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Minions, Mushrooms and Meetings...

11/30/2021

Everyone in the Realms know that the Mushroom Line is the fastest way news travels. As quick as a wink, if one mushroom hears something, it speeds through the line clear to the Telegraph Master, Parsley. Though it is a guarded secret (as not everyone is suppose to know), that there is another communication line that runs even faster than the Mushrooms. It is the Minion Chain!

The only problem with the Minion Chain is that each link is only as good as each Minion who carried the message. That, and how good the next in line is at figuring out the message's meaning before repeating it. There was once a message that started out on the Minion Chain as a simple request for a cup of sugar and ended up becoming a life or death plea for a chocolate cake (apparently one of the Minions was hungry when it spread the message). This issue has been researched by the wisest in the realms and it was finally determined that the clearest messages were in the shortest chains. Which is another reason that Meen's reports to the Shadows' King was so accurate - she was the only one in the chain. Nothing like keeping a message short and sweet.

The emergency meeting of C.O.G. (Cooperation of Organized Grunts) had just ended and Meen, being a member outstanding (that is she was standing out by the food tables trying to put some into her pockets for later), had heard about the Borrowers and the tablet they had found. The excitement of a Dragon tablet had her hopping faster than she had ever hopped before. Leaping over mushrooms and logs, just barely missing falling into a pool of water on the other side, she hurried to get back to the Shadows' King's castle to tell him the news!

Upon entering the castle, she went straight to the King's Audience Chamber, hoping to find him there so she would not have to search for him out in the forest. It was his daily habit to be available in the chamber for anyone to present themselves about this time. But in her hurry to go the emergency C.O.G. meeting she had left her timepiece behind when she was called to it. "Hopefully he has not finished yet", gasped Meen as she was still trying to catch her breath. Her luck was still with her as she saw that the King was there. The last of his subjects had just left and he was reading a letter that had just been delivered.

Quickly she kneeled at the base of his throne and awaited his notice. "What is it you are wanting to see me about," he asked Meen without looking up from the letter he was still reading. She did not immediately respond as she was still trying to catch her breath ("One too many sweets at the meeting," thought Meen). This pause caused the King to look over the letter and at her, wondering about the delay.

"Your majesty, I have important news that I just heard that you should know about," Meen finally was able to tell Hunter. "Hopefully it is better than the chocolate cake incident," was the King's reply.

Blushing slightly, the little Pyksee continued, "Sire, I have just returned from a meeting of my fellow Minions and it has been reported that a tablet has been found." As the King looked at her, trying to understand the importance of what she was saying, it finally struck Meen that she had forgotten to tell him the most important part. "It is a Dragon tablet from before they left the Realms," she said.

Now that was interesting thought the King. It also further explained the letter he was reading from the Dowager Griselda and her desire to have tea with him and wouldn't it be nice if he invited Hungry, the Wish Dragon, to be there too.

"Very good Meen. Well done! Now it appears we must prepare for a little party. Gather the staff and we will start the planning. I think it is past the time to find out who are all of the players of this drama," as he reread the Dowager's letter. "Besides no one 'summons' me," mumbled the Shadows' King to himself, "even if she is a Dragon Clan Counselor."

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Quoting Einstein???

11/21/2021

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Albert Einstein was once reportedly to have said, "The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits".

How does this quote associate with what I do in my sculpting? Good question... Maybe because sometimes I feel that I don't know what I am doing (feeling stupid at times) but that is when the creative process begins. And I definitely try not to give myself limits.

When I sculpt hands, the techniques are the same that I use to create my dolls - making sure that I don't undercut in the clay that makes it difficult for them to come out of a mold.

But that doesn't always happen how I would like. Each time I create a mold the possibility of something going wrong is always there. This time, my mold would not release the hands and the first pouring did not go well as you can see. But a little scratching here and there and the molds were saved! Arnie (or Arminda - I haven't decided which name yet or both *smiling*) is going to have her hands.

I stated in an earlier Bramble that I fell in love with this blue fur I had picked up for my granddaughter's dragon projects. I now knew it had to also be a part of my "Borrowers" too.

Another favorite saying of mine is... One is good, two is better, and three is best! (*lol *)

Anyhow, as I sculpt new characters, I am always thinking ahead to what else I might need to make to complete them. I realized that if I wanted to use the fur though, I would need to 'spruce-it-up' with a little extra color (two colors are better than one *lol*). Arnie told me she needed a stripe of sorts in her "fur" which is when we came up with this idea.

I always think that being a little "nutz" is what allows to me think outside the box too. So, after spraying the fur with some alcohol dye paint and then blow drying it, Arnie and I think that she is going to look pretty good... and I don't even have her out of the mold yet. (*lol*)

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A Borrower Starts to Appear...

11/16/2021

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A little bit about the Borrowers as one begins to take shape in the hidden region of my craftroom. The Borrowers have always been able to go back and forth between the Shadows and the Villagers, but they also can go into the other "domain" where the Outies rule. Even with all of this traveling, few have ever really seen one. Oh, they are talked about and people know they are real, but what they look like is mostly a mystery. But why?

Borrowers are often mistaken for Gremblins (they are distant cousins to what Outies call Gremlins but with one major difference - Gremblins never destroy anything or cause harm like Gremlins do, they only change the appearance of things making them harder to find) which the borrowers find humorous as they have no problems letting the Gremblins mistakenly take the blame for often a Borrower's actions. I mean who else takes the sock out of the dryer or moves the glasses or keys when one knew just where they had left them. But remember, a Borrower always replaces what they 'borrow' with something else or they return it if another thing catches their eye before they move on.

Borrowers don't use their magic to get in and out of places. They think that by using magic it is somehow cheating and lowering their 'borrowing' skills (which they are most prideful of). The thrill of the 'borrow' is being able to find a way in and out without anyone else knowing (that and maybe having someone else blamed - that is considered the perfect 'borrow' to a Borrower).

The Borrowers have several keys to all the portals they use (like the Brownies) which give them the ability to go back and forth between any place and dimension - but one key has been denied to them for many eons. It is a key of legend known to the Borrowers and they have been on the lookout for it but have never found it. Many have followed the clues to where it might be found but no Borrower even knows what the key looks like for sure. Was it a skeleton key, a padlock key, or maybe something different - like a key word?

Now that they have recently found a tablet written by the Dragons their hope is renewed that maybe it will lead them to the key! One small problem... they can't read it. Okay, maybe two small problems - the Borrower who will soon take shape has a thought - maybe their thinking has been a skewed? Maybe instead of looking for a "key"... maybe the "key" is something else entirely - maybe even a little Wish Dragon???

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The Minions Meet...

11/9/2021

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Tap! Tap! Tap!... went the gavel on the stone podium. Tap! Tap! Tap!... but with everyone talking, yelling, screaming, and arguing, nobody heard the minion standing behind the rock podium tapping the small wooden gavel she held in her hand. Realizing that it was not working, she reached down and pulled up a larger metal hammer five times the size of the little gavel, lifted it high above her head and slammed it down on the rock several times.

Each time the hammer hit the stone podium a loud booming noise rang out, reverberating throughout the enormous cavern chamber that all the other minions were in.

Quickly the loud roar of the minions quieted and soon all eyes were watching her as she threateningly bounced the hammer in one hand while holding the handle in the other. "If everyone will be silent we will start this emergency meeting of C.O.G. so we can get back to our other minion business." She continued when all eyes were watching her (except for the few younger minions in the back by the food tables trying to eat all of the sweets they could before the meeting ended).

"I am sure that by now most of you are aware of the discovery that was recently made and being a member of the Cooperation of Organized Grunts (C.O.G.) we have called here this special meeting to discuss what needs to be done about it."

After getting the crowd's attention with this statement, she started talking again as they slowly quieted down. "Fellow members of C.O.G., for those of you who have not heard the entirety of the situation, it has come to our attention that the 'Borrowers'..." and with the mention of their name a loud groan escaped the lips of each of the listening members. The speaker gave a minute for the group to quiet down again before continuing, "The 'Borrowers' have discovered a tablet left behind by the Dragons. We still do not know what is written on the tablet but we have heard that several different factions are trying to obtain it for their own purposes. We must get it first!" With that statement, the minion crowd again went wild and starting cheering and chanting - "The tablet... The tablet!"

"As minions of the various leaders in the Realms, we are the ones that make the wheels turn (quite literally) and make daily things happen. That is why we have organized to make sure that confusion and disorganization does not reign and that one day we will be recognized for our efforts and become leaders of these realms," she ended to the loud roar of approval and agreement from the other minions.

Again, waiting for the crowd to quiet down, the speaker continued, "But since it is not our way for violence, we must do something else to win their support. I have held council with several of the other minion groups and we have come to only one option that has the highest chance of success. We must convince the 'Borrowers' to join C.O.G."

The silence in the chamber was astounding! Even the younger members trying to eat the last of the cookies on the snack tables stopped chewing and starred at the speaker as if she had just grown another head. Have the 'Borrowers' join C.O.G.? They must have heard wrong...

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Recipe - Avocado Tangy Salad Dressing

11/3/2021

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My Brambles

Minions, Mushrooms and Meetings...

Quoting Einstein???

A Borrower Starts to Appear...

The Minions Meet...

Recipe - Avocado Tangy Salad Dressing

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