Flowers

Hello dear readers,
Here are photos of some of the flowers ready to go into the flower shop.  Note the vases.

These vases are my latest purchase.  They are really glass beads that make beautiful flower vases.

For the first time, I tried to make irises.  I hope they resemble irises.

Here, for you to enjoy, are some beautiful paper creations by a wonderful artist., Calvin Nicolls.

You can see the way this wonderful artist works here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xrEZgUlnwE

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and blessings to all

Caterina's Summer 2013 Swaps Project

This summer I again took part in Caterina's international swaps project and was very lucky  and happy to receive precious, handmade miniatures from Carolyn.

Everything was beautifully packed and arrived in perfect condition.

Carolyn made this bathroom basket especially for me.

The weaving is fantastic and look at the detailed handles.

The jars are filled with no holes tiny beads and nail adornments.  I love these.

A gorgeous handbag.  I could do with one like this in real size.  Also decorative beads
that can serve as bracelets for a mini jewelers shop.

An adorable tiny enamel elephant.

Little seashells from far away oceans.

Beads and findings. Wow!  So many things can be done with these.

Dear Carolyn I am so grateful and pleased. THANK YOU!!!

This is what I sent to Brigida

Many thanks to Caterina for all the wonderful international swaps she takes care of.

And a warm welcome to a new follower Betul Askar.  Thank you for following.

Blessings

Jewelry Boxes from gold plated metal rings

These boxes are really very easy to make. I rolled white fimo into two rings and baked them.  I glued two exra rings to one fimo framed ring. This formed the body of the box.  To the cover, the other fimo framed ring, I glued a piece of jewelry finding and to the inside of the cover I glued a little white card circle to help keep it in place.

I used the same method on the heart shaped boxes.

I am making a flower shop, a gift to a close friend.  The flowers in the photo are part of it. I love making flowers, they are time consuming but have a calm effect on me so it's really a relaxing job.

A warm welcome to Jewel.  Thank you for following.

A pleasant, enjoyable weekend to all and blessings

Shopping

We are going through some hot and humid summer days, although  not as bad as last year.

It's much more fun to entertain the young members of our family, than to sit down making miniatures. The children go back to school at the beginning of September.

I'm only making flowers.  Sometimes, when I'm not satisfied with the results, I throw away a whole

week's work.

Yesterday,  in Tel-Aviv, I was lucky to find some stuff which I want to show you.

Colored thumbtacks and beads  which can be made into small canisters.  Two little prams, toys for the nursery or for a shop.  Rings - raw material for jewelry boxes.

Glass seed beads packed in, yes you guessed it, square, clear plastic bubbles which can make perfect Ferrero Rocher boxes.  I have a plan to use the packages for other purposes too.  The beads will go

to my daughter Galia, who makes beautiful bead jewelry.

Metal beads, jewelry findings, tiny silver square frames (1/48" picture frames) and two perfect quarter scale sewing machines.

Later on, I'll show you to what use they served me.

I use this opportunity to welcome Emma and thank her for following my blog.

And something not mini but musical to enjoy for the weekend. The Typewriter by  Leroy Anderson (1908 - 1975), American composer of short, light concert pieces.  This particulr orchestration was performd in June 2011 by members of the National Orchestra and Chorus of Spain, Madrid.  The "typewriter" soloist is Alfredo Anaya.  Watch his expressions and actions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=G4nX0Xrn-wo&sns=em

Have a wonderful weekend.

Donna's beautiful giveaway

Several weeks ago, I won a very special giveaway prize from a very talented lady,  Donna.

I hope my photos do justice to this scene from Alice in Wonderland, in a little glass jar.

This is the prize. But look what a stunning extra gift came with it.

A tiny glass bowl with two swimming fish made by Donna.

My cat is investigating. She suspects "someting fishy going on".

Flowers  (will require some makeover) and silver butterflies and angels.

Dear Donna,  THANK YOU!!!!

And a very warm welcome to my new follower Silke
I wish all my readers and friends a wonderful, sunny weekend.

Ferrero Rocher Chocolate tutorial

It's already August and the days are getting hotter and very humid.  Instead of concentrating on
a large project, I make small items.  Today I'll show you how I make my Ferrero Rocher Boxes.

I use the wrapping of one chocolate ball together with its brown paper cup and sticker to make one box.

I use a square or rectangle bubble from either a pill or a chewing gum.

With a regular office punch I punch 12 circles out of the brown paper cup. From the thin
metal wrapping I cut 12 squares, more or less the same size.  These squares are cruched and made into little balls.

With a stylus The little circles are cupped.

The little brown cups are glued on a piece of acetate which is secured to my working pad  with
celotape, ech filled with a tiny ball.

When dry, I put a small amount of glue on the underside of the rectangle bubble and cover the 12
cups. Only after the glue is completely dry, I use scissors to trim the box and glue the sticker on top of
the box.

This is something I love to do because it's an excuse to eat a delicious chocolate.  To tell the truth, I ate
two but please don't count.

I also made more flowers and plants.

A warm welcome to my new followers.  Thank you for your interest in this blog.

Tina
Cihanin Bahcesi

I wish all my friends a wonderful weekend and blessings.

Jazzi's Christmas in July Swaps

This year I was again very lucky to have a wonderful swap partner.  Anna.  Look what wonderful miniatures, all beautifully created by Anna, arrived.

Books by Gerald Durrell.  I read his book My Family and Other Animals for the first time somewhere in the
late 70s and this was the reason I stopped learning Italian.  Our next door neighbours' son was going to study medicine in Italy.  I was beginning to teach myself Italian from a wonderful book my father gave me.
When the boy saw the book he begged me to give it to him.  In exchange he gave me the Durell book.
It was a soft cover Pinguin edition.  I was enchanted and never regreted the fact that because of this book I don't know Italian.  Many years later I learned  a little Spanish and when visiting Italy I almost understand what is spoken.
The book and the author became very popular. Most of his books were translated to Hebrew and were eagerly read by the entire family.  I am so happy to share this love with Anna.

Miniature maps of Greece, wonderful cook books and herbs planted in a pot Anna made from paper strips.
You can see her work here.

A  beautiful Christmas wreath.  I'm keeping it wrapped up until Chrismas when it will go to one of the stalls.

You can see in the first photo above, together with the Durell books, two sand and seashell filled glass jars.  Look how cleverly Anna covered the toppers.

Last, but not least, Anna's visiting card.  Can you believe how tiny the scenes in a sea shell are? Enchanting!!

To see what I sent Anna you'll have to visit her blog here.

THANK YOU ANNA AND THANK YOU JAZZI!!!

It's been quite a while since my last post.  I did make some miniatures for swaps and friends, most of which
I cannot show yet.

I wish you a wondrful weekend with my blessings.