FREE SHIPPING FOR USA ORDERS OVER $150 – applied automatically at checkout.

141104 Linda grabbing her basket from the soak water tank.

141104 Josephine completed woven flat reed rectanglar bottom 2 wine bottle basket 2

141103 Cathrine Ji's woven circular basket of many colors and the sun 2

131030 Little girl staring at camera

These last 2 Mondays, (October 27, November 3, 2014) our Waldorf School of Orange County craft group gathered in the lovely garden outside of The Company of Angels store to learn how to weave baskets. Christine Newell who taught us this craft is also teaching this to the 9th Graders as part of Grade 9 Waldorf School curriculum. Most of us made rectangular baskets woven using flat reeds, for holding 2 wine bottles or long stemmed flowers. Others made circular woven baskets with fine canes. The supplies fee for these 2 weeks was $18.

We also continued to Knit-A-Square for charity for Knit-A-Purlooza.

I am adding a feature at the bottom of this page where each week I highlight the works of some members of our community. This way, we can can be the support for one another! Please E-mail me if you want me to feature you. My e-mail is: Jzinius@yahoo.com.

This week, I am featuring several of our Waldorf families who will be selling their handmade goodies at The Journey Waldorf School’s Harvest Faire in Aliso Viejo. Please come, enjoy this festival and support them as well. Click here for more info on the bottom of this page.

One of our diligent crafters here will be performing at the world-famous TED conference in early November. Who is it? You can come attend her performance before she leaves for her Europe concert. Click here for more information.

– Jzin

Monday Morning Craft Group at The Waldorf School of Orange County.

Click on below picture to see a schedule of future craft plus a gallery of our past craft group projects.

140907 Monday morning craft group. Waldorf School of Orange County. Show girls. CastleofCostaMesa.Com. 2

You can “like” and follow our weekly craft group projects on facebook here.

Please think also of craft group projects you will like to make or see offered, as our craft group donations for our 2015 Waldorf School of Orange County annual gala fundraiser. It’s still early for May 2015, but it’s good to give ourselves plenty of time. E-mail me, if you have ideas: Jzinius@yahoo.com. You know if it’s up to me, it will be another playscape set or puppet show set!

Come Support Our Artisans November 8, 2014

November 8, 2014. Saturday 12-5pm. Enjoy a lovely day of crafts, fairy cafe, games, food trucks, music, artisan booths. This is one of Journey School’s biggest and most spectacular events! Come support our own: Jzin’s Castle of Costa Mesa (flower fairies and other handmade dolls, playscapes, wool pictures, toys), Michaela’s Open Ended Creations (curvy boards) , Miss Phyllis Gilmer’s handmade dolls, wooden strollers, cradles). Harvest Faire at The Journey School, 27102 Foxborough, Aliso Viejo, California 92656, USA. You may also win a $50 gift certificate to Castle of Costa Mesa Etsy store while supporting a Waldorf School!

141108 Harvest Faire Journey School November 8, 2014 and CastleofCostaMesa craft booth show

Harvest Faire on November 8, 2014. Please come and support us! Thanks!

  • Date: Saturday, November 8, 2014
  • Time: 12pm-5pm
  • Location: The Journey School, 27102 Foxborough, Aliso Viejo, California 92656, USA.

141104 Support Handmade

Crafting in a Garden, Among Friends

Christine’s handmade woven basket for holding two bottles of wine, or some long stemmed flowers.

141007 Flat reed woven double wine bottle basket on cherimoya tree 2

Laying out the base: Sophie’s wine basket handle and spacers.

141027 Sophie's wine basket handle and spacers arranged for basket weaving 2

Laying out spacers on the base of the wine basket. Mothers have extra “hands”.

141028 laying spacers on the base for basket weaving 2

The spaces should be parallel and never be wider apart than the basket spokes.

141027 Southern Californian women handmaking weaving baskets on a Monday morning 2

Christine brought some basket weaving books for us to peruse.

141027 The Basket Book. Over 30 Magnificent Baskets to Make and Enjoy by Lyn Siler

The Basket Book. Over 30 Magnificent Baskets to Make and Enjoy by Lyn Siler

Kimmy’s wine basket base in the quiet morning sun.

