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Fun With Felt Newsletter for http://www.funfelt.com
Issue 24 - July 2001
Karen Christensen, Independent Story Teller Director
Email: mailto:karen@... Phone: 707-829-9693
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome!
Announcements
July Fun Felt (The Story Teller) SALE Items
July FEATURED THEMATIC UNIT IDEAS: Patriotism!

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W - E - L - C - O - M - E !

Hello and thank you for your interest in this issue of Fun With Felt! I
hope you enjoy the ideas presented here by myself and other Independent
Story Teller Consultants and Managers on my Fun Felt team. If you have
any questions or need clarification, please email the individual
consultants at the addresses listed or let me know! If you haven't done so
already, please visit http://www.funfelt.com to learn more about The Story
Teller and what we have to offer to parents and educators!

All content included in this newsletter is the property of the independent
Story Teller consultants listed, The Story Teller, Inc., or myself, Karen
Christensen, unless otherwise specified. Every attempt has been made to give
credit to the proper party where ideas from the public domain are shared.
Please feel free to pass this newsletter on as long as you include all
contact information.

Karen Christensen
Independent Story Teller Director and FunFelt.com Owner
mailto:karen@... - http://www.funfelt.com

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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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* We have new catalogs!! If you know you will be placing an order
soon or would like to do a catalog party and would like a new paper
catalog, please email your Consultant and ask for the new Full
Catalog. Remember that we are home-based businesses and sending
paper catalogs is an extra expense when everything is already online,
so please only request one if you are serious about The Story Teller!
:-) When we send out catalogs and never hear from the customer, it
is like taking $2 out of our grocery money that week and throwing it
out the window! We love giving out catalogs to those who are truly
interested. Just let us know!

* Would you like to go on a cruise to Cancun for FREE??? Consider
becoming an Independent Story Teller Consultant and you can earn a
cruise for 2 to Cancun in April!!! Ask for details.

* Watch the www.funfelt.com site for NEW PRODUCTS! We have a new
Multicultural Create a Face, and new HAND PUPPETS to go with 3 of our
felt board sets - the farm, the castle, and the dinosaurs!!!

* It is even EASIER to sign up to become a Consultant now! We have 2
consultant kits now - a Starter Kit for only $100 and a Business
Builder Kit for only $175 (both add tax and shipping). We also have
a new Quick Start program which rewards you right away for getting
going in your business if you choose to do so right away! Email or
call me or your Consultant for details.

* MANY products are going UP in price in August!!! Be sure to order
the things you want at the current price NOW. It's like having the
whole catalog on SALE this month! Ask if you'd like to know a
specific product's price after the change.

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JULY STORY TELLER - FUN FELT SALE ITEMS
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All of the following items are on SALE this month! In order to receive the
item at the sale price, payment must be received in time to be processed by
your consultant by the 30th of July.

Click on links to all of these items at http://www.funfelt.com/specials.html

NOTE: Our felt is soft, washable, colorfast and tear-resistant. All
items except for some Scripture Stories sets require *cutting* and some items
such as activity books require assembly with craft glue or hot glue.
Instructions are included. Both mounted and unmounted background
prices for story board sets are listed here, but we *highly*
recommend purchasing felt board sets pre-mounted so they are closer
to playtime when you receive them!

HOSTESS SPECIAL

NEW: Hostess-Only Specials are now items that can ONLY be purchased
as a Hostess with a Qualifying Party. These are very exciting, but
exclusive items. Please consider signing up to hold a demonstration
to be able to purchase this set!

Current Hostess-Only Special
BROWN BEAR BROWN BEAR WHAT DO YOU SEE Hard Bound Book and exclusive
felt figures to tell this story! Book and hold a party in July or
August. Whe your party reached $500 in sales and 3 bookings scheduled
by your friends, you can purchase the exclusive Brown Bear Felt and
Hard Bound Book set for oly $10. Or, when your party reaches $250 in
sales with 2 of your friends booking their own parties, you can
purchase this set for only $25. This is a value of $39.95!!! For
extra storytelling fun, the Brown Bear figures can be used with the
Dress Me Bear sets. Hostesses may purchase one of those for only
$8.50 during this promotion.

JULY PRODUCT SPECIALS

It's Christmas in July!

Item #4207 Advent Calendar ON SALE for $16.95
Counting down the days till Christmas will take on new meaning as you
guide Mary, Joseph, and the donkey to Bethlehem one step at a time.
This is a set that will start a meaningful family tradition. It
includes 9 figures, one background scene measuring 19" x 31" and
instructions.

Item #770649 NEW COLLECTION: Deluxe Let's Play House Set ON SALE for
$38.95 unmounted, $43.95 mounted
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the classic "'Twas the Night
Before Christmas." Now you can tell it with colorful felt on the
Let's Play House background. This special set includes Let's Play
House (#7706), the Safety and Manners Tape (#5410) and 'Twas the
night Before Christmas Figures (#4208). It can be ordered with the
Let's Play House background pre-mounted, or unmounted.

Item #3105 Birth of Jesus Scripture Story, Precut ON SALE for $12.95
Celebrate Christmas by telling this favorite story of the shepherds
and the wise men and the gifts they bring. This set includes 18 die
cut figures.

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JULY FEATURED ACTIVITIES: PATRIOTISM!
==============================================================

The following ideas were shared by Independent Consultant Kathleen
Weidner. You may email Kathleen at mailto:Weidner6@...

Veterans
Have your family look for Veterans License Plates and tell your
children how they keep our nation free and because of all the past
Veterans we are a FREE country today. Even go to a Veterans Hospital
and Thank the men and women there for keeping this country FREE THANK
YOU

A Great Cool Summer Treat:

Take a tall glass in the bottom put strawberry yogurt then add fresh
(washed and cut) strawberries then add Cool Whip in the middle and
then add blueberries (whole) then on top some blueberry yogurt, on
top of that a little dab of Cool Whip and for fun get inexpensive
red/white/blue decorations on a toothpick to stick in the top.
(Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve)

*****

This next idea is from Independent Consultant, Jacqui Gaskill. You
can reach Jacqui at mailto:gaskill1@...

