All you need is some recycled card, flowers, glue and an imagination…

Hunting for wildflowers and clover…

Time to play…

Of course…………no one ever wants to leave the forest!

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend in nature. Love and peace, Marghanita xx

A new addition to the Little Humbugs All Natural Body Care Collection.

Living in the Okanagan, we are surrounded by the most beautiful orchards and vineyards. Taking inspiration from the local vineyards, I have decided to add an Orchard and Vineyard Collection to the Little Humbugs.

The Butterfly Girl above will be fronting the new products and I need your help to give her a name.

NAME THE BUTTERFLY GIRL

I’m looking for something earthy and romantic, mystical and whimsical.

The winner will receive a signed 8×11 print of the above illustration. Each comment will receive a postcard of the above illustration.

Please leave your name suggestion as a comment below.

KEEPING IT LOCAL

The Little Humbug All Natural Lotions and Potions products are formulated and manufactured in Kelowna BC in a certified organic facility utilizing only all natural ingredients. We only choose ingredients harvested from sustainable resources and will source alternative ingredients, if the ingredients are deemed to be creating a negative impact upon the environment. All of our products are ‘clean’ and use zero preservatives, artificial colours or synthetics or animal by-products. All of our products are biodegradable.  No animal testing.

Being the protectors of Nature, the Little Humbugs take their job very seriously!  The Little Humbugs have discovered that Humans are using harmful chemicals in their lotions and can’t understand why. They decided it was time to share their gifts from Mother Nature with the humans. Butterfly Girls fly far and wide searching for Mother Natures finest plants and flowers, carefully placing them in their pod bags ready for delivery to the Lotions and Potions workshop. As soon as the fresh ingredients arrive, they are expertly ground, pulped and mixed into a variety of bottles and pots. The girls sprinkle in their secret Humbug ingredients stirring occasionally until the potions are ready for labeling. Celebrating all that Mother Nature lovingly provides the Little Humbugs label each bottle ready for their Little Human friends to enjoy!

Thank you for helping. Wishing you all a beautiful week.

Love and Peace………………….Marghanita x

Children have a natural curiosity for science and nature and if we encourage that growing passion we will develop children who have a love and appreciation for our environment and the natural world and who will work to save it.

I wanted to use photographs of real locations in this video story, to show children that nature truly is magical. You don’t have to be a Butterfly Girl or a Dragonfly Boy to be enchanted by the Natural World.

Watch the “Little Humbugs story-time” Video: Nika and the Painted Turtle

Nika and the Painted Turtle from Marghanita Hughes on Vimeo.

Nika and the Painted Turtle from Marghanita Hughes on Vimeo.

I hope my story-time videos will inspire your children to head outdoors and search for pebbles and painted turtles. To climb trees and search for that perfect stick which will later become a sword or fishing rod or whatever their delightful imaginations dream up.

If you would like to read the full (32page) chapter book visit: www.butterflygirlworld.com

The turtle symbol means to honor the creativity within you.

In Native American teaching, Turtle is the oldest symbol for planet Earth. The turtle symbol is reminding you to honor the creative source within you, to be grounded to the Earth, and to observe your situation with motherly compassion.

Go on, head outdoors and search for pebbles or stones and get creative with your kids this weekend!

In an up and coming post I will show you how to make Nika’s adorable felt Turtle.

I spent last Sunday at the waterfall with my youngest son and his friend. They went off to build a gang hut next to the waterfall giving me the opportunity to explore.

Dancing Water Fairies

Nature is my inspiration…

The Waterfall Dragon

A mesmerizing moment.

I came upon this magnificent rock pool. The sunlight beamed down onto the water casting little light beams that kissed the bubbles appearing from the babbling rocks. I was transfixed by the magic in front of me. As the bubbles morphed into sparkling dancing water fairies I couldn’t stop smiling and imagining how Nika the Butterfly Girl must feel when she spends time down at the water’s edge searching for rocks.

This visit inspired my latest illustration below.

It’s no wonder Nika is always late returning home from her special place in the forest.

Book 3 ….Nika and the Painted Turtle

Here’s a paragraph from my latest book in the Little Humbugs chapter book series:

As Nika ran barefoot, she gently fluttered her wings lifting her just enough to miss the spiky cones. Through the tall majestic pine trees, Nika spotted the first sparkle of the water, she was almost there, her favourite place, the river’s edge.

Nika loved the smell and look of the water, the sound it made when it crashed over the rocks and small pebbles on the shore.

