wither will I wander

(glimpses) - a little yarn

2012-01-27T11:18:00.004-05:00

between these days....where seasons change and are somehow unknown....

with winter-filled autumn days of snow and falling leaves.... and autumn/spring-like winter days, when even snowflakes question whether they should themselves be little raindrops or freezing rain....

inside we are beyond all these undecided seasons and weather ....

with a few balls of yarn, there are many stories waiting to be told ... between days spent sick in bed and both sleepy and sleepless nights ...

from these squares and blocks have begun... little repetitions and clusters newly learned .. .while I wonder listening to falling winter rains, what the fisherman's wife was dreaming while mending his nets late into the fire lit winter long evenings ...
.

(at the workbench)- little picture frames

2012-01-13T08:40:00.003-05:00

settling back into a few new projects I've had in my thoughts for some time ....

some for our little home ... crocheted squares for a throw for my daughter and some hand carved wooden waldorf picture frames to share..

I've been asked a number of times whether I might be able to make these picture frames available through my workshop.... so they'll be available here soon....

and perhaps a few wooden spoons and other friendly figures for the nature table will show them selves in the days to come...

and though we are already in mid-January and a bit late to send best wishes for the new year ... I'm hoping everyone has a wonderful start to 2012!!

(glimpses) - further adventures of life as a giant

2011-10-14T06:11:00.000-04:00

The morning glories had been overlooking the garden for sometime now ...watching the days grow shorter ... and giving thought to the weather and the changing seasons ...

(though in truth more time has gone by then this picture will tell... and first frost are not always kind )

the ground has not been dry for nearly a month ... and how is it that bystanders can stand up to the winds of hurricanes, storms and first frost I don't know...

all summer ... I had been looking for them....I had seen them many times moving quietly below my footsteps with their littlle leaps

and they had gone running before my camera could keep them in a picture for you ... very little and hardly as big as a cricket....among the ferns and raised beds

I had seen them busy no doubt in search of a meal and hiding from my ground quaking footstep..

... so while the sun was still bright and the last black-eyed susans shining...

at last here ....I am sharing my further adventures of life as a giant ..
.

even as the fierce weather had arrived with summer exit and autumn arrival....

(around the table) - kale crisps

2011-08-26T03:00:00.000-04:00

with all the sunshine and intervening rain of these long summer months perhaps rampant stands of vegetation have grown thick in your garden...

an abundance of hearty growing kale is magically turned into a healthy snack ...

the leaves are torn into manageable mouth-sized pieces while the thick stalks can be saved for another meal. Wash and dry the kale and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of olive oil . Sprinkle with sea salt and toss until evenly dressed .

Place on an baking sheet. Bake In a preheated oven of 200 F for 30 to 40 minutes and gently turn leaves over if needed once ...

They are ready to eat ....I lost track of time (now was I busy in the workshop?) ... so the batch above were crisp, crisp kale, but definitely tasty..... well so that is all.hope you enjoy making and eating them ....let me know! :)

Happy Weekend!!

(process) - all the lovely horses

2011-07-30T07:04:00.000-04:00

There are many folk arts I love. From the earliest of times, every day hands have found a way to share the beauty that is found in their natural world .... the plants that bloomed became the colors of the cloth, the petals of the flower the embroidered stitch. In these Saturday process features, I hope to share this fascination with the tools and hands that have brought the love for beauty to life.

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Aren't they lovely little horses ... have a wonderful weekend!!

(from the bookshelf ) - The Lone Little Bull

2011-07-08T11:45:00.008-04:00

Oh, how I love this story, never have I met such a good-natured bull ...

The Story of Ferdinand ~ by Munro Leaf (Author), and Robert Lawson (Illustrator)

"all the other bulls who had grown up with him in the same pasture would fight each other all day. They would butt each other and stick each other with their horns.What they wanted most of all was to be picked to fight at the bull fights in Madrid ...But not Ferdinand."

I have read this story many times to my girl when she was young ... the book was even wrapped up nicely by my daughter and put under the Christmas tree one year when my girl who noticed how fond I was of Ferdinand .. she thought I should certainly have a few more special presents just for me.

There is so much to be admired about a little bull who knows how to listen to his heart and happily sits among the flowers and underneath a cork tree in a little pasture in Spain ... instead of butting heads as the other little bulls do.

Though it is not always easy to stand alone or stand out ...how important for our little folks (and ourselves) to know that we can. By the way did you notice the "cork tree"? ... Or all the boo boos and bandages the other little bulls are sporting?.

Don't be surprised if soon a little fellow comes to visit with a story of his own ... Happy Weekend!

(around the table) - life as a giant

2011-07-02T09:03:00.000-04:00

Besides the snake that has found a cool space to rest between the raised garden beds and the fence that acts as a shield against the garden marauders, all the growing things take small breaths between the changing weather lifting themselves up a little at a time ....

We are out with the return of the sun to see what has changed since the stormy weather has gone by.....and this is how we discover our life as giants ....

down below our feet, in the freshly shorn grass, the sun flashes tiny, bright and red ... catching our eyes...

below our feet, as we must sit down and lean our heads low to see, we discover the smallest berries that ever grew...

we we make ourselves a tiny feast ... stay very still and look carefully beyond the leaves that shelter the wild berry patch ...

we find something indescribably happy about these hidden treasures....

we gather berries mixed from the garden and the field: the ever bearers, the little alpines and the ever so little wild ones... inside we make a tiny feast of little pancakes topped with mixed strawberries that have been so quickly eaten ... no pictures were taken soon enough ...
..

This is how our life as giants has gone on the first day. How would you feast on little hoard of found ruby-like treasures?

(this moment) - hidden

2011-06-17T05:35:00.002-04:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

(glimpses) - spring into summer

2011-06-13T08:50:00.031-04:00

here we are in spring and summer all at once ....

spring, summer ... between fleece jackets and shorts

in the course of a few days, spring, summer ....

the lilac love is in full abundance ....(May 26, 2011)

all gone ...I look up to see ....they have faded all nearly away... (May 31, 2011)

... here the stray and forgotten candle on the window sill is found bending to the sun

I find a a little wheel that will not turn ... a monitor screen that has gone black...

... and other things that will not work without some help....this is how May has ended and June has started ..

here we are between spring and summer ... with young and growing things filled with promise ...

at the workbench - (Golden April)

2011-04-27T13:53:00.007-04:00

I have almost missed sharing a bit about April ...

while Spring has walked ever so cautiously back to us ... and the greenness returns bit by bit with every downpour ...

... a very special visitor who rarely needs introduction arrives just in time for the first day of April at our doorstep

.. .. feeding beneath the bird feeder (the line forms behind the squirrels) ... and accompanied by an April Fool's snow storm .. truly no joke....

meanwhile alongside the joyous bunnies working their way across my workbench before their travels near and far to springtime nature table and little waiting hands ...

I have some how acquired the golden touch ... the fabled Midas would certainly have been pleased seeing me busy at work making flat after flat of gold for the lovely new wholesale accounts of April ...

I gratefully welcome a number of my favorite local shops that are now carrying Golden by Prettydreamer.

First comes a very warm welcome to Coll's Farmstand ....perched beautifully on a hilltop in Jaffrey, NH.

The Coll family farm has been there since 1930... and has been a favorite source for local cage-free and organic brown eggs, as well as, fresh organic and farm produce ... over the years, we have visited often and seen Coll's grow as it has served our communities ....

