Here’s another of my, “While I was in Las Vegas at Glass Craft” posts. What can I say, there was a lot to see. So I picked up some project sheets to share with all of you from Spectrum Glass. It’s part of their System 96 Glass Craft Program and this little fusing project is a glass coaster called Mediterranean Mosaic. It’s a simple beginner’s fusing project that can be done in a small kiln. Over at their web site they have this project and as well as a number of others. Here’s something to keep in mind with this project. You can use other glass for it but you must make sure the glass you use is compatible. System 96 has a COE of 96 and if you use COE 90 you’ll need to use that. I’m not saying you can’t use 96 but you can’t mix 96 and 90. The glass must match. But other than that have fun with this cute little tutorial.
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.