Christmas 2018 Gifts (part 2)

Hello again

I'm blessed. Amazing gifts keep coming, this time from a very gifted artist, a wonderful friend. Anyone who follows her blog will agree with me that her work is superb. Tatiana.

Here are some examples:

I love, love, love the mandrake.

The apples are simply beautiful. I love the woven basket.

Trust Baalatova to pop up and claim the best.

What a relief that she doesn't want to change her style of black clothes and leaves me free to
choose where to use this very elegant set of handbag and hat.

A very well made toy.  Each ring can be separated.

A lovely collection of trinkets.

Some plastic beads which look like frosted glass.  I already have plans for them.

Lovely ornaments for a Christmas scene.

Even the box which contained all these treasures is beautiful.

THANK YOU DEAR TATIANA FOR THESE FANTASTIC GIFTS.  THANK YOU, ABOVE ALL, FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP!


Here is an example of one of my plans for the "frosted glass" beads

Dessert bowls

Glue one tiny bell to a sequin and glue the bead inside the bell. (Can also serve as a candle holder)

Wishing you all a marvelous Christmas Eve with lots of presents to open and treasure.
Have fun!  Blessings and hugs!

Christmas 2018 Gifts

Hello dear readers

The gifts keep arriving and I'm the happiest blogger to have some of the most gifted artist friends who send them them to me.

I just cannot help showing and sharing what recently arrived.

From Nina in Germany. Nina writes adorable stories about a Sylvanian community and illustrates them with lovely scenes from her large collections of Sylvanian miniatures.

A wonderful handmade card, and an assortment of chocolates (Long gone and missed).

3 sunny pumpkins.

You can rely on Baalatova to be there when something inside a new parcel is interesting. She knew
the handmade by Nina pumpkins were meant for her garden and came to claim them.

And the tray with the yummiest cakes and chocolate drink was also made by Nina.  I love the blue and white tea set.

The Italian soap bar and bag made by Nina, now adorns, perfumes and refreshes the guest's bathroom

THANK YOU DEAR NINA FOR THE GENEROUS GIFTS AND ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP!!!

Yesterday a parcel arrived from Ukraine containing awesome handmade gifts.
As soon as I'll take photos, they will be shown here.


There are already 22 great tutorials on the Spanish Advent Calendar.  If you find some difficult to understand, I'll be ready to explain or translate them to you. Just ask.

I wish you all a wonderful Sunday with blessings.

My name is Soleil but my friends call me Solly.

Dear Readers,

My wonderful and super generous friend from Germany Birgit sent me a parcel, which this year arrived before expected.  The impatient Baalatova urged me to open it right on spot and can you imagine my joy and happiness when out came adorable sunny Solly! Even the haughty, hard to satisfy, Baalatova melted at the sight of him.  She befriended him right away and led to show him her home and garden and to meet her little dragons and cat.

Solly will be my guardian angel bear and faithful companion.  He will stay on my work table and watch my work and from time to time write to his brother and sister Fluby and Rosey to let them know how he spends his time here in Israel.

A huge thank you to dear Birgit for the magnificent gift of
Solly!!!

Together with Solly, in the large box, came more lovely gifts. The beautiful 2019 Calendar, a lovely handwritten Christmas card, a box of delicious marzipans, tiny wooden houses and trees,  potion jars and trinkets.....

Thank you again, my dear friend, for all your very generous, thoughtful gifts and especially for your friendship.

A warm welcome to my new followers with Blessings to all my readers and friends.

Tutorial para Tetera de Cobre - CopperTeapot Tutorial

Queridos amigos y lectores

Dear friends and readers

Probablemente se hayan preguntado por qué es ese Calendario de Adviento, organizado por Matxalen, en el aparador de este blog.
Matxalen me ha invitado a participar en el Calendario de Adviento Español de este año. Muchas gracias, Maxtalen  Estoy tratando de usar mi poco conocimiento de español para hacer esta publicación en español, así como en inglés. Ambos son idiomas secundarios a mi hebreo. A ver si apruebo la prueba. (Aquí en Israel, es inútil publicar sobre casas de muñecas en hebreo, ya que muy pocas personas están interesadas en ellas.)

You are probably wondering about why is that Spanish Advent Calendar, organized by Matxalen every year, on the sideboard of this blog.
I have been invited by Matxalen to take part in this year's Spanish Advent Calendar. Thank you so much Matxalen.  I am trying to use my little knowledge of Spanish to do this post in Spanish, as well as in English.  Both are secondary languages to my Hebrew. Let's see if I pass the test.   (Here in Israel, it's useless to post about dollhouses in Hebrew since very few people are interested in them.)

Herramientas y materiales

Tools and materials

Un pequeño trozo de Fimo suave u otra marca, de cualquier color.
Alambre de metal de 1mm de diámetro.
Dos ojos-goggle de 2 cm de diámetro.
Un anillo de metal de 1 cm de diámetro.
Uno detrás del lóbulo de la oreja parte de un pendiente
Pegamento pegajoso
Pintura en spray color cobre

A small piece of soft Fimo or other brand, of any color.
1mm diameter metal wire.
two 2 cm diameter goggle-eyes.
one 1 cm diameter metal ring.
one back of the earlobe earring part.
Tacky glue
Copper color spray paint






1. Desde el Fimo, haz un pastel, 0.6 cm de alto, 2 cm de diámetro.

1.  From the Fimo, make a cake, 0.6 cm high, 2 cm diameter.

2. Colóquelo entre los dos ojos como un sandwich presionando hasta que las tres capas encajen.

2.  Put it between the two eyes like a sandwich pressing until the three layers fit together.

3. Ruede sobre una superficie lisa.

3.  Roll over a smooth surface.

4. Haz un anillo de 2,5 cm de diámetro, como se muestra en las fotos a continuación

4.  Make a 2.5 cm in diameter ring, as shown in the photos below.

5. Corte y dé forma al mango como se muestra en las fotos a continuación.

5.  Cut and shape the handle as in the photos below.

6.   Retire con cuidado los ojos del Fimo y empuje la manija hacia los extremos del
      "pastel". Vuelve los ojos .

6.  Carefully remove the eyes from the Fimo and push the handle into the extreme ends of the
     "cake".  Put the eyes back.

