Oh Holy Nights of Lights......

To me, the holy nights are the Festival of Lights.  I believe this is when the Messiah was conceived.  He is the light of the world.  And what a great celebration of that light.  I think I'm going to have more than enough lights!  But I am hooked on candle making and decorating at the moment!!

Poured more candles today.  These are from yesterday.  Paper with silk ribbon around it, then raffia on top of that.  So easy.  Even if you just buy the candles, you can decorate them quickly.  

Swarovski crystals and sterling silver charms.  Gosh....if you bought anything like this in a store it would cost you a fortune!  And because I'm melting wax from candles in a thrift store....and using scrapbook and jewelry making stuff I already have....I'm putting these together for a dime or two!

I just wish they set up faster....I am so impatient!  But I love the finished look!  My first attempt at a flat top candle.

And why not use my cricut?  Cut out the star in paper.  Pasted on some adhesive, then gold metal flakes. Stuck a Jolee's sticker on top of it.  Simple, easy, elegant....perfect!

Like I said, it's good to create.  The Star of David, the shield of David, may Jehovah provide me a shield as I go through every day of life.




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Altering an oil lamp

I'm now more convinced than ever that you can alter anything!  This was clear glass from top to bottom - picked it up cheap at the local Goodwill store.

I added blue and clear crystals from Hobby Lobby.  And I tossed in a bag of metal diecut star of davids that I picked up at McGuckin's hardware this week.  Shook it well and filled it with oil.  It really works!

For the base, I used acrylic paint and dabbed it on with a square of cut 'n dry foam.  It goes on quite smooth, no streaks.  Paint inside the glass and it looks pearl from the outside.  Then I used my bejewler and made this star from Creative Crystals flat backed swarovsky crystals.  Cameras just do not show the bling!

Finally, I tied a ribbon of white silk around the neck of the lamp.  It truly is a gorgeous addition to my Hanukkah lights collection!

May Jehovah light each step of the path of your life!

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Starting to play......

Well, I've been busy with ebay and building an etsy store, but tonight, I decided to make a necklace.  This one is sterling silver with swarovski crystals.  I love using large loops that you can dangle things from.  A few tiny stars scattered throughout and a very unusual one at the bottom.

Each crystal is wire wrapped on to the main loops

The star is actually 2 separate pieces

Watch as they start to come together....

To form a star of david.  Found this in Israel last fall and just wanted to make something special for it.

I'm hoping to get back int my playing mode in a couple more weeks, but first....vacation to Ft Lauderdale starting this week!  Kerry is doing quite well - he's made an amazing comeback.  So we're going to test the waters with a trip.  Should be fun!

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Saying my prayers.....

The first weekend that Kerry was in the hospital was the hardest.  In all honesty, we didn't know if he was going to pull through or not.  My friends in Israel said a prayer for him in their Synagogue and then sent me the prayer.  Colleen wrote it in calligraphy 3 times.  I loved that she would go to so much effort to get it right.  So I wanted to preserve it.

Just click to enlarge.  It's 16" x 20".  The background is white velvet.  The prayer is wrapped in an old prayer shawl, tallit, that I found at a thrift store....made of rayon...so when I washed it, it fell apart.  I draped it around the prayer and let it dry, tucking the torn parts into the folds.  No one will ever know!

Very vintage pale blue rose buds with handmade new silk roses, with a few flowers, leaves and ribbons tucked in...because he gave me a rose a week later.

Each of the corners have a sterling silver star of david added....

This is a 2" patera type finding....with over 100 swarvosky flat back crystals set into it.  Took some time....but it really is gorgeous when you see it in person!

Each of the upper corners have crystals set in the pattern of swirls.  Hmmm.....interesting getting hot glue to adhere to velvet....but it worked.  Took most of the afternoon on just these 2 flourishes.

A closeup of how I did the folds.  Now, my camera setting must have been off as this is pure white.

I will get this framed in the next couple of weeks....but I love the idea of making memories bigger than life....hanging them on the wall....especially this prayer, one I continue to pray every single day.

Cricut Flakes

Last year, I hand cut a ton of huge snowflakes and hung them on the fake tree when we had our first big snow. Well, we had our first "countable" snow with about 3" let on the ground last week and I got out the cricut machine.  So easy to make 3-D snowflakes and hang them up! And then, with a little bit of art glitter and some lights inside the tree...I have snowy bling!

and congrats to Cricut! They KNOW that snowflakes have 6 points....and really look like a Star of David!

