Her "Lisa Card"

Back in 2018 Keshet came to spend the afternoon papercutting with me. From that year onwards her mum has asked me to make a special card for her daughter's birthday. She has been into rainbows (the name Keshet means "rainbow" in Hebrew), slime and last year I showed her giving a big thumbs up for turning 10.
This year mum told me that Keshet likes riding her bike and asked me to show her holding her bike helmet. She has her own sewing machine and, during the height of Covid-19, made hundreds of masks for one of the big hospitals here in Israel. Mum sent me a copy of the letter she received from the hospital thanking her for all her hard work. Well done Keshet! Keshet is also into drawing and diamond painting. Mum told me that she had dreams of getting an iPhone for her birthday but it was going to stay a dream. Finally, she asked me to put a pineapple on Keshet's T-shirt.

I showed Keshet holding her purple bike helmet in one hand. She has a pencil in her other hand and is putting the finishing touches to one of her actual drawings, a brilliant copy of the "Girl with a Pearl Earring". Behind her is her Brother sewing machine with a blue paisley pattern on it, together with her well-deserved letter and one of the face masks that she made. The lilac coloured iPhone that Keshet dreamt about can been seen in a dream bubble next to her. A big number 11 marks her age. Lastly I gave her a pale blue T-shirt with the much loved pineapple on it. 

I received the fabulous photo of Keshet with just some of her "Lisa Isaacs" collection, top. "Keshet loved her "Lisa Card"! Thank you!" mum wrote to me. Apparently she asked for one of my cards just before her birthday. Thankfully mum had already organised it!

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, Creatively Crafty Link Party, Creative Monday Link Up, Sew Can Do, Handmade Monday, Inspire Me Monday and Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday).

Swimming, Sewing and Solitaire

My customer's mum was turning 70. She loves baking, making jam, sewing, swimming and reading books in the sun, she told me.

I made a card showing mum enjoying the sunshine, book in hand. To her right is a sewing machine, and a plate of biscuits and a spatula to represent her love of baking. On her left I added a red swimming cap and goggles, a tiny jar of jam and a spoon. A big blue number 70 marks her age.
My customer told me that her mum loved the card.

This dad was turning 75. His daughter asked for a card showing him playing Solitaire on his desktop computer. I finished the card off with a big red number 75 and some colourful bunting.

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, Creatively Crafty, Thursday Favorite Things and Inspire Me Monday.

She Cheered with Joy!

Remember my young apprentice, Keshet? Well, it was birthday time again and her mum came back to me for another card. Last year Keshet requested a card with lots of rainbows, doughnuts and treats on it. This year mum told me that she is into slime (mum's hope for next year is that she no longer into slime!). She has been going to a sewing class and was getting a sewing machine for her birthday (lucky girl!). She enjoys going to the Zionist youth movement NOAM (an acronym for No'ar Masorti, Masorti Youth) and she still loves doughnuts. Oh, and she plays the recorder as well and is going to try the piano next year.

I have shown Keshet wearing her green NOAM movement shirt on the card. She has some tubs of her homemade slime - I-Slime - in her hands and is surrounded by her favourite doughnuts, her new sewing machine and some music notes to represent her interest in music. Mum suggested turquoise as the background colour.

It seems that once again Keshet was delighted with her birthday card. Mum told me that "She cheered with joy when she opened the card!". How lovely is that? She has just moved into her own bedroom and has decided to use it as a door sign for her room. I even received a picture of it already on the door!

* This post has been shared on Happiness is Homemade, Inspire Me Monday, Mix it up Monday!, Busy Monday, The Good. The Random. The Fun., Made By You Monday, Creative Mondays, Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday), Tuesdays with a Twist, My Corner of the World, Say Cheese! Photo and Recipe Link Up and Creatively Crafty.

80 Years Old and Awesome

Some time ago a customer asked me to make an 80th birthday card for her mum. Apparently she creates pottery, plays tennis, sews, likes flowers and gardening, and often hosts her daughter and family for Shabbat dinner. She also likes the colour orange, her daughter pointed out, and could I include a picture of mum as well?

There was lot to fit on the card!
I created a little paper portrait of mum in the centre of the card and added a big orange number 80. Then, clockwise from the left, I added two little photos showing her working on some of her pottery pieces. Next I cut out a tennis racket and tennis ball, some tiny reels of cotton and a needle, and included a watering can, trowel and some leaves to represent her interest in gardening. Finally I added two candlesticks and two loaves of challah to represent their family Shabbat meals.

The Shabbat candles are traditionally lit by the woman of the household just before sundown to welcome the Shabbat. Lighting the candles brings not only a physical light but also peace, harmony, serenity and spirituality into the home. I also created two plaited challot, above. Most people think of challah as that special, yummy, plaited bread eaten after the Kiddush (the blessing recited over wine to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays) but it really represents so much more. "Challah" is actually the piece of dough that is removed from the loaf before it is plaited, not the plaited bread loaf itself. After the challah was removed it was traditionally given as a sacrifice to the Holy Priest, representing a consecration to G-d, but in modern times it is either burnt in the oven or frozen and then thrown away. The separation of the challah is one the 613 mitzvot (commandments of Jewish law) that contribute toward creating a Jewish life.

This "Brother" was also turning 80. Apparently he has just bought himself a sports car, his sister told me, so that's what I put on his birthday card. Drive safely!

* This post has been shared on Amaze Me Monday, MMM Block Party, Inspiration Monday, Mix it up Monday, Inspire Me Monday, The Good. The Random. The Fun., Make it Pretty Monday.