Dragonflies and damselflies skimmed the water’s surface. As soon as they spotted Nika, they greeted her with tickly kisses. She giggled and flew down to dip her toes in the crystal clear water. Nika laughed as sticklebacks and minnows swam passed, gently fluttering their tails against her toes. She loved these moments alone, it gave her time to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the water lapping over the smooth boulders, whilst staring into the crystal clear pool, mesmerized by the dancing water fairies.

Book 3 will be available online as an e-book format from Nov 12th http://www.butterflygirlworld.com Hard copies will be available in 2011. All inquiries via info@littlehumbugs.com

Be Inspired….Be Enchanted…Be in Nature!

This afternoon I was getting ready for a craft fair tomorrow at one of the local wineries (Quails Gate). I decided to display my Butterfly Girl dolls in a fairy house.

Foraging for wood, foliage, berries and flowers is one my favorite things to do.

At this time of year there is so much treasure to be found.

I love Autumn. Looking  forward to sharing these delightful Autumn treasures with the children tomorrow.

Sam helped cut down the branches.

Time for a quick handstand then back to work.

……….oh how I love my work,  I get to be a kid again!

Sam is finished.

I test lucy out on the fairy house. She loves it!!!. Now it’s time to dismantle, pack in the car all ready for tomorrow.

Building the Biggest Butterfly Girl Fairy House for Charity (part 2)

Getting kids outside and connecting with nature couldn’t be more FUN!

Upon arrival, the girls discovered the Butterfly Girls hanging in the trees.

Once everyone had arrived I handed out some chalk and asked the children to draw their favorite animal, bird or insect.

Let’s Go ….

…and build the biggest fairy house in the Okanagan.

The children collected foliage and weaved their magic into my tepee structure, making it their very own…Butterfly Girl Fairy House.

The girls added flowers…

…built a fire using cones, sticks and stones then proceeded to hang up their butterfly girl chrysalis pods.

What a joy to watch.

The inside of the Butterfly Girl house was just as beautiful as the outside.

Later we made Pine Cone Bird Feeders at the Little Humbugs picnic table and stools, located in our secret wooded hollow.

Learning about American Robins as we made the pine cone bird feeders. Part of the Little Humbugs “Let’s Go Outside” video series is to encourage children to “touch, feel and be involved” with nature.

What better way to do this than let the children hunt for pine cones, get messy with sunbutter and bird seed, then experience the pleasure of watching birds arrive to feast on their delicious pinecone feeders.

Snack time…

We picnicked on fruits that were in season, peaches and plums that I picked fresh from my garden earlier that morning. One of the mothers (Kristina) kindly made Butterfly Cup Cakes.

A party wouldn’t be complete without a party hat. We made mini nature crowns for their Butterfly Girl dolls.

And finally …………

…We finished the event with a treasure hunt.

The children delighted in finding Nika and her gemstone collection.

A perfect ending  to a magical day….

Time for goodbyes….Hugs brought tears to my eyes.

This truly was a very special day in my life that I will treasure……………..

My Butterfly Girls and their 8ft Butterfly Girl Fairy House 2010

I can’t wait to do it all again in the Spring. We plan to do a tour from BC all the way down to California starting in the late Spring and early Summer. If your interested in holding one of my Little Humbug Events (Dragonfly Boys and Butterfly Girls) for Charity please contact me : info@littlehumbugs.com Closing date for applications will be 15th November 2010. I’d love to meet you and share the joy that comes to everyone from getting kids outdoors and connecting with nature.

Part 3 coming soon with video.

How to make a Butterfly Girl Petal Crown

Head outdoors to collect petals and leaves. The girls in my nature class all got to pick an empty Butterfly Girl Chrysalis (pod bag) to collect their treasure.

What you will need to make a Butterfly Girl Crown:

1. A selection of petals and leaves (we also added lavender)

2. Long strip of recycled paper or card (measured to fit child’s head)

3. Glue (Glitter and sequin are optional)

4. Tape or stapler to join the two ends of paper together

Place the stem of leaves and lavender in the center of the paper and tape in place (we found the tape held the leaves in place much better than the glue).

Glue petals in place and sprinkle with glitter if desired. Now staple or tape the two ends of paper together.

Now grab your Butterfly Girl Wind Streamer …..

…….and GO PLAY!

Dragonfly Boy crowns are made in exactly the same way only using more leaves and swapping seeds for petals.

Hunting for the right location to build the fairy house.

A team effort.

The girls hang pine cones and seed decorations for the Butterfly Girl fairies.

Checking to see if the Butterfly Girls like their leaf bed.

The girls dance around their fairy house, doing the Butterfly Girl Congo.

More details are added….

…Sacha finds a feather and adds it to the top of the house.

And a short fence is posted all around the house along with pebbles.

