Dolly Crafting At The Native American Longhouse Settlement!

Hey Gang!

Recently I watch some videos that Martha Stewart did on wreaths and she was my muse for this posting. Unfortunately I could link her video here. Martha isn't sharing like that but I did find 

another.

Happy Family Grandma plays double duty in my dolliverse and here she is Martha Stewart.. If you have ever listen to Martha Stewart, you know that she has a distinct voice. So I ask you
to imagine her voice as Happy Family Grandma.  Martha has come to and asked Loraine to show us how she makes holiday crafts from pine cones.

Martha: On this segment we traveled to Pennsylvania to make pine cone wreaths! 

We are in the kitchen of the Native American Longhouse Settlement to meet with artist Loraine Running Bear!

Loraine runs her company Spirit for her home here.  She is widely know for her pottery!

This is one of her pottery here!

We are here in her wonderful longhouse kitchen ...

to have show us one of the other things she has become famous for. 

Loraine makes beautiful pine cone crafts!

Martha: You have beautiful pine cones here!

Loraine: Thank you! The settlement sits on over 1200 acres and we have many different varieties of evergreens

.

Martha: You have recently be able to move here?

Loraine: Yes, there was a 15 year law suit to get back our land here and it was only recently settled.

Since moving back, I have been able to enjoy the land and discover it beauty and bounty.

The wonderful pine cones here are great for all kinds of arrangements and crafts. I walk the grounds 

with my basket and collect them for my projects! This time of year they are plentiful.

Martha: Well, that is a good thing!

If you would like to make your own pine cone crafts, here is one video to show you how!

OK, Thanks For Looking!

An Unusually Warm Day For Fall---Part Three!

Hey Gang,

Lets join Apenimon in the studio!  

So Apenion went to his studio in the barn.  He is working on a sofa for the 
gathering room. 

 There is going to be two and this one is the first.  Daisy and Inola will be tanning 
and weave the fabric for them.  

 I need to cut some more off this leg.

 It should be about level now and I can....

 He had finish with the frame when Running Bear stops by.

Running Bear: I thought you might be out here!
Apenion: I am finished the frame on this sofa and now I will start on studio stalls.

They right the frame of the sofa.

Running Bear: That's good because we have two inside contracts for stalls and 
two outside contracts.

Apenion: I know who the inside contracts are. Who are the outside contracts? 

Running Bear: One is a Mr. Batiste, I don't know him and the other is Blaine Tsai.  
Apenion:  It will be great having so many artists to bounce ideas off of. 

Apenion: I'll need to keep on schedule then.  I'll need to work things out on my 

calendar. I still have the last sofa to do, a chest and some odd pieces. He looks 

at his calendar.

 Apenion: The other sofa frame will be like this one but larger. It will take a little
more time.

 Apenion: I have reinforces the frame in here so that more people can sit on it.

Just then Daisy arrives.

Daisy: I see you are finished one of the sofas!

Apenion: Yes! I will start on your studio stall first!

Daisy: Inola and I can work out of the same stall for a while.  It will be nice to
have a space to work in and not have everything all over the bedroom.

The other day I had to move everything to a sheet on the floor to take a nap.
She laughs. I see you have on the black lamp shirt.  It looks good on you.
Running Bear: Thanks, it feels really good on!

 Apenion:  I will have the stall finished by next weekend but the electrical will
still have to be ran.

Daisy: I can work during the day and use daylight until that is done but it will
be nice to just have a space.

Here they are trying out the sofa frame

Daisy: It will be nice once we get finished with it!  I see you had Avery helping
you today.  He is such a sweet boy.
 Apenion: Is he and Two Feathers still playing with the ball.
Daisy: No, Nakoma is starting story time. They went into the kitchen for cookies
and milk first.
Apenion: I’ll have to take him home after that.  I got a text from his mom asking
about what time he might be back.  His grandma is coming to get him.
Daisy: Are you heading back in?
Apenion: Yes, in a few minutes.
Daisy: OK I’ll see you inside.

 We will join everyone back in the kitchen at story time!
 

OK, Thanks For Looking!

An Unusually Warm Day For Fall--Part Two!

Hey Gang!

Apenimon and the boys returned to the longhouse.   Apenimon goes to his
studio in the barn.  They boys play outside for a while then they go inside
for story time.

Nakoma is a teacher at school and at home.  She is doing story time today!

Nakoma: OK Gang, it is story time!  Gather round!

They all gather in front of the "Big Chair".

Is everyone ready for story time?

The children all say yes!

Two Feather sits by Avery!  America sits with Fawn on her lap and
Kaya and Dancing Brook sit together.

Kaya: I love story time!

Dancing Brook: Me too!

Avery: You're so luck to have so many people to talk to and children to play with.
I don't have story time at home.

Two Feather: You are welcome to join us for story time anytime!

Kaya: I hope it is the a story about a girl!

Fawn: Braid....he he... hair.

Kaya: Are you messing with my hair?

Dancing Brook: I think she likes you braids!

America: Stop that.  No messing with other peoples hair!

Avery: What's going on?

Two Feather: Fawn like messing with everyone's hair!  Maybe she 

will be a hairdresser when she grows up!

Nakoma: OK, let's get back to our story. 

It is they story of Kaya!

Dancing Brook: WOW, the girl in the story is named Kaya too!

Kaya: I'm names after the girl in this story!

Loraine come in from the market!

Nakoma: I took your baking out of the oven when the timer went off.

It sure looks good.  They wanted to eat the baking.  I convinced them to 

have cookies.  I'm so glad you got milk.  I used it all up for milk and 

cookies time!

Loraine: It does look good but it is for tomorrow!

Nakoma finishes the story.

I think we should go see what is going on in the studio next!

OK Thanks For Looking!

An Unusually Warm Day For Fall! Part One

Hey Gang!

It is an unusually warm day for Fall. It is in the mid 60's. Apenimon arrives and picks
out the spot for them to rest and do come training!

Apenimon:  This looks like a good spot!

 Apenimon: Boys!  Over here!

Two Feathers: This is a nice place!

 Two Feathers: I really love living here!

Avery: Good dog!

 You really ran fast!

Avery: This is a beautiful place and a beautiful day to be so close to the beginning
of winter!

 I guess this is what they call Indian Summer.

Apenimon: I don't care for that phase!  It implies that there is something false about Native Americans! It not a real summer or a true summer.  It is an Indian summer.

I'm sorry... I didn't know! I just alway heard it said.

It is like the phase Indian Giver. It implies a falseness about our people!
The settlers started using the phase even though there were other term in their
language for this type of weather.  Somehow the phase stuck and became
common.

I won't say it ever again!

Two Feathers thinks to himself...WOW!  I didn't know that! I have heard it said alot too!

The dogs all love this spot too!  They like their new home and that they have
so much room to run!

Amaguq

Butchy

Near Wolf

Lassie

Rexa thinks she found something interesting!

Smells like... a pine cone

After about an hour, it is time to head back!

Apenimon: OK, guys it's time to head back!

Apenimon: All dogs to the jeep! He gives two quick whistles and one long one! 

The dogs start for the car!

Apenimon: That's right I need some wood for projects!

They all head for the jeep!

OK, Thanks for Looking!