Happy Bluebirds to You

Happy little bluebirds sing,
"Tra-la-la, it's time for Spring!"

A Bluebird Picture Lantern (and a Bluebird Story for You)

When I was about 5 or 6 my mother took me to a screening of the 1940 movie The Bluebird starring Shirley Temple, based on the 1908 play by Maurice Maeterlinck. The story is about a brother & sister, Tyltyl and Mytyl, who are sent out by the fairy Berylune into various magical realms to search for the Bluebird of Happiness. Returning home empty-handed, the children see that the bird has been in a cage in their home the whole time. When Tyltyl gives the bird as a gift to a neighbor's sick child, the bird flies away. The moral is that, ultimately, happiness can be found within oneself.

There are two scenes from this movie which have stayed in my mind all these years later... The first magical realm the children visit is a cottage where their deceased grandparents live. The children have a nice visit with their grandparents, however as they prepare to leave, there is sadness. The grandparents reassure the children that, although they no longer reside in the world of the living, as long as the children hold them in their memories, they will still be awakened to life.

The second scene I loved showed Tyltyl and Mytyl visiting a misty realm where children are waiting to be born. In this realm they are guided by a personification of LIGHT and meet a child who will be born as a new baby into their family.

I hope you find the Bluebird of Happiness in your home and within yourself... always...

Visits from the Tooth Fairy

A Spell for Summoning Fairies

Sit where the cat sits. Cross your toes.
Close your eyes. And smell a rose.
Then say under your breath:
"I believe in Fairies, sure as death.

Gadflykins! Gladtrypins!
Gutterpuss and Cass!
Come to me fairily
Each lad and lass!"

(From Lady Cottingtons Pressed Fairy Book)

In addition to our wee Bloom getting his first teeth, our Little Mr. B. has been losing his baby teeth and getting a set of new ones. Hence, the tooth fairy has been a frequent visitor at our house. Up until now, this has been a perilous proposition for our dear local tooth fairy. She has had a choice, you see, of coming down the chimney (rather sooty) or using the cat door (perilous, indeed.)

So, I solicited the help of a marvelous and magical maker of fairy doors...

Nothing, however, gets past this cat. I'm afraid, the tooth fairy is still going to have to brave the dangers of our lurking kitty on her next visit (I suppose the spell for summoning fairies does, after all, say to, "Sit where the cat sits...")

Flower Lanterns for Spring

Until a few weeks ago my winter garden was looking dreary & drowsy under somber skies. Then who should emerge from their wintertide dreams but the jonquils... They rubbed the sleep from their eyes to make their pretty faces shine. Now, they seem to laugh at the antics of the squirrels and mock the Sun who is still hiding his face under blankets of gray.

Inspired by my friends the jonquils, I have made some picture-lanterns. I love this project because it is so gratifyingly easy. In December, my seven year old created an elegant lantern striped with circles of green, blue & brown with hardly a word from me (he just got busy, and when I looked up from my own work, he was nearly done!) I also made an ocean-themed picture lantern which you can see here.

To create your own picture lanterns, all you need are some recycled jars, mod-podge and German kite paper. To start off, I like to cover my jars with white kite paper or tissue paper. This creates a uniform background for the pictures you will create and candles will have a softer glow when lit inside.

To cover your jars, brush a thin layer of mod-podge all over the glass and then lay the paper on top of it. If any areas do not stick well, you can also go over the top of your paper with a bit more mod-podge. The paper will wrinkle as you wrap it around the jars (as you can see in my photos) but I personally like a bit of texture anyhow.

Either before you put your base-layer of paper on your jars (or after the mod-podge has dried) you will want to measure the height of your jars and also around the middle. Then trim some plain white pieces of printer paper or newsprint to the measurements from the jars. This will allow you to know how much space you have for your picture-collage and help with the design...

Then you can start cutting and arranging...

Once you are satisfied with your design, brush a thin layer of mod-podge over half of the jar, arrange your bits of paper and then proceed with the rest of the jar. Note: After I have placed my colored bits of paper on the jar, I usually brush them over again quickly with some mod-podge to help them stick and lie flat.

If you wish, after your design is set on the jar and the mod-podge has dried, you can go over it all once again with a thin layer of mod-podge. This will seal things up nicely.

The Vernal Equinox will be here in less than a week... wishing you endless flowers to welcome Spring with joy!

Another Book by M. B. Goffstein

As you may have noticed from yesterday's post, I am utterly enchanted by M. B. Goffstein's book Goldie the Dollmaker. I was aware she'd authored & illustrated a number of other books, however I'd only ever seen two others. Our local library system owns 7 of her books; I wanted to have a look at the others so, a few nights ago I went Alibris to see what I could find. Today a package arrived with a bundle of books!

