A Match Made in Tel Aviv

The war continues to rumble on, and in our part of the country we hear sirens and the loud booms of missiles being intercepted overhead throughout the day and night. The result is broken sleep and a lingering tiredness that carries into the following day. In most cases, we first receive a preliminary alert on our phones, followed a few minutes later by a more urgent warning instructing us to get to a safe space, where we sit and listen to interceptions close by.
In our home, we are fortunate to have a safe room - as do all houses and apartments built since 1992. These rooms are constructed from reinforced concrete and steel, with heavy doors and protected windows. However, many people across the country are not in the same situation. Some must hurry down multiple flights of stairs, while others even need to go outside to reach a shared bomb shelter. This is especially challenging for families with small children, and for the sick or elderly, who often cannot manage it at all.
These moments, repeated throughout the day, create a new rhythm to daily life - one marked by pauses for alerts and a constant need to stay aware. And yet, in between the sirens, we are trying really, really hard to maintain our normal lives.

Just before the war began, a friend in the UK was excited to tell me that her daughter had got engaged to her long-term partner. "Can I ask if you could make a card for them?" she wrote. "So excited to be able to ask you!"

Her daughter and future son-in-law met each other through NOAM, the youth movement that my own boys belonged to. NOAM is an acronym for No'ar Masorti, Masorti Youth, a Zionist youth movement. The couple got to know each other when they both lived and served in Israel and though they are now in the UK, they plan to settle here again one day.

My friend sent me the couple's engagement photo and told me they share many interests: they're both vegan, they love Israel, they met through Noam Masorti, and they both love Tel Aviv.

I showed the young couple, with the bride-to-be proudly displaying her engagement ring, against the backdrop of Tel Aviv. The Israeli flag is blowing in the wind behind them. Next to the flag I included the NOAM logo, and below it I added a little bowl with vegetables in it, as a nod to their shared vegan lifestyle.

The card reached the UK quickly and seemed to be very well received!

The bride-to-be wrote:
"Hi Lisa, I just wanted to say the biggest thank you for making the card my parents sent for our engagement. It’s SO beautiful and you are incredibly talented! I already want to frame it!"
Shortly after, my friend messaged:
"Hi Lisa! The card has arrived! They love it 🥰 Thank you so much again, and I can’t wait to see it myself!"

* This post has been shared on Happiness is Homemade, Craft Schooling Sunday, Mosaic Monday

Cats, Cocktails & Cowboy Boots

As Julie's 60th birthday approached, a group of her friends got in touch and asked me to design a birthday card to mark the occasion. A whole range of ideas was suggested for the design, but the list was eventually whittled down to a few of her - in Julie's own words - "crazy hobbies"!
I was told that Julie adores her two cats - one black and one tabby. She's also into weightlifting (free weights, no less!) and is apparently a master bartender. More recently, she has taken up line dancing via YouTube videos - and says she absolutely loves it. I was also asked to incorporate a 60 somewhere in the design.

I decided to depict bespectacled Julie with her beloved kitties in her arms. In front of her sits the barbell she trains with. Behind her, I added tiny cocktails, complete with umbrellas and coloured straws, along with a large flat-screen TV playing her favourite YouTube line dancing video. I also included a big pink 60 to highlight her milestone birthday.

It seems that Julie was thrilled with the card. Her friends sent me the photo, shown near the top of this post, on the evening of her birthday celebration, and then Julie herself followed up with this lovely message:
"Hi Lisa, the card you made for my 60th birthday is fantastic! Thank you so much! My kids were amazed by it because they said it perfectly represents me and my latest crazy hobbies. I'm going to frame it."

* This post has been shared on Saturday's Critters, Happiness is Homemade, Mosaic Monday, Handmade Monday, Busy Monday, Talking About It Tuesdays, Tuesday Turn About, Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop and Crazy Little Lovebirds.

Photography and Typography

Over the past week we've been running in and out of our safe room, with sirens sounding at all hours of the day and night. To say we're a little sleep deprived would be an understatement. Each time the siren goes off, we rush to the safe room and wait for the all-clear, turning every alert into a 20–30 minute interruption. I've heard loud explosions, and others that were clearly interceptions by the Iron Dome missile defence system. Every one of them is frightening.

