"Gratitude is the vessel that we lift to the gods, that they may fill it with their wonder gifts"
R. Steiner
Wet Felting Gnome Houses
The Art and Craft of Wet Felting Gnome Houses Sunday May 19 San Francisco, CA Held at the Neighborhood Playgarden on Grandview Join us for this sunday workshop and learn the wet-felting 'resist' method for making creative 3-dimensional sturdy wet felted forms. We will felt fabulous gnome houses complete with a removable roof, and a door which opens in welcome. We will decorate our gnome abode with roots and moss and mushrooms, flowers and whatever else your imagination brings to it.... including a wee gnome. Hours - 9-4 all felting levels welcome! cost is $90 plus $25 materials. contact suzanne@junipertreepuppets for information and registration We take paypal, check, cash, and payment plans!!
continue readeingPosted by Suzanne, on March 21st, 2013
Little Brown Bulb Puppet Story Kit
Little Brown Bulb Puppet Story Kit We are happy to offer this beloved spring story, The Little Brown Bulb, in a puppet story crafting kit. You can bring to life this wonderful little spring tale for your children using these 3 sweet and simple characters: Little Brown Bulb, his transformed self into Crocus, and Little Ladybug. Young children love and need seasonal stories to help them find their deep connections to the world around them and the cycle of the year provides a rich picture of the wonders of nature. The kit includes wool roving to make all 3 characters, a felting needle and felting needle instructions for new users, the story, instructions for puppet making. You will only need a sponge to use as a felting needle workbase. $14.95 plus s&h...
continue readeingPosted by Suzanne, on February 26th, 2013
Mama Bird and 3 Babies in a Nest Story Kit
Mama Bird and 3 Babies in a Nest Story Kit We are happy to offer you all a spring story kit, Mama Bird and three little Baby Birds snuggled in a nest. These wool felt finger puppets can tell many stories of mama bird building a nest, of feeding her babies, nuzzling them, covering them with her wings when they sleep. The nest is a needle felted story prop. The kit includes: wool roving and felting needle wool felt in 2 colors story poem and crafting instructions patterns You will need needle and thread and a sponge for needle felting ideas for using a silk landscape theater Movement wise, the mama bird is on one hand so flight is independent of the babies sweet movements in the ...
continue readeingPosted by Suzanne, on February 26th, 2013
The Incredible Story Egg Workshop
The Incredible Story Egg A Workshop for Early Childhood Teachers and Parents Sat. March 23, 2013 10:00-3:30 Boulder, CO Join us for a day of exploring the creativity and story imaginations within the felted egg! We will wet felt beautiful egg forms, and turn them into story vessels that sail the sea, plant a garden, rock a baby, and other delightful story helpers! The children will be delighted with your enchanting egg creations, and also the story that lives inside them! Come for a day of renewal and skill building in the realm of story magic! Suzanne Down is longtime Founder/Director of Juniper Tree School of Story and Puppetry Arts, the early childhood specialists. Workshop fee is $70 plus $15 ...
continue readeingPosted by Suzanne, on February 1st, 2013
New Year Story – The Blessing Cake
Enjoy this story, it is from our story newsletter January 2012 - to receive our monthly stories and our free newsletter please sign up on our home page http://junipertreepuppets.com and have a look at our events - Suzanne might be offering a workshop in your area! The Blessing Cake - A New Year's Story It was New Year's Eve morning and Mama was already baking the Blessing Cake, as she did every year. Jack could hardly wait for their New Year's celebration because this year was the first year he would be able to read the message he found in the Blessing Cake all by himself. Mama had told him, 'Little Boy New Year always leaves new messages that are just right for each person.' First Jack had some special ...
continue readeingPosted by Suzanne, on December 30th, 2012
2-Finger Dancing Snowman Kit
2-Finger Dancing Snowman Kit New!! A dancing snowman 2-finger puppet that will bring to life our story! Made of strong wool felt that will last years and years, with needle felted wool roving eyes, mouth, carrot nose, buttons, scarf and cap! Easy to make and delightful to use, children love this snowman who comes to life! The kit comes with instructions for making this sweet character, a story poem to act out with presentation ideas to help you enliven the puppet and story. you will need a sewing needle and white thread, and a sponge workbase for the needle felting . 10.95 plus s&h paypal or check contact suzanne@junipertreepuppets to order Design and Story by Juniper Tree Puppets 2012
continue readeingPosted by Suzanne, on December 27th, 2012
The Animals Boxing Day Story
Here is a little tale in honor of Boxing Day - a day to think of those in need, and be generous. This is a subject dear to my heart and this story can help generate that sense of the other in young children. Enjoy This tale is an excerpt from an upcoming book on Early Childhood Puppetry - a curriculum guidebook Sign up for our free story email newsletter! http://junipertreepuppets.com The Animals Boxing Day by Suzanne Down It had been a very dry year in the farm village of Deerwood. When autumn ...
continue readeingPosted by Suzanne, on December 26th, 2012
Walkabout Tales – an immersion -April 2013
Walkabout Tales writing children's story with the help of our nature muse... Fair Oaks, CA April 2-5 2013 I try to go on 'walkabout' every day, out in nature, taking in the details with my senses, and then I sit and write a children's story. Who knows what invites the muse, but mine seems to enjoy this pathway in. I am bringing 'walk and write' exercises to all my classes and workshops now....it has been amazing to see the stories flow out of people.... Usually we start with a little exercise such as; As you are walking, pay attention to what you hear. After you sit to write, list 3 things that you heard that you were drawn to the most. Now write a story with those 3 things woven into the tale. And like magic, with no ...
continue readeingPosted by Suzanne, on October 21st, 2012
A Tiny Halloween Story
A Tiny Halloween Tale Story Theme - Redeeming Halloween I often look at children's book stores to see what is new. They put out special seasonal tables promoting storybooks for an upcoming holiday. I am too often disappointed by the selection. But when I find a story that warms my heart, I celebrate. In case you haven't found one you like, I offer my new story for your halloween telling. It is simple and sweet, about an approachable and kind little witch. It is a tiny story, like the witch herself. Her name is Willow, someone a child would like to visit and become friends with. I imagine her pleasant to look at, with warm eyes and heart. Written as always for puppetry, I include a photo of my table top version of her. This could be told by a tree with open gnarly roots where she could live.... and of course it can be told in any pumpkin patch (needlefelted ...
continue readeingPosted by Suzanne, on October 10th, 2012
Minneapolis MINN. Grandmother Rod Puppet Workshop
The Grandmother Rod Puppet Workshop for teachers, therapists, parents, homeschoolers, grandparents! Minneapolis, Minnesota Regional Workshop May 4, 5 2013 Sat 9-5, Sun. 9-12 Grandmothers, in all their loving wisdom, give children a deep sense of wonder and reliability. This workshop will look at weaving archetype of story and puppetry together through developing an amazing Grandmother Rod Puppet. This puppet comes to life more than any other with its possibilities for subtle gesture and intimacy . I call it the ‘heart’ puppet because of this. Hearts connect between viewer and puppet. In this workshop we will look at what makes enlivened stories and puppetry so inviting and so healing. We will create and bring to life a lovely kind Grandmother character, one you can use ...
continue readeingPosted by Suzanne, on September 24th, 2012
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