Blog Archives

Is it Fishing or is it Wishing...

10/29/2019

Oh, chaos is running rampant. Christmas is now beginning to blow in the air and I am busy chasing Parsley around the house. She is pretty fast too as I am trying to catch her so I can dress her. In the meantime Hubby step in with his...

... Parsley is running the "boss" ragged - so this is that helpful Hubby filling in on this week's Brambles to talk about fishing (or is that wishing?) before the Christmas season starts (you know what I am talking about - where Halloween and Thanksgiving have not even happened yet but the stores are filling up with Christmas decorations). Anyhow, here at MisPlace Dolls I have found the best way for me to get new toys is to drop those little "helpful" hints. You know, like when the "boss" is creating something and then I hint something like 'oh, if I had a (fill in the blank) tool, I could do that for you'. The other day was no exception.

Parsley was getting her dress made and as I was strolling by, I heard the "boss" talking to Parsley (she does that time to time but as long as I don't hear "them" talking back that's okay). I heard something about Parsley growing herbs to cook with that maybe she should have something like a mortar and pestle. Now mind you, here at MisPlace Dolls we don't think like normal people (see reference to talking to dolls)... so in our discussion it was decided it had to be something different, something a little unique. Something different turned into a walnut shell for the bowl and a dowel rod for the grinder.

Sooo, being the dutiful minion, I cut a dowel rod into a short stick and scraped out the walnut shell with my meager set of tools and showed them to the "boss". "Well.... hmmm . It might work" was her reply. Which means it's okay but what if we did this... was the decision. Now here is where timing adds to the perfect happy ending to this story (also called baiting the line)! Somewhere in the conversation certain words might have been said... 'If I had a Dremel tool with the right attachments, this would be so much easier and would probably look better' (the hook!).

Almost if by magic, you would never believe what showed up in the workshop (imagine that...). I was even given permission to play with the workshop toys!!!

In short order, the package was unwrapped, the tools assembled and the project took on a whole new look (even if it did take a couple of walnut shells to get it right and not drill right threw the husk).

Now as wishes go, I thought that I had been pretty good about throwing out the bait for the "boss" to pick up on as wishes always need a little help for them to happen.

By the way, the "boss" is now happy because the new mortar and pestle for Parsley was made (and this worker has a new toy to use). Maybe it is now time to start that Christmas Wish list (a few more attachments that I don't have yet wouldn't be bad... oh the fishing)!

0 Comments

Where is a Fairy Godmother when you need one???

10/20/2019

1 Comment

Oh, I am sure that Parsley is wishing there was a fairy godmother to just wish her hairdo in with a wave of her wand. But for me the hair is my second favorite thing to play with during the doll making process. I know that I am a "wanna be" beautician and that my sons were so thrilled when I moved on to doing dolls' hair instead of theirs. So what to do about Parsley's hair?

I know I want to bring out her "earthiness" and I am really surprised that the photos aren't showing how lovely her green skin tone actually is. Again, another reason why to choose the right color for her hair as that can affect how green she can look too.

I first tried a brown wig that was just too ordinary for her and really neutralized her skin tone. Which makes sense since red and green mixed together creates brown and is to close in the color family.

Next, in the natural thought process is that since Parsley is probably older than dirt, that she should also have a head full of white hair. Now I don't look at the style of the hair because any wig can be restyled, it is the color that I am looking at. The white hair did bring out her green skin tones a little more in the photo but didn't do much for her in the "real" world. Too much contrast between her skin and the hair... almost like a black and white comparison.

Other conventional hair colors just did not do it either. Blonde, red, brunette, and shades in between. Nothing enhanced her enough, so, off to try something else.

In the meantime I went shopping because I knew I wanted dreadlocks added to her hair. Parsley needed a wild and unkempt look to her. I found this fabulous looking yarn that was even better when I started playing with it. It smoothed out and was so silky looking that I knew it would be perfect for Parsley's hair. Adding a little green roving wool for texture was the direction I decided to take.

So then I upped the game with blending in a little white wool with the green wool to give some depth and contrast. Now Parsley's eyes took on a sparkle and I knew that I had what I needed to start pulling her hair style together.

Now Parsley and I are off to create magic with her hairdo. Until next time...

1 Comment

Atian is shedding some lights on our Books...

10/14/2019

1 Comment

Don't you like to curl up and read a good book or hear someone tell a story? As the Historian for the Village on the Wall, I enjoy both. Books are a wonderful way to live an adventure without ever having to leave the comforts of your chair.

A good book can be enlightening by providing entertainment and knowledge, but you would never believe the surprise I got the other day looking in the MisPlace Dolls library while I was trying to find something new to read.

Their library is always an adventure because they don't believe in having just one classification of books. I didn't even know that Outies (people who live outside of the Realms) kept encyclopedias anymore!!!

I even found out that they have a mechanical device that stores thousands of books on it and it weighs less than a henway (What's a henway you ask? Once you catch one and if it doesn't peck you to get away - you will know when you pick it up - old joke I found in one of their books - I still don't get it)...

