Spiral Garden

Inspiration

2012-01-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

Do you have a nature table or season table? We do, and it has grown and evolved alongside our family. A friend shared this link with me the other day, for anyone looking for inspiration. There are some stunningly simple ideas here, as well as amazing pieces of handcraft...

Hand Felted Playmat

Happy New Year! Creative blessings to you all for an amazing 2012!

Sale Time!

2011-12-23T03:52:00.000-08:00

Our annual tradition of an end-of-year sale is on again!

There are 25 products on sale, up to 70% off RRP and many below cost!

Strictly while current stocks last...

Last Minute Gift Suggestions

2011-12-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

Phew! What a whirlwind holiday season this has been so far...

On our facebook page some great ideas for gifts and traditions are being shared, thank you all for participating!

We have had some last minute New Products arrive at Spiral Garden and hopefully photos for those will go up today!

We have a few products on Sale, including the very popular Eco Clay - last stock until next Summer. Another popular product we only stock each festive season are the Crayon Rocks. So if you were hoping to grab some, there's only a handful of packs left and I won't restock until next October or November.

And some of our favourite gift ideas...

For Her - Barefoot magazines or a new hat!

For Him - The Magic Cube has been popular this year!

For a Family - Cuddle Cards, Grow It, Eat It or The Lorax...

For Kids - Debresk Vehicles, Blank Books with Pencils or Crayons, Blank Bags with Textile Markers, Dolls, Chalk and Blackboard Eraser (it's easy to make a blackboard at home!), Kidslings, various Dollhouse Accessories and a whole lot more!

For Baby - Playcloths, Knot Dolls and Teethers - our three top selling items for bubs - simple and beautiful gifts!

We also have plenty of books, seeds and other gardening items, a large range of art and craft supplies, co-operative games, items for the nature table, musical toys, jewelery and some cute stocking stuffers that won't cost the earth...

On the Spiral Garden site, go to the Search box on the left to find the items above.

Enjoy your festive preparations - including the shopping if possible!

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like...

2011-11-13T16:59:00.001-08:00

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page and this blog, or subscribe to our newsletter (on the right of this post, or at the bottom of the Spiral Garden home page) for ideas, specials, cool links, extra photos and more!

Gnomes

2011-11-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

We're back! Almost all of the new products and re-stocked favourites have been uploaded to the online store, so grab anything you want for Christmas as many items are limited stock...

Today I found this link to the BEST gnome tutorial online I've seen yet. It is easily adapted to different size doll bases. Fantastic gift idea!

Related Products
Wood & Wire Dolls 10, 15 and 20cm high
Little Doll Family Kit
Debresk Doll Furniture
Tree House
Tree Branch Furniture
Tree Branch Playground
Craft Packs (for felt, fleece, etc)

Office Closed

2011-10-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

The Spiral Garden office will close next Wednesday 27th, for a little over a week. When we reopen by the weekend of the 5th and 6th of November, we should have LOTS of new products uploaded ready for holiday shopping!

Our online store will still be operating the whole time, but there may be a few days' delay in posting out your order... Thank you for your patience!

Free Shipping

2011-10-08T03:25:00.000-07:00

Free shipping!

All Aussie orders over $50.00 submitted with the code 'spring11' in the Discount Coupon section of Checkout will receive FREE shipping from now until October 20th.

Ready, set, go!

Moontime Diary 2012

2011-10-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

I've really enjoyed using this comprehensive and user-friendly moon diary for a couple of years now. It's A5 size, 162 pages. The pages are 7 days to an opening, with plenty of space for notes.

Live a healthy lifestyle
Grow abundant gardens
Housekeeping, renovating and building

It is all about timing your activities. Surely you have found thatsometimes routine jobs turn out better than at other times? Or maybeyou have noticed that the lawn at certain times grows back faster thanat other times? We know that fishermen always go out with the tideinstead of struggling against it.

Yes, there is method in the madness, which is where the moon comesin. All growing things are influenced by the ever changing moon.

Our aim is to inspire you to create a healthy lifestyle in tune withthe moon and other natural cycles. Everyday practical suggestions tellyou how you can tune in to the moon’s cycles and the year’s seasons.These suggestions help you to make a difference that doesn’t cost theearth.

The Moontime Planning Diary 2012 combines the solar calendar withthe moon phases and positions. Daily pointers make it easy for you toaccess and experience the influence the moon has on your health, garden and home care.

The Moontime Diary 2012 features all the diary essentials plus
• Introduction on how to fine tune to the moon
• Helpful tables
• World map to convert time
• Daily moon and planetary aspects
• Aspect interpretations
• Moon void of course
• Monthly ephemeris
• Printed on 100% recycled paper

Created in Mullumbimby, Australia by Iris and Gisela.

Welcome Spring!

2011-09-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

We love Spring! It's so exciting to see the blossoms on our fruit trees, hear the bees buzzing in the macadamia grove and admire the sudden and intense growth in our garden. It feels good to wash our winter blankets and put them away in storage, pack up our coats, scarves and beanies and hunt down our summer dresses, sandals and swimming items... And finally I think I've had my fill of soup, and I'm keen to prepare some warm-weather food!

We have changed our season table - the white and blue tones of winter packed away and out with pink and green, coloured glass, felt eggs, butterflies and flowers...

Our carefully chosen seeds have been planted into the seed-raising boxes, with their little pop stick ID tags in place and every day we check the progress as unfurling leaves emerge - promising a bounty of summer vegetables.

What is your favourite season?

Spring Products

Books:
Snowdrop & Ulba Bulba
Grow It Eat It
Rainbow Magic - Edie the Garden Fairy
In The Garden
The Secret Garden

Other Items:
Spring Doll
Gnomes
Playcloths - silk, cotton, muslin
Crowns
Springtime Felt
Blossom Baby
Blossom Baby Kit
Seeds
Shovels
Pots
Spring Craft Pack
Spring Fleece
Spring Card

Winter in the Garden Update...

2011-07-26T02:52:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Vicki Meldon on winning our 2nd prize pack earlier this month! Vicki said she was so excited to unpack her huge parcel when it arrived and had fun sharing the items with her little boys.
Don't forget to check out our Facebook Page. It's frequently updated and you can make comments or post reviews or photos etc. We have random specials and other FB-only info on the page.

Stocktake Time!

2011-06-26T05:54:00.001-07:00

Spiral Garden is having a Stocktake Sale!

15% off storewide until June 30, 2011.
(including already marked down products)

Hurry - strictly while current stocks last!

And the Winner is...

2011-05-25T00:32:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!

Two Prizes

2011-05-01T05:16:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have seen this on our Facebook page...

I have been rearranging the Spiral Garden office and have come across a lot of excess goodies - end of line products, samples from suppliers, items we've made ourselves from fleece and cotton and more, magazines, playcloths, bags, various art & craft items and more... So I put them into 2 boxes, and I'm adding to them as I continue to arrange the stock into more user-friendly storage.

And I'm offering these two boxes to my customers - one from orders 1-10 and one from orders 11-20, counting from Wednesday 27th April. The orders must be over $50 total, and posted to an address within Australia. You may enter as many times as you wish, and you're eligible to win twice. Each box is valued at over $100 retail and includes postage to you.

Full Terms and Conditions can be found here.
Happy shopping and good luck!

Mother's Day

2011-04-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is on 8th May 2011.

I will gift wrap all Mother's Day items for free if you ask me to do so in the Comments section when ordering. I can send them directly to you, or to your Mum (or another special Mum who deserves spoiling).

Due to public holidays, please order as soon as possible to ensure your gift arrives in time. Express Post is available, please leave a note in the Comments section so I can contact you to discuss this option.

Gift ideas for Mother's Day include:

Beguile Soap in Honey, Milk and Shampoo varieties - on sale for only $5.50 each.

Beguile Lip Balm in 3 varieties from $2 each (50% off naturale lip balm)!

Seven different jewelery products, including the popular Glass Bead Spiral Bracelets made by Spiral Garden, and only $7.50 each.

Bamboo Wash Cloths - delightfully soft and surprisingly strong, $10 each.

Patchwork Sunhats - gorgeous soft hats in 4 colours suitable for all seasons!

Felt Pencil Cases - not just for art supplies! These are lovely for holding jewelery or make-up or any other things Mum needs to store safely. They are padded, washable and made by fair trade wool felt suppliers in Nepal. Just $9.50 each.

Or perhaps decorate your own pencil case for Mum? Calico Pencil Cases are also suitable for holding more than just art supplies, and are ready to decorate, like our plain Calico Bags, with Lyra Textile Markers.

Barefoot Magazine single issues and subscriptions are available through Spiral Garden, priced from $5.95.

We stock a variety of Cards from Sarah Laidlaw and Chrissy Butler, as a beautiful addition to any of the above gifts. Prices start from $4.00 per card.

Cuddle Cards and the Cuddle Journal together make a delightful gift that will bring joy to your family for years.

Celebrate Motherhood!

Homeschooling Resources

2011-04-20T06:24:00.001-07:00

Most of you probably know that our children are educated at home. We have always home educated and have six children aged 7 to almost-17. Over the past months, we have been expanding our range of homeschooling resources. Some of the items we stock include:

Always Learning Books - a selection of booklets and books from an Australian publisher, including diaries for record keeping

Golden Beetle Books - a selection of books on Steiner/Waldorf education

HEA Resource Directory 2011

Otherways - subscriptions to Australia's best printed homeschooling magazine

More books relevant to families like ours...

Blank books - these are a beautiful and brilliant resource

Art supplies - including Stockmar, Lyra etc - especially for toddlers and children

Craft supplies - kits, raw materials, uncommon products - and all natural

Gardening products - because we think every family should grow plants!

Don't forget, if you type the code 'homesschool' into the discount coupon section of Checkout, you will automatically receive 10% off any order over $40.00.

Book of Soups

2011-04-19T03:43:00.000-07:00

We just love this insprational cookbook! At first it seems a little plain compared with glossy hardbacked cookbooks, but the quirky illustrations and the variety and quality of recipes has deemed it a treasure in our kitchen.

