Summer is Endling

 The toys are upset

and they're muttering a lot,

summer is ending

but it's still very hot.

Everyone else has

a lot of time off,

but when they want a break -

these children just scoff.

They work so hard

and they do work cheap,

they don't get meals

and they hardly sleep.

If they don't get a vacation,

whatever the cost,

they're off on a strike

and the kids can get lost.

.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: An egg carton

and some little toys

made for a fun game of

hide-and-seek.

The Captain of the Guard

The Captain of the Guard

ate a lychee,

and it made his nose

very twitchy.

The guards panicked:

"Captain! Please!

Whatever you do,

please don't sneeze."

.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: Wine corks and

a cereal box coming out

to play. 

Summer Camping

Millie had an idea

and it was really good -

Why not go camping

tomorrow, in the wood?

She called her best friends

to ask them whether

they’d all like to go

summer camping together.

It was going really well

till Susan had to brag,

that she had the nicest

and chicest sleeping bag.

Primrose was offended,

her mother made her bag,

with a mother’s talent,

not a fancy shop’s tag.

It had lovely stitching,

made with so much love,

a soft and comfy bag

that fit her like a glove,

The girls all took her side

and agreed that no brand

could ever be as nice

as something made by hand.

.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: Dolls' sleeping bags

are one of my favorite carfts

for leftover bits of yarn.

 

An Ode to Summer

 Summer collapsed, exhausted,

looking for a bit of shade,

and muttering to himself:

"I quit, don't need to get paid!

I thought I had the best season,

the one with games and fun,

nobody thought to mention

I'd be getting sun and more sun.

Having a sunny disposition

is harder than I thought,

when I'm always getting burnt

and I'm always always hot!"

.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: The pool is made

from a cheese container.

The water is fine -

come in!

The World Cup - Better with Cake

Mama dog worked all day

to bake a nice cake

and the puppy said

but I wanted steak!

She decided wisely

to ignore the pup,

and sat down with cake

to watch the world cup.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: We made the cakes

from beer cups and my 

father made the 

brilliant oven.

The Sleepover

I was so excited!

My good friend Clover

was coming for a visit

with a proper sleepover.

My brother would be barred

(he is such a horrid beast!)

and certainly not invited 

to our secret midnight feast.

Mother made us sandwiches

with butter and some ham,

a drink of fresh lemonade

and scones with lovely jam.

We set up our small party,

everything just right,

and settled in to wait

for the clock to chime midnight.

But, oh dear! What happened?

Without any warning,

we both fell sound asleep

and slumbered till morning. 

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: my father made

these darling beds for me.

The Race

Two feisty turtles 

got into a fight,

and there was no telling

who was right.

To decide on the one

and also save face,

the two friends agreed

to have a race.

The first to the tree

would be the winner,

then off to the grass

for a spot of dinner.

So, who won this race

of grit and skill?

there is no winner,

they are at it still.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: Two friends

enjoying the garden.

Birds of a Feather

When the floods came,

a clever bee

told her animal friends

they had to flee.

The situation was hot

and becoming hotter,

so they built a boat

and took to the water.

The sailed on the boat

through rain and fog

when suddenly - trouble,

they got stuck on a log.

The animals were fit,

they’ve been to the gym,

but it soon turned out

none could swim.

It was getting hopeless

when a friendly dove

sent over a dolphin

to give them a shove.

It always works best

when birds of a feather

help each other

and stick together.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: An ode to Flipper

and to our dear planet.

 

A New Friend

I went out camping

In the wood,

I was in the mood

for solitude.

I built the fire,

I set up the tent,

then I felt like a walk

and off I went.

I came back tired,

ready for grub,

and found by my fire

… a little lion cub.

He looked so cold

in the fading light

that I invited him to stay 

and spend the night.

We had a nice chat

and in the end

I gave up solitude

for a brand new friend.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: a little fun.

The Fight

I was playing a game

with my brother Finn.

He said he didn't cheat,

just "helped himself win."

He looked so smug

as he finished the game,

I got mad and called him

a very bad name.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: a cereal box

upgraded into a game of

snakes & ladders

(played in great harmony).

A Kind-Hearted Guest

It’d been a long day

but the bear felt fine, 

the nursery was tidy

and he was in bed by nine.

But then a small noise

filled him with dread -

was something hiding

under the bed?