Amid bulk local honey tanks and jugs of their own tasty maple syrup, you can now find .... a golden little bear, a golden forest, a golden honey bee and more ...

.... sometime I will have to share the story of choices a new mama must make when her little shopping cart runs away high on a beautiful hilltop and she decides naturally to hold on tight to the little one in her arms rather than chase the groceries and cart . :)

I hope April has been kind to you ... I can't wait to share what work has been waiting in process this month as well!

(glimpses) - Returning

2011-03-28T08:13:00.004-04:00

These past weeks of March has brought much news though subtle.

March 7th ... an early Monday morning, a visitor we have not seen for some long months now is known by scent alone. Woodchuck is finally awake and tours his grounds.

March 12th ...the morning chatter increases as the birds discuss what they will do next.from overhead in bare branched trees

March 14th ... As a winter weary car can cope no longer, refusing to go on ...

March 20th ...By foot we travel... to the river that lays at the heart of our little town ... where it was made to serve the mill ... its waters have turned liquid now once again... with the same glassy reflections of years past, we look on with older eyes at those same waters.

We stop again by the river's edge... where many spring rushes boasted that they would not be restrained to the river's bank and have even made good on their threat when they could.

A still frozen sprig of winter still remains to bloom alongside the falling waters .....

In a field nearby, the earth begins to reveal herself though tawny brown still from a long winter's sleep.

We are overjoyed to see her return and go off to see what we will find.

An underground spring's water joyfully returns to the surface and a little brook ripples itself in the wind and warming sunshine....

We test waters in many ways ... remembering it's many qualities

beautiful marshy weeds still green look up through a still frozen window

We too look on at spring's steady and measured approach back to the earth ...

March 24th ...The robins return to the meadow and search in the warming earth for a good meal.

in this place between a frozen world and spring's waking.

(process) - Overshot

2011-03-26T09:20:00.005-04:00

From the earliest of times, everyday hands have found a way to share the beauty that is found in their natural world .... the plants that bloomed became the colors of the cloth, the petals of the flower the embroidered stitch.

In these Saturday process features, I hope to share this fascination with the tools and hands that have brought the love for beauty to life.

My good friend Marie is a wonderful writer of modern fairy tales and equally wonderful weaver. When I last had the chance to visit her studio, I was given an overview of the weaving technique called overshot. For me as non-weaver and even to the weaver, the process of overshot brings much excitement. Somehow out of the plain background of the overall weave, patterns and motifs emerge as if by magic.

This week Marie shared a link for the Thistle Hill Weavers that caught my eye. I admit that I am both amazed and awed by the weaving process. The work of the Thistle Hill Weavers certainly has me feeling this way.

For more than 20 years, Thistle Hill Weavers, the Studio of Rabbit Goody, has been weaving luxurious custom fabrics, carpet, and trim for designers, home owners, museums, and the film industry specializing in creating accurate historic reproductions, working from surviving examples, documented patterns, and period weavers' drafts. And how wonderful to find while visiting the Thistle Hill Weavers website, there where a few historical process videos to see while touring their studios and looms. I don't think I could have ever imagined a loom of these proportions.

Thank you so much for visiting and hope you enjoy this weeks glimpse into the past and present!

(this moment) - Family Portrait - Age Ten

2011-03-25T08:06:00.000-04:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

(process) - a block of wood

2011-03-09T09:37:00.001-05:00

There are many folk arts I greatly admire. From the earliest of times, everyday hands have found a way to share the beauty that is found in their natural world .... the plants that bloomed became the colors of the cloth, the petals of the flower the embroidered stitch. In these Saturday process features, I hope to share this fascination with the tools and hands that have brought the love for beauty to life.

I came across a few process videos recently that speak of what a simple block of wood can become. Today I show one from India. I have always wondered how the beautifully printed coverlets and fabrics I have seen while wandering in and out of little shops were made.

How interesting to learn the past is not too distant. The techniques are much the same as they might have been in older times. The simple hand tools as well have have not lost their edge and do just as well as their modern day counterpart in the skillful artist's hands. You night even notice some repeated devices made of simple string and a stick to aid the artist at his work. Here is another way that a bit of string and wood have helped power hand tools before the use of electricity. You can also sometimes find my own process or work in progress through the wip features.

Thank you so much for visiting ... hope you have a wonderful weekend!

at the workbench - Very Little (wip)

2011-03-04T05:45:00.003-05:00

It is true .... little things are very sweet ....

this week, as the rabbits overrun my workbench, some wee babies have just been born ....

I wasn't sure how small the wee ones would be, but as it turns out the baby bunnies are smaller than a pine cone

and still even smaller than a clothes pin ...

Here are their parents Mr. Long Ears and Mama Hears a Sound (just in case you haven't had a chance to meet them), they are so very happy to at last have the little ones near by ...

the bunnies are they haven't open their wide eyes.... but they will (and I hope you'll be able to visit with them again soon!)

And a little note: This Saturday I will be returning to my process feature sharing traditions of woodworking, toy making, and of old and perhaps forgotten crafting techniques. If you have time, please come visit again.

(glimpses) - Between Worlds (and waiting for Spring)

2011-03-01T08:46:00.001-05:00

Some of the trench digging has long been abandoned .... the mighty orange shovel is not so mighty after all (but perhaps it is me ... tiring)

Spring will help clear a path to the front door, past Mrs. Robin's nest still covered deep in winter snow... We two are encouraged by little thaws to go venturing into the still deep whiteness ... in search of something that might let us know that Spring is on her way...

we find that Goldenrod's head is not so golden ... what signs are there?

we lay down these little things we have found on the table ...

little treasures found in the still nearly constant whiteness that has been set aside in little places ...

and with a lesson or two ... (did I once know how ?) ... I am taught how to knit pine cone brown while we wait a a bit longer for Spring. ...

Sometimes it is enough that the old King Winter is companioned by golden sunshine to make us smile while we wait for Spring.

A littlle bit of a story and a giveaway

2011-02-27T10:55:00.001-05:00

Please join me for a little story about Prettydreamer (and giveaway this weekend) at the Rhythm of the Home blog.

If you aren't familiar with this inspiring online seasonal publication, make sure you also to take a look at the Winter Issue of Rhythm of the Home. Just think, in a few short days the Spring edition will be out. How wonderful to turn some of our thoughts to lovely Spring!

around the table - Red Hot Chilies in Winter

2011-02-18T07:45:00.001-05:00

A little project we began just at the start of the new year ... my daughter had plans of throwing a fiesta for my birthday ... but with the return to regular life after the holidays, we are still working up to our fiesta ....

We started with strips of newspaper ... and made a batch of homemade wheat paste.

There are many recipes available. Wheat paste is basically a mixture of flour and water (in many cases heated over a low heat and whisked for a smooth consistency). Other strarchy, non-gluten flours will also work well.

we shaped our chili peppers ... by dipping the newsprint strips in bowl of the wheat paste ... and with our fingers squeegeed off the excess wheat paste.

twisting the newspaper around itself in a cones-like way ... adding a layer or two more and then placing them on a cooling rack to dry... this may take one to three days depending on the size of your peppers

Yes, traditional paper mache can be a bit messy depending on who's cooking ...but I love this traditional folk craft method as it is always likely to have the materials on hand.

as the first layers of newspaper dry .... more layers can be used to build on the initial form... just make sure to leave time for layers to dry in between ....

we have painted ours with matte acyclic paint and let the writing of the newspaper show through in places.

