Do You Want to Make a Bee Skep?

A bee skep, you say? Yes. A bee skep. Simply put, a bee skep is a straw hive, domed in shape, for bees. Using a skep is an old-fashioned method of keeping bees, one not commonly practiced today. But decorative bee skeps appear to be pretty popular right now, based on how many DIY instructions I found for them on Pinterest. So, when searching for a spring craft for my April Maker Magic take-home program, I decided to go with crafting a decorative bee skep. And, I’m glad I did.

This is a fairly easy craft to do, it didn’t take a lot of time to make, and in the end, I have a really cute piece that I can decorate with all summer long. I’d like to share with you now the instructions for making your own bee skep.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

About 34 feet of 3/8 thick rope – I purchased mine online from SGT. KNOTS Supply Co. To have enough rope to supply all my Maker Magic crafters I had to buy a lot of rope, 2400 feet worth. This is what that looks like, all 6 spools.

24 inches of 1 ½ inch wide wired ribbon – I found this adorable bumble bee on black and white gingham ribbon at an Etsy shop called TCT crafts.

Bumble bee accent – I purchased these bee buttons online from Buttons Galore & More.

Black acrylic paint & small paint brush

Hot glue gun & glue sticks – I worked with a mini-glue gun and used about 14-1/2 sticks of glue.

Flower pot – Used as the unseen base, I bought the ones we used for just one dollar each at Dollar Tree. The pots are 6 ¼ inch tall.

Scissors – I’ll be honest, the rope is hard to cut, so you’ll need a strong, sturdy pair of scissors to cut it.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Before we get started, just a gentle reminder to be very careful using a glue gun as they can be hot, even with so-called “low heat” guns.

1. From the 34-foot length of rope, cut two smaller pieces before you begin gluing the largest piece to the pot. One should be 12 inches long, the other 7 inches long.

2. Flip the pot over; it will be used upside down as the base of the skep. Begin gluing the longest piece of rope to the bottom of the pot. As you glue, go slow and steady. Only glue a section of rope of about 2 to 3 inches at a time as hot glue cooIs quickly.

3. After you apply glue, cover that section with rope, and then hold the rope in place until the glue sets.

4. Glue the rope all the way around the bottom, keeping it as close as possible to the edge.

5. When you get back to the point where you began, lay the rope up over the first row, staying as close as possible, and continue on. There may be a little spot left uncovered, but it won’t really show much. And you can make that the backside of your skep anyway if it bothers you.

6. From this point on, keep gluing rope on, going slow and steady, all the way up the pot. Remember, apply just small sections of hot glue as you go.

7. This picture shows how I ended up holding the pot while the glue sets. I know it looks like I’m gluing from the top down, but I’m not. It’s just how I picked the pot up and held on. I probably can’t explain this well, just give it a try. It allowed me to hold firmly onto all that I had already glued down.

8. When you get to the top of the pot, it’s time to attach the 12-inch piece of rope as the handle. Hot glue it as I did here or in some similar fashion that works for you. (I did not remove the tape from the ends of the rope in this step as they won't show in the end. Keeping the tape on prevents the rope from unraveling.)

9. Now continue to glue the rope, but when the pot is all covered, you will begin the process of narrowing the rope in to create the rounded dome of the top. You won’t have a pot to attach to anymore, so apply the glue on the top of the previous row of rope, kind of at the back of the top, if that makes sense. Keep working in this manner, making the open area smaller and smaller as you work to the top.

10.Work up and around the attached loop and when done, cut the excess rope and stick the end into the hole under the loop; apply some glue to hold it in place if necessary. This is what my top looks like.

11. Remove the tape from each end of the small piece of rope that is left. Now glue the two ends together, forming a circle. Hold firmly till the glue sets.

12. Decide where you want the faux opening on your skep to be. Using a marker – or anything that will draw on the rope – trace a circle using the inside of the rope circle you just created as a template.

13. Paint the inside of the circle black. You will probably need to paint some outside of the line as well. You’ll want to make sure the entire area inside the rope circle is painted black. Hold the rope circle up against the painted circle to check, and then keep painting until the black circle is big enough and fills the entire rope circle.

