creative jewish mom

Something Charming: Bracelets With Interchangeable Charms!

If you are like me, and you love silver charm bracelets, but can't quite wrap your head around the cost of either the modern ones, or the vintage ones, there is hope in sight! Introducing Soufeel 925 silver charm bracelets whose charms fit both Pandora and Chamilia bracelets, but are much more budget friendly. I had for many years thought about starting a silver charm bracelet for my daughter, you know the traditional ones, which I just LOVE, but when I saw the price of individual charms, I realized that down the road her beautiful charm bracelet would end up being worth at least a thousand or so bucks, and that did seem quite ridiculous.

So when Soufeel contacted me about choosing a charm bracelet and charms for myself to review here, you can certainly bet I jumped at the chance to quiet that little voice in my head that keeps whispering to me about charm bracelets! What I didn't expect is that I would become slightly addicted to looking on their website to see what new designs they have introduced and what charms are on sale! (And I may or may not have already placed two orders for some presents for my daughter, nieces and little me.)

I do happen to think that a charm bracelet is a fabulous gift, and especially if you plan to add to it over time! You could buy a bunch of charms with a plan for giving them over the span of a year or so, or even better, how about doing a countdown calender or 8 nights of Chanukah calendar with little pockets each filled with a charm, now that is something I would love, wouldn't you?

I really had a difficult time choosing charms, as there are really so many to choose from, and of course there was a budget! In the end I choose symbols with sentimental value, a few beads in colors that I love, and I made sure that roughly half the charms would be dangling ones, for that charm bracelet look. And I told myself, don't worry too much as the charms are so easily interchangeable you can always take some off or add some, or start a second bracelet for your daughter, right?

And that dear readers is exactly what I did! Introducing mother/daughter interchangeable charm bracelets, with charms that you can trade depending on your mood, or the color of your outfit. And now that my daughter will need some charms to trade with me, I guess I better go order her some!

That is it for my review of the soufeel charm bracelet, and I'll end with two little tips:

1.I was thinking that the bracelet could really use a safety chain, (though the clasp is very secure and easy to put on with one hand) and then I realized that those double charms joined by a chain which I didn't quite understand are just exactly that, silly me, now I'm off to see which ones I'll need to add to my next order!

2. The charms do have dimension to them, which makes the bracelet fit more tightly on your wrist when it is filled with charms. So while the website says to measure your wrist and add 1cm, I would only do this if you want a very tight bracelet. Add at least 2 cm to your wrist size and maybe even 3cm for a loose bracelet.

Oh and by the way, with every order of $50 you get free shipping anywhere in the world, and as the order increases in size there are a number of great gifts, as well as a free bracelet with every order over $99! Sign up for an account and you'll get points which you can trade in, and don't forget to use this use the coupon code 5Sara on you next order for a 5% discount! Charmed?

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday (Extra Super Edition!)

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! Last week's party was full of great projects as well as lots of new contributors, so I'm featuring quite a few more projects, and especially cooking/baking ideas than ususal, so enjoy! Thanks for joining me here, and please do make an effort to link back to the party if you haven't been doing so, I put in many hours making this party happen, and would love for as many to know about it as possible. And now, for the fantastic features:

and gorgeous strawberry watermelon infused water from homemade interest (USA.)

Knit rainbow spiral shells are fantastic, from Ginx craft (United Kingdom), and a gorgeous crocheted rainbow waves from color crochet love (Germany.)

A simply gorgeous crocheted blanket from chris in de haak (The Netherlands) and a lovely crocheted nordic shawl from colour crochet love (Germany.)

 An adorable Noah's ark crocheted blanket from Lanas De Ana (Guatemala) and sweet knit wrap-over baby booties from ginx craft (United Kingdom.)

A fun crocheted hexigon runner (not really for the stairs) from my world of crochet (Germany) and love these cute crocheted headbands from my crochet projects (Germany.)

Love this sweet little crocheted pullover that could work for just about any age, from Anna simple crochet (Portugal) and thes adorable crocheted converse sneakers baby booties from estrea chikitu (the Netherlands.)

