Fairy Tale Crafty: Snow White and Rose Red by Castle of Costa Mesa

This is for all of you Snow White and Rose Red fans. After reading and looking at the wonderful story of Snow White and Rose Red as created and presented by Castle of Costa Mesa, I wanted to make some of these dolls myself. I am feeling creatively hobbled right now thanks to the move of the decade. All of my stuff is packed and I would love to relax with some needle and fabric right now. At least I have my Kindle and more than enough books to read on it or I would be going insane after posts like this!

Anyway, when it comes down to it, this is one of the best illustrated versions of the story I have seen and all created for a children's party by an enterprising Waldorf-loving mom who also makes dolls for her Etsy store. The selection is small right now, but I want a prince or even a Snow White and Rose Red of my own. Perhaps after the move...

I am only showing a select few pictures but there are over 40 available on the Castle of Costa Mesa blog spread out over two posts: The Making of the Dolls and The Puppet Show. Do not miss these. There are many charming images not to be missed. These were inspired by Making Fairy Tale Scenes which I posted about earlier today.

 

Fairy Tale Crafty: Making Fairy Tale Scenes by Sybille Adolphi

Making Fairy Tale Scenes by Sybille Adolphi. This post is just sharing the book. But I am going to share another post today from someone who was inspired by the book and Adolphi's work. It's amazing! These dolls are popular with Waldorf schools.

Book description:

Children will thoroughly enjoy making and playing with the range of well-known fairy tale scenes and characters provided in this book, which include Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstiltskin, Tom Thumb, Rapunzel, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The scenes are made from a range of easy-to-find natural materials, such as wool, felt and cotton, and are great fun to make. This book contains all the patterns and instructions you will need, and is clearly illustrated with diagrams and photographs. The scenes are organised according to season, so the story can be matched to the appropriate time of year.

Favorite Adaptations: The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia

Here is the first entry in the Favorite Adaptations Giveaway. This entry is by Christine Ethier and I'm sure is an unexpected choice for many readers here. Read more about the giveaway here to learn how to win a copy of Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross. Remember you only have six days left to submit your own entries.

When I re-read The Little Mermaid as an adult something about it bugged me. This something bugs me more and more each time I re-read the story. It's not the pain the mermaid feels when she walks; all of Andersen's characters seem to get tortured, the Ugly Duckling was a male and he got frozen in the ice. No, with the mermaid, it's how the prince treats her. She sleeps at the foot his bed, he rests his head on her breast. It's like she's his personal lap girl with whom he has groping benefits.

I can't help wondering if Ekaterina Sedia feels the same way for The Alchemy of Stone is very reminiscent of "The Little Mermaid".

Unlike "LM", Mattie, the protagonist, isn't looking for a soul; she's looking for her independence, to be her own person. She is a clockwork girl, which means even so often her gears run down. There is only one key that winds her up. This process makes her feel violated. (In fact, whenever Mattie is opened, it almost feels like a rape. This is a brilliant touch). Guess who has it and doesn't want to share?

You guessed it. Her creator, a man.

Her creator, Lornarri, has freed her, but he still exerts control over her in a variety of ways, not all of which sit well with Mattie, her friends, or the reader. Lornarri reminds me very much of the prince in "The Little Mermaid", crueler, but he has that same selfish thinking, that disregard for the women who are connected to him. A me first attitude, and let's not think about anyone's feelings, at least anyone who is not my equal.

Mattie is an alchemist and despite being non-politic, soon finds herself caught up in the revolution that is taking place in her world. This comes about due to her desire to help the gargoyles. No Disney cutie pies, the gargoyles are the creators and keepers of the city where Mattie lives, and they find themselves dying off without any means of reproduction. In this struggle for control of an unnamed city, Sedia touches on the cause and effects of terrorism, the roots of revolution, and the effects of such violence on the community and the groups within that community. It is true that these issues are not dealt with startling depth. This isn't to say that she does a bad job; she doesn't. In fact, the book is timely in the topics it covers; it is hard not to see some of it as a mirror of current events.

The focus of the book, however, isn't on politics, but on gender roles and the idea of humanity. Reviews on the back of the book liken Mattie to any women and considering the roles of female supporting characters, the idea of a woman's role and woman's independence is what Sedia seems to be examining. Who doesn't feel like a wind-up girl sometimes? These gender roles are also used in "The Little Mermaid". The mermaid wanted a soul, more than she wanted the prince, so she wouldn't become foam on the waves. Mattie is not looking for a soul, though one could she has one and the best one of the novel. Is she more human than those around her? Does she have more of a soul? The same questions are raised in Andersen's tale, when the mermaid's compassion is compared to the thoughtless of the prince. Why do her sisters help her, but the prince cannot even think about her? It is easy to see the connection of this story to Andersen's fairy tale.