14. When the black circle is big enough, let it dry. Then glue the rope circle on over the black circle. Hold in place till the glue sets.

15. I made the bow using the “bunny ears” method as if tying shoes. If you don’t remember how to tie using “bunny ears”, please Google it or look for a You Tube video demonstration; they’re out there.

16. First, tie the ribbon tightly around one side of the loop.

17. My first attempt at the bow, I left the skep sitting on the table and tied my “bunny ear” bow. Guess what? It was upside down, with the ends sticking up. If that works for you, great, your bow is done. But I wanted mine with loops up, ends down. So, I put the skep on my lap, with the bottom pointing towards my knees, and tied the bow again. And this time it was just right. 😊

18. Last step, decide where you want your bee to be and hot glue it on. Hold in place till the glue sets.

That’s it! You’re all done. I love my finished bee skep, and I hope you’ll consider making one. I can help…

SUPPLY GIVE-AWAY!

I have enough supplies left over from my Maker Magic kits, that I can provide three lucky readers with the basics. I have rope, ribbon, bees, pots, and glue sticks just waiting to be claimed. If you would like to give making a bee skep a try, email me at graib@cidlibray.org and I’ll put together a bag of supplies, with printed instructions, for you to pick-up from the library.

BTW, I found these instructions on a blog called Life Inside the Page. I tweaked them a bit as you’ll see, but they were very helpful to me as I worked. Here’s the link to the blog if you’d like to check it out yourself:

https://lifeinsidethepage.blogspot.com/2019/04/how-to-diy-garden-bee-hive-made-from.html

LET’S GO TIGERS!

As I start to write this post, it’s April 1, opening day for the Detroit Tigers baseball season. Supposedly, per my weather app, it was 50 degrees and sunny as the game began. And yet when Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run home run in the very first inning, it was snowing so hard he couldn’t see that he’d actually hit the ball out of the park, and he slid into second base thinking he’d gotten a double instead. Thankfully, it was indeed a home run, and they would go on to win the game 3-2, defeating the Cleveland Indians. Go Tigers! It’s good to have baseball back and exciting to have some actual fans in the ballpark. Summer must surely be right around the corner. 😊

Take care and stay safe.

A Journey Through Ireland

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting quite antsy to travel again. I haven’t left Michigan since October 2019 when I visited my daughter, Janelle, in California for her 30th birthday. That was a great visit and trip; much fun was had by all! I miss Janelle dearly, and I’m sure sunny California will be one of the very first places I visit when non-essential travel opens back up. Oh, I can’t wait!

In the meanwhile, I’m going to pull out some travel inspiration and share with you pictures from my travels to Ireland. We are right on the cusp of St. Patrick’s Day after all, so the timing is right. ♣

I’ve written in previous posts of my travels with the Rick Steves’ EUROPE tour company. Rick Steves is the ultimate European travel guru who shows people how to explore Europe via his travel guide books, podcasts, DVDs, and TV shows on PBS. Our library has his books and DVDs on our shelves, just waiting for you to check them out.

Steves’ travel company leads tours through all of Europe, and I’ve been lucky enough to be part of five of them to date: Greece, Sicily, Ireland, France, and Scotland. While each of these countries and the tours I traveled on were amazing, Ireland is my favorite. And I’d like to share it now with you.

In August of 2013 I ventured to Ireland with my daughter, Laura. She won this trip from Rick Steves for submitting the best online "scrapbook" of 2011 showcasing our previous tour to Sicily. When she chose Ireland as her destination, I was very excited to sign on and go along for the fun!

As this was our third tour together, we've learned to go a few days early, allowing us time to acclimate to the time zone difference and be ready to go when the tour itself starts. Check out my blog post of January 25 to read some of the things we did to keep busy before the actual tour started, including visiting St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

DAY 1 As with all Rick Steves’ tours, we gathered for the first time in the afternoon for a group meeting to kick things off. Then, we were off on an orientation walking tour of the heart of Dublin, followed by our first group dinner. It was a chance to meet-and-greet our fellow tour members and our guide, Stephen.

