The Craftiest Thing I Have Ever Done, Take 3, Fairy Dolls

Alternate title: We're Not Broken, We're Just Bendy Dolls..(sing it.  Like I did no less than 1,000 times while making these dolls.) 

Also called bendy dolls, flower fairies, or "faeries" if you are truly in the know, tiny dolls, or Waldorf dolls.

How did this start?  You ask, I ask. With most of my follies, it started by imagining a lunch.  A table that was Spring Woodland: mossy, green, woodsy, fairies hiding under ferns.  Then, wait, what if the little girls attending each got a jar that contained not a captured bug, but a tiny fairy, content to be adored?!! A fairy lunch! Not the glitter and sparkles and Disney music playing in the background type fairy party, but a more subtle and imaginative version.  I was really excited but knew Violet was way to young to appreciate any of these details.  I don't want her growing up just assuming that handcrafted little dolls are always just sitting around the house at her disposal, because then she would not appreciate them.

This was one of my early prototypes. Notice how her arms are big and bulky, as if she has been burned in a fire and bandaged. (No offense to burn victims)

But.. my niece Vivian was about to visit, almost age 8 and at the tail end of when she might play with these tiny dolls, so for her, I learned to make them. At first I was tempted to order a couple off of Etsy and call it a day. There are plenty to chose from. But they are expensive and I often wanted to modify them in some way.  So I bought a pattern and taught myself to fish*. 

These were not easy to learn how to make.  The pattern didn't help much. A Craft Expert Friend came over and tried to help me make sense of the instructions. They were still tricky. These sights helped the most: the enchanted tree and the breezy tulip.

Now let's take a look at these dolls!!

In case these don't look impressive enough, know that they are a slender 3 inches in height.

 When I first started, I foolishly thought I that, because they were small, I could keep all my supplies in one shoe box. Ha. This large cookie sheet has been sitting on top of my book shelf for months. And this doesn't even include the sacks of fake flowers.  That's right, fake flowers. What once I abhorred, I now embrace.  I have spent many trips to the craft store combing over the very "silk" flowers I use to condemn. You see, their skirts are made of disassembled fake flowers.  And I am not ashamed.(maybe a little)

 If you look closely, you can see two "boy dolls" made in an effort to include Davy and Whitman in the festivities. Justin made me stop calling them "fairy boys". (no offense to fairy boys)

If I ever give you a tiny doll, know that I must really, really like you, and I must be feeling very generous.  Or I'm trying to win you over.
It took me several tries and some experimenting before I got what works down. (Necklace beads and extra fine tipped oil pens for the face-that was a break through.) But once I showed how to make these to my sister and to my two teenage nieces, they picked it up immediately and made their own variations. If you want to have a tiny doll making party one night at my house, say the word. I have lots of supplies.

I started this in late spring and haven't touched it since then.  I have lots of ideas for Autumn dolls: fall leaves, acorn hats, felt riding coats, etc, but fear I may never get to it. You see, since being pregnant, I like to sit at night. And do nothing. Like a vegetable.

You must have a million questions for me.

And if you sweet talk me, I'll show you pictures of the lunch(es).

*I would have saved a load of money if I had purchased the already made dolls. But just think of the skills I've learned in the process and how far they will take me in life!

The Craftiest Thing I Have Ever Done, Take 2, Fairy Houses

Where did this start? How did this start? I think I saw charming pictures on Pinterest of planters with fairy houses, like below, and decided that was just what my children needed for an Imaginative, Enchanting Childhood. Just think of the hours they will spend carefully setting up and playing with the houses, anticipating tiny people living in them, dutifully tending to their gardens, spending happy hours outside!

Here is what I imagined creating, only even better!  I did NOT make these:

With spring fever, I dived into make fairy/leprechaun houses.  You start with bird houses then disassemble, paint, glue on rocks, branches, attach dried moss, dried flowers, visit craft stores no less than 10 times, and so on. I had Justin buy a special Dremel with a small jig saw attachment so as to remove roofs and make openings in the back, making easy access for play.  With each new hassle, I thought "this will be worth it in the end!" I sent the older boys on long walks, ordering them not to come home till they had filled two sacks of twigs (for door headers and structural reinforcement) and lots of pinecones (for roofing material). I bought loads of new plants with "does this look like a tiny tree or bush?" in mind. 

Working on the houses made an enormous mess, strewn out on my dining room table for days at a time. Moss and pinecones and paint everywhere. Justin was really starting to worry about me.

I hadn't finished with the houses, (I had at least 5 in the works), they were missing the finishing details, but I used a couple of them on a fairy themed lunch table. (see header and below)

Then one warm spring day, my heart softened and I thought 'why not let the kids play with them now?' also, I wanted them out of the way, so I took them outside.  That's when disaster struck.

At first there were moments like this.  They were playing and imagining! Sticking snails and slugs in the houses, but I'll take it. Soon I found the houses in shambles. Whitman's goal was to pick the houses apart.  If you look carefully, you can already see he's made some headway on the chimney. I spent no less than an hour carefully bricking that chimney! Jerks. 

After that, I took a good look at myself and gave up. I hate unfinished projects, I had come so close to the dream. Friends had been tolerating stories about my fairy house development for a while, ("Sorry, I'm busy tonight, laying the pinecone roof for my tall house.  Good news, the escape ladder is almost done!") But even I knew I had put far more time into this project then anyone would ever get out of it. So I slapped the houses into the unfinished planters, in their unfinished yards, unattended yards, and there they remained for the rest of summer.  They had a few snails pass through them, but that's about it. My kids won't have an Enchanting Childhood. The end.

My only successful planter, and it's Fairy House-less.

