So I finally did it! It took me several days to brainstorm before the execution. There were some tweaks but certain elements remain the same.
Nonetheless, I would consider this a totally new Citizen of Gigglesville. It would look good in the official five colors. And yellow shoes, it’s gotta have yellow shoes.
Like us humans, the Citizens of Gigglesville are not created equal. They come in all different shapes and colors. But size-wise, they are about the same, given the one inch balsa I use; only their height differs.
There are several ‘types’ of citizens, all sculpted with love. Every time when one is completed, I break into a giggle and my heart is filled with joy and love.
How can one not giggle and love them by just looking at their innocent giggly expressions?
Not too long ago, a friend posted an adorable picture on Facebook which showed a cute little door at the foot of a tree for the neighborhood squirrels. She befittingly named them Mr and Mrs Squirrel, the squirrels that is, not the neighbor. Who made the door, she wasn’t sure but I thought it was adorable and got me thinking.
We already have a bird house for the visiting birds but no ‘home’ set up for the visiting squirrels. And since we have a frangipani tree in our garden, why not—just for fun—make a door just like that posting so that Sammy and Lefty (that’s the name I call our visiting squirrels) can feel more at home.
Maybe I should divert to this if I am still stuck for inspiration for a new Gigglesville’s citizen?
Things have been slow lately. So much so, I feel so sluggish. The weather, being so hot and humid is not helping either.
I am going through a dry spell as far as Gigglesville is concerned. There were two four-day stretches that I didn’t carve anything!
I suddenly have this urge to create a new character but stuck for inspiration. Thank goodness, the side-tracked Octopus I did for M2 kept me busy but after that, nothing.
I need to recharge…
Somehow my M2 is not quite a fan of owls like my friends because when I asked her if she would like to have one citizen of Gigglesville of her own, she declined.
Instead she asked for something else. Maybe she appreciates my carving skills…
Initially, she requested for me to carve her a potato! I thought it was weird and I didn’t think a potato would be nice, so I asked again.
This time, she requested for an octopus. The challenge my child puts me through!
So I carved an octopus for her. Tried my best and this is the end result.
White gesso base
The end result!
Birds come in pairs, along with it, a spare. We have Fat Bird and the pair, Bird 1 and Bird 2, visiting us daily plus some other little ones.
Because they are a pair, Bird 1 and Bird 2 feels that Bird 3 who tags along with them is a third wheel and most times, they bully the poor fella. This behavior is most evident when jostling for food at the garden. They wouldn’t give it a chance to eat, so poor Bird 3 is always left hungry.
One evening, it was raining and we spotted Bird 3, sitting sadly on the tree, braving the rain. We anticipated it was waiting for a chance to come down to the ground to eat as Bird 1 and Bird 2 was nowhere to be seen.
Luckily when the rain subsided, Bird 3 descended onto the garden and managed to eat to its heart’s content. Thank goodness otherwise if the pair showed up, the opportunity would be gone and poor Bird 3 would be left starving again.
Can you see Bird 3?
Maybe you can see Bird 3 now
While we appreciate Fat Bird and the pair of birds visiting our home, there’s another Fat Bird that we appreciate more. Specifically, it’s a Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region in New Zealand.
Lovely wine. Highly recommended!
Talk about having no fear. While Fat Bird is wary of us, the pair of friendly birds, Bird 1 and Bird 2 are just so daring! On Monday evening, they casually sauntered onto the garden terrace and right into the house!
Yes, into the house without hesitation or fear. Walked right in as if they do this all the time to explore the house in all directions, towards the dining area and the living room.
They even came right up to my carving area. I sat quietly to admire their head bobbing and funny walk, mesmerized by their bravery at the same time.
Then suddenly they realized they were ‘lost’, they panicked and tried to fly away. In their frantic flapping, they knocked themselves against the windows that were closed. Silly birds.
Hubby managed to catch them, one by one and gently set them into the garden again.
Thank goodness, no injury to the pair. Phew. I hope this spooked experience won’t make them stay away from the garden and us. We shall see the next few days.
Nature is wonderful. Everyday hubby feeds the visiting birds and they have become so tame and friendly, they are not afraid when we are close to them physically.
There’s two birds, a pair that will come close within a foot of us and sometimes just plop themselves down on the garden, waiting to be fed. Hubby then throws bird seeds onto the garden and Bird 1 and Bird 2 would peck away happily without fear.
Then there’s this one bird and we call him ‘Fat Bird’ because well, he’s fat.
Fat Bird is a little wary and does not come as close but still, friendly enough for us to appreciate him.
He would pave the wall back and forth when it’s time to eat. There was one evening we were having dinner and there he was, pacing the wall as if asking us, ‘Hey, Where’s my dinner?’
He’s rather entertaining. And fat.
I have been asked why a dinosaur and not an owl for my second tattoo as I am so into owls, with all that carving that I do?
Well, it’s because I have been going on and on about the dinosaur era when I reminisce about life in my musings, it made sense to assert my dinosaur-ness with a permanent one. But a dinky one to salute life with a good chuckle.
The owls? They are different and seriously, too many to decide which one I like because I love all my Citizens of Gigglesville. And as I see and create them in 3D, somehow I cannot picture them in 2D.
I have yet to carve a dinosaur and my dinky dinosaur looks good as is, on paper in 2D, it’s apt and a good decision.
Would I consider a third tattoo? Hmm… will give it some serious thought when I get to that crossroad in future.
Angieneering 
Remarks