Soups in the slow cooker, with dumplings, vegan recipes, broths, chilled soups, dessert soups and big soups... I think every kind of soup is covered in these 49 pages!

A favourite one for our children to make themselves...

Vegetable Barley Soup
1-2 T of oil
2-3 sticks celery
1-2 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
about 2 quarts water
1 cup barley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1-2 tsp tamari
3-4 potatoes
3-4 carrots (winter squash is good too!)

In a large soup pot, saute onions, celery and garlic in oil. Add water, barley, salt, Italian seasoning, and tamari. Bring to a boil and continue to boil gently for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and carrots. Add vegetables to soup and continue gentle boil for an hour or until barley is tender. Enjoy!

Serves 8

Early Childhood Department
Cincinnati Waldorf School

There are a few copies of this book left in stock. Grab yours before winter!

Using the Knitting Helper

2011-04-09T06:22:00.000-07:00

One of our best sellers is the Knitting Helper which is imported from Europe by Mercurius for Spiral Garden.

It's a very simple design made from raw timber with a stick for looping the wool over each hook. Instructions are included, but we also found this tutorial online and wanted to share the link with you.

We have many knitting helpers in stock right now, at only $7.50 each, they're a great gift idea!

Related Products:
Hand-dyed Yarn
Knitting Kit (yarn only)
Crochet Hooks

It's Sale Time!

2011-04-01T05:08:00.001-07:00

SALE TIME! 15% off till the 15th April.

Enter the code 'April15' into the Discount Coupon section of Checkout at Spiral Garden.

The Lorax

2011-03-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

$12.00

This book was one of my husband's favourites when he was a child. It has become a favourite of our children in turn. And now I'm happy to be able to offer a Harper Collins paperback version through Spiral Garden.

In this haunting fable about the dangers of destroying our forests and woodlands, the long-suffering Lorax struggles to save all the Truffula Trees from the wicked Once-ler's axe. With his unique combination of hilarious stories, zany pictures and riotous rhymes, Dr. Seuss has been delighting young children and helping them learn to read for over fifty years. This title is for older, more fluent readers to enjoy on their own, or as a wonderful read-aloud story for any age.

About the Author

Theodor Seuss Geisel -- better known to millions of his fans as Dr. Seuss -- was born the son of a park superintendent in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1904. After studying at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, and later at Oxford University in England, he became a magazine humorist and cartoonist, and an advertising man. He soon turned his many talents to writing children's books.

Dr Seuss

Rainbow Made

2011-03-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to supply so many products from Rainbow Made ~ toys to inspire!

Lis from Rainbow Made creates our seasonal dolls, felt items, nut dolls, breastfeeding mamas, slinging papas, custom dolls, elements fairies, various craft kits, fleece packs, gnomes, silk playcloths, cotton playcloths, muslin playcloths and the gorgeous 'soft' componenets of our very popular craft packs.

If you go to Lis' Rainbow Made blog, you will see instructions and tutorials for all types of crafts.

If you're keen to puchase any of the seasonal items or kits, almost everything is back in stock right now! But hurry, Lis' creations sell out fast, and because everything is hand-dyed and handmade, it can take awhile for new stock to arrive.

Simply go to the Spiral Garden web store, and type the name of the item into the Search box on the left. If you need assistance finding anything, never hesitate to contact Bel.

Magical Seeds

2011-03-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

Few things in nature hold as much magic as seeds. With seeds, we can discover the full life cycle of plants. We can observe how plants reproduce through watching them flower, go to seed and self-seed.

To save seeds from your garden or wildflowers, collect them at maturity during the late morning on a dry day. Clean them to store in a cool, dark, dry place for re-sowing. If you have enough seeds sprinkle them around the garden to see when they come up again. Collecting your own seeds will save on seed costs, create a connection with nature through the seasons, and improve your gardening success rate as the seeds adapt to your locale. For more detailed instructions on cleaning seeds to store and save, look to resources such as the International Seed Saving Institute’s Guide. Another good resource is The Seed Saver’s Handbook by Michel and Jude Fanton, available through the Seed Savers Network.

Various types of plants have different methods for sowing and saving seed:

Annuals usually grow from seed through part of a year, then seeds are saved and stored or lay dormant in the ground until the following year. Examples of annuals are lettuce, peas, spinach, corn, beans and marigolds. Most seeds you will save will be from Annual plants.

Biennial plants produce vegetative growth through the first warm period, then slow down through a period of cold weather and flower in the second warm period, typically spring. Common examples are the cabbage, kale, carrot, parsnip and turnips. To collect seeds from these, you will need to wait about eighteen months.

Perennial plants survive for more than two years. They are a very important part of a long-term garden. Some annuals and biennials such as capsicums, chillies, eggplants and kale can behave as perennials in warm climates.

Another way to save seeds is from the kitchen. Ripe pumpkins, tomatoes, capsicums, melons, papaya, and most other fruit provide fresh, free seeds. Usually one dries and stores the seeds to plant in the appropriate season, but our children have had many successful pumpkin vines and papaya trees grow with seed fresh from the cutting board. If the fruit or vegetable comes from a hybrid plant, which many commercial crops are, the fruit that grows from it will not grow true to type. But it will probably be edible and if space in the garden isn’t an issue, you’ve nothing to lose!

More ‘free’ seeds can often be found in the pantry – many dried beans will germinate, for example. We’ve tried borlotti, lima and cannellini beans, and black-eyed peas. Beans can be eaten as a young pod, shelled when mature, or left on the vine to dry. Bird feed is another cheap source of seeds to experiment with. A large bag of sunflower seeds is only a couple of dollars and contains enough to fill even the largest garden with giant sunflowers. Or you can share them amongst friends so that others might delight in the magic of seeds.

When buying seeds, heirloom or heritage varieties are preferable for many reasons. Old varieties are more interesting and better suited to the organic vegetable garden. Did you know that carrots come in colours other than orange? You can grow your own red, white, yellow or purple carrots at home! There are also purple peas and beans, multi-coloured corn, capsicums of various colours and shapes, and pumpkins and tomatoes that will amaze! These non-hybrid seeds are most often available by mail order rather than in your local store.

Sprouting is another way to witness the wonder of seed germination. It’s something you can do in any season and any location. All you need is a jar, some cheesecloth, a rubber band and some seeds to sprout - like alfalfa, mung beans or radish. You can buy these in health shops or with the vegetable seeds in stores. Rinse the seeds, and then soak overnight in water. Strain and rinse again in the morning, placing the jar upside-down or inverted on a saucer so it can drain well. Continue to rinse twice a day, always keeping the jar inverted so that there is no excess water on your sprouts. After around four days, your sprouts should be ready for eating and can be stored in the fridge.

A bean vine can also be started in a glass jar. Take a wide glass jar, some cotton wool and a few bean seeds. Soak the beans for a few hours. Place the cotton inside the jar and poke the beans at regular intervals between the glass and cotton around the jar. Add enough water so that the cotton is moist. Put the lid on the jar and you will not have to water your beans for them to grow. Place in a sunny position and your beans will grow roots and sprout leaves. If you turn the jar upside-down, within a day the seedlings will change the direction they grow in so that the roots are facing down. After a couple of days, you can turn it up the right way again and your bean vines will adapt so that the roots are growing down once more. Children will see that gravity, water and light affect plants. Once you’ve finished your observations, this seedling can go out into the garden to fulfil its purpose.

Because seeds hold so much magic and wonder, many tales have been told about them. Jack and the Beanstalk first springs to mind. There are stories from all around the world with seeds as a symbol for life, regeneration and new beginnings. I encourage you to explore the wonder of seeds with children – begin their journeys as gardeners with the simplest of wonders.

From Spiral Garden, you can buy:
Vegetable Seeds - certified organic, open-pollinated, traditional and unsual varieties such as: Butternut Pumpkin, Purple Peas, Purple Beans, Purple Carrots, Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes, Sunflowers and Nasturtiums. We also have Kids' Packs of seeds and a lot of gardening books, tools and supplies.

Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Exchange - Autumn

2011-02-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

Here's something not organised by Spiral Garden, but I thought I would share it again. I joined the Summer Exchange and it was great fun!

Ready for a ‘Autumn’ crafting challenge?

Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Exchange is inspired by the small nature table Katie has tried to start for her young children to mark the changing of the seasons. She has found most material and craft project sourced for inspiration is often based on seasons in the northern hemisphere which is not always relevant to us. Seasonal changes where we live in the southern
hemisphere can be subtle and quite different from what is happening in the northern hemisphere.

Like her children, Katie is learning about the unique seasonal differences in Australia. She is new to crafting and new to keeping a nature table. She would love some inspiration and is sure other people would as well.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have Seasonal Craft exchange reflective of the seasons of the Southern Hemisphere? A crafting challenge, a chance to create your own symbolic item reflective of the current season and a chance to inspire a stranger through your chosen craft...

To participate you need to include a minimum of one handmade item that you can swap with your allocated partner.

Guidelines:
* The swap is related to the theme - Autumn.
* The swap is open to everyone. You don’t have to live in the Southern Hemisphere to participate!
* You must be willing to mail overseas and honour your swap commitment.
* Participants will be allocated one (only) swap partner. You will send directly to your partner and they will send directly to you. Swap partners will be randomly allocated.
* No prior crafting/ art skills required.
* Participation should be done in the spirit of openness, appreciation and sharing. The only requirement is the item you send should be handmade by you with love and care. Make something special that you would love to receive yourself.
* No returns!
* The exchange is open to all ages.
* All packages must be mailed by the 15th April, and should be suitable to send in the mail.

Requirements:
* At least one, no more than five items are to be sent.
* One of these items must be handmade. It can be an object, an artwork, an ornament, small handmade book, something to display. The key requirement is it is something made by you.
* If you would like to include additional items things that could be included might be items from nature (unless you are shipping internationally), a card, additional artworks, a candle, purchased items made from natural materials (no plastic/polyester/foam/etc) etc.
* All of the items must be seasonally appropriate.
* You may want to include in your package a little blurb about your items and/or yourself.
* In addition, it would be wonderful if you were able to document the process of making and the final product. These images can be posted on the Flickr group Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Exchange.

