Small Worlds

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had a  fascination with small worlds, miniature worlds. It probably started with the gum-nut baby books, by May Gibbs. She created whole worlds, using as inspiration the native flora and fauna of Australia. And as a child who grew up in the Australian bush, I could see those worlds in the plants and creatures before my eyes all around me, so I knew they were real.

I still can’t see a spent banksia pod without seeing a wicked Big Bad Banksia Man looking back at me. Compare her illustration with this photo of an actual banksia pod. And tiny gum-nuts must surely have gum-nut babies hiding in them.

She didn’t only use gum-trees (eucalypts) in her illustrations — there were wattle babies, underwater babies, flannel flower babies — she used all sorts of native fauna and flora. And although people from other countries might think these were just clever and fanciful creations, Australians can recognize every flower and plant — her botanical drawings were outstanding in their detail and accuracy.

You can see more of her gorgeous illustrations here.

Flannel flower babies on the left, real flannel flowers on the right.

And why am I talking about them at the moment? It was a coming together of several rabbit-holes that I went down this morning. Recently I discovered a FB group called Tiny Secret Gardens, which has delighted me with people sharing their small imaginative gardens. From there it went to Fairy Gardens. . . and tiny twig furniture and more, and my morning was lost. :)

I didn’t make the bookcase, but I made everything else.

For many years I’ve enjoyed making tiny things for dolls’ houses. My rule in general is to make them myself from scratch, often using recycled materials, and often FIMO (a kind of polymer clay.)

That probably started when as a little girl I glued matchboxes on top of each other to make a doll’s chest of drawers with real sliding drawers.

And when I used to look after a friend of mine’s daughter on a regular basis we both had lots of fun playing with dolls’ houses, and each week this small tyrant would ask for something new for the dolls’ house, which I would obediently make. But I haven’t done that for years. 

Then when I was watering my indoor plants this morning, I noticed that the moth orchid that I’d been given months ago (the flowers are long gone) had sprouted a tiny toadstool. Clearly a  fairy toadstool. And it inspired me.

One of the things  that I’d always planned to make was a bush babies’ dolls’ house, but I never got around to it. I made several things with gum nuts — necklaces and earrings,  and I even started on a chess set, which I never finished (probably because I don’t play chess.)

But this morning, when I went outside, I was captivated by the sight of the tiny caps that my beautiful Silver Princess eucalyptus tree drops before flowering. 

And the Tiny Secret Gardens, the Fairy Gardens and my May Gibbs childhood all came together in my mind. Because don’t you think these little blossom caps are crying out to be fairy hats?  Or maybe tiny parasols. They could even be a miniature encampment for a tiny barbarian  army. *g*
They’re the size that would just fit on the tip of a finger. I think they’re beautiful in their delicate pastel shades — all entirely natural.