Christmas gifts from Ukraine

As always, my dear friend Tatiana's gifts are little treasures to cherish . Tatiana is not only one of the top talented miniatures artist, she is also kind and generous. I am going to show you one by one the treasures she created for me.

A winter scene so different from the one we have here.

A Christmas wreath.  Visit Tatiana's blog to see her wonderful tutorial for a Christmas tree.

Half a nutshell cradle.

For an adorable baby, with moving hands and legs.

Pumpkins, already confiscated by Balatovah with witch.

Tiny golden charms.  My fingers itch to make some jewelry from them.                                             

Various plastic beads.  (I see three Easter eggs among them.)

Shall have to make the baby a blue stroller. I haven't changed his diaper yet but he looks like a boy.

Dear Tatiana THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I wish you all wonderful holidays and blessings.

 

Christmas Eve in an IKEA frame

Hello dear readers,

Before I go on, I want to thank all the kind and very generous bloggers who contributed, and are still contributing, fantastic Advent tutorials. This is why I am happy, grateful and proud to be in your company.


With this little scene, created by me long ago as a gift, I wish all my readers and followers


                                     MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

(Santa just arrived through the chimney with a bag full of gifts.)

Blessings!

First candle of Hanukkah

Dear Readers,

Tonight, the first candle of Hanukkah will be lit in thousands of homes here in Israel.  It is a very
special holiday for our children who receive gifts and pocket money which indeed they need to spend on entry tickets to one or two of the many Hanukkah shows and festivities.  It also is a 8 days school vacation.  Great for children and teachers not so pleasing for working parents.  This is the time when grandparents come handy.

Both Hanukkah and Christmas happen on the month December.  I made this scene in a small Ikea frame some years ago for a gift.  Most of the items inside are created by me, including the Menorah on the shelve which is part of an old earring.  Another Ikea frame was used for a Chrismas scene which I'll show on Chrismas.

Happy Hanukkah and blessings!

Hello dear readers,

No, we haven't said goodbye yet to the renovation workers, in fact today, one of them worked inside our apartment today, fixing up the damages caused from the outside, such as making the sliding windows and shutters move smoothly just as they were before.  At least the lobby floor tiles  are nicely laid and I can go out wearing regular shoes.

I cannot work on a new project before the apartment is thoroughly cleaned with the help of my daughters and a cleaning lady who comes in once every 3 weeks for a few hours to help me with the house work.  I've promised myself to make at least one miniature a day.  Most of the items created are gifts for people I love.  I never sell, and am very glad I don't need to, because I know there is no price to cover the work one puts in creating a miniature.  It's enough that I know people are happy to receive them and a  pleasure to see them in one of my followers scene settings.  I'm always ready for swaps but not on busy times like Hanukkah and Christmas.

This is what kept me busy on my free time.


More seashell boxes. Some have already left.

They look better with a dark paint under.

Egg carton pots decorated with seashells.  A few still empty.

This one with very tiny flowers.

Flower vases made from a metal bead and metal bead cap, painted with nail varnish.

A warm welcome to my new followers.  I wish you all a warm, lovely weekend with my blessings.

7th Blog's Anniversary Winner

Dear readers,

These are the the  participants in order of their comments.

1.  Lauren                                     14. Giac
2.  Virginia Isabel                         15. Birgit
3.  Pilar                                         16. Eloisa
4.  May                                         17. Alexandra
5.  Carmen                                    18. Milllimari
6.  Sheila                                       19. Pirkko
7.  Genevieve                                20. Fabiola
8.  Jodi                                           21. Paloma
9.  Irina                                          22. Nina
10.Tatiana                                      23. Julia
11. Our Travels                              24. Lena
12. Isabel
13. Anita

I used the true random number generator and the result is  Number 8. Jodi

Jodi, please email your address to
drorahed@gmail.com.

Thank you all for taking part in this draw.  There will be other giveaways in the future.

Have a nice rest of the week with my blessings.

Lost and Found

Hello dear readers,

Remember I mentioned in my previous post that I found other lost items while looking for the two?
Chairs I crocheted a few years ago, an unsuccessful experiment.  I used  white craft glue to stiffen the finished crochet work and it left ugly stains.  I was quite sure I threw them away, as I usually do when something fails to meet my liking.  Now that I looked at them again I tried to save them.

Added a crochet piece to the seat.  You can see the difference of colors.

Painted them all over with acrylic brown.  The seats covers are pieces of paper napkins.  I'll make real cushions later.

They look a little shabby but I like them this way.

Another chair, from a tutorial on the net, but so long ago I cannot find the link.

Also found these painted metal little trays. They came in a packet of 12 . 

Don't forget my giveaway.   There is still time to take part.  The draw will be on Monday night.

Have a great weekend with blessings.

How I make kittens from pipe cleaners

Dear readers,

First,  a warm welcome to my new followers.  Thanks for following.

Good news. The seashell decorated box and mirror were found  and while I was  looking for them, other tiny items appeared as well.

There was no time for making miniatures at home this week.  I did manage to work outside with the ladies at the center.

Sorry I am not good at making a video but I'll try to show how I make the kitten
with photos.  The technique is  more or less like the one for the puppies, watch the link here.

