Twig and Toadstool

On vacation....

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 12:23:00 +0000

Shanti and I are going to be "on vacation" for a little while...probably a couple of weeks.

Summer time gets especially busy for us...especially as we both work nearly full time and are trying to fit in as much living as possible during these few warm months.

We'll see you soon...enjoy your summer!

xo maureen & shanti

Wet-Felted Soap

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:14:00 +0000

A bar of natural, wet-felted soap takes just three materials to make - soap, roving and water - and can be made in about 20 minutes, plus additional drying time. Not only is the process quick, easy and delicious smelling, but there is plenty of room for imagination and creativity.

Felting soaps can also lengthen the life of your soap, and even eliminate the need for a washcloth.

Whether you make one bar of soap for a special gift or several for your home, soap felting makes a safe, simple, hands-on home project for adults and kids alike!

My niece had a birthday recently so I decided to felt up some sweet smelling soaps for her.

These soaps I purchased from a good friend at Two Trees Soap, who makes the most wonderful, all natural, amazing smelling, long lasting soap.

I started with her Clary Shea soap.

Clary Sage essential oil is a low, calming, and reassuring scent as is mellow Rosewood. Ylang Ylang oil is distilled from fragrant blossoms is a sweet and mild aphrodisiac. Colored with Red Clay and ground Rose Petals, this soap adds a nice finish to your end-of-the-day bath. Wonderful for relieving cramps and hormone stress.

Lay out the wool so that it is about as thick as a normal washcloth. Wrap the wool around the soap, both lengthwise and widthwise so that the bar is completely covered.

You can layer colors together, or just add a stripe of a contrasting color if you choose to jazz it up a bit.

Take your felting needle and poke it into the roving, focusing on places where it is loosest.

Soon you will have a fairly secure little package that will look something like this.

Immerse your soap into hot, hot soapy water.

At this point, the soap and wool will look like a wet cat. Gently begin to massage the soap and wool together. Be careful not to be too rough at this stage or you'll expose the soap underneath.

Continue to rub ... squeeze... dip it in the water... rub... squeeze... dip (you get the picture) until it is holding together nicely.

When the felt starts to shrink down, you need to up the agitation a notch. I scrub my soap on a sushi bamboo mat, but you can use anything that will give you more agitation. Roll it around on the mat and keep at it until the felt is flat, snug and smooth with no holes.

Run your felted soap under some cold water and then squeeze to remove any excess water. At this point you can set your soap somewhere to dry completely. The wool will continue to felt as the bars are used for washing, and the bars should be allowed to air dry between uses for best results.

Off these sweet smelling little packages went, infused with some Auntie love.

(My niece and I on her birthday)

Looking forward to more soapy creations.

Be Well

~ Shanti~

ALL SPUNK NO JUNK!!!! Link up!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:56:00 +0000

Hello beautiful friends...oh sweet summertime...sure seems to be a busy time for all, and I mean, can you believe July is half over!!!!!!!

Please join us in our Monday link up...

we love seeing your creations!!

xoxo

maureen & shanti!

Inspiration Stones

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 15:31:00 +0000

I have been searching lately for peace amongst the business that summer and working full time brings. I often find myself swallowed up in the doing and lose my way of being. I decided to create some simple one word reminders to guide me into a place balance more often. I thought of the words I want to feel and embrace the most in my life right now. Words to inspire me... mantras to carry me.

(letter decals & river stones)

***

These words now look up at me from around the home... gentle reminders to breath in the gratitude, open up to the love and be present to the joy.

For all you mamas like me, who can find themselves overwhelmed ~ may this day bring you a sense of gratitude, love and joy.

~ Shanti ~

Wax Rocks

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 16:57:00 +0000

Looking for a simple summer activity?

These wax rocks just might fit the bill!

Here's how it works...

Gather some rocks.

Warm them in the oven or out in the bright sun until they are nice and hot.

With tongs place them on a sheet of paper.

Take your crayons and draw away!

The girls we delighted to see how the colors swirled and blended.

The best rocks for this seem to be river stones if you can find some ~ nice and smooth.

Somehow wearing a cat mask seems to help with the process too ; )

Quick warning... hot rocks + little hands may = ouch!

Needless to say this is an activity for close supervision.

With Love
~ Shanti ~

ALL SPUNK NO JUNK LINK UP!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Happy Monday everyone!!!!

Hope everyone enjoyed a safe and crafty weekend.

Welcome once again to our weekly

link up party!

Please link up your crafts or recipes made with beautiful, natural materials. Share the crafty LOVE!!!!

Thanks so much to everyone for sharing their creativity!!

xo maureen & shanti

~ Creating A Birch Bark Vase ~

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:03:00 +0000

With the bursting beauty of summer here, we are perpetually filling vases with handfuls of wild flowers, tree blossoms at their peak and our garden lovelies as they unfold their sweet faces.

Perfect time for a new vase!

To make these you need a glue gun, scissors, elastics and a jar or vase.

To create...

Collect some birch bark

* be sure never to take it from a living tree ~ there is usually plenty on the forest floor for the taking. *

Find a jar or vase to use.

Measure and cut your birch bark ~ just a bit taller than your jar and over lapping about an inch.

Glue it together.

Add elastics to hold it together until the glue is dry.

Place the jar inside your birch bark round...

and enjoy filling it up with the beauty that surrounds you!

Be Well

~ Shanti ~

Pine Cone Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:13:00 +0000

Even with our gardens lush with fresh flowers ~ I just can't seem to get enough of them!

These little flowers were inspired by some big pine cones I found a the beach.

Easy to make. Pretty to look at.

Here is a how to...

With garden shears cut the scales off a pine cone.

For the center flower, cut apart a small pine cone. Leave 2 or 3 sets of scales together and voila you have yourself a wee flower.

