waldorf – NaturalKids Team

Posted on June 3, 2013 August 9, 2017

Meet Rebecca of Little River Dolls

Hi Natural kids blog readers! My name is Rebecca and I am owner/creator of Little River Dolls! I love making natural soft wool filled dolls for my son and his friends and my shop! It is so pleasurable to see the wee dolls come to life in my hands and each has such unique personalities that are easy to see. I love making them so much and I hope you can feel the love I have put into each and every one!

Recently I have been trying to find the perfect teacher gift for my son’s wonderful teachers at his Waldorf Kindergarten. At first I knitted a couple pairs of socks but then I felt that wasn’t personal enough for his main teacher so I found a pattern for a wonderful doll- but all made of wool and needle felted! I have needle felted a couple small things before for presents like hearts and pumpkins but never such a large one! But it came out just perfect, soft and warm and Waldorf-y, it will hopefully bring a smile to her! What kind of presents are you giving your teachers this year?

Posted on April 28, 2013 August 9, 2017

Hello, this is me, Nalina

Hello!

I’m Pia from Nalina Puppen. We haven’t met yet – not officially at least. So, hello. It’s really nice to meet you. As this is our first time together, I thought I might share a little about Nalina, and I hope that you’ll connect with me, through comments or social media.

Pia and little presents for customers

Nalina was born in 2008, when I was studying to be a Waldorf teacher. I started crafting little fairies and gnomes just because I enjoyed the handwork. Doing crafts back then wasn’t so popular as it is now. Knitting and crocheting were considered uncool, but for some reason people wanted to buy my little things. I didn’t understand why people would want to buy them, but I was happy they did. Looking back now, I still don’t understand it. Stitching was all off, products weren’t very unique, but they were made with lots of love. I guess that did it back then. In the years that followed I learned to make Waldorf dolls from my art and crafts teacher at Waldorf seminar, Ms. Thiesen. Watching her paint, draw, and create beautiful crafts with such precision and love was like a pinch of fairy dust to my life. To this day, every time I sit down to create a doll, gnome, fairy… I think of her.

Doll maker in making – from the first doll to the real Nalina Puppen doll

This memory helped me go through four years of trial and errors in pursuit of a perfect Nalina Puppen doll. Last year when I create my first doll that could properly sit my world stopped for just a minute. Long enough to know that was it. I came from someone who learned how to make a Waldorf doll to a doll maker – a proper one. I started believing in my work, and my dolls. And getting feedback from happy customers was like a happy pill for my heart.

Nalina Puppen dolls

Though I can make every doll myself I enjoy that this is actually something I often do with my husband. In our crazy computer infested world (he works as senior developer and I as freelance web designer) we take time to be with each other, to talk, watch movies, and ground ourselves, crafting dolls. We were together at seminar for Waldorf teachers, and we are together after all those years, working and learning how to live simple natural life. If you want to know about my creative process as a crafter click here to read the post about it.

Nalina Puppen boys

In search of that life we are moving to Germany in a month, hoping to settle, have a family, and enjoy living. We make a very limited number of dolls per month, making sure each is really well made and infused with all the love our family can hold. We are happy to see them finding new homes all over the world, and In our little country.

Nalina Puppen gnomes

If you want to know more about our stumbling as expats please find me at Joie de vie blog.

Until next time, have fun!

Pia

Nalina Puppen on Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/nalinapuppen)

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Links to put on the social medial names:

Posted on April 1, 2013

~ It’s time for a new spring/summer wardrobe !!!

I don’t know if you are like me, but every time spring is near I’m anxious to go to my wardrobe and start wearing my little dress and skirt again ! Not to mention that I love to go shopping for a couple of new sets…I don’t know why but it’s not the same for fall…do you feel the same !? Spring is really a ”blooming” season, you want everything to look fresh, clean…all new !! Also it’s that time of the year we, as parents, need to find new clothes for our children…omg they grow so fast ! I think my daughter gained 2 inches more this winter !?? She is going to turn 12 soon, and shopping for her is now a bit of a headhache. She’s not an adult yet, but children’s clothing don’t fit her anymore…boy oh boy..I have to be really creative to find something decent for her ah!ah!

Sometimes I kind of miss the time when she was younger, to dress her up in little colored shorts and skirt sets, with bows and frills…you know what I mean !? I used to work as a fashion designer for children and I’ve always loved clothing…to mix and match them and not to mention to design them. I just loOoove designing clothes…sketching, drawing… it’s another passion of mine!

I’m now the creator behind FeeVertelaine, handmade natural toys and dolls. Lately I did offer myself a treat ! I started a project that I’ve been dreaming about for many years now…Creating my own paper doll !! As a little girl, paper dolls were one of my ABSOLUTE favorite things to play with! So I took my pencil away from the cobwebs, and started to draw Emilÿ…it so reminded me of my time in fashion school. I also loOove watercolor, so I told myself why not do the coloring this way…so I did ! Every little step of the creation of this project was a pure delight for me.

