Waldorf Star Lantern

When I first started making Waldorf Star lanterns I had a hard time with some of the steps. The instructions were hard to make out in pictures. I really needed someone to 'show' me how it was done. I was unable to find any videos on how to make them. After much frustration I figured it out and since then many people have asked me how to make them. Last night my wonderful husband Bear helped me put together this video tutorial. It's a little rough around the edges; this was our first time using this video editor. We hope that it is clear enough, you enjoy it, and that you Have Fun!

Light and Color on a Rainy day

This weekend Bear and I woke up to more rain. The sky was dark as night and the rain came down in torrents.To fight back the darkness Bear and I snuggled up and lit many lanterns. These are a few of my favorites. Our home was now full of light, but we needed color as well.

I introduced Bear to wet on wet watercolor painting. Bear forgot to wet his paper a few times, but I loved seeing how much fun he was having. The colors swirled as the rain came down and so we just kept painting.And painting.... And painting...Soon every table and counter top was full of our paintings; so we made Waldorf Star lanterns out of them. Each one was a work of art. We put a candle inside each one and then put them to work keeping the darkness at bay. Soon our house was shining, full of color, warmth, and light. I would imagine that this is what living inside a rainbow would look like.

Sometime this week I will be posting direction on how to fold a Waldorf Star Lantern. Till then take care and Have Fun!

Natural Waldorf Math Gnomes

I love Math Gnomes. The first set I made over a decade ago for my nephew. They were finger puppet math gnomes made of felt and wool roving. I looked high and low for a photo but could not find one of them. I have been wanting to try staining with natural dyes as an alternative to paint, but I found it to be a bit intimidating. A couple of days ago I read a post by BendingBirches; she dyed play silks with turmeric and I was encouraged to take this first step. Please stop by her blog. She has such a sweet and gentle spirit that shows in her writing and in the beauty and warmth of her photos. Her blog is both peaceful and inspiring.

Staining the wood with Turmeric

Out of the Vat and Drying. I am so pleased with the colors.

Here are my old painted gnomes and my new stained gnomes; finished with natural non toxic oils. Their symbols have been burned on with a wood burner. Bear and I are pleased beyond belief with them and can't wait to make more. Using natural and non toxic stains as an alternative to paint can be rewarding. If you want to start small, try dyeing eggs, but most importantly Have fun!

Felt Crowns

Crowns, crowns, crowns and more crowns. I've been fast at work spinning these out. 26 crowns made and I sure hope to make my goal of 60 before the end of August. Wish me luck. I love felt crowns. They are perfect for children. They are playful, soft, colorful, and open wide the doors to imagination. I've given several crowns away and have joyfully witnessed a multitude of different characters surface. There are of course the princes and princesses and birthday girl/boy persona's that emerge when crowned. Then there are the wizards, fairies, mad hatters, gas station attendants, magicians, pirate king/queens, and superheros that I've also watched emerge. My newest favorite happened this past Saturday when I gifted my niece with a new crown and she promptly tried crowning a very old and very tolerant cat. I would love to get a hold of some play silks to have on hand. They make wonderful tools for the imagination and would pair well with these crowns. Does anyone know a place online where I can get a good deal on un-dyed play silks? I've seen wee ones running around using them for butterfly wings, capes, doll blankets, forts; not to mention using them for seasonal scaping on the nature table. Take care everyone and have fun!