I like the feel of having some of the process still revealed... and the hot redness of those toasty paper chili peppers as winter lingers on...

... we will be making twisted stems, but that is still for another day!

(this moment) - By The Numbers

2011-02-18T07:08:00.000-05:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

(glimpses) - Love Notes from a Child

2011-02-14T10:14:00.000-05:00

here I am a saver all things small and dear ... I find them everywhere ...

some have little words learned by young hands with questions ...."how do I spell..... ?" .

I hold onto them... there at my desk ... refrigerator doors... in boxes

old valentines ... or simply hearts built with wings or doors ... that we may come in or find new ways for our own hearts to fly ...

... how she came to know that hearts had doors ... I do not know ...

treasured loves notes from a child...

Etsy's "This Handmade Life: UK Edition - Welsh Lovespooning"

2011-02-09T11:19:00.068-05:00

I am thrilled to have been featured in a wonderful article by Etsy's AmityUK about the love stories spoken through the art of Welsh love spoons in this week's Etsy blog post of "This Handmade Life".

If you have never heard about this lovely tradition, make sure you take a visit to read more.

My Love Spoons and Other Stories (No1 ) / Hand Carved Wooden Spoon is heading out today to continue it's own story ... I can't wait to get started on the next carved wooden spoon and hear what it might have to say.

(this moment) - Paper and Sunlight

2011-01-28T04:34:00.001-05:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

(from the bookshelf) - Important Things

2011-01-26T10:24:00.003-05:00

glimpsing the world through a child's eyes...what makes one thing itself and not another ..

the day by day first impressions of young eyes and hands meeting their world ... learning not just words but the truth of something behind the words ...
... how lovely The Important Book by author Margaret Wise Brown is ... sharing moments inspired by the found truths of the young child ..." that a spoon is like a shovel"... "that rain is wet, falls from the sky, and makes things shiny" .... that "the sky is always there" ..

Why would a book the speaks so simply be important .... The Important Book is not a picture book dictionary defining this and that ... but the coming to know deeply essences as experienced by all our senses ... even as adults, we still are finding understanding through these same senses ....

... in the little town where we live, a river runs through the center of town. I remember, as I had walked to town one day with my child on her small toddler feet ... crossing a stone bridge that overlooked rushing waters, I picked up my daughter to see the waters below. There with the wind blowing on our faces, my young child raised her little voice against the mighty loudness of the rushing water to tell me what she saw ..."black and white, black and white".

It took me a moment or so to catch on, but as toddlers often have a way of insisting you acknowledge their words with the echoing of their voice with your own voice.. "yes... black and white," I say... the river's dark water and foam shared its strong message clearly as we learned what the Spring rushing waters knew...
The Important Book is a no less an important book than the better known books by author Margaret Wise Brown, Good Night Moon and My World . All these sweet books are accompanied by the lovey illustrations of Leonard Weisgard . You can read more about Margaret Wise Brown her life and books here.

Happy reading!

around the table - Deliciousness (part 2)

2011-01-21T10:01:00.001-05:00

the weekly blizzard have now turned into every other day blizzards and weather .... and in the meantime ... good things are happening indoors ...

Homemade Ri-Cot -Ta (or ricotta) ... the recipe is too simple

2 quarts whole milk
1 cup cream (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 table spoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Bring milk (and cream) and salt to gentle rolling boil in a 6 quart heavy pot over moderate heat. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Add lemon juice and reduce heat to low and simmer for about two minutes until the mixture currdles.

Pour into cheese-cloth lined sieve and let drain about one hour. (it's all ready for a warm winter meal or two... maybe lasagna ... we made manicotti, homemade ravioli and white pizza)

while pretty stitches practiced keep sewing needles comfortable and cozy.....

even for a little teapot enjoys handmade coziness as the snow falls

I wonder if King Winter has know our wearied selves too well ... and laid down blanket after blanket of winter white snow .... that we might inside our warm homes a bit longer stay so that might rest and enjoy more deliciousness....

(this moment) - And then some

2011-01-21T05:57:00.000-05:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

at the workbench - Love Spoons and Other Conversations (wip)

2011-01-07T10:27:00.002-05:00

there is a long history of spoons that tell a story ... some of those stories speak of true love and vows ....

and other stories that herald of a new life ...

here is my little beginning to that conversation ... of a story written with love in a little block of cherry wood...

glimpses - (warmest winter)

2010-12-27T06:27:00.150-05:00

How delicious it has been .... to have some time out of time ...

for the little things .. .

a sleepless Christmas eve (for a mama that is filled with excitement) ... for the simple joy a young girl feels at early morning surprises of a Christmas morning

.... and even a restless kitty has the the need to wake her sleeping family well before the first light in anticipation of the deliciousness to come ....

winter stars .... folded of paper colored bright and paper white...

and summer's songs are warmed in a pot of hot tea .... smelling sweet of honey and golden beeswax all at once....

as we sip from tea cups full of tasty chai ...

around the table with projects old and new ....

we send you the warmest wishes for the new year!

around the table - Randomly Christmas

2010-12-24T12:32:00.005-05:00

as she sat ... taking up knitting needles that had been set aside ...

a passion took hold ... her knitting quickly growing and flowing over her in the cozy corner she has made for herself

so determined to finish ... it is not certain that she saw the magic taking hold... as her knitting came to mimic the very same corner of our home she had made for herself ...

those self-made wooden knitting needles had been set to work in the same way ... tirelessly ... two year's past as the great storm passed our way

... while in the quiet night came pouring down a torrent of liquid ice that froze all of our world crystalline all through.

a new knitter then ... she had taken up the making of brightly colored red and yellow scarf for me.... when all else had stopped ... the clocks, the lights, the furnace, the stove, the water, the roads, the shops, the pumps, our town and the towns beyond us too... all frozen as if in the Snow Queen's realm ... she went on ...

keeping ourselves warm as best we could for nearly two weeks as Christmas approached.... by a little wood stove that we left only to sleep in a bed mounded with all our quilts and blankets ...

cooking pioneer meals we have come to miss... while the lilac trail hedge bent in compliance to the storm and Christmas lights were silenced in the same deep darkness that had come with the powerful storm ....

and she sat in the big green chair knitting ... even as the daylight faded quickly into the darkest night ... and the candle's light saw little in the deepening approach of winter.

there is much gratitude even in drastic times ... to come to know Night so intimately .... in a way that can only really be learned in the absence of light ... when no switch can turn night to day ...

this was how we had met the darkest days of the year then...

today though ...have I mentioned the cookies...
yes, they have finally been made... and there still may be time for a few more....

the house smells good with baking and beeswax and a pretty balsam pine that is our honored guest....

Wishing that you are warm and cozy and that your Christmas is wonderful! ... Happy Holidays!!

(this moment) - two years ago today

2010-12-10T06:31:00.003-05:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

The original post can be found here.

