Can He Be Scuba Diving on His Bike?

A friend was rather taken with the birthday card I made for Nadav's 22nd birthday which showed him diving in the Red Sea, off Eilat's shores. My friend's husband, Ed, is into diving too. His birthday was coming up and she wanted to know if I could make a similar card for him.

Once I had agreed to make the card, the brief became a little more complicated! Ed is into biking too. "Can he be scuba diving on his bike?" my friend asked.

Never one to shy away from a complicated request, I have shown Ed on his bike. He is wearing the bright yellow cycling jersey and black shorts that he has on in the photo my friend sent me, above, and the blue bike helmet on his head. At the same time, he has a giant diving gas cylinder on his back, underwater breathing apparatus and flippers!

I added a pale blue background, some coral and a fish, along with a big 55 to mark Ed's age.

My friend was delighted. "Lisa managed to get Ed riding his bike while scuba diving!" she wrote in a WhatsApp group we both belong to. Comments varied from "What an amazing card" to "Lisa's cards always capture the magical essence of a person."

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, Create-it Link Party, Thursday Favorite Things.

Her "Lisa Card"

Back in 2018 Keshet came to spend the afternoon papercutting with me. From that year onwards her mum has asked me to make a special card for her daughter's birthday. She has been into rainbows (the name Keshet means "rainbow" in Hebrew), slime and last year I showed her giving a big thumbs up for turning 10.
This year mum told me that Keshet likes riding her bike and asked me to show her holding her bike helmet. She has her own sewing machine and, during the height of Covid-19, made hundreds of masks for one of the big hospitals here in Israel. Mum sent me a copy of the letter she received from the hospital thanking her for all her hard work. Well done Keshet! Keshet is also into drawing and diamond painting. Mum told me that she had dreams of getting an iPhone for her birthday but it was going to stay a dream. Finally, she asked me to put a pineapple on Keshet's T-shirt.

I showed Keshet holding her purple bike helmet in one hand. She has a pencil in her other hand and is putting the finishing touches to one of her actual drawings, a brilliant copy of the "Girl with a Pearl Earring". Behind her is her Brother sewing machine with a blue paisley pattern on it, together with her well-deserved letter and one of the face masks that she made. The lilac coloured iPhone that Keshet dreamt about can been seen in a dream bubble next to her. A big number 11 marks her age. Lastly I gave her a pale blue T-shirt with the much loved pineapple on it. 

I received the fabulous photo of Keshet with just some of her "Lisa Isaacs" collection, top. "Keshet loved her "Lisa Card"! Thank you!" mum wrote to me. Apparently she asked for one of my cards just before her birthday. Thankfully mum had already organised it!

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, Creatively Crafty Link Party, Creative Monday Link Up, Sew Can Do, Handmade Monday, Inspire Me Monday and Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday).

Biking in Be'eri

Stanley's sister asked me to make him a special card for his 60th birthday. He enjoys bike riding and reading historical nonfiction, she told me. She also mentioned that likes whisky a lot too! She sent me a photo of her brother biking on the Be'eri Singletrack, a 28 kilometre loop trail located near Beeri, in the north-western Negev desert near the border with the Gaza Strip.

I have shown Stanley in his biking gear. He is wearing dark glasses, just like in the photo his sister sent me. I included his bike in the background too and added a large bottle of whisky, a tumbler and some books. A big number 60 marks his age.

My customer was pleased to see the card when she went to visit her brother on his kibbutz and he was happy for me to share the card here.

* This post has been shared on Creatively Crafty Link Party, Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things

Biking in the Forest

Boaz was turning 15 and his mum asked me to make him a special card. His three sister's have all received one of my cards over the course of the last year or so, so mum wanted one for him as well. Boaz loves cycling, doing jumps and singletrack trails in the forest. He is also obsessed (mum's words!) with the family dog.

Mum sent me a photo of Boaz on his bike and asked if I could show him "in the air" like in the picture. I copied the pose carefully, adding as much detail as I felt necessary, even down to the Nike Swoosh on his trainers. Mum asked me to include their dog if there was room on the card as well. I have shown him - or her - in the foreground, waiting patiently for Boaz to finish his bike ride.

* This post has been shared on Inspire Me Monday, Happiness Is Homemade, The Good. The Random. The Fun. and Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday).

50 & 60

Saville was turning 50 so his wife asked me to make him a special birthday card. You definitely need to show him hiking Shvil Yisrael, the Israel National Trail, she told me and it would be great if you could add in cooking and biking too. I asked her what Saville likes to cook and she told me that he make hummus and challah every week.

I showed Saville in front of a desert landscape. He has a large rucksack on his back. The white, blue and orange striped marker indicating sections of the Israel trail is next to him and behind him is his blue bike. I added a small challah and a plate of hummus to illustrate his love of cooking.

His wife posted my card on Instagram and declared "Lisa's card made it [Saville's 50th birthday] just that much more special."

Sarah's sister asked me to make a special card for her upcoming 60th birthday. She likes baking and bike riding and she is a teacher, she told me. She enjoys gardening and sunbathing too. She also wanted me to mention that they are sisters and to include a large 60 since Sarah is very proud of her age. 

Sarah teaches social sciences at a secondary school in London. I have shown her with a social sciences book in one hand. She is wearing a green gardening glove and holding a trowel in her other hand. Behind her I added a red parasol on a beach. Her bike is standing there too.

Her sister told me that she likes to bake scones and lemon cake - favourites in our home as well! A scone filled with cream and jam is on a plate next to her, while there is a slice of lemon cake in front. Finally, I added a little graphic saying "sisters are special".
I do hope that this sister liked her special card.

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, Creative Crafty Link Party, Thursday Favorite Things, Craft Schooling Sunday and All Seasons.