the Olde Curiosity Shoppe
I decided to participate in a 'Curiosity Shoppe' challenge, so set one up on the dining room table. For inspiration I used the Dickens story about a girl and her grandfather who lived in a Curiosity shop. After setting up some walls, and placing some furniture, I filled the shop with all kinds of things there might have been back in Victorian times.....
I chose Holly to be the 'granddaughter'....and started taking photos....
Her grandfather was working on fixing an old Knight puppet...
Window Shopping
Holly's grandfather had his workspace by the shop window where there was the best light....
...and he'd learned to ignore all the passers by....
..who would stand and look in the window....
...to see what curiosity he was working on...
the Package
Steve and Iris were looking in the window the Curiosity Shoppe....
Iris spotted something she'd really like to have...
So Steve went in to buy it for her...
Rats
Other than her grandfather, Holly's only other companion was her cat Rags...
Problem was, the shop was often overrun with rats....
...but Rags was not much of a 'mouser'.
...but Rags was not much of a 'mouser'.
Rags had no inclination to chase them away....
"Maybe he's scared of them. They are rather big."
"..or maybe he'd rather just be friends with them..."
A Street Urchin
I wasn't familiar with the storyline of Dicken's Old Curiosity Shoppe, so looked it up. Apparently the main character, Nell, was a young teen, so a lot older than my Holly. But I wasn't sticking with the real story anyways. I was interested to learn that her grandfather employed a boy that helped around the shop. Which gave me the idea to introduce an orphan boy much like 'Oliver'.
I chose Milo to be a street urchin, who lived on the streets of London, and made his livelihood looking for things he could sell...
I chose Milo to be a street urchin, who lived on the streets of London, and made his livelihood looking for things he could sell...
Whenever he found something of value, he'd come to the shop.... "Hi Rags..."
He had brought with him a little bundle tied in a dirty handkerchief....
He handed the little bundle to Holly's grandfather, who opened it....and was surprised to find several pieces of expensive jewelry.
"I was hoping you would be interested in some of these..."
"You have some really fine things here..."
"You didn't steal them, did you son?"
"No sir! I found a dog, and the woman who lost it gave me these as a reward..."
"I would never steal anything, Sir.... I'm an honest person, I am..."
So Holly's grandfather paid him for the jewelry. "Bye Rags, see you next time...."
Sunny Window
It was late in the afternoon, and the sun as streaming in the window, but Holly's grandfather was almost finished with the knight....
"There....I think you are all fixed now..."
the Knight Puppet
With the knight puppet finally repaired, it was time to try him out....
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