How Do I Sign Up?
Sign ups will take place until 14th of March.
The first 100 people to sign up are in!
Please email Katie with your Real Name, Mailing address (in English) and Email address to be entered into the swap.

Your privacy will be respected and your details will not be passed on unless you give permission.
Partners will be allocated after sign-ups have closed. Katie will confirm when you have been added to the list. Please be patient, this may take a couple of days.

As mentioned previously, Katie is a mother of two very young children, new to crafting and has only co-coordinated something like this once before, so your patience and understanding is really appreciated.

Inspiration
Thanks to Seasons Round Exchang e and New Zealand Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap.
for inspiring the idea of the craft swap.

Seasons Round Exchang e
The SavVy { Seasons } - a modern Swap
Soft trees Swap
Rhythm of the Home
Seasons South and North

Autumn Craft Pack
White Craft Pack
Create @ Spiral Garden

Queensland Floods, Orders, Fund Raiser

2011-01-13T04:16:00.000-08:00

Thank you to those customers who have emailed regarding the flooding in Queensland right now. We did have a cyclone on Christmas Day, followed by torrential rain, but no flooding. Spiral Garden is located on a farm in the mountains west of Cairns, Far North Queensland. Thankfully, we are not in a flood-affected area.

To those of you who have had to wait for your recent orders, due to road closures because of the flooding, we thank you for your patience. Australia Post recommended to me that we keep your parcels high and dry here in our office, and we have contacted each of you to check that was okay. We will attempt tomorrow to post any orders we have waiting here, if it looks like the situation may improve enough over the weekend.

Spiral Garden has decided to donate 50% of all order totals (before freight) from midnight Thursday 13th January until midday Sunday 16th January to the Australian Red Cross' disaster relief and recovery appeal. The Red Cross are renowned for making a real difference during times of crisis. So if you're planning to buy your back-to-school items, summer holiday craft items, gifts, magazines and subscriptions or art supplies - now is a great time to order and help flood-affected families at the same time.

Sale Time!

2010-12-15T07:06:00.000-08:00

It's early, I know. Stores don't usually start their sales until after Christmas... But we are seriously overstocked! Check out the bargains here.

PS - We can't guarantee delivery, but will try to get orders to you before December 24th (Australia only).

Handmade Christmas?

2010-12-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

I often pledge to make each Christmas a handmade one. More often than not, mid-December rolls around and EEEEEEEEEEK - I haven't made everyone's gifts. These days, I figure that if what I'm buying is fair trade or locally handmade, that's still a lot better than ordinary store-bought gifts!

If you love to give handmade too, here are some ideas...

Breastfeeding Mother Doll and Baby $82.00 (I actually have one in stock, which is unusual for this time of year!)

Itsy Bitsy Lou Lou reduced to $30.00 - a fantastic price for a handmade cloth doll of this size with such beautiful clothing - her siblings Molly and Oliver are also up for adoption!

Bamboo Face & Body Wash Cloths $10.00 each

All of the Beguile Soaps and Lip Balms are handmade here in Australia!

Jasminka's Silk Angel Mobiles are just perfect and only $40.00 each.

We love our Hand-felted Garden Flags - a very versatile gift.

Eco Clay is handmade and certainly hand tested around here!

The very popular Sandwich Wraps are just $15.00 each. Our last stock sold out quickly, so order soon.

Juggling Balls are great fun for all ages! Check out these felt ones!

Of course we have many more dolls, gnomes, animals, bags, dress-ups, jewelery and craft items which are made by hand within Australia. Come and browse our online store today. Almost all of our products are actually handmade or handcrafted, but the ones above are some which are made by people I know, with their own hands!

Thank You!

2010-12-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of our regular customers for your support over the past couple of weeks (and before then of course!) Welcome to our many new customers as well! Please contact me if there's something specific I can order for you, if you have any questions or suggestions.

For overseas Christmas orders, please order by Monday 13th December, Air Mail generally takes 7-10 days from Australia. Within Australia, please order and pay for your Christmas gift orders by Friday 17th December (Direct Deposit), or Sunday 19th December (PayPal), for posting within Australia. If you live in Tassie or Western Australia, it's a good idea to allow a little extra time at this time of year, as mail can be delayed during busy periods. Spiral Garden is located near Tarzali, which is a village in rural Far North Queensland.

Express Post can be arrange for a small extra fee (for any parcels over 500g). Please contact me if you require Express Post.

We will not be closed over the Christmas and New Year period. Parcels will be delayed due to public holidays, but we are available to send your orders as quickly as usual.

Do you need specific items for back-to-school? Most art supplies are in stock, but if there's something else you need, let me know soon as I need to order Main Lesson Books and other goodies from Mercurius. I also plan to stock a lot more homeschooling, unschooling and Steiner education books from January 2011 - please let me know of titles you're after!

My office is still overflowing with tea sets, craft kits, soaps, lip balms, games and toys... Crayon Rocks are still available in both sizes. I look forward to receiving your orders and packing them with care, and taking a bit of stress out of the shopping event of the year!

Seasonal Blessings from our family to yours...

Last New Stock for 2010

2010-12-02T05:05:00.001-08:00

What a busy time of year it is! Summer is here for us in the Southern Hemisphere, and with it comes the busy-ness of the celebration season, a general end-of-year flurry and an increase in activity because of the warmer weather... I know our customers in the Northern Hemisphere are also busy right about now, but I wonder if you feel like buzzing bees too, without the sunshine and warm days?

We've finally received the last of our New Products and restocked items for 2010.

Crayon Rocks Standard $10.00
Crayon Rocks Happy Holidays $5.00
Branch Wood Blocks $30.00
Branch Wood Rattle $16.00
... and don't forget our gorgeous Enamel Tea Set and Cookware range, delightful Beguile products (yum), the three Tree Branch Sets (different to the German Branch Wood products) and of course the popular Coconut Wood tea set items and accessories.

Thanks again for your enthusiastic support of Spiral Garden. We delight in finding perfect gifts and everyday items for you and yours. What a joy to offer items which have an impressive impact on the recipient, but a low impact on our planet...

Art Makes Sense

2010-11-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

A lot of our art supplies are sourced from Mercurius Australia. They stock the quality European brands Stockmar and Lyra which are best sellers at Spiral Garden.

From an educational, developmental perspective, an environment that is rich in sensory experience is essential. Mercurius is committed to providing a complete and thoroughly tested range of products which are designed to:

• nurture the senses
• stimulate and support creativity and the practise of the 7 arts

For more information on the twelve senses and the seven arts, check out this page.

Shopping for Artists

2010-11-24T02:12:00.000-08:00

Quality art supplies are such a delight to artists of all ages. They improve results and are a pleasure to use. Here are some gift ideas for your arty loved ones...

Stockmar Colour Circle Paint s
Set of three colours (red, yellow, blue)
Just $26.00 per set.
Try our glass paint jars for storing them in, $1.65 each.
For more information on techniques
for using Stockmar art products, click here.

Kindergarten Paint Brush from Mercurius.
18mm brush of amazing quality, just $14.00.

I get excited by crayons, after years of enduring the average quality ones available in most department stores. The ones above are Crayon Rocks, soy-based crayons from the USA which are vegan-friendly and help prepare little hands for handwriting. They also look great, don't they? More stock (in two sizes) due from the USA in time for your Christmas orders. Stay tuned. Just $10.00 for the pack of 16 vibrant colours.

The delicious-smelling Honey Sticks are so sturdy and yet they deliver smooth, bright colours when in use. Ingredients include beeswax and non-toxic pigments, and the stubby design means that these crayons will last! Just $13.00.

Stockmar Block Crayons - quality you can trust from Germany. These come in a metal tin, in a set of eight bright colours. Ideas for using Stockmar crayons can be found here. Only $16.50 from Spiral Garden, much less than you'd pay elsewhere!

A perfect addition to any gift of crayons are these fabulous hand-made wool felt pencil cases from a Fair Trade supplier through Mercurius Australia. Available in a variety of colours and only $9.50 each!

Once customers discover Mercurius' Main Lesson Books, they always come back for more. These can be used in classrooms, in homeschooling, as journals, for many different art mediums and methods, or just for fun! They include 32 pages of quality paper with onion skin paper in between to help preserve artwork. Just $4.00 per book.

Lyra Pencils are the longest-lasting pencils which
are a delight to hold and use. From $2.60.

Lyra Sharpener - look, it's not plastic!
$3.20 each, suits most sizes of pencil.

We stock dozens of other quality art products at Spiral Garden. Happy Shopping!

Shopping for Babies

2010-11-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

Not another teddy bear...

We have some fantastic gift ideas for babies, check out these best sellers - all natural and top quality!

Knot dolls, all-time best seller available in
pink, orange, green, lavender, blue and yellow.
$13.00 each

21cm wide rainbow window star
$10.00

Single felt ball $7.00

Garden Flags $65.00

Bamboo Washcloths $10.00

Dyed Muslin Playcloths $10.00
White Muslin, Silk and Cotton Playcloths also available!

Baby wraps available in
Cheesecloth Jumbo
Cheesecloth Newborn
and Flannel Jumbo
... so versatile, from $15.00!

Wooden Teething Ring $16.00
from Drei Blatter in Germany.

Shopping for Boys

2010-11-22T20:57:00.000-08:00

Of course, most of our products appeal to both boys and girls, but in my experience, the items below have been especially popular with boys...

Felt Horse, 14cm high and only $18.00

Aussie Anamalz with pouch $34.95.

Debresk Vehicles, from $9.50

Lyra Skin Colour Pencils $18.00 - for painting faces without the mess or skin irritation!

Stockmar Block Crayons - tough but still delightful to use!
$16.50 (pay up to $22 at other Aussie retailers)
Give with a quality blank book!

Solid Wooden Fish Xylophone $27.00

Claves $11.50

Eco Clay $30.00, add a rolling pin.

Animal Tails $12.00.

Juggling Balls - set of 3.
Current stock includes lots of blue, green and brown tones.
Just $20.00 per set.

All-in-one house - a dollhouse and puzzle in one.
Use for little gnomes or other figures.
Made in Germany by Kaefer.
$60.00
Gnomes in stock include Earth Gnomes, Season Gnomes and Gnome Families.

