Creek Days and mermaid tails.

Last weekend Kenan was in New York for the Corning Glass Conference.  It was really hot here, so we spent most of the weekend playing in the creek. 

The Greasy creek winds through our property,  and forms sort of a pool right here. It isn't very deep at all, but is still good for cooling off in the summertime. When we first got down to the creek my girl spotted a huge snake swimming across it!! It went up the bank and out of the water, and didn't stop anyone from getting in.  The snake was either a black rat snake or a brown water snake, we don't have to worry about water moccasins here. 

The creek is pretty fast moving, so the kids like to walk along the edge up the creek a ways and then ride back down on their inter-tubes. It's a fun and relaxing way to spend the day.

While sitting with my feet in the water enjoying the sound of the creek i heard a sudden crash and then splash!  Looked up in time to see a beautiful white tailed deer jump across the creek, just down from us. Probably chased by my dogs who had come down with us, but disappeared across the creek to explore. 

There is a smaller creek that runs into Greasy, and the kids were having fun trying to dam it up. While moving rocks around they found crawdads and salamanders and some weird insect larva and nymphs. The caddis larva make tube cases out of tiny pebbles that stick under to the bottom of the rocks and the Giant Crane fly larva looked like leeches. :P 

 We also spotted a huge bullfrog, but it hopped into the creek and disappeared before i could get it's picture.

In this age of technology, it's so refreshing to come down here and play. The kids are never bored, here always exploring and finding new and interesting things to entertain them.

This is how we plan to spend our summer. 

While swimming at the creek i also spotted this adorable mermaid sunning herself on a rock. :)  This mermaid swimsuit was supposed to be a birthday present, but i got it in exchange for a review and needed to have it done this week.  i was originally planning to make her a mermaid tail. i went Joann fabrics last week to price the fabric ($20 a yard!!). Then i got an opportunity to review one from amazon instead and couldn't pass it up. It's a three piece set. 2 piece swimsuit, and the tail. It's made out of shiny stretchy swimsuit fabric. She absolutely loves it. Her only complaint is that she was hoping the tail would be longer so she could wear a swim fin and actually swim with it like a real mermaid tail. This one fits more like a costume, the bottom is open like a dress so you walk in it. It has bottoms too, so if you don't want to wear the tail it's a bikini.  i'll probably still eventually make her a swim-able tail, but for now she loves this one. 

Seems like everyone is planning major vacations and traveling all over this summer. We are really looking forward to a low key, laid back playing in the creek, swimming, hiking  and kayaking kind summer. 

i received this 3 piece Newland's swimsuit in exchange for my honest review. i was not compensated.  My opinions are my own. 

mermaids in the making.

Last month i posted about my first attempt at making Sage a mermaid tail. She liked it so much, that i decided to make another, this time using some pretty cotton tie-dyed batik fabric i'd found. i did a few things differently with the design and love the way it turned out! It has an elastic waist so Sage can put it on and off all by herself. i like the cotton much better than the silky fabric. It's easier to sew, and more durable. She puts it on almost every day.

i've been intending to make her some felt 'sea shells' boobie covers...but haven't gotten there yet.
Hangin' with her favorite hen, Gylfie.

and dancing in the rain.

Sage's birthday is coming up on the solstice, and she'll finally be recieving her Dragonfly's hollow doll! i'm so excited!! :) i had some left over fabric from her mermaid tail, and so i made a matching mermaid tail for the doll she'll be getting. i'd like to make a few clothing sets as well, and some wings. i can't wait to give them all to her. Just another week, and my baby will be 4!

By the way, Dragonfly's Hollow is having another doll giveaway right now! So head over, and check out her blog for details and for a chance to win a fabulous doll of your own!

The last time i was out shopping, i decided to pick up a few more fun fabrics that i thought would make good mermaid tails. i'm hoping to have a few to sell, trade or gift sometime this summer. Keep your eyes peeled for them!

Mermaid tales. :)

The other day we were at the store wandering through the toy isles. Sage was looking at all the dress up stuff, and she saw a Little Mermaid outfit/costume and quickly announced that she needed a Mermaid's tail. So i took a quick look at it's construction and then we headed over to the fabric department. i let her choose her fabric, she wanted purple of course.