(this moment) - Shadows in Cream

2010-12-03T07:09:00.000-05:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

around the table - Parts of the Whole

2010-11-05T08:22:00.001-04:00

.... with the piece of a puzzle, the whole is formed....

on one of those quiet weeks .... just beginning to feel right after days home sick ... and ready for a little something special .....

my daughter picked up this project.... made from the most simple of templates found in this book ....she set out on her own to make several felt balls.

as she sat quietly .... picking up pieces ....arranging the parts this way and the other ....making shapes and stitching together the little felt diamonds .... she began to see ... little star pockets one way and rounded balls another ....

happy chance encounters with the softest of geometry (sometimes to the count of 6 and other times to the count of 10) ...

the shapes and pieces that form the whole though simple ....

.... made from a wonderful afternoon full of discovery.

glimpses - Written in Black and Orange

2010-10-25T12:43:00.000-04:00

this is a short story written in two colors only...

of the darkening year ... when colors fade from our world

.... and we wake in darkness even though morning has come...

... night is gaining in strength ... while beautiful orange finds corners to bring it's warming glow....

at play - We Two Are

2010-10-21T21:24:00.000-04:00

she has made me a fairy like herself ....

weaving a jewel like Autumn crown

.... so we two might run like the wind ... along side the falling leaves

oh how I wish ... these autumn queens might stay a bit longer before those last leaves fall ....

(this moment) - Shine Like Gold

2010-10-15T10:33:00.000-04:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

at the workbench - Glowing

2010-09-30T12:17:00.005-04:00

I am so excited about my current projects ... I still have more photos to take, but wanted to share a little look

.... I hope to start posting these luminous candle holders later today here.

Children studying a Waldorf curriculum enjoy the very magical study of form drawing. The forms they draw are both simple and complex. They are mathematical and artistic. They are taught to instruct the child in many ways. Gracefully drawn, they fill the childrens' handmade books ....

While working on my own projects, I came across this wonderful chart that is used to express how geometric shapes relate to one another ...

In my mind I can see a very wonderful shifting of forms in all these studies. Happily dancing shapes that change from one form to another in delight. I can understand why a mathematics teacher might be so very excited to teach geometry to his or her students ...

Geometry and forms are alive in this way ... and that is what I I envision when I am working with "living design".

... forms that are both exact yet organic and dynamic...

... while I wait for delivery of parcel filled with sweet smelling, honey-scented beeswax ...

to make more little tins of my "Bee's Make Polish by Bright Sunlight" beeswax polish

... I will share that I will be adding a larger tin size and second special blend to the traditional one that I love...

... the rain is coming down like a waterfall now ... and I am thinking about all things warm, cozy and glowing as I work inside the studio today.

Happy Autumn!

(this moment) - Walking on Color

2010-09-30T07:52:00.001-04:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

glimpses - Give and Take

2010-09-27T06:02:00.004-04:00

I have wanted to write this post for over week now ...

As I drove back this past Wednesday ... as the seasons moved from summer to autumn ... and day and night shared equally ..

I was filled with words and would have rushed on a bit faster if not for those little reminders... crazed squirrels and low flying birds reminding me to take my time and watch the changing of the leaves ...

all the plants have done their best to thrive and give fruit as best as they could ....

despite promised rainfalls straying ... garden intruders feasting ... hopes waning and waxing ... the garden still thrives and gives back ...

insistent plants lay down their seed ... where wild plants will be welcome yet another year ... to share their unexpected return

Even Mrs. Murphy has seen better days ... her work has slowed ...but she will stay ready for the return of any new sign of building projects still to come...

The shadows are lengthening reminding that the year turns round again ... as we watch the garden making ready it's last offerings ... before we begin to prepare for a long winter and the earth for her rest.

that in the end ... all things move toward balance despite outward appearances ...

and simple meal is prepared and we are grateful.

around the table - Apple Cake Turned Round Once

2010-09-25T10:18:00.001-04:00

seasons have turned ...

bringing golden light through our kitchen window....

... while other golds go bye
encouraging a taste for autumn...

this apple cake recipe was adapted from a recipe found here. Once written the other way round, but on a whim ... it was turned round once ... so that our apple cake could be crowned with a spiral of golden apples ...

Apple Skillet Cake

Apples

2 or 3 medium tart apples (such as Mac), cored/ sliced

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons orange juice or apple cider

generous sprinkling of your favorite combination of sweet spices(cinnamon, nutmrg, cloves, cardamon, ginger, etc)

¼ teaspoon salt

Cake

1 1/3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup warm milk

1 large egg

6 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 ½" to 10" (2" deep) cast-iron skillet; or a 9" square cake pan.

2) Combine the apples with the brown sugar, orange juice/ cider, spices, and salt. Set aside.

3) Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

4) Mix the warm milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture, stirring to combine. Pour into the prepared skillet.

5) Arrange the apple at the bottom of the skillet in single layer pattern. Over medium head for 10 to 15 minutes let apple mixture caramelize and brown

6) Pour the batter on top and bake the cake for about 40 to 55 minutes until it is a light golden

7) Remove from the oven, and cool for about 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake from the pan, and place a large plate on top of skillet, turn over and serve.

Have a great weekend!

(this moment) - spreading out

2010-09-24T11:07:00.000-04:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

(this moment) - a morning meal

2010-09-17T09:01:00.000-04:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

(glimpses) - the young artist

2010-09-13T06:00:00.004-04:00

The young artist has been busy these last weeks ...

she has completed many works in this time

and would have done more ...

... had her study schedule not returned so soon ... I am hopeful she will have time soon to return to the workshop... where she has set up her studio ...

for the time being ... she remains elusive ....

(glimpses) - Lost and Found

2010-08-30T12:42:00.000-04:00

a still life tea party of vintage blue, shadow and light

forgotten modern mechanical devices .... rediscovered

... the well worn story will still tells stories when found ...

and an unwanted things can still bring simple delights....

(process)- lttle wooden man

2010-08-28T10:11:00.000-04:00

Today's process shares a traditional wooden toy from Japan called a Daruma-Otoshi ; it is an ancient game still played today. I had fun looking through several short clips to find these. The first is in much slowed down motion, while the second clip is in normal time (though hard to believe).

Come visit again during the week, I 'll share a tutorial on making a variation.
Have a great weekend!

(this moment) - The Reader

2010-08-27T06:03:00.008-04:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

(glimpses) - Whispers of Autumn

2010-08-23T08:29:00.002-04:00

These early mornings are bringing a different air....

An extra blanket is at the foot of the bed while through our open windows nearing Autumn comes in ....

These days, the garden shifts in uncertainly between summer and fall ... changing it's mind between offering us hands full of beans one day and the late strawberries setting out fruit the next ...

Thoughts and emotions adjust as the changes near....

Our activities begin to shift to a new school year and making ready our home for the approach of the changing seasons. New projects and loves are coming in many forms now ....

at play - Stone Flowers and Great Dinosaurs

2010-08-17T09:51:00.000-04:00

I can not say how long visiting the "dinosaur museum" has been on my child's list ... Our days speed faster than we know as we all grow older with our children....

I love how summer's travels can lead us to unexpected places ....roads that lead us back to old friends ... friends from other times when we were just young ourselves ...

.... to stones that bloom eternally

.... and fragments that tell the story of what the hands of living and ancient people once did

... life frozen still behind glass

and great dinosaurs in many shapes and sizes...

A young child turns her attention to the details of knowing , she takes notes and pictures ... and dreams her dreams of ancient worlds...

Hope your summer travels have taken you to places still unknown, old and new ...

