Orchids

Hello dear readers,

Valentine Day is almost here with romance in the air.  The flower shops are getting ready for business time, expecting volumes of orders.

My shop isn't ready yet.  I keep stocking up.  This time I made orchids and as usual, I got carried away and spent a whole week making them as well as the pots.  (Egg carton pots, as you probably guessed.)

This lot is already donated to charity.  I'll have to craft some more if I want them for the shop.

Paper orchids are not very difficult to make.  These are done with only two punches which I have at hand, a 1/8" hole punch and a 1/16" flower punch.  I hope they look fairly similar to the real flowers.

Keep away from the flue my friends!
Wishing you the best with blessings.

Carmen's giveaway prize

Hello dear readers

No complaints this time about our post.  Carmen's wonderful giveaway which I was lucky to have won, arrived, much before I expected.  I am very grateful and happy to have these plants, boxes, and books, Carmen created, which are truly awesome.  Real treasures for my future projects.

Thank you, dear Carmen, for your generosity and your friendship.   

 In my previous post, I gave you a link to a tutorial for making wine bottles from hot glue sticks.         The link wasn't  clear enough.  This time you just have to poke here to log in easily.

I want to use this opportunity and thank all my Spanish blog friends who participated in the 2017 Advent Calendar, for their generosity in sharing their fantastic tutorials.  Special thanks to Matxalen for organizing the calendar each year. 

Real life activities left no time for crafting this week.

Blessings to all my friends

Flowers and plants for a flower shop project

Hello dear readers

The beginning of the new year founds me creating flowers, my favorite pass time, for the future flower shop project.  I'm not in a hurry because I absolutely don't know where there will be space to display it. Even more important, how shall I be able to protect it from dust.

First, I made egg carton pots decorated with seashells, using most of my seashells stock before I collect fresh ones. 

I found this tutorial for making wine bottles out of hot glue rods.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvpIQCau3xY&app=desktop
This is the result of my first experiment.

I used a t-light for melting the rod and painted the bottles with a cheap nail varnish.  There will probably be better results with experience, but it is sure worth a try.

Here are photos of our building, before and after. The colors before were brick red and grey with lots of ugly patches.  Now the colors are an elegant deep and light grey.

You can see the bus station next to our fence.

We said goodbye to the laborers and I must confess, at the end they were helpful., cleaning up the indoor mess and even helping me change light bulbs. However, there's no chance that I'll miss them.
The renovation took almost 6 months from start to finish.  The garden will take another 6 months to revive.

I wish you all a nice and peaceful Sunday with blessings.

Another Christmas gifts parcel from Germany

Hello dear friends,

I just received surprise, belated Christmas gifts from Nina in Germany.  Nina writes very sweet stories about everyday life in a Sylvanian families community.  Nina asked me for my address so she could send me a Christmas card.  Immagine my surprise when the card came packed inside a large shoe box, accompanied by these great gifts.

A tiny, matchbox size spooky scene.

A tiny winter scene

A  book full of Christmas stickers.

Half a pound of delicious mixed chocolates.

A lovely by hand Christmas card.  I admire Nina's beautiful handwriting. 

A lovely postcard from the City of Furth.

Baalatova developed a nasty habit of popping up each time I open a parcel, picking up the best choice, saying "If it's spooky it's mine."   "You can have the chocolates!"

Thank you dear Nina for your generous gifts and most of all for your friendship!

Christmas 2017 gifts from Germany

Hello dear friends,

Isn't it nice to be able to post about gifts again? No matter how late they arrive (c/o our slow post services) they bring joy and cheer up our spirits.  These wonderful goodies came all the way from  Birgit, in Germany. Birgit is our dear friend, whose witty comments on our posts, put smiles on our faces. Also, Birgit who tries to make her friends happy by sending specially made for them gifts.

A cute and beautiful Christmas card,  Christmas tree lights (To be used next year), Christmas tree
silver ornaments, a tiny bear and a gorgeous winged dragon.

A 2018 calendar, specially made, photoed and designed by Birgit for her friends, with gorgeous photos starring Flutterby and Rosey.  Marzipans, fresh delicious.......

In addition, 3 beautiful greeting cards, difficult to see them.

Baalatova, immediately as I opened the parcel, confiscated the tiny dragon with the excuse, that when he grows up to his final size, this winged dragon will become her transportation means instead of the unreliable brooms.  She promised to feed and take care of the little fellow until then.  Here you can see her with her favorite pets both made/painted by Birgit.  She looks smug.

Good news.  The entrance to our apartment is finished.  The final touches are scheduled for next week and then we'll be free of the laborers and I'll be able to post a photo of the new looking building.

Before

After

I wish you all a warm and pleasant end of the week with blessings.

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!