Don't let her face fool you, she loves it! (just doesn't like mom always following her around with a camera! ha ha) This was really simple to make. The skirt is a wrap style, with the 'tail' sewn on the back. There are additional tulle fins, sewn on the front and back.

i may try getting better pictures a little later. This is the first thing i've sewn in quite a while, and although the tulle and the silky fabric (taffeta maybe?) were a pain to work with, it came out pretty good. i'm going to redo the waistband, and make it a faux wrap with an elastic waistband so it's easier for Sage to take on and off herself.

More mermaids.

This weekend, i could not resist making more mermaids!



The first is a bit of a full figured girl. She was created using a bright rainbow yarn for her bottom. Her hair is a deep blue mixed with rainbow mohair and her eyes are a bright green. It was her tail fin that inspired the gnomes below. :)

This gal is a bit more petite and short waisted. She has cream, light blue, purple a mossy colored green in her tail and dark green eyes. Her hair is a wild curly mess of purple and shimmery blue mohair. The purple yarn began to fray the minute i cut it, so i had to put knots at the end of each strand to keep it from totally frizzing out. i left a few with out the knots, and really like the way she turned out.

i also felt like my original mermaid needed something more. So i made her a mini me. :) i wanted to make a baby mermaid, but once the hair was added...the baby looked more like a pre-teen, attitude and all! Still a pretty cute set. :)

So now i must name them. Any suggestions? What are some good mermaid names?...besides the obvious, Ariel and Oceana. Leave me a comment and let me know, i would love to hear some feedback! These should eventually make their way to Etsy.

My little mermaid.

This weekend i decided i just had to crochet a mermaid. Recently, Sage has been carrying around and playing with several of the rag dolls i have made her in the past. One of them being a lovely mermaid doll. So, that is where i got it in my head, that i must crochet one! i really like to make crocheted doll and critters and such...and this is just one of those things i absolutely had to make.

She stands about 9" tall. The same size as the other dolls i've been making. Her tail is very basic, and i may try to come up with something a little more exciting with the next one i crochet. Yes, there is always a next one..isn't there. :)

Her hair came out great! It is really full and wild and out of control. i have some rainbow mohair mixed in that has a bit of glitter in it. So although you can't see it from the pictures, it has some sparkle to it. i absolutely adore her. i am still undecided on whether to list her or not, Sage seems to think i made it for her. :) Oh well, i've already started a second one, and before i'm over making mermaids i am sure Sage will have a mermaid of her very own.

New Bendy dolls and Tutorial

i LOVE bendy dolls. i really do. i remember first making these back when i was in girl scouts as a kid. Of course the ones i make now are much nicer, but the concept is still the same. They are very easy to make, and kids love them. i've had a lot of requests from folks asking just how they are made, so i thought i'd put together a tutorial.

After repairing a bunch of bendies that the puppy chewed on, i decided to make Sage a few news ones for Yule. i'm working on putting together a few full play sets, i'll post pics of those later. Alice was a special request, but i'm feeling inspired to make a full set...including the Mad hatter, Queen of hearts a few of the card knights and a needle felted white rabbit and Cheshire cat. :) Okay, that may be a bit too ambitious for me. :)


i've also started an under water mermaid set. Of course when Sage noticed i was making mermaids she requested Ariel. i love making mermaids!

Okay, on to the tutorial. All you need is pipe cleaners, wooden beads for the head, embroidery floss and a bit of craft glue. For the hair you can use wool roving, yarn or embroidery floss they all work well. The clothing can be made from felt, fabric or silk flowers. You can embellish them with other items and you can be as simple or as creative as you want.

Cut your pipe cleaner in 2 pieces, so you'll have one 4" piece (arms) and one 8" piece (legs). Fold the legs in half down the middle, and you should have something like the above picture.

Now your going to put your bead on and push it down a bit. Open up the top of the pipe clear to create a loop. i tend to snip some of the 'fuzz' off the very top of the pipe cleaner. It makes it fit inside the bead better, and leaves less fuzz sticking up in the hair. Choose your material for the hair, cut it the desired length.

Place the hair inside the loop so you have an even amount on each side.

Then pull the pipe cleaner through the bead as tight as you can. Don't worry if a little bit of the pipe cleaner shows. Later on you can add a dot of glue to it and cover it with a few strands of hair.


Now take your 4" piece of pipe cleaner and twist it in place for the arms. This will be secured with the floss, so you really only have to twist it once.


