Something to Treasure

Anna and Udi got married quite some months ago but even after their special event my customer wanted a wedding card for them - something that they could treasure - just as she had ordered for the groom's brother. My customer sent me a beautiful photograph of the couple taken on their wedding day in the scenic location of Yemin Moshe. I copied the bride's delicate dress as closely as possible and crafted a dark suit similar to the one the groom wore. In the background I added colours which reflect the Jerusalem stone buildings, blue skies and pink bougainvillea seen in abundance in Yemin Moshe.

My lovely customer and friend wrote "It's wonderful! They're going to love it! Thank you for another great creation!"

Rebecca was turning 16.  Apparently she is going to be starting a course to become a make-up artist, so it was decided that make-up should be the theme of her birthday card.  I created a card on that theme for her last year, so this year I made the focus more about applying make-up, and less about the products. I added some purple lipstick and nail polish for good measure!

The same customer wanted a card for another niece, Sophie. She was soon to be celebrating her 18th birthday and my customer wanted a card similar to the one I did for Sophie's cousin, Emily. She specifically asked for the number 18 to be in the middle of the card with the words חי – Chai in Hebrew and in English next it. I'll explain the relevance of it again. Chai, which is pronounced as if you were saying "hi" in English, is a Hebrew word and symbol that means "life." It is spelt with the Hebrew letters Het (ח) and Yud (י). According to the gematria, which is a mystical tradition that assigns a numerological value to Hebrew letters, the letters Het (ח) and Yud (י) add up to the number 18. The Het has a value of 8 and the yud has a value of 10. As a result, 18 is a popular number that represents good luck. At weddings, bar mitzvahs and other events Jewish people often give gifts of money in multiples of 18, symbolically giving the recipient the gift of "life" or luck.
Along with wishing her niece "Chai", good luck, my customer also wanted me to include many of her interests on the card. These include Disneyland Paris, where Sophie was going for her birthday celebration, baking utensils and cupcakes with "Sophie's Sweet Treats" written next to it (apparently she is a keen baker), a silver can of Diet Coke, the high-fashion retailer Topshop, Brent Cross Shopping Centre, and a laptop with the Internet video streaming service Netflix open on the screen.
There was a lot to fit in but I managed it.

Nail Polish, Lip Gloss and a Cup of Tea

Ella is another person who receives Handmade in Israel birthday cards every year. Her Mum recently told me that my cards have become part of their family's birthday traditions, and that they couldn't have a birthday without them. I like that! This year Mum asked me to make a card with a picture of her daughter on it. The theme was to be nail polish, lip gloss and general girliness, and she asked me to create the card in Ella's favourite colours of turquoise, purple and pink.

Galia's birthday present this year was a trip to England and Prague (lucky her!), so her Mum asked if I could create a card with something symbolic from both countries on it. My immediate thoughts for England were of course tea! I crafted a teeny-tiny teapot, cup and saucer. I have never been to Prague (it is most definitely on my bucket list) but have heard enough to know that it is a beautiful place full of historic buildings. I added a silhouette of one of Prague's buildings to my design. Clipart of each city, plus a few flowers and a heart, completed the card.

Finally, this Hebrew card was created for a young lady. There were no special requests for this one. Just something pretty!

Dear Daughter

A customer had a simple request - something pretty for her daughter. I remembered this card, made for a 'special sister' back in 2011, and decided to come up with something similar. That little bird still makes me smile.

Ma'ayan loves playing netball. Her Mum asked me to make a card for her 12th birthday showing her blonde-haired daughter wearing a red netball bib, with the letters showing her best position (Goal Attack) emblazoned on it.

My niece recently celebrated her 15th birthday. Now, as I have mentioned previously, I always pay great care and attention to custom orders, and can spend a lot of time researching particular subject matters and hobbies, but when it comes to my own family, the card often comes out of my stock! On this occasion I did spend some time on a card. 15-year-olds do like cupcakes, nail polish and lipstick, right?

Hey Girl!

Rebecca's aunt asked me to make her a birthday card with a make-up theme. Apparently her favourite brands are Mac, Bobby Brown and Urban Decay. Now, I am not very into creating "branded" cards (nor am I very knowledgeable about make-up, but that's another story!) so I decided to make some paper lipstick and nail polishes, and then I embellished the card with just a touch of those specific brands. I think it worked.

Shiri was celebrating her Bat Mitzvah and her birthday just a week apart. Her family asked me to make no less that five cards for the occasion! One from Mum and Dad, one from her siblings, one from her Grandma, and then birthday cards from two of them as well! I do hope that Shiri likes my cards! This was my favourite from the collection. The Hebrew reads "To Our Dear Sister Shiri, Best Wishes on the occasion of your Bat Mitzvah."

Aimee Leigh was turning 9. Her Grandma said that she is into dancing. I added a dancer to the card - she looks like a ballerina - and popped on some butterflies and flowers too. It made for a nice girly card.

Not only were these girls all celebrating their birthdays but I was as well! My husband treated me to a beautiful blackbird made by The Cotton Potter, along with an FA Cup runners-up medal, since my football team, Hull City, were playing his team, Arsenal, on my big day. Hull City lost, thus the medal.

Well, he almost got it 100% right.