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Work in Progress--The Rhemuth Castle Dollhouse Project

Started by Evie, May 12, 2016, 01:31:12 AM

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Elkhound

Quote from: DesertRose on May 13, 2016, 09:27:52 AM
Quote from: Jerusha on May 13, 2016, 07:05:38 AM
Araxie looks at Kelson in mild alarm.  "Kelson, what is that rumbling?   Is it an earthquake?"

"No Dearest," Kelson replies, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders.  "It's just our giant, conjured cat purring."

Now I want a recording of a mountain lion purring to add to this!  (Fun fact: Mountain lions are the largest felines that purr.)

A fraternity brother of mine was a biology major intending to go to graduate school in Wildlife Conservation.  He had a summer job at a big cat sanctuary in Florida.  One of the inmates was a mountain lioness who had been raised as a pet.  Although the sanctuary generally had a 'no direct contact' policy, this particular cat was so human-fixated that it would have been cruel to enforce it in her case.  When the sanctuary was closed to the public she was allowed to come out of her enclosure and get petted by the staff.

One night he was so tired that the director wouldn't let him drive home, but insisted that he sleep on the hide-a-bed in the office.  Whoever put up the lioness that night hadn't locked the door to her enclosure properly, as she got out and wandered into the office, where she jumped onto the bed and curled up next to him.  He was so deeply asleep he didn't notice until the next morning when he woke up to this large, furry, purring LUMP next to him.

DesertRose

Quote from: Elkhound on May 13, 2016, 05:39:20 PM
Quote from: DesertRose on May 13, 2016, 09:27:52 AM
Quote from: Jerusha on May 13, 2016, 07:05:38 AM
Araxie looks at Kelson in mild alarm.  "Kelson, what is that rumbling?   Is it an earthquake?"

"No Dearest," Kelson replies, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders.  "It's just our giant, conjured cat purring."

Now I want a recording of a mountain lion purring to add to this!  (Fun fact: Mountain lions are the largest felines that purr.)

A fraternity brother of mine was a biology major intending to go to graduate school in Wildlife Conservation.  He had a summer job at a big cat sanctuary in Florida.  One of the inmates was a mountain lioness who had been raised as a pet.  Although the sanctuary generally had a 'no direct contact' policy, this particular cat was so human-fixated that it would have been cruel to enforce it in her case.  When the sanctuary was closed to the public she was allowed to come out of her enclosure and get petted by the staff.

One night he was so tired that the director wouldn't let him drive home, but insisted that he sleep on the hide-a-bed in the office.  Whoever put up the lioness that night hadn't locked the door to her enclosure properly, as she got out and wandered into the office, where she jumped onto the bed and curled up next to him.  He was so deeply asleep he didn't notice until the next morning when he woke up to this large, furry, purring LUMP next to him.

That had to have been extremely alarming for that young man to wake up to a purring mountain lioness in bed with him, but I have to confess I laughed quite loudly reading that!
"If having a soul means being able to feel love, loyalty, and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans."

James Herriot (James Alfred "Alfie" Wight), when a human client asked him if animals have souls.  (I don't remember in which book the story originally appeared.)

Elkhound

It was a few months later he told me the story, and said that she just wanted to cuddle, but still. . .

DesertRose

Quote from: Elkhound on May 13, 2016, 07:49:05 PM
It was a few months later he told me the story, and said that she just wanted to cuddle, but still. . .

Oh yeah, I can see where she wouldn't have been threatening him.  A purring, half-asleep cat (of whatever specific species) isn't trying to be menacing, but a mountain lion isn't exactly a small animal.

My stepdad (who likes to play "rough" with the various house cats we've had over the years) once remarked that if an eight-pound house cat can tear up his hands and arms the way they did, he'd hate to see what would happen with even a bobcat or lynx (never mind a mountain lion) if crossed.
"If having a soul means being able to feel love, loyalty, and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans."

James Herriot (James Alfred "Alfie" Wight), when a human client asked him if animals have souls.  (I don't remember in which book the story originally appeared.)

Laurna

That made me laugh, Elkhound,  But oh man, a lioness is not a small cat!
In my second decade I completed an eight month internship program at the LA county Zoo.We did one week in each enclosure. I remember the lynx and the bobcats and the size of the steaks that we put in their night enclosures to bring them inside. No mere morsels either. There were only three enclosures we were not allowed in, The poisonous snakes, the elephants, and the big cats, tigers and lions. Though we did watch the big cats from afar.  I did love the lynx, Though I have to say I volunteered most of my time in the big aviary. Birds are my passion.
May your horses have wings and fly!

Elkhound

There was a video on YouTube of a traffic jam in Africa.  A leopard jumped on top of a stopped car, leaned down through the sunroof, licked the top of the driver's bald head, then ran away.  "Kitty wants to play."  (I can't find it now, or I'd post the link.)


Evie

Barbie throne conversion in progress by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

This started off as a pink plastic Barbie Princess throne.  I spray painted it with a tan plastic spray paint to prime it, then painted the "padded seat" in red acrylic with a thin wash of dark red over it to deepen the shadows, and touches of a lighter red dry-brushed over the highlights. (The lighter red is barely visible; I may touch up the highlights at some point.)  I will eventually paint the rest of the chair black to match Queen Araxie's throne, but first something had to be done about the "B" monogram in the shield.

Filling in the shield by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

I filled in the shield outline with some Model Magic, which is similar to an air drying clay, but it dries smooth and slightly rubbery feeling.  Once it has had a day or two to cure, I will paint it Haldane red and then add King Kelson's rampant guardant gold lion to it.  The rest of the chair will be done in black acrylic paint, like Queen Araxie's throne, and I may go back and highlight the raised borders with gold.  The crown on top will probably end up gold as well.

Mini Bayeux Tapestry by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

I found some Bayeux Tapestry trim on Ebay in a similar natural colors palette to the trim I'm using on the bed canopy (green/rust/gold), so this tapestry will probably end up on the bedchamber wall once I'm done with it.
"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque caritas."

--WARNING!!!--
I have a vocabulary in excess of 75,000 words, and I'm not afraid to use it!

Evie

The finished Haldane thrones, with an unpainted Barbie throne beside them to show what they looked like originally:

Haldane thrones--before and after by evian_delacourt, on Flickr
"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque caritas."

--WARNING!!!--
I have a vocabulary in excess of 75,000 words, and I'm not afraid to use it!

Laurna

May your horses have wings and fly!

DesertRose

Laurna, I don't know if you can see without zooming in on the photo, but on the smaller repainted chair, in the center of the star design at the top of the chair back, Evie glued in a small golden stone.  I really loved that touch; I just think it looks really cool!
"If having a soul means being able to feel love, loyalty, and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans."

James Herriot (James Alfred "Alfie" Wight), when a human client asked him if animals have souls.  (I don't remember in which book the story originally appeared.)

Evie

While the nursemaid sleeps.... by evian_delacourt, on Flickr

While the nursemaid sleeps, the children continue playing.  Let's hope they don't get into too much mischief!
"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque caritas."

--WARNING!!!--
I have a vocabulary in excess of 75,000 words, and I'm not afraid to use it!

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