Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Pay Your Creativity Forward


I found out about this on Sharons new blog , and decided to take part. It's not like the other award I was given and asked to pass on, where some never responded, some haven't passed it on and some even refused it! Oh well, such is life. Anyway, in this 'event' people volunteer to be part of it, so no chance for rejection here! :) I love the idea of this as I can make something specific for each person, and tailor it to their likes and dislikes ( I read you blog too, did you know? :D )

This is how it goes:

Creative people are adventurous! So, if you would like to participate, please send me a comment and the first five people will receive something from me in the mail. Here are the rules, and happy posting!

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. This is an adventure!

2. What I create will be just for you with love and good wishes. It will be made of actual materials, not of cyberspace.

3. It will be done this year (2009).

4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be!

5. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your Blog and create five things for the first 5 people to respond to your post.

6. Send your mailing address after I contact you.

IMPORTANT: This offer is null and void if you do not post on your own blog to pay this forward. This random act of kindness is inspired by Cristi at: http://2ifbysea-cristi.blogspot.com/

So are you adventurous enough to give it a try? Do you like my work enough to want to receive a little gift from me? If so, just make a comment to this post and be one of the first 5 and you are in!

That's one of my new pieces up above, fresh from the oven!

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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Updated! Wool Day and Honey Day!

UPDATE!!!!: Just found out about this through Heifer International, there is a movement called Keep the Fleece, and one of their efforts is to knit the worlds largest scarf to raise money for fighting hunger around the world. If you are a knitter, check it out here. This is a world wide event, so you will be part of something BIG! They hope to raise a quarter million with this project that will all be joined together at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival Oct 17-18, 2009. So go sign up today!



Yesterday I couldn't post and I had not prepared one to post by itself ( blogger has a scheduled posting, did you know that?) . Yesterday, as declared by Heifer International, was 'Wool Day' and today is Honey Day!

Heifer International is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance & sustainability.

Organic Odysseys makes a donation each month for a beehive which you can read about here.

I would just like to draw attention to this worthy charity, and in honor of Wool Day, have made this cool little knitting sheep pin. It will make it's debut into one of my shops shortly!







And for today, which is Honey Day , (video here ) I made this necklace featuring a shiny silver-plated Honeybee, busy about his work on a Globe Amaranth blossom (which looks a lot like clover, another flower they love!). This too will be debuting in my shop soon.





Please take a bit of time to investigate Heifer International and give where and when you can, Pass on the gift!


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Friday, April 24, 2009

Tomorrow is WOOL DAY


Stay tuned..........................

If you really need something to read, why not check out the PCAGOE blog? I was surprised today to find I was the featured artist for this week! While you're there, sign up for our newsletter, something else I've neglected to post about, I have been the new Editor for the past two months, this upcoming issue ( out the first days of May) will be my third. :)




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Thursday, April 23, 2009

Proud to be - Still Remembering

I am so behind, this month has been so full. I know yesterday was Earth Day and you would think, from an Organic Artist, I would have had a big blog post about that and how I try to be green. But that will have to wait, because yesterday I made my post about Yom HaShoah, brief as it was. I spend the majority of the day finishing a few more items for the Almost ARTifacts shop for the Paper clip section. I am proud to announce I did make some sales and have some money to send to the Museum. I have also contemplated using some of the money to buy copies of the Paper Clip movie and donate them to Free Libraries in various parts of the US, so that everyone has the chance to see this movie.

I am also proud to find out yesterday I was put into this Memorial Treasury titled, Proud to be a Jew . It's only got a little over 12 hours to go but I have taken a screen shot to share. That's my Torah Necklace in the top right corner.


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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

What does Six Million Look like? - Lest we forget

Yesterday was Holocaust Remembrance Day. The night before, I'd had a nightmare of present day gas chambers, me and my whole family were being taken in one by one, through innocent looking white doors, but the results were the same. I awoke just as I was going through the door. I was very shaken. After being awake a bit I realized what day it was, and it sent chills down my spine. I don't deal with this well and couldn't bring myself to post about it yesterday. I never knew my paternal Grandparents, Denmark was not as safe as was believed.

