Short vacation by the Sea of Galilee

Hello dear readers,

Happy Valentine Day!

This pot of cyclamens is what I received today.  I am afraid they won't last as the climate is too warm for them.  I'll try to prolong their life by watering them with ice cubes.  Wow, the flowers and leaves are so beautiful!

We took advantage of the beautiful sunny days and spent a short while by the lake.  Again we
stayed at the Scot Hotel which we love.

Usually, this time of  year is winter at its coldest with cloudy skies and rain.  But something strange is going on.  It's as if winter forgot us.  Here are a few photos.  You will notice the bright sky, not a cloud to be seen. The air is clear and the water calm and blue.

The only minis I was able to create are another set of jute garden pieces for a beloved friend
who justly deserves them. Since it won't be a surprise, I can show you a photo.

A very warm welcome to my new followers, Ani, Kristine, X, Cristina, Koivurinteen Akka.  Thank you all for following.

Now I'll go visit your blogs and catch up with all the posts I missed this week

Hugs and Blessings

Winner of my 600 followers giveaway

Dear 600 readers,

600!

No need to wait any longer.  I have added the following to yesterday's list.

64.  Isabel (mimundo).  65.  Pilar 6373.  66.  Alexa.  67.  Ludmila.  68.  Alexandra.  69.  Kikka.
70.  Arantza.  71.  Ani (Baby Paris).  72.  Paqui



I want to thank everyone who took part in this draw.  As always, I am very happy for the winner but a little sad that the giveaway goes to one winner only.  I loved making the little dog in his basket.  I want to make more to giveaway soon.

The winner was picked up by the true random number generator.

Melli!  Dear Melli, please email  your address to drorahed@gmail.com

Hugs to all and blessings.

List of participants for my 600 followers giveaway

I may take any minute or may last a few days for follower No. 600 to show up.  Meantime, here is a list of participants, for you to check if I didn't miss anyone.  There is still time to take part in the draw until we reach 600.

1. Sharee. 2.De.  3. Lisa.  4. Neomi.  5.  Jennifer.  6.  Pam.  7.  Pilar 6373.  8.  Carmen.  9.  Mari.
10.  Ewa.  11.  Brit.  12.  Debbie.  13.  Francesca.  14.  Susanna.  15.  Patrizia.  16.  Sognatrice.  17.  Mely Mel.  18.  Eva Tatalamaru.  19.  Christine (CWPoppets).  20  Wyrna.  21.  Lily.  22.  Birgit.  23.  Meritan Nukkis.  24.  Mieke.  25.  Judith.  26.  Norma.  27.  Victoria Cascales.  28.  Simona.  29.  Susan.
30. Shelly.  31.  Paky.  32.  Chris P's/  33.  Tatiana.  34.  Veronique.  35.  Malu.  36.  Jane.  37.  Xandra Dekker.  38.  Diane.  39.  Giac.  40.  Heather.  41.  Irina.  42.  Catherine.  43.  Fabiola.  44.  Maribel.
45.  Melli (Pippibar)  46.  Melli.  47.  Kyle.  48.  Olga Nikiv.  50.  Shaairah.  51.  Teruka.  52.  Rebecca.
53. Isabel Ruiz Alono.  54.  Rosethe.  55.  Rosa Maria.  56.  Piikko.  57.  Encar Estela.  58.  Munir.
59.  Lee Mar.  60.  Maria.  61.  Ksandra.  62.  Genevieve.  63.  Angeles.

A warm welcome to Juan and Estella.  Thank you for following.

And here is something for those of you who love to bake cakes, a cool way to separate eggs.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/iAp8pEaWB1Y

Have fun!

I wish you a creative week and blessings.

Bed for the puppy

Hello friends

Draw time is approaching, there are now 597 followers, waiting for three more.

Meantime I made a bed for the puppy.

