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Does Art create Romance or does Romance create Art?

8/31/2021

It is no secret that I am a bibliomania when it comes to reading. Bibliomania is an extreme passion for books. Which is funny since my favorite genre is historical romances (passion - romance--get it? *lol) So what does that have to do with my question of does art create romance or does romance create art?

When I was reading one of my romance books by one of my favorite authors, Caroline Linden, the line that defined my Troll King's personality jumped off the page. I was able to play with it with the Dowager and her jousting knights, but it was my romance books that clarified the Troll King's personality... devilish without being truly evil... just a little dangerous (maybe even roguish - *smiling*).

So, was this a one off? No, I have often been inspired by my reading which allows me to escape to another time and place. And again, my romance books came into play. As I mentioned previously, my Gooblin King has been very adamant about showing up before I even finished the Troll King's introduction.

And it is hard to talk about someone when you don't even know their name other than you might recognize the face. I am glad my writers are so well educated and research their characters as much as I do when developing my dolls.

Example: Hiraeth - a bittersweet sense of missing something or someone you love, while still being grateful for their existence. A longing for home or that time that felt like home.
~ To Catch an Earl by Kate Bateman

If you are wondering where this is going, well the Gooblin King received his name, Hir'aeth. It is a Welsh word with no direct English translation, but the definition also has something to do with the Gooblin's King's personality.

How does this name/definition apply to the Gooblin King? That will be revealed when he is ready to show himself. Have I also answered my previous question? Art and Romance go hand in hand... like the chicken and the egg. I don't think one can say they are separate but both enhance the world... for it would be a sad world indeed if we didn't have art for the eyes and romance for the soul.

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It came in a dream...

8/25/2021

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I do admit I get interesting dreams and from time to time I will get such complete and detailed ones that I receive a full story... like the Story of the Sleeping Sisters. It was that story that inspired the creation of Awena. I felt this tale needed to be told but didn't know how to incorporate it into our Dragon Tale.

Again... little messages or clues inspired the "competition" between two kings.

So what is so important and why is the King of the Trolls trying to find a blue rose? Ahhh, but this is not just any colorful flower. This is a treasure of great mystery and power! The Blue Rose is one of the greatest treasures in all of the Realm of Wymsy but it has been hidden for a very long time by the Sleeping Sisters...

Maybe you will understand more if you knew the tale? It all began a long time ago, not very far from this spot, and it involved four sisters who were just trying to find a way not to get into any more trouble... but let's have Awena tell the tale...

***Click here to read the tale***

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Answering a Royal Summons...

8/17/2021

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"I wonder what he really wants," thought Hewy as he sat in the receiving room waiting to see the Troll King. "After the last party I played for his Royalty and with the Gooblin King showing up uninvited -- it was pretty well understood by everyone that there would be no more parties at this palace. It hadn't been pretty when the Gooblin King entered and stole the audience by having a bigger gem to show off than King Druzzy," Hewy sat remembering.

The more Hewy thought about it, the more he was convinced that the King must have another reason for summoning him than just to write the music for another party. "I bet it has something to do with Hungry," he guessed. At this time his own stomach rumbled as he had been waiting quiet a long time and was beginning to get hungry before finally Drat, the King's minion, came to invite Hewy into the royal chambers.

"Ah, Hewy, just the Troll I was waiting for," smiled the King with a quick wink to his eye and a small smirk on his lips as he knuckles bumped Hewy's clenched fists. There were very few protocols for Trolls, but the knuckles bump was one that all Trolls did. More of out safety than anything else, just like a salute is to make sure your enemy's hand was empty of a weapon, trolls wanted to make sure both hands were busy. Every troll wanted to live to become an Ancient One so each was taught as a young trolling to make sure that you did not allow anyone to get a hold on you. Thus the knuckles bump was started making it difficult (but not impossible) to be grabbed.

"How may I serve you sire?" Hewy asked as he quickly backed away from the King to be a safe.