I made two versions.  The first  is one that was impossible for
the ladies to do, much as they tried.  The second was less difficult but I had to help
so they could go back home with at least one kitten each.


3 pipe cleaners make 2 kitties.

The legs are bent and twisted and what is left is wrapped around the middle.

I use a tiny bit of white felt for the ears.  (This was the part that the ladies couldn't handle.)

Finished kitten with eyes and nose made of Fimo

In the second version, only the head is different, it has pointed, untwisted ears out of the pipe cleaner.

I prefer the kitten with the felt ears.

Lena, a young lady who makes paper wicker miniatures wishes to be introduced.  Here are links to her web sites.  Here and here.

The renovations of my building is a pain in the neck.  The exterior is almost finished but the car parking lots are still full of  scaffolding and debris.  The garden is in very bad shape and will have to be treated.  Now the lobbies on each floor is being renovated, new floor tiles, new doors to hide the pipes. This is how the entrance to my apartment looks and will stay so until Sunday because they don't work on Fridays and Saturdays.  The building is only 35 years old. A lot of damage was done because many of the
26 apartments in it were rented.  Now most of the apartments are used by their owners who take better care of them.

I have to wear snickers just for going to the elevator.

Hopefully by the end of next week we shall say goodbye to the workers and I'll be able to post photos of the new looking building.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend with blessings.

7th blog anniversary giveaway

Hello dear readers,

I still cannot believe how it happened.  I finished creating a seashell decorated box and mirror for my 7th blog anniversary giveaway.  Just as I was going to bring my cellphone to take pictures, it rang and I had to answer a friend's call.  When I came back to my work table, the little items disappeared.  I looked everywhere in vain, vanished into thin air.  (Baalatova's revenge??)
I'll probable find them soon, I was the only one there,  but  there are only three weeks before the draw so I sat down and made a new pair tonight.

To take part you only have to be a follower, old or new, and make a comment on this post.  The draw will be on the night of the 27 November (This month).


The seashells decorated mirror looks far better than in the photo.

These little minis will remind you of summer, the beach and nice sunny days.

Blessings to you all.

Kittens, puppies and teddies

Hello dear readers and friends

Playing with pipe cleaners is addictive.  With practice the little darlings become cuter and you just can't stop.

Each of the creatures you see below is made from one 30 cm long pipe cleaner.

The teddies are from this wonderful, easy video tutorial http://multicrafteral.blogspot.co.il/2016/10/the-five-minute-mini-teddy-bear.html.

The puppies are from  another wonderful video tutorial, but I made some changes.  I wanted it half the size.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inemSB7o6-c.

The kittens are mine.  I couldn't find an easy tutorial so I made one.

After all the practice I feel confident enough to teach the elderly people at the center how to make these. 

I wish you all a wonderful weekend with my blessings.

List of participants in the 333,333 giveaway draw

Hello dear readers,

Here are the names and numbers in order of the comments.

1.  Carmen. 2.  Claude.  3.  Munir.  4.  May.  5.  Nina.  6.  Eloisa.  7.  Elena.  8.  Isabel.  9.  Britt.
10. Melli.  11. Sheila.  12. Pilar.  13.  Alexandra Martinez.  14. Fabiola. 15.  Jodi. 16.  Ayla.
17. Alexandra.  18. Birgit.  19. Giac.  20. Maria.  21. Narina.   22. Anita.  23. Miyatur ve hobi.

24. Rebecca.  25. Penelope.  26. Teresa.  27.  Pirkko.  28. Blanca.  29. Leonor.

Congratulations to Melli!   Melli please email me your address so I can post your prize to you as soon as possible.

I wish to thank you all for taking part.  On 27 November my blog will celebrate its 7 year anniversary and there will be another giveaway.  I'll post more details within a few days.

Blessings to all my friends.

Magic wand returned to owner

Hello dear readers,


Here are the recorded events of how Lea, the young leopardess, with the help of the cats, found and retrieved Baalatova's precious magic wand.


Lea climbing up the tree where the wand is well hidden and guarded by two fercous black snakes.

At last, the camouflaged wand is seen.

After a tiring fight with the snakes, the wand was found and retrieved.

Baalatova is extremely happy and grateful to get her magic wand back.

Baalatova:

It's wonderful to be able again to make your and my wishes come true.

Skella: 
Are you going to make Drora pay for not building you your second floor?

Baalatova:
Drora who?...  Who needs her to build me a second floor?  With the lift of my wand and a few secret words of magic I can make myself a grand palace. 

Skelly:  What about our wishes to become ghosts?

Baalatova:
Look,  I'm lifting the wand but before I say the secret words of magic, please don't forget that you will  be ghosts for Halloween night only.  Tomorrow you turn back to skeletons.

The Skellies are extremely happy. 

They feel free and light and start to float away.

Baalatova:

Hey, come back!  Now that I'm without my broom crutches I  feel free and light.  I am going to join you and we shall all have fun together!

And all three, drift away ......

It was both silly and fun to concoct this tale.  I wish you all an enjoyable Halloween.

Tomorrow I'll be here again with the list of participants in my giveaway draw. 

Blessings!