A Very Mermaid Christmas
Few people know that Christmas is popular even under the sea. Mermaids wear festive hats just for the occasion!
Many years, I create an ornament that shows whatever is enchanting my kids that year. From the Orange Fairy when my son was obsessed with all things Orange, to the Peppermint Fairy from the year my daughter danced as a Peppermint in our local Nutcracker ballet, the ornaments are fun to make, and even more fun to remember.
The peppermint fairy was a gift the year my daughter danced as a peppermint in the Nutcracker
Helping kids make fairies is fun. However, anytime I help them, I take the back-seat in order to support their ideas and choices. So giving myself room to create any fairy that I want is tremendous freedom.
My daughter has a (slight) mermaid obsession. We included mermaids in the Forest Fairy Craft book. They were summer mermaids with crowns. How could I modify the mermaid for the holidays?
I wanted a tail that curved, which took finagling. A few trial and error attempts where it looked too bulky or gigantic. I always draw pieces on paper first to cut out and test shapes. Then I use test felt (inexpensive felt in any color) which I can sew together with a few little stitches to see if the scale works. Once it does, time to create!
Both my daughter and nice love turquoise, so I used that as an inspiration color for both mermaids.
Using just a wee strip of faux fur on their hat was a fun carryover from other fairies that I was working on at the time (Saint Nicholaus). The Faux Fur is a little tricky to sew, hard to get the needle through, so it's definitely an adult quest. You could create a similar look with a strip of white felt.
I also use metallic thread similar to this one for that added sparkle. It's tricky to sew with the thread so it winds around their outfit.
The girls loved their mermaids! And it's a joy to see them again year after year.
Happy creating, one and all!
*this post does contain affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase through these links, a small amount returns to the Forest while your price remains the same. Thank you :)
A Mermaid Birthday Gift
Summer isn't done here. The sun is still warm, even though the air gets cool in the evenings. We were recently invited to a birthday celebration for a girl what loved mermaids. The entire party had an amazing attention to under-the-sea details. I decided to bring a little mermaid doll as our gift.
I sprinkled sequins along the tail. For her crown, I wanted to her to remember this birthday. She was turning nine. I sewed the star to the center first. Then I moved to one side and sewed four sequins. I tied the thread and started a new thread on the other side of the crown to sew four more sequins- nine in all. The extra steps tying knots saved me the trouble of measuring out how to make sequins even across the crown. I could have made light dots with a marker to space out sequins as well.
Her hair was a little tricky because these fluffy yarns tend to fall apart at the ends (because they are often a few different threads wound together on the skein). I usually solve this by creating braids, which tie off the ends. This way, if it unravels, the yarn is still held together in the braid.
However, for this mermaid, I wanted long, loose hair. So I tied a knot at the end of each strand. You can see the little knot in the blue strand of yarn in photos above. Tying those knots may sounds like a lot, but I only use about six strands of yarn, which is twelve knots in total. You can see the technique I use to glue hair onto the bead in our book. The fuzzy yarn is nice and forgiving about hiding the little knots. I may show the technique in another tutorial for those crafters who love the long, loose hair.
Best wishes on your next adventures, little mermaid!
You can learn how to make your own mermaids with our book, Forest Fairy Crafts.
The links in the article are affiliate links. If you decide to purchase a book, a small amount returns to the Forest while your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting us! Happy crafting!
Christmas in the Forest
This year, all the fairies are celebrating the season! I started a Christmas Advent (mini-version, because honestly I had the idea on December 4). We are already on day 7 of 12. And I love looking back at fairies I made over the years! Here they are so far :)
Wishing you a happy holiday season!
Five Ways to Personalize a Fairy
Fairies love to be gifts. Or special projects. And each time a fairy is crafted, they love to be unique. Fairies have a special magic. Because you create a fairy, you make her (or him) unique.