Tour Itinerary

DAY 2 We spent the day exploring Dublin and its history. We walked to Trinity College, where we waited our turn in line to see the Book of Kells, a rare artifact created by scholarly Irish monks 1200 years ago. Alas, no pictures allowed. But check out the cool, Harry Potter-like library.

Day 3 On our way out of Dublin, we stopped at the Kilmainham Gaol, a historic prison that now serves as an important museum. In operation from 1796 to 1924, it housed ordinary prisoners as well as many Irish rebels who fought for freedom for their country from Britain.

Our first stop after leaving Dublin, was the Rock of Cashel, an ancient fortress and home to some pretty spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

In the afternoon, we arrived at our destination, Kinsale, a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, which also has significant military history.

DAY 4 After breakfast, we went on a walking tour of Kinsale with a local guide who told us all about his hometown. Kinsale is a beautiful town with many cute, colorful buildings. Ireland holds an annual contest known as Tidy Towns, which encourages communities to improve their local environment and make their area a better place to live, work, and visit. Kinsale won the top award in 1986 and strives to win again each year, keeping its town neat and tidy at all times.

We toured Charles Fort, a star-shaped military fortress that has stood firm since the seventeenth century. Its ramparts overlook Kinsale Harbor and offer a great view of the water.

After our visit to the fort, we made our way down the Scilly Trail, a trail that took us on a 45-minute walk back into town. It was a bit of a hike, but the wonderful views of the harbor made the extra effort worth it.

DAY 5 Leaving Kinsale in the morning, we passed through Kenmare, another cute town perennially in the running for the top Tidy Town. We were on our own for lunch and had enough time to take plenty of pictures of this charming burg.

Back on the road, we stopped at the Kissane Sheep Farm. A working sheep farm, we saw a demonstration of sheepdogs rounding up the sheep as well as sheep shearing.

Before and after!

Just past the sheep farm, we passed into and stopped at the Killarney National Park. At the foot of the McGillycuddy’s Reeks, the highest mountain range in Ireland, nestle the lakes of Killarney and the 26,000-acre National Park. As described by their website, “The distinctive combination of mountains, lakes, woods, and waterfalls under ever changing skies gives the area a special scenic beauty.” It was beautiful indeed, and there was much to see, but we only had time for a short visit/photo opportunity.

After the National Park, we headed to Dingle, which would be our home-base for the next three days. On two-week Rick Steves’ tours, they always build a day off into the middle of the trip. This day off, a vacation-within-a-vacation will you, gives everyone some down time and a chance to recharge their battery before the second week of a tour. Dingle was our place to recharge our batteries and quite frankly, I could have stayed forever in this lovely, friendly little town by the sea.

Dingle is located on the southwest coast of the Dingle Peninsula. To drive around the Dingle Peninsula is to travel some of the most beautiful, lush, green areas of the world. And the views of the North Atlantic Ocean are everywhere and amazing.

Dingle feels so traditionally Irish because it’s part of a Gaeltacht, a region where the government subsidizes the survival of the Irish language and culture. In Dingle, I heard locals speaking Gaelic. They also speak English, of course, but one must listen carefully to catch what they say.

I always look for the local Leabharlann. 😊

Our group was divided in half and split between two B&B’s right next door to each other. Two brothers, together with their wives, owned and operated the B&B's, one couple in charge of each home. Very gracious, kind hosts. The accommodations were lovely and the food delicious! Bread pudding for breakfast? Sign me up!

DAY 6 After our first amazing breakfast in Dingle, we got on our bus and drove around the Dingle Peninsula. I don’t really have any more words to tell you how gorgeous this area is, so let’s just go right to the pictures. 😊

One of our stops was at the Great Blasket Center, a museum that celebrates the history of the Blasket Islands, a group of islands off the tip of the peninsula. Although people lived on these island for centuries, beginning around 1597, it reached its peak population of 176 in 1916. When the population dropped to 22 in 1953, the decision was made to abandon living on the islands. Of note, many of those who left immigrated to Boston and Springfield, MA.