So instead I threw myself into my clay, spent the most time in my studio I have in a long while, 6 hours. Last night, instead of being able to sleep, it took me quite a while before I drifted off.

We try to forget, we try to put it out of our minds, those with sensitive souls, yet we don't want others to forget. I have dealt with those who so arrogantly can not only believe it never happened but publicly proclaim it. I won't go there this year. My soul and spirit can't take it any longer, so I choose to forget what is said, what day it is, who I am, for a little while at least, my mind may be taken off it, but my heart and soul always are aware.

I have a shop at etsy called AlmostARTifacts. In there are some pieces I made a while ago that I was inspired to do , actually by school children. In a project to learn about prejudice they started something that involved many people from around the world. You can learn about it here. and here .

Or please see the trailer here. And if you can find it in your local video store or online store, I highly recommend renting it, and don't forget the boxes of tissues, you'll need them.

I know the history of the paperclip has been disputed, but the heart of the project stays the same. That is why I have incorporated this commonplace devise into some of my pieces, and the proceeds from the sale of them will go to help maintain that museum. So if you feel inclined to help support this endevour by these children, take a look around my shop AlmostARTifacts and check out the Paperclip Items for Holocaust Museum section.
Please click on the individual pictures for a close up view of the piece. Thank you!

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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Only Three Days Left!




To enter the Spring Fling Scavenger Hunt! The hunt ends this Friday, April 24th at midnight, so if you haven't already joined in the hunt, do so today before it's too late! Click here for details, or visit my shop organicodysseys.etsy.com to see the other shops participating.

This dainty pendant on gold choker is the prize I am offering and not available in my shop, but made especially from my Field of Poppies Cane for this event.



First image effects courtesy of dumpr.com

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Sunday, April 19, 2009

SisterHood Award



I received this from my fellow Guild Member Jan Geisen, a fantastic artist, a little over a week ago, but it came just before Passover and there just wasn't time to post about it, nor to give consideration to those that I would bestow this upon. It was given because she thinks my blog is creative and inspirational, and in return, I get to nominate women whose blogs inspire and encourage me. Please make sure to check out Jan's shop if you haven't already.

I have taken some time to go through all the blogs I frequent, and although I enjoy reading them all ( or else they wouldn't be on my list or I wouldn't be subscribed to them) these I find I really look forward to reading each time they publish.

Wonderful Wire - This is Mary, of wonderfulwire.etsy.com and her blog is called livingwithwalls . Mary is living her dream on a boat ( I always wanted to live on a house boat, and Florida in the cooler months always was a possibility) and doing her wonderful art despite the cramped quarters as well as other limitations, but is a ray of sunshine after a storm in her inspirational posts. Please take time to visit the shop of this beautiful Florida artist.

Next is Amanda of Polyclarific.etsy.com . Amanda has a full life as a mother, a pastors wife and all around crafter and artist. She always has some amusing or interesting antidote to share about her life, 'down under' and inspires me with all she does. Stop in to her shop to see her varied and eclectic selection of all things Polymer and some of her textile art, and check out her blog called Oddsocks, too!

Another favorite is a favorite of many others I'm sure, but still on my list for her funky, eclectic, a bit nerdy, colorful and always interesting day to day bites of the life of the owner of PolkaDot cottage, Lisa Clarke. You can visit her blog and store there and her etsy shop here. Take a read, a look and I'm sure you will fall in love with her writing and artistic style as well! ( right now I am envying her as she is where I'd like to be this weekend~!) .

Next up is a woman who has pioneered a blog that features only Judaica Artists and has very graciously, featured a few of my pieces there over the past months. I love reading her Shabbat haiku, and anything else she writes about or features. This award goes to Dr.Mom. Here is her inspiring blog Judaica Journal , stop in and send some good thoughts and prayers her way as she has been seriously ill of late.