"Hewy, I have heard about a young Wish Dragon and that you are to be one of his teachers, is that correct?" Before Hewy could reply though, the King kept talking... "It has been a long time since the Dragons have been in the realm, do you think that you could bring him here to meet with me? I would really like to have a private chat with him," asked the King, again giving him that wink-wink. Now, when a King asks for something of one of his subjects, it really is not a request, it is a nice way of saying that he wants something and it is up to the one being asked to get it. The Troll Kingdom is no exception.

Hewy knew he was going to need to answer this request but he hoped he could delay it for a little while. "I will have to meet with the young Wish Dragon, sire," answered Hewy, "as he is currently with his other teachers."

"That's fine... just fine. Don't be long and let Drat know when you will return," the King idly replied as his mind was already planning the next steps of his scheme. "You may go."

Drat, knowing his cue, started ushering Hewy from the King's presence. As Drat and Hewy left, the King overheard his minion asking where the Wish Dragon was now, how long before Hewy would be returning, and what did a Wish Dragon eat?

"Now, the next step in getting the Blue Rose begins," snickered Druzzy with a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his larcenous eyes.

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Sticking his nose in...

8/10/2021

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I have been sharing in my latest newsletter how my inspirations come up in the most unusual places. Especially when they are stubborn enough for me to keep stumbling over them time and time again. So... not to be a wet blanket (or in this case - a towel), I knew I needed to heed this character, my Gooblin King, that kept showing up.

But I told the Gooblin King I hadn't even gotten to know the Troll King yet, so why the rush to meet him? The Gooblin King told me "I " wasn't listening. (Which had nothing to do with the fact that HE hadn't any ears yet.) He simply wasn't going to be left behind. There is some type of competition going on between the two kings and I am now in the middle of it!

Normally, I try not to get involved, but after days of his endless terrible puns, bad jokes, and references to why he was better looking, smarter, more congenial, and overall a better king that the King of the Trolls, I had conceded to pulling him together.

I will admit though, the Gooblin King was willing to reveal more about himself to me than any other character I have sculpted so far. And in spite of him sticking his nose into my world.... he hasn't told me his name yet either.

So why does he have that one tooth? He explained it is because that is his "Wisdom Tooth" *smiling*. That is only some of the silly jokes I had to endure which just went to show me his wicked sense of humor.

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What a Knight!

8/3/2021

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The Dowager, Griselda, had heard that there was going to be an event in the Woods hosted by Hunter, the Shadows' King. Some type of tournament where Hunter's Nytemares would be able to let out some energy. If it was going to be like the tournaments that she had watched as a much younger maid she just had to go. The problem with a tournament though is that proper young ladies did not go alone. "Maybe Efem would enjoy this too," she thought. At first she was going to snail mail the invite, but then decided to send it through the Bee-Gs to see if the Dryad would accompany her to the Festival.

Later, as Efem and the Dowager were walking around the tournament field admiring the beautiful Nytemares competing against each other, the Dowager asked Efem "Have you heard anything in the Mushroom line about Hewy's new commission to the Troll King and what the King is like? I have been gone quite a while and maybe the Baron has met the Troll King, but I have never been introduced to him myself."

"I had not heard about a commission and I don't know anything about the King of the Trolls personally, only gossip of what the Twitter Birds retweet about him. They say that he can be a devil," Efem answered.

"Oh No!" Griselda exclaimed. "Do you mean he is evil? We don't need that here!" "No... No..." smiled Efem. "He not the blackhearted, world destroying evil type. The buzzing I have been hearing is that he is more the minor, mischievous imp, wicked-fun type than dark evil. Just not someone you would trust your family fortune too! Eventually he would find a way to keep it and have you working for him too."

"Oh" the Dowager sighed. "Then he could still be dangerous in his own way," dreamily smiling as she gazed at a knight riding a Nytemare in the jousting arena... "We will have to keep an eye on him - for Hewy's sake of course." Efem, realizing that Griselda was staring at the knight and not the horse, turned startled eyes to the Dowager and smiled, "Griselda, aren't you too old for such nonsense?"

The Dowager, turning her big innocent eyes towards her answered with a laugh, "I'm not dead yet!"

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My Brambles

Does Art create Romance or does Romance create Art?

It came in a dream...

Answering a Royal Summons...

Sticking his nose in...

What a Knight!

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