Etsy Fairy Tales: Baba Yaga Pendant

Don't you just want a Baba Yaga pendant? I love this... I can just imagine trying to explain it to friends.

By ToryNova:

This is the infamous "Izba Ha Kooryah Noshkah" meaning Cabin on Chicken Legs where the wicked old witch Baba Yaga dwells in Slavic folklore. It is painted in mostly beiges and browns, with a little bit of orange in the chicken feet.

If you're curious to find out more about it, check out this helpful link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Yaga (Or, you know, SurLaLune!)

It is made out of air drying clay, painted with gouache & acrylics, and sealed in a waterproof shiny varnish. It is rather fragile but will be able to withstand falls from small heights, especially if jumping into the hands of its new owner.

A sweet, eye-catching addition to your jewelry collection. A perfect gift for any age!

The pendant size is about .1" long x 7/8” wide and is linked to an 18" antiqued brass chain with a lobster clasp.

The pendant will have a tiny signature with the date in a hidden spot.

Check out my other pendants:
http://torynova.etsy.com

Article: Mirror Mirror': What The Snow White Narrative Says About Women, Beauty And Aging by Emma Gray

With all of the emphasis on Snow White, I've been expecting articles like the following. I was happy with this one and thought I'd share an excerpt. No time to comment but there's not really new ground here, just a rise in awareness again of the topic.

From 'Mirror Mirror': What The Snow White Narrative Says About Women, Beauty And Aging by Emma Gray:

On the other hand, Julia Roberts' queen was by far the most compelling (and entertaining) part of the film. She was convincingly over-the-top, vain and haughty, barking orders at her servant, a fabulously sniveling Nathan Lane. Her casting choice might seem a bit ridiculous -- how can someone who looks like Julia Roberts be so preoccupied with her "crinkles"? But it was perfect, highlighting the fact that even the most gorgeous among us isn't immune to physical insecurities. Though I'm 24, closer in age to 18-year-old Snow White than her presumably decades older stepmother, I was drawn to the Wicked Queen's fear of getting older far more than Snow's quotidian coming-of-age quest for independence and a boy's heart.

The character of the Wicked Queen highlights two ideas that appear in many of fairytaleland's greatest hits, including "Sleeping Beauty," "Cinderella" and "The Little Mermaid": that women feel a lot of anxiety over "losing their looks," and that older women are intensely envious of the young women that surround them. I asked psychologist Vivian Diller, Ph.D., author of "Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change," for her read on this phenomenon. "When you look at the traditional fairy tales, envy is almost always placed on the older, the less attractive, less fortunate. ... There is a belief that women [should] strive to be their younger selves or compete with women who are younger," she said. "Mirror Mirror" puts an of-our-times twist on these themes -- the scene where Roberts is plucked, pulled, plumped and tightened by all manner of creatures and substances was eerily reminiscent of the more bizarre beauty treatments currently on the market. And instead of the magic mirror being depicted as a male character, as in previous takes on the fairy tale, the mirror merely depicts her own reflection, suggesting that she's her own worst enemy. But the film falls short of complicating these ideas. The ending includes a particularly grating line, which only serves to reinforce the idea that the worst thing that could happen to a woman is getting old and, the line implies, inevitably ugly. (I will say that it's worth watching just for the Bollywood scene, though -- you'll know what I'm referring to when you see it.)

There's more in the article, of course. And I wouldn't say always as younger characters--stepsisters, anyone?--also show jealousy and spite for appearance.

Fairy Tale Crafty: 12 Tatted Fairy-tales by Inga Madsen

12 Tatted Fairy-tales by Inga Madsen is a UK release from 2005, not ever readily available in the US. I was rather charmed with it. It actually looks like Madsen took inspiration from HCA's papercuts. I never connected fairy tales and tatting before, but here you go! I'll include larger images to help you see the designs better.

Book description:

In this book, the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and tatting are combined in the most charming way. The author has selected 12 fairy tales and illustrated them with the most lovely and fantastic designs made in tatting. The book includes extracts from the fairy tales, beautiful pictures from the Museum of Hans Christian Andersen in Odense, and clear visual patterns of the tatted designs.

