A new twist (and Giveaway) on the Gingerbread Boy

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Salley Mavor

I am happy to share with you a new book written and illustrated by Elisa Kleven. This post is part of a blog tour and book Giveaway (information at the bottom of the post). The Horribly Hungry Gingerbread Boy is a clever retelling of the traditional folk tale of the runaway cookie, set in the author’s home town of San Francisco. I have long admired Elisa’s books and in this new one, she keeps up her reputation as the queen of multi-cultural patterned motifs. Her watercolor illustrations are so packed with color and detail that both young and old can spend many an hour pouring over them.Each page is a carnival of activity, with street scenes and landscapes showing San Francisco’s many neighborhoods, buildings and the harbor. Families living in or visiting San Francisco will enjoy identifying the city’s many landmarks.

The pure color palette and use of patterns is reminiscent of Persian Miniatures. And Kleven conveys a riotous energy that children will love. Copies of The Horribly Hungry Gingerbread Boy are available in bookstores and on Amazon.

To enter the GIVEAWAY, please leave a comment on this post (open to US residents only). The winner will be picked at random. Participating blogs on the tour (with more reviews and Giveaways are listed bellow:

12/6/16 :: Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)/Tara Lazar

12/7/16 :: We Bloom Here/Margaret Bloom

12/9/16 :: KidLit411/Sylvia Liu

Making the blog tour cart

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Salley Mavor

A few days before the BLOG TOUR began earlier this month, I decided that the wee folk needed a cart to ride in while they spread the word about my new book, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures. Thank you to the wonderful participating bloggers who shared my wee world with their followers!

So, I spent an afternoon making this cart. I was almost giddy as I worked because the process was so fast compared to my stitching! First, I rummaged around my studio and found a driftwood board and a pair of old wooden spools that have been waiting to be useful for decades. I sawed off the spool ends to use as 4 wheels. I also found a bag full of metal bed spring parts I salvaged 20 years ago from a dump in Maine. A hack saw did the trick of cutting them in half. Then, I drilled holes in the wood and glued the metal pieces around the edge to make a guard rail.

I glued wooden block axles underneath the drilled holes in the ends. I glued dowels in the holes, which stuck out far enough for the spool wheel to slip onto. I nailed a bead that was just a little bit larger than the spool hole to the end of the dowel. Thereby, making it possible for the wheels to go around. I screwed on a hinge to the front of the cart and added some other misc. metal parts to attach to the horse. The Swedish horse has been in my family for a long time and it was just the right size to pull the cart.

I then tied the top railing pieces in place with thread.

And I made a Blog Tour sign with water-color paper and thread. Since there was (and still is) too much snow outside to find any straw, I covered the cart bed with pine needles that I’d collected last fall.

The wee folk had signs, too. It was fun getting the colored pencils out!

We set up the parade, with an old rug as a back drop and took pictures.

And off they go! I am happy to say that the tour has been a great success and the book has been properly launched. The book trailer has been viewed thousands of times and Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures has been holding steady as #1 in Toymaking on Amazon! I’ve been getting reports of sightings in bookstores and craft/quilt shops around the country. Quite a few autographed copies (with extra goodies) have sold through my Etsy Shop, too. It warms my heart to know that more wee folk and fairies are multiplying around the world!

Blog Tour host Phoebe Wahl

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Salley Mavor

feltweefolknewcoverblog Poday, I am pleased to have up and coming illustrator Phoebe Wahl join the Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR. The tour schedule is listed at the bottom of this post, with links to participating blogs. I invite you to follow along. There are reviews of my new book and opportunities to enter Give-aways for copies of Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures.

My regular followers may remember when Phoebe came to visit my studio in 2011, when she was a junior at the Rhode Island School of Design. I wrote a post about it here.

Many of you were so taken with Phoebe’s art that you started following her career, which has since blossomed in several directions. She works in collage and watercolor and also constructs the most beguiling fabric people and animals. She embraces themes of home and family, with a counter-culture and feminist twist that keeps her artwork from becoming conventionally cute. If you haven’t already seen her remarkable work, be prepared to fall in love!

Since graduating from RISD, Phoebe has kept up a busy schedule contributing to Taproot Magazine, which describes itself as “a quarterly magazine celebrating food, farm, family and craft through writing, photography and the arts, both fine and domestic.” And they will be featuring her work even more because she is their cover artist for 2015!

She also sells cards, prints and other items printed with her artwork in her Shop.

I’m so glad to see that her first children’s book, Sonya’s Chickens (that she both wrote and illustrated) will be published this summer.

Please hop over to Phoebe Wahl’s website to get a glimpse of her magical world! While you’re there, read her review of Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures and enter the Giveaway.

Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR Schedule:

March 3 – Mary Corbet – Needle n’ Thread

March 6 – Mimi Kirchner – Doll

March 10 – Margaret Bloom – We Bloom Here

March 12 – C&T Publishing’s Blog

March 13 – Kimara – Wee Folk Art

March 15 – Phoebe Wahl

Blog Tour: Wee Folk Art

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Salley Mavor

Today, I am pleased to have the wildly popular site, Wee Folk Art come along on the Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR! The tour schedule is listed at the bottom of this post, with links to participating blogs. I invite you to follow along. There are reviews of my new book and opportunities to enter Give-aways for copies of Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures.

