Business as usual

The birthday celebrations are over for now (though we have another one in the not too distant future) and it's business as usual for me. I have been busy with some more custom orders. Above is a detail from a yet-to-be-delivered Batmitzvah card, so I am going to wait a little while until I show you the whole thing. A very specific design was requested - two girls bouncing on a trampoline - and it took me quite a while to work out the composition. I hope that the young lady receiving it will be happy.
Below is a birthday card that I know has been received, and I believe, very much appreciated. This particular teenager is very into the Stardoll website at the moment, so I made the birthday girl into a Stardoll cover girl for her big day.
Congratulations to both girls!

Eight

Thursday morning we expect to be up early. Very early. We are celebrating a birthday here and that of course means presents, cakes, and a special card made by Mum! Above, a yet-to-be-received card showing my football loving, chess playing eight year old. We are a divided home here when it comes to teams. Dad is originally from London and an Arsenal supporter through and through. I am originally from Hull and, though not a football fan myself, come from a football mad family and Grandpa has a strong influence! Thus my son has two favourites and I have depicted him wearing both shirts! The much-loved 'Sock-puppety' also got in there too...
Happy Birthday to my wonderful 8 year old!

All the Fun of the Fair

Yesterday I participated in my first fair for quite some time, and it was a very successful day for me. The weather was bad - yes, even in Israel - and so, though we were supposed to be outdoors, the day before I received a phone call to say that we were moving indoors and that space was somewhat limited. Subsequently my table was very small and rather restricted what I was able to show, but fortunately it didn't seem to put people off. My framed pictures were popular, and of course the cards too, and there are quite a few children who will be receiving my little trinket boxes for their Chanukah gifts this year. A good start to the season for me!

After the Chagim

The phrase "After the Chagim" (Jewish Festivals) is used a lot in Israel during the build up to and days of all the recent festivals that we have celebrated here. Nothing seems to get done and everyone is in holiday mode! Now there is a lull and no major festival until Chanukah, the Festival of Lights that usually comes in December. Work has resumed again, the kids are back at school and I can start thinking about other faiths other than my own! I have started work on some Christmas cards which will be available in my Etsy shop well in time for the festive season. Each card is hand crafted so colours and the papers used will vary, and they are left blank inside for your own message.
Time to get crafting!

All the Eights

We are currently celebrating the holiday of Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, here in Israel. It is a 7-day holiday, with the first day celebrated as a full festival with special prayer services and holiday meals and the remaining days known as Chol HaMoed ("festival weekdays"). My husband has had the week off work and we have been busy as a family going on some lovely day trips. However, crafting and card-making is always in the background and I have created a few custom orders during the periods that we have been at home. Yesterday we hiked up to the top of Masada, the site of an ancient fortress on top of an isolated rock plateau on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. My mobile phone rang as I reached the top and a friend wanted to give me an order for a card for her daughter's birthday! I had to suggest that she may be better off sending me an e-mail with all the details as I didn't have a pen at hand! The card has been created today, now that my legs have had a little rest, and above, on the left you can see a ballet themed card for an eight year old dancer, and on the right a separate order for an eighteenth birthday card, in Hebrew, for a girl who loves floaty dresses and loves to drive.

Masada: Desert Fortress overlooking the Dead Sea

Two by Two

The latest requests for custom-made cards came in two's. The cards above are for twin boys who are turning 2. They are not identical - one with very curly hair and one with straight hair - and I was asked to create cards showing, on the left, a favourite tricycle, and on the right, a much loved baseball mit and ball and a plastic bar of butter that apparently gets carried around the house! In the few years I have been making custom-made cards for people I have never been asked to create a card for a camel lover either. The card below is for a retired road traffic authority worker who is fascinated with camels.
Happy Birthday to the twin boys who are turning 2 and to the man who loves the animals with 2 humps!

It's been Framed!

It's been all cards, cards, cards here for a while! I thought it was time to show you some more of my framed pictures that I sell at fairs. Each one is an individual design created out of cut paper.
Above, one in a series of three bird illustrations - papercut, 20x20cm.
Below, 'Cow' papercut - 20x20cm, and 'Little Duck' papercut - 15cm x 15cm.