A warm welcome to Lili 56, Meritan nukkis, Aleaitor, (Unable to find your blog.  If you have one, please let me know so I can follow.) Catherine, Olga, Rebecca.  Thank you for following and participating in the draw.

I wish you all a lovely weekend and blessings

Giveaway for 600 followers

Hello dear readers,

As you can notice, you are back on my sidebar.  This couldn't have happened without Jennifer's help.
THANK YOU MY DEAR FRIEND! I am also very pleased to have a translator on my sidebar.

Well, there are now 591 followers and as soon as there are 600 this is my giveaway, mostly  crafted by me, including the cute little duchshund puppy which came out of my oven today. The winner gets two garden chairs, two cushions, a little table, a vase with three peonies, a basket and a puppy + bed (still to be created).


All you have to do in order to participate in the draw,  is be a follower and make a comment on this post.
The draw will take place as soon as there are 600 followers.

I'll try to make and add a little bed for the puppy using the same materials. He is quite restless
looking for his own place, poor thing.

I have not had much time for miniatures lately.  Busy everyday life and still wobbly after the flue with an unending cough,  kept me away from the blogs.  I hope I'll be able to catch up with you soon.

There are two new followers.  Marisa - cannot locate your blog, only have your logo.  Sara.
Thank you both for following.

Blessings and hugs

Garden table and bags easy tutorials

Hello dear readers,


After some bad days of flue, I'm here again.  The followers list (Those little squares) has disappeared from
my sidebar.  No matter how hard I try to get it back it's still gone.  I'm very disappointed, as there were already 591 followers and I am preparing a giveaway for 600.  This will be impossible until a miracle brings back the list to my sidebar.

Has anyone attempted to make the easy garden chairs?  If you did, you know you have extra jute left overs to make more miniatures. What a metamorphosis for the gross jute stuff! It becomes quite delicate when cut diagonally. I made table legs as well as bags and am going to show you how easy to do the are.  In fact, there are many other things you can make, picnic boxes, sewing boxes, etc, just use your imagination. Here are some of my attempts with step by step photos.  Of course I'd love to see what you make.

Table No. 1

The top of this little table is a jewelry finding.  It used to be an earring.

Table No. 2

Same method.  The top is a wooden circle which I found at the 1 Shekel stores.  By the way, they raised their prices and it's now called 1.50 Shekel stores.

Bags.

After they are stuck you cut around them, the way you do when you make paper jugs.

Here are the end results.

And here is a little sewing box I made ages ago, using the same materials and method.  The only difference is that it is lined inside.

Wishing all me dear readers good health and a creative time.  Blessings.

Easy garden chairs tutorial

Hello dear readers,

What can be nicer than dreaming of a sunny day, sitting outside in a comfortable chair, surrounded by beautiful flowering plants? Especially when this occurs on a cold, dark and rainy day?

Here is something very easy you can do to cheer you up.  The materials you need are simple, inexpensive and easy to find.

Materials for two chairs:

A small square of natural jute about 40x40 cm, soaked in one third PVA glue and 2 thirds water.
It becomes very stiff when dry.
Glue
Crochet cotton of similar color or thin trimmings. Just crochet plain chains, about 40 cm each. You'll need 2 for a chair.
1 each 4.5x3.5 cm balsa or other 1 cm thick wood.

This is the template I made and used.  You can enlarge or change it at your wish.

It's to be cut diagonally.

After it's cut you glue around it two chains of crochets, beginning from the middle of the bottom.

You glue jute to the piece of wood and than glue it to the prepared structure of the chair.

The sweet little cushions were made by jennifer

Took me longer to write this post than create the chairs.  Hope your like them.

Here is something beautiful I want to share with you. It's a video clip by Viviu Balint who made a fantastic combination of a 1953 dance performed by Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse and Leonard Cohen's song Dance me to the end of love.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

http://vimeo.com/70049579

A warm welcome to Hairy caveman. Thank you so much for following.

I wish you all a wonderful Sunday and blessings.