Christmas Products

2010-11-21T01:58:00.000-08:00

Barefoot Magazine Subscription

for you, or someone else!
$30.00 within Australia

Beguile Lip Balm
Three varieties
$4.00 each
pop one into a...

Wool Felt Pencil Case
which are great for make-up, jewelery, any art supplies and more...
$9.50 each
add a ...

Glass Bead Spiral Bracelet
only $7.50 each
in a variety of colours

Beguile Soap
is $7.00
or only $1.75 for a guest-sized bar
goes perfectly with...

Bamboo Face & Body Washcloths
handmade in two colours
only $10.00
soft, yet hard-wearing

Calico Pencil Cases
$4.00 each
and

Calico Bags
$3.50 each
go perfectly with...

Lyra Textile Markers
$12.50 a pack

Get into the spirit of the season with these
Christmas Craft Packs
only $25.00

Felt Pocket Santas
$3.00 each

Festivities Cards
$12.00 for six

or Angels Card
$4.00 each

These are just a sample of the variety of gifts stocked by Spiral Garden. As well as our wide range of toys, books, and art supplies!

It's Christmas at Spiral Garden

2010-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

The wonderful Melissa Baker has worked her magic again, and transformed Spiral Garden's main page for Christmas 2010. Isn't is such a peaceful image?

Don't forget to keep an eye on our New Products pages, which are being updated daily.

Gaia's Garden

2010-11-08T01:42:00.000-08:00

Re-introducing Gaia's Garden, a co-operative game stocked by Spiral Garden for a few years, and played with by our family for a few more.

This game is now packaged in a bag made from certified organic cotton and screen printed with earth pigments - a completely natural process.

Gaia's Garden was produced on 100% recycled paper and 100% recycled cardboard. The game board is printed with vegetable inks and vegetable based varnish. The paper is mounted to the cardboard using homemade flour paste, made with organic wheat flour.

Living Earth Games are doing their best to improve their products to make them more environmentally friendly and more child friendly.

With team work, we have more possibilities and we can reach more goals. Play and work together to plant the whole garden and to prevent the pest insects from eating the crops.

Gaia's garden invites the gardeners to plant vegetables in their garden to have food to eat. Unfortunately, pest insects enjoy these yummy vegetables too. Luckily, predator insects are chasing and eating the pest insects, helping the gardeners.

Will the gardeners be quick enough to plant the vegetables in a beneficial companionship or will the pest insects have a chance to attack?

For 2 to 6 players, for ages 4 to adult. Playing time: 30 – 60 minutes. A detailed booklet with examples of how to play is included.

From Dr Hilary Whitehouse (Science and environmental education):

"The companion planting game introduces players to the ecological concept of pest and predator insect species. It is dynamic and replicates how a garden can be created. A balance is eventually created through companion planting. The game is non-competitive which is quite a novel concept to children accustomed to playing competitive games. The children seemed to enjoy the co-operative structure of the game.

This is the real success of the game, that it is able to develop knowledge of ecological concepts with young children in an effective and exciting way.

The children wanted to play the game for over an hour straight, which is a very positive recommendation...

I am sure other teachers would be happy to use it with their classes. Teachers and parents are always looking for attractive and useful materials through which to develop learning with children, and I would assess the game as being such..."

Also available from Living Earth Games through Spiral Garden: Living Landscapes Juggling Balls Single Ball

More about the Moon

2010-11-07T16:43:00.000-08:00

Here's Iris, one of the creators of our Moontime Diary 201 1, explaining a little more about the significance of the moon's cycles in our lives. Enjoy!

Summer Solstice

2010-11-05T03:35:00.000-07:00

On 22nd December 2010, it will be the Summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere. A Solstice is an astronomical event, but is most commonly identified as the longest or shortest day of the year, a mid-season celebration to acknowledge the turning of the wheel.

For some families who don't wish to celebrate a religious holiday in December, Solstice gatherings and gifts are a popular alternative.
Some gift ideas for solstice from Spiral Garden include:

Fire Flower Flamers and The Earthy Men by Susan Whitehead - a book for Under 7s.
Summer Card from Susan Laidlaw
Summer Craft Pack from Rainbow Made & Spiral Garden
Summer Doll from the Seasonal Doll Collection by Rainbow Made
Summer Sunshine Felt by Rainbow Made
A Playcloth in silk, muslin or cotton - in your choice of summer colours
A wood & paper folding fan
An item of jewelery from our hand-selected range
Soap and face cloths
2011 Diary
Window Star
Barefoot Magazine subscription

or just about anything from our unique range of toys, books, art and craft items and more!

Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Exchange

2010-10-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

Here's something not organised by Spiral Garden, but I thought I would share as it seems like it would certainly interest a lot of you. It's from one of our customers, Katie, and I'm going to sign up, maybe one of you will be my swap partner?

Ready for a ‘Summertime’ crafting challenge?

Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Exchange is inspired by the small nature table Katie has tried to start for her young children to mark the changing of the seasons. She has found most material and craft project sourced for inspiration is often based on seasons in the northern hemisphere which is not always relevant to us. Seasonal changes where we live in the southern
hemisphere can be subtle and quite different from what is happening in the northern hemisphere.

Like her children, Katie is learning about the unique seasonal differences in Australia. She is new to crafting and new to keeping a nature table. She would love some inspiration and is sure other people would as well.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have Seasonal Craft exchange reflective of the seasons of the Southern Hemisphere? A crafting challenge, a chance to create your own symbolic item reflective of the current season and a chance to inspire a stranger through your chosen craft...

As it is a busy time of year, to participate you need to include a minimum of one handmade item that you can swap with your allocated partner.

Guidelines:
* The swap is related to the theme - Summertime.
* The swap is open to everyone. You don’t have to live in the Southern Hemisphere to participate!
* You must be willing to mail overseas and honour your swap commitment.
* Participants will be allocated one (only) swap partner. You will send directly to your partner and they will send directly to you. Swap partners will be randomly allocated.
* No prior crafting/ art skills required.
* Participation should be done in the spirit of openness, appreciation and sharing. The only requirement is the item you send should be handmade by you with love and care. Make something special that you would love to receive yourself.
* No returns!
* The exchange is open to all ages.
* All packages must be mailed by the 1st December, the first day of summer and should be suitable to send in the mail.

Requirements:
* At least one, no more than five items are to be sent.
* One of these items must be handmade. It can be an object, an artwork, an ornament, small handmade book, something to display. The key requirement is it is something made by you.
* If you would like to include additional items things that could be included might be items from nature (unless you are shipping internationally), a card, additional artworks, a candle, purchased items made from natural materials (no plastic/polyester/foam/etc) etc.
* All of the items must be seasonally appropriate.
* You may want to include in your package a little blurb about your items and/or yourself.
* In addition, it would be wonderful if you were able to document the process of making and the final product. These images can be posted on the Flickr group Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Exchange.

How Do I Sign Up?
Sign ups will take place until 18th of November.
The first 100 people to sign up are in!
Please email Katie with your Real Name, Mailing address (in English) and Email address to be entered into the swap.

Your privacy will be respected and your details will not be passed on unless you give permission.
Partners will be allocated after sign-ups have closed. Katie will confirm when you have been added to the list. Please be patient, this may take a couple of days.

As mentioned previously, Katie is a mother of two very young children, new to crafting and has never undertaken co-coordinating something like this before, so your patience and understanding is really appreciated.

Inspiration
Thanks to Seasons Round Exchang e and New Zealand Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap.
for inspiring the idea of the craft swap.

Seasons Round Exchang e
The SavVy { Seasons } - a modern Swap
Soft trees Swap
Rhythm of the Home
Seasons South and North

Summer Craft Pack
White Craft Pack
Create @ Spiral Garden

Moontime Planning Diary 2011

2010-10-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

I've really enjoyed using this comprehensive and user-friendly moon diary during 2010. It's A5 size, 162 pages. The pages are 7 days to an opening, with plenty of space for notes.

Live a healthy lifestyle
Grow abundant gardens
Housekeeping, renovating and building

Yes, there is method in the madness, which is where the moon comes in. All growing things are influenced by the ever changing moon.

Our aim is to inspire you to create a healthy lifestyle in tune with the moon and other natural cycles. Everyday practical suggestions tell you how you can tune in to the moon’s cycles and the year’s seasons. These suggestions help you to make a difference that doesn’t cost the earth.

The Moontime Planning Diary 2011 combines the solar calendar with the moon phases and positions. Daily pointers make it easy for you to access and experience the influence the moon has on your health, garden and home care.

The Moontime Diary 2011 features all the diary essentials plus
• Introduction on how to fine tune to the moon
• Helpful tables
• World map to convert time
• Daily moon and planetary aspects
• Aspect interpretations
• Moon void of course
• Monthly ephemeris
• Printed on 100% recycled paper

Created in Mullumbimby, Australia by Iris and Gisela.

Faraway Felt

2010-10-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about owning Spiral Garden is knowing the talented artists who create our stock.

Abby and Michelle from Faraway Felt both live on a strata-title community in northern NSW. They live on solar power, tank water and have vegie gardens, orchards, chooks and other animals (ponies, cows, ducks).

Abby has 2 children (7 and 4) and Michelle has 3 (11, 9 and 3). Their kids go to the local Steiner school (Rainbow Ridge) which Abby is heavily involved in. Michelle is studying a Primary Teaching degree.

Faraway Felt use 100% Australian fine merino wool, mulberry silks, ribbons and recycled fabrics to create their range. Garden Flags are the first product from them we have on offer.

These are lovingly created hand-made felt flags. Merino wool is wet-felted into unique pieces of art to decorate your bedrooms, classroom, living area, the entrance to your home or seasonal table. In each set of flags, there are seven flags sewn onto dark green ribbon. The garden flags depict a pale blue sky with the fluffiest of gentle white clouds, rich green grass and plants with beautiful flowers. They are a high-quality heirloom item, these durable flags will last.

We have some garden flags hanging above the seasonal table in the entrance area of our home, and they have received many delighted comments.

