More Little Eleves

This little elf doll makes me smile every time I look at her.  As well as selling little elf dolls, I have kits for sale so that anyone can make a little elf doll.  I thought they'd make fun projects for children 10 years old and up who have some rudimentary hand sewing skills.  All the pieces are cut out and the frame is included, wrapped with roving, and the head and hand beads and Sculpey shoes are glued on.   Kits are $12.95 US plus shipping and handling.   Pirate Jack kits are available now.  More to come in the next few days.

 

Including kits for the Christmas children.

These little dolls are so comforting to hold, although they are not suitable for children under 3, and probably best for 5 and up .  They have enough substance from the wool roving wrapped around them to feel solid, yet they are very light weight and easy to fit into a pocket.  A kit to introduce how to make these dolls may then lead to all sorts of new characters and costumes, subject only to a child's imagination. It is often difficult to find open-ended, creative toys for older children.  This may be the perfect stocking stuffer for a child or adult you love.

little pipe cleaner dolls

I just completed little Acorn Cap. He joins the other little dolls I've been making. I'll post more tomorrow.

Happy November!

Autumn Stories

Hot off the presses, Autumn Stories is now available in a 32 page paperback with colour photographs.  In both stories in the book, Little Blue Feather helps his animal friends get ready for winter.  

In the words of one reader "Autumn Stories is charming!"

 In the first story, Little Blue Feather helps his friend Nutkin, the squirel to store his acorns for the winter.

 
In the second story, Little Blue Feather walks with his rabbit friends to a meadow so that they can get "fat and furry" and be ready when the winter comes.  The rabbits sing Little Blue Feather the song Hurry, Hurry which you can hear on my CD Brighten the Day - songs to celebrate the seasons.

You can buy this small format book from my website for just $6.95 plus shipping US/CAD.  It's a great gift for a child or someone who is a child at heart.  I will custom make needle felted bunnies for $13 per bunny similar to the ones in the story if you'd like and I'll ship them with the book.

If you purchase Autumn Stories and the Brighten the Day CD together, you'll save $1.50 on shipping charges.

Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry - we must all get fat and furry

I put my needle and wet felted woodland play mat for sale on ArtFire. 

As I was wet felting the base, I kept singing "Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry" - etc.  One of my favourite songs to sing in the fall.  You can listen to the song by clicking here.  You can order a copy of my CD here.  In the month of October, I will donate 10% of the proceeds of each CD, book, little fuzzy sold to my local food bank

Hope you had a sunny day!  We've been having the most beautiful sunny days and then cold nights with sparkly stars.  The song about stars (number 10) on my CD by Malvina Reynolds is also a favourite.  The song runs through my head every time I go outside on these cold, crisp evenings."The stars are shining all the night, The stars are shining all the night..."

I'm still playing

On this first day of fall - the sun was too hot so I had to move into the shade to work.

I started to make a few play mats/scenes yesterday.  I completed one today.  It made me smile and brought back so many memories of my children playing with little Lego people or Playmobile people or other little creatures and dolls that they had.  I like toys.  I like imagining a child playing with a toy I make.  

As I added what I hope looks like moss to the cave, I could smell the moss my mom helped me gather for a school project when I was in grade 1 or 2 in Holland.  I remember us going into the forest and finding some beautiful green moss and carefully lifting a small piece for me to use in my box for school. 

Happy Fall everyone!  I hope your harvest is filled with good memories, experiences, wisdom,and joy as well as delicious food!

Tree of life

This morning as I sat on the deck eating breakfast, I heard a continuous scolding from the downy woodpeckers who live in the neighborhood.  The table and chair were in a different place on the deck and the woodpeckers wanted to get to the feeder hanging by the kitchen window.   One of them flew over and landed on the feeder briefly.  I realized that where I was sitting seemed to disturb them, so I moved everything to where it usually is.  Within minutes, the male woodpecker was on the feeder.  He flew up into the oak tree above the deck and sat there for a few minutes.  A hummingbird hovered nearby, feasting on the little bugs that seem to thrive in the leaves and branches of the Gary oak providing breakfast, lunch, and diner for many species of birds.  The nuthatches were honking away and the chickadees were beeping. 

When my children were toddlers, their observations, astonishment and wonder of the world allowed me to see the world anew.  This morning, I saw it anew again.  Isn’t it marvelous how life has evolved on our planet to make it possible for one oak tree to provide food, shelter, and shade for so many species?

 Taken by Noah Layne in Feb. 2009, this nuthatch has just finished eating and is ready to take off.

Needle felting classes

I am offering some needle felting classes in the fall at Knotty By Nature downtown.

All classes are $30 plus a materials fee of $5.00, which includes a felting needle and a foam sponge

Pumpkins and Gourds  

Tuesday, Sept. 15th 7:00 – 9:00 PM and Saturday, Sept. 26 1:30 – 3:30 PM

 

Owls 

Thursday, Sept. 17th 7:00 – 9:00 PM 

and Saturday, Oct. 3 10:00 – noon

 

Snowmen 

Saturday, November 14st 1:30 – 3:30 PM
 

Little Santa Elves

Saturday, November 21th 1:30 – 3:30 PM