I give fairies as gifts all of the time. For new babies to hang over the crib, for birthdays, for children in difficult times. I have a few tricks for making a fairy unique. I hope they help you craft a fun fairy for friends, family, or yourself.
1. Favorite Colors
Ask about colors. Ask a parent or child about their favorite colors. Especially in childhood, colors change quickly. Use the colors to inspire your felt and petals.
Children often grow from pink, purple, pink, and more pink, to red, black, and dark purple.
Every age is fun! And using another person's favorite colors is fun.
2. Matching features
Match the family, match the details.
Fairy Deer by Margaret Bloom at We Bloom Here
I love fairy families! We create big sisters and little brothers. I will use a little gnome for a baby or toddler. Children love when the fairy is part of a family!
Matching hair color and eye-color always delights children.
I gave this fairy yellow hair to match my friend's hair. I threaded a strand of sparkly white in to add texture. Of course, I love colored hair for fairies- pink! green! rainbow! so I don't often matchy-match. Still a fun plan now and again :)
3. Using numbers
Numbers add a layer of significance to any fairy. The birthday fairies (pictures above with the blue candles on her hat) always have the number of candles matching the number of trips around the sun. Numbers can be used in other ways, too.
For this fairy, I sewed four Xs on her hat for the four people in her family (they wrap around so you don't see all of the Xs at once).
I use numbers all of the time with custom fairies. I will put a number of points on a crown, or beads on a hat. The numbers can reflect anything. From trips around the sun. To family. To dreams and goals. Numbers create another link between a fairy and her (or his) new home.
4. Charms and tokens
Bead stores can be my toy stores! A little charm can be the difference between an everyday fairy and a custom fairy.
For these fairies, I found beads with the same letter as the child's first name.
I had to treasure-hunt since the letters were buried in bowls of random beads. I need to find more letter-beads :).
I had a bead with the year for awhile which will help me in the future (I need 2014 beads :)). I also have charms with Made With Love on them. I adore charms with HOPE, or DREAM, or WISH on them. My challenge is that I often forget all my choices until the fairy is in the mail. Oops. This list will help remind me.
I also use charms to share a moment in time, favorites, or memories. This birthday fairy has a snowflake charm even though she has a spring birthday. Can you guess why?
I expect fairies to be loved, played with, and taken on adventures. My friend may not have this fairy forever. If she does, though, I want her to remember that this was the year she discovered a new favorite story and sang the songs with all of her heart. I want the fairy to reflect her life.
And my children do keep their fairies in a collection. We have everyday fairies and sentimental fairies :)
5. Stories, friends, and accessories
As I write this, I hear the stories that I hold as I create these fairies. Every once in awhile, I include a written note with the custom features of each fairy. Usually I let the fairy speak for itself. Most people notice matching elements, or discover the number of candles. Every once in awhile, though, I write a story to give with a fairy. Such as with the emotional Fairy Road that travelled with a fairy to a family in a very difficult time. Fairies are celebrations. They can also be a source of great comfort and strength. Fairies have been given to children who need extra support (my son carried one in his pocket the first days of school). They have also been angels in challenging times for health or grieving. Fairies have stories too. Writing a quick note can create an immediate connection between a fairy and a child (or adult).
I actually rarely give fairies a name. I often give that opportunity to the child. Naming is a connection as well. And they often choose a name that I would never imagine on my own :)
Fairies love friends! You can make your own, like Margaret Bloom made this darling deer to live in our Forest :)
We also give stuffed friends with fairies. We might give a cat or dog that looks similar to a family pet. Or magical friends. Often, I don't have time to make my own animal friends (I wish!). Luckily, the world makes awesome unicorns, dragons, foxes, and more that can accompany a fairy.
This unicorn is no longer available (unfortunately) the same company makes a similar Only Hearts Club Unicorn
My almost-last idea (I have so many ideas!) is to give a bottle of Pixie Dust/Fairy Dust with your fairy.