Customer Feedback - Crayon Rocks

2010-10-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to say how much we love our Crayon Rocks!

J has always enjoyed the storytelling aspect of drawing but he has often gotten bored and frustrated with drawing really quickly and easily. I think his hand would cramp from the grip he had on his pencils, or he just got frustrated with his lack of control. I'm not sure. But the last few weeks he has asked to draw and colour more and more often. So far today i have printed out well over a dozen colouring in sheets for him (all completely coloured!) and he has drawn all sorts of stories for me. He only stopped for food! And the only thing he will use to draw with is his Crayon Rocks.

M.R., NSW Australia

If you have photos or comments to share about Spiral Garden and our products, please email me!

Silk Angels

2010-09-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

New Baby? Decorating? These gorgeous silk angels are so serene...

The mobiles are hand-crafted by Jasminka in Victoria, Australia. They comprise of a 16cm diameter rattan ring, fine gold thread and twelve hand-dyed silk angels with fleece inside their heads. A unique gift.

Hand-crafted Felt Delights

2010-08-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

We were delighted to receive some superbly hand-crafted items from Agnes in Sydney, Australia recently. Check out the New Products at Spiral Garden to see her standing dolls, owls, sheep, mice and gnomes!

Check these out!

2010-08-24T03:37:00.000-07:00

Eco-Clay $30

Eco Clay™ play dough is lovingly hand crafted in Victoria, Australia using only the finest natural ingredients.

The Weather Fairies Collection $22

This hard cover book is from Rainbow Magic's Weather Fairies Collection. It is Volume 1 and includes Books #1-4 by Daisy Meadows.
Crystal the Snow Fairy
Abigail the Breeze Fairy
Pearl the Cloud Fairy
Goldie the Sunshine Fairy

New Products

Clay
Crayons
Necklaces
Books
Felt Items
Craft Kits

... and more coming soon!

Specials

Aprons
Cards
Capes
Books
Crochet Hooks
Felt Items
Games
Dolls
Animals
Bags
Jewellery

... and more - up to half price! Limited Stock.

More New Products!

2010-08-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

We're rapt to introduce a range of new products...

Crayon Rocks, only $10.00 for 16 fabulous colours (pictured above).

Felt Balls of varying sizes and shapes from 50c each.

Felt items for your Nature Table, only $7.00 per set.

Craft Kits from $12.50.

... and more! Check out our New Products link today!

Re-stocked!

2010-08-07T04:19:00.000-07:00

Have you been waiting for your favourite items to come in stock? We now have Main Lesson Books, Lyra and Stockmar art supplies, Debresk vehicles and dollhouse furniture, skipping ropes, waldorf rainbow window stars, flower presses, a variety of books and more!

Mumtopia

2010-07-27T05:37:00.000-07:00

Mumatopia are one of our new suppliers. We currently stock Cas' sandwich wraps:

Sandwich Wraps $15.00

Mumatopia, with the amazing assistance of Precious Packages, is celebrating their official launch with a boutique market with the theme: “nurturing mums & babies.”

They've invited some very special, very skilled local artisans to display their products for sale on the night. They are also going to have some fantastic prizes up for grabs! Thus far the prize packs include: Gift hampers from Handmade Heaven, Spiral Garden, Precious Packages, Three Little Indians, and Mumatopia plus prizes from A Little Original, Little Brown Dog, Go Fair, Dancing Tiger Bellydance Studio, Boutique Tres Chic, Babymummas, Fordicia and more...

At any point in the evening you could win a fabulous prize, just by walking through the door. There’ll be goodie bags for the first 50 guests. Guest speakers: the fabulous Debby Gould from Birthtalk, and Dr Sarah Buckley, author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, live entertainment with Bellydancing by Australia's Got Talent Semi-finalist Idell Wadley and fabulous original music by Nadia Sunde, not to mention yummy food.

Spiral Garden is proud to sponsor this event...

August 14 · 4:00pm - 8:30pm

Precious Packages

9 Harlin Road, Sadliers Crossing

Ipswich, Australia

Contact Cas for more details.

Stocktake Sale!

2010-06-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

Here in Australia it's Winter, and it's also tax time. That means Sale time! A lot of products at Spiral Garden are running low in stock, many unable to be replaced by the artists who create them. To make way for New Products next financial year, we've taken 15% off all items in our store, which includes the already reduced items on our Specials page.

This sale begins NOW and ends on June 30. Strictly while stocks last, so hurry!

For every $100 spent during this sale (after discount, not including shipping), you will also receive a free gift!

Don't forget to keep an eye on our News blog, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter! New products, sale items, craft and activity ideas and more are shared through these networks.

Keep in touch, we rely on your feedback to help us grow our Garden to suit your needs. Any comments on service, products, suggestions, etc are most welcome via Email to Bel.

Take care and stay warm!

Barefoot Magazine Winter Issue

2010-06-09T03:40:00.000-07:00

Issue 6 of Barefoot Magazine has arrived!

Inside there are articles on Community, Boys and wild play, Our girls our bodies ourselves, Seasonal Soul Food, Ethics, Teenagers, Meningoccal, craft, garlic and all of our favourite regular columns! 42 pages of relevant and well-presented information for only $7.95.

Barefoot Magazine is produced by Budding Iris Publications. It seeks to inform, challenge, support, respect and inspire mothers, fathers, grandparents, carers and communities to live more consciously and value the importance of children and family life.

Barefoot Magazines is designed and produced in Australia.

Barefoot is printed using the most environmentally responsible printing methods available. The paper is made from 100% pre-used waste paper and is not chlorine bleached. Vegetable inks and benign press chemicals are used - preserving forests and water.

"This magazine just feels right - the paper, the photography and illustrations, the content - it's like coming home." Lyn, Qld.

Almost Winter in the Garden

2010-05-30T00:45:00.000-07:00

We've stocked up on Winter delights:

Silver Story of a Silver Stork
Winter Playcloths (for nature tables, story telling, puppetry and more)
Winter Gnomes
Winter Dolls
Winter Craft Packs
Winter Cards
Winter Yarn
and all of our other knitting and crochet products...

Check out the gorgeous new home page design by Melissa Baker. She changes our image and verse with every season, a reminder of the wonder of Earth's cycles.

For more inspiration for the changing seasons, Winter craft and activity ideas can be found in this article. Stay warm!

Birthday Time

2010-04-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

It's birthday time at our place!

We have some birthday traditions such as the birthday child choosing their own cake, and the evening meal for their birthday. On the morning of their birthday we gather around the dining table or on Mum & Dad's bed whilst they unwrap their gifts and open the cards which have come in the mail. There are often a number of little handmade, wrapped gifts from siblings which are given with pride and accepted with grace. Brithday cards are secretly handmade by a sibling, and given with the gifts from the whole family.

During the day we will often have friends over for morning or afternoon tea under the trees in our garden (weather permitting) with a cake and some yummy fruit and other foods to share. The table is often decorated with a colourful cloth and fresh flowers collected by the other children.

We enjoy the traditional candles and "Happy Birthday" song as well as clapping for their age and three cheers. We always have a cake at night, even if we've had one in the daytime, just so we can turn down the lights and enjoy the magic of a cake lit by candlelight.

Sometimes we use different crockery or glasses for the birthday meal, and there is always a beautiful tablecloth and centre candle, and quite often more flowers.

Birthday cards are displayed on a magnetic framed board which hangs above the season table. Photos of the birthday child are also displayed their during the weeks preceding and following their special day. Often some baby photos and recent photos will be side by side. A photograph is taken of the birthday child with their cake each year, marking milestones in their childhood photo albums. Sometimes the birthday child will wear a special item of clothing, or a cape and crown from our dress-up basket.

We don't always have parties. We have had a fairy party, a musical party, a teddy bear's picnic, trip to special places followed by cake in the park... But even when there is no big event we always have a special time with family, and perhaps some nearby friends, to share cake and other food, sing and celebrate the birthday child's life.

On their birthday, our children don't have to do their chores if they don't wish to, and they can have the choice of a story read or movie watched, as well as what food we eat. It is a day of lavishing extra love and attention on the birthday child.

We all know this song...
Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday, dear Lily Happy birthday to you!

Well, here's an alternative, or second verse (same melody)...
May the angels bless you, In all that you do, May the stars up in heaven Shine down upon you!

There are a lot of birthday verses and stories online which we have often told our younger children, especially. I find that they also like to hear about the day they were born, and the wonderful, cute and funny things about them as a baby.

This one is our version of a favourite...

As I yawn and go to bed,
Laying down my sleepy head,
Mama switches off the light,
I'll still be seven years old tonight.

But, from the very break of day,
Before the children rise and play,
Before the greenness turns to gold,
Tomorrow, I'll be eight years old!

Eight kisses when I wake.
Eight candles on my cake!

During the day, grandparents phone from far away and ask the birthday child about their day, their gifts, and how big they've grown. Receiving their very own phone calls and mail is a special part of having a birthday at our place.

I wonder, in what ways do you celebrate birthdays in your home?

Birthday gift ideas include:

Bamboo Knitting Needles (or crochet hooks, or knitting helper) with a selection of either pastel or bright wool and instructions on how to create either a beanie or a scarf. These products start at $4.50.

Gorgeous Wool Felt Pencil Cases (or a pencil box) filled with any of our art products such as Lyra Pencils, eraser and sharpener, Stockmar Crayons, or Honey Sticks for little ones.

Cute enamel tea cup and saucer sets on their own or matched with pure wool felt tea party sets create a gift sure to engage their imagination.

Other great gifts: include calico bags with fabric pens, musical instruments, aprons with wooden spoons and rolling pins (add your favourite recipes), books, a seasonal silk or doll representing the season of the child's birth, main lesson books with art supplies, felt purses or paper jewelery boxes with jewelery, bags for gifts and books and toys and more, a cute wooden vehicle or felt toy... Spiral Garden is all about gifts. Ethical gifts that will last for many years. We offer thoughtful and affordable alternatives to the plethora of plastic, licensed, sub-standard items readily available in department and toy stores. Come in and take a look around...

Mother's Day

2010-04-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Beguile Soap - Honey, Goat's Milk or Shampoo Bar
Special Price = $6.30

For those who love a sale (and a bargain!) ...

