Happy 中秋节!

Mid-Autumn Festival is kind of a big deal to me. I think it is significant because there are so many happy childhood memories tied in with the festivities. especially the being-able-to-play-with-fire-albeit-under-adult-supervision-bit XD oh yes, the closet arsonist emerges!

it all started with this. a few months back, i made some 1:4 snowskin mooncakes (or small 1:3 ones) and Talina asked about them. so i offered to send her some when the season came around. however, the mooncakes wouldn't last the duration of the journey :( the closest i could offer were the piglets, since they are essentially the 'skin' of the original mooncakes, and i really enjoyed eating them, still do actually. of course, i had to make the 1:12 version :) it's pictured against a Singapore 10-cent coin, which measures 1.85cm across.

i then stuck with the theme and worked on making these 'original' mooncakes in 1:12. each is approx 0.8cm wide. they make for large-ish mooncakes, i really didn't want to work on any smaller, getting the chinese characters on there was no joke. it says "中秋" - mid-autumn on the left, and on the right, "月饼" - mooncake.

which led to the snowskin variety. it's a little like mochi, or maybe closer to marzipan? either ways, i'm not too big a fan of the snowskin variety, which is best eaten after refrigeration...perhaps it's the perfumy taste that i tend to avoid.

i much prefer the variety with lotus seed paste and nuts. usually it's pine nuts or watermelon seeds. either way's TERRIFIC!

grandma likes the one with the salted egg yolk.

in continuing with the theme, here's my take on the glass paper/cellophane lanterns that i adore. as always, it starts out with a terrible sketch. drawing isn't my strong point but it helps in the visualization process (?)

tadah! the dodo-bird looking lantern! at least they stand.

wahey!!

and i tried 'lighting' them with cheap lights from Daiso. not hiding the wires very well i know...:P

we also played with the paper variety. i attempted making these before the cellophane ones, i muddled about, tore alot of paper, gave myself immense hand cramps and wrist pains, and here are the fruits of my labour.

this has to be the item that i thought longest and hardest about, and it only took what, 2 hrs to make ONE??? LOL! needless to say, all of the items depicted here are not for sale (not yet?). i might make them available per commissioned request i guess. not that i expect any great demand for these anyway. :X

Yotsuba's not allowed to play with fire. so the candle in her lantern has been extinguished. :P

hope you enjoyed the pics as much as i enjoyed making these! ^ ^