THE BIGGEST BAG I EVER MADE

It traveled with a lovely lady to France - I like to think it is useful for her and she enjoys its beauty! 

Created from decorator fabric and vintage Bedouin embroidery, embellished with couched down novelty yarn and ribbons, quilted in vermicelli style with variegated metallic thread and adorned with silk tassels found at the market in Yafo, with buttons and beads and with appliqued pomegranates and butterflies. The bottom and the handles are made from leather.

It is lined with home dyed cotton fabric and features two big inside pockets made from Bedouin embroidery as well, and closes with a pink zipper.

STONES AT THE BEACH

Beach Stones - Treasures of Nature - Gifts of the Sea  Glinting and Shimmering - Wet - Speckled - Colored Tinted - Shaped by the Currents - Polished by the Waves  Blinking and Glimmering under the Sun... 
Ah, what a pleasure to play...

Played by me and photographed  by my husband in Crete.

CAN'T STOP FISHING...

A ROSE IS A ROSE IS A ROSE

Song of the rose

For Zeus chose us a King of the flowers in his mirth,
He would call to the rose, and would royally crown it;
For the rose, ho, the rose! is the grace of the earth,
Is the light of the plants that are growing upon it!
For the rose, ho, the rose! is the eye of the flowers,
Is the blush of the meadows that feel themselves fair,
Is the lightning of beauty that strikes through the bowers
On pale lovers that sit in the glow unaware.
Ho, the rose breathes of love! ho, the rose lifts the cup
To the red lips of Cypris invoked for a guest!
Ho, the rose having curled its sweet leaves for the world
Takes delight in the motion its petals keep up,
As they laugh to the wind as it laughs from the west.
Sappho

Wie ein jungfraeulich Erroeten zieht es durch die Lauben hin:
Oh, die Rose! - Ach, die Rose ist der Blumen Koenigin.
Und der Blitzstrahl ihrer Schoenheit trifft den Kuehlsten, eh' gedacht,
Hat auf seinen bleichen Wangen unversehens Glut entfacht.
Oh, die Rose atmet Liebe - ach die Rose laedt zum Fest,
Wenn ihr Kelch die roten Lippen Aphroditens trinken laesst.
Und der Westwind, der voll Schalkheit mit dem Bluetenkleide spielt,
Haengt gefangen in den Ranken, wenn er ihr ein Laecheln stiehlt,
Sie bestrickt, auch wenn sie lacht -
oh, der Rose Zaubermacht!
E.B.B. Uebers. nach Sappho

THE HEALING POWER OF FABRIC

Some years ago, feeling very sad and lonely after a lost friendship my daughter Tanja one afternoon looked at my fabric stack. The beautiful colors whispered to her, come on, come on.... 

A little light came into her eyes and she started cutting and fusing...

She was busy for two days and began to smile...

And then I did the sewing for her...

This lovely little wall hanging is gracing a wall in her apartment today and reminds her, that there is always sun after the rain...

PARK AFEK - LOWER GALILEE

Nature park Afek is located south of Acre, on the outskirts of Kiryat Bialik. One can find there the last remnants of the Na'aman swamps with its typical flora and fauna. Nearby are more than 30 springs, the source of the Na'aman river. The highlights of the park include the Crusader fortress, a two-story fortified building, with a set of flour mills who once operated on the lower floor of the building, and the natural water canals and lake, which draw their waters from those year-long flowing springs of Afek. The roof of the fortress is an excellent lookout over the whole reserve.

Tel Afek features remains going back 4,000 years. On the north side are ruins from the Hellenistic/Roman periods.

A wooden walkway stretches above the wetland through a wide variety of  plants, and many species of water fowl can be seen.
 





 At this time of the year the eucalyptus trees are in full bloom. 
A wonderful easy stroll of about an hour, with a light breeze even on a hot day!

 All photos taken by my husband Uri last Friday. 

 

SUNBATHING

While we walked near the beach today my husband made this treasure photos!

I AM DONE WITH FISH

RECYCLING

 Many contemporary artists work with recycled material and produce really stunning items.  
I decided  to try this out on a small scale by myself. I heard that cut pieces of plastic bags can be fused together with heat, applied with a dry iron - and yes, it works very nicely! Baking paper has to be used to protect the iron. There is almost no limit of what can be done. First thing of course would be to collect plastic bags in all kind of different colors. Then they can be cut up in every imaginable shape and fused into a collage like sheet. It can be sewn to fabric, to create bags, pouches, purses, album covers and a lot more. I did not pursue this much further, but the potential certainly is immense. I fused some practice pieces and used them with canvas fabric to make two lovely pouches embellished with buttons.

 After returning from a vacation to London, I created a photo album cover from the saved plastic bags we got there, and some of the places we visited, including the famous shopping mall of course, can be seen after the pieces have been fused together and quilted onto fabric.

  Go ahead, it is fun and easy!!