My next choice is someone whom I've never met, but have read all I can about, and that is Tori Hughes, or Victoria Hughes. When I came back to polymer clay years ago, I went to the local library and found her innovative book, Polymer, The Chameleon Clay. I took that book out and renewed it more times than I can remember. I was fascinated with her work and I had also seen an article in a Jewelry magazine that I read and reread over and over. ( Oh, and BTW, I finally was able to get my hands on my very own copy, which I treasure). I loved the history she gave the new clay, and it inspired me to do pieces of things that interested me from ancient times, different cultures but, with the added patina of time. I have also been following her blog ( which she doesn't update enough for my appetite ;) ) Log notes for Creative Action and have also been inspired by that, so, my reason for bestowing the award to her. Her works can be seen, here and here .

Another of my favorites is another fellow guild member, Valerie Aharoni. Even though she doesn't write nearly enough of what I'd like to read, what she does write is always interesting and leaves you wanting more! She is a wonderful artist and award winner, but more important a lovely soul that reaches out to share what she acquires through trial and error with anyone who is smart enough to look and learn. Her shope is full of wonderful OOAK pieces that must be looked at to fully appreciate, and her blog is defiantly worth listing in your reader to follow every time she publishes!

And last but certainly not least ( you just know I couldn't pick only 5, didn't you? :) ) , is Kim Cavender ( with an 'e') ;) . What can I say about Kim that hasn't already been said or known about her? Nothing I can think of so I will risk repeating what you may already know, but certainly is no crime to read again. She is a very talented and fun loving artist, and polymer clay is her medium to best express that. Since first becoming 'acquainted' with her through television like on the Carol Duvall show, as well as many tutorial articles in Polymer Cafe, I felt there was a kindred spirit there, especially when I read her mini artist bio in PC, that she thought that Lime Green was the new neutral. :) The first time I read that, I said out loud, "me too!' And that is not the only thing I feel I have in common with the Lady of uncommon things, we both share a love for the organic, the natural, the beauty in what many take for commonplace but in reality, is very special. As well as bright organic colors mixed with black and white ( something I used to do in my quilt making days and haven't quite transitioned that to my clay work just yet).
You can see all this in her works in her etsy shop, and in her blog as well. Take a look if you haven't already and discover this fantastic artist.

Well I guess I had better finish up or this will be my first and last award, cause I am so long winded!

Have fun discovering, or rediscovering these great inspirational ladies!

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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Happy Tax Day!

It seems everything this month was due on the 15th! Boy am I glad that I got all it done and it's over. Those of you who have been procrastinating and did it the last minute can breath a sigh of relief. Relax, have some fun, why not do some online shopping? The Spring Fling contest is still going on, only 4 days left! I've got less than a dozen entries so far so your odds of winning are good.

Why not take a moment right now and go check it out? Click here to read all about it!

And don't forget my prize is this Field of Poppies necklace, especially made for the Spring Fling Hunt .



For those who are Polymer clay or jewelry artists, you will like this. I have polished (buffed) many a piece on my cotton wheel table buffer and never once had anything tork and go flying off on me. That is, not until I was buffing this piece.
I guess for some reason it wanted to live up to it's name and decided to go on it's own 'Spring Fling'! I am happy to report, even though it hit the paneled wall and bounced off and onto the carpet, it didn't hurt it at all! Good strong pendant there! :)

Have FUN Hunting!




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Monday, April 13, 2009

Spring Fling, time to go a hunting!

PCAGOE Spring Fling Scavenger Hunt!

Who, what where and how: PCAGOE, the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy, is sponsoring a Spring Fling Scavenger Hunt from April 13 to 24, 2009. To participate, visit my shop during that time and search for the hidden Spring Fling image among my items. When you find it, send me a convo through Etsy that includes the URL of the listing where the image is hidden (or just click on “contact seller” from the item where the image is hidden, and the item info will automatically appear in the subject line.)

That's it! You must be a registered Etsy user to qualify, so if you have not already registered, please take a moment to do so, it's Free and you can join in our fun! Registering is fast and easy.

On April 24, 2009, I will draw a winner at random using an online random number generator. I will notify the winner by return convo and make arrangements to issue you the prize. I will also post the winner's name here on my blog. Please be sure to check your convos!