Cut a piece of felt into a circle.

Glue on your scales around the outside edge.

Glue on a second row of scales in the circle.

Glue your little flower in the center.

There you have it!

These little flowers can have many homes....

We glued some to hair clips, onto magnets for the fridge, put some into our fairy house. Thinking these would also make lovely gift toppers or tree ornaments.

So many options!

In flower heaven

~ Shanti ~

All Spunk No Junk Link Up!!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:12:00 +0000

Welcome Beautiful Friends to our weekly link up...

Please link up your crafts below...it's a long weekend here in Canada...so we're keeping it simple today...but we'd LOVE if you'd share your creations with us!

xo maureen & shanti

Please Welcome our New Sponsor...LITTLE WOOL!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:09:00 +0000

Beautiful friends...Today I'd like you to meet our good friend and newest sponsor Karen from
Little Wool
Little Wool makes the MOST delightful hand made wool felt creations...please go and check her out...read her blog, and help us support another mama run business!!

Please tell our readers a bit about yourself...

I am a stay at home mama to three lovely girls. In the moments that aren't spent filling the mama role, or homeschooling, or gardening, I make things. Things for them, for me, for my partner and for our home. I am still waiting for the day when I figure out what I want to be when I grow up....

How did you come up with the name "Little Wool"...

The name LittleWool is meant to be funny. If one were to walk into my basement, one may stumble on piles of wool blankets and sweaters. It may be that if someone were to peek into my closets they may find more of the same....maybe. It is actually a LOT of wool...just saying.

This fact, combined with my love of making toys and things (as mentioned above) has led me down the path to selling these creations under the name LittleWool.

Who or what inspires you creatively...
During my 18 years under the title of "Mama", I have read and re-read countless childrens books...so it should not be a surprise that many of my creations are inspired by the pictures that appear these books.

I also spend many hours outside. Whether we are at our local beach, or hiking in the nearby Gatineau Hills, I am always somewhat preoccupied with the beauty that surrounds us. Many of my creations are inspired by these sights and sites.

Thank you Little Wool!
I adore your handmade creations and I know our readers will too!
Now onto the giveaway!

Little Wool has generously offered to give one lucky reader the chance to win this beautiful handmade sheep, (the the one just above on the Little Wool button)...
Please enter by leaving a comment below...
additional entries can be had for
Adding the Little Wool shop on etsy to your favorites list OR
"following" the sheepish blog
AND if you tweet, pin or blog about this giveaway you can have one extra entry per action!
Please leave a separate comment for each entry!
This giveaway will run until next Saturday at midnight.

Go and support handmade today!!
xo maureen & shanti

On Love and Loss and LOVING again!!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:03:00 +0000

Right now you will find me wallowing in a nice little pond of self pity. You see, this is a pity party for one...for me...and I will happily wallow here for a week or two. The soundtrack in my pond is Elliott Smith...he's about the MOST depressing person I can think of to listen to...and the food is slim to non existant...I can't eat when I'm coping with heartache.

So...I want to share my story...of how I lost at love, but will live and trust in the universe that I will love again.

Dont' know where this image came from...but I truly LOVE it!!

When my 10 year relationship with the father of my children ended, I fearfully decided to start dating again...after being with one man for that long, this decision was terrifying. You feel unloveable...you feel like a failure at love...you are terrified that NO ONE will love you again. And so, I put on my rubber boots and waded back into the pool. Let me tell you...I had some good dates, and I had some horrible dates...one man I'll refer to only as the "feral cat boy"...it did indeed have something to do with the noises he made while I kissed him at the end of the night. Some of my dates ended with me feeling compelled to write a song...especially the bad dates...some of them ended with me feeling hopeful again.

Then I met a guy who seemed awesome...sweet, kind, caring, compassionate, sensitive, and a little bit warped...he was someone I wanted a "something" with...and I've been seeing him consistently for the past year. Everything was going so well...and then, reality hit square in the jaw...and we both knew it was over. His daughter lives far away...and he wants to be with her...and he is soon going to be in a position to move. The sad reality of it all is that I am not in a position to be a part of those plans. Of course there is other "stuff" too, every relationship has "stuff"...and it comes from both sides. The end result is, two very sad people who are heartbroken.

Do I know this heartache will lift...YES...I'm 36...I've been here before. It doesn't really negate the fact though that love endings tend to make us feel "unloveable"...they make us scared that we will never be loved again. And so I will continue to wallow...and with every passing day, even this will lift. I am SO ready to find someone awesome to have in my life...and I'm sure that person is out there waiting for an awesome lady like me to come in and shake things up,

(I even bake homemade cookies and muffins from scratch for crying out loud)!!!

My reason for sharing...maybe you're feeling heartache too...maybe you can relate to feeling unloveable, or you have other loss issues in your life...it's all a part of this crazy human experience...and in anything we go through we are not alone...I know at least that much to be true.

and so I sign off...in heartache and with LOVE

xo maureen

Fairies For Tea

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:28:00 +0000

FAIRYLAND
A Fairy's house stands in a wood, Midst fairy trees and flowers,
Where daisies sing like little birds
Between the sun and showers, And grasses whisper tiny things
About this world of ours.
Such flowers are there beside the way, Lilies and hollyhocks:
Blow off their stalks to tell the time
Tall dandelion clocks; While harebells ring an hourly chime
Like a wound music-box.
Some day shall we two try to find
This strange enchanted place?
Go hand in hand through flower-lit woods
Where living trees embrace--And suddenly, as in a dream, Behold a fairy's face!
~~Author Unknown.~~

We have been deeply immersed in fairyland over here.

We were inspired by The Magic Onions Fairy Garden Contest and decided to bring our own fairy garden to life!