These images came from a bookseller, Georgia Seitz:

And, finally, I found this image on a blog, someone's actual work using the Ugly Duckling pattern from the book. Found at Tatting at KatyDidTat:

Snow White with a Gun: Unnatural Mother and the Girl With a Star on Her Forehead

The following is a slightly edited version of a post from August 2010 about one of the more interesting Snow White tales I came across while editing my Snow White book. Since the tale is on everyone's mind these days, I thought I would reprint some of these for new readers.

While researching for Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World, I read about many, many variants of both Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.  Snow White ended up being much more interesting than I anticipated, since I've made no secret of my previous lack of favoritism for the tale.  Editing this book changed my mind.  Snow White may not be my favorite fairy tale yet but I actually enjoy it now, unlike I did before this past year when I merely tolerated it and admittedly avoided it as much as possible.

One of the tales which swayed me is "The Unnatural Mother and the Girl With a Star on Her Forehead" from Mozambique.  This was perhaps the spunkiest of all the Snow Whites although there were some strong ones in the mix despite expectations.  In this one, the Snow White character faces her mother (not a stepmother in this one) at the celebratory banquet at the end of the tale.  She then describes her horrific experiences at the hands of her mother, who is even feeling somewhat ashamed. 

Here is an excerpt:

When they had finished eating, the young wife addressed them: “Silence!” said she. “I am going to tell you a story!” They all applauded. She added: “It is not a very long one. Listen, princes and subjects. When you give birth to a beautiful child, do you dare to kill it?”

The chiefs were astounded at such a question! “We never thought such a thing possible.”

“Well, I have known such a thing,” she said. “Look at my finger!” Then she began, and told them all the story; how her mother had killed her with the slippers, had put her eyes out and cut off the nipples of her breasts. The mother was there, in full view of everyone. Finally the young woman said to her husband: “I wish my mother to be killed today!”

The husband said: “No, leave her alone.”

“No,” said she, “she must be put to death.”

She had a small gun of her own, and with that she shot the mother right before them all. The people picked up the body, and went off to bury it. As for the young woman, she gave a piece of land to her father, who said to her: “You have done quite right; I did not know who you were.”

She gave him a certain sum of money with which to procure another wife, and he settled in her village.

That’s the end.

Usually the new husband metes out the punishment in the Snow White tales, but in this one he refuses and Snow White takes matters into her own hands.  Obviously the story isn't as old as other variants with the inclusion of the gun, but it is a fascinating variation of a tale, an uncommon variation at that. 

On the other hand, the tale is far from satisfying all the same since the mother was beginning to show remorse when she saw her daughter again--not that anything can excuse her previous horrible behavior.  Still, the death by gunshot would have been much more understandable in another tale, "The Magic Mirror" from Romania, in which the mother kills her daughter's newborn babe, a permanent death that is not magically reversed.  That was perhaps the most  depressing Snow White tale for although most of the tales describe terrible murder attempts, it is far from a happy ending since there is a real, permanent loss of an innocent baby to overshadow the end.

And that's just two of the 41 Snow White variants included in Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World. 

Mirror, Mirror: Weekend Movie Box Office Results

It's no surprise to anyone observing or participating in pop culture that Hunger Games donimated the box office this weekend. But around here, I was slightly more interested in seeing Mirror, Mirror's figures. In the end, it came in third place behind Hunger Games and Wrath of the Titans.

From the Los Angeles Times:

Audiences liked "Mirror Mirror" as much as "Wrath," giving it the same B-plus grade. The PG-rated film, produced and distributed by Relativity Media, attracted a far different demographic — 60% of attendees were families with children. Like Warner Bros., Relativity executives are hopeful that the film will perform well in the coming weeks when more children are out of school.

"We would have liked a higher number, but we're in a great position to play into the holidays," said Kyle Davies, Relativity's president of theatrical distribution. "I think 'The Hunger Games' is just a phenomenon that affected everybody. It's playing to a wide variety of audiences, and its success impacted us."

Relativity spent more money to create "Mirror Mirror" than it has any other film — about $100 million, according to a person close to the production who was not authorized to speak publicly. A Relativity spokesperson said the final cost was $85 million.

