The heroes of Sweet Berry Valley

Dear Readers:

Hope you´re all doing well. 

Today´s post is my entry for Challenge 7: Heroes, Idols and Stars on the Sylvanian Creations Forum

Hope you like it!

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It was a warm summer afternoon in Sweet Berry Valley. Ralph Walnut was sitting on the porch completely absorbed in his favourite comic book, Super Squirrel.

 

His father, Cedric, was busy trying to fix Ralph´s bike.

Ralph looked up at his father and asked: "Dad,who is your favorite superhero? Do you like the ones who can fly, or the ones with super strength?"

His dad smiled, put down his tools, and sat next to him. "Well, Ralph," he said gently, "those heroes are exciting but my favourite heroes don't wear capes".

"They don´t?" asked Ralph."So,what are their superpowers?".

 "Their superpower is making sure everyone in our village lives happily." Cedric answered. Let me give you a few examples... 

Think about Christopher Apple Blossom at the bakery," his dad said."While everyone else is fast asleep,he wakes up before dawn to make sure everyone in the village has fresh, warm bread and pastries for breakfast". 

“And he’s super generous, too". Ralph said. "Remember when Mum forgot her purse at home the other day? She didn't have any money to pay, but he insisted she take the bread anyway. He even gave Ambroise a croissant".

"That´s a hero´s heart" Cedrid added.

Ralph nodded, starting to understand. "Like our police officer, Bobby Robberts?"

"Exactly!" his dad agreed."He doesn't have to fight big, bad villains because our village is peaceful, but his superpower is being there whenever someone is in trouble. Last week when Mrs.Fennec locked herself out, Bobby Robberts brought a tall ladder, climbed up to the balcony and unlocked the door for her".

"And what about Postman Pete?" Ralph remembered. "Oh, he is a wonderful hero," his dad smiled. "His superpower is delivering happines. Even when his bike is loaded with big heavy boxes, he pedals with a smile, just to deliver a special package or a longed-for letter".

"And Nurse Clarice?" Ralph asked.

"Oh,absolutely!" Cedric smiled. "She doesn't have laser eyes, but just by looking at her patients she knows how to make them feel better. Her kind voice makes all your fears disappear. She soothes every bump and scratch with care and has the best remedies for tummy aches."

"And she always gives you a sugar-free lollipop!" Ralph added with a grin.

Ralph thought for a moment. "What about Mrs.Fenton,the nursery teacher? I remember being there when I was little and I really enjoyed it"

"Your brother Ambroise loves her too. She has the superpower for comforting people. Think about it, don't you need a real superpower to manage a whole handful of toddlers and keep them happy? She plays the piano, sings songs, and can turn tears into giggles with just a story or a game, making the little ones feel safe and at home.”

Ralph looked out toward the park. "And what about the Kennelworth brothers,Mr.Montgomery and Mr.Rufus? I saw them working on the swing late in the evening".

"That's right!" Cedric nodded. "They are Guardians of the Playground". After working all day in their carpentry workshop, they went straight to the playground to fix the broken swing and repair the see-saw so all the children can play safely again".

"And Mrs.Dingle, the florist!" Ralph added excitedly. "Grandma told me she leaves flower bouquets and a get-well card on the doorsteps of neighbours who are sick to cheer them up!" 

"Isn't she a hero of kindness?" Cedric said with a smile.

"You see?" his dad said, hugging him. "And speaking of Grandma, your grandparents keep our history alive with stories and grow the sweetest watermelons to cool us down in the summer heat.

Everyone in Sweet Berry Valley uses their everyday powers to look after one another and make our lives happier.These are just a few of our local heroes, but any of us can be a superhero".

After hearing his dad talk about all these real-life heroes, Ralph realized something wonderful the moment his mum,Yardley, stepped out onto the porch with a warm smile and a tray of chocolate chip cookies.Who wants a cookie?" she asked "They've just come out of the oven".

Ralph and Cedric stood up straight away to grab one. "Thanks, Mum! They're delicious!"

"You know,Dad," Ralph said, smiling at his parents. "You and Mum are the biggest superheroes of all. Mum’s superpower is making all my worries melt away with just a hug and her yummy cookies, and your superpower is always being there to help me and fix anything, no matter how hard it is". 

Touched by their son's words, Cedric and Yardley pulled him into a tight hug.

Ralph closed his comic book. Even though he still loved reading about the thrilling forest adventures of Super Squirrel,now he knew that you don´t need to fly or wear a cape to be a superhero,you just have to take good care of the people around you. And the best part of all? He was determined to become one of them, too.

As his parents paused by the doorway, Ralph looked up at them with a sparkle in his eyes.

“You must be tired from a long day.” Ralph said. “You relax and take a break. I'll help with dinner tonight,I'll wash the dishes afterwards and I´ll read Ambroise his favourite bedtime story!”

His mother,who was still holding the tray of cookies,look at him fondly: “Awww,Ralph! A real hero like you definitely deserves another cookie”.

Cedric smiled,looking proudly at his son. “That's a hero's heart, Ralph".

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Hope you liked today´s story!

When I first read the topic for July’s challenge, my original idea was to turn one of my Sylvanians into a pop star. But then I witnessed a moment at the supermarket: a little girl dropped her toy and a piece popped off. She was so sad until her dad fixed it in the blink of an eye. She looked up at him and said, 'Dad, you’re my hero!' That moment inspired me to focus on everyday heroes instead, which led to the story I posted today.

Setting up most of the scenes for just a single photo was quite the task! I had to take out so many buildings and accessories, only to put them all back again. For a few days, my bedroom and my kid´s room were pure chaos with boxes, miniatures, and Sylvanians everywhere! Here are a few photos to show you the mess, that's the downside of setting up scenes.

 

I also had to do some photo editing.I used AI to help edit the lighting of the photo of the Kennelworth brothers. Here's my original picture.

I wanted a sunset lighting effect, but after several failed attempts on my own and after spending ages trying to capture Christopher Apple Blossom at the bakery using a flashlight with my daughter's help, I decided to let AI handle the lighting for the Dalmatians in the park.

The Super Squirrel comic book was generated with AI as well. I printed out the cover and folded it into a tiny comic for Ralph. As for the bakery clock, I needed it to show 5:00 am, but why do all toy clocks and pictures in the web seem permanently set to 10:10? To fix it, I asked AI again to generate a clock showing 5:00.I printed it out, and stuck it over the original.

To create the Walnut grandparents ,I dressed up the father and mother figures in grandparent outfits for the photo. The glasses really make all the difference!

Here with their grandchildren.

I’ve also included some behind-the-scenes photos to show you my setups. The backdrop cards from the Sylvanian Families boxes came in very handy!

I set up two cottages thinking both would be in the picture, but from the angle I took it, only one made it. Extra effort for nothing, haha!

Setting up the nursery scene was a challenge! Keeping all those Sylvanian babies sitting still and in place was hard work. Mrs. Fenton really must have a secret superpower to manage them all!

The fences and the handmade orange tree were also a bit of a nightmare, they kept falling over all the time! They're very light and unstable

Stories set in a single location take less setup and clean-up, but since I was on holiday, I had extra time! Now, that the photo session is finished, it´s time to tidy up and put everything back in its place until the next project.

See you soon!