It has been wonderful. I love how easily I can lose myself in creating miniatures for our fairy friends (yes that is my hand pouring tea for the fairies ; ).

I laugh to myself when I catch myself more immersed than the girls ~ mama's time to play!

Here's one of our wee creations for our fairy garden...

and a quick how to.

Gather

Acorns

Birch bark

Pine cone

Small twig

Glue gun

Cut your twig for the spout.

Glue it on.

Cut a thin strip of birchbark and glue on for a handle.

(It helps to fold the handle a bit a both ends for the glueing)

Glue on your acorn cap lid.

Brew up some fairy tea!

For your itty bitty tea cups ~ cut out a small circle of birchbark.

Glue on an acorn cap.

Cut and glue on a birch bark strip handle.

After creating our tea set, we realized these fairies would surely appreciate a fairy flower snack.

So we created this little plate out of pine cone scales and an acorn cap.

We filled it with fresh flowers and invited the fairies to tea!

In Fairy Love

~ Shanti ~

All Spunk No Junk...Guest Tutorial and Link Up!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 13:35:00 +0000

Beautiful Readers...

Please help us welcome Jennifer from Dark Blue Dragon.

Jennifer also runs a business called Mariposa Forest

that is definately worth checking out!

First off, thank you to Shanti and Maureen for having me over on their fabulous site. You have been missed and I am so glad to see you back again.

Here in our house we like bees. I dream of one day having bees and my littles know how important the bees are to help the flowers and vegetables grow, so I thought a bee themed craft would be appropriate.
So here you have it, a Bee and Hive Mobile.

To make this you will need:

one small terra cotta pot (think seedling sized)

some wool roving in golden, yellow, black, and white

small pine cones, or any small oval shaped nut or seed that has a bit of texture to it

two sturdy sticks

small piece of a twig or stick

twine

glue gun or craft glue

invisible thread or fishing line

First up, we need to make the hive. To do this, take some of the golden colored roving and rub it with slightly dampened hands as if you were making a snake (remember those playdough days?). My coil was about 45 inches long, but you can do smaller ones and just attach them on the pot.

After you have your coils made, we need to glue them to the pot. I use a glue gun for this because it is faster than craft glue, but use what you have. Starting at the bigger side (so the pot will be upside down) apply some glue and start coiling the roving around the pot, take care to keep the rows close together so no bits of the pot show through.

Keep going all the way around until you get to the top of the pot. Now, coil around the top of the pot, stacking it a bit to shape the top of the hive.

Using a blunt needle, thread some twine up through the hole on the inside of the pot and tie a small piece of stick or twig or even a bead to the end keep it from pulling through.

Now that we have a hive, we need some bees.

Using the pine cones or nuts or whatever you have, take a small bit of the wool roving and pull it slightly to make it wispy. It doesn’t take much here, just a pinch.

Wrap this wispy bit around the pine cone and roll it slightly in your hand to adhere it to itself. Now taking a very tiny amount of black roll it between your fingers and then wrap it around the yellow to make the stripes.

I found it easier to attach the string to hang these little guys before putting on the wings. If you like to live on the edge, go ahead and put the wings on first then tie the invisible thread on to hang them. If you are a rule follower, put the thread on now, just wrap it around the belly and tie, and then proceed to granting them their wings. To make the wings, simply take a small little pinch of the white roving and using your fingers, shape them into wings.

I like to make a little rectangle, then pinch and roll the middle bit. Once you are happy with them, glue them on using hot glue.

All that is left is to make something to hang them from. Taking the two sticks, tie them together to form a cross. Then attach some twine to the top of it to hang when you are all finished. Now simply attach the hive to the middle, and the bees flying happily around it. I put a drop of hot glue on the top of the sticks where I tied the bees just to keep them from flying away.

There you have it. It is perfect hanging above a Nature Table or Seasonal Display or above your dining table like we have it. The best part? These bees won’t sting!

Thank you SO much Jennifer for sharing your creativity with our readers!!
Now it's your turn...link up your beautiful crafts and recipes below in our weekly

With LOVE

xo maureen & shanti

Twig Stories by Jo Marshall...and a GIVEAWAY!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 17:52:00 +0000

Beautiful Readers...Please help us welcome

author

Jo Marshall!!

She writes a series of books called "Twig Stories"...and is generously offering our readers a chance to win a copy of her books!

Please read on to learn more about Jo and

her "Twig Stories"

The beautiful Jo Marshall

Twig Stories by Jo Marshall

Hello, Twig and Toadstool’s fans and followers. What a delightful blog! So many fun ideas and talent here! I want to thank my new friends, Maureen and Shanti, for their generous invitation to introduce my books, Twig Stories.

My name is Jo Marshall, and I write Twig Stories with the help of my young daughter,

Ali Jo.

In elementary school, she studied about the harmful impacts of climate change happening here in the Pacific Northwest. Three volcanoes loom over our valley in Snohomish, Washington. Lush rainforests of British Columbia and the Olympic Peninsula are nearby, along with shrinking glaciers, vanishing species, and extreme weather. So we invented Twigs – little stick creatures that live in old growth forests. Twigs battle specific events associated with a warming world.

You may be wondering how to make a Twig story, so here’s a great method to try at home:

You will need the following supplies:

1. Young readers, 8+, (or listeners 3+) who love a fantastic, adventure story

2. An assortment of brave stick creatures –

Twigs about as big as a robin are best

3. Animals plucked from forests & prairies – usually endangered

4. Floods and goliath beavers:

Hint: In Leaf & the Rushing Waters Leaf and his friend, Rustle, try to find goliath beavers, which may be strong enough to build a mighty dam. Leaf hopes the ‘chompers’ can stop a flood from destroying Leaf’s old tree home, the Old Seeder. (You see, beaver dams naturally mitigate flood and drought!)