I have a great "Fireworks" craft for toddlers/preschoolers.

Take a toilet paper or paper towel tube, and cut four slits (the same
length) in one end. Fold the sides out so it looks kind of like a plus sign
with a hollow handle. Then you dip the cut and folded end into paint and
let the children press it down all over a black piece of construction paper.
Use a different paper towel tube for each color. Yellow paint looks really
nice. You could also make more slits in the tube to make more lines.

*****
The next ideas I found myself and am using them with my own kids for
the 4th of July week! Have fun! Email me at mailto:karen@...
if you have any questions about these.

Red, White, and Blue
Count the lines on writing paper and fold paper in 3rds. Discuss the
words "victory, purity, and loyalty" in the context of America's
history. Then teach how to draw a star if they do not already know,
or simply have them draw a star if they do already, at the left of
each section. Then have the children write these sentences and color
the stars accordingly.

RED is for Victory
WHITE is for Purity
BLUE is for Loyalty

***

Bald Eagles
Show the children a picture of a bald eagle and point out that ther
heads, legs, and tail are white, with their beaks and talons yellow
or gold, and the rest brown. Bald eagles are always those colors.
Then have the children draw or color a prepared coloring sheet with a
picture of a Bald Eagle. (I did a search online and came up with
several coloring sheets).

***
Discuss symbols of America:

Statue of Liberty
Bald Eagle
Flag
Fireworks
White House
Liberty Bell

***

Fireworks
Draw and color fireworks - radiating lines, zig zags, swirls, dotted
radiating lines, etc. Fill entire page with the design then frame
with red or blue paper.

***
The Pledge
Have kids copy the words to the Pledge of Allegiance, then draw a
flag to illustrate. Discuss the vocabulary such as allegiance, :

The Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands.
One nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

***
Wind Sock
Make a patriotic wind sock. Take blue construction paper about 5 x 18
and decorate with cut out white stars. Have older kids cu or trace
stars, younger kids can cut pre-drawn stars, or simply draw them (or
asterisk shapes) with white crayon on the blue paper. Glue red and
white crepe paper streamers around the back side, ten tape or staple
into a cylinder shape and hang with string.

***

Red White and Blue Split (snack idea!)
Make a banana split but use these ingredients to create a red white
and blue theme:
Bananas, watermelon balls, blueberries, vanilla ice cream or yogurt,
granola or crunchy cereal for topping.

***

Independence
Discuss the word "independence" and explain the context with which
July 4th has been named Independence Day. Discuss with the children
how THEY show their independence from their parents. Cut out bell
shaped papers and write: I Declare My Independence By _________
(brushing my teeth, walking the dog, getting myself dressed, making
my own lunch, etc.) on the papers.

***
Pround to Be an American
Play or read the lyrics to the song "I'm Proud to Be an American (God
Bless the USA)" by Lee Greenwood. Have the kids discuss why they are
proud to be an American and write/illustrate.

God Bless the USA
(by Lee Greenwood)

If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston
and New York to L.A.,
There's pride in every American heart
and it's time we stand and say:

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

***

Crayon Scratching Fireworks Picture
Cover a piece of white paper with colors all over, then cover the
entire paper with black crayon, pressing hard. Use paper clips to
scratch out fireworks designs. The result looks like colorful
fireworks in the night sky.

***

Play Steal the Flag (aka Steal the Bacon)
Divide the players into two equal teams and line them up facing one
another, about 15 feet apart (players in line should be about 5 feet
apart). Starting at the right end of each line, have the players
count off down their line, so those with the same numbers are
diagonally across from each other. Place a FLAG in the center of the
space between the two lines. To start the game, call out a number.
The players who share that number must race to grab the Flag and get
back to their places without being tagged by the opposing player. The
player receives a point each time he makes it home safe; if they
don't, the Flag is returned to the center. The game continues in this
fashion until the first team reaches the predetermined number of
points.

***

In closing I want to share the following essay that has been
traveling around the internet. If you have seen it before (or many
times!) I apologize. It is just too good to not share!
Karen

REMEMBER JULY 4
>
>Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the
>Declaration of Independence?
>
>Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before
>they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons
>serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of
>the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
>They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred
>honor.
>
>What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were
>merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means and
>well educated. They signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full
>well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
>
>Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept
>from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his
>debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he
>was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress
>without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken
>from him, and poverty was his reward.
>
>Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton,
>Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown,
>Thomas Nelson Jr, noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over
>the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George
>Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
>
>Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed
>his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his
>wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His
>fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived
>in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children
>vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
>Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
>
>Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were
>not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and
>education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall,
>straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration,
>with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually
>pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
>
>They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never
>told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight
>just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fougt our own
>government! Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we
>shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and
>silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
>Remember: freedom is never free!
>
>I hope you will show your support by please sending this to as many as you
>can. It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the
>Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.


* * * * * * * * * * *
That's it for now! HAPPY 4th OF JULY everyone!

Thank you again for subscribing to this newsletter! Please tell a friend
about it and have them go to http://www.yahoogroups.com/subscribe/FunWithFelt
to join! If forwarding this newsletter, please include all contact
information.

C-O-M-I-N-G I-N A-U-G-U-S-T: TEDDY BEARS
--
Karen in Northern California, Mommy to 2 girls
Independent Story Teller Consultant & Director
mailto:karen@... - http://www.funfelt.com
Felt story boards, puppets, kids' tapes and more!

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