Of course, again, I cannot find this exact bottle to share, but these look very similar- Pixie Dust Bottles with Fairy Wand
I just thought of necklaces or bracelets, too, that can travel with a fairy.
Every fairy has their own unique magic. Making your own means that no one else in the world can create the exact same fairy. That is magic right there :)
Fairies make lovely gifts. Even bees know the magic of fairies :)
Enjoy creating and giving the magic away!
Bonus sixth way! Of course, a very simple way to customize fairies is to choose a special fairy. A mermaid or zombie or warlock may be just what your friend loves these days. Our book
All of the fairies in this post use tutorials found in our book
Now, I'm off to pack up the Birthday Fairy for a special friend. Share the magic :)
*please note: This post contains affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase any items through links on this post, a small amount returns to the Forest. Your price remains the same. We both win. And thank you!
Happy Fourth of July!
Hello fairies!
This week we made fairies to celebrate the Fourth of July. They are so festive and fun!
We were inspired by carnations in the craft store with red, white, and blue petals. We found great supplies with my Christmas collection of pipe cleaners, sequins, and sparkly threads. We realized that pompoms make perfect fireworks :)
So we sewed the design of the Leprechaun Hat with a long top (layered with another color). We tucked the pompom inside. Magic :)
Ian made a boy that had Fireworks Power. The blue thread going down his arm is how he shares his power to make fireworks.
And he wanted an orange face. This boy loves orange (he has a collection of All Things Orange by his bed).
We have a big party today (it's my birthday!) so I better go decorate :)
Enjoy the holiday! Happy Fourth of July! Happy Fairy Crafting!
Peg Doll Swap Fairies
These fairies inspired me! I joined the Peg Doll Swap at We Bloom Here. My partners were the super-talented Maureen from Twig and Toadstool and Jess from Bits and Bobbins/Mosey Handmade. How lucky am I?
Not only did I get to connect with these amazing crafters, they inspired me to make fairies for their families.
Crafting for children is a treat. As a crafty mama, my children often see me create and send treasures to other people. I make sure to set a few aside for them, of course. I saw the swap as an opportunity to give a personalized fairy to the children of crafty-mamas. I asked their favorite colors. I created a little brother/big sister, and little sister/big sister for my new friends.
The curious thing was that favorite colors were red/pink, and pink/red so the fairies matched in opposite ways :)
The darling deer is our new forest mascot sewn by Margaret Bloom just for us :). We love our deer friend!
The fairies are on their way to homes in Maine and Ontario, Canada. I bet they will go on many adventures with their new friends!
Inspiration: Pirates!
A new movie was released this week! A certain favorite fairy around here is going on pirate adventures! We can't wait to see The Pirate Fairy
Pirates are popular in the forest. We love to build dangerous ships and search for buried treasure. Just in case pirates are popular in your world right now, I want to share a little inspiration.
photo copyright: C&T Publishing
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Argh! Directions for these scallywags are in our Forest Fairy Crafts
We hope they inspire you too! Happy sailing the high seas :)
*Please note: this post contains affiliate links. If you decide to click and purchase, a small percentage returns to us (your price is exactly the same). Thank you so much for supporting the forest!
Leprechaun Baby
Hello wee leprechaun!
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
Today I get to sew with little friends in first grade. I will be taking photos to share of course. I had to make a sample for them. And it's so fun to make these little leprechauns. I used the Blossom Baby pattern on Page 99 of our Forest Fairy Crafts
I was a little creative with the hat. I didn't have enough acorn caps for my class project. And I want to finish them and send them home today. That means I needed to glue hats the day before. I made the hats ahead of time. And I had fun with the design.