5. Bark beetles and trapped Twigs:

Hint: In Leaf & the Sky of Fire Twigs battle a swarm of “barkbiters” in an infested, dying forest. Twig babes are trapped in a cave there, and Leaf flies off on a bird named Pesky to try and save them. Fortunately, there are researchers working to save our forests, especially the endangered species like the white bark pine trees.

6. Guidance from enormously gifted people in the environmental field who generously offer their advice and support to be sure the best stories are created.

7. A great design team to develop a fun website with games and puzzles for kids, educational information, and discounts for shoppers.

8. A talented Disney illustrator, who enjoys creating Twig art, and a stubborn writer

Weave it all together, and you have an eco-literary fantasy series call Twig Stories!

Leaf and the Rushing Waters

Leaf and the Sky of Fire

If you’d like to find some of these stories already put together, please follow the links below. You can find them online worldwide!

Oh yes! Leaf & the Long Ice and Leaf & Echo Peak will be available soon, too.

(It also helps if you are a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, Pacific Northwest Writers Association, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Read a Book Make a Difference, and many environmental nonprofits.)

Twig Stories books are available in paperback and kindle versions from online book stores such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Links:

1) Website: http://www.twigstories.com Discounted books are available via my Estore (direct from publisher) Just follow the links from the Twig Store.

2) Amazon.com for Leaf & the Rushing Waters: http://www.amazon.com/Leaf-Rushing-Waters-Twig-Stories/dp/1461135788/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322030239&sr=1-1

Amazon.com for Leaf & the Sky of Fire: http://www.amazon.com/Leaf-Sky-Fire-Twig-Stories/dp/145630092X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1306174492&sr=8-2

Thank you Jo for sharing your talent with us here at Twig and Toadstool!!

And now for the giveaway!!!

Jo has kindly offered to give one of our lucky readers a copy of one of her Twig stories.

If you win you will have 2 choices...

you can get the books via Kindle,

(and Jo will give you both copies of her stories)

if you want a hard copy you will get your choice of one of the two books.

To enter simply leave a comment...

for extra entries

"like" her Twig Stories page on Facebook

"like" the Jo Marshall authors page on Facebook

~~or blog, pin, facebook or tweet about this giveaway and you can get an additional entry for each action.~~

~~This giveaway will run until next Saturday at midnight...the winner will be announced~~

~~on Sunday! Good luck to all who enter!~~

The winner of our giveaway was Bug!!
thanks to all who entered!

For more information about Twig Stories drop Jo at line at

Email: twigstories@aol.com

Have a great weekend everyone

xox maureen & shanti

Get Your A** in the Seat!!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:48:00 +0000

The past year has seen my life go through so many changes. One of the big hurdles I've had to overcome is letting go of the "good mother". I've had to accept myself, and my motherhood journey just as they are...completely and totally imperfect and flawed.

A few months ago we were at a dinner party, and my good friend is telling us all the mature things her three year old says...how she answers the phone and sounds like such a little grown up.

I had to mention that MY three year old says the MOST grown up things too...like just the other day as we were getting in the car she looks at me and says,

"I know mummy...get my ass in the seat!"

Matilda and me!

Moments like this allow me to reflect on the sheer humour of this parenting journey...they allow me to accept the fact that I'm just not going to win Mother of the Year this year...or any year for that matter...and you know what? I'm okay with that.

I look at my 2 little girls and I can see that they are turning into such cool little people...
they're going to be the kind of people that I would want to know.
I am guilty of swearing, yelling, losing my temper AND my cool, but I also possess a heart that bursts with kindness, laughter, JOY, love and light...and those are the qualities that shine through in spite of all my flaws as a mother.

I encourage you to embrace your humanity as a parent...embrace your flaws...your JOYS...your heart that brims with love, fear and all those other crazy emotions...and every now and then stop and laugh at yourself and get your A** in the seat of your OWN parenting journey!!

I would LOVE if you shared some of your imperfect parenting moments with me!!

In perfect imperfection

xo maureen

Summer Solstice Sun Child!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:06:00 +0000

Happy Summer Solstice!!!!

Today being the first day of summer, I thought we'd share a

sweet little SUN child craft!!!

You will need:

wool felt (in yellow and orange)

one wooden bead

paint & brush

roving (for hair and stuffing)

embroidery floss and needle (in contrasting colour)

beads or wool balls

I used a 250ml mason jar as my circle template...tracing around the lid cut one circle out of your yellow felt, and then cut another "sun" shape out of your orange felt.

You will need to cut a small circle where your wooden bead/head will go...start out small, you can always cut it a bit bigger if need be.

Fit in your wooden bead (head), where you want it to go...add some roving hair if you wish and glue gun into place.

Now sew your yellow circle onto your sun shape...before you close it off, stuff with some wool roving, just to give it some "depth". I'm a big fan of the blanket stitch...makes it look nice and tidy!

Now add some embroidery floss to hang it with...and some glass or wool beads...

Lastly, if you desire you can paint on some eyes and a sweet little mouth...ready to gobble up some summertime fun!!

Now hang it somewhere to bring the sunshine in!!!

Happy Summertime!!!

xoxo maureen

PS...Don't forget to enter our GIVEAWAY to win a copy of the book

"LOVE is the Color of a Rainbow".

Enter by leaving a comment under the post...and look for ways to get extra entries.

The giveaway closes on Saturday at midnight!

(and stay tuned for another fabulous literary giveaway this weekend)!

* Queen Summer * (and all spunk ~ no junk link up party!)

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 04:22:00 +0000

With summer solstice arriving this week...

Queen Summer

joined us to welcome it in!

She is now gracing our summer nature table and would love to come to you too...