It took all his courage

to look down and find

a tiny tooth fairy,

looking tired but kind.

The fairy looked up

and gently confessed:

“I have many deliveries,

I’m just taking a rest.”

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: my father made

these little wooden beds,

I made the soft furnishing

and kind-hearted bear.

The Snail Mail

 

In our post office

works a snail,

who takes forever

to deliver the mail.

He crawls around

at an awful pace,

says slow and steady

wins the race.

We try to be patient

whenever he’s late -

when snail mail comes,

It is well worth the wait.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: crafting with my

nephews. We turned

cereal boxes, old magazines

 and odd bits of paper 

into cards for the new year

and a  mail box to

put them in.

The Book Club

Ollie and Gus

were sitting in the pub,

talking about starting

their own book club.

Ollie had milk,

Gus only water,

and it was he who suggested

reading Beatrix Potter.

Ollie said they should 

order some grub,

and invite Peter Rabbit

to join their club.

Gus wrote the letter

and sent it with pride,

but oh, the sorrow,

Peter never replied.

They might still be waiting,

it’s a shame indeed,

that nobody told them -

rabbits can't read.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: two 

literary friends.

Thumbelina

 Thumbelina and

her sister Thumbeloo

both came down

with a horrid flue.

They had to spend

the day in bed -

tea was drunk,

stories were read.

The very next day

Thumbelina tried

to get up from bed

and go outside.

Thumbeloo worried:

“Sister, be wise,

don’t go out alone,

remember your size!”

A cricket for us

is as big as a bear,

when you’re a thumb,

it’s a jungle out there!”

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: wine corks

recycled into little dolls

Taking a Moment

 

Sometimes doing nothing,

just lying in the sun,

without deeds or thoughts,

can be kind of fun.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: my little doll

is taking a moment.

Simply Spring

The garden's in chaos,
things are quite bad
and Spring slumbers on
snoring like mad.

A snail hurries over
and gives Spring a shake,
planning, if needed
to bribe him with cake.

"Wake up, wake up
you have to see reason -
Winter is leaving
and we don't have a season!"

Spring jumps and mutters:

"Sorry! Sorry my dear,
nobody told me
I'm on early this year."

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: a group of friends

enjoying a nice day out

in very fine weather.

Mission Impossible

A little bear has 

set himself a mission - 

he is going to climb
to the top of a cushion.

The dolls are concerned,
perhaps he should stop
but the bear is going
all the way to the top.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: A new cushion

I made for my SIL Ella.

French Cheese

 We opened the window
to let in the breeze
and immediately felt
the censure of trees - 

Even fresh air
cannot, with ease,
battle the odor of
a good French cheese.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: A new turtle friend

living in a delicious

Camembert package.

The Christmas Story

 

1/3.  Alf and Elf were not usually given The Big Jobs. They were sweet helpers, a little silly and with a talent for complicating things. But this being the busy holiday season with a few workers out with the flu, it fell upon them to deliver the sweets to the Christmas party. Really, what could go wrong? The two loaded their jolly jelly cargo on Alf’s car and they hit the road. As their neared the river bend the car stalled. The gas tank was empty. What now?

Next: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

2/3.  Elf really wanted to hire a hot-air balloon for the sweets but none was available at short notice. Luckily for them (the universe, for reasons of its own, would sometimes reward incompetence with luck) a boat was nearing the river bend and agreed to take them along. It soon turned out that Alf was not accurate when describing the weight of the sweets to the captain and the little boat began sinking. The crew saved the candy, but all was not dandy. They were left, cold and wet, on the shore.

Next: On the shore alone?

3/3. Suddenly a train was heard coming (that meddling universe in action once again) and stopped to help. Alf was a little disappointed, he’d had visions of a plane, Santa’s sley or the tour bus of Bruce Springsteen, but Elf insisted that they board the train. Once settled, they had a little idea to throw a shindig as a thank you, played Christmas music, distributed much of the candy among the passengers and almost pressed the emergency break. But they did reach the Christmas party in time. Will they get another Big Job? Time will tell.

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: Two wine bottle corks out and about

on this festive season.

Happy Holidays!

The Pink Forest

There once was a forest

where all the trees were pink,
it was quite glamorous -
magical, don't you think?

But the animals living there
asked with a frown:
"Can't you trees be ordinary?
What is wrong with brown?" 

(©handmade by amalia)

♡

Featured: Little woodland friends