Three Flags

Sweet Eilon was turning 11 and shared with his mum exactly what he wanted on his birthday card. He apparently loves flags and can recognise them from all over the world, so he came up with a list of places whose flags he wanted featured on his card. Mum also asked me to include a globe on the card, and of course a big number 11 to mark Eilon's age.

The three flags Eilon wanted on his card were the national flags of the Seychelles, Kiribati, and Saint Lucia. I've shown Eilon waving the flag of Saint Lucia, with its blue background and bold black, white, and gold triangle design. Behind him, a globe is topped with the flags of the Seychelles and Kiribati.
The national flag of the Seychelles, the third since the country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, is bright and distinctive. It features five bold diagonal bands fanning out from the bottom left corner.
Kiribati is a remote island nation in the central Pacific Ocean. Its flag has a red top with a gold frigatebird flying over a rising sun, and a blue bottom with three white wavy stripes representing the ocean.
Eilon's mum was delighted to see the card:
"Thank you, Lisa, for the beautiful card! Eilon will be so happy. He will love it, I’m sure!"

* This post has been shared on Happiness is Homemade, Mosaic Monday, Sweet Tea & Friends Link Up, Handmade Monday, Busy Monday, Monday Morning Blog Club, Inspire Me Monday, Talking About It Tuesdays, Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop, Creative Muster, Funtastic Friday and The Crazy Little Love Birds Link Party.

Yonatan and Eilon

Yonatan recently went on a long trek in Nepal and is now working as a bartender at events. His mum asked me to make him a card for his 22nd birthday and wondered if I could somehow combine these two things. She also asked me to add a heart with the name of Yonatan's girlfriend on it.
She sent me a photo of Yonatan next to a sign saying Larke Pass. I learnt that the Larke Pass, also known as Larkya La, is a high mountain pass in Nepal, situated at an elevation of 5,106 metres (16,752 feet). It is the highest point on the Manaslu Circuit Trek. The pass is marked by a sign indicating its elevation and is a popular spot for trekkers to take photos. The sign is often adorned with prayer flags, adding to the scenic and spiritual atmosphere of the location.
Mum also sent me a photo of Yonatan mixing a cocktail.
I decided to show Yonatan in front of the Larke Pass sign, dressed in his mountaineering clothing. At the same time, he is holding a cocktail shaker and has already mixed a few drinks, which I placed next to him. I added some trekking poles, a red heart with his girlfriend Eden's name on it, and a big yellow number 22 to mark his age.
Apparently Yonatan absolutely loved it!

Yonatan's little brother Eilon celebrated his 10th birthday a few months ago. Mum asked me to show him playing the piano on his card, but wanted me to add a basketball and some milk chocolate M&M's as well. The yellow number 10 shows his age.

Eilon loved his card too. "Thank you so much for the cards! They made our day." mum wrote to me.

* This post has been shared on Happiness is Homemade, Tuesday Turn About, Creative Muster, Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop and Inspire Me Monday.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man

Twins Benji and Daniel turned 6 in May 2022. The previous year they had received musical instruments as gifts from their grandparents for their birthday, so I showed Benji playing the accordion and Daniel the guitar on their birthday cards. In 2022 mum told me that the boys were into the Marvel superhero Spider-Man. She asked me to make two different cards for her boys but on the same theme.

For Daniel's card, I showed him standing in front of a red spiders web background. Spider-Man's squinty white eyes can be seen next to him. I added the black Spider-Man logo, a spider symbol that relates the character to the spider's extraordinary skills and abilities. The spider is a traditional symbol of protection, power, agility, mystery, creativity and wisdom. A black number 6 marks Daniel's age.

Benji's card shows him standing behind the skyscrapers of the New York City skyline, which provide the backdrop for Spider-Man's daring stunts. Benji is wearing a red Spider-Man T-shirt. Spider-Man's mask is behind him. I added the black spider symbol once again and a number 6 to mark Benji's age.

Mum told me that both boys loved their cards.

* This post has been shared on Happiness is Homemade, The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Theo Jonah

My sister's eldest daughter has two little girls, Lottie Ruby and Sadie Eve. I made each girl a personalised papercut picture for their bedrooms when they were born. So, when my sister's youngest daughter gave birth to a baby boy back in March, I decided to make a papercut picture for him too.

I created a piece which displays the baby's name, Theo Jonah, in the centre and his Hebrew name, Boaz Yonah, below it. His birth date and the time of his birth is at the top of the piece, whilst his birth weight is at the bottom. My previous papercuts had a bear and a fox on them. This time I added an elephant, a little bird and stars.

Many Jewish people observe the custom of giving their children both English and Hebrew first names - the former for everyday life, the latter for religious purposes. The Hebrew name is used when the child is called to read the Torah at their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, at their wedding, in the writing of a get (a Jewish bill of divorce), and for funeral ceremonies. Their use on these occasions is customary.

Theo's Hebrew name, Boaz, is a boy's name of Hebrew origin, translating to "strength." Boaz is a prominent figure in the Book of Ruth, with Boaz being the second husband of Ruth. Boaz had a reputation for extending a special kindness to Ruth, ensuring that she was protected and well-treated.

The name Yonah derives from the Hebrew word "Yonah," meaning "dove," sharing ties with the prophet Jonah, who was a leading figure in the Book of Jonah. As legend has it, Jonah was swallowed by a whale, after G-d caused his ship to sink, and then was tossed up onto dry land after three days and nights. Sailors traditionally use the name Jonah to personify someone who brings bad luck but, in this case, Yonah will be known as Jonah in English, after my dear mum Joan.

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things.