Daniel and Carly

I have been writing about sirens and missiles and war with Iran but, for now, a ceasefire has come into effect, so I will go back to sharing my art.

Daniel, just like his four brothers, receives one of my cards on his birthday every year. His mum tells me they have become an essential part of her family's birthday celebrations. Last year I showed him playing the piano on his card, and before that I have shown him playing the ukulele and dressed as a scientist, with a white coat and test tubes in his pockets. 

This year, for his 19th birthday, mum asked me to make Daniel a card that showed that he is now in mechina (pre-army programme) and that he is making preparations for his upcoming time in the IDF (Israel Defence Forces). She sent me the logo of the mechina programme and also a photo of his trainers. She thought they might illustrate his physical preparations for the army. 

I showed Daniel in the centre of the card, and added the logo and his trainers in background. A red heart with the name of his girlfriend, Yuval, who he met in the mechina, is to his right. Behind him a big number 19 marks his age.

Back in 2022 a lady in the US reached out to me with a request for a Bat Mitzvah card for a friend’s daughter. She thought it would be extra special for the card to come from Israel. I created a card for the Bat Mitzvah girl who was going to have an ocean/sea life themed party.

A few months ago the lady contacted me once again, this time with a request for a card for Carly, the original Bat Mitzvah girl's younger sister. Carly loves softball, her black cat Luna and the ocean, my customer told me. She also loves the Tampa Bay Lightning, an American professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. Her Bat Mitzvah was going to have an all purple theme.

Playing softball is a real love of Carly's, so I showed her gripping a softball bat. Apparently Carly made sure her Bat Mitzvah party was where everyone could see the sunset over the water, so a beautiful purple coloured sunset can be seen behind her. Luna the black cat is next to her, and I also included the the Tampa Bay Lightning logo, a stylized lightning bolt. The team was named the Lightning in reference to the Tampa Bay area apparently being the lightning capital of North America. The logo is the origin of one nickname for the team, the "Bolts".

My customer was once again very happy with the card.

"Carly’s card came yesterday. Thank you so much! It looks awesome! I love it and so will she! Thank you again!"

* This post has been shared on Happiness is Homemade and Tuesday Turn About.

17 and 18

The new customer who saw and loved the birthday cards that I made for Ilana came back to me once again, this time for a card for a daughter whose birthday was in January. I previously made a birthday card for another daughter back in December. Like her younger sister, this young lady also plays netball. She does gel nails as a hobby for clients, and mum told me that she loves to sleep!

I showed the birthday girl wearing the khaki green shirt that her netball team plays in. I showed her younger sister wearing the same shirt. She has a netball in her hands. Behind her is a dream bubble showing her fast asleep in bed! I added some little bottles of nail varnish and a nail file, to represent her work as a nail technician. If you look carefully, you will see that she also has beautiful pink gel nails! Finally, I added a number 17 to mark her age.

I had another request, this time for an 18th birthday card. This young lady belongs to Shevet Modi'in, a Jerusalem based Scout troop. Mum sent me a photo of her daughter's khaki Scout shirt, which is absolutely covered in badges! The khaki shirt is the same across the world for the Scouts' movement. Shevet Modi'in wear a blue aniva, or neckerchief. Much like the khaki shirt, the use of the anivot is the same throughout the movement. It connects each troop to the entire Scout movement.

Mum told me that her daughter always carries a particular water bottle. Along with the badge emblazoned shirt, I also carefully copied the green water bottle. Finally, this young lady drives her dad's green Mazda 2, which the family call 'Froggie' 🐸. I added the car to her card, along with a big pink number 18.

* This post has been shared on Tuesday Turn About, Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop and Thursday Favorite Things.

Shira and Nina

Shira's incredible 92 year-old grandma asked me to make a card to mark her granddaughter's Bat Mitzvah. Shira likes dogs and music, grandma told me, and is very interested in science. I questioned whether she preferred biology, physics or chemistry, but grandma wasn't sure, so I simply added some general science-ey items to the card!

I showed bespectacled Shira hugging a cute dog. Some music notes represent her love of music. I added a glass jar with some green liquid bubbling in it, a dropper and a magnet. I hope they cover some of the science fields. A big yellow number 12 marks her age, the age a Jewish girl becomes a Bat Mitzvah. 

The Hebrew greeting on the card says "To dear Shira, congratulations on the occasion of your Bat Mitzvah."

Grandma wrote me the sweetest note:
"Hello Lisa,
The card came out very nicely. You understood who Shira is.
Both mother and daughter are happy.
Thank you again."

A new customer saw the cards I made for Ilana and contacted me to see if I was able to make a card for her daughter's birthday, which was back in December. Her daughter was turning 15. She plays netball, is very involved in the religious youth movement Ezra, and she loves baking, mum told me.

I showed her daughter wearing the khaki green netball shirt that her team plays in. She has a netball under her arm and a plate of cupcakes in her other hand. The Ezra logo is behind her, along with a mixing bowl and wooden spoon, and some chocolate chip cookies. Finally, a pink number 15 marks her age.

"Card is amazing. Thank you so much." mum messaged me.

* This post has been shared on Happiness is Homemade, The Good. The Random. The Fun., Tuesday Turn About and Creative Muster Link-Up.

Atara's Album

Atara celebrated her Bat Mitzvah back in April and her mum asked me to create a customized album for the occasion. Atara likes music and dancing, dogs, roller skating, emojis, tacos and Coca-Cola, she told me. 

Atara knew exactly how she wanted to look on the album cover. It was important to her that I show her side bangs (I am not sure what you call them in British English!) and to show her wearing her denim jacket and with lots of bracelets on her wrists. She wanted it to say Atara in English on top and then בת המצווה של עטרה (Atara's Bat Mitzvah) in Hebrew at the bottom. She also requested a cute white dog (like her next door neighbours have) and music notes.
I made sure she got everything that she wanted.

Atara's album opens the Hebrew way, from right to left. I have shown her wearing her favourite denim jacket, with some roller skates slung over her shoulder and a can of Coca-Cola in her other hand. Her hair is loose, with the side bangs shown as requested. Behind Atara is a little white dog, her favourite emojis and a plate with some tacos on it. Truthfully I thought there was already quite enough on the cover, but Atara wanted music notes in the background too. It looks a little busy but it made the Bat Mitzvah girl happy!

I made the background light purple, as Atara requested, and added some music notes in two corners of the album cover. The lettering is silver.

I decorated five pages inside the album as well. The first page has music notes on it, to illustrate Atara's love of dance and music. Next, I made another version of her neighbour's cute white dog, below. This was followed by a page showing a pair of white roller skates, just like Atara's own skates. Another page has emojis on it, then finally, one of the last pages in the album has some tiny tacos and a can of Coca-Cola on it. They are Atara's favourites.

It seems that Atara was delighted with her album. "It's so cute! We love it!" her mum wrote to me.

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun., Tuesday Turn About Link Party and Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop.