Toy Shelf: Environmentally Conscientious Elves

What could be s a better look for the holiday tree?
Fuyu persimmons are both edible and biodegradable

When it comes to holiday decorations out here in California, we're always fans of the natural look.  During the festive season, the local elven brother and sisterhood follow environmentally sustainable decoration harvesting practices.


(co-published with A California Christmas Cottage)

The Doormouse, inspired by Alice

Please CLICK ON MY CREATION to see all the lovely detail.

I was thinking about Alice in Wonderland when I drew this - though I haven't seen the new movie. We do have lots of blackberries nearby but doormice? No, I think they are just European.

Why are doormice so much more attractive than rats? We HAVE rats. Right now we have a tribe of them living off of the compost bins. My husband braves them when he takes the bowl out. I just drop the scraps into the bin for 'landscaping only' debris. A carrot top is landscaping, after all. I'm not silly enough to put a chicken bone in with vegetable bits. I'm pretty sure that's why they mark them like that.

I'm ok with mice, but the local rats have a way of looking at me and then going on about their business that makes me zip back up my garden path. Squirrels too are so much more appealing than rats, and they aren't scared of me. Pet rats - ok. Wild rats - no.

I created this image in Photoshop CS4. I drew the friendly little doormouse, her branch and berries,with the pencil tool. I created the background from several layers of blackberry photos I took in the park near my house. I altered the photographed blackberries through masking, selecting and the application of several filters. Then I texturized the result to give the image more of a vintage look.