Still, we accept this reality because we believe it is necessary to confront a regime that openly seeks destruction - not only of us, but of anyone who stands in its way - and that is willing to sacrifice even its own people to pursue that goal.

I pray that one day we will see true peace in the Middle East.

Eden's 26th birthday was approaching, and as she does every year, her mum asked me to design a special card for her. Since Eden is currently studying design at the Holon Institute of Technology, her mum requested that the card include a camera and typography elements. I also suggested incorporating the institute's logo, which prominently displays the acronym "HIT" in bold, stylized letters. The logo includes both the full name, "Holon Institute of Technology," and its Hebrew translation, "מכון טכנולוגי חולון."

On the front of the card, I illustrated Eden holding a camera in her hands, highlighting her interest in photography. Beside her, I placed an open book, from which Hebrew letters of various fonts, colours and sizes flow out. I also included the "HIT" logo, along with a large yellow number 26 to mark Eden's age. A red heart, matching the colour of her T-shirt, completes the design.

Eden told me that she loved the card!

* This post has been shared on Happiness is Homemade, Mosaic Monday, Handmade Monday, Busy Monday, Talking About It Tuesdays, Tuesday Turn About and Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop.

Winter Dreams II

I always try to use this space to share the Israel I love - its history, its landscapes, its creativity and culture. I generally stay away from politics. But sometimes politics does not stay away from us.
For the past two days, sirens have sounded almost constantly and missiles have flown overhead. Most have been intercepted by the remarkable Iron Dome defence system, for which we are deeply grateful, though heartbreakingly not all have been stopped.
For years, both Israel and the United States have expressed serious concerns about Iran's nuclear and missile programmes. Tensions have been building steadily, and on Saturday 28th February, the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran, targeting military infrastructure and key sites. During the operation, named "Lion’s Roar" - Sha'agat Ha’Ari in Hebrew - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, was killed.
What happens next is uncertain. The situation could escalate further, and I will not pretend that I am not afraid. At the same time, I am holding on to hope. I hope that the people of Iran, who have endured decades under a regime often more focused on hostility towards the State of Israel than on the welfare of its own citizens, may one day experience freedom, stability and peace. For Israel, I hope that the threat of a nuclear Iran will be removed.
In the meantime, I want to share something lighter - a post about a light festival I visited a few weeks ago, Winter Dreams II. It already feels so distant now, indeed, like a dream from another lifetime.

At the end of January, Mister Handmade in Israel and I went to see 'Winter Dreams II', a large international light festival created by Deutsche Entertainment Aktiengesellschaft (DEAG), one of Europe's leading entertainment and production companies. It was held at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens in Givat Ram. The festival, which had already been hugely popular in cities like Berlin, Barcelona, Paris, London, and Rome, ran for two months. Luckily, we managed to visit just before it ended.

As part of the festival, we followed a scenic trail illuminated with stunning light displays, giant LED sculptures, and creative interactive effects that responded to movement and sound. The lights were perfectly paired with an original musical soundtrack, making the walk feel truly magical. Mister Handmade in Israel said it felt like being on the set of a Disney film!

Around two million colourful LED lights lit up the trail, lake, and treetops. Highlights included the lotus-filled lake, where dozens of glowing globes floated gently on the water while the surrounding trees sparkled with stars. We also admired the 5.5 metre-high illuminated Roman Gate, a glowing kaleidoscope path, a 17 metre-long light train, and a giant ultraviolet dragon head. The Botanical Gardens' large greenhouse was transformed into a laser show complex - although, to be honest, we were excited when we entered but felt a bit underwhelmed by the rest.

No festival would be complete without food. Stalls curated by Chef Moshik Roth brought gourmet (and pricey!) winter flavours with a European vibe to Jerusalem. We joined the queue for chips and hot apple cider. The chips were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy inside, while the cider was warm, fragrant and delicious! It was a simple but wonderfully tasty way to enjoy our stroll.

Overall, the festival created a magical winter atmosphere in the heart of Jerusalem. But was it as impressive as the Festival of Light we used to enjoy in Jerusalem's Old City? Not even close.

* This post has been shared on Mosaic Monday, Busy Monday, Through My Lens, Tuesday Turn About and Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop.