fairy made...

So here is the completed Sugar Fairy gift, a little bit worn and played with. Last year Owen was really too little to care about the Sugar Fairy.  He loved trick or treating and the candy but he was 2 1/2 years old and not as aware as he is now.  This year I told him the story of the Sugar Fairy and he loved the story but as we got closer to Halloween he made comments like, "I am not giving my candy to the fairies!" Michael told him he had no compassion!  As we started off trick or treating in our neighborhood, Owen told one of the first people we saw, "This is supposed to go to the fairies but I am not giving them one bit!" lol.  So I figured I would maybe set their tree stump and owls aside and give it to them for Christmas. The problem is Michael still really wanted the Sugar Fairy to come! What would happen if Michael found a gift and Owen didn't?  I wasn't sure what to do. When we got home they ate plenty of candy.  Then we picked out 10 pieces and put them back in their bags.  The rest was to go to the fairy. I waited for arguments from Owen and none came. He was very happy to have his 10 pieces.  How much more does a child need, really?  So, we put the candy outside and I waited for their reaction in the morning.  They were both very excited to see their gift and played with it all morning.

I think Michael suspects this year.  He is almost 8 but really still wants to believe.  He said, "Mommy, the fairies stole your wool again!"  I said, 'Honey there is plenty of wool in the world".  Later when we were talking about what to make or buy for their cousins for Christmas, Michael said maybe you could make them a tree stump like ours?  I said, "I wouldn't know how Michael, that's fairy made! "  That seemed to satisfy him.  Oh, but that day is coming.  I have told him sincerely that Santa is the spirit of giving.  & that gnomes & fairies are something I've never really seen but choose to believe in & I have no evidence to say they don't exist. Don't we all love to play at these games?  It seems parents are having just as much fun as their children playing Santa, hiding gifts and keeping the magic alive.  What's more real than the love behind that?

Anyway, I digress. Halloween was a fabulous time. I put no effort into their costumes.  Owen was a bee, Michael a vampire.  We wanted to draw a vampire face with our Lyra face pencils but Michael refused. We had friends over, a Ninja & Star wars character.  I took horrible dark, blurry pictures all night and no pictures of the food!  We had pumpkin stew, bone bread, warm cider & cream cheese pumpkin muffins.  It was too much fun.  How was your Halloween? 

Until next time...

Halloween fun & crafting...

 

Happy Halloween!  We are getting into the spirit with pumpkin carving today.  The boys had a blast and just loved sitting in the dark, watching their pumpkins glow in the dark and then running all over the house pretending to be ghosts.  Quite the evening we had.  We pulled out the Halloween books and snuggled in for a bit of reading before bed.

While they slept I worked on their Sugar Fairy gift.  The colors in this photo aren't accurate as I took it inside & at night but you get the idea.  This will be a tree stump home for two little owls.  Owls will be made tomorrow hopefully.  I'm not a fan of this last minute crafting, especially when it's in an area I'm not at all confident with.  I told Owen the Sugar Fairy story today and he grew wide eyed and didn't seem too sure about trading his candy.  We shall see.

Until next time...

Autumn Felting

I've been playing with felting lately.  I needle felted two pumpkins for our holiday decorations and then another couple for my shop.  I think I have to make some more too, they're addicting! 

Then I tried to wet felt the perfect red felt for some dolls.  Sadly it ended up as prefelt.  Not the most successful first try but it made some very pretty leaves, one is featured above.

 

Shhh, don't tell the boys, I'm working on their sugar fairy gift.  I was super nervous to tackle this project. I'm very happy to say that it came out much better then my red felt, thanks to some great advice from fellow toy makers at Natural Kids.  I plan to needle felt this into a log with two little owls to peer out.  I'll show you photos as it progresses.

What autumn projects do you have going? 

Until next time...

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!  We had a fun filled Easter day.

Our Easter morning tradition is hunting for Easter baskets and a foiled Easter egg hunt.  My family always had a chocolate Easter egg hunt every year.  Even when we were teens, to our parents amazement,  we insisted on the Easter egg hunt!

I remember waking up as a child and coming down stairs with sleepy eyes to see the whole house sparkling with foiled eggs.  It's a fun tradition!

Michael was very sweet and helped Owen find eggs.  He told me he would find the ones up high so Owen could find the lower ones.  He's a good big brother.

All dressed up for church and this is the look Owen made when I said "smile".  He will wear nothing but these boots, even to church!



And an update on the wool Easter eggs I made.  In the name of "use what you have", I decided to dunk the wool eggs in our Easter egg dye after we finished our hard boiled eggs.  I rinsed them off just a little, squeezed the excess water out and threw them in the dryer, where they shrunk up nicely.  They don't feel as thin now and I quite like their soft colors. 

I also made a cute little bunny for the boys to find at the breakfast table.  I had hoped to make two for their baskets but ran out of time.  Michael has claimed this little one as his own so I'd better get working on the second bunny.  This kit is from The Little Gnome on etsy. 

Our day ended in finishing up, "Eggs for the Hunting", by Reg Down.  Such a beautiful book with a lovely ending.  I think it's our favorite Tiptoes book yet! 

It was a good day. Until next time...