To bring her to life you will need to gather

silk flowers

felt

wooden doll pin and stand

glue

pipe cleaner

roving

acorn cap

To begin wrap your pipe cleaner around the body (twisting it once in the back to hold better) and trim your arms to the length you desire.

Cut out a rectangle (double the length of the body) out of your felt and fold in half.

Draw what ever shape you would like for your dress and cut out. Remember to leave the top folded and mostly uncut.

Cut a small hole for the head.

With your glue gun ~ glue down the sides and the sleeves.

Pull apart your silk flowers.

Fold them in half...

and cut the hole in the center just big enough to accommodate the felt covered doll pin.

Slide on your colorful flower petal skirt!

Glue on your roving for hair and then your acorn hat.

(She also asked for a wild strawberry flower for her hat ~ and that she got!)

We had pressed some wild strawberry flowers and wild strawberry leaves a couple of weeks ago and they seemed to just belong on her.

I can't help but smile when I pass her in our home.

To me she speaks of....

sunshine filled beach days

the taste of warm, juicy wild strawberries

the smell of bonfires

late night skinny dips

watermelon juice dripping down chins

feasting on the garden's bounty

sleeping under the stars

sunkissed skin

bold and beautiful flowers

floating on the water

and the glorious abundance that summer brings.

Happy Almost Summer Friends!

~ Shanti ~

Now it's YOUR turn to share your creativity!

Every Monday we are going to host our new "All Spunk No Junk"

link up! Please link up your crafts made with beautiful materials...think cloth, wood, wool, nature items, vintage, handmade.

We want to share all the beautiful crafting possibilities with each other. Each week we will pick one craft to post on the side of our blog for one month. Thank you to all who link up and help us spread the word about our new linkeroo!

Thank you to everyone who shares with us this week!!!

xo maureen & shanti

Love is the Colour of a Rainbow...another FABULOUS giveaway!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:21:00 +0000

Beautiful readers...today we'd like to give a

HUGE

Twig and Toadstool welcome to Kathy Parra...author of

Love is the Color of a Rainbow

Kathy...please tell our readers...what inspired you to write your book "Love is the Color of a Rainbow"?

When I was in sixth grade the teacher asked if anyone wanted to assist with the special needs students, I raised my hand and said, “Pick me!” I was paired up with many children but one in particular who we will call Willow, Willow explained to me that she had been blind since birth, each day I went in there to assist her with her Braille reading, which I might add she so wanted me to learn, but I never did. She would sit flitting her tiny fingers over the bumps in the thin translucent paper at rapid speed and I would pencil scratch my stories just as furiously, one day she asked me “what are you writing?” I told her I like to write stories about nature, she asked me to read them to her, she would delight in my story making and I would delight in her listening, we spent many a lunch hour eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as I read my nature stories.

One day out of the blue Willow took out her pear from her lunch bag, and said “I wish I knew what my pear looked like” “Kathy” she asked “what does a pear look like?” I started with well it’s green on the outside; she said, “what does green look like?” I knew then and there I was to take her in nature to share what the pear looked like, so I took her under a beautiful mulberry tree on the schoolyard as she stood under the tree I took her hand and let her feel the green leaves I said these are leaves and they are green and it is the same color as the outside of the pear, she said oh it is smooth-warm, then I ran her hand over the branch to which would be the sense of the stem of the pear, I said this is the stem and it is a brownish green, oh she said, this too feels smooth yet strong, yes-yes! I was excited that she was associating the feel-sense of what I was sharing in a feeling sense, putting feelings to the colors, then I took her to the sand box and ran her fingers through the sand, I said the inside of the pear, it a soft white color yet as you bite into the pear there is just a bit of grit, she ran her fingers through the sand, then taking a bite of pear, she said oh it feels like life, like it has energy, when I feel the sand and then bite the pear I feel life-energy! Needless to say Willow quickly began to associate most everything in her daily life with a feeling for a color, she even made up her own colors! Willow often told me I was like a lot of colors put together, saying that all those colors were love. In that short amount of time that we spent together I was grateful for her friendship and she for mine, I think we both knew it was transient and as they say a reason- season or a lifetime. , My greatest inspiration though comes in and of my three children - all girls! And they are 21-17 and 13. they were an inspiration to and for me and continue to be so; they have been my greatest teachers! I am honored and blessed to be in the presence of such graceful wisdom!

What is your book about?

Willow, a little girl who has been blind since birth hears pit-pats of the first summer rain, she quickly encourages her Mama to go outside, Mama shares all the colors of a rainbow with Willow through nature, there Willow experiences that “Love is the Color of a Rainbow."

Author Kathy Parra, or Kap, by her nickname, loves gardening, talking with nature, especially with dolphins, vegan cooking and baking, bike riding, and skipping for joy where she lives in Mesa, Arizona with her partner Tony and their three girls Ariana, Chenoa, and Asha.

Thank you SO much Kathy for sharing your story with our readers.

Now onto our giveaway...you can win a copy of this beautiful book for your family by leaving a comment below.

For additional entries please go and "like" Kathy's facebook page or visit Kathy's website at http://www.kathyparra.com

Additionally if you blog, facebook, twitter or pin this giveaway you can have extra entries as well.

~~Please leave a separate comment for each entry. This giveaway will run until next Saturday at midnight. This giveaway is international...everyone can enter from anywhere in the world!~~

Congratulations to our winner...DaffodilAngel...our winner was picked via Random Number Generator!

Kathy graciously shared her book with us and I know it will appeal to SO many of you...it's a beautiful story and will be sure to spark many a conversation in your home about Mother Earth in all her splendor!

Good luck everyone...

with Rainbow LOVE

xo maureen & shanti

ps...below is some additional information about the book...and where to purchase if interested.

