WOODEN TOYS
Recycled timber or off-cuts are used wherever possible (hence some blemishes here and there), and when there is a need to buy wood it is an environmentally conscious choice.
The tree houses are mainly from camphor laurel, which in itself is a tree widely cursed for its existence in Australia, so to use its timber for this purpose could have an healing effect in itself, (apart from the fact that it is beautiful wood to work with!)
The toys are treated with Organoil, a non-toxic mixture of natural oils to preserve the timber. The coloured toys are painted with non-toxic paint or stain, then oiled or polished with beeswax.
"Play puzzles"
These "play puzzles" don't require children to sit down and think in a grown-up way where to fit a certain piece. They can place the pieces wherever they like, vary the arrangement and play with them, while they still develop nimbleness in their fingers and experience that not all pieces fit everywhere.
Also the figures themselves are kept whole, as cut-up pieces in a puzzle don't make sense to children, who still live in this oneness with the world around them.
"Blocks from nature"
These "blocks" have no conformity, children can strive in balance, experience the beauty of natural forms, the grain of wood and let their fantasy run wild in playing with living forms.
DOLLS
These dolls are made according to indications Rudolf Steiner gave. They don't have distinct features, which gives the child room for his/her own free imagination.
The doll is the image of the human being. The child mirrors his/herself in the doll, can imitate what is being done with him/her or the siblings while at the same time the doll can become a trustworthy friend. The relationship of the child with the doll can be much deeper than we think.
It goes without saying that dolls are equally important to boys and girls, though some children don't form a close bond with a doll, which is perfectly normal.
The dolls are made from natural materials only (wool, cotton, silk and are stuffed with sheep's wool) and they are made by hand.
A child is always touching everything and develops his/her feelings this way. By experiencing qualities of nature they can develop a real feeling. Synthetic material is dead matter, scientifically put together. When we make things by hand, we put something of ourselves into it and a child does feel that you give them more than the material part only.
Materials
Carla has a range of doll making materials for sale.
ORDERS
Carla does not take orders as such. She doesn't use patterns, nor keeps drawings, every toy always turns out to be different from the last one. When people order something, they have an expectation from what they have seen and that could lead to a disappointment. It is nicer to be free to make whatever one feels like without an order dictating what to make and a deadline to add stress, which does not enhance creativity. Having said this, she always tries to listen to what people ask for and accommodate their wishes within her own boundaries.