Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

Other Glass to Read…

by

Patricia Frantz bead

Patricia Frantz bead

I look around and I’m sure you look around the internets for interesting information about glass. Is there anything else? No. So I’m going to give you suggestions of some other blogs you may want to check out to learn about what other glass people are writing about. I’ve done this before with some bead makers…this time it’s across the board glass interests. Let’s start over at Frantz Art Glass. I mentioned them the other day as a supplier that will be at The Best Bead Show in Tucson. They have a blog and they talk about the classes they have scheduled as well as what’s new in their store. A good place to wander over to. Frantz is one of the best suppliers of glass and tools and equipment around.

Next try out Masters Glass Art. This is a fused glass blog on the site of David and Christine Masters. They sell glass products that they make as well as have a newsletter and some tutorials. It’s always good to wander around and see what else is out there. Next we’ll go over to Caligirl Art Glass and check out her blog. Very cute…tell me about any blogs you like to check out.

Have you read?

Book Review: The Festival of Lights

As if Diwali weren’t colorful and fun enough, The Festival of Lights: A Lift-the-flap Diwali Celebration by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Darshika Varm, makes it even more fun to read about with flaps and things to lift and pull to see more information or details in the illustrations. 

The book is a story about a family getting ready for Diwali and what happens on the different days of the five-day celebration. There’s cleaning, shopping, crafting, food preparation and getting the home altar ready for the big day. 

It covers decorating the outside of the house with rangoli, diyas and lanterns, buying sweets to share with family and friends, the sights and scents of the mandir (home temple), getting dressed up in new fancy clothes, the story of Diwali and celebrations with relatives.  

Flaps (there are more than 140 in all) give you vocabulary words for different foods and definitions, as well as fun things like what’s inside the shopping basket or where the cat is hanging out. They also help illuminate the story of Diwali, which is the triumph of good over evil as Lord Ram defeated the demon Ravana to save his wife, Sita. 

This pretty and colorful book helps kids understand what Diwali is and how it is celebrated, regardless of whether they practice it at home. This would be a nice book to keep in a classroom (it’s rated for kids ages 3-7) or to have at home to teach kids about Diwali even if it’s not something you celebrate. Where I live there are a lot of people from India so we are probably exposed to Diwali more than some other regions of America, but it’s a nice holiday to know about wherever you live. 

Combine with the book Diwali and check out some fun lantern crafts and printables for kids to round out your experience. 

About the book: 24 pages, hardcover, published 2025 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail prices $22.99.