creative jewish mom

Chalkboard DIY Apples

Hey guys, at long last I have jumped on the chalkboard DIY trend, though of course with a twist, true to creativjewishmom style. (And with some upcycling too, as you might expect!) When I picked up a little bottle of acrylic chalkboard paint on our trip to the USA this summer, I knew I'd find a million and one uses for it, but the first really good one is DIY chalkboard apples, just in time for the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat which is the new year for fruit bearing trees. So whether you have some articifial apples of any kind hanging around, or you need to go buy some, this is a craft you won't want to miss! Imagine a bowl of chalkboard apples on your coffee table for guests to decorate, or use them to write fun messages!

For detailed instructions for these DIY chalkboard apples, keep on reading.

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

 

 Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! So great to be here with all my crafty virtual friends from around the world! It is raining and pouring here in Northern Israel, with snow expected though not likely. And not surprisingly that is putting me in the mood to crochet cozy things!

Last week's party was of course filled with all kinds of projects for that Feb. 14th holiday that we don't celebrate (our calander is packed to the gills with deeply meaningful Jewish holidays) but hearts can be used for so many occassions to show our love and appreciation, (here they are generally used for birthdays) so I'm happy to share the non-specific ones.

Ready for a ton of great features, lets get this party started with all the wonderful inspiration from last week's party:

 

Love this crocheted owl pillow from Anne Marie, and this gorgeous crocheted flower pillow cover from Chris in de Haak.

 A striped rag quilt from the crafty blog stalker, and a laundry room makeover from lolly jane.

Crocheted Granny Square Cowl

I finally got the buttons sewn onto my simple granny square cowl, and it is now my favorite winter accessory. In fact I'm wearing it right now, and am looking forward to enjoying it as a spring accessory with a light coat as well. If this granny cowl looks a bit familiar, well, you are right, this is the cousin of my sunburst granny square scarf, which I love as well, but this year I've been especially loving tucking a crocheted cowl into all my layers of fleece, and a crocheted cowl simply made from just four squares was the perfect answer for something to switch out with the double crochet cowl I've been wearing constantly.

A bit of color and pattern tucked into your coat looks great, and this cowl can be worn loosely such that it can be pulled over your nose if need be, or buttoned up tightly. Any of the holodesw in the granny square can technically be button holes, right?I just love the versatility and the fact that you don't have to pull it over your head. Oh, and of course, granny squares are a great way to use up little odds and ends of yarn, and this would make a fun gift, or a great travel piece as it really takes up so little space.

Chunky And Quick Crocheted Slipper Sock Pattern

Chunky  crocheted slipper socks or maybe you'd call them super thick crocheted booties are so much fun to crochet, work up quickly, are a great way to use up odds and ends of yarn, and make a great gift. What more can you ask for? Oh and of course they'll keep your feet warm! Our home gets quite cold during the winter months and we often go to bed wearing socks just like these. I did previously crocheted some crocheted slipper socks for my husband for a birthday/chanukah gift a few years back, and those are still great, and super warm, and much more sturdy, but I love this pattern for the fact that you can whip up a bunch of pairs, and not worry too much about the beauty of the yarn!

And just by the way, this pattern is perfect for a beginner, so grab those little balls of yarn and lets get started!

Paper Collage Craft For Kids Of All Ages

This past week when one of my very favorite four year olds came for a visit, and I was called upon to do a craft with him (because our last craft, origami boats was so very successful that he took the whole box of boats with him to school!) I pulled out a pile of paper and the few supplies I could actually find amongst my piles of previous projects (sigh) and figured we would just wing it! I had thought of doing some origami again, but those piles were blocking the bookcase in my crafting room, and I really didn't want to involve my good old computer in this quality time. And so my friends, when you just allow good old creativity to guide you, things really can work out just fine!