"Love is the Color of a Rainbow" with it's gentle pastel chalk illustrations invites children to experience nature through their senses-discovering what colors of the rainbow they might chose. It also fosters a parent/child interaction as they share a nature walk; in so doing empowering children through their senses in nature is a wonderful way for children to understand their relationship with nature as interconnectedness, that with nature we are one. It is no secret that children who engage in nature experience less stress, better concentration, increased creativity and higher self esteem. So come join Willow and Mama on a nature walk through all the colors of a rainbow in "Love is the Color of a Rainbow"

The book is 8.5X11 soft cover. the book is printed on 100% eco friendly paper http://ecofriendlyprinter.com/ A portion of the proceeds from your purchase of this book will support nature and environmental organizations. customers may purchase up to six copies from my website, after this customers will want to connect with me as to how to purchase..

Toadstool Acorn PEOPLE!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 11:58:00 +0000

Oh my goodness...the sweet little acorn toadstools I made in May just sparked my imagination...

I started to think about entire villages of little acorn toadstool people, with acorn toadstools dazzling the laneways...you're going to get pretty sick of acorn toadstool crafts by the time I'm done with you!!!

So...to make these sweet little peeps...you will need:

acorns with caps

small wooden beads

paint, (red, white, black)

brushes

glue gun & glue

First paint your acorn tops red with white spots...let them dry

Get some small beads and paint on little faces...I put my beads on a knitting needle and balanced it on a mason jar for the painting part. If you want to add hair you can do that too...let them dry thoroughly.

Next, using your glue gun, attach the bead head to the acorn...the pointy side will be pointing up...
if it doesn't stand properly, use a free standing belt sander or sand paper to make the bottom even.

Glue on your acorn cap/toadstool hat...

At this point, if you want add a little felt robe...after all, your little people might get a case of the chills whilst out on an adventure!

Here is the back view of the robe...basically I took a bit of wool felt, cut out a cape shape and glue gunned it to my little acorn people!

These are super sweet...I have little toadstool acorn EVERYTHINGS all over my house...I have to say, put about 10 of these together, and put them on a window ledge and they look positively charming! I'm also thinking...add a hook eye to the top and you have a sweet little ornament!

Of course...you could also let the children play with them...for a little while ;)

I would NOT recommend you give these to little little folks...they are quite fragile and would definately be a choking hazard!

With spotty, dotty, toadstool LOVE

xo maureen

Guest Post at the Magic Onions

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:06:00 +0000

Beautiful friends...

head on over to the Magic Onions

where I'm the guest poster for the

Discovering Waldorf series...

Today I share some ideas for celebrating summertime and a tutorial

for making a sunny wand!!

Happy Soon to be Summertime to you ALL!!!

xo maureen

PS...don't forget to enter our Mama Nature giveaway.

The giveaway closes this Saturday at midnight...enter by leaving a comment below

the Mama Nature post!

A Father's Day ~ I Love You ~ gift!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 05:06:00 +0000

With Father's Day approaching

we wanted to find a simple way to express our love!

Here is what we came up with and

wanted to share....

A sweet way to say I love you to the father's (or papa's :) in your life!

An "I love you because..." picture frame.

To create you will need

A frame

Photos that capture his fabulousness

Dry erase markers

To begin...

gather few of your favorite photos that capture the love.

Secure them onto a piece of paper, add your I love you because....
and put in your frame.

If you feel inspired, gather up some goodies from nature and glue on to decorate.

Use your dry erase marker to write on top of the glass...

and let the love pour out!

The best part? They can write fresh love notes to him daily!

Looking forward to hanging these up in the home ~ where he can continually be reminded of how great he truly is!

Here's to the good men in our lives!

(really hoping he doesn't peek at the blog before Sunday. shhh.... ; )

With Love

~ Shanti ~

A Special Guest Post and Our All Spunk No Junk Link up Party!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:49:00 +0000

Welcome friends...

Please help us welcome our special guest poster, and friend

Rachel from At the Butterfly Ball!

Hi Twig and Toadstool Readers! Thanks so much for having me here Maureen and Shanti! What fun to have you guys back blogging, I have enjoyed your creative, colorful, little spot in bloggyland from the very beginning and I was sad to see you leave last year! Welcome back!!

Today I wanted to share with you an easy little tutorial on how to make Comets! Comets are really simple throwing toys that are a lot of fun for all ages!

To start with you'll need the following supplies:

A small rectangle of fabric (mine is about 12 inches by 6 inches or 30cm by 15 cm)
thread
needle for sewing or a sewing machine
ribbons (4 or 5 ribbons about a yard or meter long each)
Comet filling (I used popcorn, dry rice or beans also work well!)
adhesive tape or straight pins

Now lets get started! Take your rectangle of fabric and fold it in half with the right sides together:

Then take your ribbons placing them as I did in the picture below and fasten them. I used tape because it was what I had on hand...

Fold the comet back in half, remember to make sure the pretty side of your fabric is on the inside! and that the ribbons stick out past the end (in the picture below the are going to be sewn in on the left hand side of the rectangle). See the faint marker lines I made to show you where to sew? Leave the long tails coming out of the other end of the fabric(on the right hand side in the picture below). You aren't sewing that side shut yet because you'll need to turn the comet right side out when you've sewn it and then you'll need the opening there to fill it!

Here is our comet sewn together on two sides. Where the ribbons are I sewed over that seam 3 times since it is going to get a lot pulling and tugging and I wanted to be sure everything was secure!

Turn the comet right side out and fill with your popcorn (or rice, or beans...)

Once it is filled (loosely so you can still have room to sew it shut easily.) fold over the top to the inside as shown in the picture below:

Pinch the sides neatly together and sew it up. I just top-stitched across the top with my sewing machine...

Yippee!! Your comet is finished and ready for play!

