Free Shipping from Bella Luna Toys!

My name is Sarah Baldwin and I am delighted to introduce myself as the new owner of Bella Luna Toys, which recently moved operations to the beautiful midcoast area of Maine.  As a Waldorf early childhood educator with many years of experience and former homeschooler, I am committed to providing you with the highest quality natural products and playthings inspired by Waldorf education.   Fall is definitely in the air here in northern New England!  This past weekend, my two boys and I packed away the summer clothes, and pulled out our sweaters and woolens. A fire is crackling in the woodstove as I write, and the first nips of frost and brilliant foliage remind us that Halloween will soon be here! Costumes from Sarah's Silks   If you are looking for a costume for your young child, please be sure to check out our full line of costumes from Sarah's Silks. See our coupon below for Free Shipping in October Fun Fact:  Sarah Lee of Sarah's Silks, a company based in northern California, grew up just a bit north of me in Belfast, Maine.  No wonder I am so fond of her beautiful products! Great Watercolor Paper! I am very pleased to announce that Bella Luna Toys now carries the very best paper for wet-on-wet watercolor that I have ever come across. As an early childhood teacher, I experimented with many brands of watercolor paper over the years. It was often a frustrating experience. Some paper was thin, others would pill after a short while; edges would curl; or the paper would dry crinkly or wavy. My frustration ended one day when a colleague, who was also an artist, introduced me to this high quality, heavy-weight, artist-grade paper. This company has been manufacturing watercolor paper for over 60 years to exacting specifications using the highest quality materials. This paper holds up to the sometimes rough painting techniques of preschoolers, and will not pill or curl. The end result is always beautiful, and paintings can be cut to make beautiful cards and gift tags. The 11x15 size is perfect for wet-on-wet watercolor painting with young children. From the Classroom Speaking of watercolor painting, one of my favorite activities to do with the children in my class during this time of year was to make "Leaf Masks" with a sheet of watercolor paper, brightly painted with shades of red, yellow and orange. 1) Have an 11x15 dry, watercolor painting, painted with fall colors, ready to use. 2) Choose a beautiful oak or maple leaf. 3) Trace the leaf onto a plain piece of paper. 4) Enlarge the drawing on a photocopy machine to roughly 10x14 inches. This will become your pattern. Cut out the pattern. 4) Trace the pattern onto the backside of the watercolor painting with a pencil, and cut out the outline (5- to 7-year-olds can do this themselves!). 5) Holding the cut out leaf up to your child's face, mark with a pencil the placement of their eyes. 6) Cut out two eye holes (adults should do this part). 7) Attach a stick to the bottom of the cut-out leaf (I used clear packing tape) to make a mask which the child can hold up over his or her face. After all the children in my class had finished his or her mask, we would proudly march in a procession, wearing red, yellow and gold silk playcloths for autumn capes, hiding our faces behind our beautiful leaf masks! You may notice that many items are still listed as "out of stock" on the website.  Well, please know that I am now on a first-name basis with the UPS man, whose truck seems to have become a permanent fixture in the driveway here on Buttermilk Lane. He is delivering new inventory daily and I am working on updating the site as quickly as I can. If the item you are looking for appears to be unavailable, please feel free to e-mail me at info@bellalunatoys.com to inquire as to its status. And keep checking back for new product updates and additional features! Miaja Rocciola, Bella Luna's founder, started a company in 2002 based on excellent and personal customer service. I am fully committed to continuing that tradition. Your feedback, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Please let me know how I can best serve you and your family. Happy Fall! Warmly, Sarah Baldwin Bella Luna Toys

The Free Shipping offer below is valid in the US and Canada only for ground shipments.  Additional shipping charges apply to overseas shipments and expedited or air freight.  Please contact me for more information.

Free Shipping	To celebrate Bella Luna's new ownership and move to Maine, we are offering free shipping for the month of October! On the checkout page, simply enter the code FREESHIP1009 through 10/31/09 for free shipping on any size order!
Offer Expires: October 31, 2009