The largest of the islands across the water.

Inside the Blasket Museum.

Stained glass display that depicts Island life in an abstract way.

We visited the Gallarus Oratory, the best preserved early Christian church in Ireland, built between the seventh and eighth centuries.

Our last stop was the ruins of the 12th century church, Kilmalkedar and its graveyard.

Back in Dingle, we paid a short visit to a local shop where they still hand-cut crystal, a skill seldom practiced in Ireland any more. Master cutter and owner of the shop, Sean Daly, was on hand to give us a crystal cutting demonstration.

DAY 7 Our day off in Dingle. We slept in a bit and ate a more leisurely breakfast. We decided to spend the day walking about the small town, poking in nooks and crannies, and doing some gift shopping for folks back home.

Nooks and crannies and the Chapel of the Sacred Heart featuring Harry Clarke stained glass.

We made time for an ice cream break at Murphy’s because we heard it was delicious. Made locally using milk from Kerry cows and all-natural ingredients, it did not disappoint.

Dinner at Out of the Blue, said to be the best restaurant in Ireland. Fun and funky on the outside, delicious fish served inside.

We finished the day at a small concert at the Dingle Music Shop. Fiddle, violin, guitar playing with Irish dancing and singing. Lots of fun!

*If you’d like to read more about Dingle, here’s a link to an informative article on the Rick Steves website that will give you some added insight:

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/dingle-peninsula-pure-ireland

DAY 8

Heading out of Dingle, we made our made to the beautiful Cliffs of Moher. Yes, it was rainy, cold, and windy. But we didn’t let any of that stop us from enjoying the magnificence of the Cliffs. Breathtaking!

Not too far from the Cliffs, is a geopark known as the Burren. This area is known for its huge formations of limestone, formed millions of years ago. It kind of looks like the moon, stark and barren. Yet, look closely and you’ll see it has many flowers and plants that have taken root on its surface. A very interesting and unexpected sight in a country known for its lush, green countryside.

On to Galway. We spent two nights in this city, using it mostly as a gateway to all the nearby attractions we visited.

DAY 9 Today we took the ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. Upon our arrival, we made the trek to the top of Dun Aonghasa, a prehistoric hill fort. The climb was a bit treacherous, especially for me, but the view from the top made it all worthwhile.

We explored the rest of the island on a bus tour, had seafood chowder for lunch at Joe Watty’s, and went shopping at the Aran Sweater Market.

DAY 10 What a great day! We headed toward the lovely town of Cong where we made a surprise visit to Ashford Castle and had a chance to practice the art of falconry at their School of Falconry. Prior to this day, I had never thought of doing such a thing, and I’m kind of amazed at how much fun I had doing it! A truly memorable experience. But…

I am not going to go into great detail on this surprise at Ashford Castle, because I’ve already written about it at length in my September 20, 2020, blog post entitled Magical Moments: Part II. Please check it out for all the fun details. 😊 Here's a quick link to the post:

https://cidlbethsblog.wixsite.com/blog/post/magical-moments-part-ii

Cong, a city in two counties. ☺

Beautiful views on the drive to Westport.

Then we headed to Westport, our next stopover for the night. It was basically a place to sleep as we worked our way up to Northern Ireland.

DAY 11 In the morning, we were up early as we continued our journey north. We made a brief stop a few miles north of Sligo, at St. Columba’s church and graveyard, where poet W.B. Yeats is buried.

It was a long drive to Northern Ireland, and along the way we stopped in Derry. Official name, Londonderry, this is a city with much political, often violent, history. The conflict known as “The Troubles” began in Derry in the 1960s.

The Peace Bridge

There are murals all around Derry, reminders of "The Troubles."

Northern Ireland is part of Great Britain, so we were now in a different country, with different money. Britain never used the Euro, not even before Brexit (they use the pound sterling.)

We eventually got to Portrush, where we spent the next two nights. It is a small seaside resort town on the north coast of County Antrim.

DAY 12 We started our day by visiting the Giant’s Causeway, another spectacular land formation. In

this area there are about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. We were amazed at the interesting hexagonal-shaped columns and rocks which trail off into the sea.

