Handmade

Folklore Crafts at the Historical Museum of Crete

2014-11-15T17:31:00.002-07:00

Embroidery of Crete

Hills of herbs above Zaros, Crete.

High in the hills of central Crete, these crafts were displayed on the stone walls of a lake-side restaurant called I Limni. How beautiful, but just a small sampling of the gorgeous historical crafts we were to see in Iraklio at the Historical Museum of Crete.

Crete Weaving

Pictures from the Historical Museum of Crete

For a full understanding and appreciation of the beautiful handmade crafts of Crete, be sure to visit the Cretan folklore collection on the third floor of the Historical Museum of Crete in Iraklio. What a find this was! The entire museum was fascinating, but I had no idea of the extensive collections of hand crafted antique laces, embroideries, woven cloths, musical instruments, pottery, jewelry and basketry all so beautifully displayed on the top floor.

Lace making display at the Historical Museum of Crete.

Basket weaving at the Historical Museum of Crete. Beautiful!

Crafts of Crete. Embroidery & Pottery of Crete

Wonderful re-creation of a Cretan home of days gone by, displaying crafts and way of life.

The loom was large and central in the small Cretan home of yesteryear.

Handmade wooden musical string instruments of Crete.

Gorgeous embroidery of Crete

More stunning weaving, embroidery and lace hand crafted in Crete.

Beautiful Cretan embroidery, and weavings displayed in imaginative and realistic setting.

Herbs Growing in an Orange and a Lemon

2012-04-09T09:31:00.001-06:00

Basil grown in a lemon, thyme in an orange.

Here's a cheerful, creative little project that takes the winter chill off while waiting for spring. I had as much fun with the photography as I did repotting the herbs into the peels. Kids like this project, too.

Simple to do. Grow the herbs from seed in tiny pots and then transplant them into the citrus rinds for a fresh and pretty temporary display.

If the citrus fruit doesn't sit upright, square off the bottom with a sharp knife so the fruit sits flat. Slice the top off leaving more rind on the bottom than the top. Scoop out the insides of the fruit. Poke a few small drainage holes in the flat bottom.

Transplant your little herb plants. I grew mine from seed indoors in late winter and they were treated to a few hours of artificial light each day to prevent them from getting spindly.

The thyme is 2 months old and the basil is about 4 weeks from seeding. Spread the bottom roots out from the centre and place the plant into the fruit peel cup. Gently add moist potting mix and firm the plants into the fruit peel cup. Voila!

Spend some fun time taking a few pictures. These cheerful and gorgeous little herbs will not thrive in the peel pots for very long, and they will need to be transplanted again within a few days. So have some fun taking pictures. Or display them at a brunch. They smell lovely, too.

Jewellery - the Museum of Archeology in Istanbul, Turkey

2011-01-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

Crafters can get new ideas at archeological museums. What colour combinations did ancient peoples use? What designs and materials? Besides learning about ancient cultures, visual artists are treated to the artistic sense of those who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago.

The Archeological Museum in Istanbul Turkey has an exceptional collection of ancient beads and jewelry.

Back to Travel in Istanbul

Hypertufa

2010-09-18T04:40:00.002-06:00

I made this tiny hypertufa pot about 10 years ago, and it still looks great. What's hypertufa? It's a mixture of portland cement and a lighter filler, such as peat, or vermiculite or perlite. You mix this with water and mold it in other pots or containers. It is excellent for growing shallow, little plants, such as alpines, for a natural rock-like setting. There are more detailed instructions for making hypertufa on the internet, so I won't add my own. I like hypertufa. This was a great little project and someday I will make more hypertufa.

A little hypertufa pot adds interest

Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore

2010-04-25T09:23:00.011-06:00

The displays at the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore were numerous and expertly presented. We spent several hours there and could have returned another day to see more. Crafts of ancient pottery, jewelry, cloth and baskets were plentiful.

By pressing a button on the display case a photographic image appeared behind the jewelry to show how it was worn.

The museum displays were often darkened and dramatic.