141027 Kimmy's woven basket base in the morning sun 2

141027 The Basket Book. Over 30 Magnificent Baskets to Make and Enjoy by Lyn Siler Pages 104 105

Excerpt: The Basket Book. Over 30 Magnificent Baskets to Make and Enjoy by Lyn Siler

Andrea told me an interesting spooky story about a nostalgic black cat who scratched her neighbor’s door and scared the imaginative pregnant Haitian woman.

141027 Basket-weaving Andrea chatting and smiling

131030 Little girl staring at camera

Upsetting The Stakes and Weaving The Sides

141027 starting to weave the sides of the rectangular based reed wine basket

141027 The Basket Book. Over 30 Magnificent Baskets to Make and Enjoy by Lyn Siler Pages 106

Excerpt: The Basket Book. Over 30 Magnificent Baskets to Make and Enjoy by Lyn Siler

141027 Josephine upsetting the stakes to start weaving the sides of her wine basket 2

Linda proclaimed her love of the smell of seagrass. It was so nice to chit chat and bond with Linda, today!

141027 Seagrass supplies for weaving baskets.

The end of the morning. Drying basket in the sunshine to prevent wet reeds from molding.

141027 sun drying baskets to dry water soaked reeds 2

Katya decided to weave a circular basket.

141027 Katya weaving bottom of round basket with wet cane reed

141029 Katya weaving basket in the round

Katya measuring the diameter of her circular base.

141028 Katya measuring the diameter of the circular basket weave

Soaking canes in the water to make them pliable for weaving.

141027 soaking canes and reeds in water to make them soft flexible and pliable for weaving

141029 Katya starting to weave the sides of her circular cane basket 2

The canes were still wet.

141027 Katya finished weaving the base of her round basket today. Canes still wet.

Christine prepared exciting dyed and undyed canes to choose from for weaving your basket.

141027 Christine prepared basket weaving supplies including colorful dyed and undyed canes and reeds

October 27, 2014. Cathrine’s colorful woven basket. Photo secretly stolen from Cathrine’s facebook page.

141029 Cathrine Ji's colorful handmade woven circular basket

 Rachel Skelly made another T-shirt yarn rug. It looks right out of Elle Decor! Click here to see our craft group making T-shirt yarn rugs in September.

141030 Rachel Skelly knitted another rug for Misha's room

Christine knitted these cute little hedgehogs for Lisa’s little girl for her birthday!

141028 Christine's knitted hedgehogs in the shrubbery

I asked. You can also buy one for $12 from Christine.

Christine also make these adorable knitted/wet-felted hedgehogs. You can buy one for $45 from her.

141027 Dyptich Katherine cuddling Christine's wet-felted knitted handmade plush hedgehog 2

Christine also sells her pumpkin and mouse for $30.

Basket Weaving Week 2: November 3, 2014

Gloria continuing her work. Photo by Geraldine.

141103 Gloria weaving basket and explaining

Katya’s progress.

141103 Christine watching Katya weave circular basket 2

Kimmy and her wine basket.

141103 Kimmy weaving handmade wine basket 2

Reaching for the soaked basket can be so much fun!

141104 Linda grabbing her basket from the soak water tank.

Minwax Wood Finish. Penetrates, Stains and Seals.

141103 Minwax Wood Finish. Penetrates, Stains and Seals for varnishing woven reed wine baskets 2

Gloria just varnishin’ on a fine Monday morning.

141103 Gloria varnishing her handmade woven reed wine basket with Minwax 2

Cathrine’s basket completed. She will be donating this beautiful basket to our school’s 2015 Annual Gala and Fundraiser! Thank you generous Cathrine!

141103 Cathrine Ji's woven circular basket of many colors and the sun square cropped

Meanwhile, lemonade ice-creams are 1 dollar a piece with complimentary sprinkles. Leaves, gravels are accepted by this merchant.

141104 Meanwhile lemonade ice-creams are 1 dollars each with complimentary sprinkles 2

Josephine, with her almost completed basket, photo-bombed by my new car, a mother’s day gift from my husband behind the fence!

141104 Josephine completed woven flat reed rectanglar bottom 2 wine bottle basket 2

Christine’s copy of Handmade Baskets from Nature’s Colorful Naterials by Susie Vaughan.

141028 Book recommendation Handmade Baskets from nature's colorful materials by Susie Vaughan

Amazon.com

… and as a reward for looking through every single picture on this blog page, here is a Samoan man weaving a basket from coconut leaves for the food from his Umu!

Samoan Man weaving coconut leaf basket for food from his Umu

Connecting with coconut leaves weaving men of Samoa…

Samoan men making baskets by Melvin Ember

Photo credit: Melvin Ember

1000 Knitted Squares For African Children by January 23, 2015

The Waldorf School of Orange County Parent Association organized its first annual knitting for charity program. This year our squares will be donated to the nonprofit organization, Knit-A-Square, who assembles squares into blankets for African children in need. Our goal is 2000 knitted squares by January 23, 2015!

Knit-a-square for orphans in Africa. Your handwork will hug them with love!

140929 Knit a square Knit-a-square for charity Knitapurlooza 2

You can help us knit 8″x8″ squares for a child in Africa. Pick up supplies and place your donationed handmade love in the front office basket. If you need help/want to learn to knit, come to craft group Monday mornings for assistance.

Josh and Kim are hosting an adult night out and a knitting great time! Come thirsty with your knitting needles and yarn for some award winning, exceptional craft beers. Valiant Brewing Company is graciously giving us $1.50 off each pour. Please RSVP by October 27th.

More information on how you can help: Liz Wenger Knit-A-Purlooza Flyer.

http://www.knit-a-square.com/

Click here to jump back to the top of the page. Whee!

Schedule: Upcoming Monday Morning Craft Group Projects and Other Local Crafting Events

November 10, 2014. Dry felted Christmas Trees. I think we will also be decorating the trees. These holiday ornaments will also make excellent accessories to your playscapes, dolls/gnomes play and table top puppet shows!

141103 Christine's needle-felted Christmas Trees

November 17, 2014. Christine will be showing us how to make pulled wool Roving Angels. These will be a little different from last year’s project. Parts of these are wet-felted. They will be great as mobiles for your child’s room.

141103 Christine's Winter wool felt roving magic wool angel fairy with cornucopia 2 2

We need your help to craft for WSOC Winter Festival’s Elves Workshop. Craft kits are now available in the front office. Thank you for your crafting help. Please return completed kits before December 3, 2014. Click here to see last year’s magical Elves Workshop.

131207 Blossom fairies, felt cardinals and white silk on the ceiling bokeh.

Our very magical annual Elves Workshop at Winter Festival

Click on below picture to see FUTURE craft group schedule plus a gallery of our PAST craft group projects.

140907 Monday morning craft group. Waldorf School of Orange County. Show girls. CastleofCostaMesa.Com. 2

You can “like” and follow our weekly craft group projects on facebook here.

Gloria donated her cute needle-felted pumpkin house with 2 mice from last week to Miss Jenell’s mommy and me classroom. Cute!

141027 Gloria's handmade fall needle-felting mice in a pumpkin home in Miss Jenell's mommy and me Waldorf classroom

Click here to jump back to the top of the page. Whee!

Announcements

One of our diligent crafters here will be performing Mozart, Dvořák, Mendelssohn and et cetera piano pieces at the world-famous TED conference in early November. Who is it? You can come attend her performance before she leaves for her European concert.

141020 Anicka with her needle-felting pad proud of her basketful of 8 kittens

Who: Our very own 9 year old needle-felter/crafter Anička !

What: Due to popular requests, she will perform her piano music for us before she leaves for Europe for her TED conference concert in early November, 2014.

When: Sunday, November 2, 2014

Time: 2pm – 5pm

Where: Kim’s Piano, 10200 Beach Boulevard, Stanton, California.

Cost: This amazing concert performance is free, for the benefit of your enjoyment. But I know if you bring her needle-felting supplies or other craft supplies / Company of Angels gift certificates, this avid crafter will be very happy.

Click here to jump back to the top of the page. Whee!

Jzin’s Etsy Store, Castle of Costa Mesa

I have been busy preparing crafts for Saturday November 8, 2014 Journey School’s Harvest Faire. Here is a “Miss Upside Down Rose Flower Fairy” I made for the faire yesterday: Hold her upside down, she is a rose, flip her up and she’s a flower fairy! This is a flower that will never wilt and will continue blooming in your child’s imagination!

141102 Miss Upside Down Rose with green gloves flower fairy triptych 2

Thank you for supporting my crafting mania by shopping Castle of Costa Mesa on Etsy! Here is my latest needle-felting: Cinderella tending her pumpkin patch.

Il faut cultiver notre jardin. – Voltaire.

Cinderella’s step-mother forbade her to attend the ball at the palace. What can she do but to tend her own garden. Who knows what life holds when you simply focus on and do the best with the work in front of you?

