Hanging flower baskets

 Hello dear readers,

A few weeks before celebrating the 8 days of Hanukkah,  Kids in the kindergartens all over the country make menorahs to bring home to their proud mothers.  

These menorahs are usually a piece of long wood with nine round candle containers glued or nailed on it (with teachers' help). Day 1, the server candle, called the SHAMASH is lit and when it burns it is used for lighting the first candle. On day 2, the server candle is lit and then it lits two candles and so on until we reach the last day 8 when the server lits all the 8 remaining candles  The server candle always stands higher or apart from the r

And why all this information?  It's the time craft stores carry small candle containers of various shapes and materials in packets of 9 pieces and these are very useful for miniatures. Last year I bought metal containers which are in reality jewelry findings. I made my hanging flower baskets from them. 

I painted the metal bead caps used cotton crochet twine instead of metal chains which were too heavy. Now I have 9  hanging baskets. It was time-consuming but calming. 

Tomorrow for the first time in a long while, I'm going out to see what the craft shops carry for Hannukah this year.

Here are pictures of Hanukkah menorahs made by children.

Still working on the opposite wall of my Book Nook project.  I'm taking things slow and easy.

Blessings and good wishes to all.  Stay safe and healthy! 

 

Book Nook (Part 3)

Hello dear readers,

Like most of you, I'm working on my Christmas and Hanukka gifts.  I still do not know when it will be possible for me to go out and send them to their destinations and they'll be probably late in arrival but my friends and family will have to forgive me this time, we're all in the same boat.  Better late than never.

In between, and while waiting for the light fixtures and mirror, I was able to make a little progress in the book-nook project.  Just adding colorful flowers to the rather boring stone walls seemed not enough so I stole from my accumulated hoarded staff an old piece of stained-glass contact paper, framed it with a piece of plastic net, and glued it on the door of the bookshop. I realized too late that a shop if it wants clients to enter has to have a door.  I was lucky there was barely enough space for the door but I managed to create one and install it as part of the shop facade.

Before and after

There are more, lots of time-consuming flowers, plants and a hanging flower basket to make for the balcony and windows of the opposite wall. I'll tend to it after I finish the two Holidays gifts.

Please take care of yourselves and your families and stay safe.  Blessings!

A Bench for the Book Nook

 Hello dear readers,

As I mentioned before,  the bench I ordered arrived in time but was too small.  I had to create another. .  All the materials are from my stash.  Sometimes it's good to be a hoarder.

There are only balsa sheets for sale here.  I buy craft plates that can be cut with a sharp knife.  Usually, I work with craft sticks but sometimes a wider or thicker piece of wood is necessary and I cut it from these plates to the size I need. The seat is from the plate, the back is from the square piece of embellishment cut exactly in half and glued together as you see in the photo.  Then, glued between two pieces of 3 mm wooden sticks.  The sides are from the small triangle wood embellishments and the 4 legs from the end of chopsticks.

Waiting for the glue to dry.

Waiting to be painted.

Painted

Self-crafted bench versus bought bench

This is for all the wonderful talented knitters among us

The following photos feature the work of a 91 years old British lady who knitted, during the lockout, a miniature hospital for raising funds for 3 local hospitals. I have still trouble with inserting a link. I hope this time it will work.  Here.

Isn't she amazing?

Please keep on taking care of yourselves and your families. Stay safe!