Next stop, Bushmills Distillery. Touring and tasting at the distillery where they make one of the top-rated Irish whiskeys. This is also a very popular tourist destination. When taste-testing, I didn’t love it, but I have to say I didn’t hate it. 😊

What’s the best follow-up after you’ve been drinking whiskey? Walking the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, 98 feet above the water. LOLs! I held on with both hands and walked across, not looking down.

It spans 66 feet between the mainland and the tiny island of Carrickarede. It’s thought to have been originally built by salmon fisherman 350 years ago; today it’s a fun stop for brave tourists. And thankfully it’s been rebuilt in recent years making it much stronger and more stable than the original.

Once we got to the other side, it started to sprinkle. So, we turned around and went right back. I’m very glad we did because it started to rain heavily, and I would not have wanted to have to make the crossing in the rain. It was scary enough without having to do it on a slippery, wet surface.

On a very full day, our last stop was at the Dunluce Castle. Legend has it that the part of the medieval castle that was the kitchen fell into the sea centuries ago. Now, it’s but a fun ruin to explore.

DAY 13 We began the bus drive back to Dublin in the morning, another long day of travel ahead of us. Our only stop of any length was for lunch in Belfast, home of the shipyard where the RMS Titanic was built, beginning in 1909.

In 2012 a Titanic Museum opened, dedicated to the luxury liner and its single voyage. In 2013 the museum was not yet part of the Rick Steves’ tour. But a deal was struck with those of us who wanted to visit the museum: we would be dropped at the front door of the museum and given 90 minutes to explore.

With nine interactive galleries spread out over 6 floors, it was obvious we wouldn’t see everything. So, we made a mad dash and covered all the territory we could in the time given. It really is a blur to me today what all we saw, and about the only thing I remember is we rode the shipyard ride that simulates what construction life was like while building the Titanic.

And guess what, I didn't have time to stop and take pictures so I have none to show. But I wanted you to see how beautiful the outside of the museum is, so I borrowed the above picture from the Internet. Thank you! ☺ It's located on the spot where the Harland and Wolff shipyard sat, back in the day, when the Titanic was built.

Those who stayed on the bus, which was all but seven of us, got to spend their time in downtown Belfast and eat a more leisurely lunch. Laura abandoned me for the opportunity to take pictures in the downtown.

As you can see, Laura got more pictures of Titanic commemorations downtown than I did at the museum. Go figure!

And then we headed back to Dublin, where we had our final group dinner and said good-bye to our fellow tour members. After traveling together for two weeks, bonds are made, and this final dinner is always bittersweet as we end our time together.

This is the great group I traveled around Ireland with.

When our tour was over, Laura and I flew to London for a few days of travel and exploration on our own. But that’s a journey I’ll save for another time and blog post. 😊

Take care. Stay safe. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Sláinte!

It's Time for a Wee Luck of the Irish!

As our neck of the woods is slowly starting to green up outside (even if it’s just because the snow is melting) I’d like to share with you a St. Patrick’s Day craft with a touch of green itself.

This is the project from my latest Maker Magic program with the library. It’s a take-home kit I put together for 46 “lucky” patrons who pre-registered. I wish I could open the program up to everyone, but that’s just not possible. The next best thing I can do is share the instructions with you here on my blog.

And if you are interested in giving this craft a try, this month I am able to supply you with most everything you’ll need, except for the piece of wood and Mod Podge. I have the paper, the sparkle shamrocks, the pop dots, and the twine, rainbow string and green ribbon. Just shoot me an email at graib@cidlibrary.org and I’ll put together a supply bag for you for pick-up at the library.

Let’s get started!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

One Piece of wood – I purchased mine from a great Etsy shop called Sawdust Design Studio. They came pre-stained and sanded. Those I used measured 10 inches by 3.5 inches and were ¾ inches thick. (BTW, I ordered 47 pieces of wood, including one for the sample. Below is what my dining room table looked like for weeks.)

Assorted green patterned cardstock (You'll need five patterns, a different

one for each letter in LUCKY.)