So did anyone here see Mirror, Mirror? I won't be able to spare the time for it for several more weeks. I imagine my home and life will finally be sorted enough by the time Huntsman is released and since John is interested in that one, I may see it in the theatre. Mirror, Mirror will probably have to await my DVD player. If the company is smart, they will get that DVD out around the same time Huntsman is released. I know that is only two months from release date, but the average DVD release is now three months and since Huntsman is riding Mirror, Mirror's advertising tails, it's only fair to recriprocate.

New Book: Fairy Tale Knits by Katharina Ritter

Fairy Tale Knits by Katharina Ritter was released earlier this year. I've shared another fairy tale knit book in the past which focused more on children's clothing and went for simple elegance. This one goes more for adult romance and sexiness and some of the reviews have knocked it for that reason. I've included pictures and will let you decide for yourself. And, yes, most of these just use fairy tales as a unifying naming theme, they don't really invoke fairy tales within themselves, in my opinion.

Book description:

Creating a complete fairy-tale wardrobe is a snap with this project guide of easy-to-make, enchanting knitted wearables. Invoking several classic Grimm fairy tales, projects include head-turning Red Riding Hood hats, alluring Cinderella slippers, and dress wear for young Rapunzels. Casting a broad spell of chic style, intermediate and advanced knitters will find much inspiration for accessorizing their outfits with additional ribbon embellishments, lacy arm warmers, baby booties, cardigan jackets, and scarves. Offering a wide range of styles across 20 beautiful designs, princesses—and queens—will find the right gear for exploring enchanted woods, mixing magic potions, or simply traversing the city sidewalks of the mortal world.

Share Your Favorite Adaptation and Win a Book

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross will be released on April 10th. To celebrate and to help out the SurLaLune blog while I am in the chaos of changing abodes, Sarah has offered to give away a copy of the book to one guest poster for SurLaLune. You have until April 10th to send me a guest post--at least one paragraph of four sentences--talking about one of your favorite adaptations of a fairy tale, be it a novel, short story, illustration, song or movie. Tell us why you enjoy the version and why others may enjoy it, too.

I will share the entries throughout the month of April on the blog but entries should be submitted to me by email by April 10th--don't submit a blog comment for an entry, only email entries are accepted on this one. I will randomly draw a winner from the submissions to win a copy of Kill Me Softly. Sarah will also mail the book to you herself to spare me the work of doing one more task and to insure you get the book in a more timely manner. I plan to give away a few more books but be warned that most are packed so you won't receive them until at least May. I don't have a list either but hope to give away my remaining double copies of books of which I have a few.

And, yes, international entries are accepted. And multiple entries are accepted, too. You can write one, two or ten posts and receive an entry for each one. As you submit entries, I will try to reply with an email telling you it has been received and which day it will be published. Be sure to specify how you want to be identified and I will include links to your own sites if you include them--a great way to cross promote. And this time, if you would, include your country of residence. I like for readers to see just how international the readership of this blog is.

Thanks for participating! April is going to be a big, messy blur for me but will hopefully be fun and open my life up to more opportunities for SurLaLune in its many incarnations.

Jewelry: Fairy Tale Silhouettes by Katharina Bergmann at Karamboola

Snow White

It's April and so March's Fairy Tale music theme has come to an end. In the future, I will continue more music posts randomly since I didn't come close to covering them all. But I wanted a new theme for the month and I needed a simpler one for me as I continue my move. If all goes well, we will be completely relocated in the next four weeks. That feels like a long time but not long enough as anyone would know.

Anyway, in my limited time I have been composing craft and handmade themed posts for the month. From jewelry to quilts to other items, I will be sharing pictures and links. Over the years, I have seen few Snow White pieces that are not directly influenced by the Disney classic. That will change this year, I think, with the many Snow White interpretations around us. However, one of my favorite fairy tale themed jewelry shops on Etsy is karamboola by Katharina Bergmann. Karamboola features fairy tale silhouettes. I am featuring the necklace, brooch and ring (earrings are available, too) for Snow White and then adding the necklace renditions of other fairy tales available in the store. I love the details of the added charms as well as the availability of less popular fairy tales. Enjoy!

Brother and Sister

Brother and Sister

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood

Princess and the Pea

Rapunzel

Rumpelstiltskin

Sleeping Beauty

The Star Money

Waiting For Her Prince

Morsel of the Day: C. S. Lewis

No April Fool's today. So how about a fairy tale morsel from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:

My Dear Lucy,

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.

From C. S. Lewis's letter to his goddaughter Lucy Barfield in the preface to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.