Lady G and Little Doll Agree On A Plan For The Garden Display

The background and first two chapters of this story "A Love Story - Little Doll and Fat Cat" began on the July 21st posting.

Hello!

If you have been following Little Doll's story, Little Doll had just finished painting the base for her display a lovely green "grass" color - as Lady G and Little Doll had agreed that the display should be a garden, where Little Doll could sit when she returned to live with her original owner. Little Doll, having come to me for the 4th and final exchange in the Paper Bag Exchange of the doll club I belonged to, would now be returned at our next meeting to the person who had originally made the doll - completed and with a display.

As we begin the story again, it is the following morning after the display has been painted. We find Lady G and Little Doll in my studio, sitting side by side, heads together, on the work table next to the now very green display. Red bird is sitting quietly on Little Doll's shoulder and dove is half asleep on Lady G's lap. It is obvious that they have been sitting there for quite some time. The display has been carved from foam, covered with PaperClay, left to dry and then painted - and Lady G and Little Doll must now come up with a plan of how to complete the garden.

"Do you have any ideas?" asked Little Doll of her friend Lady G, as they sat gazing at the newly painted green base of her display. "It now looks quite large to me and quite intimidating! What do you think we should do?" "Well, I do love the green color" said Lady G, "it is such a pretty color for the grass, but I agree that the display really does look quite large this morning - and very overwhelming, actually. Something is needed. I don't know what it is that is needed exactly, but something." And they sat and thought, and thought some more. Red bird and dove were very quiet also, as they were thinking too.

As I came into the studio that morning and saw them sitting there so deep in thought, I said to them, "Good Morning ladies, have you come to any decision of how to finish the garden display?" "Good Morning!" they said. "Well" continued Lady G, "we think the green is a lovely color, but this morning the display appears quite large to us and rather more than we expected. We agree that it needs something, but we have no idea where to begin."

"Well" I said, "Maybe if we break it down into stages, perhaps it won't seem like such a difficult problem to solve. First you will need to decide what kind of garden you want it to be. Will it be a vegetable garden, or a rock garden, or maybe a flower garden . . ." "Flowers!" they both said together, "Lets make it a flower garden!" And red bird and dove began to hop around and make little excited bird noises to show that they agreed! "That sounds like a great idea" I said, "now you need to decide what season your garden will be. Will it be spring or summer or fall . . ." "What do you think Lady G?" asked Little Doll, "I know that I love a garden best when it is in full bloom." "Oh, I do too!" said Lady G, "lets make it a summer garden!" "Yes!" said Little Doll. And red bird and dove again hopped about in agreement. They often do that you know, these little birds.

"Do you have any flowers we could use?" Little Doll asked me. "I think I may have some here in the studio." I said, "What colors do you like?" "I love red!" said Little Doll, "Do you like red, Lady G?" "Oh, I do!" said Lady G, "and I love the color pink also! Do you have any red and pink flowers that we could use?" she asked me. "Let me see what I have." I said as I opened the box where I kept my silk flowers. "I do!" I said, "What if you both sit on the bench and I will bring them all to you and you can pick and choose which ones you would like to use for your garden." They both agreed that this sounded like a lovely idea, so I set them on the bench and brought them all the red and pink flowers that were in the box and placed the blossoms all around them. "Oh! They are all so beautiful!" said Little Doll, "Don't you just love them Lady G?" "They are perfect" said Lady G, "This is going to be so much fun! Look at these wonderful red roses!"

And so, over the next hour Little Doll and Lady G began to sort the flowers to size and color and discuss how the red and pink flowers could be used together to create a garden. While they were busy doing this, I had moved to another work table to make a decision of my own - what my next project would be when Little Doll's display was completed. With the two dolls chattering in the background, totally involved in their task, I started to look through my pattern collection to see if something caught my eye.

Soon I heard Little Doll say, "We are ready to add our flowers to the garden! Can you help us please to put these on the display so we can see how they would look?" "Of course" I said, "I'll be right there. I just have to put this pattern and fabric on my cutting table." As I joined Lady G and Little Doll where they sat on the bench, I saw that they had made their choices and had put aside a small grouping of the chosen flowers of both the red and the pink colors for me to put on the display so they could see them there.

"Where would you like me to place these flowers?" I asked them, picking up the selection they had set aside. "Lets try them on the far end of the display" said Little Doll, "don't you think so Lady G?" I placed the blossoms on the display. "So, what do you think?" I asked, "Is this how you pictured it in your imagination?" "I love it!" said Lady G. "I do too!" said Little Doll, "The red and pink colors are absolutely perfect against the green! We have made the right choice!" "Well then, let's begin!" I said, "First I will need to cut all of the flowers you have chosen to size and trim them and then I will be ready to start to glue them onto the display. How does that sound?" Wonderful!" they both said together. "I really would like to help with the flowers" said Little Doll, "as you know, I am a very neat worker." "Yes, you most certainly are" I said, "your painting was very neat, but we know that glue is not something that little dolls should work with! Especially now that you have your lovely new gown! So how does it sound to you if I handle this part of creating the garden?" "That would be for the best" said Lady G, "it is better that we sit here safely and watch." "You are right" said Little Doll, "paint washes out but glue would not!"

So, while I cut and trimmed the blossoms and put them in little piles to be glued to the display, Little Doll, with red bird on her shoulder and Lady G, with dove on her lap, sat side by side - watching and waiting for the gluing process to begin. "This is so exciting!" said Little Doll, "I can hardly wait to see it all together!" "It is going to be so beautiful!" said Lady G. "It is so difficult, this waiting! But soon you will have your garden, Little Doll!"

Thanks for stopping by today!

Tomorrow the garden display is completed and the day Fat Cat enters Little Doll's life is just around the corner! :<) Wishing you a great Monday!

Barbara Diane