Now of course, my little friend did have a large role in this creation, as upon seeing the black paper he requested spiders, and then began to tear/cut shapes from the black paper which he said were mountains. I have him a hole punch to make some holes in those mountains, we glued them down together, and then I cut some clouds from white adhesive backed mailing label paper. it really was a true collaboration, and he proudly took home our project to hang in his room. No word yet on whether he decided to take this one to school too!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

 

 

 

Welcome to craft schooling sunday, thanks so very much for joining me here! Winter time is a lovely time for crafting, I hope you are finding little pockets of time to make cozy and colorful creations to embrace the season! I am writing this on Friday mid-day, while the pots of shabbat food are simmering on the stove and we are preparing to receive a literal houseful of guests, which always makes things all the more festive! So I'm sure I could say something here, but just don't have the brainpower at the moment as I'm thinking about all the things that still need doing in the next few hours before we take our 25 hour break from all things mundane. And yes friends that menas that all the food that I will be serving tonight and tomorrow is all cooked and ready, which is just wonderful.

And now for the features from last week's party:

A cross stitch leather cuff from the scrap shoppe blog, and wonderful leaf shaped lavender sachets from ginx craft.

 Gorgeous knit gloves from time to craft, and a sweet stuffed felt hearts garland from the real coake.

 A cheerful felt balls and hearts garland from pink peppermint design, and just adore this crocheted mini squares pencil case from Anne Marie.

Learn Painting Techniques Using Simple Watercolors

This watercolor painting of fish was done by my fourteen year old daughter who is taking a painting class once again! We've had a hard time finding someone as wonderful as her original teacher but in the end I decided to just pick the best option which at the moment is a teacher who was trained in Russia, so the process is quite a bit different from a teacher trained for example in the USA. Our piano teacher is from the Ukraine, and we are having great success with her, so an art teacher that also teaches with the Russian adherence to the importance of step by step will certainly give my daughter some great skills as a foundation.

This painting was the first one that she did with the new teacher, who starts all students in this way. I think the results are quite lovely, right? Keep reading to see the whole painting!

On My Hook, A Cozy Crocheted Mohair Cowl

Right now I'm in the process of whipping up a cozy crocheted mohair cowl, and thought my work in progress might just inspire you to indulge in some quick winter crocheting! One of my go-to neck warmers this winter has been my crocheted ribbed cowl, which is so practical and can be worn in so many ways, so I thought I'd make a more delicate and colorful version using this mohair blend yarn I just happened to spot in a clothing store in town. Just couldn't resist the aqua, and thought I'd mix it with the other blue for something a bit unexpected. The wide stripes are because Ijust can't imagine weaving in a million ends, though alternating every other row might be fantastic......hmmmm. I have enough yarn to make at least two of these, so I may just experiment a bit more with the next one.

The pattern is perfect for beginners or more advanced crocheters who feel like a quick  no-brainer type project, so do give it a try!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday!

 

 

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, the second party of 2017! I'll admit like so many others I too have been having a hard time getting back into the swing of creativity, but with lots of Jewish holidays to come, as always, I've got to get the ball rolling! Fortunately this little international get together is always a great source of inspiration and it is so wonderful to reconnect with you all! The features from last week's party are full of ideas for everyone, though I'll admit that crocheted cowl and those embroidered lavender pyramids are calling my name. That is all for now, because now the pots on the stove full of a mini feast for Shabbat (I'm writing this Friday afternoon) are calling my name as well Thanks for joining me here!

Ah yes, and for those who are not familiar with the format, here are the features from last week's party:

Lovely embroidered and knit phone cozies from Ginx Craft, and a cozy crocheted cowl from Anna Simple Crochet.

 A fun DIY round number plaque from lolly jane, and a great look at vinyl floors also from lolly jane.

Homemade Almond Milk Tastes SO Much Better

 Yes, indeed dear readers, there is no comparison between store bought almond milk and homemade almond milk, well at least not the various brands of almond milk i have tried. I have been making my own almond milk on and off for about five years, and lately for the last three or so months. You see I am eating a 90% plant based diet, and almond milk is my whitener of choice for that morning cup of coffee. Of course, coconut milk is also totally delicious, but quite high in fat, so not an option at the moment......sigh. What about soy milk you ask? Again, I have yet to taste a store bought processed milk alternative that I like, except for that coconut milk, the kind that comes in a carton and is from Thailand. So almond milk it is!

And those jars in the background? Why yes, I have also started to make lacto-fermented pickled vegetables as part of our diet as well, and have some jars pickling as I write this......