For the special prize I am offering please see this blog post.

Here is a list of the other participating shops. Each member is offering a different prize! You can also visit our team website – http://pcagoe.com – for a complete list of participating shops and the prizes they are offering.


SHOP: beetreebyme.etsy.com
PRIZE: 50% off any in stock item in shop or 20% off any custom item
------------------------------------------
SHOP: marciapalmer.etsy.com
PRIZE : pendant
------------------------------------------
SHOP: polymerclaycreations.etsy.com
PRIZE: 35% off any item in stock
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: jkollmann.etsy.com
PRIZE: These Honey earrings
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: bijouxjardin.etsy.com
PRIZE: One Tree Focal of choice
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: SilverGate.etsy.com
PRIZE: Set of magnets (4-5) in winners choice of available colors.
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: polyclarific.etsy.com
PRIZE: 20% off your order Excluding postage
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: laurelsteven.etsy.com
PRIZE: 25% off any item in the store
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: OrganicOdysseys.etsy.com
PRIZE : Special spring pendant
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: jewelzodonnell.etsy.com
PRIZE: Bakers Dozen of buttons
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: zoeowyn.etsy.com
PRIZE: Wee Beastie shaker egg
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: utopiabeads.etsy.com
PRIZE: pendant
----------------------------------------
SHOP: iamcr8ve.etsy.com
PRIZE: Vinho Verde Cascada necklace
-------------------------------------------
SHOP: juliespace.etsy.com
PRIZE: $10 gift Certificate good throughout shop
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: nkdesigns.etsy.com
PRIZE: Winner picks any item in the store.
-----------------------------------------
SHOP: revonav.etsy.com
PRIZE: $50 gift certificate
------------------------------------------
SHOP: CreativeSpiritToo.etsy.com
PRIZE: $20 Gift Certificate
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So what's the Spring Fling Image you are looking for?
Right here! Look for these beautiful springy Iris's.










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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Red Moon Rising

Well, once again I forgot to take a picture of my Seder table, one year I may remember. Actually I did remember half way through, but it was too late. So In the line of the plagues, I found this interesting.

I Hope you all had a wonderful Passover. The day after, on Thursday night we were taking a walk outside and this is what greeted us. I was very surprised, last time I had seen a red moon rising, was in the very same place, sometime last year, I can't remember when, it might have been around Sukkot, I can't find my pictures I took of it. But I did grab my camera and got these cool shots.

This shot on the left is to help you put it into prospective. this is a street down in front of my house. You can see the street light, as well as some lights from the houses.
In the picture on the right, I have zoomed in but you can still see in the lower right the street lights in the distance. I took this from up on top of a small hill where I live.

I have seen big, colored moons like this in the fall, but I can't remember seeing them in the spring, specifically at Passover. This is a totally full moon at this time. It took about an half hour or a bit more for it to rise enough where it no longer had any reddish or orange tint to it.

Don't know what this means, I have only seen the moon look this dark red when there was a total eclipse. I love looking at the night sky when there isn't any cloud cover or city light 'smog', it is amazing how many stars are there and how it changes moment by moment. Hope you had an interesting week!

Today I am hoping to have a dream come true, dining al fresco under a weeping cherry tree, something I've wanted to do for years! Wish me good weather!

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Spring Cleaning for Passover

Chag Sameach Pasach!

How is it we forget year to year what a pain Cleaning for Passover can be? I guess it is partly my fault, I start with cleaning, then that turned into organized, downsizing, labeling, etc. and what should have only taken about 10 minutes to clean out my spice drawer took over an hour. Not only that but I shifted it's place in the kitchen.



One thing I do like, when I first moved in I didn't use regular drawer liner paper. I went to the local bargain outlet and got some high end wallpaper, a nice big heavy roll of it, that is meant for a bath or kitchen, and looks like marble, and used that. It's a snap to wipe clean and very pretty to look at when you catch a glimpse of the bottom of the drawer.

It is such a good feeling when you are done. Exhausted, but done. The house is clean, crumb free, the kitchen is spotless, but now you are afraid to cook in there, afraid to make the slightest mess. Now if it could only stay that way! But soon I will have to make noodles which will probably boil over on me and now that my oven is clean and sparkling, I have to bake my matzoh. I have to bake my own because I have celiac disease and can't eat regular matzoh. I have come up with my own recipe that only takes 9 minutes from start to finish! Cutting the 18 minute time limit in half!

Now if you suddenly found out that you have more guests coming or that Uncle Nathan invited his new girlfriend and her three kids and they are coming early, here is one of my favorite recipes that takes about 5 minutes to prepare with things on hand. I developed this myself as a healthy organic spread to nosh on and it's been so popular, I've had to double the recipe many times because the bowl always gets scraped clean!

I will give you the regular recipe for 1 cup, you double or triple or whatever for your needs. We usually have it with veggie chips but it will go just as well with matzoh!

Spring Fresh Spinach Garlic Dip!

1 brick of cream cheese
2-3 garlic cloves ( depending on the size)
2 tablespoons of a red pepper ( don't worry about chopping too much it will be later)
3 handfuls of fresh spinach, freshly washed

Add cream cheese to processor by cutting it into 1 inch pieces. Next add your garlic and peppers. Pulse and stop occasionally to scrap down sides and move cheese around. When it looks slightly blended ( the red pepper will start coloring the cheese pink), then add your spinach, you should be able to cram it down , if not do it in two phases. Now pulse until spinach is chopped up and incorporated into cheese. Again you may have to stop and with a small spatula, push un-chopped spinach down. Do this until smooth, only takes a couple minutes total. Scrap into nice bowl, put on platter with broken matzoh boards surrounding it. As long as you wash your spinach, it will be creamy enough to dip into. If not, leave a little appetizer spreader knife in it. Don't make room for leftovers, there won't be any!

I love this, and you might need a lift right about now. Matzoh Man Enjoy!

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Monday, April 6, 2009

BLOGS I FOLLOW




I am making this as a post because with the layout I've chosen the list makes the blog way too long and I like following a variety of other blogs. So thought I would condense it on the front page, and if anyone's' interested they can see here. :) Enjoy discovering someone new!

These are blogs I follow regularly:

Beadworx
Craftgossip
Craftygoat
Ellaluna
Judaicajournal
Kathleendustin
Kimcavender
lisaclarke
organicauthority
Pipsjewellery
polymerclaychameleon
polymerclaydaily
SCdiva
TinaHolden
Tonjastreasures
TORY_HUGHES
webecoist




These are blogs of my fellow PCAGOE members:

http://blogs.oddsocks.net/ahunt/ ( Amanda- Polyclarific)
http://aardvarkcreations.blogspot.com/
http://www.beadladyangeli.blogspot.com/
http://artbylilin.blogspot.com/
http://caninable.blogspot.com/ ( Wes Warren)
http://breathtakingbeadzz.blogspot.com/ ( Cyndie)
http://bead-bunny.com/ (Caren)
http://www.chickietsy.blogspot.com/ ( Tina)
http://poly-clay.blogspot.com/ (claycass)
http://constancepelkeydesigns.blogspot.com/ (conniesclay)
http://CreativeSpiritOriginals.blogspot.com/
http://divadea.blogspot.com/
http://eugenascreations.blogspot.com/ http://polymerclaychameleon.blogger.com
http://inediblog.blogspot.com/
http://ittybittiesforyou.com
http://polymerionline.blogspot.com/ ( Iris Mishly)
http://jaelsjewels.blogspot.com/
http://jangeisen.blogspot.com/
http://jewelzodonnell.blogspot.com/
http://juliespacedesign.blogspot.com/
http://laurabeestudios.blogspot.com/
http://laurelsteven.blogspot.com/
http://livingwithkiwis.wordpress.com (ToniNZ)
http://livvyludesign.blogspot.com/
http://lynnslittlecreations.blogspot.com/
http://marciapalmer.blogspot.com/
http://marcym.xanga.com/
http://milicab.blogspot.com/
http://naturevisions.blogspot.com/
http://nkdesignslindariopel.blogspot.com/
http://mariapsaltis.blogspot.com/ (oneandonly)
http://organicodysseys.blogspot.com/
http://peculiarforest.blogspot.com/
http://peggerspolymer.blogspot.com/
http://blogs.oddsocks.net/ahunt/ ( Amanda's musings, Polyclarific)
http://ruth-t.blogspot.com/ (Ruth Tarragano)
http://sharonsjewelrygarden.blogspot.com/
http://Signatureleilei.blogspot.com/
http://SpiritMama-Art.blogspot.com/
http://studiobijou.wordpress.com/
http://thecolorofdreams.blogspot.com/
http://daphnemdesigns.blogspot.com (utopiabeads)
http://valerieaharoni.com/
http://livingwithwalls.blogspot.com/ (wonderfulwire - Mary)
http://zoeowyn.blogspot.com/

