Holiday Fair and More

Yesterday we went to the Holiday Fair at a Waldorf School in  Massachusetts. This is the school Hazel and I take our parent/child class and where we plan on sending Hazel through 8th grade. I had gone Friday evening with a friend for the adult only preview of the vendors. What I discovered in the past week was that in Europe (and perhaps other places) they have 100% wool felt that is much thinner than ours. One of the vendors who does amazing needle felting was at one of the craft groups getting ready for the fair and watching her was amazing, but she was using this other felt. Well when she found out we couldn't get it here she had her daughter go buy more so they could sell it. So I bought three different pinks since Hazel loves pink and now I'll be able to make a pink fairy picture with pink flowers, etc. I also bought from the Enchanted Caravan (the school store) much needed craft supplies. A proper needle felting foam, more roving, wool stuffing, 100% wool felt to name a few. Then I hit the beeswax/ local honey vendor. She is actually one of the kindergarten teachers and she and her husband also sell the honey and beeswax products. So I got a few Christmas gifts and some candles and some honey. I have found that eating a teaspoon of local honey really does help with my seasonal allergies. My mother had told me that it would and it definitely did.



Saturday was more about the children. We started out going to the story time, but as the crowd grew Hazel decided she didn't want to stay. Then we checked out the Wee Folk Shop which is for the young children. They go in for four tickets and can pick a present that gets wrapped. Often it is a present for themselves, but the theory is they are shopping for a loved one's gift. Hazel came out with a hair clip, which would be fine if she let me touch her hair and put it up and if it would stay in even if she did let me, but with her fine hair nothing stays in except a few elastics.

Hazel's decorated candles

After that she was hungry, so we went to check out the cafe. We all got some lunch and ate it in the great hall (which was opened for the first time since they moved into the building). Then we went upstairs to see the children's craft rooms. We stopped at the candle decorating room. Hazel loved it here. For five tickets you got a candle and a birch candle stand with all the materials to decorate them. They gave us a paper cup of glue with a pospicle stick and some little pieces of wax in various colors. At the tables were all sorts of things to decorate with--greens, pine cones, berries, shells, rocks, etc. While Hazel did her first one Steve went upstairs to check out the vendors. Then I went upstairs to buy a few more things. Then we still had plenty of tickets so we let her do another one and we decided to each do one (we had bought 30 tickets for $20).  Steve wanted to do one for himself after I said I wanted to make one. He put his away in his office before I got my camera out.

My Candle

Other side of my candle

They also had candle dipping and dragon slaying, but we didn't do these. Oh, and there was a pocket lady which for one ticket you could get choose a wrapped prize from a pocket, but we didn't bother with this either. After doing our candles, Hazel and I went back to the Wee Folk Shop since we had four tickets left. She went straight for the hair clips again, but I encouraged her away from them. (I was allowed in since she was afraid to go herself.) She chose a needle felted sheep this time (with some help from Mommy).

Then it was time to come home since she was ready for a meltdown and I really wasn't feeling well. Last night I made a couple of needle felted ornaments. I need to sew ribbons on them still. I also made a needle felted wool ball from the wool stuffing. I heard if you put a wool ball in your dryer with your wet clothes it will help to shorten the dryer cycle. I'm giving it to my mother since her dryer is horrible. It usually takes two to three cycles to get clothes dry.


My final thing to share is a little woman I started to make as an angel, but decided she didn't really work as an angel. I am going to keep her as a doll for Hazel.

Tomorrow I will mail the angels for the angel swap and share mine with you. I will also find time this week to share my experiments with various play dough recipes. I'm hoping to make a few more for Hazel and tell you which ones we like the best. Hope you had a wonderful weekend!