Chrysta

Meet Chrysta, the sorceress who tends the Crystal Garden. 

 Her gown is made of magenta chiffon over black polished cotton.  The chiffon has a loose pattern of made sparkly paste of some kind.

 Her jewellery is mostly flat backed faux pearls and crystals.

Her head dress is decorated with real beads and crystals (though the pearls are still fake).

Chrysta is completely hand made, from the doll (made from Cernit polymer clay obviously the help of a mould!) to her dress to her wig.

I'm very pleased with the way Chrysta turned out, just what I wanted for the garden.  There's just one slight problem though . . . . . . .

When you stand Chrysta in the Crystal Garden, she looks too squashed in.  Her skirts are too full and the paths too narrow.

Where ever she stands, there's the same problem!   Even with the central fountain pushed to the side, she still looks cramped.

She does fit best at the back, but then she's lost behind the central fountain.

Test model Harry proves that someone in trousers looks much more fitting in the garden.

Artie and Saskia from Castle Starcaster stopped by.  Saskia in her more triangular shaped skirt fits in much better than Chrysta.  Even Artie in his wizardly robes looks quite good (although he does have to walk sideways along the paths).

So . . . Having spent days working on Chrysta, do I now set her aside and try to find a spot for her in a different room and make another doll for the Crystal Garden (or leave it people-less)?  Or do I squish her in whether or not she really looks comfortable? . ? . ?

 In the garden itself, the edges of the beds have been capped with strips of mirror paper to finish them off, a backdrop of stairs leading to other rooms of the tower has been added in the doorway and work has begun on the central fountain.  The fountain is topped by a slice of geode, the only real crystal in the Crystal Garden.  I would say it's nearly finished, but then if I have to make another doll . . . . . . .