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Spring Has Sprung!

The sun is shining , the birds are singing sweetly outside my window, the boy doves are chasing the girl doves around the yard, my neighbors forsythia is in full bloom and there are green wild onions popping up everywhere! My husband even reported he saw 'Phil', our resident groundhog merrily skipping about the back yard on his way to some unknown secret rendezvous. AND I've finally enticed a pair of house wrens to make a nest in the eaves of my back porch so I can watch them with their young and they are both busy getting it ready for the 'blessed event' .

Not only all that but when I wake up each morning and come out of the bedroom a sweet perfume greets me. The first day this happened ( last Thursday) I couldn't understand why the house smelled like perfume as I made one of my nightly trips to the Bathroom. It wasn't until the next day I remembered that DH brought me home from the store a hyacinth, one of my favorite spring flowers, along with gardenias and bouquets of purple iris, red tulips and yellow daffodils. I have a brown thumb with the finicky gardenia (can't keep the house cool enough for them), and all those others weren't in the store yet but I have a hyacinth and every morning its wonderful smell greets me like a friendly spring 'Hello'!

So I know spring is defiantly here and I have something to share with you, a bit of a preview actually. The PCAGOE ( Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy) will be having another Scavenger Hunt very soon Called the 'Spring Fling'! And this is the prize I am offering ( I bet you've been wondering what that was up top) :) . Since my Impressionist Field of Poppies cane seems to be so Popular ( especially on my Flicker photo stream) and Cynthia Tinapple of Polymer Clay Daily liked it so much and put it on her blog on the first day of March titling it "Breath of Spring" in her second looks column, I decided to make a pendant from it and offer it as my special prize! This won't be found in my etsy shop because it is just for you, the winner of the prize, whomever that shall be. I will be giving you all the details soon, so check back. I just wanted to give you a chance to see what is waiting in store for you if you are the winner!




Stay tuned for more updates of How, where and when!

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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Voting Begins!

Time to cast your vote! Yes, voting is now open until next Tuesday at Midnight EST in the PCAGOE Faux Challenge!

Take a look at all the entries by clicking on the View Slide show " button below.

View slideshow

This month I entered a rather large and entailed piece. It is a game board, that can be used for either checkers or chess, made from imitative turquoise ( my own recipe, stay tuned for an upcoming tutorial I am sharing with you all on how I do this!) and imitative ivory. That is 32 pieces of each! It took me over 70 hours to complete this and I think it is my first and last one!

On the Ivory ones, I have hand carved the letters of the Ancient Paleo, Phoenician, Canaanite, or Hebrew Alef-bet. This one I used, mainly comes from around 700bce and uses some of the letters found on the inscription in Hezekiah's tunnel In Jerusalem. If you have visited my other etsy store AlmostARTifacts you know of my devotion (obsession?) with ancient languages, especially those of the Middle East.

I have mounted the tiles onto a wooden tray that I have pyro engraved and stained. So this is my entry to the challenge, but there are many more and all wonderful pieces! So why not take a moment, go here, look them over and cast your vote! And for your time and comments ( we love comments) you will be entered into a drawing of some cool prizes which you can see here.


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