Eight Days of Chanukah

I was involved in a very special Holiday Exchange this year - The Eight Days of Chanukah. I am not Jewish - and I am embarrassed to say I knew very little of the Holiday - but a small group of very talented artist friends invited me to play with them!......I learned a lot ....and I received amazing presents, too!

Day One ...a beautiful and appropriate charm from the CHARM QUEEN herself - Amber Dawn!
Look at all the details she added - crystals, wirework, beautiful beads.....impeccably made to the highest standards that are Amber's trademark!


Day 2 a handmade, hand stitched and hand painted triangle doll from Fran Saperstein. Just look at that gorgeous face!....and all the embroidery! Fran says she is a pin cushion doll - but no pin is going to pierce my lovely doll! She will sit in a place of honor so I can see her and admire her everyday!




On Day 3 .... take a look at this stunning wayward threads shawl! Joanne Thieme Huffman dyed her own fabrics - a soft warm woolly flannel and a sheer silk - and dyed it herself in beautiful shades of blue - and then sewed it up all together into an airy but cozy shawl! I've already worn it into town and it is so warm and comfy and garnished lots of Oohs and Ahhs!!


Day 4 - Joyce Vance made this hand dyed, photo transferred and sewn sachet pillow filled with fragrant lavender, rose, and lemon verbena - GROWN FROM HER OWN FRESH HERB GARDEN! Oh, so lovely and it smells DIVINE!


This is the back!



On the 5th day of Chanukah Judy Streger gave to me this FANTABULOUS .....Pierrot Doll! I had listed my favorite colors as black, white and red, and Judy used those colors just for me! He has a porcelain face and hands and button hair and can stand up all by himself! ...and look at that cool ruffle around his neck!

Judy loves making dolls and I love collecting them! for this exchange Judy made all of the dolls different. My doll, of course, is my FAVORITE!

On Day 6, Kara Kline made me an art book all about the "Joys" of Chanukah. It is so fabulous that I have pictures of all the various fabric and paper pages. It has lots of free motion sewing, stamping and embellishments. What a work of art! I also learned all about the Holiday in Kara's typical unique and humorous way!






Day 7 was my day. I made forged copper necklaces, that as Joanne says, were forged, folded,riveted and wired. They had little cyclone bird nests with a real turquoise stone egg and black polymer birds and copper wire with "drops" hanging out from a copper cone to simulate rain. I called them "sheleter from the rain". I only took this one picture (figures, huh?) but here it is:


On Day 8, the final day, (BOO HOO!) I received this spectacular collage painting ornament from Sandee Hyde. The background is multiple layers overglazed to look aged, yet very lovely. Atop this was a "dancing princess" butterfly hanging from the moon over a cloud. The back of the collage hanging was just as intricately and artistically embellished and - get this -Sandee cleverly created this stunning Chanukah ornament over a dimensional ribbon spool!