Now grab your embroidery floss and begin wrapping. Start at the torso, make an X over and under the arms. Once you get this area covered well, begin moving down one arm.


Wrap the floss all the way to the end, trying to cover as much of the pipe cleaner as possible. It's okay if a bit shows through, you'll be going back over it. When you get to the very end, begin wrapping back toward the body about 1/3 of the way down. Then bend over the hand, making sure to leave extra that will help secure it to the arm.


Wrap the hand very tightly. Do not wrap too close to the end or the threads can come loose, i like to leave about 1/4" unwrapped. Continue wrapping tightly, and begin moving back down the arm, wrapping evenly and covering any pipe cleaner fuzz. When you get back to the torso, wrap a few times around the neck, criss-cross around the body and then continue on to the next arm. Following the same steps as above.

When both arms are completed, continue wrapping the torso, until you have the waist covered. You can then continue with this floss and cover the legs. Or switch colors to create 'tights'. If you chose to switch colors, i like to tie off my original thread but leave a bit of a tail. When i wrap the legs, the tail will be covered in the wrapping.


Beginning at the waist, start wrapping your new color. If you want striped tights, use two different colors together. Wrap down the legs, and finish the feet the same way the hands are done but fold back a bit more for the feet. Wrap back up the legs paying special attention to the pattern. Go around the body a few times, then begin wrapping the second leg.


When you get back to the top, wrap around the waist a couple times again, and then tie off your thread. i like to leave a small tail. i place a few drops of craft glue on the knot, and wrap the tail around the body through the glue 'gluing it' down.This will keep the knot from unraveling.


With the hair, i like to put a little glue on the back of the bead, and glue some of the under layer of hair in place. i leave the top free, and if the pipe cleaner is visable at the top of the head use a tiny bit of glue and arrange the hair over it.

Now you can customize your doll! i like to make simple clothing out of felt. i use a blanket stitch to sew it together and it gives a decorative edge. The clothing can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. If i was better at embroidery i'd be adding flowers and little details to these.

Sometimes i add faces, and sometimes i don't. You can use paint pens, gel pens or regular paints. i decided this girl needed some wings. i cut them out of felt and did a simple blanket stitch around the edge. Then sew it on her back with a few quick stitches.

Here she is complete.

Here she is hanging out on my nature table. She looked so nice on it, i had to post a second picture. i've had a few folks ask if i sell these, and as soon as i get some more wooden bead heads i may make a few and put them for sale on here. i'm going to play around with some different themes, but you can probably expect to see a few posts on these.

i hope my tutorial was helpful. Feel free to let me know if you still have questions!

You can also purchase these directly from me. Visit my the bendy doll folder in on Facebook page to see what i have available.

Summerizing- Summer in Review

What is the best memory of this summer for you?

My best memory of the summer is just sitting outside in the sun hanging out in the yard. Watching the goats grazing in the yard, the chickens scratching in the garden, butterflies and hummingbirds zipping around the flowers, and the kids running around playing together and just being kids. i had a lot of moments this summer where i would be sitting outside and would find myself smiling. Everything just felt right, and i felt like i was exactly where i was supposed to be.

What is the one event you looked forward to the most? Did it turn out as you expected?

Honestly, we didn't really do a whole lot this summer. We stayed very close to home. So the one event i looked most forward to was our trip to Raleigh. It was both something i looked forward to, and something i dreaded..as it was the first time leaving the goats and dogs overnight. We had a really nice time, and i was able to relax a bit and not just worry about the animals the entire time. :) The kids had a blast, and it was nice to get away and be back in civilization for a couple days.

Have you done/tried/tasted something completely new, how was your experience?

This summer i got the chance to milk a goat for the first time which went well. i also attempted to make goat cheese, although it was a complete fail. i attempted to brew my own kombucha, although it too was a fail. The culture got kind of funky looking, so i panicked and just threw it out. Lets see....i canned pears, and grape juice for the first time. i made grape jelly for the first time. We raised painted lady butterflies for the first time and found our very first Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar. In the garden i grew several new types of squash including patty pan, 8 ball and Kabocha squash. So far the only one we have tried is the 8 ball, and it was very good.