(glimpses)- Through Our Senses

2010-08-13T13:27:00.001-04:00

I stop to think how I learn and know .... and remember how powerful are those moments filled by our senses.... memories of sound on silent roads when the sand and gravel spoke under our feet,

and sight, when the sun's light made shadows of many kinds ...

and the winds brought earthy rain storms, salty seas and smoky campfires to smell ,

and the feel of ever-changing water, the casual touch of a friend's hand and sandy-covered children

and the taste of what was fed by the earth, ripened by the sun's light, and washed by fallen rain....

I think the memories brought by our senses last longer than their moments ....

Last year before lunch, my daughter and her classmates spoke this verse ... it is everything that through the senses I have fallen in love with.... hope you enjoy this little verse as much as I do!

The silver rain, the shining sun,
the fields where scarlet poppies run,
and all the ripples of the wheat,
are in the bread that I do eat.
So when I sit for every meal,
with thankful heart I always feel,
that I am eating rain and sun,
and fields where scarlet poppies run.

by Alice C. Henderson (1881-1949)

(this moment) - first light

2010-08-13T08:09:00.000-04:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

(this moment) - the sky watcher

2010-08-06T07:21:00.000-04:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.}

(process) - with branch and treadle

2010-08-03T13:37:00.000-04:00

Sometimes we grow use to something in its modern form, but all things have a humbler and simpler beginning...

The tool being used here is called a "pole lathe" . It is made of simple parts ... a branch, a long string or strap, simple wooden foot treadle and a stand. It is used to turn any number of wooden things ... from bowls and spindles to certainly toys...

The video I included was the shortest of this process. For a look at the more complete process of turning a wooden bowl on foot-powered pole lathe take a peek here. And if you are wondering how a pole lathe might compare to a modern machine lathe, here is a comparison.

this moment - Swing

2010-07-30T09:28:00.000-04:00

{this moment - Inspired by Soulemama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. Please visit her blog here to participate and you can leave a link to your own moment in the comments for others to share in.}

glimpses - Between Raindrops

2010-07-28T09:37:00.000-04:00

between the raindrops that tamed the heat wave

and summer's wild berries gathered along the way ...

and the "bird berry preserves" and mud cakes she made beneath the shade of the full maple leaves

and Mister One made his much anticipated return ...

and our travels that saw a child age another year

Plants are growing ... Summer is racing towards Autumn ... wishing that your gardens are growing full and these long summer days are full of much time with good friends and family!!

(process) - from lands long ago

2010-07-10T07:08:00.001-04:00

I have been wanting to add a weekly process feature to "Whither Will I Wander" for a long time ... sharing traditions of woodworking, toy making, and of old and perhaps forgotten artistry .

Hope you enjoy today's post sharing a still living history of the the handmade wooden toy in three far away workshops....

at the workbench - The Hungry Squirrel

2010-07-09T07:53:00.024-04:00

Here we are just weeks into summer ... and weather has turned from pleasant and radiant summer to a furious and bold summer in a week's time.

In the meantime though, the garden grows despite the bands of silent marauders ... be they woodchucks, chipmunks, birds or squirrels ....

... they are all looking for a good meal as the abundant sun urges all green things on ... even those tender young plants that were eaten to the ground by a hungry visitor.....

I have been busy, adding quite a few new projects... among them a Mr and Mrs. Squirrel Couple and a "Dear Sir. May I Have An Acorn" polite squirrel.

Hope your are having a wonderful summer and your gardens are growing full of lovely treat for your family too!!

glimpses - Wild Growing Yellows

2010-06-29T08:06:00.001-04:00

everywhere yellow is growing wild ....

long days of sunshine... the flowers wild find corners in our home and make them pretty ...

around the table - Crunchy

2010-06-25T07:46:00.005-04:00

When ever I get a chance to share this recipe ... I am so excited .... for good reasons

The taste and texture (yes, the crunchiness) of fresh homemade granola is so different than prepackaged granola

Homemade granola is much more economical to make than store bought granola . Hurray homemade!

Homemade granola can be made to suit special diet needs (such as wheat-free or nut allergies) or tailored to your taste and favorite ingredients ... (I love seeing what's in the pantry to make a special batch)

What a fun recipe to make with children.... they will enjoy scooping, measuring, pouring, mixing and of course tasting.

Here is the recipe.
This recipe is originally from
The Silver Palate.

3 cups oats
1 cup chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or any combination of your favorite
1 cup or any combination of dried fruit (cranberries, golden raisins, apricots, dates, cherries, blueberries, etc)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed Brown Sugar (adjust to taste)
1 cup Pure Maple Syrup (adjust to taste)

Mix together in a large bowl. Transfer onto a large baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 325 degree F for 35-45 minutes stirring once or twice to cook evenly. Allow to cool completely on tray. Store in airtight jars or containers.

We love eating this granola with yogurt and fresh fruits and berries! Enjoy!

at play (through the year) - A Welcome to Summer

2010-06-21T08:16:00.001-04:00

I might need to find a shady spot as the sun grows ever stronger ....

but all the same, we welcome Summer and her beautiful long days and sunlight ....

I look today to see sunlight and shadows mix together in ever changing patterns to the wind's mind

...maple leaves from a giant's maple tree

how else could our days be filled with so much time and light ...

while bright young eyes find wild berries growing hidden underneath their still younger little leaves ...

though they are few still ... they are found treasures all the same...

there is even time to find the smallest of fairy flowers ... Welcome Summer!

at play - How the Children Have Grown

2010-06-17T08:41:00.001-04:00

even the the babies of robins do not stay babies for long .... oh how they do grow ....

I have wondered how these tender little creatures and their mother would manage ... two weeks ago, we had seen a little curious chipmunk wander too close to the nest of gem-like eggs ... he is chased in rush of feathers by an angry mother as we sat chatting about days long gone ... rude or unknowingly intruding ... Mother Robin wants no visitors to her nest....

and what of all those June showers ... what to do about the babies ... Mama must become their roof

but look ... in less than a week ... the little ones have filled the nest full ... what now becomes of their little home ... .when it became nearly comical and there is no room left to grow ... Four well fed chicks filling the nest to the brim

Ah ... they must leave the nest and learn to fly ...
my child runs near by ... and sees a lesson in progress ... but she too is unwelcome to their private class ... "they stand on each other's shoulders" she says.... of course I did not know that till now ...

The last young robin comes by our door and stands perched staring ... why ... is he curious about our home?

.. has he come to say goodbye to the young girl who put the nest right years ago when she was more than foot shorter than she stands now ... well here is the end of our robin report ... at least for now ... good bye for now robin children ...

glimpses - (corners of the workbench)

2010-06-13T12:36:00.000-04:00

How lush and green it is outside ....
a rainy and joyful weekend ... I am clearing the workbench for tomorrow's work .

... here are some glimpses of projects now in progress .... that I look forward to sharing in the coming week....

.

Hope you are enjoying a beautiful weekend where ever you are.

at play - Robin Builds Her Nest

2010-06-09T10:07:00.000-04:00

In a fairy house made with love by my child .... from nest that had been blown down from its high perch overhead .... those tall maple branches, that strong spring storm winds shook ... had sent a little robin's home down to the ground below.

