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.
DIPPING his head into the vase of water, this little squirrel takes a refreshing break from an afternoon of eating .
A floating market in Indonesia is bursting with vibrant colours as wooden rowing boats loaded with fruit and vegetables crowd the river .
She was the 18th century celebrity who made men faint in awe of her beauty by her very presence .
SEA LIFE and greenery in one shot show nature at its very best .
Pouncing down on top of his twin brother, these two snow leopard cubs practice their kung-fu moves .
A teenage girl nicknamed 'spotty dog' by school bullies has embraced the hundreds of birthmarks that cover her entire face and body .
NEVER mind being careful not to choke on your food, this mother bird has a bigger challenge on her hands, as her ravenous offspring impatiently launches its head down into her stomach .
A six-year-old boy has been left almost blind after a one-in-a-million allergic reaction to antibiotics .
A SPECTRUM of colours fills the sky during this spectacular and natural display of light .
Ashlee, 20, has always known that she was supposed to be a girl .