I cut a rectangle with curvy lines (I just measured around the 5/8" bead, very scientific). It came out to 2" if you are curious. I made a few taller and a few shorter. I like every fairy to be unique :)
The next step would be tricky for children, but I sewed all these hats so I was okay with a few tricks :). I ran a stitch near the top of the hat. Note: for children, I always double the thread and knot so the needle won't pull off. These were for me. I've had a lot of practice :)
I cinched the thread tight and tied a knot so it wouldn't come loose. I am pondering how to best teach this to children... more on that soon. Anyway, I folded the hat in half and sewed a few stiches along the back.
Easy cuteness!
Ready to glue :)
I could have added sequins or a clover of course, but I have one day to finish these. I wanted the children to sew sequins on the body, sew around the outside, stuff, and close up. Will be fun!
Wishing you lots of magic today!
Tip: Last summer I realized that curvy lines were a challenge for cutting, yet looked wonderful. I took the leap and treated myself to a rotary cutter. I love the curves for blossoms and mermaid waves. It took me ages to choose, so here's the link in case you are interested: OLFA Rotary Cutter
*Please note: this post does contain affiliate links. Should you purchase anything, your price doesn't change, but a small percentage commission returns to the Forest. Thanks for helping us buy more felt :)
For sharing:
Enjoy!
Forest News and What's New in the Etsy Shop
I met this pretty fairy this week.
Her colors are perfect on days with overcast skies. She reminds me that spring will be here soon! Our winter is terribly mind here in Northern California this year with drought conditions. But I still use warm socks and cozy pajamas. I look forward to sunshine and flowers.
I made her especially for the yearly school auction. Asia and I both teach at a public charter school. The Nevada City School of the Arts is also our childrens' school. We donated this fairy, a signed book, and a natural supply kit to A Matter of Taste. If you are in the Nevada County area, this event is a treat for everyone. We'd love to see you there :)
I also updated our Etsy Shop.
We now have Natural Supply Kits, which have all the goodies that you need to make a fairy, little fairy, gnome, and treasure-keeper in our book (except glue and colored pencils to draw faces). These kits now have wool blend felt. The felt has lovely colors and is soft and wonderful for keepsakes. We also added cotton pipe-cleaners (again, soft). Asia and I put together each kit. Each one is unique. This makes them a little tricky for listing- I need photos for each kit, but I love how there isn't one exactly like another. The color combinations get me every time- I want the blue and lavender, no- maybe the green and pink. Choose yours before it disappears :)
I also created Fairy Kits by request. This kit has the supplies for one fairy.
This is a perfect gift idea. I even create the body since that can be tricky. Children can have fun sewing the hat and creating their own magical doll.
Both kits depend on the Forest Fairy Crafts
We also learned that our projects appeared in two magazines. Yes, two! We were in Kiwi magazine. Thank you for the lovely review! And we are in BYou magazine. So exciting to see the fairies, gnomes, and crafts in print!
We are so grateful for everyone supporting the Forest. These little treasures mean the world to us and we appreciate being able to share them with you :)
*note: the link to our book is an affiliate link
Sweetheart Fairy Babies
Fun in the forest sounds like, "Guess what I made?"
Aw, welcome little sweetheart fairies!
Asia shared these darlings with me last week. We love being inspired by the season.
Asia used ideas from our Forest Fairy Crafts
The wee babes started as Blossom Fairy Babies (page 100). Instead of a leaf bed, Asia made a heart similar to the heart pockets on page 114. She then took the hat from the Love Fairy on page 66 and made the heart-shaped hat small enough for a baby.
Putting it all together is brand-new magic!
Certain things, like the pom-poms on their hats and felt heart decorations, are not in our book. The pom-poms are in most craft stores and can be sewn with a little stitch at the top of the hat. The hearts are cut freehand and secured wtih a stitch.
We keep hearing about mixing and matching ideas from the book. We love that!
Of course, each idea began as a question. "How could we...?" I have a few ideas tumbling in my thoughts right now. "How can I...?" And the results are so much fun!
We wish you lots of love as you create :)
Winter Fair Sweethearts
This week we are going to a Winter Faire which was rescheduled due to snow last month. At the time, missing the holiday season was disappointing.