All items in the "Give" Category at Spiral Garden (top menu) and the "Parent" category also (side menu) are 10% off from now until the day after Mother's Day. I will gift wrap all Mother's Day items for free if you ask me to do so in the Comments section when ordering. I can send them directly to you, or to your Mum (or another special Mum who deserves spoiling).

Don't forget we still have several items on Sale for up to 45% off - some of the marked down items are a further 10% off with the Mother's Day special!

Mother's Day is Sunday 9th May. Gift ideas include...

Glass Bead Spiral Bracelets
Special Price = $6.75

Wood Bracelets

Special Price = $4.50

Angels Card
Special Price = $4.05

Teaching Handwork

2010-04-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

"Handwork is a form of birth, you conceive the idea, you nurture it, you wait and dream of the what it will look like when it is all made, then the final push and you are done... a master piece!"

The creator of Teaching Handwork is the mother of 2 beautiful girls who also teaches Handwork in a local waldorf school to over 200 children every week. She invites you to come share your thoughts and new craft ideas for the children. What a wealth of inspiration!

Wood & Wire Dolls

2010-04-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

I just love to see what others make with Wood & Wire Dolls. Here, they mostly become gnomes or fairies. Imagine my surprise when Spiral Garden customer Sue sent me this photo of Kate & Warwick's wedding cake! Wow! A gorgeous cake and a beautiful idea.

What have you made from Wood & Wire Dolls? I'd love to see...

In Store, On Sale and Coming Soon!

2010-04-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

What's New?
Double Wood Tone Blocks (musical instrument)
Bright Cotton Drawstring Bags
Wood & Paper Folding Fans
Season Bags - single and set of 4
Rainbow Craft Pack
Tea Dyed Silk Playcloths

What's On Sale?
Baby Basics Soft Lamb - was $29.95, now $20
Wood Bead Bracelets - was $7.50, now $5
... and more, here!

What's Coming Soon?
Window Stars
Felt Dragons and Horses
Skipping Ropes
Ribbon Rings
Element Dolls
Felt Nature Table Decorations
Craft Kits
... and more!

Barefoot Magazine Competition

2010-04-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

If you subscribe to Barefoot during March or April, you go in the draw to win a night away!

The wonderful people at Dja William have kindly donated a night away in their tipi's - in Daylesford, Victoria. Breakfast is included in this wonderful opportunity to get away for the night with your partner, friend or by yourself.

Have a look at the website for more photos.

If you're already a subscriber, buy a gift subscription for a friend and make sure you let us know that you would like to be entered into the draw yourself.

Subscribe here.

Steiner Education Options

2010-04-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Steiner or Waldorf Education:

* Is based on a profound understanding of human development
* Provides a detailed, richly artistic curriculum that responds to and enhances the child's developmental phases, from early childhood through high school
* Cultivates social and emotional intelligence
* Connects children to nature
* Ignites passion for lifelong learning
* Is the fastest growing educational movement in the world

from Why Waldorf Works

I get a lot of emails from parents around Australia who would love to send their children to a Steiner school, but find that they are too expensive, too far away, the local one doesn't suit their needs or there is some other hurdle. There is a list of Steiner Schools in Australia here.

I have posted before about Steiner Homeschooling.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if more Australian public (state) schools had options like this one (go to Steiner Education under 'About')?

I received a call last week from a local Steiner school looking to expand into high school and boarding school in the near future.

All the possibilities...

Free Living Education Magazine Downloads

2010-04-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

This journal is primarily aimed at Waldorf teachers, parents and all those involved in Steiner Education. That circle is expanding rapidly in many new directions and as the international debate on education and childhood increases in volume and intensity. Living Education is there to serve all those who wish to participate in developing a spiritually based approach to education that tries to meet the inner needs of the growing child.

Some Living Education magazines are available here to download for free.

LinkedIn the Garden

2010-04-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

Connect with Bel from Spiral Garden on LinkedIn here.

Tweet from the Garden

2010-03-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

Spiral Garden is now on Twitter. Save time and find out about the important sales, discounts, new products and more!

Autumn Days

2010-03-30T04:15:00.000-07:00

I found this and thought I'd share... Enjoy!

Candle Kits are Ready!

2010-03-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

At last I've been able to source beeswax sheets from a reputable supplier... Tonight I have busily been creating some Candle Kits and they're now ready for those customers waiting to purchase them. Thank you for your patience!

The Kits comprise of four sheets of quality beeswax and a length of wick to make up to 6 long candles. Included is a basic instruction sheet to make cylindrical, tapered and block candles.

The sheets smell of honey and have a beeswax honeycomb pattern. The wax is provided by hard working Australian Bees. The resulting candles are very clean burning with a natural colour and beautiful glow through the wax at the top of the candle as it burns down.

Wrapped in clear cellophane.

Candles made by request.

Craft for the Holidays

2010-03-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

Are you a Facebook Fan and/or newsletter subscriber? If so, you'd know about the special offer valid to 31 March 2010. If not, contact me.

Planning on doing some craft in the Easter holidays? We've just fully re-stocked the craft supplies, check them out here.

Some places we get ideas for craft include:

Rainbow Made

The Silver Penny

Craft Ideas

Don't forget our Specials page - items added all the time, most of them while stocks last, others expire 31 March 2010.

Rhythm of the Home

2010-03-20T03:33:00.000-07:00

Rhythm of the Home is an online magazine filled with inspiring words, projects, and celebrations. Grab a cup of tea, and take some real time to explore all of the work that is featured there.

There is a small forum where readers can enjoy further discussion about projects and features in the magazine to share inspiration, tips, and further their communication about the many benefits of bringing rhythm, warmth and seasonal celebrations to their families. Check out others' projects in the flickr group as well.

Waldorf Window Stars

2010-03-16T06:31:00.001-07:00

I love receiving new products from artists!

These large window stars measure 21cm across and are a ‘checks’ design.

Ronnie makes the stars by hand-folding small squares of kite paper, overlaying the folded paper, and then gluing them together to create different patterns. Kite paper which is a transparent wax paper. Each point is folded separately with great care.

A beautiful gift, or to decorate any room of your home.

Seven Times the Sun

2010-03-10T22:45:00.001-08:00

"When you honor the ordinary moments of life, you bring balance and joy to your family."

Seven Times the Sun is a 221 page softcover book. It is a unique and wonderfully creative guide to help parents and children turn simple moments into loving, consistent rituals forging a strong family bond.

Simple rituals to bring balance to your child's day
Whimsical verses to add a bit of magic to the ordinary
Easy songs to celebrate daily life
Helpful resource lists of books and music
Inspired parenting tips to help your child feel secure
Contemporary re-tellings of Grimms' tales

"There is a rhythm pumping through every vein of the universe. Call it Divine Spirit, call it God, call it the creative power of nature. The rhythm is taken up by the sun, the grass, the children at play. Eternal heartbeat."

This was the first book of its type to come into our family's home several years ago. I felt so blessed to have a resource for verses, stories, poems, songs and activities to assist with building a sense of rhythm and reason in our children's lives. From our family to yours, this is a highly recommended title.

Conscious Parenting Guide

2010-03-08T01:11:00.000-08:00

This website is a practical guide for those seeking a conscious approach to pregnancy, birth and early childhood parenting, based on an all-encompassing view of the child.

The suggestions found on the site aim to support the natural development of the physical body, encouraging agility, physical confidence and grace, and allow the feeling life, the imagination, the emerging consciousness and future thinking abilities to arise and flourish without hindrance.

It is an interesting collection of articles, links, a reading list and information, illustrated with a lovely selection of mother and child artworks.

Lyra Skin Colour Pencils

2010-03-02T21:39:00.000-08:00

Caitlin the Princess

Levi the Tiger

Lyra Skin Colour Pencils $14.00

This boxed set of six coloured pencils to decorate your skin offer an alternative to the usual face paints. They are designed for broad designs and fine outlines. Application is simple, and the colours are easily removed from skin. The vibrant colours are encased in wood, keeping fingers clean. Colours include black, white, green, blue, red and yellow.

LYRA skin colour pencils are a quality, dermatologically tested product, manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practice which governs the production of cosmetic products. They offer the highest possible colour concentration and intensity as the cores with a diameter of 6.5 mm are not dye cast but carefully extruded. Made in Germany.

*Thank you to our lovely customer Kellie from WA for sharing these great photos!

Autumn Craft

2010-03-01T19:31:00.001-08:00

There has been great interest in our Autumn Products and a customer wrote today to ask about ideas for crafts to use the Autumn Craft Pack. We're working on some fact sheets to go with the craft packs for those customers who need some help choosing what to make. I do really like the idea of keeping it open-ended and more organic though, and the results customers have shared amaze me!

We stock some books with craft ideas, as well as the wonderful Living Crafts magazine subscriptions (back issues coming in 2010).

There are also endless ideas shared by generous like-minded folk online. Here are a few (try searching for waldorf, steiner, craft, autumn, fall and see what you can discover too!)

Mama Roots' Tomten Pattern (in preparation for the coming winter)

Walnut Cradle at Make-Stuff (another one for the nature table)

Craft Ideas' Autumn Leaves (for the window, a mobile, a wreath, or...?)

Gnome Tutorial at Wee Folk Art (there's also a cute sleeping bag pattern here - adapt to any season)

Items you can make from our craft pack include, but are not limited to -
* cards, wall hangings, mobiles or single decorations (a leaf on a piece of yarn, for example)
* bags, purses, bracelets, necklaces, anklets, crowns
* fairies, gnomes, dolls, animals and other little figures for play or the nature table
* beds, pillows, blankets, rugs, clothes - capes and hats, flowers, leaves, tress and other accessories for above characters
* finger puppets and dolly peg puppets
* photo frames, pin cushions, pouches, garlands, yarn dolls, felt food...

Autumn Time

2010-03-01T03:58:00.000-08:00

Autumn leaves crunch underfoot
Taking nature walks in the afternoon
It is time to gather the harvest
For Winter is coming soon...

