Mini Monday - Alkelda

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade Alkelda.etsy.com

Meet Farida of Alkelda:
My name is Farida Dowler, and I am a musical storyteller for young children in the Seattle, Washington area: http://faridadowler.com

I am also the mother of a daughter in a Waldorf school. I create dolls for stories and nature tables. In the Waldorf tradition, a nature table is a spot in the house dedicated to representing the changing seasons.

The name Alkelda is Old English for "healing spring." St. Alkelda's feast day is my birthday. Once upon a time, Alkelda was my moniker on Saints and Spinners, my song and storytelling blog: http://saintsandspinners.blogspot.com

My chief inspirations for doll-making have come from a number of different stories. The picturebook Goldie the Dollmaker, by M.B. Goffstein, and the Russian fairy-tale of Baba Yaga and Vasilisa are two stories in particular that have resonated with me. I am also a fan of The Story of the Root Children, by Sybille von Olfers and The Flowers' Festival, by Elsa Beskow.