Now for some fun, grab a few kids and head outside to play with your new toy. Children love playing with comets. They are very easy to throw. The long ribbon tails are perfect for holding on to and swinging around before launching your comet.

They are also easy to catch. They are feel soft and very little children can learn to catch with them easily because of their long ribbon tails, plus they won't bounce or roll away if they do hit the ground...

And especially important: the ribbons look really pretty fluttering through the air while the comet sails on it's way!

They really are fun for all ages!

Thank you Rachel for sharing such a fabulous tutorial and joining us here at Twig and Toadstool!

Now it's YOUR turn to share your creativity!

Every Monday we are going to host our new "All Spunk No Junk"

link up! Please link up your crafts made with beautiful materials...think cloth, wood, wool, nature items, vintage, handmade.

(I do have a button in the works...hopefully by next week it will be up on our sidebar as well)
Thank you to everyone who shares with us this week!!!
xo maureen & shanti

Mama Nature Giveaway & Bare Foot Tutorial!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 11:34:00 +0000

Who I am: I am simply free-spirited, intuitive and imaginative. I support our local Farmer's Markets. I am a newly discovered community artisan! I believe in creating physically and spiritually. I want to inspire people to take whatever idea I share and make it their own and make it personal to them.

What I create: I have been creating for my family the past year and it wasn't until recently that I felt very encouraged by my friends and community to branch out and sell some of my creations. Things I create for my family: garden art, felt toys, polymer dolls and jewelry, knitted clothing (my favorite being the little red riding hood), upcycled patch-work clothing, quilt mandalas, illustrations for there bedroom walls, and stories that teach real value. Yes, I am a busy lady and I always try to involve my children in what I do! Most people may think being this busy might make life more complex but for me and my family it actually brings a simplicity and balance! It exercises our self-sufficiency, self discipline, self-awareness, self-discovery, our heart, our family's quality of time and of course our creativity. I'm so thankful for the opportunities I've received in my life and I'm even more thankful for the supportive people in my life!

"Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture your heart..."

Native American saying

What inspires me: Three things that inspire me: my children, my community and mama nature. I don't think you can get any more simple than that! My favorite musician is Jack Johnson and we start nearly every day listening to his music and allowing it to ground us and prepare our hearts for the day. I also have been a member of his All At Once Community for a couple years now. Other things that inspire me: my heritage & home, this community, waldorf, and wildlife

What is my crafting space like? Space is so important. It's nearly a source of inspiration itself! A majority of my art doesn't happen in my home - it happens outdoors or in our community! Occasionally, in the evenings or early morning I will construct a new felt creation. And my family has been very supportive in giving me quiet time for a couple hours Tuesdays and Thursday evenings. This is when I blog, craft and reach out to people outside of our home.

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP THIS SEASON?

We have been taking notice of the barefoot weather! For this activity you will need body paint or face paint, a paint brush, barefeet and a creative imagination! It is amazing what you can do with something as simple as lines and colors! We also attempted to identify and paint animal tracks! The print my daughter is wearing in the this picture represents a bear foot - no pun intended - ha ha.

MAMA NATURE - GIVEAWAY

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs.

Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do it.

Because what the world needs is people who come alive."
-my grandma/Robert Henri, The Art Spirit

Facebook // Etsy Shop // Blog // Pinterest

~~For an official entry please comment below. For additional entries please~~ ~~like my facebook~~ ~~page and leave a comment below telling me that you have done so! For more entries you can choose to either share my facebook page,~~ ~~follow my blog~~ ~~Mama Nature or~~ ~~heart my Etsy shop! Please leave a comment for each entry!~~

The winner is #18
Mary
(the giveaway ends next Saturday at midnight)

Thank you Mama Nature for sharing your story, your passions and your creativity with us all!
xo maureen & shanti

The Post on How I Lost Weight and Gained a Bit of Myself Back!!!

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 19:00:00 +0000

This is my journey of transformation. I had a friend liken it to me coming out of a cocoon...and trust me, I was wrapped up quite tightly in my cocoon for years and years and years!!!
I have to admit that writing this post is painful...it's painful to see these pictures, and to remember the person I was...but, I think it's a story worth sharing...so here it is!
*(insert deep breath here)*

This was me...and while I always tried to have a smile on my face

I was SO unhappy inside...

I have dealed with being overweight for a long long time. My weight fluctuated from being 10 pounds overweight to 70 pounds, (at my highest weight). I can blame this weight gain on all sorts of things, from being depressed, having low self esteem, to having babies, to just not giving a damn anymore.

I had tried losing weight before...usually with minimal success...and then it would always come back, (sometimes with a vengeance)!
For me my weight was like this layer I could hide behind...it was like I was pleased with being a victim...with putting everyone else first. Taking care of myself wasn't even ON my list of priorities!

I hated having my picture taken...I couldn't believe I actually looked like what I saw...

One day it clicked though...I was disgusted with myself, at 5'4" I was 201 pounds...I didn't like myself, or my life...something had to change and fast.
I remember it was Boxing Day, and I knew I wasn't going to wait until New Years Day to do something about it! I started by cleaning my cupboards...I threw away every bad piece of food in my cupboards...all the chips, white pasta, sugary treats...and then I cleaned my fridge, and I mean sparkling clean...I needed a clean slate.
The next day I went shopping and filled my cupboards and fridge with healthy food...fruit, vegetables, quinoa, lean meats...and then I started to exercise.
At first I couldn't run more than 10 feet...I would just alternate between running and walking.
After some time though, the amount I could run increased...it was slow to start, but I kept at it, (at least every other day). I also invested in an ipod shuffle...it was amazing how music motivated me to keep going, (especially in the dead of winter)!
As I gained some confidence and starting to lose weight, I decided to do the unthinkable...I signed up for a 5km run! I still wasn't even running 5 km, but I thought it would be a good goal to work towards.
By the time the race rolled around I was 30 pounds lighter...I ran my heart out, and I made it to the finish line! When I crossed the finish line I cried and cried...months earlier I couldn't run 1km, and here I just finished 5!!
For me exercise was THE key to being successful. I also allowed myself treats every now and then...trust me...I don't do well with deprivation...there was chocolate involved every step of the way!
When my weight loss stalled, I decided to join Weight Watchers online...I found this helped hold me accountable, and it also helped me lose another 30 pounds.