But winter days are long (even with the strange early spring we have this year). I look forward to a fun day for us and our children.
The fair inspired me to sew these little gnomes to bring along.
Sweetheart Gnomes by Lenka
Each new season is new inspiration :)
And I had to make a fairy, too.
Sweetheart Fairy by Lenka
Children (and adults) ask sometimes why the fairies or gnomes don't have faces. We like to create them both ways. Many of my fairies have faces. I love the little smiles and impish personalities.
At the same time, I find the wood-bead charming. The idea is that our imaginations create the face. We can 'see' the happy or worried or surprised fairy in our mind. We create the expression and the details. This sounds novel in an age when everything can be made to be more real and toys come with soundtracks so we don't need to make a train whistle or a firetruck siren-song.
I adore simplicity. And I appreciate getting to make these types of toys. Just waiting for a little magic. To come alive :)
You can find us at the Winter Fair at the Yuba River Charter School tomorrow. I can't wait to see all of the toys and crafts and games. I am sure to find more inspiration :) More information is here if you are in the Nevada County area.
We hope to see you!
Happy Christmas!
We send happy, sparkling wishes for peace and joy to everyone today. Whether you celebrate Christmas or other holidays, we hope today finds you with family, good health, and delightful laughter.
I love creating fairies all year. Christmas gives me a lovely chance to create glittering decorations.
I adore Fairyland during the holidays :)
Wishing peace, abundance, and love to all :)
Happy Celebrating :)
Child-Made Fairies for Christmas
One of my favorite things about the holidays is making fairies with children. Every student in my class (20 in all) makes a fairy. The boys (and a few girls) are not inspired by fairies, so they make elves. Or angels. Whatever the fairies are called, they bring joy to the season.
Our book was inspired by projects like these fairies. Because families sometimes wonder how their five, six, or seven year old made such treasures. Every little fairy/elf/angel is unique. Reflecting the unique voice of the child.
How does it work?
The directions, with many photographs, are all in our book
What the child does:
- chooses felt and pipe cleaner colors, yarn, sequins, wings
- sews the decorating felt band on the hat, adds sequins and decorations galore
- sews up the back of the hat
- adds beads and bells to the top of the hat
- winds thread (pants or tunic)
- chooses petal skirts
- tries hat on to see how it all looks together
What the adult does:
- makes the body
- draws the face
- cuts the felt
- threads the needle and ties knots
- demonstates (models) the first couple of stitches and how to add sequins
- lets go of expectations :)
- folds hat in half when decorating is done, sews an anchor stitch at the bottom
- models sewing up to the top of the hat (one stitch)
- knots thread for clothing
- models first steps for winding thread (pants or over-shoulder, under arm)
- holds wings until they are attached with winding thread
- clips tiny amount so petal skirts can scoot up the legs
- glues hair and hat on fairy/elf/angel
Of course, this all changes depending on the age and personality of the child. And it doesn't have to be done on the same day. Take breaks. See the little bits of felt and thread come together to create a magical keepsake.
One of our favorite things at the recent craft fair was hearing from families whose students left us five or even ten years ago. "We still have our fairies," they said. On the tree or the table or the mantle.
We still love our fairies :)
Happy Holidays with Angels
We are so excited to share the season with all of you. And we are dancing-sparkly excited about wonderful news! We love the magical dolls that Margaret creates in her book, Making Peg Dolls
So my friends bought me the book and we were all enchanted. Margaret's projects have a sweetness and wonder that had my very-young son asking me to make that one for him, and that one, Mom, please? While my girl asks for more felt and supplies to make her own tiny flower people and baby chicks.
Peg People and Baby Birds by Margaret Bloom
I sent Margaret a little note thanking her for the pretty book. I wished that I could have met her in person.