... she placed eye high - to girl who then was surely a foot shorter then she stands now ... with those caring hands placed the fallen nest in a small evergreen tree by our door ...

that May - three years ago now - Mrs. Robin returned ... I'm sure ever so grateful that little hands had placed her home right again.... building homes and raising babies is not always easy ... sometimes things do not all go just so ... but that was years ago.

... this year a tall child (ever young) looked down on old, abandoned nest to see a mother robin had laid four lovely jewel-colored eggs by our door once more ... what joy May brings with flowers and nests....

We have walked lightly and gone by other doors to make Mother Robin's work lighter.... and June's warming sunlight has helped her hatch lovely, silent, closed-eyed babes sleeping with open beaks in hope mama would return with something good to eat! .... While my dear child picks flowers for our nest.....

at the workbench - At Baby's Farm

2010-06-04T09:52:00.001-04:00

Baby finds his first toys ... his own little hands are great discoveries ... and just beyond those little hands, baby goes on to reach out to his world beyond ...

by taste and by touch ... baby learns .... grasping and holding, turning and even biting ... a baby's world is learned closeup.

... at the workbench this past week ... I have been at work on a *Farm for the littlest people....

... little creatures for even littler hands ... I love these simple wooden toys that grow with the youngest child ... little toys that gain in character as baby learns his first words

...a first pretend play set ...where a little wooden bunny teether learns to hop along a trail and a little wooden chick can build a nest and speak and snuggle with other farm yard friends.
Even the simplest toys are ever changing in a young one's world.

(process) - a lttle turning

2010-05-23T15:49:00.001-04:00

How to go about making something?

Every project that comes to mind needs a path to see it through. Sometimes the process is intuitive, while other times the skill level and tools on hand determine the approach. Process can always be so interesting.

Here is a little video (all in German-but no worries,it speaks for itself). Watch until the end to make sure you see what the artisan is making - you might be surprised.

Do you have any unexpected processes in your work that you like to share, I would love to hear ... please leave a comment.

at the worbench - Catching Sun Beams

2010-05-14T08:50:00.002-04:00

it is finished ....

the puzzle that was part of its making

the tool and the toy hidden in a board of rough sawn wood

the hand tools that lay on the workbench to join its parts into one ....

... I could not help holding it up near a sunny window ... to watch the wood's secret glimmer move back and forth deep within its surface... telling its story of how it grew and caught the sun's light in its very self .....

before it was a tool or toy ... it was tree with its tall head high in the sky and its toes digging in deep in the earth ...

(glimpses) - pasta + shavings

2010-05-07T09:16:00.005-04:00

glimpses - (spring )

2010-05-03T14:44:00.001-04:00

glimpses of spring ... speaking in textures:

(from the bookshelf) - beds, books and donuts

2010-05-02T05:01:00.006-04:00

While under the weather, sick in bed for three weeks (that is almost the whole month of April ) ... there was definitely time to read a lot in bed.

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey had it's chance for a second time around read. This time read by my child who could mostly read this sweet book herself.

Homer Price contains a series of lovely short stories about life for a young boy from the town of Centerburg. The cast of characters includes: a pet skunk, the string savers club, sandwich advertising man, a comic book super hero, a tinkerer and a hermit inventor and the not to be missed latest, modern "time -saving" machines.

Now about those donuts ....

Having no new-fangled, modern machinery at my disposal and not wanting to fry donuts in a quart of oil .... I came across this wonderful recipe for baked donuts.

They were very tasty and an important way to end reading about "the donuts".

"Homer pressed the button marked 'stop' and there was a little click, but nothing happened . The rings of batter kept right on dropping...gadgets kept right on turning them over..."

Ingredients

7/8 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons buttermilk or yogurt

Directions

1- Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

2- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, oil and buttermilk or yogurt until foamy.

3- Pour the liquid ingredients all at once into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

4- Butter or grease the doughnut pan; non-stick pan spray works well here. Note: even though the pan is non-stick, since the doughnuts are low-fat they may stick unless you grease the pan first.

5- Fill each doughnut form half full.

6 - Bake the doughnuts in a preheated 375°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. When done, they'll spring back when touched lightly, and will be quite brown on the top.



	7- Remove the doughnuts from the oven, remove them from the pan, and allow them to cool on rack. If desired, glaze with icing, or dust with cinnamon-sugar or any non-melting sugar. This recipe is originally from the King Arthur Flour website.

(finding favorites) - Softness

2010-04-25T15:03:00.003-04:00

I have been dreaming .... soft and light Spring dreams ...
... and finding dreamy, soft favorites:

Sleeping Bunny Pillow
by Green Thread Shop

Snowdrop Maiden
by darialvovsky

Morning
by groundwork

Snow White Birds by softearthart

wee toadstool outfit
by littleseedlings

Two Bunny Rabbits
by iktomi

Music of the Land
by virginialeeart

(favorites) - Finding Patterns

2010-04-18T13:35:00.013-04:00

something new ...
thought I'd shared some favorites ...click here....

at the workbench - At the Center of the Earth

2010-04-14T15:05:00.002-04:00

Stories written long ago speak of ... an ancient tree that grew at the center of the Earth ....And the tree is very old ... but not as old as the Earth ...

And near that tree was a village.... At the center of the village was a well .... it is at this well that all the people came together early each morning ... to smile, talk, and learn the the latest news of their neighbors ... but not least of all was to draw fresh, cool water from deep within the Earth.

At the workbench, I have been building a wooden village piece by piece and wondering where our "village well" is ? ... What gathering place we have that refreshes us in this way?

Wishing you a wonderful day and a happy Earth Day every day!

at play - Following the Stream

2010-04-05T12:35:00.001-04:00

in a little creek ...where the beavers are constantly rearranging the land .

moving their little pond to the left and right of the banks as pleases them...

children are at play, constantly rediscovering what the water will tell

....as they follow along their banks of the shimmering water...

Spring seems always to return with rushing of water... to give life to a sleeping land.

at play - Looking for Spring

2010-03-28T13:03:00.002-04:00

Last week the first day of Spring arrived with warmth! .... This was an unexpected treat - Winter does not give in too easily here in New England.

Ice ages and spring thaws arrive hand in hand ... coming and going ... we are here waiting and searching with of any sign of Sister Spring's return ....

Out for explore last Saturday, the raised gardening beds had risen ... and even in our absence, the brave strawberry plants have set out their newest leaves....

Just a week before the beds still lay in blanket of snow.... we laid out fresh straw as morning frosts are always still near by ...

Day by day now, we are waiting for color to return to our world. Happy Spring!

at the worbench: At Play (Of Course!)

2010-03-26T18:53:00.002-04:00

Even toys need to play ...

There is so much to love about toymaking (and toys!)

I think toys -at the very heart- live quite a busy life even while they are at rest. So many stories have been written just about this - a toy's hidden, private life- for a reason.

I am amazed how even when making the simplest toy, a little plaything can be so expressive and possess their own irrepressible, quirky nature.

I'd like to introduce you to some of my newest friends: roaring picture book lions . Big-hearted, wooden lions with movable, little heads.

I could some how imagine these little lions stepping out of a child's storybook just so they could be in the the palm of your hand to purr, tell their secrets (and roar!) to their hearts content.

Wishing you a bit of whimsy and childhood joy today! : )

About A Little Bird

2010-03-19T17:24:00.010-04:00

March has been such a very nice month ...a few things have resolved .... and how good it is to be moving ever closer to Spring!

