Hana & Gary

Hana was turning 40 so her husband wrote and asked me to make a special card for her. She is a hairdresser and a teacher, he told me. She loves going to the gym, her iPhone, Instagram and jewellery. There was a lot to include but this was an extra large card, so I had plenty of room.

I showed blonde-haired Hana with her hairdryer in one hand and a dumbbell in the other. I added some running shoes as well, since running and weights are her favourite ways to exercise. Behind her is a blackboard with the words "English Lesson" chalked on it. In the foreground I added Hana's iPhone 12, some hairdressing scissors and a comb, the Instagram logo and some sparkly jewellery. Her husband wasn't sure what her favourite piece of jewellery is but said that he had just given her a gold necklace, so I made sure to add that. A big silver 40 marks Hana's age.

A few months before Hana turned 40, her husband Gary celebrated his special birthday. Hana also asked me to make him two very special cards. The first card, an extra large one, was going to be from their children. Hana asked me to show her husband with their five kids. He is a big Everton F.C. fan so I included the club's crest on the card. He is wearing a royal blue shirt, Everton's traditional home colour. Hana also told me that he enjoys playing golf and lifting weights and I had to include his iPhone and the TV remote too!

The card from Hana showed Gary enjoying a tumbler of whisky and smoking a cigar. To his right is a big 40, his Tesla electric car and some weights. On Gary's left I showed the logo of his accountancy firm along with some tiny coins. A bottle of whisky and some more cigars completed the design.

After asking Gary a few questions about Hana's card, he replied saying "Now I understand why my wife likes your work. She also likes detail!". They certainly got it in tenfold on all three cards!

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Fit at Forty

Naomi calls herself a "Personal Healthy Lifestyle Motivator". I am sure she won't mind me telling you that she used to be a big lady. She has been on a wellness journey these last few years and the results are amazing! When her husband contacted me with a request for a 40th birthday card for Naomi, he stated that he wanted "something to do with health and fitness" on it. I knew exactly what to do.

Having followed Naomi's journey, I knew that I had to show her new, slim self on the card. She uses weights when she exercises, so I added them too. I know that she is also a big fan of nutritional drinks and capsules, so I included them as well. I shared some photos of the amazing meals she puts together and some of the ingredients she cooks with, including aubergine, peppers and her favourite skinny pasta. Finally, Naomi drinks a lot of water. Like really a LOT. I cut out a teeny tiny water bottle and gave it a label. You can see the size of it in the palm of my hand, below.

Naomi wrote a lovely review:

"Lisa, I absolutely loved my 40th birthday card and can’t wait to get my mum's card and send it to her in the UK. She collects them because Lisa's cards are masterpieces to be treasured."

* This post has been shared on Inspire Me Monday, The Really Crafty Link Party, The Good. The Random. The Fun., The Happy Now Blog Link- Up, The Wordless Or Not so Wordless Wednesday link-up and Craft Schooling Sunday.

A Yerushalmi Born in Beverly Hills

We had to make a dash for our safe room again last night as the sirens wailed and the Iron Dome intercepted rockets sent from Gaza. I’m very tired today but I am also trying to remember that we are the "lucky" ones, only getting up once in the night. I cannot even imagine what it is like to be living in the south. But this is a blog about my paper art. Instead of complaining, I am going to show you one of my latest creations for some light relief.

A new customer contacted me with a request for a handmade card for her husband's upcoming 40th birthday. She wanted me to show their large family on the card. "My husband always wears polo shirts and khakis", she told me. He is a Yerushalmi (a person who lives in Jerusalem) at heart, but was born in Beverly Hills. "I would love the background to look like the old city of Jerusalem, but also Beverly Hills", she wrote.

Well, it transpires that 7 people is a lot to fit on one card! I made this an extra large card, measuring 19x27cm folded. I carefully crafted each member of the family, from mum and dad down to the youngest son. They all have brown hair but, if you look closely, you will see that I matched their various shades of brown. Likewise I matched their eye colour - some members of the family have light brown eyes, others dark. Mum covers her hair for modesty and the male members of the family all wear kippot (skullcaps).

My customer also requested that I show the entire family in blue and white clothes, the colours of the Israeli flag. Her husband still had to be in his white polo shirt and she asked me to add a small Mickey Mouse insignia to the shirt, a reminder of a previous visit to one of the Disney parks.

Finally, I added two photos to the card - one of Beverly Hills, her husband's birthplace, and one of the Old City of Jerusalem.

I'm not going to lie, this card was a lot of work but my customer was happy and, I hope, her husband too!

* This post has been shared on Share Your Style, Little Things Thursday, Creatively Crafty Link Party, Thursday Favorite Things and Craft Schooling Sunday.

A Family Portrait for a 40th Birthday

A new customer approached me with a request for a birthday card for her husband who was turning 40. It soon became clear however that she actually wanted a larger piece, something that her husband could hang on his office wall. The card became a framed picture showing the family of six and the cat!

My customer wanted to add some personal details to the family portrait. As well as the cat, which I have shown in their daughter's arms, two of their sons are holding a pool cue since they apparently spend all their time around a pool table at the moment. Her husband and the boys are all wearing kippot (skullcaps) and Nili, their daughter, is wearing a pretty purple hairband. Mum told me that she loves anything that sparkles and is pink or purple! Mum herself is wearing a scarf in her hair and their youngest son has a balloon with 40 on it to mark his dad's age.
Finally, the whole family is standing against a backdrop of rolling hills. They enjoyed a holiday in Yorkshire, England, some time ago and mum thought that the green hills and blue skies might be a nice reminder of the good times they spent together.
Her husband was thrilled with his picture. She told me that it was a wonderful surprise and that he was very happy with it!

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun., Little Cottage Link Party and Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop.