Gisela’s homemade Spring Easter decoration.

Warm Tuesday morning in spring. April 8, 2014.

Today craft group gathered to make crafts for Easter. Christine Newell showed us how to make lace eggs and wet-felted eggs. I was not able to participate because my two boys were not in school today and I took them swimming in this hot spring weather. However I managed to steal a little fun by coming in for a short while to chit chat and take pictures.

 Making Lace Eggs

Christine Newell’s sugar lace egg for Easter with golden chocolate candy inside.

Christine inserted 2 tiny gold-foil wrapped chocolate egg candy pieces into an unblown balloon. She then blew up the balloon and tied it up in double knots, trapping the candy inside.

Meanwhile, she made syrup from 2 parts sugar and 1 part boiling water to ensure the sugar is completely dissolved.

Pure sugar.

She uses 4 yards of colorful No. 5 (thick) crochet string for this project. She looped the string and let it sit in the syrup. Then she wrapped the balloon until she achieved a lacey look with no big gaps.

Adding syrup soaked crochet yarn to balloon.

Next, the balloon was hung overnight to dry. This will drip!

Kathy’s sugar lace egg with balloon hanging on tree and drying.

More lace eggs drying on our cherimoya tree.

The next day, the balloon is popped and retrieved from its lace cage.

If you want to keep your local ants on a sugar-free diet, you may use 1:1 glue: water or, liquid starch. You can buy liquid starch by the gallon from the laundry section  in the grocery store.

Next, Let’s Admire Gisela’s Handwork

Gisela made these handmade Easter decorations at home.

All together now: “OOOOOOooooohhhh!!!

Oh! The glorious things Gisela makes!

Here is another one of Gisela’s beautiful homemade Easter egg decoration!

Additionally, recently our talented and passionate Gisela, her husband and son just performed a fairy tale puppet show for her grand-daughter’s birthday. She made these backdrops for the show. Here is a partial view of it…

Detail of Gisela’s puppet show backdrop: Grandma’s cottage…

Speaking of puppet show, my children and I just performed Laibao’s Quest for A Bride, a traditional Chinese Fairy Tale Puppet show at The Maple Village Waldorf School in Long Beach on April 10, 2014.

My daughter Nunu (nickname) and her friend Anička helped perform our Chinese Fairy Tale puppet show at The Maple Village Waldorf School this past Thursday. Here are the girls (9 year olds) with one of the scenes from the show. I am so proud of them, they played many piano music pieces, manipulated the puppets, helped with speaking parts and answered many of the audience’s questions! Bravo, my girls!

This page contains a zillion and one photos of this Chinese puppet show, when it was first performed on my daughter’s 8th birthday.

Now, I really digressed. Here’ s more of this day’s craft…

Wet-Felted Easter Eggs

Kathy wet-felting a large egg using large plastic Easter egg as resist. The felted egg will be cut and resist will be removed. The resultant egg will hide a baby chick (or other goodies inside).

 Jo Ann wet-felting an colorful wool Easter egg

Christine holding her 16″ waldorf mermaid doll from her mermaid workshop.

Heather made this beautiful handmade doll for her daughter.

Heather also needle-felted this wool picture for her daughter for Christmas last year.

Thank you Christine for yet another wonderful craft day!

We are having 2 weeks break due to Spring Break. After that, I think Christine will be showing us how to dye shibori silk scarves, weave baskets and more.

Our craft group’s shibori silk scarf project, will be repeated after spring break. Click on picture below to see what we did in January 2014 …

You may also want to check out my Canadian friend, Sandra Mil’s Etsy store, La Lutine here…

Note on 4/12/14: La Lutine is giving 10% discount for last minute Easter shopping – HAPPYEASTER14 will give you 10% on your check-out Valid this weekend only!

Jzin’s Etsy Store, Castle of Costa Mesa

 

My New Art Website: JzinTeng.com

I am working on my new website of my paintings and other artwork. It is still incomplete. By next week, I hope to add more to it.

http://www.jzinteng.com/

Please “Like” my painting facebook page, so you will see my upcoming works.

Gallery of Past Projects from The Waldorf School of Orange County Craft Group

Click on the image below to view our Waldorf School of Orange County weekly craft group projects.

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

I give away my lovingly handmade dolls and crafts every season. 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?

Spring Break Camps 2014

Dear Los Angeles and Orange County friends, check out Nicole Ichtertz‘s April 21-26 Spring Break Camp in Long Beach for children.

You may also want to check out Nicole’s beautiful illustrations here.

 

Support Our Local Waldorf Community/ Place a Free Ad

Check out our own Lisa and her man’s new restaurant Taco Surf and Skate. It’s located at the new Vans skate park in Huntington Beach, California. 7491 Center Ave. Official website…http://www.tacosurf.com/index.php

http://www.tacosurf.com/index.php

Don’t forget to check out Rachel Skelly’s new Smashing Mosaics website!

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.

Also check out our local Astrophysicist crafter, Maraia’s Etsy page!

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