Mother earth opened the underground door and the procession of root children holding flowers made their way up into the warm Spring day. When Spring starts to come back to the land, and little seeds are beginning to grow up into tender green shoots, I love reading The Story of the Root Children by Sibylle von Offers with my children. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is one ...
Mountain Hearth Handcrafts
The Snowdrop Fairy
The Snowdrop Fairy Deep sleeps the Winter, Cold, wet, and grey; Surely all the world is dead; Spring is far away. Wait! the world shall waken; It is not dead, for lo, The Fair Maids of February Stand in the snow! ~Cicely Mary Barker ...
Valentine Faeries
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I've been busy in the craft room making these lovely little Valentine Faeries with wool felt hearts and sparkling wings. My Own Sweet Valentine Like the sweetly budding rose, Freshened by the gentle rain Like the Evening Star that glows, Brightest of the starry train Like a well arranged Bouquet, Where the fairest flowers ...
Owl Moon
"It was late one winter night, long past my bedtime, when Pa and I went owling. There was no wind. The trees stood still as giant statues. And the moon was so bright, the sky seemed to shine." ~Jane Yolen When I was growing up, I loved reading Owl Moon by Jane Yolen. Now it is a favorite winter story of my children, and it even inspired us to go out on an owling walk at our local ...
Holly Faeries
"O, I am green in Winter-time, When other trees are brown; Of all the trees (So saith the rhyme) The holly bears the crown. December days are drawing near When I shall come to town, And carol-boys go singing clear Of all the trees (O hush and hear!) The holly bears the crown! For who so well-beloved and merry As the scarlet Holly Berry?" ~Cicely Mary Barker ...
Raven Steals the Light Wall Hanging
"Raven came. All the world was in darkness. The sky above was in darkness. The waters below were in darkness. Men and women lived in the dark and cold. Raven was sad for them. He said, "I will search for light." I was inspired to needlefelt this wall hanging by my favorite story for this time of year, a Pacific Northwest Coastal Tlingit legend of how Raven the trickster ...
The Snow Faeries
The Snow Fairy by Claude McKay "Throughout the afternoon I watched them there, Snow-fairies falling, falling from the sky, Whirling fantastic in the misty air, Contending fierce for space supremacy. And they flew down a mightier force at night, As though in heaven there was revolt and riot, And they, frail things had taken panic flight Down to the calm earth seeking ...
Winter Royalty
I've been busy in the craft room making many things for the holidays. Here are King and Queen Winter. Needlefelted from wool roving in icy blues and whites, they rule over the Winter season bringing snowflakes, icicles and chilly winds. They create blankets of snow to tuck the fields and forests in for a winter slumber. Sparkling ice crystals sit atop their magic staffs. They can be ...
The Gnome’s Garden in the Foothills
The little gnome, tired from a days work in his homestead garden, rests beneath the apple tree to the lullaby of a babbling brook... He's just a little forest gnome, the Olympic Mountain foothills are his home, and he dreams and dreams under the apple tree of all tomorrows adventures that will be. I recently made this custom order for a friend to send as a gift to a family ...
Tidepool
Growing up by the Straits of Juan de Fuca, where rocky beaches abound, I spent a lot of time playing around tidepools and observing the little worlds they held. I have always been drawn to tidepool art. One of my favorite artists, Margaret Owens does these beautiful ceramic tiles of tidepools and sometimes makes tidepool bowls. You can see her work here at ...