Is there a valuable lesson you learned this summer?

i learned a lot with my garden, which really struggled the first half of the year. i figured out that the 'seasoned' horse manure that we have been adding for years is complete crap (no pun intended). i was told it was so composted it was like really good soil. It has actually been hurting our garden instead of enriching it. i've literally been planting weed seeds and insect larva straight into my garden, and creating mineral deficiencies in the soil. i learned that adding fresh cow manure to the compost really makes it rock!! :) i also learned that piling good compost around tomatoes at the first sign of blight really, really helps them. i'm sure compost tea would work well too. i also learned the importance of water in a garden (after having almost no rain all summer) We really need to make irrigation a high priority and get the gutters/rain barrel system back in place.

Have you applied yourself creatively and created projects that you wanted to?

i have created a few things this summer, but not as much as i would have liked. Most of the things i have created have just been for kids, it has been a while since i have made stuff for myself or for business. Lets see, i made my daughter a mermaid tail and a matching one for her doll. We made fairy crowns and fairy houses. i finished up a beaded necklace, made my daughter and her doll a new dress and did a bit crocheting all mentioned here. i also made my daughter more playfood.

Is there something you wanted to try or complete that you didn’t have the time for? What do you think stood in your way and will you still attempt it?

So much i don't know where to start. i always have way too much on my plate, and a tendency to procrastinate. Most things were limited by finances, and my inability (and fear) to use power tools. i really wanted to create hoop houses to cover many of my garden plants, and make some addition raised bed. i also really wanted to make myself a new wardrobe, but all the fabric i liked are out of my price range...and i have so much quilting cotton that it really doesn't make sense to buy more fabric until i have used some of this up.

i wanted to attempt pressure canning, but the canners i received are used and i need to replace the seals and have the pressure gauge tested before i can use them. Our county Extension office does the testing, but only once per year and it was before i had acquired the canners, so i'll have to save that for next year. i also wanted to learn how to use my drop spindle, but i still just don't really get it.

From your summer experience, what are you most grateful for?

i am most grateful for being able to be at home with my children. Even though it isn't always easy, i can't image having to go to work everyday and not be here with them sharing every moment. i am also grateful for the generosity of neighbors, and the abundance of homegrown garden produce that we were able to grow despite a few setbacks.

What was your favourite place you travelled to? Do you plan to go back there?

We didn't really do much traveling this summer. i like to hike the New River trail, and we usually do that a couple times a year. i also really like the Life and Science Museum in Durham and hope that it becomes an annual trip for us.

Is there a blog that inspires you the most?

Yes, way too many to mention. My favorites right now are The Magic Onions, A Foothill Home Companion, Path to Freedom and Weefolk art.

Is there a blog post you’re most proud of?

Not really, i'm really struggling with adding emotion into my blogs. i tend to write very factual and straight forward blogs, and fail to really add any insight, depth or opinions. i'm not really sure what is holding me back, except that i am a very introverted, private person...and the thought of sharing too much of myself to the world is somewhat terrifying.

Is there a blog post you wish had more reaction and/or comments?

Honestly, i don't really expect folks to read my blog, so i'm never really surprised that i don't get many comment. ha ha. i really thought this photo was an unbelievable capture and i'm extremely proud of it...so i was a bit disappointed it didn't get more of a reaction. Wordless Wednesday- Flower sprite.

What is your favourite photo that you’ve posted this summer?

i'd have to say this one. It's very rare for me to post pictures of myself. In this photo, my husband had taken the kids to town and i was enjoying a few hours to myself. Although i had a lot i could have been working on, i chose to sit and share space with my goats. Although we go down to feed them and pet them a few times a day. It is rare for me to get to just sit and talk to them. Delilah has always been very skittish, but we shared a moment, and i just happened to capture it.

What photo or photos from this summer you didn’t get a chance to post?

i carry my camera around with me in a little camera bag, that i call my attachable pocket. People joke that my camera is attached to me, and in all honestly...it pretty much is. So i have 100's of pictures that i haven't posted.

This is a favorite, because it really captures the laid back spirit of our summer. My boy spends a good deal of time hanging out on this swing, and this past summer he spent a good deal of time reading in this spot. My girl, who follows him everywhere, spent quite a bit of time on the back of the swing climbing the ropes, talking to the animals and swinging. They spent many hours like this together in the swing.

i had lots of fun SUMMERIZING my summer and looking back on everything, and digging through all the pictures.

Big thanks to Ella over at Lifeologia.com for inviting me to be apart of this. If you would like to participate you can paste the ‘Summerizing’ image from the top into your post, answer the questions in your own words and link back to the Lifeologia's original Summerizing post. Have Fun SUMMERIZING!

Current projects.

i thought i'd post a sneak peek of what i am working on right now.
For starters, i have a ton of veggies to deal with. When we returned from our weekend trip to Raleigh (we were only gone about 36 hours...lol) , i came home to all of this!

So have been busy picking, and freezing and finding other creative uses for our zucchini. i'm going to try zucchini pickles and zucchini relish this year as well as regular cucumber pickles.

Wax beans will be blanched and frozen, and i already have more to pick.

Another project i have going on, whenever i can find a few minutes to sit down, is a Diamond Ridges hat that i am making for my sister-in-law. The picture is a bit dark but this is a lovely green wool blend. i'm also working on making another mermaid tail for my niece.

Last week, i also pulled out my beads again, and finally finished this necklace that i started ages ago. i really want to get back into beading and am slowly making my way there...by finishing up some of these half finished pieces i have sitting around. i'm hoping that once i can get a few of these finished, i'll feel inspired to start some new ones.

This is a close up of the Pearl diver, she's done in brick stitch and holding a fresh water pearl. i love making these.

i have all these lovely cabochons captured in peyote stitch, just waiting to be finished. i have a couple agates, jasper and a labradorite..just need to string the necklaces.

i've also been working on making Sage a few new dresses. The girl absolutely loves dresses, and while sorting through her clothes i realized the majority of her dress are 2T-3T. She turned 4 last month...and although she is small for her age, i really need to make her some bigger dresses. This one is just a basic cotton dress, and i had enough extra fabric to make her doll a matching dress. :)
i'm in desperate need of a few new skirts myself. i have a couple different yards of Hemp fabric that i got from the fabulous Marlena over at Infinite Cosmos Hemp and am really hoping to make at least one for myself before the summer is over.

i'm also still trying to learn to drop spindle. i've been playing around with it quite a bit, while sitting outside watching the kids play. i still haven't really gotten the hang of it, but i keep trying. My MIL gave me a bunch of fabulous wool to play with in all different colors, and i'm eager to do some needle felting and wet felting. So many ideas, so little time. :)

So that is just a few of the projects i have going on right now. As soon as i get one thing finished up i find atleast 3 other things to do. i need to pick blackberries again, and make jam before the season is over...probably a project for this weekend.

Sage's Birthday Doll & Outfits.

Last week i shared a few photos of the doll that i'm making Sage for her Birthday.


One of my biggest struggles with these dolls is making the clothing for them. It's not the actual sewing of the clothing that i have hard time with...it's the picking out of fabrics. Matching colors and create a complete outfit. i tend to get image in my head of 'the perfect doll' and then i get frustrated when i can not find the materials to make it happen.
Although i have a couple of Sage's baby dresses that will fit the doll i really wanted to make some outfits.


The first one i completed is this princess dress. This dress is made using fabrics i already had on hand. i would have done it a bit differently if i had gone out and purchased all new fabrics, but i'm quite pleased with the way it turned out. The crown still needs to be sewn, and i'm planning to make a matching one for my daughter. :)

Of course i HAD to make a mermaid tail . If you've followed my blog at all...you know how much we love mermaids. :) The top has elastic encased in matching fabric, and the shells are made from felt. i'm planning to also make a freshwater pearl necklace and some kind of headband/ hair ornament with shells and pearls on it.

Yesterday i whip up this tie-dye dress. i'm really pleased how well it turned out. i tend to have a bit of trouble sizing the dresses, since i never use patterns. This one turned out perfectly, and has a snap on the back to make it easy to take on and off. This was made out a t-shirt i had picked up a the thrift store. i've been finding a lot of these gorgeous tie-dye shirts that look brand new there. They usually have some kind of emblem or screen print on the front, but i can get enough fabric off the back to make several items.

Today i'm working on just one more outfit (i think!!). i'd like to make her a pair of pants, top and a matching sweater. Then i just need to come up with a bag or suitcase to store all the clothing in...and maybe another pair of shoes. :)

i'll post pictures of the completed doll/outfits next week. i'm so excited to give this doll to my daughter on her birthday. i know she's going to absolutely love her. :)


ps. i'll be posting the tutorial for elf ears and the quiver in the next day or two. :)