FOREST FRIEND “MINIS”
The minis are small, simple pieces which invite interaction. A copy of The Legend of the Forest Friend is included with each one, as are instruct
ions for creating your own Forest Friend diorama…..
It’s a lot of fun — for a child of any age! — to create one’s own Forest Friend scene. This world can unfold on a table top, inside a box, in a display case, in a fish tank turned on its side.
Start with a small Forest Friend piece (or a larger one), and add natural materials as you find them. Build the scene slowly, changing it to reflect the seasons. Remember that these are gentle, earth-loving little people who take respectfully from their surroundings only items they can use.
Some things to add: sand for the base, interesting stones, cones, bits of moss, driftwood, snail shells, a colourful maple leaf, insects found dead on the roadside (bumblebees, butterflies and dragonflies), a bit of grapevine, …
Let your diorama be a reflection of your love of nature and include others in the project. It has the potential to hone powers of observation, to heighten sensitivity to the environment, to build respect for life of all kinds, to encourage creativity, and to stimulate the imagination.
FOREST FRIEND HOOPS
These simple grapevine hoops hold one or more Forest Friend characters, and are designed to hang from a branch mounted on a wall or suspended from a ceiling. Often light-hearted, sometimes reflective, these pieces especially show the importance of body language in relaying a message or emotion.
FOREST FRIEND BABIES
The baby in a milkweed pod can be a great gift by itself, or may be added to existing Forest Friend dioramas, such as the minis mentioned above. It comes with a special message…
For the Forest Friends, the child is the hidden treasure. The child is cherished, and nurtured in the gentle ways of this culture in order to grow up and carry on the guardianship of the precious woodlands. Babies are most often comfortably cradled in milkweed pods and hidden away in woodland nooks and crannies, usually covered with a feather. So well camouflaged are they that it is virtually unheard of for human beings to find one.
WEDDING CAKE TOPPERS
This small Forest Friend piece with a couple arm-in-arm under a grapevine arch makes a beautiful lasting memento, and can easily be used as a wedding cake topper. It is especially suitable for couples who love nature and for weddings being held in natural settings. Items of symbolic value are often added.
