The kindhearted Old Grandmother 好心的老婆婆 whose vat of water from the river mysteriously dried up one night.
Click here to go directly to see our homemade puppet show “Laibao’s Quest for A Bride“.
Click here to read the story in traditional mandarin chinese.
October 10，2012. Wednesday.
This is the Chinese Old Grandmother 老婆婆 who lives alone. She chops her own wood, carries her own water and takes life one day at a time.
I needle-felted and hand stitched this little doll based on the image that came inside the book where I first read the story of “Laibao’s Quest for A Bride”.
Here are the other characters that I made about the same time as this doll…
It is fun to make these chinese dolls for a change, since I have been making European ones prior to this.
Our homemade Snow White and Rose Red puppet show for Nunu’s 7 birthday.
The Water Vat
Crafting is like magic because you get to transform something physical in front of you into something that moments ago, only existed in the spirit realm. – Jzin. November 3, 2012.
I find it useful to tape the aluminum can with duct tape before I apply Crayola Model Magic on it. The Model Magic adheres itself and also to duct tape but not to the smooth aluminum can.
I initially considered using a natural material such as beeswax to make the water vat. Worrying about the Californian summer heat, I decided against it.
I used the convenient Crayola Model Magic which I buy in a large size tub when there is a sale at Michael’s craft store. You can also purchase it online by clicking on the image below.
Available on Amazon.com
I enjoy painting very much. This part of painting the water vat went by quickly. I used my acrylic paint and let the vat dry overnight. I glazed the painted vat the next day, using a glaze from the local craft store.
The Old Grandmother in her humble little cottage. She carries water from the river under the hill and fills her water vat with it daily.
The broken down little hearth had been used in our other puppet shows, such as Apple Cake and Snow White and Rose Red.
Here, a 5 year old Nunu making a similar hearth above, that one was made as a gift for her friend Katya’s birthday (for Cinderella’s miniature cottage).
I really love it when the little battery tea candle flickers in the set during the puppet show. It warms my soul!
The Old Grandmother’s small but warm cottage
Nunu, age 7 and I completed this set on Monday night, October 28, 2012. It is always much fun to work with my little girl.
Thank you Sarah for the lovely Starry Night silk scape seen below.
November 5, 2012. Showtime!
Nunu’s 8th birthday. Anichka and Nunu performed live piano music and also assisted me in performing “Laibao’s Quest For A Bride” homemade puppet show.
Photograph of the laughing children by Renuka Sharma.
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Laibao’s Quest for a Bride
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Please “Like” me on facebook so you will be in the loop when my Fairy Tale Puppet Shows are presented. Also, I giveaway my handmade dolls periodically. I announce the giveaways with Facebook. Thanks! – Jzin
My Handmade Dolls
Click on the picture of my handmade Sleeping Beauty Dolls to look at the Gallery of my handmade dolls.