141015 Il Faut Cultiver Notre Jardin Cinderella and pumpkin patch by CastleofCostaMesa

Castle of Costa Mesa on Etsy

October 5, 2014. The King’s dog ran into the cave and the King ran after it. He had never before seen a maiden more beautiful, and he said to her, “Where did you come from, beautiful child?” … The King lifted her onto his horse and rode away towards the palace. – The Wild Swans, Hans Christian Anderson. The Wild Swans Wool Picture, CastleofCostaMesa Etsy Store

141005 The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Anderson Night Galloping on White Steed towards The Palace Needle-Felted wool picture by Castle of Costa Mesa

Castle of Costa Mesa on Etsy

140922 Mother and babe of the morning stars needle-felted.

Mother and Child of the Morning Stars by Castle of Costa Mesa.

Be in the know for upcoming handmade giveaways: Like CastleofCostaMesa.Com on Facebook

130530 Square Giveaway 6 Waldorf Flower Fairies at Tanager Park

I give away my lovingly handmade dolls and crafts seasonally. If you “Like” my Castle of Costa Mesa Facebook page, you will be notified of upcoming giveaways. Click here to view the list of my past giveaways. Perhaps the next winner could be YOU?

Like Us on Facebook black and white. Fairy Tale Dolls, Handmade With Love. I want you to love learning mandarin chinese!CastleofCostaMesa.Com

Click here to jump back to the top of the page. Whee!

Support Our Local Waldorf Community/ Place a Free Ad

If you are interested in placing an ad on “Support Our Southern California Waldorf Community” (free if you are a member of Southern California Waldorf community) please e-mail me a good picture and a link. If you would like a free shout out for any special events or offer, let me know as well. Time permitting, I will toot your horn.

Meanwhile, please support our local peeps! Thanks! – Jzin

Click here to jump back to the top of the page. Whee!

Come Support These Families from Our Community:

Come enjoy Harvest Faire with your family, plus support the following WSOC families from our community who will be selling their handmade goodies at the Journey School!

2014 Journey School Harvest Faire Flyer CastleofCostaMesa edited, date banner enlarged. Harvest Faire on November 8, 2014. Please come and support us! Thanks!

  • Date: Saturday, November 8, 2014
  • Time: 12pm-5pm
  • Location: The Journey School, 27102 Foxborough, Aliso Viejo, California 92656, USA.

Our own Heller family will be selling their famous rocky boards and other open ended toys at this faire. Below is a photo of Cole and Jonah, father and son working on last year’s wooden castle for our school’s gala fundraiser.

141023 OpenEndedCreations flyer for Journey Harvest Faire by CastleofCostaMesa with Kaili, Cole and Jonah

You may support this family’s Etsy store here: Openendedcreations

Miss Phyllis who is the assistant handwork teacher, will also be offering her handmade dolls and toys at this event. Below is a photo of my daughter, classmates with their knitted gnomes helped made by Miss Angie and Miss Phyllis in second grade.

1306 Second Graders and their knitted gnomes

Miss Phyllis will be showing her work at The Harvest Faire. If you cannot attend, you can still shop on her handmade store here: PhyllisGilmer on Etsy

Handmade Waldorf Treasures by Phyllis Gilmer Costa Mesa CastleofCostaMesa.com

I will be there as well. You can win a $50 gift certificate for Castle of Costa Mesa Etsy store…while supporting a Waldorf school! Come to The Journey School Harvest Faire and enter a raffle to win this!

141017 Gift Certificate Donate to Journey School 2 Done blot out code

I will be offering many items which are not on my Etsy store. If you cannot make it, you can still support my CastleofCostaMesa Etsy store here.

If you are staying local in Costa Mesa, come check out Stacey Lazzara’s Holiday Boutique!

Jade Daisy Holiday Boutique
November 8th
1:00-5:00

Come grab your favorite Jade Daisy Perfumes soap, bath salts and perfumes… Just in time for the holidays! This year we will also have Pacha Mamacha here with her beautiful fair trade, handmade treasures from Peru. Across the street the amazing Shastin will have her beautiful Holiday chalkboard signs available just in time to decorate your home. If you don’t feel like shopping just come for refreshments and to visit!

141021 photo for Jade Daisy holiday boutique

Click here to jump back to the top of the page. Whee!

Leave
a comment

X