Maybe I should say I have a "Star of David" tree!

The real meaning of life.

I always thank mom on my birthday for giving me life. What an amazing mom, role model, friend, and confidant she has been through the years. And so much fun to be around. But this year, since I'm doing Jewish genealogy for the Cotopaxi Colony, I wanted to learn a little more about my birthday.

I was born at 5:30 pm on September 29, 1951, at Riverview Hospital in Noblesville, Indiana.  Before Daylight Savings Time.  And why do I care about any of that?

At 5:30 pm in Indiana, it was the 29th of Elul, 5711 in Jerusalem, 11:30 pm.  That is Erev Rosh Hashana - New Year's Eve in other words in Israel.

In the states, it was still Parashas Nitzavim.  The scripture was Deuteronomy 29:9 - 30:20  The day that God established His covenant with Israel.

WOW!  I could not have a more wonderful birthday date.

The words Parashat Nitzavim means "you are standing".

Now, I know that because of the Hebrew calendar, 9/29 does not always fall on this occassion.  As with this year, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are over and Today is the 21st of Tishrei, 5771 which is Sukkos VII, Hoshana Raba.  the day of the final sealing of judgment.  A guten kvitel - a wish that the verdict is positive.

Funny how 9/29/1951 never had much meaning to me - other than I was a year older and there were presents, a cake, and family around.  But to know now that I was born on the eve of the Jewish New Year, the day God established his covenant with Israel - makes this a huge day that I will rejoice in every year, no matter what day it falls on in the Hebrew calendar.

Deut 30:

¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life — if you and your offspring would live —²⁰ by loving the Lord your God, heeding His commands, and holding fast to Him. For thereby you shall have life and shall long endure upon the soil that the Lord swore to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them.

I have had 59 amazing years of life.  I'm expecting this one to be even better!

Art notes:  The top 2 pendants have inserts made with metal clay.  All use Nunn Designs Patera blanks.  All use Peg Harper's conditioned Kato Clay and swarovsky crystals from Creative-Crystal.

Peg's Poly Play Day

My good friend, Peg Harper, came to play yesterday.  We always have the best time ever.  I had told her I wanted to make pendants to gift to friends in Israel.  Peg always has the most wonderful ideas!!!  We used Kato clay that Peg had conditioned and added leafing to, so it's all blingie and beautiful.  Then we added swarovski crystals and covered with a layer of Envirotex lite.  The Envirotex takes 72hours to cure, but after 12 hours, you can start to photo them....just not assemble them into pendants.  I am so delighted with the results....I'm photoing 12 hours later!  

Peg designed all 4 of these - aren't they gorgeous???

These blanks came from The Bally Bead Company


The blanks are base metal, silver.  Peg painted the backgrounds with Viva inks.  The inks don't burn off when you bake the clay.  We used liquid Kato to adhere the clay to the blanks.

 My blogger pal, Shari Wallace, turned me on to these blanks.  I just love blogging.  I meet the most wonderful people ever!

So Ruth, what do you think about using Kato Clay for our pre-UTM project???  I know - who's thinking that far ahead?  ha ha!

 

You can see all the tiny crystals embedded in this last one.  Just so much fun.  These are intended to be worn as a pendant....but I think they could be used as decorative items as well.  I may cut the top loop off one and adhere it to a journal!


Stay tuned the next few days as I post different designs - not all are Judaica.  I just started with the best!  Peg Harper - Kato Clay artist extraordinare!!!  Thanks Peg for such a fun day!!!


PS.  Today, Tuesday, 1 day before I turn 59.  I am trying my darnest to stay positive about this....but ONE year away from SIXTY?????  I don't feel it.  I don't think I act it (most days).  I don't want it.  So I've been throwing a little temper tantrum this week.  Kerry is just laughing so hard - he's a whole 2  1/2 years younger than I am.  I just tell myself that I act 10 years younger than he does!  Age is not a number, it's a state of mind.  Can I simply say I'm turning 39 tomorrow?  It would make me so much happier!  LOLOL!!!

Busy playing!

I had a class in dichroic glass here last Friday, so it got me back playing with glass - something I love. This piece is so simple....dichroic, clear glass and then a 22kt gold slide fired into it.

Pre-cut dichroic zig zag pieces fused to black:

Sort of new, pre-cut stringers in dichroic that you can cut and layer:

Another slide on top of a piece of glass:

If you live locally and want to take a class, just send me a note! You can come play, too!!!