It’s easy to mix up Wee Folk Art and my own Wee Folk Studio. Besides the similarity in name and our shared interest in folksy handwork, we are 2 distinct entities, with different purposes. My site is a personal platform to share my artwork and inspirations, whereas Wee Folk Art’s mission is to support and inspire families that want to bring art and craft into their lives in a natural way. And they have a huge following in this endeavor!

The people behind Wee Folk Art, Kimara and Michelle combine their love of Wee Folk (children) with their love of Folk Art, creating a place to find patterns and tutorials for a whole slew of projects. They are a mother /daughter team who share their mutual love of crafting and the gentle art of homemaking. Most of their ideas and projects are focused on children, but they throw in crafts for the home, self or yummy recipes just to keep it interesting.

They write, “We both share a belief that less is often better, as long as the less has quality. We love working with natural materials, and are ever mindful of respecting our environment. We hope that is reflected in our crafts.”

Wee Folk Art has a treasure trove of information, with lots of resources, tutorials and patterns to learn from. There is something for everyone, whether you are a parent, grandparent, home-school family, teacher or just a crafty, home-loving person.

Wee Folk Art has been incredibly supportive of my artwork and books over the years and I am thrilled to have them on board for this tour! They are offering a book Give-away, along with the other tour participants below:

Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR Schedule:

March 3 – Mary Corbet – Needle n’ Thread

March 6 – Mimi Kirchner – Doll

March 10 – Margaret Bloom – We Bloom Here

March 12 – C&T Publishing’s Blog

March 13 – Kimara – Wee Folk Art

March 15 – Phoebe Wahl

C&T book kickoff and other news

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Salley Mavor

Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures 2015

Today, my publisher, C&T is posting my story, “Return of the Wee Folk”, which is about my new book Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures. I talk about the wee folk doll phenomenon that was sparked a dozen years ago with my first book (Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects) and also how this new updated version came to be. You can read my story, see lots of behind the scenes pictures and enter their book Give-away on C&T’s blog here.

Other Exhibit News: Birds of Beebe Woods and Rabbitat will be exhibited in two shows this year. For more information, read further in this post.

Book – Felt Wee Folk 2003

So much has been happening this week, with book launch events and the BLOG TOUR well underway! Word about my book is spreading fast and lots of people are entering the Give-aways. You can follow the tour schedule at the bottom of this post. I’ve already heard from excited people who’ve used the book to make their first wee folk dolls!

The rest of the month looks to be quite busy as well, with book signings and talks at several locations in my home state of Massachusetts (see schedule below). I’m putting together a brand new talk which focuses on the background and development of the wee world I share in my how-to books. This material will be part of my next presentation, which is on Sunday, March 15th at 2pm at the Sandwich Public Library, here on Cape Cod.

The wee folk (pictured below) are traveling around with me, too. Tonight, Thursday, March 12 (6 to 8pm) they’ll come along for my book signing at Gallery 65 on William during AHA! Night in New Bedford, MA.

Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures is available in bookstores and online booksellers. I also sell autographed copies, along with extra goodies (winter scene poster (folded flat), faux flowers to make 2 fairies and a wee folk note card) in my Etsy Shop (here).

Continue reading for more info…

I also want to let you know that my two fabric relief pieces, Birds of Beebe Woods and Rabbitat are getting out a bit this year. They’ll be on display in the Fiberworks Plus exhibit until April 19th at the Cahoon Museum‘s temporary location in Mashpee, MA. I will be giving a talk and book signing there on Tuesday, March 24 at 11:00 am.

And later in the year the pair will travel to Winconsin. Oct 21. 2015 – January 10, 2016, for the Insects to Elephants exhibit at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

UPCOMING BOOK LAUNCH EVENTS ~ A collection of dolls from the book will come along for show and posters will be included with book purchases:

Thursday, March 12 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm ~ Book Signing at Gallery 65 on William, New Bedford, MA.
Sunday, March 15th at 2:00 pm ~ Book Signing and presentation by Salley Mavor, Return of the Wee Folk at the Sandwich Public Library, Sandwich, MA
Tuesday, March 24 at 11:00 am ~ Artist Talk by Salley Mavor at the Cahoon Museum in Mashpee, MA. (In conjunction with the Fiberworks Plus Exhibit)
Tuesday, April 21 at 7:00 pm ~ Artist Talk and book signing at the Newton Free Library, Newton, MA. (In conjunction with the Pocketful of Posies exhibit.)

Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR Schedule:

March 3 – Mary Corbet – Needle n’ Thread

March 6 – Mimi Kirchner – Doll

March 10 – Margaret Bloom – We Bloom Here

March 12 – C&T Publishing’s Blog

March 13 – Kimara – Wee Folk Art

March 15 – Phoebe Wahl

Blog Tour host Margaret Bloom

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Salley Mavor

The Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR has really picked up steam, with lots of interest in the participating blogs and their book Give-aways. And, I’m happy to report that Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures has been the #1 Bestseller in Toymaking on Amazon all week! You can join in the fun by following the tour schedule at the end of this post.

