Cut 'n Paste

A little something for someone...

My friend and boss, Melissa is celebrating her birthday today so I decided to make her a necklace combining one of our Melissa Frances brooches and green beads as it is her favorite color. There are some ongoing office jokes about Melissa being the "Queen", so I thought it would be appropriate to use the crown brooch☺
 
After making the necklace I wanted to package it nicely, so I made a little fabric bag for it embellishing it with Melissa Frances lace, a tin type photograph and a mother of pearl button.
 Then, I put the fabric bag inside a cigarette tin which I decorated with antique ledger, dictionary and music paper.
 

The Monastery of the Twelve Apostles

 
Still making our way around the Sea of Galilee on July 4th, our next stop was The Monastery of the Twelve Apostles. This Greek Orthodox church was the most ornate of the churches we visited that day, with a stunning mosaic ceiling. This spot seemed to be a favorite of tour groups as it was packed during our visit. This made for very few photos showing much more than the ceiling as the crowds made most other photos pretty unspectacular.

One of the things I found most intriguing at this church was how near the alter at the front of the church there was a piece of fabric where people had affixed photos of their loved ones, notes, and some pretty amazing jewelry. I didn't (and still don't) understand why they were doing this...if anyone knows, please fill me in☺
 
  
 

Capernaum

(Rick and I at the entrance to the Ancient Ruins of Capernaum)
 (At the most spectacular portion of the city, the "White Synagogue".)

Our next stop was the Ancient City of Capernaum, which is said to have been the home of the apostles Peter, Andrew, James, John and the tax collector Matthew. 

Upon entering the village, we had to pay an admission fee, and I was also instructed to cover up as I was wearing a sleeveless sundress. I had brought a shawl as I knew there would be some places where I would have to do so, but let me tell you, this cold-lovin' girl, while doing as asked, was not overly cheerful about obligeing them as it was 35° C in the blistering sun.

We were really lucky to hit the village in between a few bus loads of tourist groups, so we had good chuncks of time when we could set our camera(s) up with the tripods and try to get a few pictures of us together. Our favorite part of the townwas the "White Synagogue".  Built in the fourth or 5th century it is a stunning piece of antiquity.
 
 

The Church of the Beatitudes

 (The church as you walk up the path from the parking lot)

This week I'd like to share with you a few more of the adventures Rick and I had while in the North of Israel. I have had so little time since coming home to edit photos, etc. so I do apologize that it's taken me this long to continue our trip recap.

On July 4th Rick and I set out from our home base in Safed to visit some of the Historical sights in Galilee relating to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Our first stop was the Church of the Beatitudes.  We made it there just before the church closed for a mid-day break. This meant that we only had about 10 minutes to look our fill.

The church, built in the 1930s, was built on the traditional sight where Christ delivered the "Sermon on the Mount". While the outside of the church was nice, the inside was a little too modern/deco for my taste. However, there was no denying that the location was beautiful. 
 (The facade of the church)
 (A beautiful song book on display in the sanctuary)
 (Rick and I behind the church with the Sea of Galilee in the background.)

Green Gate

Ever since my second trip to Norway when I discovered Green Gate products in a home decor shops there, I have been enamoured with their beautiful florals and vintage flair. I was totally excited when in Israel to discover that my beautiful host knew of an Israeli store that carried Green Gate and other similar products. We visited Nekuda where the items pictured above were purchased and packed into my suitcase. I also purchased two remnants of oilcloth which I plan to sew into a bag eventually (ie, when I learn to sew well enough, LOL).

If you've never seen the Green Gate product line, click on the link above and check out their Winter 2011 catalog. There are some yummy products in it!

Dearly Beloved...

 
(Supply List: 5th Avenue Paper Pad (GN444) • Dearly Beloved Cardstock Stickers (GN441) • White Pearls (GN278) • Beige Lace Collection (GN302) • Rose Resin - from Tea Party Set (CX811) • Other - Copic markers to color resin, Cream Cardstock, White and Cream buttons)

I was asked by my friends at Scrap-Info, a Russian Scrapbooking magazine, to make a Melissa Frances wedding card for publication in their summer issue. I used our 5th Avenue collection, along with the matching wedding themed cardstock stickers to make this vintage card.

What have you been making recently?