Hearthside Stories and Wee Folk Adventures

NOTE: Wee Folk Art is on vacation for the next week as we head to Wisconsin to see The Little Lady... and her mommy and daddy, of course :) We will have lots to share when we return. For those of you new to our site in the past year or two, we are resharing our links to our Leprechaun crafts and stories. Hope you enjoy :) I will be checking emails so if you have any questions, comments or concerns, I will be available. Have a great week, and see you back here on Wednesday, February 29... YAY! Leap Year :)

Last year we shared the goings on in the Gnome Thicket when the leprechauns came for a visit. If you are new to Wee Folk Art, you'll want to check out the crafts and the stories. Poor Britta was beside herself. Below is a list of links in the order that they were shared last year.

And, if you have been missing hearing stories from The Thicket, not to worry. There is going to be a wedding there this summer and you are all invited! More info to follow! 

The Leprechauns have returned to The Thicket. If you dare, you can make your own leprechaun... but be warned, Wee Folk Art accepts no responsibility to the havoc they may wreak! An introduction to the gnomes and directions for making your own can be found HERE.

Ever since the Leprechauns returned to The Thicket, Britta has been noticing a few oddities. Jackets and shawls disappear and reappear, the order of the shoes lined up by the backdoor get rearranged, and her bookmark gets moved nightly. Whenever Britta complains to Axel about the leprechauns, he shrugs and chuckles. "No harm done", he always says.

Find out what happens when the pranks affect Axel's breakfast and learn how to stock your gnome's own larder HERE.

Found out why Britta and Axel are sleeping in the middle of The Thicket and learn how to knit this cozy blanket HERE.

Throughout the day, you could hear Britta mumbling... "Eight more days, just eight more days." Read about the leprechon's latest prank HERE!

No one was more surprised than Britta when she awoke St. Patrick's Day morning rather sad to think that the leprechauns would be leaving today. Expecting a final prank, she was delighted to see find a beautiful rainbow banner, and below it, a pot of gold... golden honey that is. Read about Britta's morning adventure and find the directions for the rainbow banner and the pot of honey HERE.

Few things can make a gnome get a rumbly in his tumbly faster than the smell of fresh mushrooms sauteing in a frying pan. Axle thinks Britta should add mushrooms to just about everything she makes. Because Britta shares his love for mushrooms, she's willing to cook them as long as he collects them. Of course, occasionally she has to put her foot down and say no to his gastronomic suggestions. Like the time Axel insisted she put mushrooms in their berry pudding! Preposterous!

There is definitely a skill to mushroom hunting, a skill handed down from generation to generation. Knowing where to look, and being able to distinguish the edibles from the poisonous varities is an important ability. Axel is the Thicket's expert on mushrooms, and because of that, it is his duty to take the young folk out into the woods, and teach them how to hunt mushrooms safely. It is definitly a skill worth learning, as any gnome's tummy well tell you!

Making mushrooms for your gnomes is easy peasy. Make 1 or make dozens. All will be appreciated by your gnome friends.

Materials:
paints
unfinished wooden knobs

Paint the stems.

Paint the caps.

Add detail.

Done!  

The children in The Thicket always look forward to the approaching summer months. This means the days themselves grow like weeds, with more hours of daylight allowing for more hours of fun. But this also means, that at the close of the day, the wee ones are often allowed to sit around the campfire with their elders, and hear tales as old as The Thicket itself. There are tales of extreme heroics, tales of warning, tales of wild shenanigans, and their very favorite, tales of the unexplained, and often spooky, happenings in The Thicket. Often they fall asleep while listening and mysteriously find themselves safely tucked in their beds come the morning.

Making your own campfire is very easy and an important mainstay in the life of your gnome.

WARNING: There are small pieces in this project which can be a choking hazard. Not for children under 3 years of age or children that are likely to place small objects in their mouth.

Materials:
1/8" Masonite or dense cardboard
small pebbles
little twigs
raffia, small wood shavings, or dried grass
red food coloring
crafting glue

1] Cut out a 4" circle from 1/8" Masonite using a scroll saw or by hand with a coping saw. You may also use thick cardboard. It must to dense enough to support the weight of the rocks.

2] Place a thick bead of crafting glue around the edge of the circle. Note: I originally used hot glue but the pebbles fell off over time. I found the crafting glue held them in place much better.

3] Fit a ring of pebbles in the glue, pressing them in place. Add additional glue around the rocks to insure a tight connection. The glue will dry clear.



4] When the rocks have thoroughly dried, cover the entire bottom of the circle with glue.

5] Sprinkle coffee grounds on the glue, making sure you have good coverage. Let dry. When dry, turn the campfire over and gently shake to remove loose grounds.

6] Build a fire by breaking thin twigs to size. Generously use crafting glue to hold together.




7] Before the glue dries, cut grass, wood shavings or raffia into small pieces and dye with red food coloring to make flames.


8] Sprinkle "flames" on campfire. They will adhere to the wet glue.

9] When the glue has thoroughly dried, turn it upside down and gently shake to remove loose flames. You are now ready to gather the gnomes around the campfire and begin spinning tales!

If you haven't done it already, it's time to get your gnome home ready for the warm days of spring and summer. Below are some of our past gnomey spring things. Just click on the picture to take you to the tutorials. I have a few other warm weather accents I'll be adding soon!

Felt Flower Garland

Flower Fairies

Flower Fairy Carpet

Spring Gnome Sleeping Bag

Spring Rag Rug

Waldorf Style Gnomes

Wooden Apple Orchard

Crocheted Rugs

Britta awoke with mixed feelings. Today was St. Patrick's Day, which meant the leprechauns would be leaving The Thicket for places unknown. "Perhaps, just perhaps", she thought, "I may miss them just a wee bit." But Britta was ready for the pranks to end and for order to be restored to her household.

She cautiously got out of bed, and tip toed around the room. "Surely the leprechauns wouldn't leave without a final prank." She made her way down the stairs, peeking around corners and watching each time she set a foot on the ground. When she entered the kitchen she stopped aburtly.

The leprechauns had been in the house during the night! There, hanging from the post, was a beautiful Rainbow Banner, and under the banner was a pot... "Could this be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?" she wondered. Slowly, she lifted the lid of the pot, and she gave out a wholehearted laugh.

The leprechauns had left her a pot of gold; a pot of golden honey, enough to last the family the entire year! Britta dipped her finger into the honey and took a taste. "Yum", she said. "This will be far more useful to me than a silly old pot of gold!" In the distance she heard a soft chuckle. In a loud clear voice, to no one in particular, Britta said, "I will have to thank the leprechauns next year, when they return to The Thicket!"

The pattern for the Rainbow Banner can be found HERE or with our FREE Patterns. Following the pattern, applique the rainbow strips to the front of the banner, then sew the front to the back using a blanket stitch. Using the pattern guide lines, sew two lines of running stitches to create a casing to hang the banner. For more detailed directions for making banners, check out the instructions for making the Valentine Banner. Enjoy!