Sparkle or glitter gold cardstock

Twine

Rainbow string

Green Ribbon (I ordered 4 kinds of ribbon online from an Etsy shop called Ribbon Sweets. I've been using Etsy a lot lately to purchase great supplies for my library programs. I find lots of good stuff there with decent prices. And most of them package their products so sweetly. This is what the ribbon arrived looking like.)

Mod Podge

Pop dots, 1/4 inch in size

Foam brush

Scissors

Pencil

Shamrock Paper Punch

WHAT YOU’LL DO

As I mentioned above, the wood I purchased for this project came already stained and sanded. If you want your LUCKY sign to look as mine did, you’ll need to do this step on your own.

LUCKY template

.pdf

Download PDF • 84KB

Print and cut out the L U C K Y templates. The link to my templates is right above.

Trace each letter on a different pattern of green cardstock. If you trace on the backside of the cardstock, you won’t have to worry about the trace lines showing. Just remember to trace the letter backwards when placed on the backside of the cardstock, so that when you turn the letter over, it will face the correct way.

Cut out each letter.

Place the letters on the board how you want them. If your board measures the same as what I used, they will need to be overlapped somewhat to fit. Be sure to leave about two inches to one side to allow for the rainbow string and twine.

Take a picture on your phone of how you’ve placed the letters to refer to as you glue them down. We’ll use Mod Podge to glue the letters down.

The first letter to be glued down needs to be one that’s “on the bottom” and is overlapped by another letter or two. It’s important to get the first letter placed properly as the placement of all the others will go from there and it will ensure they fit the board as they should.

I actually had two “bottom” letters, K and U. Starting with the K, I made a very light pencil mark on the board, along one edge of the K, so I’d know exactly where it should be placed. I did the same with the U and then removed all the letters from the board.

Apply a coat of Mod Podge to the entire back of your “bottom” letter, being sure to cover all the edges and points of the letter. Turn it over and carefully place it on the board where it belongs. Using this method, I placed both the K and U and then moved on and glued down the overlapping letters as well.

When all letters have been glued securely on your board, apply a layer of Mod Podge over them and the entire front of your board.

When the front side is dry, give the backside and all the edges a coating of Mod Podge.

When the Mod Podge is thoroughly dry, it’s time to add the twine, rainbow string, and ribbon. Starting with the rainbow string, wrap it around one end of board and tie the two ends tightly together.

Now wrap the twine two times around the board, making kind of an X over the rainbow string. Make a bow, tying it firmly.

Wrap the piece of ribbon around the center of the bow, tying it all firmly together.

Punch out three shamrocks using the shamrock paper punch, if you have one. If you don't, I can make shamrocks for you. Just let me know, and I'll leave some at the library for you.

The shamrocks will be attached to the board using pop dots. Decide where you want your shamrocks to go and place them accordingly.

To use a pop dot, peel the back off of one side of the dot and place the exposed, sticky side of the dot in the middle of a shamrock on its backside. Now peel the back off the other side of the dot and place the shamrock where you want it on the board. Press lightly in the center of the shamrock to make sure it’s securely attached. Attach all the shamrocks using this method.

Voila! All done. 😊 I have to say this is one of the quickest projects we’ve ever done in our Maker Magic program. But that’s OK, because some months I really challenge them with tougher projects. (Yes, snowy pine trees snow dome pillow that I shared in my December 17, 2020, blog post, I’m referring to you.) This LUCKY project is cute and fun and pretty easy, too. That’s a win all around.

Giving credit where it is due, I found this project on website called Ribbons & Glue, a DIY craft blog that shares unique projects and tutorials. Here's the link:

https://www.ribbonsandglue.com/lucky-pallet-sign.html

Enjoy all the emerging green outside. It’s so good to not have to put my boots on before I walk our dog. And I'm really looking forward to the sunshine and warmer weather on tap for this coming week.

Stay safe. Take care.

A sign of spring in my backyard, the sandhill cranes have returned from their winter migration. I've heard their loud squawk for a few days now, usually late at night, but this is the first I've actually seen them. Yay!