This crocheted rose applique from my world of crochet (Germany) is just gorgeous, and the crocheted frog bookmark is adorable, and a quick gift to whip up, from Sofie (Belgium.)

A fun aluminum tray flower craft for kids from grandparents plus (USA) and love these upcycled coffee lid flowers from Mich in LA (USA.)

A super cute wine cork giraffe craft from the daughter over at Ginx Craft (United Kingdom) and believe it or not another cute cork project, cork magnet men from moms and crafters (USA.)

Simple and sweet cross stitch art from howling at the moon (the Netherlands) and a embroidered sweater from the little treasures (Macedonia) that came about in order to hide some stains, great idea!

And talk about creative and adorable, check out this shadow box "washing day" assmeblage from my home is my castle (Sweden) and a sweet recipe for sugar crytalized rose petals from estrea chikitu (the Netherlands, a little treat after doing all that laundry perhaps?

A stunning little mini fairy garden from grandparents plus (USA) and a DIY grape arbor from homegrown and healthy (USA.)

 Cream of asparagus soup from simply stacie, and spring herbed tartlets also from simply stacie.

Skillet blueberry cobbler from olives and okra (USA) and boston baked beans also from olives and okra (USA) who is a great person to ask about using cast iron pots and pans as she clearly loves them!

Amazing sounding peanut butter coconut oil granola from confessions of an overworked mom (USA) and no-bake white chocolate cheesecake that looks amazing, from Winnie (Israel.) That is it for the features, what have you been up to?

A Stunning Connecticut Lake House That We Were Sorry To Leave......

One of the highlights of our month spent in the United States was 8 glorious nights at a fantastic house on a lake in Northwestern Connecticut, in a little town called New Hartford. We felt so fortunate to have located this house online, and it exceeded our wildest dreams......truly a little piece of heaven on earth! The Connecticut lake house was gorgeous and clean both inside and out, and suited our needs so perfectly I still can't believe it!

Make Super Simple And Quick Birthday Cake Decorations From Paper!!

With all the amazing cakes going on out there in the world, the pressure can sometimes be a bit much when it comes to decorating a birthday cake for your child or family member, especially if like me, you're no expert with frosting and don't have hours and hours to devote to decorating a cake. My advice? Come up with a fun theme for your cake and quite simply make decorations using paper, markers and skewers! Short on drawing skills? Not to worry, you can certainly find lots of things to draw in my favorite Ed Emberley books for example, or via any simple how to draw book or website, so no excuses friends! Here is some fun inspiration from the creativejewishmom.com archives to get those gears turning:

This Loch Ness monster castle themed cake was actually my very first cake using simple paper decorations, and I have to admit, it is one of the best, though I really have no idea where the Loch Ness monster idea came from, nor did it relate to any theme, but for a 16 year old that certainly isn't necessary in any case.

For this penguin themed birthday cake with paper decorations I used only white printer paper and permanent markers, which explains the dense color. To draw the penguins I quickly looked up "how to draw a penguin" online and took it from there.

This merry go round themed birthday cake with paper decorations and some strips of sour candy is so simple to make and with great results. And while this cake is on the small size, this would also look great on a much larger round cake as well. I thought of making a roof, which you could do on a larger cake, but maybe just a little roof in the center would look cute. I took the inspiration for the animals from Ed Emberley's Make A World, a must have!

Okay, I'll admit it, I just love the paper decorations on this King Kong, Empire State Building themed cake, which I made for a birthday which took place upon our return from a trip which included NYC. I looked at a vintage illustration of the Empire State Building that I have on a fun postcard as inspiration, and Ed Emberley once again for inspiration for King Kong.

The paper decorations for this underwater castle birthday cake were made as part of a water themed birthday, I'll admit this isn't one of my best, as the castle and the fish need more details, but as I recall I was very pressed for time, such is life!

And last but not least, the lake vacation themed birthday cake with paper decorations that I made just a few weeks ago. We really were on vacation, and while truthfully it turned out that there was a Walmart and  a Target stuffed to the gills with decorations that one can buy just 15 minutes away, I still preferred using the markers and construction paper we had on hand, as the handmade look is truly so much cuter, and once you get started buying decorations, well I can imagine that there is no end to it!