I can't believe how fast Summer has flown by. I hope it was a beautiful season for you too. It is time to collect a basket of nuts, seeds and twigs to create mobiles, critters, puppets, collages on boxes and other items. Playing with nature's gifts will inspire you to their varied uses. For ideas on crafts and other activities to celebrate the season, check out our range of books. More stock coming soon - please email us with your requests.

Autumn Products

Autumn Cards - for the Equinox, a Birthday or any reason at all. Also a beautiful addition to your Season Table.

Autumn Craft Packs - great value and great fun! From Rainbow Made.

Autumn Dolls - a collectible toy and best-seller, also from Rainbow Made.

Lono & Coco Boato - the Autumn book by Susan Whitehead.

Wood & Felt Gnomes - available in orange for Autumn.

Playcloths in muslin, silk or cotton - perfect for play or display for all ages.

Barefoot magazine - Autumn 2010 and Autumn 2009 both available now.

And our pick of the gifts for Autumn include:
Natural Wood Blocks $33.00
Glass Bead Spiral Bracele ts $7.50
New Lyra Osiris Pencils $12.00
Felt Horse $16.00

For those subscribers in the Northern Hemisphere - all of our Spring books, dolls, playcloths, cards and craft packs are in stock. Our pick of the gifts for you are of course the most popular Flower Press, or the lovely Flower Fairies Kit.

This is just a small sample of our range of hundreds of hand-selected items. The Ne w Products page will keep you up to date with brand new lines, and our regular products are re-stocked frequently. Happy Browsing!

Gathering together is the theme of Autumn. Traditionally, it is the time when we store food for winter, close up our homes and spend more time indoors. The Autumn Equinox on 21 March 2010 is a wonderful time to unite with friends for a harvest feast. It is a time of balance - equal sunlight and darkness. Harmony...

Wet Felting

2010-02-17T05:53:00.000-08:00

We were blessed to be introduced to wet felting at a recent homeschool gathering. We began with some merino-cross wool tops, or a LOT of fleece!

The fleece from Day One of Dyeing

Another mother and I proceeded to dye the fleece a rainbow of colours. This seemed like a fun idea, and a way to make the workshop more economical for participants. By the end of the second day it seemed like work. Hot, smelly, wet work! You can find the description of how we went about dyeing with food dyes here.

The felting was great fun, though - relaxed and easy enough for all ages to enjoy. We brought home some leftover fleece and have enjoyed making more felt balls, and now felted soaps like these (using Shady Grove soaps).

Steiner Homeschooling

2010-02-12T16:36:00.000-08:00

We recommend the quality Australian books from the Golden Beetle Books Spiritual Syllabus series sold through Spiral Garden. To get started there is the comprehensive title A Steiner Homeschool by Alan Whitehead. Alan has decades of experience in Steiner education.

Some more useful contacts for Steiner homeschooling curriculums include:

Oak Meadow

Christopherus Homeschool

For the correspondence course run through Candlenut Steiner School near Cairns in Far North Queensland, email Nila Chambers or email the school.

An Australian email support group for Waldorf (Steiner) homeschoolers can be found here.

Steiner Schools in Australia site - lots of useful contacts and resources.

Waldorf Homeschoolers - information, advice, resources.

Waldorf Without Walls - curriculum, support, advice, resources.

Animals Sale extended!

2010-01-29T04:44:00.000-08:00

Our entire range of Anamalz are overstocked, including the Aussie Anamalz Pouch (below)... With every three individual Anamalz purchased, you receive a free Animalz printed calico drawstring carry bag.

We also have felt elephants in three sizes, felt ponies and horses, Baby Basics dogs and lambs, and Itsy Bitsy cats and dogs in the Animals category of the Spiral Garden store.

And the best news is that the entire range is being offered at 10% off - offer ends 7 February 2010! Yes, every animal is marked down by 10% - starting at only $3.15!

This sale has been extended by a further week, it was to end 31 January and only included certain animals. Now the whole category is marked down, including the new felt horses and ponies.

Golden Beetle Books

2010-01-28T20:04:00.000-08:00

Thought about buying one of the Golden Beetle Books titles we stock? Choose from 33 Sun Songs, A Steiner Homeschool, Choir of Colours, The Golden Path, A Children's Anthologia, Susan Whitehead's little Seasonal books and more...

Now's the time to grab your copies because in 2010 the RRP has risen, and so our prices will rise to $16 each on February 1st. Last days...

Back to School?

2010-01-23T02:59:00.000-08:00

It's almost back to school time for many. Our calico bags are popular as ready-to-decorate library bags. We offer some top quality school supplies in our Create category, at competitive prices. For example:

Lyra Ferby Pencils:
Graphite Pencils only $2.60 each
6 Waldorf Colours $16.00
6 Standard Colours $16.00
12 Standard Colours $32.00

Crayola Trio Sharpener only $7.50
Lyra Erasers $1.20 each
Lyra Sharpeners $3.20 each (suit Ferby pencils)
Large Main Lesson Books for $4.00 each or
Medium Main Lesson Books with onion skin for $3.90 each
Wooden Rulers only $2.00
Stockmar Block and Stick Crayons just $16.00 per tin...

As well as three types of paint, numerous paintbrushes, chalk, modeling materials, aprons, chalk and blackboard erasers, more crayons and pencils, wooden pencil boxes and felt pencil cases and more!

We love to use these quality art supplies that last year after year for our six children. They very rarely need replacing (apart from main lesson books and graphite pencils which are used a lot).

Spiral Garden has a lovely selection of Books, many suitable for Steiner educators and parents, as well as titles specifically for homeschoolers. We recommend: A Steiner Homeschool, Choir of Colours (Art - class 1 to 7) and other Golden Beetle Books. Otherways magazine and the book Life Learning are ideal for inspiration. And of course Seven Times the Sun - for all families, any time.

We always have lots of new products arriving and we look forward to offering you many delights this year, as our Spiral Garden grows.

Sales and Update

2010-01-17T06:31:00.000-08:00

For anyone wanting a Moontime Diary - the last of the 2010 stock is on special for 20% off - only $24.00! While current stocks last.
All Animals are on sale again for the remainder of January - 10% off! For those who love the Anamalz range as much as we do, buy three and get a free calico carry pouch. The Aussie Anamalz set is included in this sale - a gorgeous gift! Also included are fair trade felt elephants (from $6.75 each) and the Itsy Bitsy cats and dogs (only $3.15 each). * Baby Basics lamb and dog not on sale this month.

The popular Rainbow Dyed Bandanas are back in stock, still only $5.00 each.

Keep an eye on the New Products page - plenty of items being added all the time. Some gorgeous felt horses, dragons and crowns coming soon from The Fairy Ring.

All of the school supplies will be fully stocked (only a couple of items are Sold Out) in around a week - blank main lesson books, Lyra graphite and coloured pencils, Lyra erasers and sharpeners, Stockmar crayons and paints and more.

Golden Beetle Books, such as A Steiner Homeschool, also on their way. Prices will be going up to $16 per book from February 1 for all Golden Beetle Books we stock.

All dolls, playcloths and other Rainbow Made products are in stock, with even more stock on its way this week. Orders are open for custom dolls.

Some new style baby wraps and other Earthslings products have been ordered, and will be available early this week.

Our WAHM (work-at-home Mum) suppliers have been very busy!

Don't forget for LETS members whose exchange is part of CES, we offer 50/50 LETS units/$ for orders.

Always looking for photos for this blog, so if you'd like to share, please email me your pics.

Thanks for your continued support. If you have any suggestions for Spiral Garden, don't hestiate to let me know!

A New Diary for a New Year

2010-01-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

I've used a couple of moon diaries before, and this has to be the most comprehensive and user-friendly. It's A5 size, 162 pages. The pages are 7 days to an opening, with plenty of space for notes.

Live a healthy lifestyle
Grow abundant gardens
Housekeeping, renovating and building

Yes, there is method in the madness, which is where the moon comes in. All growing things are influenced by the ever changing moon.

The aim is to inspire you to create a healthy lifestyle in tune with the moon and other natural cycles. Everyday practical suggestions tell you how you can tune in to the moon’s cycles and the year’s seasons. These suggestions help you to make a difference that doesn’t cost the earth.

The Moontime Planning Diary 2010 combines the solar calendar with the moon phases and positions. Daily pointers make it easy for you to access and experience the influence the moon has on your health, garden and home care.

The Moontime Diary 2010 features all the diary essentials plus -
• Introduction on how to fine tune to the moon
• Helpful tables
• World map to convert time
• Daily moon and planetary aspects
• Aspect interpretations
• Moon void of course
• Monthly ephemeris
• Printed on 100% recycled paper

Created in Mullumbimby, Australia by Iris and Gisela.

Barefoot Magazine Hamper Winner

2010-01-01T04:49:00.000-08:00

From the Barefoot Blog... "Thanks to everyone who subscribed before Christmas. We had a great response to our Christmas Hamper draw and our winner was Rosemary from Main Beach in QLD!
Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year.
Take care, Anna"

Congratulations, Rosemary! And I hope everyone who purchased Barefoot subscriptions enjoys their year of quality reading.

End of Year Sale

2009-12-29T05:28:00.000-08:00

End of year sale - 10% off storewide until 1 January 2010. Hurry!

Colour Circle Paints

2009-12-28T21:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we're asked why we only stock three colours of Stockmar paints.

They are sold as a set of three 20ml bottles and are ideal for transparent painting. They are produced from gum arabic and the finest light-resistant colour pigments, have a very high yield-value and remain completely water-soluble when dry. The colour tones have been chosen so that they can be mixed to yield all intermediate shades without losing their brilliance and intensity. Mixed with white, the watercolours can be used for non-transparent painting.

The selection of Stockmar watercolours is based on the natural graduation of the twelve-part colour-circle, in accordance with Goethe’s theory of colours. They include the primary colours red, blue and yellow and possess high spectral purity and transparency. With these three colour-circle colours, the complete colour-circle can be created. They can be used in all usual ways and are suitable for all known watercolouring techniques.

For activities using Stockmar products, see their website.

