War Time

Dear friends and readers

My apology to all my friends for not posting here for almost a year. It's just that I couldn't bring myself to write anything about miniatures which usually are my passion, when I'm frustrated and angry about so much injustice against Israel. Not only have we been cruelly invaded but to be condemned when we try to defend our country just kills my faith in the United Nations.

I'm not a religious person, I stay a Jew because I was born so. I respect all other religions and am happy to celebrate other religion's customs and feasts as well as ours. Any happy event that brings us together is welcome. Israeli Arab citizens who live among us are involved in our everyday living. Arab Israeli citizens work in oue hospitals as doctors,dentists, nurses, and other medical aids under the same conditions as the Israelies. Arabic doctors and nurses receive equal salaries as the Jewish staff. Arab Israel citizens are employed by private companies, as hi-tech technians, sales experts, drivers, carpenters. builders, engineers, etc.in fact there is no difference, we all get the same medical treatments, sit where we want, enjoy the same benefits given by our government. So how come they call Israel an apartheid country? How shameless can the UN be?

This is what happened since my last post. I no longer work with the elderly in the previous Daycare Center for Senior Citizens. I now am visiting another Daycare Center which is in my neighborhood, five minutes by car from where I live. I am one of the seniors now for three days a week. Nothing has changed except the personell and the visitors. While I'm there I help my friends with their crafts. It was my daughters' decision that i spend less time on the roads hecause of the risk of being far from shelter when the alarm for missile attack is on. The danger is being on the street or in a public vehicle that has to be evacuated at the speed of a minute and a half. Many are dead or wounded by the shrapnel from exploded missiles than by the missiles. Even inside the houses, you need to secure a safe corner without windows, mirrors, chandeliers and other objects that could harm you when a missile explodes nearby.

So far, my family and I are OK. One of my great-grandchildren, Sahar almost 19 years old, is enlisted and is a combat medic. My sweed great-granddaughter Dana, (Sahar's cousin) just turned 18 and already been called for duty. She will join the IDF at the end of this month. Only 8 years ago and we were so happy crafting together and now only fear for their safety.

Blessings to all my friends and readers, best wishes and hugs Drora

Christmas gifts

Hello dear readers, It's been quite a while since my last post. There are circumstaces beyond my control, the first is the war that still goes on costing a heavy. intolarble price of lives. Our 2024 year started on the wrong foot. Exactly on 12 O'clock, instead of fireworks and kisses we received a heavy barrage of missiles on Tel-Aviv and other cities in the center of our country, including the town where I live. To sum it up, 130 captives. including children and women, remain in the hands of the cruelest of human beings with no news Their families are crushed down with worry and sadness. I feel that in the rear we, the citizens, are sitting on barrels full of explosives. We are strong people and have to carryon as well as we can. Now what can be better than in the midst of this situation gifts arrive, giving me a taste of Holidays and celebrations. The first parcel came from Ricardo, a very kind and generous blogfriend from Spain. It arrive by surprise on time for Hanukkah. I was very happy to show my family the treasures Ricardo created.

THANK YOU DEAR RICARDO FOR YOUR VERY VALUED FRIENDSHIP! The second parcel came from Birgit, my kind and wonderful friend from Germany. It arrived two days before Christmas. Solly and Baalatova, the curious pair were the first to view the parcel before I opened

THANK YOU DEAREST BIRGIT FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND YOUR COMPASSION ALL THESE YEARS WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER. I wish you all a blessful weekend.

 My contribution to the Spanish Advent Calendar 2023 organized by Matxalen, is a step by step tutorial for a little sewing basket.  Here is my link. 

https://drorasminimundo.blogspot.com/2023/12/hola-queridos-lectores-una-vez-mas.html

נשיקות

Hola queridos lectores,

Una vez más estoy aquí con vosotros, participando en el Calendario de Adviento 2023 organizado por Matxalen. Muchas gracias querida Matxalen por invitarme a participar nuevament. 

Hello dear readers,

Once more I am here with you, participating in the 2023 Advent Calendar organized by Matxalen. Thank you very much dear Matxalen for inviting me to participate again.  

Tutorial de cesta de costura

Sewing basket tutorial

Herramientas y materiales

Tools and materials

Hilo y gancho de crochet..

pegamento pegajoso

Yute 

Tela de algodón

tijeras

cartulina

Crochet thread and hook..

Tacky glue

Jute

Cotton fabric

scissors 

Cardstock

1. Haga una solución de 2/3 de pegamento y 1/3 de agua. Sumerja el yute en la solución y déjelo secar. Cuando esté seco, colóquelo sobre una superficie plana y coloque un libro pesado encima para que quede rígido y plano.

1.  Make a solution of 2/3 glue and 1/3 water.  Dip the jute in the solution and let it dry.  When dry, lay it on a flat surface and put a heavy book on top to make it stiff and flat.

2.. Recorta de la cartulina dos plantillas circulares de 2,5 cm de diámetro.

2.  Cut out from the cardstock two 2.5cm diameter circle templates

3.  Pega las plantillas de cartulina al yute. Cuando esté seco, Corta el yute alrededor de la plantillas dejando las plantillas puestas.

Ahora pega la otra cara del yute a la tela de algodón. Cuando esté seco, corte el exceso de tela, dejando las plantillas intercaladas entre la tela de yute y la de algodón.

