Dalicious Challenge 4

Dear Readers,

Mythology was the theme for the Challenge No. 4!

I was very excited about this theme because I remember being totally obsessed about Greek mythology when I was a teenager.  I read every single book I could get my hands on.  So this challenge was like a trip back in time and it was fun to ponder the different scenes I could re-create in my dolly world.

At first I wanted to do Icarus flying away from the labyrinth...or rather falling from the sky when his wings melted.  I needed to make some wings for him and I had in mind a very specific design.   

But I became suddenly very weak and I increasingly lost whatever energy I had left in me.  This past week was just horrible.   I will explain on another day what happened.

I could not make the wings I had planned so I settled for the tale of Cupid and Psyche because it was a scene I could re-create without too much work.  I wished I could have given Cupid his wings, bow and arrows... but time was not on my side.  I took a bunch of pictures on Saturday.

Today, I was in so much pain I nearly collapsed around noon.  I thought I wouldn't be able to submit the photo. I added a little candle flicker and a few light rays but I didn't dare do any drastic photoshop.   Now that I look at my photo, I realize I should have positioned Scout differently.   But oh well, it's too late to change so I'll just cross my fingers.

The story of Cupid and Psyche is one of my favorite in Greek Mythology.  Psyche marries Cupid but she does not know what he looks like since he insists on sleeping in total darkness. Psyche's sisters are very jealous to see that she lives in such a beautiful palace and so they convince her that her husband is a monster and that she must kill him!

One night after Cupid falls asleep, Psyche carries out the plan her sisters devised: she brings out a dagger and a lamp she had hidden in the room, in order to see and kill the monster. But when the light instead reveals the most beautiful creature she has ever seen, she is so startled that she wounds herself on one of the arrows in Cupid's cast-aside quiver. Struck with a feverish passion, she spills hot oil from the lamp and wakes him.

Kai (my Isul Lir) is cosplaying as Cupid.  I really loved the fact that this bedroom scene allowed me to leave Isul in the nude so I didn't have to worry about making an outfit for him!!! ^_^

Scout (Dal Tweety) is wearing a gown I made with leftover white fabric.  The knife is from a Barbie kitchen playset.   The candle is from WYRNA'S MINIATURE BOUTIQUE.  I got it along with some exquisite furniture that I bought to decorate the Chocolate Rabbit grandparents's cottage!

The previous challenge (Vintage) earned me a third position but I think this scene won't win any awards LOL  I am however very glad to have been able to submit the photo in time.  There are two more challenges so I want to stay until the end to finish the contest even though I don't stand a chance of winning anything!

The pictures are not up on the Dolly Market Forum yet but you can view some of them in the Dalicious Flickr Group.

Have a wonderful week everybody!


EDIT: The photos are now up on the Dolly Market Forum or you can go directly to the Challenge 4 Entries.  There are many amazing photos!

DAL Tweety

Dear Readers,

I would like to thank you all for your kind encouragements about the DALICIOUS Photo Contest.  I hesitated for a long time but once I read your comments, I realized participating in this competition would be a great opportunity to learn :)  I bought a new DAL doll just in time to send in my application to Dolly Market.  I named her *** SCOUT *** !

I have quite a history with DAL Tweety.  I bought a DAL Tweety a few years ago.  She was my second DAL after DOTORI (I could no enter Dotori in the contest because her arm is broken :/).  Her whimsical outfit and amazing face-up were too cute to resist.  And she has orange hair!!!   But then I sold her off during a time period in which I resolved to only collect 1:12 scale figures and miniatures and forget about 1:6 scale.  My resolve crumbled quickly and I had lost a few dolls in the meantime.  I was very sad to had let DAL Tweety go and often regretted this decision.  I kept wanting to buy another DAL Tweety after that but her price was always very high so I gave up.

As luck would have it, I found a DAL Tweety in a Tuesday Morning store just a few days ago.  I just couldn't believe it!  She was only $39.99 (faints).   I bought her right away I decided to jump in the DALICIOUS Photo Contest.

I only have a cheap camera and I my photography skills are terrible but I figured that I never play with my dolls as much as I would like to so this is the perfect opportunity to explore my hobby.  I have tons of clothes, furniture, houses and accessories for my dolls but I never really set them up in any interesting diorama.  I have always been an admirer of people's photos but not really a doer (if you know what I mean).  So this is my chance to have fun too and learn about dolly photography. 

I don't know how I'll be able to keep up with the challenge schedule but I hope it will be feasible.  I usually have to wait until the kids are asleep to set up any kind of photoshoot.  And then I have to take it apart before my baby rips through everything when she wakes up.

I gave my DAL Tweety a name that I love.  Scout is inspired by the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird.  She is brave, has a quick temper but has a golden heart beneath that rough exterior.  DAL Tweety gave me that fearless vibe about her so it was a matter of seconds to choose a name.  Scout is also the name my husband wanted to give our daughter but I rejected that option because it was too tomboyish.  I was thinking about how strange it would be if she was named Scout but would become very feminine and into ballet and dolls.  Funny enough, she turned out to be a super tomboy (I should have known... with seven boy cousins, it was hard to avoid).

I hope Scout will inspire me to come up with interesting ideas for the Photo contest!

Thank you again for your help!  Wish me luck :)