Tiny Trees

Here is an image from Lakewood Daily Snap of a mosaic tree in Dentist Dr. Cliffel's office, by his wife or daughter Martha. It's not so tiny, but its inhabitants are quite small. I suppose it could be a sort of family tree. If you'd like to see some more tiny trees, here are some bonsai. Also vaguely related, a link to Monty Python's "I like Chinese", a reduction of a culture thousands of years old to a short list of clichés by an amiably clueless berk, which contains the line "I like their tiny little trees".

Furnishing the mouse house

Tushtush has  cheerful mice for sale in her etsy shop.
She also has a very small canvas (about the size of a hand) for sale there. I have heard that historically Chinese and Indian people had less back/osteoporosis issues than Westerners, and this  handsome painting seems to make a case for floor-sitting (I just straightened up at my computer). 

       If you must have a chair to go with this lovely painting, here is one that is just for looking, not sitting, in jocelyn gayle's shop on etsy

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4

O what a rash and bloody deed is this!

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2

Give me some light - away!

                       Claudius to servants

The third season of the current Doctor Who has a very nice episode concerning a race of witches using a Shakespeare play as an incantation to revive their lost race, based on the power of Shakespeare's language. It was partly shot in the reconstructed Globe Theatre in London.

Playmobil at O Mighty Crisis

Isn't this delightful?  There are more on the O Mighty Crisis blog, there is nothing, apparently, that toys gone bad don't get into. Beware the Tiny!

Hamlet , Act 3, Scene 1

Get the to a nunnery, why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?

Power Word Fold

This amazing origami figure is from the Power Word Fold blog - Blog proprietor Wolf has included a diagram for making the figure, as well as other origami designs. The diagrams themselves are beautiful abstract designs in themselves, and he  has many links to other Origami sites. On his other blog, Wolf's Junkyard, he has inventive things to do with LEDs, Including a miniature Starship Enterprise.

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1

Who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life...

Ginga Squid

Isn't this wonderful? It is the diamond bud ring made by ginga squid , it looks to me like a fertility goddess but also like a small life form you'd see in a tide pool.  And that is a real airplant in the crown chakra area of the little creature!

This is her triffid ring - a sort of miniature cosmos of diverse elements that you would not think would ever be combined into a whole.

 Check out her wonderfully witty and sensuous wearable small sculptures - it will make your day.

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1

To be, or not to be, that is the question--

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them...

Hamlet, Act 3, Scene1

Enter Hamlet

[Ophelia is about to witness the famous monologue, which will commence on Monday, before she approaches Hamlet and he acts all squirelly with her]

MacBeth, squinting/Sticks

If plastic dinosaurs=medieval Scottish soldiers and decorated sticks = branches, then the above is an illustration of the prediction by the three witches that MacBeth should not fail until "Birnam wood shall come to Dunsinane".

        This is a stick giveaway! As always, indicate in a comment if you would like one of these sent to you. The idea is not to keep them, but to place them somewhere passersby can come upon them and people can adopt them. Past participants will attest to the thrill when you leave one of them and return to find it gone. If you take a photo of the stick where it is left (One was placed in the mouth of a tiger - a tiger made out of stone, to be sure, but still a tiger), and email it to me I will post the photo here with a link to your blog. Remember, you can always decorate a stick yourself and plant it! If you would like a particular stick please specify, MacLarry (left), MacMoe (center), or MacCurly (right).

      For more plastic dinosaurs, see dinosaur casserole.

Edit: All sticks claimed, and I need to make another one.

  

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

You are welcome masters, welcome all, I am glad to see thee well. 

Hamlet to the players, the only characters he seems to have a cheerful word for, and we know why.

Bent Objects

This is from the extraordinary Bent Objects blog , which I found out about through the Superpunch blog. The About me paragraph on Bent Objects states: "when you stop caring whether people think you're crazy or not, you can get a lot done". This blog makes theatre out of ordinarily inanimate objects with a a little wire and lighting, and has an extraodinary emotional range - some are silly and some are quite touching. some have fairly eleaborate sets and some are put together on the fly (you'll have to go to the site if you want to see the firebug, one of my favorites). He has a book of these wonderful works coming out soon, available for pre-order on Amazon.

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

I am but mad north-north-west*; when the wind** is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.

* This is where the film got its title, as I noted here

* The foehn wind is thought to increase incidents of migraine and psychosis in the alpine European countries, and is taken into account as a mitigating circumstance in criminal trials in Switzerland - possibly in Germany (Eva?) also.

Mermaid winner

The winner of the mermaid (selected by sprinkling numbered scraps matched up to commenters on Bosco and seeing which landed closest to the middle of the top of her head) is j. at waiting room aquarium.  I know, but it really did happen by chance. J. was #22, which is quite a propitious number, I have heard. I will be giving some sticks away for placement on this blog on Thursday, so be sure to check back then if you would like one sent to you (explanation here for those new to this blog). Hamlet is going up directly after this post.

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell,

and count myself a king of inifinite space,

were it not that I have bad dreams

News of the Tiny

Here are some small scale items from three shops on etsy. The little hippo (I love the grey/lavender color) is one of the animals in the shop of tinywarbler ,who makes lovely little felt animals.The plate below is from the shop of chinadoodle, a cousin of sorts since I make mosaics on china plates. These are like mottoes or samplers to hang on your wall -He matches paintings to borders in some surprising ways.
Finally, here is a limited edition print from the ohmycavalier shop, who has an eerie take on some familiar characters from folklore and fairytales.

Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

Thanks Guildenstern, and gentle Rosencrantz

And I beseech you instantly to visit

My too much changed son.

Gertrude to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. 

Note: Hamlet comments several times in the course of the play on how unattractive Claudius is compared to Hamlet Sr. Typecasting...

Knitmania

This image is from a blog post by the Shopping Sherpa, who has a set of dollhouse miniatures on flickr. 

The image was discovered by grrl+dog, who has a ginormous knitting project for which she is inviting international participation. 

Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5

The time is out of joint -- O cursed spite,

That ever I was born to set it right!

I will be interspersing Hamlet this week with other scenes from around the web.

Little Otsu

Here is a photograph of the window of little otsu in San Francisco, a store which sells independently produced books and other delightful handmade goods. According to their website, otsu is "an antiquated Japanese word meaning strange: quaint; stylish; chic; spicy; witty; tasty; romantic" depending on context. The mask/sculpture hanging in the window is evidently based on a character from one of the books they carry, Quietly Sure - Like the Keeper of a Great Secret! by Jo Dery. If you click the link above, there is a wonderful animation of the character. And if you live in San Francisco, stop by the store on Valencia Street.

Piccalilli Days

This story comes to my courtesy of Susan Faye, in her words:

Here is a tiny story of miniscule interest:  Some time last year I visited an estate sale here in Oregon and rescued a tiny vintage wooden doll from years of captivity in a dark and dusty box. I put her up for adoption on Etsy  and she was snapped up, making her way to a new home in Massachusetts. Next thing I know, she is starring in a delightful blog where she is currently decorating her new home and planning her spring garden! Here is the link: piccalillidays