We haven't managed to meet in person yet, but, sure enough, our shared love of all things glittery inspired friendship. As we talked about the holidays, we thought that a giveaway swap would be fun.
"Let's make angels," we said.
And what inspiration!
She is giving away my angel so head on over to We Bloom Here to enter. I get to give away one of her darling angels.
We didn't share our design ideas before creating the angels. I think it's fun that we chose the same iridescent pipe clearners. And stars. Great minds think alike :)
I am so fortunate to share this gift with one of you this holiday season.
Angels are appreciated around here all year-round. They bring us peace and hope. They are symbols of light and love. We keep them hanging in little nooks or sitting on shelves by a candle. You can enter to win these angels. You can also make a few of your own! Our books have directions for both of these treasures (and plenty more).
We are delighted to share our angels. All that you need to do is write a comment below and include your email so we can get the winner's address. To enter this give away, please leave a comment below this post, and be sure I have your email so I can get in touch if you are one of the winners. For added fun, you may tell me about your favorite holiday magical tradition. For us, the holidays are full of magic. We love St. Mikulas visiting on December 5. We put a sock behind the curtain. He leaves little sweets on our windowsill. My father was Czech and this is how he held the tradition with us. Each year, finding goodies on a windowsill is simple magic.
Comments for the give away will close at 12:00 noon, Pacific Standard Time, on December 9, 2013. A winner for one peg doll angel will be chosen via random drawing and announced at that time. To enter for the Fairy Angel, head on over to We Bloom Here. Happy Holidays!
Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful memories and comments! We have selected a random winner and are waiting to hear back. Wishing you a lovely day!
Thankful
This year brings so much gratitude. We are thankful for our book and sharing our book.
We are thankful for seeing our crafts made around the world.
We are thankful for the photos of fairies and owls and critters sewn by children (and adults).
We are thankful for activities. We loved hearing about the scavenger hunt with hidden fairies.
And giveaways. We are thankful for great reviews (so many!). Thank you thank you!
We are thankful for supportive friends. And family. And new friends! We meet so many lovely people into the forest. We appreciate you.
We are thankful for creative children. And creative grown-ups.
We are thankful for our agent and the wonderful people at C&T Publishing who helped make our ideas into a beautiful book.
We are thankful for the bloggers who post reviews and projects. We love the photos of your crafts!
We are grateful for our community.
We are so grateful for our children. Thank you, Anika, for staging these scenes with me yesterday with the fairies!
We are thankful for dreams, because the Forest started as a dream. We are thankful for dreamers.
And we are thankful for magic. The magic of turning felt and ribbons into little treasured stories. The magic of spending time together making cute things.
The magic that makes me smile. Every time. Every time the glue dries, I hold the finished craft. And I smile. So thankful.
We are grateful for good health. Asia and I have both had challenges in our families this year (better now) that remind us how this time together is so very precious. We are grateful for good mornings. And afternoons. And evenings.
I asked my girl and her first answer was Family. Grateful for family. Love and acceptance and growing together.
And of course we are grateful for you. For your reading. And your crafting. And your support of our little journey. You make this possible. And we appreciate you each and every day.
Thank you!
Wishing you a delightful day!
Christmas Card Giveaway
I just took photos for this year's holiday card and I can't help but share :)
Introducing the Christmas Tree Fairy! She shines in the forest.
Last year, I made special peppermint fairies in honor of my daughter dancing as a peppermint in the Nutcracker.
They appeared on a forest-fairy holiday card.
This year I chose a Christmas Tree Fairy. Just because.
Now I need to get busy making the cards :)
I would love to send one to you or a child in your world! These good wishes from the forest will be fun to open in the mail!The fairies love to share happy cheer!
I will pick two comments from below to receive a limited edition holiday card from the forest. We can send to your address or a different address of your choosing. The contest closes on December 1. We have a super-fancy surpise planned for December 2 so check back Tuesday. We love giving magic!