Anyway, to get back to what I was saying about books being enlightening. I got a surprise the last time I was in their library. A shelf of books that I did not recognize the titles for caught my eye and I took them to a favorite little reading spot that they have all set-up for me (I am a frequent guest). You would never believe the surprise I got when I opened the first one... (enlightening indeed!).

I had to admit... they got me and I then just had to open some more to see what was inside.

Each book had something different and when you pressed a switch on the side, they would light up (wished I had some of those little lights in my cottage...).

This one really caught my eye. It took a minute to find the mouse (can you see it?). It helped when I turned the light on...

It was at this time the Outies here at MisPlace Dolls showed up and I decided it was time to go... as I was leaving, I realized that I had not opened the last book that I had taken out and it was still in my reading spot. I wonder what was in it? I guess I will just have to check soon in the PeddlersCache to see... maybe it will look good on my shelf in the cottage.

Children's
Book Week
is
November 4-10, 2019!

1 Comment

How do I get myself into these things???

10/7/2019

0 Comments

Hi - this is the secret hubby who works behind the scenes here at MisPlace Dolls and the Realm of Wymsy. I carry the boxes, help make the doll molds, give terrific advise to the boss (even when I didn't realize it when I opened my mouth)... and help with the website development. So a couple of weeks ago (in a weakened moment), I made the off-handed comment that the website could be improved with a little work. (After all of these years, I still don't know how I get myself into these projects...)

Anyhow, that is how I have spent the last two weekends (and probably a couple of more) redesigning the website. Many of the changes most won't notice, but with these changes, we can now offer new things on the website. What are some of them? Well... I am here to tell you.

First, we have added the ability for you to sign up for our newsletter updates. Be the first to know when a new character has arrived in the Realms or the latest news.

Do you want to know when an update to the story appears? Just sign up!

For a limited time - those who signup will receive a welcome email that includes a link to a magical tale of the history of the Nytemares.

We don't share these lists as we see you as a guest to the Realm - not someone to whom we want to bombard your email accounts. We don't like it when it happens to us, so why would we want to do it to our guests?

Next, several of our characters in the Realms told us that we don't let them out much to see the 'Outies' (that is those people who don't live in the Realms - read more about Outies in the journal - when it is back on-line in the next couple of days that is...). So we gave them a job. You will see one of them before you leave the site today... so please don't forget to say hi.

So, while you are checking out the updates on the website and find a page 'under construction' - please come back in a few days and see what may be new...

0 Comments

Everything taste better with a little honey...

10/1/2019

0 Comments

"I don't know why we need her," moaned Efem. “Surely we can think of another way to get our mission accomplished."

Cornelia turned her head towards Efem. "You know we have already talked this to death and she is the only way," replied Cornelia as she and Efem continued walking through the woods to Parsley’s place. Over and over again Cornelia could hear in her head what she knew Efem was thinking but not saying. "WHY? Why must we go there?"

As they continued on the trail, suddenly Cornelia realized that after all of these years of feuding, it was going to take a Dragon to get these two to talk to each other again? Chuckling with that thought, she decided that she better start talking before Efem asked her what she was snickering about.

“This isn’t so bad,” she told Efem as they walked. “I mean, after all, you probably don’t even remember why you and Parsley are still squabbling.”

“That is not so,” retorted Efem, but as she said these words, she realized that all the time they had been walking she had been trying to remember what started the feud in the first place. Her and Parsley were once the best of friends, the closest two could be without actually being sisters. They grew up next to each other and did almost everything together. “When did it change?” she thought. She stayed silent - thinking, while Cornelia continued talking about the things they must do to find the young Wish Dragon. Silent and only slightly listening she mused on what was it that had come between her and Parsley.

“You aren't still angry at her for choosing to work with herbs instead of trees are you Efem? You know you both could be doing healing magic on the forest instead of fighting,” Efem heard Cornelia say. “That was it!” Efem realized to herself. “She turned against me and decided to work with herbs instead of trees.” Thinking about it now, after so many years, Efem was starting to realize that maybe, just maybe, she was being silly and that Cornelia could be right (not that she would ever admit that in a million years).

Suddenly she noticed it was quiet and that Cornelia had stopped talking. She was just standing there staring at her. “Okay Cornelia. I will be on my best behavior. I know that seeing Parsley is for the best and that we need her help.” As they continued their journey, Efem decided that actually now she was wanting to see Parsley again after all of these years. Smiling, she thought it might just be time to apply a little of "Cornelia's honey" to the situation and do a little healing herself. Maybe it was time to swallow a little pride and put the past behind her. After all, everything tastes better with a little honey applied to it.

Cornelia only looked at her sister and worried about that smile. "Hmmm," she thought to herself and wondered why Efem was starting to glow?

0 Comments

Is it Fishing or is it Wishing...

Where is a Fairy Godmother when you need one???

Atian is shedding some lights on our Books...

How do I get myself into these things???

Everything taste better with a little honey...

Greetings

Archives

Categories