Two months have passed since Attar’s Bat Mitzvah. We’ve gone back to our day-to-day lives and regular schedule (well, a somewhat regular schedule – does anyone actually have a routine?).

I’ve already written about the preparations,

the reception,

and the table settings.

And I’ve promised numerous times to write about the absolute most important part of all the happy celebrations, at least as far as this blog is concerned.

So here it is —

Attar’s Bat Mitzvah Project

A little background:

In order to infuse the Bat Mitzvah process with personal significance, our family has established a tradition: a Bat Mitzvah project that each girl prepares by herself, and gives of her own time and creativity.

Attar has two wonderful older sisters, each of whom brainstormed, planned, and worked hard over the course of the year preceding their Bat Mitzvahs to create a beautiful project, which they donated to children’s wards of hospitals in Israel.

Attar was already sure that she too would create a masterpiece for hospitalized children. She was so excited to begin the process that she could hardly wait for her eleventh birthday, which would mark the beginning of her year of preparation and investment.

Creativity + art supplies + paints! What could be dreamier than that???

We contacted Shaare Zedek hospital in Jerusalem and told them about our idea. It turned out that they were in the midst of building their new children’s hospital – and yes, they would love to decorate the halls with Attar’s gallery of miniatures on different themes, which would bring a welcome dose of life and color into their new home.

For a whole year, Attar worked, created, and dedicated her time. The process involved sketching designs, making models, calling and consulting with the hospital, and brainstorming – hours and hours of work after school and homework, between extracurricular programs, socializing, and many other activities.

The goal of the project was to make hospitalized children happy, to distract them a little from their worries and nervousness, and the pain and discomfort that often accompany them in the halls of the hospital. Attar’s colorful and detailed miniatures, we hoped, would capture their interest and spark their imaginations.

The project was to consist of twelve displays representing various themes, each holding thirty-nine of Attar’s tiny detailed miniatures made of polymer clay (Fimo®) with added metal, fabric, and paper details.

When it was ready, the gallery was put on display at Attar’s Bat Mitzvah celebration, and the following day was donated to the Shaare Zedek Children’s Hospital.

For us, the process was no less important than the final result. There were lots of successes and happy smiles, and satisfaction and enjoyment. But there was more.

As with any process, there were little disappointments: pieces that broke, fell apart, got burnt in the oven, or were accidentally mashed before they were baked.

We learned to think and plan, to organize major concepts and minute details, to seek inspiration, to deal with failures, to try again and again, to prioritize, to handle time pressure, to take criticism, to let things go, and, most of all, to never give up.

The end of Attar’s Bat Mitzvah video showcases her beautiful work:

We donated the project, and in return received satisfaction and joy, and also:

Here the ending segment from Attar’s Bat Mitzvah Video that showcases Attar’s beautiful work:

{ Drumroll please !!! }

A beautiful twelve-year-old international expert in polymer-clay sculpting and miniature-making!

I’m proud to host the sweetest 12 year old Polymer Clay Expertin a step-by-step photo tutorial.

and today on the menu:

Miniature Sushi

ingredients and tools:

• A bit of polymer clay (oven bake clay): white, black, gray, green and orange
• A small rolling pin or thick marker
• Cutting tool or precision knife
• Toothpicks

Directions:

To make the seaweed: roll out some black clay to a thickness of about 1/8″.

Cut out a rectangle 1″ x 1-1/4″

To make the rice: roll out some white clay to a thickness of about 1/8″.

And again cut out a 1″ x 1-1/4″ cm rectangle.

To make the carrot: roll out a very thin snake of orange clay.

To make the cucumber: Roll out a similar snake of green clay.

Place the “rice” rectangle on top of the “seaweed” rectangle and then place your carrot and cucumber on top of both. Cut off the excess from your vegetable snakes.

Wrap the seaweed and rice around the two snakes.

Cut off the excess black and white clay.

Roll the sushi gently, until it becomes a long, thin snake.

Cut your sushi into 1/8″ segments.

Make a rectangular tray out of gray clay, and place your order of sushi on top.

In order to create the rice’s texture: use a toothpick to create tiny pinpricks on the white clay.

Cut the ends of two toothpicks to form chopsticks.

If you’d like you can add a little wasabi (careful it’s strong!)

Bake in your home oven following the instructions on the polymer clay packaging.

Enjoy!!!

Special thanks to Mrs.Sarah Shoshani, the principal of Shaare Zedek Medical Center’s school for hospitalized children, (and to Moti and Dr. Yechiel who connected us). It was her patience and understanding that made this donation and entire project possible.

The gallery now resides outside of the children’s emergency room in Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, and you are all invited to come and visit.

And most of all,

we hope that all children in the world were completely healthy

and no one ever has to come to the emergency room,

and that the halls will remain empty.

We hope all the nurses and doctors will have nothing to do, but come and look and enjoy Attar’s project.