I will contact you through email, so be sure to leave that for me. I hope this week finds you enjoying family and the sparkle of the season!
Terms and conditions: Entries are free. International entries are accepted. Contest ends on December 1 at midnight Pacific Time. All comments are appreciated :) Peace and joy!
Thank you for the lovely comments! It's too hard to pick two, so I am working on a way to send more cards. Stay tuned :)
Autumn in the Forest
Hurrah for changing leaves and crisp mornings. We love the bright colors of fall, the blazing oranges and reds. We also love the shadowy colors of fall, the dusky purples and deep burgundies.
We haven't been able to post that much because we are busy creating these days. We have a few craft fairs booked for December (more on that soon). And the book is selling well! (thank you!) But the fun needs to be shared.
So happy October!
We have new things in the Forest. The first is that we now offer custom greeting cards with our images. When you go here, you can choose an image and design it however you like. You can order one, or a box of ten or more. I am excited to try them. I will be adding more holiday images as we get closer to the season.
We have also been selling kits locally and in our Etsy shop. The response is an overwhelming, "Thank You!" And as I prep for our own holiday crafting around here, I appreciate the effort the kit will save a lot of families. The kits do not include directions (they are meant as a companion to our book). They have supplies to make at least four different projects. If you are crafty, most of the supplies are probably in your stash, but if you are traveling, or just starting to craft, these kits save a lot of time.
My current challenge is choosing colors! I want to keep our inventory simple (pastels, woodland, seasonal) but they we go to the store and find turquoise and magenta. And what about angels? And winter?
Oh, the ideas are endless. The last special one for this month is the Spooky Crafty Kit with purples and black. Perfect for zombies and witches. I only have one left in our Etsy Shop.
I am adding petals to the kits, too, because the petal fairies are so much fun!
Speaking of petal fairies, I have too much fun making my own fairies :)
They're even harder to offer for sale. I fall in love with each and every one of them. Especially her...
She has this little smirk that makes me happy. Every single time I see her :)
I don't really want to send her off to a new home, but she is available here.
I wanted to make a pink and black fairy. And she kept adding details. She wanted sparkles. Gold thread in her hair. A wide-brim hat. And she has this sweet and sly look about her that reminds me why I craft. We can make magic :)
Speaking of magic, my girl has inspired me to create a little for her and her friends. This year, the big new thing at school is animal tails. And this is before the Fox song :). They wear tails to school almost every day. They asked me for cat tails. And Ian asked for an orange cat tail. Their friends want more, so I made a few extras.
And the more realistic, faux fur cat-tail...
I am getting the cat-tail posted (hopefully soon). The orange tail in is our shop :)
And we have exciting plans for the holidays. It's a secret for now, but I am working with one of my favorite magical artists... Lucky me :)
Time to enjoy this fantastic autumn! I am sending great fun and spooky-sparkles your way :)
The Fairy Road
This little fairy has a big job. His job is to comfort a young girl through a very difficult goodbye. Life is lovely and treasured moments. Life is also sad and lost moments. We want to hold on, especially when letting go breaks our hearts.
We don't always have a choice. And perhaps these little tokens, these handmade fairies, gnomes, and felt stuffies, perhaps they can help our journey. Perhaps they can help our children through the dark patches of forest that comes along with living.
When my children were young, I felt the connection that we all share. I felt that we are bigger than ourselves. We are made of the same stardust. I want my children to know, for always, that I was with them. Even if they are at school or in their own bedroom or away travelling.
I made up this story for my daughter. We tell it again for all separations. Whether it's an overnight adventure, or the loss of a loved one. We use the Fairy Road to share our connection.
I hope this little fairy, and the story, might help a friend's family who is saying the worst goodbye. My heart aches for all of the children and families in stressful, dark circumstances today. I know these tokens cannot erase heartache, but perhaps they might give a little peace.
The Fairy Road is a story of finding hope. It is a story that brings us together. I am happy to share it. A downloadable, printable version is here.