I received word about a week ago that my little folky bird was sitting on the March new stand!

Quail with a heart is a happy but shy bird by nature and was the first in my fanciful flock series -a collection of folk art push toys. She is letter Q in an A to Z directory in this month's issue (March 2010 ) of Pregnancy & Newborn (pnmag.com). Thank you so much P&N!!

around the table - Bread ( ! )

2010-03-07T17:13:00.007-05:00

For some months I have been convincing myself that I was going to bake tasty home-baked bread (and save money )... week after week ... time ran out in our days and we remained breadless...

Finally last week when day after day was a snow day ... we found enough time to make bread ... kind of ... no-knead bread is new to me ... I only just started hearing about it .... though it has been popular for some time with several new books being published this year alone about the methods.

When by chance I saw this short recipe in a baker's catalog ... a recipe taking no more space than a third of a page... I knew I would have time for baking bread. For really only fifteen or so minutes hands on work, we enjoyed four lovely baguettes (baked freshly almost every day for a whole week)!

All the ingredients .... (just flour, yeast, salt and water) are mixed together in a single container .... and that is the dough ... a molten, globby dough that bubbles and rises over night by itself.... awaiting it's time to turn into a golden loaf ...

We had so much weather... that the baking days were extended to make this pretty loaf of challah (not a no-knead) ... Baking bread is at least one way to be grateful for another snow day. Happy Baking !

at play - Along a New Shore

2010-03-05T09:27:00.002-05:00

A storm brings surprises by morning light ... we wake early to find our winter world changed ...

Even before a warm breakfast ... with coats and hats and boots ... there are places to go and undiscovered lands and shores to travel

a change in the weather (a watery nor'easter) brings a unknown landscape ... Up a new shoreline ... we explore it's rippling waves and tranquil shores....

One day here and another it is gone ... Even in a backyard, meadow magic arrives ... a pond will come and go in step with the weather report.

Happy travels in places that are both near and far!

around the table: The Cookie That Got Away

2010-02-21T17:23:00.000-05:00

I had a list of Christmas cookies I was hoping to make ... but Christmas (and those twelve days of Christmas) were over before this ones had a chance.

When I lived in the "city" (nyc)- there were a lot of wonderful places to eat. While visiting an Italian bakery, I bought a couple of tasty pastries that caught my eye. One was a cookie covered with pignoli (or pine nuts.) Tasty.

They are called Pignoli Amaretti (Pine Nut Cookies) . Well ours are missing the pine nuts ... but all the rest of the ingredients are the same as the recipe. We did have a few moments to rescue but after all it was our first time making these ... and made a lot of bowls dirty... but in the end ...so very happy to have a tasty treat.

I don't have much of a sweet tooth ... but there are times when a sweet comes in handy.

at the workbench - The Woodcutter's Story

2010-02-12T11:38:00.004-05:00

I love a good story... even as my daughter grows tall ... we love reading stack upon stack of old picture books and fairy tales...

Hidden in these stories are truths so old and deep that their meanings continue to reveal themselves as we grow older. If you are not familiar with this lovely site- SurLaLune Fairy Tales- take a look. You will find a beautiful collection of fairy tales, illustrations, annotations and similar stories found across cultures.

Here are a couple of favorite stories about the brave, and honest woodcutter's journey:
~ the golden goose
~ the honest woodcutter

and of course there are these old folk tales:
~ brave Jack of "Jack and the Beanstalk"
~ little red riding hood

My sick little girl woke up early this past Wednesday morning and from another room I heard: "Wha-ching, wa-ching, wha-ching". There in her hands was the happy discovery of the woodcutter's ax - a new tool I made late the night before while she slept. Perhaps this may sound funny, but some how wooden toys feel honest; they are earthy and wonderful to touch and hold. Because wooden toys have this quality they become tools for the imagination.

This woodcutter's ax - as quickly as it was finished, made it's way to a little boy's hands for his fifth birthday. No sooner was his present unwrapped and there he was "ka-chink, ka-chink, ka-chink"! It's always so wonderful to see a child at play!

Well, I am back to the workbench to finish today's many projects - there will certainly be a couple more wooden axes in the works. One that will have to make it's way back to my daughter's hands!

PS. If you or a friend are a lover of fairy tales - I would love if you could share a comment about your favorite woodcutter's story. Thank you!

at the workbench - In the Winter Woodland

2010-02-09T14:05:00.005-05:00

In the Northern Winter woods ..

There is ... a bare world of twisty, tawny brown branches ... trees that are thankfully ever green... a clear, crisp and cold blue sky.... and a glowing, radiant white land

... the world is so much quieter now... silently waiting from my workbench .. this silent Winter Taveler waits for his folk colors... even when the earth's palette is simple and pure ...

Yesterday was the day ... there was time to paint quietly his colors.

Sometimes I do not know for sure from what land or far away time these folk and vintage-inspired creatures come.

It is that way sometimes with a folk-loving heart. The colors, textures and patterns all mingle together all taken in by open eyes wandering this wide world.

You can visit with the Silent Traveler here at my Prettydreamer.

at the workbench - Wandering Little Gnome

2010-02-05T10:36:00.001-05:00

he was once a block of wood ... which makes sense ... simple, earthy gnomes like nothing better than their woodland homes ...

he started out on my workbench during December's holiday rush ... but he is not one to be hurried ... a patient fellow ... he was cut from lovely, native hardwoods that were his home ...

he was shaped and carved and sanded smooth with care by hand

Polished smoothed and finished with a hand-rubbed natural finish.

He is what he should be ... a little wooden gnome that loves to wander in the quiet places.

He at last made his way to my Prettydreamer late this January. You can find him here along with the carved woodland village that is in process.

around the table - At the End of a Day

2010-01-31T20:15:00.005-05:00

A Sunday at 8:15 pm. My little one is in bed after a day's adventures. For her, discoveries of lost dolls and almost all of the doctoring kit that had gone missing.

Here is a day, I would like just to pay attention to family and home. A day to catch up on cooking, laundry and getting ready for week's new beginning. A quiet and restoring day that gives balance to work days business.

This Sunday, our experiment with homemade pasta was successful ...thankfully. As quickly as the fettuccine and spaghetti was made, it was cooked and eaten. (The picture of the lovely pasta is missing, we were too hungry to wait).

But at the end of the day, I am left with the dirty dishes and pots to clean and put away. Reflecting on the week to come and whether I should add more sea salt to pasta dough the next time around.

Sweet dreams and have a wonderful week!

(from the bookshelf) - The Selfish Giant

2010-01-15T08:45:00.076-05:00

It is that time of year ...
in the thick of winter ...still months to go till Spring ... we find ourselves waiting

but even in the heart of Winter ...
a memory of that far away world is still in bloom

a lovely book by Oscar Wilde... with giants visited by children, a Lady Snow and a Mr Frost playing in an enchanted garden that Spring has forgotten ...

... a modern fairy tale where Winter lives eternal

while a giant's heart is frozen cold.

Hoping you stay cozy through these long winter days warmed with thoughts of Springs return....

around the table - Baking Crayons

2010-01-02T08:04:00.009-05:00

One of the very best things I can think of to do is to spend time with my daughter

doing yet another project. "Around the Table" is a new series I am adding to my blog sharing happy times that can be shared with the little people in your life.