My favorite among them is Me and My Captain. It's narrated by a small wooden doll who imagines what her life would be like with the captain of a toy fishing boat set on the window sill below her shelf. It's a tiny book filled with whimsical melancholy & the loneliness of a little doll:

I dream of her captain somehow coming up to see me. He would notice at once that I have a ship in a bottle and a collection of sea shells, and ask me to marry him. Then I would invite him to stay for dinner.

The little doll goes on to sing the praises of eternally appetizing doll-house food (which is made of plaster!) Toward the end, she says:

Since the captain of a fishing boat is often gone on long voyages, my dog and I would stay here, and our life would be just the same as before. But we would have someone to watch for and wait for and hope for good weather for...

Even without knowing him, when I look down at the captain's boat on the window sill, I feel happy because he is there.

A sweet little book full of longing.

I Made this Doll for You

...Goldie got out her paints and carefully mixed a flesh color for the doll. She covered its face, neck, and ears, its arms and hands with the rosy tan paint, and then waited for it to dry.

As the day went on, Goldie ate buns and drank tea, and painted the doll's curls a glossy dark brown. She painted a white camisole and matching knickers on the doll's body, gray stockings on her legs and pretty black shoes on her feet. Then she painted a little gleaming black eye on either side of the doll's nose and finally, holding it firmly around the waist with one hand, Goldie smiled and smiled into the doll's eyes in the friendliest, sweetest way, and she painted a smile right back to herself on the little doll's face.

From Goldie the Dollmaker by M. B. Goffstein

In February, I started off my invitation to the wooden peg doll-exchange with the above quote from Goldie the Dollmaker by M.B. Goffstein. For me, this is a very special little book. It was originally published in 1969 and most recently reprinted around 1993. At the time of the 1993 reprint I was given a copy by my brother and another copy by my mother (this is how I end up with multiple copies of the same books on my shelves... I am given gifts by those who know & love me well.)
However, the quote at the top of this post is only half the story... 

A little more than half way through the book, Goldie enters a small shop which sells her dolls. It's a shop of treasures and Goldie spots a small Chinese lamp -- the most beautiful lamp she has ever seen. The lamp is painted with pictures of "A Chinese family... having a picnic by a little stream, beneath a lovely drooping tree. Two children... sailing flowers in the stream while an old man and woman in flowing robes sat on red chairs, watching..." She takes the lamp home with her and then regrets the expensive indulgence. In the middle of the night she has a dream:

She dreamed she felt a light tap on her shoulder.
"Please," said a warm, polite voice. "Please!"
"Yes?" said Goldie.
"That lamp you bought."
"Yes?"
"I made it."
"Oh, it's beautiful!" said Goldie... "But who are you?"
"I made the lamp you bought today!"
"Oh," said Goldie, "Oh! I see." And she sat for a moment, smiling. "But you don't know me," she said suddenly.
"Yes I do. I made the lamp for you..."
Goldie laughed and laughed.
"You understand!" cried the voice.
"Yes," said Goldie. "That's the way I carve little wooden dolls and paint their clothes and faces on them."
Through this conversation, the author of the book gently describes how souls can connect through artwork, even if they've never met. This is what I love most about this book. And this is what I love most about the swaps or exchanges in which I've participated. I love making something for a person I don't know very well (or don't know at all.) I love sending my package off with a wish and prayer. I love imagining that, when my package is opened, the recipient will smile with the pleasure of knowing that this treasure was made just for them.

Hoot

A wise old owl sat in an oak.
The more he heard, the less he spoke,
The less he spoke, the more he heard.
How I wish to be like that wise old bird...

These little lovelies were inspired by an upcoming Southern Hemisphere Autumn Exchange.

In November I participated in a Southern Hemisphere Summer Season Exchange. While it felt rather topsy-turvy to me, living in the Northern Hemisphere, to dream up summer-time inspiration, I enjoyed getting to know my swap-partner and it was an altogether delightful experience. Katie will be officially opening sign-ups for the Southern Hemisphere Autumn Exchange on March 14. As the date approaches, you will be able to find out more information and contact Katie through her blog here.

Hoot!

8 months

Our wee Baby Bloom is 8 months old tomorrow. It's time to do some baby-proofing... He also gave me a very nice birthday present on Saturday -- he cut his first tooth!

Yum Yum Dim Sum

Today we're having dim sum.
Look, there's the rolling cart!
Papa says that dim sum means
"A little bit of heart..."

Why, oh why, my little siu mai,
Why do I love you so?
What treasure hides, jing cha siu bao,
Pillowed in your dough?

I love this little board book about dim sum. It's very funny, and better yet, part of a series. The other titles in the series are First Book of Sushi, Hola! Jalapeno, Mangia Mangia!, Chaat and Sweets, Let's Nosh!, and A Little Bit of Soul Food. Have you ever had dim sum? It's a traditional Chinese brunch -- the waiters roll little carts through the restaurant and when the cart comes by your table, they lift the lids off the small, round bamboo steam boxes so you can have a peek inside at the dumplings. If they look good to you, the server sets the bamboo steam box on your table. Then everyone grabs their chopsticks & plucks up the dumplings. My favorites are the Shanghai dumplings filled with soup. It was such a mystery to me the first time I had them. How did they get soup inside the dumplings? I finally figured it out, but it's a secret. Maybe I'll tell, and maybe I won't.

So, this is what we did for my birthday -- we went out to my favorite restaurant for dim sum!

Little Mr. B. worked very hard trying to use his chopsticks, and finally... success!

Then we swung by my favorite tide pools. Oh, it was windy and cold, cold, cold! We said hello to sea anemones & starfish, the limpets, wee periwinkle snails and hermit crabs. We waved at the soulful-eyed sea lions bobbing in the water only 30 feet away from where we stood, and Little Mr. B., with his sharp eyes, spotted the tiniest funny fish in one of the pools.

It was a marvelous birthday, made even better by all the kind wishes and greetings I received on Saturdays post. Thank you, thank you one and all!

From the Stars I Did Come Down...

From the stars
I did come down
bearing my light
to light a crown
of shimmering stars
to shine on earth;
today's the day I came to birth.

As an adult, it's not considered diplomatic to announce your birthday. For children, birthdays are exciting, and exuberant announcements are not frowned upon... But I love birthdays. Why should we stop celebrating our yearly milestones?

So, happy birthday to me...

Making Peg Dolls

My new book, Making Peg Dolls & More, is now available! You can purchase it from Amazon, Book Depository, UK, Bella Luna Toys, A Child's Dream Come True & Castle in the Air.

The premise behind the new book is this:  I wanted to bring peg dolls off the shelf and out of the doll house to spin, fly and travel about in the larger world.   Between the covers of the book there are patterns for dolls to sit on your pincushion & help mind your stitches, dolls flying through the air on dragons and bright winged birds, dolls to accompany children through the day as they face the world and through the night as they dream on their pillows, plus many more lovely projects.  You can see some of them in the animated book trailer below.

The book also includes a beautiful foreword by Sharifa Oppenheimer, author of Heaven on Earth, plus an inspiring preface by Steffi Stern, author of an upcoming book on felting from Hawthorn Press.

 

Making Peg Dolls & More is a follow up to my first book from Hawthorn Press: Making Peg Dolls.  It's 192 pages of peg doll love, with patterns for over 60 different doll designs and clear step by step instructions. The book can be ordered from The Book Depository, Steiner Books, Waldorf Books,  Booktopia, Amazon, or your favorite local book seller. The book is also carried by retailers who specialize in Waldorf Education and natural craft supplies such as Bella Luna Toys and A Child's Dream Come True.

Here's an animated trailer for the book -- we hope you like it!

Making Peg Dolls

My new book, Making Peg Dolls & More, is now available!  You can purchase it at Amazon, Book Depository, UK, Bella Luna Toys, A Child's Dream Come True & Castle in the Air.

The premise behind the new book is this:  I wanted to bring peg dolls off the shelf and out of the doll house to spin, fly and travel about in the larger world.   Between the covers of the book there are patterns for dolls to sit on your pincushion & help mind your stitches, dolls flying through the air on dragons and bright winged birds, dolls to accompany children through the day as they face the world and through the night as they dream on their pillows, plus many more lovely projects.  You can see some of them in the animated book trailer below.

The book also includes a beautiful foreword by Sharifa Oppenheimer, author of Heaven on Earth, plus an inspiring preface by Steffi Stern, author of the book Making Needle Felted Animals from Hawthorn Press.

 

Making Peg Dolls & More is a follow up to my first book from Hawthorn Press: Making Peg Dolls.  It's 192 pages of peg doll love, with patterns for over 60 different doll designs and clear step by step instructions. The book can be ordered from The Book Depository, Steiner Books, Waldorf Books,  Booktopia, Amazon, or your favorite local book seller. The book is also carried by retailers who specialize in Waldorf Education and natural craft supplies such as Bella Luna Toys and A Child's Dream Come True.

Here's an animated trailer for my first book...

And now, dear Readers, a public service announcement: Did you know that, even if you "Like" we bloom here and/or Making Peg Dolls on Facebook, you may not be seeing updates and messages from me in your Facebook feed?  Did you know that you might be missing other lovely tutorials? Missing information about book give-aways, and my usual assorted nonsense?

Here's what you can do so you don't miss anything: once you’ve liked the we bloom here and/or the Making Peg Dolls page (thank you!), use the dropdown menu right under the “liked” button to select “get notifications.” This lets Facebook know, going forward, that you really do want to know when I've posted something new.

Another way you can hear from me is to have a look at the right-hand sidebar of this blog, and find the widget which allows you to "follow by email."  Once you've typed in your email, you will get notifications delivered directly to your inbox.  I don't have access to information about who signs up for email through my blog, so there is no way I could add you to some list and send you junk-mail (not that I would ever consider doing such an annoying thing anyhow, I promise).

Thanks for visiting! Please say "hi" any time -- I love hearing from you. xo mb 

An Invitation: Join me for a wee, tiny peg-folk exchange

...Goldie got out her paints and carefully mixed a flesh color for the doll. She covered its face, neck, and ears, its arms and hands with the rosy tan paint, and then waited for it to dry.

As the day went on, Goldie ate buns and drank tea, and painted the doll's curls a glossy dark brown. She painted a white camisole and matching knickers on the doll's body, gray stockings on her legs and pretty black shoes on her feet. Then she painted a little gleaming black eye on either side of the doll's nose and finally, holding it firmly around the waist with one hand, Goldie smiled and smiled into the doll's eyes in the friendliest, sweetest way, and she painted a smile right back to herself on the little doll's face.

From Goldie the Dollmaker by M. B. Goffstein

For a craft swap this past autumn I created a little sprite and became hooked on making peg-dolls... It's amazing how such tiny dolls can tell such big stories!

And so I have dreamed up a swap... I hope you will dive into your imagination and join me.

For this swap each participant will be in a swap group of 5 or 6 (so each participant will send and receive 4 or 5 dolls.) Once swap-groups are allocated, you may mail the dolls you create directly to your swap partners and they will be mailing dolls directly to you.

Along with each doll, please include a poem or story which might have inspired you to create your dolls... Inspiration can come to us in so many ways... It can come from the seasons in nature, from the poetry & stories we read... Or perhaps you would like to create your dolls and then let them whisper into your ear (and into your dreams) their own new & original stories.

Will you be inspired by a season? (Autumn woodland scene by Wee Folk Art...)

Will you be inspired by a story? (Inspired by Elsa Beskow's book Peter in Blueberry Land, Sara of Paper and Cloth created doll-versions of Peter & his friend Blueberry Boy.)

This swap is open to all who are interested. It's likely there will be a large number of participants from a variety of countries so please be prepared to post your dolls overseas! The main requirement is the dolls you send should be handmade my you with love and care (no prior crafting skills or experiences are required.)

Any shape wooden doll base 3 1/2 inches (9cm) or smaller may be used. You can see the simple wooden doll-bases I've used in my photos... You might also use gnome doll bases or small wooden finger puppet bases, however, please do not use the tall "clothes-pin" type wooden bases.

The swap opens today, February 20, 2011. Sign-ups will close March 2nd and ideally dolls will be put in the post by March 14 so they arrive in time for the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere or Autumnal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. Partners will be allocated as soon as sign-ups close, but if you are concerned about having enough time to create your dolls, you may start creating right away!

If you would like to participate, please send an email to me: margaret(at)flyingteapot(dot) com. In your email please be sure to include your name, mailing address, email address & blog URL (if you have one.)

Over the next two days I will be posting tutorials and links for further ideas and inspiration (such as a link to Shannon at Rhythm & Rhyme to make a tiny daffodil hat!) Please come back and have a look... And feel free to email me with any thoughts or questions you might have!

I hope this will be a chance to meet and inspire new friends through a poem, a story, through a small doll, brought forth from your dreams & imagination...

** Sign-ups for this swap are now closed. Please have a look here if you'd like to seephotos of dolls made by participants in the swap **

Wonderful

I love youtube! It's amazing what you can find... I stumbled across this delightful animation to advertise Hilary Lang's book Wee Wonderfuls. If you have one minute and 18 seconds, just clickety-click-click to revel in some super-duper cuteness!

Happy Valentines Day!