Two at 25

Ro'i was turning 25, and his mum thought his birthday card should feature a picture of him from his recent trip to Vietnam. Since he is also studying theatre, she wondered if I could include something showing him rehearsing lines. In the end, she sent me a few photos from Ro'i's travels, and we agreed that a particular photo of him wearing a motorcycle helmet would be fun to use. In the photo, he is standing with his arms spread wide, enjoying the view - like a performer about to take a bow on stage. So, I decided to add red theatre curtains to the card while keeping the Vietnamese scenery in the background.

Mum also sent me the badge of the school Ro'i attends, Nissan Nativ Acting Studio, to include on the card. I did some research and learnt that Nissan Nativ was an influential Israeli director, actor and acting teacher. He emigrated without his family to Mandatory Palestine in 1937. He was a commander during the War of Independence. After the war, he enrolled at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, then later moved from Israel to Paris where he studied mime. He worked as an Israeli theatre director and at Israel Radio when he returned from France.
Nissan Nativ founded the renowned Nissan Nativ Acting Studio in 1963. Many of Israel's best known actors are alumni of the school.

Roi's mum was delighted with the card. "You did such a brilliant job on Roi's card! It put a smile on all our faces the minute we saw it! I can't wait for Ro'i to see it on his birthday!" she wrote to me.

Another customer requested a card for a 25th birthday; her daughter was celebrating her 25th in January. She asked me to include a bikini, chips (french fries), the Israel Air Force, a pakal kafe (coffee kit), and the number 25 on the card.

I decided to depict her daughter holding a plate of chips. To her left is the emblem of the Israel Air Force, commonly known as Kheil HaAvir, or Air Corps. The emblem features a sword and an olive branch surrounding a roundel, which displays a white Star of David on a blue circle. The sword symbolizes the air force's combat readiness and defensive strength, while the olive branch represents the ultimate goal and hope for peace. This combination - a sword wrapped in an olive branch - was originally the symbol of the Haganah, the pre-state paramilitary organization that served as the predecessor to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Wings, a common symbol in air force insignias worldwide, flank the sword and olive branch. The wings on the emblem symbolize flight, freedom, and protection, representing the Air Force's role in defending the skies and securing the nation from above.

On her right I added the number 25 to mark her age, and below that is the pakal kafe. The word pakal is actually an acronym of the words pkudat keva lechayal, which means "a fixed command for soldiers," that is - everything the soldier must have with him at all times. But as in many other cases, army acronyms and army slang receive other meanings outside of military life and one such example is pakal kafe - everything you might need in order to make coffee (or tea) outside. My eldest son uses his all the time!

Finally, I added a pink polka-dot bikini.

The word Brocha in the greeting on the card, "From day one to twenty-five, you've been our greatest Brocha", means "blessing".

* This post has been shared on Craft Schooling Sunday, Mosaic Monday, Happiness is Homemade, Busy Monday, The Good. The Random. The Fun., Inspire Me Monday, Tuesday Turn About and Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop.

Marking Some Special Occasions

Eden was turning 21! I have been making cards to mark her birthday for years. Some of you may remember this lovely story, when she called me at the tender age of 9 to thank me for making her a great card - and it wasn't even from me!

These days Eden is a soldier in the Israeli army and is also interested in cosmetics and special effects makeup. I have made cards on those themes several times before. For her 21st birthday I decided to just have fun and make a card celebrating 21. Mum told me that she likes candles, so I added those to the card and some gift wrapped presents too. The big heart shaped balloons mark her age. 

Joshua was joining the Israeli Air Force and was due to start the pilots course, considered one of the most prestigious courses in the IDF (The Israel Defence Forces). His mum asked me to make him a special good luck card. 

I have shown Joshua in his beige madei alef uniform. (There are two types of uniforms (madim) in the army, madei alef and madei bet. In all units madei bet are olive green, however madei alef differ for each force.) He is wearing the dark grey beret belonging to the Air Force. I kept his goatee beard for the card though in reality beards are not allowed in the army, with a few exceptions. I added the badge and flag of the Israeli Air Force, a light blue flag with thin stripes and the air force roundel with a blue six-pointed star in the centre. Finally, some black army boots and some "Top Gun" style aviator sunglasses are next to him.
The Hebrew greeting on the card says "An easy and successful recruitment, Joshua".

Lastly, Tamar was celebrating her Bat Mitzvah, the Jewish coming of age ceremony for girls. I made cards for her brothers' Bar Mitzvahs. You can see them here and here. Tamar's mum also wanted her daughter to receive a special card to mark the occasion. She is very fond of handicrafts, mum told me, and she makes amazing cakes. She also likes to cook and draws and paints very nicely too. Her favourite colours are black, white and turquoise.
I have shown blonde-haired Tamar busy mixing something. There is a rolling pin and some eggs on the table in front of her, along with some paints and pencils for her creative work. Behind her is a big number 12 to mark her age. It is made from a picture of a cake she herself baked. I also added pictures of some of her own creations made from beads. 
The Hebrew greeting on the card says "Our beloved Tamari. Congratulations to the Bat Mitzvah ❤". Bat Mitzvah is the name of the coming of age ceremony and also the name used to address the young lady on the occasion.

* This post has been shared on Funtastic Friday, Create, Bake, Grow & Gather, Craft Schooling Sunday. and The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Playing Guitar

Arieh recently turned 20. He is crazy about theatre and film, his Mum told me, and loves reading and playing the guitar too. His roots are in the USA and the UK (Dad is from the USA and Mum from the UK) and he lives here in Israel. Finally, he will soon be joining the Israeli Air Force for his compulsory military service.

I created some red stage curtains and added a black and white clapper board to illustrate Arieh's love of theatre and film. The flags, pile of books and guitar speak for themselves. I added the blue badge of the Israeli Air Force which consists of a sword, olive branch, Star of David and eagle wings (like those found at Bet-Shean excavations), and finally cut out a big yellow number 20 to mark his age.
It looks like he appreciated his birthday card!

Another customer asked me for a selection of smaller cards, two for men and two for some special ladies. The tulip design on the left is one I created some years ago and still enjoy making. A folded shirt and tie seemed just right for the men.

* This post has been shared on Sundays at Home, Saturday Sparks@Pieced Pastimes, Saturday Shuffle@Strawberry Butterscotch, My Sunday Photo, Seasons and image-in-ing.