7. Hacer un pico de Fimo.

7.  Make a Fimo spout.

8.   Unir el pico a un extremo del mango.
8.   Join the spout to one end of the handle.

9.  Nuevamente, retire los ojos.  Ahora el Fimo con el mango está listo para hornear.

     Hornee según las instrucciones del fabricante.


9.  Again, remove the eyes. Now the Fimo with the handle is ready to be baked.
     Bake as per manufacturer's instructions.

10. Mientras el Fimo está en el horno, pegue la parte del pendiente en la parte superior de un ojo y el        anillo en la parte superior del otro.

10. While the Fimo is in the oven,  glue the earring part on top of one eye and the ring on top of                 the other.

11. Pegue los ojos preparados al Fimo.  Espere hasta que el pegamento esté
      completamente seco para pintura en spray.

11.  Glue the prepared eyes to the Fimo.  Wait until the glue is completely dry for spray painting.

                                               


 ¡Feliz elaboración!

  Happy crafting!

No se olviden del calendario español de Adviento. Hay un nuevo tutorial cada día. Hacen clic en el día.

Don't forget the Spanish Advent Calendar.  There's a new tutorial each day. Just click on the day.

Les deseo a todos una Feliz Navidad y feliz Januca!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! 

Winner of my 8th blog anniversary giveaway.

Hello dear readers,

8 years ago, On the 27th of November 2010, I started this blog. I wanted to do so long before that time but was not sure about my English. Posting in Hebrew was useless since very few people here in Israel were interested in dollhouse miniatures. My readers were kind and forgiving about my English, which I hope, is getting a little better with practice. A giveaway is my way of returning something to my readers in gratitude for following this blog.
I didn't know at that time what it means to be a miniaturist. Since then I met, learned and admired your talents and became a follower of most of my readers' blogs. I can only humbly raise my hat to you and feel honored to have you as my friends and followers.  What we all have in common, is the way we love miniatures and all that's involved with them, be it a dollhouse, a room-box or a little display, a show, etc.  The imagination knows no bounds.

List of participants in the draw:

1. Sheila  2.  Pilar.  2.  May.  4.  Sionchi.  5.  Genevieve.  6.  Lauren.  7.  Tatiana.  8.  Marian.
9.  Rosa Maria.  10/  Carmen.  11.  Isabel.   12.  Maria.  13.  Alexandra.  14.  Fabiola.
15.  Elena.  16.  Birgit.  17.  Veronique.  18.  Donna.  19.  Giac.  10.  Judy.  21.  Eloisa.
22.  Teresa.  23.  Paloma.

As always, the Random number generator picked up the winner.

Maria!  Dear Maria, I'll mail your prize early this week with the hope that it'll reach you before Christmas!

I'd really have loved for all of you to win, which of course is impossible. Thank you for your kind comments and for taking part in this draw. Let's look forward to other chances with new giveaways.

Here is another tutorial for instant cookies.  Just made a batch.  I had at hand a white sheet of 1mm craft foam from which I punched out circles and star shapes.  Made a water diluted mixture of light brown, yellow and white acrylic paint in a little plastic container and dropped the shapes inside.
I let them absorb the paint for a few minutes then dried them on a plastic surface. When dry I put a dot of red nail polish in the middle of the star shapes. A flower punch would have been nicer but the foam was too thick for my average flower punches.

On the sidebar of this blog is a Spanish Advent Calendar organized by Matxalen.
There will be a tutorial each day, some in English as well as Spanish.  In any case, the photos speak for themselves.  As I remember from recent years all the tutorials were awesome.  Do yourselves a favor and don't miss it. Today's tutorial is fantastic, by a very talented miniatures artist Mara.

Have a wonderful crafty week with blessings!

Hello dear readers,

This blog will be celebrating its 8th anniversary on November 27th.  As on every anniversary, since I first began posting here, I have a giveaway.  Toys!

To participate in my draw you have to be a follower of this blog and make a comment here, on this post.  The draw will be on Saturday, December 1st.

I wish all my American followers a HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY! Blessings to all of you my dear readers.

A baby elephant from spain

Hello dear readers,

Don't know about the rest of you my dear fellow miniaturists but I am a very lucky one, having generous and very talented friends from all over the world who send me gifts that make me shed tears of joy, lifting up my spirits and keeping me happy, crafting and posting for almost 8 years.

A few months ago, Isabel won my giveaway.  Isabel thanked me and offered to send me something in return.  In return arrived some of the most precious handmade miniatures I have ever seen.  A tiny adorable crocheted baby elephant.  I cannot imagine how such a beautiful creature came out of regular sewing threads.

I let the baby choose, but she decided she wanted the tiny stroller. Note how beautiful her dress is.

And there were shoes, baby shoes so tiny and adorable, raising a big problem, where to be displayed.  I have an almost 40 years old miniature shoes collection here.

The pair next to Isabel's shoes is made of genuine amber.

And there was a gorgeous crocheted basket full of fantastic dressing table and baby toilet items.

And there was this awesome crate which contained all those marvelous beauties.

THANK YOU DEAR ISABEL! I am not only grateful for having received these precious gifts but also for all your encouraging kind comments on my posts all through these years.

I wish you all a lovely creative rest of the week with blessings.