This project is oh so simple. Little bits of crayon baked in 150 degree oven (or the lowest setting your oven has) for about twenty minutes or so. Cool to room temperature or if needed 20 minutes or so in freezer. And that is it ... lovely variegated crayons for your little one's next drawing project.

at the workbench- Christmas Eve Pajamas

2009-12-24T21:14:00.030-05:00

A snowy day and finally some quiet time to spend just with my girl and Christmas preparation. There is just time enough to start a new project.that has been dancing around me. Oh, I so love new projects! ....I have said it before, "I am not a sewer". But one day, I will not be able to make that claim anymore. In the last couple of years, I have been teaching myself to sew - mostly by need and by trial and error. Like many things, having an idea and desire are enough to make a leap into the unknown. Intuition has to stay near by to help me out most of the time.

So first came some curtains for dividers, small Waldorf-style dolls and felt animals, then gift bags for Prettydreamer , folk flowered pinwheels, crayon pouches for the third graders and now here I am now ready to make Christmas Eve pajamas!

* (by the way, the clamp in the picture was not used in this project)

I made up a pattern by tracing some pants that were on hand ... guessing how much extra might be needed for the seams. After managing to sew one pant leg completely together, I decided that there was no reasonable way for the pajamas to be put on that way and undid my work. I then pinned and sewed back and front parts the way pants are supposed to be sewn together. I can not say how exciting it was that the pajamas worked! My girl (and one of her dolls) was able to actually put them on. She is so happy to wear them around - how wonderful! And just in the nick of time for Christmas eve.

The day after Christmas, I began the kimono tops ... I would have never have imagined how those pieces of fabric might need to be laid out and sewn to actually make a top. It has been a treat learning something new and making something useful for my daughter that she loves! Merry Christmas!!

around the table - Marzipan Pigs

2009-12-20T20:43:00.003-05:00

I know there must be a pretty long list of absolute likes and dislikes when it comes to food... the list might include mushrooms, olives, even cilantro, brussel sprouts and marzipan... (I happen to like all the above.)

Now when I think of marzipan, I am not thinking about those overly, sugary-sweet marzipan candies.. but lovely edibles handcrafted by Italian and German bakeries and confectioners made from a blend of ground almonds (and sugar!)

Marzipan is a tasty and wonderful modeling paste

used traditionally for special holiday treats at Christmas and Easter worldwide.

In the light of a happy tree with our little mascot looking on ... we are at play and serious all at once. ...Well not all pigs are like all other pigs .. but they are all fun and a yummy.

at the workbench - Months Gone By

2009-12-19T18:40:00.004-05:00

september ...

october....november .... december

at work ... a mountain of friendly faced toys, wood scraps, shavings and saw dust ... coming to the end of this year's work at the bench... then some short days at rest with twinkling lights and silent nights.

Thank you for sharing in a beautiful and busy year and wishing you a lovely New Year!!

at play - Dashboard Dachshund

2009-11-02T21:41:00.003-05:00

One of those lovely early Autumn days ... ready to go out for a drive and there he appeared

When I least expected ... there he stood our new dashboard dachshund

All of an inch high ... sitting proud on the the grey interior of our car...

What sweet little creature ... I thought he might have stayed and made our dashboard his home ... but all things change and they do not stay the same . By the end of our drive, errands all finished.. our dashboard dachshund was once again a piece of clay. (sigh)

at play - Just the Alphapet ( and Still No Soup Today)

2009-10-16T16:56:00.012-04:00

Waiting for dinner ...

In the right hands ...

There is nothing that cannot be made to play

A Hard Frost - Autumn Passing By

2009-10-14T07:21:00.003-04:00

the morning sunrises ... now all come with a hard frost

the trees have begun to make themselves bare .... for their long winter sleep ...

but still some of Autumn's gold hangs on.

at the workbench - A Frost Unknown

2009-09-26T14:41:00.051-04:00

While I was busy working and at my workbench,
.... I looked out to see Autumn going by.

One day ...I miss a frost warning....

and so I turn to making salsa verde

Autumn, like Spring never seem to last
like those long Summer and Winter months

Again the season brings new colors as I look up from my work.

"Autumn Entertaining" - Etsy Front Page (9/17/09)

2009-09-18T08:43:00.008-04:00

Yesterday ... a beautiful Etsy Front Page treasury celebrating Autumn Harvest and Entertaining. includes Prettydreamer's own "Oak Leaf Cutting Board - Simple " Thank you Etsy!

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This simple oak leaf cutting board for serving snacks and perhaps even cheese. Eco-friendly and very pretty for the table. Useful in the kitchen, table or fun for children's pretend or house play.

Sturdy and lovely locally harvested maple and finished with a food-grade, hand rubbed oil finish. Handy leather strap for hanging.

FEATURED IN STORQUE BLOG: http://www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/alice-waters-edible-schoolyard-4982/

Measures approximately 9 inch x 5 1/2 inches.

Child’s Play: Building Blocks

2009-09-15T02:41:00.002-04:00

Well the Etsy Stalker has struck again! This time she has visit Prettydreamer!
A story about Child’s Play: Building Blocks

Here is Curator Violet pick from my shop :

A Little Storybook Village - Town Building Blocks

at play - Building Straw Houses

2009-09-14T12:35:00.058-04:00

"The North Wind doth blow and we shall have snow ... and what will the poor robin do then - poor thing - he'll sit in a barn to keep himself warm and hide his head under his wing...poor thing"

"The North Wind doth blow and we shall have snow ... and what will the dormouse do then - poor thing - rolled up like a ball in his nest snug and small ... he''l sleep till the warm weather comes in -poor thing"

The time has come for all creatures to prepare their winter homes for the chilly weather to come .. a chipmunk stands by the door of his home... looking out and ... waiting for the mail to come ...

At play, there are houses to build as well ... from what might be found ... branches, twigs and straw.... The children make their own straw house and crawl inside for shelter.

at the workbench: Isn't Autumn Wonderful!

2009-09-14T11:17:00.005-04:00

I must say I absolutely love Autumn! The wonderful fresh, crisp air and of course the colors!! Autumn is just peaking in where I live, but I am certain Jack Frost has whispered a few words to the maples! Here is my Jack Frost Was Here Autumn Tree to celebrate the start of this colorful season!

at the workbench: If I Could Saw Wood I Would

2009-09-06T14:24:00.012-04:00

... a woodworker of old would often make the tools that were needed for his work... here in process is what I am for now calling a flame-backed dovetail saw. This classic hand tool is handcrafted with traditional woodworking techniques (such as tongue and groove joinery and hand pegged joints)

This traditional wooden backsaw - or really a saw made from wood- is for folks of all ages who love tools, woodworking, carpentry and are full of imagination for what a "wood saw" can actually do.

This prototype is still awaiting the final finishing... but watch soon for these heirloom "Wood Saws"to be available at Prettydreamer or feel free to contact me about pre-ordering details.

at the workbench: Scardy Cat - "Not Scary Black Cat"

2009-08-27T20:12:00.009-04:00

She might be scared, but promises not to scare. This wooden toy black kitty is handcrafted for Halloween fun and beyond. This classic wooden push toy cat is built with wheels. Push her nicely by her tail and she won't mind too much!

As featured on Cool Mom Picks : http://www.coolmompicks.com/2009/10/scaredy_cat.php