​

3.  Glue the cardstock templates to the jute.  When dry, cut the jute around the templates, leaving the templates on.

Now glue the other face of the circle to the cotton fabric. When dry cut the the excess fabric, leaving the templates sandwiched between jute and cotton fabric.

4. Corta un trozo de yute de 13x4 cm de largo. Envuelve el trozo largo de yute alrededor de un pequeño pastillero redondo para hacerlo flexible. Sácalo y pégalo en un círculo con el algodón hacia arriba.

​

4.  Cut a 13x4 cm long piece of Jute  Wrap the long piece of jute around a small round pill box to make it flexible.  Take it out and glue it to one circle with the cotton face up.

5. Teje una cadena lo suficientemente larga como para rodear el fondo de la canasta y pégala. Teje un cordón lo suficientemente largo como para rodear la canasta y pégalo en la parte superior. (foto abajo)

5.  Crochet a chain long enough to go around the bottom of the basket and glue it on.  Crochet a lace long enough to go around the basket and glue it on to the top.  (photo below)

6. Tejer una cadena lo suficientemente larga como para dar dos vueltas alrededor de la tapa de la canasta.

6.  Crochet a chain long enough to go twice around the cover of the basket

7. Coser un pequeño lazo en la cubierta superior y coser una pequeña cuenta en el centro de la canasta antes de forrarla. Coser la funda a la cesta de forma que el lazo y la cuenta queden uno delante del otro. Dobla el trozo largo de tela de algodón por la mitad para que quede una tira de 1 cm de ancho.

​

7. Sew a small loop to the top cover and sew a little bead to the middle of the basket before lining.  Sew the cover to the basket in such a way that the loop and the bead are one in front of the other. Fold the long piece of the cotton fabric in half so that there will be a 1cm wide strip.

Si no sabes hacer crochet, puedes sustituirlo por adornos finos ya hechos. El tamaño de este cuadro se puede reducir o ampliar según el diámetro de los círculos elegidos.

If you don't know how to crochet you can substitute with ready made thin trimmings.  The size of this box can be reduced or enlarged according to the diameter of the circles chosen.

Ideas para llenar la cesta

Ideas for filling the basket

Gracias de nuevo a Matxalen, Sé que se necesita mucho trabajo para organizar este fantástico calendario de Adviento y lo haces año tras año.

¡Les deseo a todos una Feliz Navidad y un Próspero y Próspero Año Nuevo 2024!

Thanks again to Matxalen,  I know what a lot of hard work goes into organizing this fantastic advent calendar and you do it year after year.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Prosperous, New Year 2024!

Matxalen's 2023 Advent Calendar

 Hello dear friends,

This year's annual Advent Calendar 2023, organized by Matxalen, has already started with the first of 24 miniature tutorials. All you have to do is poke on the day No. 1 on the image at my sidebar. My tutorial will appear on day 4.  If you like it, please leave a comment.

Sadly, our Hanukkah this year won't be a happy one.  The war is still on, The agreement for the return of out hostages was violated by Hamas. There are many hostages held captive.

I'm leaving you a link to an interview with a special 85 years old miniaturist who crafts stunning miniatures.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0FjHkKmCxs

I wish you a lovely weekend with blessings

Wartime miniatures.

 Hello dear readers,

At the end of October, I ordered special trimmings for the eyedrop=bottles planters.  The trimmings like all my other orders did not arrive because of the situation in my country.  Still I wanted to finish the planters before Christmas and Hanukkah, so I just used a hook and crocheted something to trim the edge of the planters.  Close to my home there is a flower shop where I regularly order flowers for gifts.  The owner, a nice lady, agreed to sell me a block of green flower sponge.  Now I have a light and inexpensive material to fill the planters.

My first flower filled planters. Different flowers will be "planted", two at a time. Making flowers is my favorite pastime, lifting my mood.  I hope to be able to show you more in my future posts.

 

You can see the crochet trim clearly on the empty planter.  Don't know if it's as good as what I ordered but I rather like the result.

Above you can see the "before" between the "after".

This is the foam block, it was much longer but I cut off  a third to fill the planters and there still a big chunk of the third left.

All these used to be eyedrop and vitamin D bottles. These are only half of the little containers the folks at the Day Care center collected.

The siren alarms are almost over, here where I live.. Yesterday there was only one in the afternoon. I hope today there will be none. We all pray for the safety of our hostages and hope they return to us as soon as possible. Before that there is no chance that the fighting will stop.

Have a great creative week with peace and blessings!  

​

 .

War and tutorials

 Hello dear readers, 

The missiles attacks on the area where I live have lessened although the war is still on.

I feel safer and started to work again on my miniatures.  Not much to show as I am working on many different items for future tutorials and taking step by step photos on the way.  I try to make my miniatures from easy to find materials, not necessarily craft items which are found only in dollhouse hobby shops.  In Israel there are no such shops but there are many painting and office craft shops, There are also shops that sell school and kindergarten art craft.  One is not very far from my home. 

I started with little people made out of pipe cleaners.  I have new little friends from the shelter space who were very happy to receive some.  A lot of teenagers have shadow-boxes in their room and love to fill them with small toys. 

Well, this short post is just to let you know that I'm keeping alive and OK.

Hugs and blessings to you all xx