The tour continues today with host Margaret Bloom of We Bloom Here, author of the popular how-to books, Making Peg Dolls and Making Peg Dolls and More. I recently had the pleasure of reviewing her newest release, which you can see here.

Although we haven’t yet met in person, Margaret Bloom and I have developed a mutually supportive online friendship. We share an interest in designing and showing how to make little play figures which are influenced by the wisdom of Waldorf Education. Our approaches are different; Margaret’s peg dolls are perfectly suited for children to make, whereas my wee folk dolls require more handwork skills and are geared toward adults. Margaret’s books fill a void in the craft and toy world and I recommend both of her books to anyone who has children in their lives.

Margaret is constantly coming up with new characters using the simple structure of wooden peg dolls. On a recent post, these gargoyles really caught my attention.

Margaret decided to give my book the real test, by following the directions and constructing some dolls. She created a pair of the most adorable elfin boys which are modeled after her 2 sons. It’s taken all of my willpower to resist showing pictures of them here! So, head on over to her blog, We Bloom Here, enter the Give-away and have a look at the magic she creates.

Follow the BLOG TOUR for more reviews and opportunities to enter book Give-aways! (See the schedule at the end of this post.)

blogtour-1730

Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR Schedule:

March 3 – Mary Corbet – Needle n’ Thread

March 6 – Mimi Kirchner – Doll

March 10 – Margaret Bloom – We Bloom Here

March 12 – C&T Publishing’s Blog

March 13 – Kimara – Wee Folk Art

March 15 – Phoebe Wahl

Blog Tour host Mimi Kirchner

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Salley Mavor

Today, doll artist and all-round versatile maker of wonderful things, Mimi Kirchner is hosting the Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR. The tour schedule is listed at the bottom of this post, with links to participating blogs. I invite you to follow along. There are reviews of my new book and opportunities to enter Give-aways for copies of Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures.

Mary Corbet – Needle n’ Thread kicked off the tour on Tuesday with a post featuring a beautiful curly-haired doll she made based on my book’s instructions and patterns.

Today’s blogger, Mimi and I met more than 30 years ago through the Boston area’s art/craft community and have been friends since. Here she is in my studio, sharing a magazine spread about her tattooed dolls. I’m so glad that she’s getting this great exposure!

You can see Mimi’s creations all over the internet and in social media, on her blog, Facebook, Instgram, Flickr and Twitter. She’s constantly updating her blog with her latest projects, from swaddled babies to burly tattooed men and a whole lot of other treasures. She sells originals, as well as patterns for making her pin cushions and a variety of dolls in her Etsy Shop. Thank you, Mimi – you’ve been an inspiration to me and so many others!

I’ve written about a visit to Mimi Kirchner’s studio here, her pin cushions here and some of her ceramic ornaments that I bought years ago here.

Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR Schedule:

March 3 – Mary Corbet – Needle n’ Thread

March 6 – Mimi Kirchner – Doll

March 10 – Margaret Bloom – We Bloom Here

March 12 – C&T Publishing’s Blog

March 13 – Kimara – Wee Folk Art

March 15 – Phoebe Wahl

Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Salley Mavor

Today, I’m happy to announce a Blog Tour for my new book, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures: 120 Enchanting Dolls! It’s the first time I’ve hosted one and I’m excited! For the next 2 weeks, some of my favorite bloggers will post reviews and Give-aways for a chance to win copies of Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures. By following the list at the bottom of this post, you can visit each blog, starting on their designated day, read what they have to say and enter a Give-away, if they offer one. It’s a good way to discover some new blogs worth paying attention to!

C&T Publishing has generously offered to supply books for the Give-away winners; hard copies for USA and e-books for international winners.

To follow the tour, click the corresponding link, starting on the dates listed. Some bloggers have made dolls from the book, which they’ll be sharing in their posts. I’ve already seen pictures of an adorable pair of impish boys and another blogger has told me that she’ll be including the results of a family doll-making session!

Keep checking the list, as it will be updated with new participants during the whole month of March!

The tour kicks off with Mary Corbet – Needle n’ Thread. Tips and Trick’s & Great Resources for Hand Embroidery. Mary Corbet is an author, reviewer and all round collector of information about hand embroidery. Her site has fantastic instructional videos for learning just about every stitch. Mary writes, “I believe the world needs beauty, and embroidery is one of the most beautiful visual arts. To teach others to embroider, to inspire them to try new things with needle and thread – to me, these are worthwhile goals. I love teaching, and Needle ‘n Thread is my opportunity to teach a wider audience something that I’m really passionate about – the art of hand embroidery.”

Felt Wee Folk BLOG TOUR Schedule:

March 3 – Mary Corbet – Needle n’ Thread

March 6 – Mimi Kirchner – Doll

March 10 – Margaret Bloom – We Bloom Here

March 12 – C&T Publishing’s Blog

March 13 – Kimara – Wee Folk Art

March 15 – Phoebe Wahl