To my Dear Friend Ilona,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEARIE!!!!!!!!
I know today - 19th January is your Birthday, today is almost at it's end here and in it's early stages in the Nederlands. I hope you have a wonderful day full of Family, Friends and celebrations! I would like to thank you for your kindness and friendship, it is hard to imagine a friendship growing over such long distances but some how, as we all know connections can be made without ever having laid eyes on each other. You are an inspiration to us all and the dedication to your craft shows in the exquisite work you create.
I have a little poem I found which made me think of you -
We take our friends with us where ever we go -and say to ourselves:
"They would love this"' "This I must remember to describe", "I wish that they were here to share this view, this meal, this adventure"
Pam Brown, B. 1928
and
Friendship is unnecessary,
like philosophy, like art.......
It has no survival value;
rather it is one of those things
that give value to survival
C.S. Lewis
So my lovely Lady, I have been thinking of you all day today, whilst at the Australian Open Tennis.
Waiting to get home to make my post. I hope your day is wonderful!
It has also been my Nieces 21st Birthday and I have given her the gift of some Jewellery she liked but I also wanted to make her a card, my original idea was to make a miniature scene out of paper, but you know how it is.......once the mind gets ticking over......paper became Fimo, houses had to have lights, and trees made from seaweed, a path, a figure.........
These are not my greatest photos but I took them last night at India's birthday dinner....with my iphone again, so, they could be better, but you get the idea. The figure is not exactly to scale but I have to admit that the whole process took much longer that I thought and I whipped up the figure 5 mins before walking out the door!!
The village sits on top of a shoe box lid covered in linen. Underneath is a collection of LED lights connected to a battery pack. I drilled holes in the lid and pushed the lights through and stuck the little houses in place over the top. The trees are twigs with little balls of seaweed attached, they do look remarkably like trees I think.
I had so much fun making this little Diorama, I really like the way the houses have turned out, I intended to make them straighter but I kind of like the way they look quite organic.
Happy Minis every one!!!
ML Fi xxx
This is an absolutely magical display! I love it.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the poems, they express exactly what I feel about Ilona and other special blog friends.
Thank you.
Hugs, Drora
Thank you Dora!
DeleteYes, so many special blog friends!
Fi xx
These friendships are beautiful from a distance, I too am experiencing the, and sometimes, sad to say, but are more authentic than those that can be shared seeing every day. is a sweet thought, your, to Ilona. The trees made from algae? I would never have thought of that!
ReplyDeleteYes it is so true, as you say, blog friendships can be more authentic than real life ones!
DeleteIt's funny how the miniaturist mind works, I find these little sea plants on the shore and they make me think of miniature trees.
ML Fi xx
A Beautiful display that somehow gives one a sense of awe and peace at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThank you Philip, what a lovely compliment!
DeleteWhat an enchanting, little village! Your niece is so lucky to have such a cool aunt. Happy Birthday Ilona!
ReplyDeleteThank you my lovely!
Deletexx
How lovely
ReplyDelete-x-
thanks lovey!
Deletexx
Dearest Fiona, a "quick" response from me, between all the visits of my children and relatives. Firstly my congratulations to your niece! She must be very happy with your gift. It really is a beautiful gift, Fi, I love every bit of it. It seems like a fairytale or a winter landscape and as you know I am a winter child, so I LOVE it :D!
ReplyDeleteI am completely overwhelmed about this surprising attention for my birthday, I am not used to this and I really don't know what to say........ Those both poems touched me, dearie, I only can say: thank you from the bottom of my heart. I also received some private mails of blogfriends, they told me about your post and sent me their congratulations, so now I know how they knew today is my birthday :D!!
Now I have to close the computer: the next visitors are coming.
ML Ilona XXX
Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy dear friend,
ReplyDeleteyou are so deserving of all this attention on your Birthday. You are a wonderful friend and I hope you enjoy your special day and let every one make a fuss of you!!
You are a dear, dear friend I am lucky to have!
ML and big hugs, Fi XXX
Hi Fi,
ReplyDeleteFirst, a very happy birthday to both ;adies.