I send so much along with this little fairy. Light and love. And believing :)
The Fairy Road
By Lenka
When my daughter was young, she didn’t want to sleep in her own room.
I’m too far away, she said. What if I can’t find you?
And I said that I would be in her heart, that she could feel me close even if she couldn’t see me right there.
She shook her head. No, she said, no. I need to find you.
She challenged me to look beyond the obvious answers. I thought deep and creative and new thoughts.
Our world is not the only world, I said. Our world is one of many worlds. And those worlds are just as real and true as our world. We visit them in our imaginations and in our dreams. We are more than these hands and feet and faces. We are energy. Pure, light, beautiful energy. And we can travel from world to world. When we close our eyes. When we dream. When we drift into peaceful thoughts...
Between your room and my room is magic. There is a path, a fairy road, covered in sparkles, that connects you and me for always. We don’t need shoes to travel this road. We just need to believe.
Close your eyes and let go. We will find each other. We will be in a place with shimmering lights and tea-cakes and an orchestra playing lovely music. We will dance. We will play. We will be together.
Can you see?
She snuggled under the covers, not quite sure about my plan. And can I find you for always?
Always.
Our world is not the only world. And we may be far from each other, but we are connected forever. I believe. Being apart is the toughest thing in the world- saying goodbye is heartbreaking. But I know that we go on; we visit with tokens and dreams. We stay even when we are gone. We are together. Forever. Meeting on the Fairy Road.
peace, love, and light,
Lenka
The First Fairy Mobile
Last month, I wanted to create a gift with our class of kindergarten and first grade students. Our beloved teacher was going to have a baby! What a perfect chance for me to try a long-time idea. How could I make the fairies into a mobile?
This was the perfect gift. Each student helped with one of the six fairies. We didn't know if the baby would be a boy or a girl, so we kept neutral colors. I chose the felt and cut the pieces before we sat down to sew- orange, blue, yellow, and green. The children helped sew hats and sequins so we had three girls and three boys.
I also kept the thread choices blue or green. This way, the fairies looked similar with their unique personalities. Children also chose the beads for the hat that would end up matching the beads I used to connect the wires (I didn't plan that ahead of time, but it worked out perfect).
Once I had the six fairies, I used floral wire and the heaviest beading wire that I could find in our local craft shop. The beading wire was pretty, shiny, and soft. The floral wire was thin, but strong. I ended up using both wires. I liked the 'character' of the softer wire. The uneven bends here and there just added to the charm. I used beading pliers to make simple loops at the ends and the center. Each wire balanced with a girl and a boy. I attached these together with short pieces of wire. I felt like the middle sections needed a little something, and the beads were a perfect solution!
I could make a tutorial if people are interested in all the details of putting the mobile together. My magic was seeing how each child contributed to a collaborative gift. I have wanted to make a fairy mobile for ages! I am glad that I got the perfect opportunity. I have also seen lovely mobiles using a hoop. I would love to try sticks, too, for the natural elements.
I loved creating this fairy mobile with the children. We hope the baby loves our hanging Fairyland!
Giveaway: Summer Fairy
We decided to celebrate our book all summer with a series of giveaways! We love to share our crafts and kits.
This week is a blossom fairy with Waldorf inpiration. This girl has a flower-hat with long green braids. She is sweet and calming. She hopes to join your home.
We are happy to send her as a gift to a special child in your life. We contact the winner and you give us a shipping address.
We are open to entries from the USA and Canada. If you are international, email me and we can talk about shipping costs (I can ship internationally if you can help cover the difference).
Good luck! We would love to send her to your home soon!
*Please note: Fairies are not for very young children who taste their toys (though fairies do love hanging above cribs or near windows safely out of reach). Fairies have small decorations. Fairies love gentle, creative play but do not enjoy rough pulling :)
Thank you for sharing the Forest with your friends!