Patience isn’t exactly one of my naturally many virtues among them modesty, of course. But boy is RA this fandom experience teaching me patience! Waiting for pictures and news of the man to surface – Anticipating his new projects – Slowing down for the shrine work – Waiting impatiently for the arrival of some goodies that have been announced to me. To save myself from cracking up I have decided to amuse myself with the presentation of another RAPS. I bring you John Standring – the Travel Edition. I was tempted to call this the “mini John Standring” – but nothing is mini about that guy, methinks.
The colour of choice to place countryman John into context is green, of course. And anything organic, hence the dainty sparkly flower on the tin. This shrine is about 4.5 x 4.5 centimetres small (1.77″x 1.77″) and is the smallest I have worked with yet. The perfect size to hide even in the smallest of clutches, the tightest of jeans pockets, the most exposed of decolletages…
Can you imagine? John Standring nestled near your boobs, eh, heart…
However small – a RAPS has to come with the customary trademark disco ball. And a Standring shrine has to reference his catch phrase. I have slightly adapted it here. This shrine is supposed to speak to its owner, so he is addressing her in the second person singular. And she can talk back, tell all her worries and wishes to the gentle giant. After all these shrines are meant to be therapeutic.
In a shrine so small there is less scope for elaborate scenes. So here is John in his finery, pre-haircut. But he comes with the laurels he deserves. Not quite visible, but there is also a recess for the candle to sit in.
So that is John Standring, in my window box his element.
Exclusive Disclosure: I’ll be giving him away tomorrow! On the occasion of my two-year-blogiversary on tumblr, I am planning a big raffle. Check Guylty on tumblr tomorrow for the details. (A better chance than usual to get your hands on a shrine because there’ll be more than one!)
As an aside I am taking my cue from other RAbloggers who have collateral attractions and side dishes. I stumbled over an interesting article in my dear little Irish Times about Howard Shore, composer-genius who created the score for the Hobbit (amongst many other great pieces of film music) and who will present a selection of his work in a concert in Dublin’s National Concert Hall tomorrow night. His approach reminded me very much of the way of working of a particular someone else. Says he:
“I like to read a lot, so I always go back to the source from the film, whatever I’m working on. I do a lot of writing from the ideas inherent in the story; there’s a lot of free association to the story and to the musical composition. It’s a way for me to express my ideas on the piece, and it’s generally away from the film and the imagery. Then I go through another lengthy process of applying what I’ve created with themes and motifs; the underlying subtext of the story that I’ve worked on separately.”
Now, that could’ve been said by Mr A himself, couldn’t it? We know that he sneaked in on some of the score recording, and of course recorded his rendition of “Misty Mountains”… The article is well-worth reading!
Have a good Friday 😉
Guylty Pleasure 
A darling one! I love the window box setting too.
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🙂 I am enjoying my little still life set-ups just as much as I am enjoying the shrine-making. Perfect photo project when there is no work.
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Oh, that’s so sweet! 🙂 Love the photos you’ve chosen, too!
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Standring is such a sweetie. Interesting – I would not call him my favourite chaRActer but I have made three shrines of him already. Same with Thorin. Guy only has one. Hm…
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Does this lovely one come with all the lovely flowers???? Yeah, John Standring deserves to be out in luscious greenery….. He’s dear to me.
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The shamrock flowers are very delicate. They wither immediately 😦 But they totally embraced Standring 🙂
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that is adorable!! & I like that it’s small, b/c I don’t carry a purse 🙂 but alas, I do not have a tumblr account. I’m bumping this one up to the top of my list of fav RAPS though, along with Harry & Thornton 😎
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🙂 Oh, that’s nice – I was not too sure how popular this one would be because it is not as elaborate as the other ones. He’s really in good company with Harry and Thornton!
Don’t worry about the lack of tumblr account – I will have more shrines coming up for raffling here on WP. The coming weekend has been designated another shrining weekend…
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Looks like you finally got some Irish Spring,based on the setting. Glad for you.
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🙂 Indeed we have. It’s beginning to be lush and green outside. In fact, I shot the images a week ago, and when I look out of the same window now, the view of the park behind it is obscured by a large beech tree that has now come out in red leaves…
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Adorable. As is J.S. ❤
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🙂 The design fits then.
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Whoever wins will be a lucky person. A tiny shrine with the heart of a giant! Your oxalis (shamrocks) look lovely, too.
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Sometimes less can be more, right ;-)?
Disclosure: The shamrock grows like a weed. I have not tended it at all, I do not even water it. No need for that. Ireland has plenty of rain :-D. But I must say it looks really lovely.
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So cute… ❤ Love your John Standring shrine. 🙂
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Thanks April 🙂 Standring deserves lots of shrine love… ❤
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He is SO adorable … my cold, nasty heart just melts 😉
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Such a sweet puppy, Standring is. Or a little lost lamb. And I doubt you have a cold, nasty <3!!!
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The simple design fits Standring perfectly! And IMO, Howard Shore deserves a shrine of his own. 🙂
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Good point about Howard Shrine. Amazing music! Wish I could go to that concert, but the celebrity series is way too expensive for me…
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That’s too bad, a concert in your city and you can’t go.
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Cheapest ticket 40 Euro – I am saving up for some other stage work 😀
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That’s a very sound plan!
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I very rarily go on Tumblr.I think I am following you on it.As usual you made my man look great in such a small setting.Loving this..
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Hehe, it’s all one evil plan to get people to look at tumblr… No, it’s not. It’s just my blogiversary.
Glad you like the travel Standring 🙂
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Wonderful setting for the shrine as well. Which is just as important. The pilgrim has to want to go …
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Yes. That is something I have learnt from my time in the craftblogging world – everything looks better when you present it appropriately and nicely. Plus – I love styling photos. Standring needed a bit of nature around him.
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I love this pocket shrine but my guinea pigs “Kili” and “Fili” love it more than me because of the grass around it !!! I miss the green colour and flowers. Not enough nature where I leave. Oh ! and a VERY HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY GUYLTY. Go on with your blog, it’s my favourite.
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Oh, the shamrocks would be a lovely treat for them, I am sure. And yes, a very Irish, lush setting. I love the fresh green that is beginning to sprout everywhere now. We are about three weeks behind from a normal year. The winter was not extraordinarily cold, but rather long…
And thanks for the good wishes. Guylty on tumblr is going string – because of the weekly round-up, actually.
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Maybe you should start photographing for the Irish Tourism Board. Not that they do all that badly — they have the best advertising in the US of any country in the world, I think — but you would definitely have stuff to add. The quotidian perspective.
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Oh, I’d love to do that!!! I’d provide “an outsider’s inside view”, if you know what I mean. The perpetual tourist looking at the beauty of this country. After 15 years of living here (and 30 since I first encountered it) I still love it. I know there are many places of beauty in the world, but Ireland definitely is in the top 10. 🙂
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John Standring in shamrocks 🙂 Friday can be really lovely. Thanks Guylty 🙂
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Standring rocks in shamrocks :-D. Hope this was a good start to your weekend! Getting all the comments is certainly a great start into mine ❤
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So cute! 😀
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Yeah, Standring needs cute rather than hot, I suppose…
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