Gold, silver, gems, cloths, basketry, pottery, copper, statues from all over Asia, including India and China, were presented. The collection was huge and beautiful.

For more on museums in Singapore visit my travel blog.

Also, visit my collection of Beautiful Buddhas from the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore.

Easy to Make Haliotis Iris Earrings

2010-02-13T15:08:00.005-07:00

Abalone, paua, or haliotis iris, whatever name is used, this is a beautiful iridescent shell. These simple earrings were made with 16mm flat round haliotis iris beads and 20 gauge round half-hard sterling silver wire. I curled the tips of each piece of wire into a small loop. The shell beads were added and each was topped with a small sterling bead. The silver wire was bent into earring shape and lightly hammered for strength. I then sanded the earwires on the ends and also sanded the wire at the top of the earrings, for a more comfortable fit in the ears. I added a dab of glue to keep the shells facing flat out in unison.

Traditional Dress and Cloth Making - Hmong Hill Tribe, Northern Thailand

2009-11-09T19:21:00.019-07:00

Spinning and traditional clothing

Ironing

We travelled north from Chiang Mai in Thailand up into the hills, to a Hmong Hill Tribe village. The gracious woman in the picture was enthused to show us traditional ways of spinning, ironing and other aspects of cloth making. Her workspace, which was also her home, was a darkened wooden hut with a dirt floor and a burning hearth in the middle. Some of the cloth was made from hemp, and cannabis plants grew nearby. Traditional Hmong dresses and costume were displayed on the outside walls of the hut. We purchased from our tiny, skilled hostess, a band of beautiful batik blue and white cloth, much like the middle band in the blue and pink skirt in the picture above. As we left, we gave a donation, as there was no fee charged. We knew we had observed crafting skills, and a way of life, that most likely would not endure.

Return to Bangkok.

Pearl and Sterling Silver Earrings

2009-10-19T01:38:00.017-06:00

Sterling and Pearls, Classic Combination

It's easy, fun and relaxing to make jewellery. Minimal tools are required to satisfy your creative spirit, in this way. Plus, you can make very personal gifts for friends and family.

In folklore, silver is cleansing . Silver wire is sold in different sizes, or gauges, and different levels of ‘hardness’. A very soft silver wire is easily bent and shaped. Harder wire takes a bit more muscle. Silver hardens with movement and hammering, and soft silver wire must be ‘hardened’ to retain its shape.

These earrings are made with 22 gauge semi-soft sterling silver wire and creamy white freshwater pearls. In these earrings, the shape of the ear wire is squared. To make them, I cut two identical pieces of silver wire and hammered the tips to expand and flatten, to keep the pearls on. I filed the ends, shaped the silver wire, and then lightly hammered the silver to set the shape. These are my favourite everyday earrings.

The pearls are exceptionally beautiful. I purchased these on a vacation to Turkey, in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. The Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest markets in the world and Istanbul is one of the most interesting cities I have been to.

Rhodochrosite Bracelet with Hilltribe Heart Charm, Sterling and Handcrafted

2009-10-12T02:34:00.018-06:00

A Cheerful Stone

In gemstone folklore, Rhodochrosite is associated with love. When I wear rhodochrosite people respond favourably to it. The soft pink colour is joyful and warm. I like to put rhodochrosite in a bracelet so the wearer can see the beads and get a little hit of cheerful, soothing pink throughout the day. This stone is a semi-precious stone, found mainly in South and North America.

Open Your Heart to Rhodochrosite
The perfect colour and unique cut of the rhodochrosite beads in this bracelet demanded special treatment. I kept the bracelet simple, to show off the glorious colour of the beads, adding only one silver heart. This patterned heart is made by Hill tribe people of Thailand, the ‘Karen’ people, who are known for their fine work with silver. Hill tribe silver has a higher silver content than sterling. I like the rustic, solid quality of Karen silver, and I use it often. Five years ago I travelled to Thailand and besides having a wonderful holiday, we journeyed into the hills around Chiang Mai, where Hill tribe peoples live.

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