Here are some pdf Tip Sheets on using the Colour Circle Paints:
Introduction and Initial Techniques
Working Materials
Mixing Colours

Related Products:
Colour Circle Watercolour Paints - set of 3

Santa Claus

2009-12-27T02:20:00.000-08:00

I was rapt to receive an email from Roshanne in NSW recently, to show how she created Santa from a 15cm wood and wire doll to go with her Anamalz Christmas Box set.

Roshanne crocheted his whole outfit in a beautiful glossy red yarn left over from her sister's blessingway with fluffy white wool for the trims. His hat has a strap that doubles as a beard!

No Papparazzi!

Please continue to send in photos of your creations from Spiral Garden products, and your loved ones enjoying their gifts from Spiral Garden (if you don't mind them being published, of course)!

Using the Craft Packs

2009-12-15T20:39:00.000-08:00

I often hear of projects families have made together using the Seasonal Craft Packs Rainbow Made and Spiral Garden put together...

This week Savannah shared this photo and said, "Here is a tic-tac-toe game we made with the felt, velour and thread from the Summer and Christmas Seasonal craft packs."

Related Products:
White Craft Pack
Spring Craft Pack
Summer Craft Pack
Autumn Craft Pack
Winter Craft Pack
Christmas Craft Pack

Last Call for Christmas Orders

2009-12-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas orders still welcome until Friday 18th. We will post Express at no extra cost to you to ensure they arrive before 25th December. Lots of books arrived this week, as well as art & craft supplies and other New Products. And don't forget that Animals and Anamalz are all 10% off until the 24th December.

Thanks again for your support throughout the year. x

Animals on Sale!

2009-12-10T01:11:00.000-08:00

Special Offer - from now until December 24 - 10% off all Animals (Anamalz products, Baby Basics dogs and lambs, Itsy Bitsy dogs and cats and gorgeous hand crafted felt elephants).

20 Days Till Christmas!

2009-12-05T03:59:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder, especially for anyone overseas or far away (like Western Australia) - it's only 20 days until Christmas and because Spiral Garden is located in rural Far North Queensland, you need to order SOON (if you are wanting Solstice or Christmas gifts, that is)!

Featured Stockist - Rainbow Stitches

2009-12-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

Karen Yates of Rainbow Stitches creates by hand these adorable and colourful felt food items from Italian wool felt, filled with wool fleece from "Wool on Piper". All stitching is done by hand with pure cotton thread. Each set comes packed in a in sweet pink or blue gingham checked cardboard gift box with matching gift card.

Karen works at home, alongside her young family. Each stitch is made with love and care. Spiral Garden currently stocks three Rainbow Stitches products, starting at only $27.00.

Related Products:
All Purpose Full Apron
Enamel Cup and Saucer
Wooden Spoon
Playcloths

Specials

2009-11-29T15:46:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to regularly check our Specials page. Currently there are 18 products on special. Some end December 31st 2009, and others are while current stocks last... Hurry!

Free Shipping Reminder

2009-11-29T04:29:00.000-08:00

November 30th 2009 is the last day to take advantage of our Free Shipping offer...

Applicable to orders over $80 not including postage within Australia.

You must include the code 'Spring' in the discount coupon section of Checkout.

Playdough

2009-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Good fun, therapeutic, cheap and easy, a great gift idea... Here's a recipe from the Projects page of the Spiral Garden website.

1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 cup salt
food coloring

Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan and knead until blended smooth. Place in an airtight container when cooled.

Christmas Products

2009-11-15T01:10:00.000-08:00

Festivities Cards by Sarah Laidlaw - pack of 6 - $12.00

Of course all of our products are suitable to buy as Christmas and/or solstice gifts, but these few are specifically chosen for celeberating Christmas... Happy Shopping!

Anamalz Christmas Box Set - $29.95

Felt Pocket Santa - $5.50

Christmas Craft Pack - special price - $22.50

Geometrical Drawings

2009-11-13T20:46:00.000-08:00

This is a kaleidoscopic presentation of geometrical drawings by Waldorf school sixth graders. Eugene Schwartz provides commentary on a vast array of student work. Its beauty and mathematical precision testify to the rigorous curriculum of the Waldorf middle school experience.

Related Products
Stockmar Stick Crayons
Lyra Colour Pencils
Wooden Pencil Box and Lyra Sharpener to suit

Christmas...

2009-10-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

Free Shipping

2009-10-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

Free Shipping for all orders over $80 not including postage

Australia only

Code = 'Spring' - enter into Discount Coupon section of Checkout

Offer Expires: 30 November 2009

* For those of you who don't receive our newsletter, here's a voucher that was attached to today's email. If you'd like to join the mailing list, there's a box on the main page of the Spiral Garden site.

Barefoot Magazine Offer

2009-10-22T05:23:00.000-07:00

Subscribe to Barefoot before December 24, 2009 and go into the draw to win a fantastic hamper! Subscriptions only $25 until January 1, 2010.

Barefoot Magazine seeks to inform, challenge, support, respect and inspire mothers, fathers, grandparents, carers and communities to live more consciously and value the importance of children and family life.

Barefoot Magazine is designed and produced in Australia.

Subscriptions and back issues both available through Spiral Garden.

New Products!

2009-10-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

There are a number of wonderful new products at Spiral Garden. It's always exciting to find new artists and suppliers who fit with Spiral Garden's ideals.

Recently, some fantastic felt and lotka paper products arrived from My Fair Ladybird. They're already proving to be popular gift ideas. The products include felt elephants, faerie garlands, boxes of faeries, jewelery/trinket boxes, and coin purses. The elephants come in three sizes - 15cm, 10cm and 3cm in pink, purple, red, turquoise and snow white! We're rapt to be able to offer affordable, fair trade goodies in time for Christmas. Starting at $4.50, they're affordable as well!

Sam at Earthslings has been busy creating some oh-so-cute animal tails. They're available in faux fur or cotton flannel and are sure to be a favourite dress-up (or wear every day) item for little ones.

Earthslings' Jumbo Wraps are also available through Spiral Garden now, and are sure to become as popular as Sam's fantastic Kidslings in no time - 100% cotton, bright colours, quality and value.

Due to customer feedback in our recent survey, we're sourcing more gifts for Teens. The new hemp bracelets are gorgeous, and only $7.50 each. Another bargain gift item some teens will love are the rainbow dyed bandanas at only $5.00 each.

And finally, from Busy Bee Handcrafts we have some amazingly soft face and body washcloths and gorgeous cotton dishcloths (which seem too beautiful to wash up with, but are a delight to use and use again). We've used crocheted cotton dishcloths for over a year and highly recommend them.

New stock of our much-loved Cradle Dolls will arrive any day, and this is the last batch before Christmas, so order soon!

Shady Grove Soap is also back in stock - in delightfully subtle rose, lavender and sandalwood fragrances using 100% vegetable oils.

Keep an eye on the New Products pages as we're expecting more new items in the coming weeks.

The last of the Specials items have been further marked down. These are strictly limited stock, so hurry!

Happy Shopping!

Stockmar Products

2009-10-18T04:27:00.000-07:00

Do you like Stockmar art supplies? Have you tried them? We love them here, and have had the same ones for years. The block crayons in particular just last and last! They have been well-loved from toddlers to adults, including visitors as they're often in the basket on our table.

I choose to sell Stockmar products because they're created by a well-respected German company of over 80 years who consistently stand for aesthetics, safety and fun. To read more about Stockmar, go here.

Here are the Stockmar products we sell at Spiral Garden. If you'd like us to order any other Stockmar products for you, don't hestiate to contact Bel.

Stockmar Block Crayons
$15.50

***

Stockmar Stick Crayons
$16.00

***

Stockmar Modelling Wax
$15.00

***

Stockmar Colour Circle Watercolours
$24.00 for three

You can go to this page on the Stockmar site and download PDF instructions on different ways to use Stockmar's products. Enjoy!

Gaia's Garden

2009-10-09T05:58:00.000-07:00

Out of stock for many months, I'm rapt to be able to offer my customers a brand new print run of Gaia's Garden.

This game is cooperative. With team work, we have more possibilities and we can reach more goals. Play and work together to plant the whole garden and to prevent the pest insects from eating the crops.

Gaia's garden invites the gardeners to plant vegetables in their garden to have food to eat. Unfortunately, pest insects enjoy these yummy vegetables too. Luckily, predator insects are chasing and eating the pest insects, helping the gardeners.

Will the gardeners be quick enough to plant the vegetables in a beneficial companionship or will the pest insects have a chance to attack?

For 2 to 6 players, for ages 4 to adult. Playing time: 30 – 60 minutes. A detailed booklet with examples of how to play is included.

$34.50

Also available is Living Landscapes. Design and create together with your friends, an energy-productive and sustainable system to fulfill your needs.

This co-operative permaculture card game is an educational tool for sustainable living and gardening design. Living Landscapes is also fun to play and encourages discussion.

Currently 25% off! Only $12.00 while current stock lasts.

2009-10-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

Watch Brian Wolfe (a Waldorf teacher) in action with some chalk. The music in this clip is by Brian and it was filmed by Erron Evans.

We love to use Lyra Blackboard Chalk and this clip really inspired us!

Related Products:
Blackboard Eraser
Main Lesson Books

Honey Sticks Beeswax Crayons

2009-10-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

Honey Sticks beeswax crayons are made from NZ beeswax and non-toxic pigments so they are natural and safe for children.

The beeswax to create Honey Sticks is a natural by-product of honey production. The sustainable process causes minimal impact on the environment and gives the crayons a wonderful scent of honey.

These chunky crayons come in a box of 12 vibrant colours. The unique chubby shape of Honey Sticks makes them easier for small hands to hold but much more difficult for small hands to break!

LETS or Local?

2009-09-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Are you local to Spiral Garden (near Malanda, Qld)? You can use the code 'local' in the discount coupon section of Checkout to avoid being charged shipping. Please contact me to arrange pick-up or delivery of your order.

Are you a member of a LETS group who use the Community Exchange System? Contact me about using your local currency for Spiral Garden orders.

10% off all Art and Craft

2009-09-27T03:47:00.000-07:00

For two weeks only we are offering 10% off all Art and Craft products in stock at Spiral Garden.

Offer closes 10th October 2009.