Hope you've enjoyed this round-up, please don't forget to share photos of any fun birthday cake decorations you make using paper!

 

Adirondack Style Twig Sign Craft: Perfect For Summer Camp Or Staycation!

Isn't this handmade Adirondack-style twig sign fantastic? I can't take credit for it, other than having the nerve to wander over to the neighbor's yard one afternoon while on our Connecticut lake vacation! And don't go imagining that I climbed over any stone walls or anything, I just wandered across the lawn knowing that they were on their way to Florida, and discovered this twig sign, as well as some great views and perennial beds to photograph.

If you want to make a sign like this one, simply plan your sign first, actual size, on a large piece of paper, and then use that as a template to cut the sticks exactly the right size. You can use nails or even wood glue to join all the pieces, and then add some fun details with willow branches, or any branches that can bend without breaking. I'd love to have another opportunity for enough time on the lake to make a sign like this myself, but in the meantime maybe one of you will give it a try? Enjoy!

A Super Simple Birthday Cake To Make While On Vacation (Or Not)!

My baby is now ten years old (how did that happen?) and even though we were on vacation I certainly couldn't deprive him of a creativejewishmom style birthday cake, made with just a few simple supplies!
I decided to make the decorations look like the lake house we were renting, complete with the two kayaks that came with the house, and of course some simple flags proclaiming his age. And since I needed something cute and quick, using just construction paper a black marker and wooden skewers, this was the only solution. Then again, this style of cake decor is generally the best solution in my book, whether you are on vacation or not! Of course, I would recommend planning ahead with a large platter to hold the cake, or you'll have to use the cover of a large plastic bowl, not that anyone really noticed!

Simply draw the elements you'd like to place on your cake, cut them out and tape toothpicks and/or skewers to the back. Yes this makes a cake that can only be viewed from one side, but it will be devoured anyway, right?

And here is my little sweetie, just out of the kayak after being surprised with a birthday party which included our dear Bubby, an uncle and even three cousins! Stay tuned for lots more about our USA lake vacation which was truly a dream........

 

Welcome Back To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome back to Craft Schooling Sunday! I took a little month long vacation without warning you, I know, because I thought maybe I'd have some computer time somewhere. Well, that didn't happen so I happily embraced my "unplugged" situation while at the same time proving to my husband that I truly am not addicted to my computer, as there were no withdrawal symptoms or sleepless nights, on the contrary! Nonetheless, it is great to be back, and looking forward to reconnecting with you all. And now the inspiring features from the last party:

Love this crocheted baby music stuffie from hip met haken (The Netherlands) and this fabulous waterproof tote with a tutorial from sew can do (USA.)

Ginx craft (United Kingdom) shows us her adult size experiment of a knit baby bootie she shared a while back.....I love the embroidery and they do look cozy! This sweet little felt faerie is from a brand new contributor, liebe design (Germany) is just too sweet!

So many great ideas already, so we'll break for dessert: chocolate chip and cream cheese cookies from Winnie (Israel), and festive looking mimosa cupcakes from homemade interest (USA)

A simple DIY vase project from a jar from grandparents plus (USA) and a fun DIY decoupage idea for metal shelves from another brand new contributor home girl (USA, I think.)

Love this clutch remake (using nail polish!) from bisozozo (Greece.) Check it out, you'll never get rid of anything ever again! (Okay, don't take this too seriously, there is a thin line between pack rat and avid upcycler, as I myself can certainly proove if you take a look into my studio at the moment, sigh.)

A fun crocheted heart from homemade at my place (Mozambique) and a sweet crocheted butterfly garland from howling at the moon (The Netherlands.)

 A super sweet idea for a greeting card from hip met haken (The Netherlands) and a little crocheted coin purse from the queen of completing crochet projects, my world of crochet (Germany.)

Love this little dollar bill graduation cap, from the queen of dollar bill folding projects, crafty journal (USA) and these nice little envelopes from my home is my castle (Sweden.)

A fantastic DIY toddler activitiy book from life in our nomad (USA) and a fun idea for keeping busy with kids in the kitchen using air drying clay, from art club (USA.) That is it for the features, what have you been up to this past month?

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