Anna, the youngest student, runs up to me and announces that the Butterfly Girls are still sleeping. They must love the leaf bed we made them Marghanita.

How magical!

Who’s inside the chrysalis?

Ava and Ella, the American Butterfly Girls.

Ella and Ava the Butterfly Girls love playing outdoors, just like all the Little Humbugs.

The little Humbugs visit the cities when humans are fast asleep to spread their magic by planting seeds and checking on urban wildlife. The Little Humbugs are curious of the humans whom they observe from a distance. For many years they have watched the human children and are growing concerned that they are not playing outdoors as much as they used to do. They have decided it is time to call upon some human children who love nature to SHOUT OUT about how cool it is to play outdoors.

CONTEST

I am passionate about nature and my mission in life is to help reconnect children with nature with the help from my book characters the Little Humbugs. I know there are many children who are just as passionate about nature and the outdoors as I am, so I have decided to run a competition to let children share their story with other children about how cool nature is with the help from Ava and Ella the Butterfly Girls.

Deadline extended to 1st September 2010.

How To Enter

Leave a comment or email info@littlehumbugs.com and you’ll be automatically registered.  Then submit your short story via email: info@littlehumbugs.com or by sending me a recording of your child’s ideas. For young ones too young to write, you can record their story idea on a recording device.

PRIZES

First Prize: The winner will receive a USA Butterfly Girl Doll and Chrysalis. (These dolls are very unique-only 5 were ever made).

The winning story will be illustrated by Marghanita Hughes and published on the Little Humbugs website.

Runner Up Prize: The winner will receive a signed print of Ava and Ella the Butterfly Girls  and their story will be published on the Little Humbugs website. Please note: the runner-up story will not be illustrated.

The Rules

Subject : “Let’s Go Outside”

The whole point of this competition is to get children thinking about what they love about nature and the outdoors. Drawing on their own experiences and imagination to create a short story that would involve Ava and Ella in their magical outdoor adventure.

• The deadline for the submission is the 1st of Sept 2010 (midnight). Submissions must be made via email to info@littlehumbugs.com
• Remember to add your age and contact details along with your short story submission.
• Send your story either in the body of the email, or as a word doc attachment or recorded message.
• Age: 12 years and under.
• The stories must be in English, original, and must not have been published in the past.
• Your story can be as simple as four sentences or as many as 500 words.
• By taking part in the competition you allow Marghanita Hughes to publish your story online.
• Marghanita Hughes will be choosing only one winner and one runner up. The runner up story will be published on the Little Humbugs website the following month but will not be illustrated.
• Parents are permitted to help young ones but the story idea has to be the child’s own.
• When children and nature mix, something magical happens. I want to read about the children and the “magic” they discover.
• The winner and runner-up will be notified by email on 20th August 2010.

Did you know:

The Butterfly Girls from all around the world communicate with Jasmine by sending messages which are carried by the ancient whispering trees, across the vast grasslands and over the crashing waves. So the next time you see a tree swaying in the wind, you never know, it may be one of the Butterfly Girls sending Jasmine a message…

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE-I can’t wait to read (and listen) to your stories.
Thank you to all who entered. What a delight it was to read all your little Humbug adventures.

I am thrilled to announce the winners :

CONGRATULATIONS to the WINNING story by Erica Whiteaker (age 4)  The Little Humbugs Lava Adventure.

This charming little adventure will be illustrated and posted on the Little Humbugs website in January 2011. Your USA doll will be flying out to meet you very shortly. I hope you have as fun fun with her as I have had creating her. Thank you for sharing your wonderful imagination with me-I feel honored Erica.

Runner up : Hannah Seal  age 7

For all you fairy lovers, wizards and potion makers, here’s more GREEN fun from the Little Humbugs .

Beautiful Smelling Butterfly Girl Petal Potions.

Butterfly Girl fans, Brooklynn and Adrianna made the most beautiful smelling petal potions.

Collecting the petals was so much fun.

The girls crushed a selection of freshly picked petals, dandelions and dried lavender and mixed it all together with their personalized Butterfly Girl magic stick. (Here’s how to make the magic sticks).

JARS, JARS and more JARS! Recycled old Jam Jars are perfect for potion making.

Magic Spell Potions…

Dylan, a big Dragonfly Boy fan, made a Magic Blue Dragon Spell Potion.

Dylan used one single flower, 4 stones, crushed bark, dried lavender and the tiniest drop of natural food coloring. (You could always add beetroot juice or carrot juice as a natural alternative).Mixed all together with one of his little magic Humbug sticks.

You can watch the video on how to make these fun, environmentally friendly potions by subscribing to the Little Humbugs Youtube channel.

Let’s Go Outside…………..and make Potions!