These are the fascinating pictures of miniature table sculptures molded around bonsai trees that take up to a painstaking 18 months to create. Japanese illustrator Takanori Aiba, 58, has built the intriguing scale models of windmills, lighthouses and even the Michelin Man.He delicately uses craft paper, plaster, acrylic resin, paint and plastic to create the host of sprawling miniature communities that wrap around the tiny trees.Following his work as an illustrator for Japanese fashion magazine POPYE he has spent the last nine years producing the detailed mini worlds.The creations take at least three months to construct with his Ice Cream Package Tower taking an astonishing 18 months work. Since 2003, he has made eight models, with 10 more planned over the next few years.
AN ANOREXIC dental nurse whose weight plummeted to less than four stone has won her NHS fight for more treatment .
SKIPPING on the spot, an adorable little owl embraces the 'running man' challenge .
RESTING his weary head on his flipper, this little seal pup takes a much needed nap after an afternoon of strenuous yoga .
A mum-of-three lost 10 stone after her son asked if she was pregnant .
HUDDLED together in the hollow of a tree, it would be easy to overlook these two sleepy owls as they blend into the trunk .
Families in an Indian slum put their lives on the line by living on top of an ACTIVE railway track .
Complete with core, mantle and crust, these incredible planet cakes are truly out of this world .
A woman was diagnosed with cancer after a cyst left her so bloated medics were convinced she was pregnant .
A mum has celebrated each of her four pregnancies with a host of wacky stunts - including acrobatics, aerial contortion, pole-dancing and risque photo shoots .
A pair of adorable polar bear cubs play-fight with each other in the Alaskan snow .
A little girl who lost all four limbs to meningitis has taken her first steps since the illness thanks to her new 'Princess legs' .
A teenage girl nicknamed 'spotty dog' by school bullies has embraced the hundreds of birthmarks that cover her entire face and body .