After many months of sketching, coloring, editing…she finally came to life. This was pure joy for my daughter, who was my assigned tester 😉 She and her friend had such a great time playing.. humm sorry testing…all the new spring/summer wardrobe that Emilÿ comes with. It was so sweet to watch them mixing and matching everything together…4 hands on one doll is a true test !! So I knew she was ready for the world to meet her !

My heart is filled with excitment to introduce her to you today…Emilÿ my first paper doll…all ready for spring with her new wardrobe !! Enjoy !!!

You can find her here in my Etsy shop.

This lavender dress reminds me of a dress that I sewed recently for one of my winter fairy dolls…a last glimpse of winter just before spring shows up at our door !

If you wish to see and read more about my creative process, I invite you to visit my Facebook page where I add pictures of my everyday work and things I cherish…. I will soon offer Emilÿ as a giveaway…keep an eye open !!

Happy spring !!

Warm regards,

~Julie xo

Posted on January 30, 2013 August 10, 2017

‎~* Love Letter*~ by FeeVertelaine

I’ts been a while now that I’m thinking about creating this item… You maybe already know how my gnome love to travel…well they did find a new way !!!
… this little love letter is another great way to say ” I LOVE YOU ” to your cherish one !

Of course it is a perfect valentine little present BUT can also be an everyday gift to show your love to your children, partner, friend, parents….name it !!

Let me tell you a short story on how we celebrate valentine in my familly….

Every year I create a little special thing for my daugther, to show my love but also for her to keep…a ”love souvenir” ! A little things that will be cherish for year and filled with love…because you know, she is my sweet little valentine !! I remember a couple of years ago I did create a little felt heart filled with wool and embroidered with cotton floss and some glass beads. It was written on it ” Je t’aime mon petit coeur ” She was deligthed and since then it’s been an habit for me to use it frequently as a little love note…

When I make her bed I leave the heart on her pillow or I leave it with a little “snack”….leave room for your imagination…a little thing that say I LoOove you ♥… she always ENJOY’S this little gesture !!! That is why I did create the ”love gnome” .

Here are more links for FeeVertelaine:

SHOP: http://www.etsy.com/shop/FeeVertelaine

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/FeeVertelaine

FLIRCK: http://www.flickr.com/photos/feevertelaine/

Posted on July 16, 2012

Nature Walk ~ Coastal Alaska

My kids and I have been enjoying the cool rainy weather here in coastal Alaska. Most days we pull on a rain jacket and rubber boots and head down the hill from our little apartment to walk along the sea. Our real home is in the deep south of Louisiana where the humid heat is reaching sauna temperatures this time of year. This summer we escaped the heat to stay seven weeks at Grandma’s house. I would so love to share a bit of our summer here with you.

One of my favorite things about being out of doors with my kids is the invitation into their world. With camera in hand I follow behind them and try to capture their small treasures as they share them with me. They are especially fond of anything that looks tiny. The makings of a fairy forest. Little leaves and fungi sprouting up from the damp earth. Tiny flowers.

We talk about fairies and animals. Fungi and berry blossoms. Birds and food chains. And of course, gnomes and trolls that might live in hollow tree trunks. They tell me how we need to protect the forest, so animals (and fairies) are all safe. They say this to me with such importance, as if it were the first time this great cause had been discovered.

Sometimes we come home and pull out books to identify what we’ve seen. I see the patterns and shapes of their walks in the woods show up in their drawings. They begin to remember some of the names we’ve learned and some of the bird calls Grandma has identified for them. I know these walks are good for their little bodies, hearts, and minds.

But most of all, I am grateful to share in a bit of their wonder.

Tell me, what is your favorite part of adventuring with your children?

Posted on December 2, 2011

St. Nicholas Day- A Day of Giving

December 6th is Saint Nicholas Day. Here in the US this isn’t a day that is typically celebrated in the main stream, but in our home it’s become one of our favorite celebrations.

Needle felted St. Nicholas figure from Heart Felt Passion

Saint Nicholas is celebrated for his giving spirit and to commemorate his day my children and I spend it preparing gifts for our neighbors and delivering them in secrecy.

Last year we packed festive tins full of our handmade goodies; bird seed cakes, paper ornaments, star lanterns (mama made), mini loaves of sweet bread and yummy cookies. Then, when it began to get dark, we took one to each of our nearest neighbors, ringing the bell and running away. My girls were so delighted by this secret giving!

Of course, we left our shoes out to be filled with small goodies in the morning, but this day was not focused on getting but on giving, needing no thanks or recognition in return.

Our gifts were simply small surprises to make our neighbors smile, but another good way to give on this day would be to encourage your children to go through their toys and choose some to pass along to other children. What other ways of giving could your children contribute to?

For more ideas on celebrating St. Nicholas day check out this page from the St. Nicholas Center. And if you already celebrate I’d love to hear some of your family’s traditions.

Julie Hunter is a wife and mama, raising 3 spirited girls, two babydoll sheep, angora rabbits and a gaggle of chickens and ducks in the North Carolina Foothills. She spends her days at home, crafting with her children, homeschooling, taking long gathering walks in the woods and knitting Waldorf-inspired toys. You can find her blogging and keeping shop at This Cosy Life.