Tamar and Eilon

Tamar recently celebrated her Bat Mitzvah and her mum asked me to make a special card for her, just as I did for her big sisters Yaara and Maayan in 2018 and 2020 respectively. 

Tamar loves playing board and card games, listening to music on her headphones, strawberries and pizza, mum told me. She is also in a drama club. Apparently she always does the "V" for "victory" hand gesture in photos too! Finally, Snowy the dog, who has already appeared in a couple of the family's cards, had to be included as well.

I showed Tamar wearing her white headphones. Behind her is a stage with red curtains. I cut out some tiny strawberries and a slice of pizza and added some games too. Snowy is sitting next to Tamar. Instead of a greeting on the front of the card, her mum asked me to add a number 12 to mark Tamar's age.

Mum said the card was "absolutely gorgeous - thank you!"

Eilon was turning 9. His mum told me that he loves playing PlayStation, so she thought I could show him with his black and white controller. In the background I added two of his favourite books from the series 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' in Hebrew, or Yomano Shel Hanun. Eilon also loves milk chocolate M&M's, so I popped a packet in the background as well. A big number 9 marks his age.

Mum sent me this gorgeous photo of Eilon with his birthday card. "Another great success!" she wrote "And by chance he's wearing the same shirt!".

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun. and Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop.

Turning My Greeting Cards Into Wall Art

Naomi asked me to make a card for her mum's 71st birthday. She sent me a delightful photo of the two of them, taken when she was a little girl in the early 80s. She also told me that mum is keen on amaryllis and sent me a photos of some beautiful blooms that mum has carefully nurtured.

I faithfully copied the photo of my customer and her mum, adding the red piping on the little girl's collar and the rather retro pattern on mum's blouse. I even added a spot of blue eyeshadow above mum's blue eyes, just like she wore it in the era in which the photo was taken! Finally, I cut out some of the red amaryllis and added a big blue 71 to mark mum's age.

It seems that mum liked her card! Her daughter recently posted this fabulous photo on Facebook. "Look how awesome my mum's special handmade cards look framed." she wrote. Her mum has been saving all the cards that I have made for her over the last few years and had them beautifully framed, above.
Her daughter joked "Mummy, does this mean I can't get you [one] for 72 as you have no space?", to which mum replied, "Don't worry! I shall frame all future ones, until I am 100 years old!"
Mum cleverly scanned the message from inside each card and attached it to the back of the frame.
Sometimes people comment to me that they don't send greetings cards anymore. This just shows me how much my cards are often treasured. Seeing them all together in one frame really made my day!

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun., Creative Mondays Link-Up, Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Eilon and Noya

Sweet Eilon turned 6! Last year his 5th birthday card was the last order I managed to get to Jerusalem before lockdown. This year things were somewhat better and Eilon's mum was able to come over to my home to collect the card in person.

Eilon is a great ninja athlete, his mum told me. She sent me a photograph of her youngest son swinging from some wooden hoops in a new play area they had visited. She also thought I should add a football to the scene. He obviously loves the sport!

I have shown bare-footed Eilon hanging from the hoops and made sure to match the background in the photo his mum sent me. I added a big red number 6 to mark his age and included a football on the ground next to him.

Mum sent me the photos of Eilon opening his card. It looks like he was pretty happy with it! I love the way it was prominently displayed on his birthday table too, below.

Noya was turning 10 years old. I made a card for her when she was 7 which showed her playing the ukulele.  Now she likes to play the online game Roblox on her tablet. She's also very artistic and enjoys drawing. Her grandma told me that she loves chocolate as well!

I have shown Noya sitting at a table. There are a number of coloured pencils around her, as well as a drawing of flowers that she has just finished. She is busy playing Roblox on the tablet. Behind her is a jar of her favourite nutella and she is munching away at a bar of Milka chocolate. Her grandma says that she is a chocoholic!

Grandma wrote to me and said "Lisa they [the cards] are great as usual. You always capture the essence of the subject. [I am a] happy customer as usual."

* This post has been shared on Creative Mondays Link Up, The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Running, Basketball and Penguins

Ro'i recently turned 20. In the past I have shown him in his olive green Israel Defence Forces uniform and waving a Chelsea F.C. scarf . This year his mum asked me to make a card showing him running and using his dad's car. She also asked me to include the Paratroopers Brigade (חטיבת הצנחנים) insignia, the military unit that Ro'i belongs to. A big number 20 marks his age.

"I picked up the card last night and it's fabulous!" she wrote to me.

Benjo, one of Ro'i's younger brothers, was turning 9. Last year swimming was his thing but now mum tells me that he loves basketball. He watches the NBA when he can and goes to basketball training twice a week.

I showed Benjo dribbling a basketball on his birthday card. There is a hoop behind him and I added the NBA logo too. Mum said that he mostly wears blue or grey T-shirts, so I dressed him accordingly and added the blue trainers that he was wearing in the photo she sent me as well.
"Benjo is going to LOVE the card!" she wrote to me, then followed up with these fabulous photos of him happily showing it off, top. It is always so lovely to receive photos such as these from happy customers. They really do make my day.

Benjo's younger brother, Eilon, apparently loves penguins. Lockdown has allowed me time for a good sort-out and I went through some of my older stock one day. I advertised some pieces on my Facebook business page and Eilon's mum spotted this cute penguin picture. Once again she sent me this delightful photo. "He was so happy" she told me.
If you too would like some sweet art for your walls, there are still some pieces available in the sale album.

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