Joyeux Anniversaire

This is another card I made before we lost Gadi. The recipient turned 75 in May 2022. His daughter-in-law asked me to make a birthday card for him. Hobbies include photography, plays, concerts, art exhibitions, Judaica (her father-in-law has a spice box collection) and travel, she wrote to me. That long list was whittled down to a camera, an aeroplane, and something to represent modern art!

I showed my customer's father-in-law with a camera in his hands. There is an aeroplane behind him, to represent his love for travel, and also some framed art and a sculpture. I added a 75 to the card too, to mark his age. Next to him is a spice box. Spice boxes are used at the havdalah ceremony performed at the end of Shabbat, to separate the holy day from the weekday (havdalah means "separation"). The ceremony involves lighting a special candle with several wicks, blessing a cup of wine, and smelling sweet spices. The spice box is passed around and everyone smells the aromatic spices as a way to uplift the spirit since the end of Shabbat is experienced as a sad moment.

My customer sent the card to France, where her father-in-law lives, thus the greeting "Joyeux Anniversaire", or "Happy Birthday". The traditional Hebrew blessing "120 עד" directly below means "May you live until 120". The Torah states that Moses died a the age of 120, at which age "his eye had not dimmed, and his vigour had not diminished". (Deuteronomy 34:7). The blessing therefore carries the implication that the receiver should have a long and fulfilled life.

My customer was very happy with the card. "I've been wanting to have an excuse to order a card from you for ages. Love your work!" she wrote to me.

In January 2023 another customer wrote to me and said "Unbelievably my uncle Joe is 100 in 3 weeks... it feels like the card is very important. So if you feel like making him one, I'd love that." She told me that Uncle Joe likes coffee and chocolate.

I decided to show him holding a big birthday cake with lots of candles on it, though I didn't add 100! A hot cup of coffee is in front of him and some yummy chocolate behind him. A big red 100 marks his very special age.

"I absolutely love the card" my customer wrote to me, then sent me this wonderful photo of her and Uncle Joe together.

* This post has been shared on Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) and Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop.

A 'Thing' About Birds

Back in art college, many years ago, I lino printed some textile with birds on it. I still have it. I have always had a 'thing' about birds, so it came as no surprise to Mister Handmade in Israel that this year's Valentine's card had a bird on it! I created a sweet and simple design, inspired by a small print I saw on Pinterest, showing a bird sitting on a branch. The branches are bare apart from a few leaves. I added a couple of hearts, which are "blooming" there instead. The card was cut from white stock with a red paper inlay.

Valentine's Day in Israel is not the same kind of celebration as it is in other places in the world, but Mister Handmade in Israel and I always mark the day in some way. We both grew up in the UK and enjoy keeping some British traditions. In Israel there is another day, called Tu B'Av, that celebrates love. The holiday takes place in the summer months, this year on the 11th August.

We exchanged Valentine's cards and Mister Handmade in Israel sent me these gorgeous flowers and a yummy package of English chocolates too! Our supplies were running low from our last trip to the UK. Mister Handmade in Israel received some locally made espresso coffee liqueur, which we both like. I hope he shares!

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

The Medals on His Chest

The customer who ordered this anniversary card for her husband also wanted a birthday card for her dad. She sent me a photo of the smartly dressed gentleman and asked me to base the card on that picture. The medals dad is wearing all mean something, she told me. I needed to get them just right! In addition, dark chocolate and weights were requested in the background.

I have shown her 87 year old dad wearing his black army beret and proudly displaying his war medals. I carefully cut out photos of each medal for accuracy and then added the relevant colour ribbon. Above his medal is a red poppy, the enduring symbol of remembrance of the First World War. Poppies are worn as a show of support for Britain's Armed Forces community and are sold in honour of Remembrance Day. The flowers were a common sight on the Western Front and grew on the battlefields of Flanders, flourishing in the soil churned up by the fighting and shelling.

My customer was thrilled with her dad's card. "The card is fantastic. Absolutely amazing!" she wrote to me. I have made many cards for young men and women about to enter the Israel Defence Forces, but this was, I think, my first for an old soldier.

* This post has been shared on Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop, Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Creatively Crafty Link Party and Craft Schooling Sunday.

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.