creative jewish mom

Holiday Gift Giving Made Simple With Custom Stickers

This year holiday season is looking quite a bit different for many families and individuals, but that doesn't mean it can't be special. With fewer family get togethers, holiday parties and travel plans, there may just be a chunk of time to invest in creativity in a big way? The wonderful thing about choosing to give handmade gifts and decorating with crafted items is that you enjoy doing the making and those on the receiving end get an extra dose of love from you! Plus you may just discover a new hobby that gives you joy, or even a side gig that will generate some extra income. And the good news is, that to put together some amazing DIY gifts, you really don't need to be a talented artist or crafter, you just have to be thoughtful! Okay, it is true that some graphic design skills can go a long way with the projects I've lined up for you, but you can always get advice from that designer friend, or even hire someone to do an hour's worth of work or so to bring your DIY holiday gift giving up more than just a few rungs.

Of course there are many ways to go when it comes to DIY gifts, in this post we are going to narrow it down to gifts that can be made with help of custom stickers! Of course if you are an artist or designer, maybe the gift is stickers, but for now lets think about how we can make our gifts personal and special with stickers! If the word "sticker" brings to mind sheets of glitter rainbows and unicorns, think again, stickers can be anything from transparent decals to iron on t-shirt designs, so there are many exciting options to consider. Okay, let's get started!

How To Paint A Simple Dove With A Vintage Vibe

Wondering what to paint in your sketchbook? Wondering if you can use paint in your sketchbook? You have come to the right place! First of all the sketchbook that you see here is not heavy weight watercolor or even mixed media paper, it is a sketchbook for drawing, yet I do paint in it, all the time! The main thing is to realize that the pages will first of all buckle (I was thinking of trying to iron them) and that you will want to use paint that is not runny or watery. Basically, acrylic paint is plastic, so as long as you avoid too much water moisture you can paint on any kind of paper with acrylic paint, whereas painting with water colors or even using markers on the same paper will lead to bleading through to the other side in a major way. Also, once you have one layer of paint covering the page, that acts as a protectant/barrier, so you can keep on adding more layers of paint. It is true, the sketchbook pages will not lie flat, but hey, this is a book filled with a creative journey and not a printed manefesto, so a little bit of sloppiness adds charm. Okay, now that we've covered that, the second question namely what to paint in your sketchbook is simple as can be: doves! Doves are a wonderful symbol of hope, perfect for the end of 2020, so lets get started!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! Winter has arrived here in Northern Israel, with torrential downpours and colder weather, which means more time indoors and more time for crafting? I have yet to crochet anything, and need to check my stash to use up anything I have on hand, as well as a bunch of dark blue yarn that someone gave me.....the problem is that dark blue alone just doesn't sound all that exciting, but if I mix it with aqua or pink, ah yes! And come to think of it, that dark blue yarn could be useful for crafting rather than making clothing, like maybe some stars for chanukah?

Chanukah is approaching, and so now is a great time to get started with all things related to this wonderful 8 day holiday, which for our family also includes a few birthdays. This year as my sketchbook practice and painting continue, my efforts will be more artful, as that just makes sense. I have already crocheted the traditional gift bags that I use to give chocolate coins and tiny gifts, so while there are always many last minute things to do for my all out holiday decorating, I'm actually quite ahead of schedule. Okay, that is all for know, wishing everyone good health, and lets take a look at the features from last week's party, shall we?

Hello Prague: Huge Crochet Applique Mural

One of the amazing visual treats that we experienced in Prague last year, was in fact a treat within a treat, though that describes just about everything in Prague, what a city! On our visit to Vysrehard, see  my post here, not only were there amazing views and ancient history, but also the biggest yarn bombing installation I've ever seen! Ever seen a crocheted mural, constructed on a base of recycled sweaters? Me neither, so I was very excited to capture this and share it with you. I'm not sure how many years something like this can hold up, especially in a place with cold winters, so if you decide to do something similar, I'd hang it in a way that it can be removed come rain and such. All this wonderful crocheted art is both a sign and an eye catcher at a place called Indigo Kids, which is a kindergarten. You can see the main sign in my post about signs in Prague, and here I've presented you with all the many ways to make pictures with crochet. enjoy!

Hello Prague: A Walk On The Ancient Castle Walls In Vysrehard

When in Prague, and I do hope you'll have the chance to visit sometime OFF SEASON, make sure to get away from the tourist packed Old Town and experience the tranquil beauty of the city at large. My number one recommendation for that is a visit to Vysehrad! (Even the name sounds enchanting, and it is!) Vyšehrad (Czech for "upper castle") is a historic fort in Prague, Czech Republic, just over 3 km southeast of Prague Castle, and on the east bank of the Vltava River, on a rocky promontory above the river.  It was probably built in the 10th century, around 990 AD, though the most glorious period of the Vysehrad’s history belongs, to the 11th century, when it became the seat of the first Czech king and his ancestors. Then, in the 14th century, the famous King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV decided to bring Vysehrad back to its historical glory. Among other things, he added a pilgrimage to Vysehrad to the Czech king’s coronation process.