The Craftiest Thing I Have Ever Done, Take 1, Hand Puppets

Several times this year I have caught myself saying "this is the craftiest thing I have ever done!"  And Justin, amused, shakes his head and wonders who he married. Because I like extra credit and praise, here is the first project I said that to: hand puppets.  But not just any hand puppets, this set is of my sister Juliann and her family!  See below.  A younger Grandmother-aged woman in my church pulled out a set of hand puppets she had made of her family years ago, when her kids were young, and I nearly died.  Adorable, funny, ripe for humor. 

I had Juli's name for Christmas this year and the rest was history. The idea of her opening up a box, finding little puppets inside, and putting together the pieces of who's who delighted me.

You wouldn't believe how I studied photos of each face in new way, trying to capture them in puppet form. Juli has a wider smile, Jason a longer nose, sewing those tiny eyelashes was nerve wracking.

 

Violet gave Max, their son, a stuffed puppet owl for Christmas that year. (We just bought it at a store.) So Max-the-puppet is holding a mini version of that puppet owl. Are you following me? A puppet holding a puppet!! I'm panting with delight.

Of all the faces, I had to study Jimmy-the-dogs the most. Imagine, me studying a dog's face.

What I really, really wanted to do, and you'll believe me when I tell you this, is set up the puppets in real life situations and photograph them, playing with the depth of field so it looked real. If only I had a 2nd pair of willing hands and some extra time! They could have been having a small squabble in the kitchen while preparing dinner, sending a smirky Max to time out while Jimmy chewed a shoe...So many wasted possibilities. 

I want a puppet set of my own family, but fear I will never complete it. Poor Trevor and Davy have lived their younger childhood years going without!  Also, I want to make a puppet Nativity set that the kids can use every Christmas to act out the Christmas story. So far all I have done is cut out some puppet robes and a few beards.

Really, Really Good, Better for You Chocolate Chip Bars

In honor of National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, I give you a healthier, grain-free, low glycemic chocolate chip bar.  I am not going to lie: you will love them.  I make this recipe regularly and get asked for the recipe often.  It is based on this recipe here, but I have tweaked and changed enough ingredients that it is worth writing out. These satisfying cookie bars are not low calorie but rather than spike your blood sugar and then leave you feeling lousy, you feel full for hours. They are also quick, one bowl, and don't require using a mixer.  Have I sold you yet?

Rich but healthy chocolate chip cookie bars (another name suggestion?)

1/4 cup coconut oil, or butter
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbs maple syrup
1/2 an egg (if you are a "flax egg"eater, God bless you, skip this all together)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups almond meal (I buy it at Trader Joe's)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350
Either in a glass bowl or sauce pan, melt coconut oil in microwave or over the stove, depending on just how hippie you are. Add to the coconut oil the honey, maple syrup (if you don't have any on hand, just add a little extra honey), half egg and vanilla.  Mix with a spoon. Add almond meal, salt, and soda.  Mix well.  Finally stir in chocolate chips to taste.

Spread mixture along the bottom of a 9:"square pan.  Mixture will be wet, this is the hardest, stickiest step. Bake till lightly browned on top.  18 minutes in my oven.

This recipe doubles easily to a 13X9 pan, and you can use the whole egg that way.

Feel free to leave comments if you bake these and love them. If you change up or substitute ingredients and then don't like the way they turn out, keep it to yourself, Jana.

Realistic food photography.  Eat a row of these babies, and you don't feel like eating dinner that night.

A Magical Valentines Luncheon

Valentines Lunch- the hastily written, blurry photo edition.

Violet had been practically begging me to host a little Valentines get-together, who was I to deny her this little request? *Violet wanted to invite many of her friends, but we had to narrow the pool to who would fit at the table and be willing to dance.

Charlotte came over early to help with the last minute food preparations.  "So, after lunch, there will be dancing? Right, Violet?  I'm sure Sawyer will ask me to dance, he can't take his eyes off me".  Violet, never considering such an idea, nervously ate an apple.

The guests arrived and everyone sat down using their most respectable manners.

Okay, here is one little time consuming detail:  fulfilling a life long dream of  mine, I made paper doll placecard holders that resembled each child.

Something funny, I told Jana what I was making, the detailed placecard holders, and she said "I can see putting that much effort into it, maybe, if it was for the mothers, but not for the toddlers who won't appreciate it".  Oh Jana, as if any of this was for the children.

 The food: Sweet Potato Soup, fruity salad, and heart-y grilled cheese. For Dessert, heart sugar cookies and chocolate lava cake.

"Dancing?  I am not going to dance with a boy.  What an archaic idea!" sassed Anya.

Here is something I really loved.  While I was chugging in the kitchen, trying to serve the food warm and keep stray guests happy, I left Violet to host and manage the table.  She did a fine job and left me with nothing to worry about as she gently nibbled her food and made polite conversation. 

With lunch over with, the time to dance had arrived.  "Now Violet, I just want you to relax and have a good time, don't worry if anyone asks to dance or not, just have fun with your friends."  "I'm going to need another apple!!"was her nervous reply.

With music pumping, Whitman got everyone started on the dance floor!

 Side-line Sitters. Notice who's getting cozy..?


Before you knew it, partner dancing had begun!

Charlotte talked a big talk, but when the time came to ask Sawyer to dance..she clammed up and let him make the first awkward move.


Eventually they got into the swing of it.


Who will dance with me?  By this time everyone seemed to have found a partner or a baby doll to dance with.

Maybe Isaac?  "I'm out of here!!"

And then, the most wonderful thing happened: an older, handsome boy asked Violet to dance.

 and they danced..

 ..and danced away.  Till Prince Charming announced to his mother "my hands are getting watery"!

The end.  Here is your precious table now.