Make the Bed... and pillows... and lamps... and...

Made animateable bedsheet today, added the metal lined wool blanket and ran a wee test. Works exactly as I'd hoped it might. Better actually, I didn't know it would work.
I laminated several layers of heavy strength aluminium foil with white gesso to act as an animateable substrate inside fabrics in the set. (on left) I use an old plastic card to smooth on a thin layer of Stick Flat glue on it. This was encased inside wrinkled, stained natural muslin for Rana's top sheet. See it in action in test above.

I've been stitching various fabric pieces for use as throw pillows for Rana's chair and window seats. (in middle) is my version of Rana's "Slow Cloth", in spired by the marvelous textile artist at Spirit Cloth by embroidering the reverse side of a textural piece in Rana's colors. (on right) I'm in the process of making botanical doilies for Rana's reading chair. I've also added a piping detail to the chair's cushion. Both things really add a reality to the chair prop, breaking up the dark field of maroon color.

While waiting for the xmas cards to arrive last week, I ducked into the incredible Liz's Antique Hardware on LaBrea in LA. They have thousands of pieces of salvage hardware of every variety there, well organized, with an intelligent staff ready to help. I poked around and found this beautiful antique iron wheel (I believe may have likely been part of a pulley many years ago?) It looks wonderful on the cottage porch next to the rain water barrel. The price I paid? Let's just say the lovely salesman at Liz's is a patron of the arts. He asked if I could use an intern for Halfland! I told him to check out the blog and email me if it looked like something he'd like to do afterall. I don't expect to hear from him, but it was a fun thought.

I recently came to realize a new story development for Halfland. I realized that the Time Flys get caught in the spider's web and end up on Rana's pin cushion. This is how we get more time. I plan to build the upstairs window in the cottage as seen on left above and go for a quick shadow shot as shown to suggest the spider's web.

I have spent a lot of money through the years in a desperate attempt to recreate a little oil lamp chimney for Halfland. I've bought blown glass hollow balls, tiny glass Christmas balls, plastic candy-filled Christmas lights, small chandelier light bulbs, etc., all in the vein hopes of creating the exact look of the plump little one such as the real-life Rana, wonderously gifted painter and storyteller Rima, has in her little portable cottage (on left). I was getting crazed, fixing to sculpt and cast one to scale in that shape when--eBay--swooped in to my rescue instead! I found and ordered the tiny 2-1/2" glass chimney you see on the right. I sketched it to scale and fitted the paper in the mini lamp ring I found in New york and held the pair up to the Rana sculpt for size. I think it'll work. I plan to build the rest of Rima's little lamp from odd bits of metal. It's an important prop that will sit on the table next to Rana's chair by firelight.