Mad Tea Party : Alice Dreaming. Now with added giveaway!

The Mad Tea Party 2013

(....But first,

these important messages

Free Doll.

And stuff!

 Quick scroll to the end for 

Giveaway Details!

And now, back to our

regularly scheduled programme...)

Alice Dreaming.

Beneath the moon,

beneath the trees,

beside the water,

Alice dreams.

Held aloft in the cot

of branches, 

the wind gently sings

a cradle song.

The dream shifts.

Now warm in the embrace

of red flowers,

 trumpeting silence.

She sleeps,

 and sweet sunlight

tips her nose pink.

The key to her dreams,

close by her heart on its ribbon,

is kept safe.

Unused, it bides its time

waiting for her to wake.

Creaky video footage

PRACTICAL STUFF.

I have always been fascinated

 by the idea of a sleeping Alice.

Wonderland is a dream made 

by the living world around her,

filtered through her sleep.

And Alice, 

the real Alice,

is asleep on a grassy bank

 by her sister.

I wanted to make a little Alice Doll 

that would lie in the 

natural positions

of a sleeping child.

I didn't want her to wear 

Tenniel's tucked dress and apron

because those are her dream clothes.

(They even change in 

'Through the Looking Glass'

becoming something much fancier

when she becomes Queen Alice.)

So, I dressed my Alice

in vintage embroidered cotton lawn,

soft and clean and sweet.

I gave her slightly grubby bare feet,

because she's kicked off 

her shoes and stockings,

There's just a touch a touch of sunburn 

on her arms and nose.

And long loose hair

because she's lost her hair ribbon.

Here is how I made her.

Just scroll! 

It's a tale told in pictures!

.

The rough head in paperclay

Sculpted head

Basic design.

Base painting and wig tryout.

Rouge and shading and eyelashes

Cloth body, partially sculpted and painted.

Cloth body, sculpted hands and feet, painted.

Attaching the wig.

Checking the hairline.

Glueing around the ears.

Lace trim around the neckline.

Trying the drawers.

Gathering around the knees.

Sleeping  in the tree.

Bodice and key.

Antique broderie anglais.

The completed dress.

Alice, Dreaming

 I made Alice

specially for this year's 

Mad Tea Party.

Thank you for the inspiration.

Thank you so much for visiting.

And thank you, Vanessa, for bringing us all together.

And now,

as a reward for your patience,

 the GIVEAWAY!

This will be drawn on

 1st August,

or

Lammas Day.

This is my little Alice doll.

She was originally made to go with

Molly Cottontail,

but I think Alice

is lively enough to go and have 

Wonderland adventures 

on her own.

I'll include other random goodies

in the parcel, too.

So, usual rules.

 Follow me

and comment if you do.

I always try and follow Followers,

it's only fair.

Don't worry. She'll have clothes!
These are her painted stockings.

GOOD LUCK!