Secondly, that is absolutely ebautiful Fi .Once again yor ideas are trully an inspiration to me. It is so elegant in its simplicity...a really magical setting. You NEVER dissapoint Fi.
Big hug,
Giac
Oh Giac,
Deleteyour so sweet, thank you so much!
Big hugs, Fi xxx
Your village is a delight, Fi!!! It looks a little like our village in the snow, in fact. I would love to see it all under a dome with snow falling on it. I've always wanted to make snow domes (there's a surprise!) - but the ones you can buy aren't grand enough for me. It surely wouldn't be too difficult to do, if I could find a glass (or plastic) lamp cover - a clear sphere - I suppose the kind of thing used for outdoor lights. The only real problem would be sealing the liquid inside, but there must be a way! In the case of your village that would mean loosing the lovely lighting effects you have arranged - which would be too great a loss, so I will just have to imagine the falling snow. I love your seaweed trees too. They remind me of the day when I used to have a model railway and made trees using different coloured lichens, and rock face with slices of cork bark. I got so carried away with the scenery I got rid of the trains!
ReplyDeleteLove
David
David!
DeleteI love snow domes tooo!!! Mia collects them in fact! I wish I knew how to make them also. There is probably a tutorial on youtube some were, but your right my village wouldn't be the same with out lights. You know we should invent a snow dome with lights!!! Then we could become rich!!!!
I like the sound of your model rail way, you know the sea weed is a bit like the lichens. I should actually find out what it is, it's not actually sea weed but it does grow in the water and wash up on the beach??
You know the village could use a dome though to protect it from dust!
ML Fi xx
Sorry it's taken me ages to reply - but I had my little concert to prepare, and then, on top of that, I strained my back and felt ill again (pathetic cough) - anyway, here I am, concert over and feeling better. Mia's collection of snow domes sounds enviable. You must ask her to describe them to me!!! I'm sure there's such a thing an underwater electric lights somewhere. Yes, you do need a dome for your village to keep off the dust. I keep meaning to make another glass display case for the Composite Folly, but it's a lot of hard work. I've made two for other projects and they are very nerve-wracking things to construct! Speaking of the Composite Folly, I discovered in the museum at Wisbech, where the concert was, some very nice little Pewter figurines of Vikings, which will fit into the niches very nicely. Sadly, there weren't knights in armour, but these will do almost as well.
DeleteDavid x
It's lovely Fi - such a brilliant idea.
ReplyDeleteThanks Irene!
DeleteFi xx
Hello from Spain: beautiful pictures. I also want to congratulate Ilona's birthday. Your poems are very real. All blog followers formed a large group of friends. Thank you. Keep in touch
ReplyDeleteHello Marta,
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes there is a special connection between bloggers, it is very nice to be part of this group!
ML Fi xx
Hello Fi,
ReplyDeleteIt has felt like being in a snow dome here, as it's been snowing again all day today! I love your little village scene, all those slightly crooked houses with different sized windows, they are wonderful, and with the lights look quite magical. The trees are lovely too, but is the figure running away from the village? What has she been up to? is she off to seek her lover?
Birthday greetings to India and Ilona!
Andy xxxxx
Hi Andy,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like it!
I like your version of the story Andy....; )
It is hard to make out, as I said I made the figure just before I left but that is the hood of her cloak and she is walking towards the Village. I was going to write around the edge something about following her path, I had it in my head during the week but in a rush I was lost for words and couldn't remember anything....: (
ML Fi xx
I love the affect the lighting has on the village. Looks very peaceful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely tribute to a lovely lady! Your village is darling. Thanks for sharing how you made it. It is so sweet and whimsical! xo Jennifer
ReplyDeleteHi Fi, WOW your village looks like a miniature fairytale. It has something ethereal and it leaves you with a feeling of wanting to see more. gr. AM
ReplyDeleteFi, your little village is just Enchanting!!! I LOVE that the houses are all crooked and imperfect... it imparts just so much more of that Dream Quality! And that it is Lighted too!!! What a wonderful gift! Your Creativity shines in this Magical Gift!!!
ReplyDelete