Over the centuries, other Czech rulers have brought glory to Vysehrad, having numerous architectural gems built there. The present form of Vyšehrad as a fortified residence, with powerful brick ramparts, bastions, and the Tábor and Leopold gates, is a result of Baroque remodeling, and fortunately, in 1962, the area of Vysehrad was declared a National Cultural Monument, 

The entire Vysehrad complex is expansive and features many parks and narrow streets where you can enjoy the gorgeous views of the river and the surrounding neighborhoods. After visiting the Dancing House building, we continued our walk along the river, and took a path from the street up to the compound. There are many ways to enter, but I enjoyed walking up the stairs though the wooded property and enjoying the views as we ascended. You can see photos of those views here.  In doing a little of research for this article I did notice that there is a tourist information booth at the Špička Gate, so if you choose to enter there you can collect all the information you'll need to enjoy this special spot. (Not to mention that I found the tourist information literature, gorgeous little books really, given away at the tourist office to be AMAZING, with so many ideas for walks and interesting ways to get to know Prague. Okay, speaking of walks, lets enjoy a little walk around the fortress walls!

Tips For Moving Your Family To A Condo

Above: For the complete instructions for this craft, check out my tutorial here.

SaMoving your family to a new home can be both exciting and terrifying, especially if it involves moving to a new city, or moving from a house in the suburbs to a condo in the city! Moving into a new condo is a big decision, and not everyone in your family may feel excited about the change. This is especially true when it comes to kids. If you have older kids, they would likely miss their friends and won’t feel happy about changing schools either. Make the effort to involve the whole family when making this important and life changing decision!  Don't let the kids feel left out and be ready to address their concerns. If you really can't take the kid's opinions into consideration as you have already decided to move, there are ways you can make this experience comfortable for each member of your family. And of course a great way to introduce the topic is with some art therapy, so why not paint some milk carton houses and talk about the importance of a home? While you are painting those milk cartons you can even involve the kids in the planning. To get you started, here are five tips to help your family move to a condo.

Painted Knit MItten Winter Greeting Card Craft

Continuing with my fun artufl and a bit painterly winter clothing themed greeting cards that can also be mini works of art, presenting the kaleidoscope knit winter mitten! After painting an ugly Chanukah sweater, and a graffiti knit cap, mittens were certainly in order! First I painted a gift box with pom pom mittens, but then I saw a tiny bit of clip art in an ad, which lead to drawing mittens and hats with cables and a bit of knit detail in my sketchbook, here, and that led to this kaleidoscope knit mitten greeting card! Now you can't say I haven't been letting you in on what goes on around here, well sort of! Ah yes, and maybe I should also reveal that some of my clothes now have little bits of paint on them and are designated "painting clothes", sigh, par for the course! Okay, so put on some old clothes and lets get painting!

Graffiti Mittens Recycled Gift Box Craft

Ready to practice your painting and drawing skills and make the funnest winter themed gift box ever? What can I tell you, this one is a winner, not just the color combo, but the fun artful style, and the fact that it looks much more complicated than it really is! This winter clothes theme came about because I painted an ugly sweater for Chanukah, and then a graffiti ski cap, so mittens were a natural fit for my theme, and mittens with pom poms, is there anything cuter? So whether you follow my technique or not, do think about packaging your gifts this year in recycled containers that you've repurposed, or painted or made yourself, it makes gift giving that much more meaningful! Okay, lets get started!

A Peek In My Sketchbook: How To Draw Knit Hats and Mittens

With cooler weather and lots of rain to boot at last a reality in my little corner of the world, my winter clothing themed crafts this year at last make a bit more sense decorating our home! I recently saw a tiny bit of clip art in a local ad that lead to this page in my sketchbook, in which I figured out how to draw adorable knit hats and mittens, with ribs and cables to boot! I do knit a bit, so it does help to know what knits actually look like. If you do not knit and you want to have a go at drawing some of these winter items yourself, I recommend taking a look at what knits actually look like! I have been doing lots and lots of painting in this large A4 sized sketchbook, so a page filled with simple drawings was quite honestly such a relief! Drawing these items is really quite simple, but if you must start by using a pencil to draw the shape, and then go over that with a pen and add the details with a pen, got it? Curios to know what is on the opposite page of these knits, hmmm, it might just be the theme for next week on the blog, or so it seems to be!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! With more rain and cooler temps here in Northern Israel, things are finally starting to feel like Fall, phew! The rain means blankets of green shoots covering the fields, which is so lovely, and this week I was really surprised to see some new growth in the meadow where I try to take walks a few plus times a week. Chanukah is on the horizon and this year is all about artful gift wrap, recycling crafts and lots of stars to bring light and joy. I am continuing my personal journey with paint and brush and sketchbook, and it feels so good! I look back at some of my simple crafts and wonder why I didn't think to add a little sketch here or there! Such is the creative journey and looking back and realizing that your aesthetics have changed a bit is a great thing, as progress or at least a shift means the creative gears aren't just turning to churn out more of the same, but rather bringing on something new altogether! Speaking of something new, why not challenge yourself with something you've never done, like crocheting or sewing or knitting to bring some warmth into the approaching winter! Lets get inspired by the features from last week's party, shall we?