mixture of cream hand tied bows, flock and ceramic teddy bears, a few tartan drums, vintage decoupage and red balls. I like to have a different look/colour each year, last year we had a burgundy and gold theme.

And look who arrived today, just in time to sit under the tree . . .

. . . my sweet little JUDE! Except he probably won't be called Jude, it's not quite the right name for an elf TAILOR!

Yes, he's going to be quite at home in the Tailor Shop, just you wait and see!

It's becoming even busier here now, so I shan't be around as much as I normally am, not until after the new year.

However, I will attempt to catch up on all your blogs this afternoon.

Have a wonderful time with your respective families, stay safe and try not to eat too much or overdo the alcohol! :)

Christmas Came Early at Our House

My tiny dolls have very little patience, I think they take after me! LOL! So when some of them saw the presents under the tree this morning, they thought Santa had come early and NOW was the right time for them to open all of their presents. Fortunately, I managed to stop them before they opened the lot. I told them they could each open just one present and the rest will have to stay under the tree until the proper day. :)

From left to right: 8 " porcelain Dianna Effner doll, Fairyland Puki Fee, PetWORKs Ruruko, 7" Helen Kish Riley.

I shall be back before the New Year with this year's roundup. In the meantime, have a wonderful Christmas with your families. I hope you all receive what you wished for.

Big hugs,

X

Project: The Nutcracker

"The Nutcracker" is well loved by many and is perhaps best known as the inspiration for the a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. You may or may not have seen the ballet which is now produced by many ballet companies worldwide, but you would without doubt have heard of the "Nutcracker Suite" composed in 1892 by Pyotr Ilyich (Peter) Tchaikovsky (1840-1893).

Before your time? Well you surely have heard of "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms", a fantasy adventure film recently released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

"The Story of a Nutcracker" by Alexandre Dumas in 1844, was an adaption from "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" written in 1816 by Prussian born author E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776-1822).

The unabridged version I own, is simply called "The Nutcracker" and was published by Templar Publishing in 2016. It is beautifully illustrated by Australian graphic designer, illustrator and writer, Robert Ingpen.

Robert's astonishing creative vision has breathed life into more than one hundred books and delighted countless children around the world throughout his remarkable career as an illustrator.

For his "lasting contribution" as a children's illustrator, he received the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1986.

His alluring illustrations have also been the inspiration for a number of my creative endeavours over the years, and in particular, for the five character dolls which I'm currently working on.

Marie: the eldest child of Dr and Mrs Stahlbaum. She is delighted with the shiny wooden Nutcracker doll that her Godfather Drosselmeyer has given her on Christmas Eve. However, once night time falls she finds herself in the middle of an adventure! Saving her doll from the evil Mouse King, Clara then travels to magical new lands.

Mamzell Clara: Marie's new doll which she received for Christmas.

Nutcracker Prince: the nephew of Drosselmeyer who was turned into the Nutcracker by …

Mistress Mousie:  mother of the seven headed Mouse King who leads an army of mice who secretly live in the Stahlbaum’s house.

A Princess: from the Marzipan Palace in the town of Candyburg.

Of course, as I am dressing dolls, I will use a touch of "artistic license" to achieve my own versions of the characters.

Both the story and music has become a wonderful part of our Christmas tradition and I would love to know if or how "The Nutcracker" is part of yours.
Big hugs,
X

Christmas at Our House

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break ~ whether you celebrate or not, whether it’s holy or just a holiday, I hope there was lots of love and laughter.

We rose early as Coco was keen to unwrap the presents "Santa" had left for him under the tree.

 



Christmas day was HOT in Melbourne and I didn't go outside until about 3 pm. Then there was a quick about turn to go back into our cool air-conditioned home . . . 38c was simply too hot for me to stay outside..

However, it was stress free, calm and quite with lots of food of course! Consuming prawns, crab, ham and various other delectables with four different salads, followed by mince pies and fruit cake, exploding is inevitable!! How on earth is one supposed to fit in Maggie Beer's duck and orange pate, bagelettes, nuts and other nibbles during the afternoon, when we have eaten so much for lunch? Let alone continue in the evening, eating steak, ginger and lime chicken and sausages cooked on the BBQ, followed by my daughter's four berry pavlova for dinner!

Needless to say we all gave it our best shot, but hubby and I will be eating leftovers at least until the new year rolls on in. :)

Here's some dolly pics to tide you over . . . my little Dasha . . . all the clothes came with her except for the cardigan in the last shot, which I made. I shall do a review of the Paola Reina dolls later, when I'm back in the groove.

This has been a good year full of dolly fun and friendship . . . thank you to all my readers and blogging buddies.

That's all from me in Melbourne Australia . . . I'll be back in 2017!

Season's Greetings

 Christmas in Australia is celebrated during our summer months, often in between bushfires and summer rain. There's no white Christmas or log fires for us, even though our Christmas cards and traditions usually depict those of the colder climates.

We have the traditional Christmas trees, Santa, carols and gifts, but our Christmas dinner may be a barbecue or seafood feast in the backyard, or a picnic on a beach, with cold beer instead of eggnog and pavlova instead of plum pudding. 

Christmas is also a time for reflection, a time for friends and family, so I would like to say ~ thank you for keeping me company this year and no matter where you are in this wide world of ours, I wish you Peace, Happiness, Good Health and may all your Christmas dreams come true.

Sometimes I Love . . .

Christmas. It's that time of year when all the pretties dazzle your senses, the aroma of beautifully cooked food tickles your nose and entices you to eat more than you should, it's a special time, when most families gather and enjoy a period of fun and laughter.

Yes, the Christmas festive season certainly can conjure up happy and somewhat peaceful pictures in ones mind, but for me it's just one hell of a hectic time of year that overwhelms me and eats up all the time in my day. So today I am making a stand, yes, today I am taking some "me time", time to photograph some dolls and write in my blog.

Stand by for some follow up ~

Christmas Eve Downunder

'Twas the Night before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Clement Moore, the author of the poem 'Twas the night before Christmas, was a reticent man and it is believed that a family friend, Miss H. Butler, sent a copy of the poem to the New York Sentinel who published the poem. The condition of publication was that the author of 'Twas the night before Christmas was to remain anonymous. The first publication date was 23rd December 1823 and it was an immediate success. It was not until 1844 that Clement Clarke Moore claimed ownership when the work was included in a book of his poetry.

One More Sleep

Yes, just one more sleep till Santa comes. It's time for all the boys and girls to get ready for wonderful surprises in their stockings . . . if you have been very good you'll probably get what you have wished for, if you have been naughty, you'll find rocks in your stocking!! Well that's what we used to tell our kids when they were little. :)

From our house to your house, we wish you a very . . .

P.S. Do you think I could get these little tykes to all look at the camera at the same time? Not on your Nellie!!