This is me now...to say I'm happier is an understatement!

I also kept running, and by the end of summer and I went from a size 18 to a size 9/10! Losing weight also helped me find the confidence to change other things in my life that weren't working, and some of those things were hard to face.
My children's father and I separated, (as over the years we had grown very far apart), and I had to face the challenge of dating again, and taking care of our home all by myself.

I started making myself a priority in my life...started dancing again...went out without mother guilt...all huge challenges.
The wonderful thing was that my children have witnessed firsthand the gift of transformation...they have witnessed happiness and self love in action, and I think they will ultimately reap the rewards by having a happy and balanced mother heading the ship!

I have managed to maintain my weight loss for over a year now...I'm down to my last 13 pounds until I reach my goal weight. One of my tricks to keeping weight off is that I weigh myself almost every single morning. I find this helps me better understand my body rhythms, like when I gain water weight, and I notice immediately if my weight starts to climb up. I know this method wouldn't work for everyone, but for me I find it holds me accountable. I also LOVE reading fitness magazines...especially Oxygen...I liked reading stories of people who were my size, who transformed themselves...to me it makes it all seem doable and it inspires me!

One of my treats for losing weight was a tattoo that I have wanted for years and years...

Since I started this journey I've lost about 60 pounds...I feel amazing...I have newfound energy and confidence and I feel like an inspiration! I actually have people coming to me and asking me "how did you do it?" and that's an awesome feeling!

I lost weight and gained SO much more...

Losing weight is hard...if you are on this journey I applaud you...if you are thinking about it,
I support you fully! The journey for me will never end, but it has opened up a door to this world that is FULL of possibilities...and for that I am grateful!

with love
xo maureen

Ps...there is ONE day left to enter our giveaway for a $20 US credit to ziezo
and THREE days left to enter the giveaway for a hand knitted elephant or 5 knitting patterns from mamma4earth
Please click on the word "giveaway" to enter. Enter by leaving a comment below the posts and please support our sponsors.
If you can't afford to buy anything at the moment, leave them some encouragement and keep them on your wish lists!

Felted Rainbow Rocks

noreply@blogger.com (TwigandToadstool) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 03:16:00 +0000

The girls recently returned from a visit with their Oma and Opa with these beautiful, smooth river rocks.

We have wanted to try felting rocks and these ones felt just perfect ~ so we gave it a go!

Creating the felted rocks turned out to be easier than I expected and the results were lovely.

They have such a nice weight and feel... thinking would make great gifts for little ones (or big ones ;).

To create you will need

Rocks

Wool roving

Felting needle (optional)

Hot water

Soap

~ To begin ~

Pull off a chunk of roving that is about three times the length of your rock.

Tear it into strips.

Lay the strips side by side ~ slightly overlapping them.

Pull off another chunk of roving and tear into strips.

Lay the strips on top, going the other direction.

Be sure your layers are thick enough so that none of your rock will peek through.

Put your rock at the bottom of the roving and begin rolling it up...

folding in the sides as you go.

Soon your rock will look something like this.

Take your felting needle and poke it into the roving, focusing on places where it is loosest.

This part of the process isn't necessary, but seems to help keep it from falling apart when it hits the water.

Give your roving wrapped rock a generous squirt of dish soap and

immerse into hot hot soapy water.

Gently toss between your hands, dipping back into the water and tossing some more.

After it seems to be holding together fairly well, begin to rub (and as my daughter says "pet") your rock, adding more soap and water as needed.

Finally when the felt feels tight and smooth (it seems to take about ten minutes or so), rinse it under cold water.

Then lay it out in the sun to dry.

There you have it!

Our new little rainbow rocks found their way to our gnome home

and seem to find many other imaginative homes throughout the day!

"Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,

The lovers, the dreamers and me
La, la la, La, la la la, La Laa, la la, La, La la laaaaaaa".

With Love

~ Shanti ~

Twig and Toadstool

On vacation....

Wet-Felted Soap

ALL SPUNK NO JUNK!!!! Link up!!

Inspiration Stones

Wax Rocks

ALL SPUNK NO JUNK LINK UP!!!!

~ Creating A Birch Bark Vase ~

Pine Cone Flowers

All Spunk No Junk Link Up!!!

Please Welcome our New Sponsor...LITTLE WOOL!!!!

On Love and Loss and LOVING again!!!

Fairies For Tea

All Spunk No Junk...Guest Tutorial and Link Up!!!!!

Twig Stories by Jo Marshall...and a GIVEAWAY!!

Get Your A** in the Seat!!!

Summer Solstice Sun Child!!

*** Queen Summer *** (and all spunk ~ no junk link up party!)

Love is the Colour of a Rainbow...another FABULOUS giveaway!!

Toadstool Acorn PEOPLE!!!!

Guest Post at the Magic Onions

A Father's Day ~ I Love You ~ gift!

A Special Guest Post and Our All Spunk No Junk Link up Party!!

Mama Nature Giveaway & Bare Foot Tutorial!!

The Post on How I Lost Weight and Gained a Bit of Myself Back!!!

Felted Rainbow Rocks

* Queen Summer * (and all spunk ~ no junk link up party!)