creative jewish mom

Paint Blob Creative Drawing Exercise For All Ages!

Now is a great time to invest in creatiivity, and one of the best ways is to start with short exercises that build interest and confidence and most importantly really drive home the message that creativity is NOT about perfection. So if you dream of being an artist, or you think someone else in your family might have what it takes, (I can't believe I'm saying this) stop crafting and start making art! What? Yes indeed my friends, because most crafting is about the result, and lets face it, everyone likes nice results, right? Art on the other hand is generally much more process oriented and therefore generally not about perfection, well at least for most of us, today. Okay, enough blabbing, I think you've got it? Get the family together everyday and do a short creative exercise that might take less than an hour or even just half an hour, and you'll be so happy you did. Two of my kids and I had a nice time with this one, and can't wait to do more!

I saw this paint blob exercise on sketchbook revival, a free 2 week program, so check it out now! This specific exercise was courtesy of Carla Sonheim, who also has her own website full of online art courses as well as some really great little creative exercises (for kids but really for all ages) which are free. Carla has a really lovely and unique style which is totally refreshing and not trend driven, so again take a look, NOW!

If you don't have time to look through all fourteen videos on sketchbook revival, just quickly take a peek and see what interests you. There is a huge variety of content, from lettering to painting, and while I never quite understood the art journal practice, it is finally sinking in, and I can't wait to start an art journal after Passover, using all the new things I've learned. Okay, lets take a look at the results of our first creative exercise!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here, and wishing everyone good health! Chodesh tov, blessings for a good new month, as we are now in the Jewish month of Nissan. That means Passover is in less than two weeks, and we are moving into high gear preparing for the holiday......this year it will be thoroughly cleaning and organizing the house but no shopping for new things, though I already redecorated one small room with things I had on hand or ordered on a whim a few weeks ago ($10 printed wall tapestries are perfect for filling a big wall), so there are just enough changes to give that fresh feeling that we love this time of year. My biggest hope is that i will at last get my office looking like a studio and art space rather than a really disorganized storage room, and no, I will not be sharing before photos, though maybe I should grit my teeth and take a few of how my desk looks right now, hmmm. I have all kinds of excuses for my mess, but it is time to just bury those and go into Passover free from the burdens of my disorganization, wow, that would be amazing!

While my teens have been mostly busy with some school work and helping get the house together for Passover, we are starting to devote a little time each day to creativity, which I'll start sharing with you next week. It is such a pleasure to sit down and create together, something we haven't been able to do for years. Ah yes, and the juggling book has resurfaced together with some balls, and I'm getting the boys more involved in the kitchen........enforced family time can be used in so many productive ways! Speaking of productive, the features from last week's party are full of great ways to keep the creative gears turning, so enjoy!

Cyclamen In Bloom For Over Five Months, Wow!

Cyclamen are native to Israel, and a seasonal favorite that is so easy to care for and gives so much more in return! I purchased two cyclamen plants from nursery in Maalot at the end of October, and now five MONTHS later they are still in full bloom with many buds still to open! That is truly amazing, and I wish I had purchased four plants......maybe next year? This year it doesn't look like we'll be doing much summer traveling, if at all, so once the plants stop blooming I will put them in a larger pot and continue to water them and hope to see them re-bloom next year. I'll keep you posted!

A few weeks ago I shared with you photos of all the cyclamen plants in bloom around town, but i didn't get around to sharing the two cyclamen gracing the table next to my front door! Most of those that I shared with you receive sun, so I'm assuming those will not last as long as mine which are in total shade. I do have a few more tips, so keep on reading!

How To Plan A Virtual Birthday Party, Invitation And All!

As you may know, birthday parties are one of my favorite ways to show loved ones how special they are, and are a great opportunity to get those creative gears turning, especially when it comes to original decorations and simple yet festive cakes. Now that most of us are staying home and practicing social distancing, one can still throw a memorable birthday party, just with a new twist, a virtual birthday party! The party hosts could even be in a different location from the honoree, amazing! The other really nice thing about a virtual birthday party is that you can invite as many people as you like and certainly friends and family that would not normally attend because of geographical distance. So no reason to be sad, this may just be the birthday party of a lifetime! And if we are fortunate to see a speedy end to the Corona virus epidemic before the date of your planned party, the locals can always come to your house, nothing lost only gained, as this year you included loved ones from afar!

For those folks who do not have a computer in their home, or possibly do not have a computer for family use, this idea can still work! Follow all the non-virtual ideas and then connect on the phone via conference call. Ask all the party participants to take photos and send them to you, and wonderful memories will also be made! Okay, lets get started, as depending on when that upcoming birthday is, and where all your invitees live, near or far (?) time might be of the essence!

A Gorgeous Candy Topped Engagement Cake

Want to make a really stunning cake that will surely bring oohs and aahs all around? The candy and cookies topped cake trend is just the thing, especially for folks like me who do not want to spend hours on a cake! And one could surely buy an iced cake, even a high cheese cake from the grocery store and simply decorate the top. "Simply" meaning assuming you have an assortment of really great looking candy and cookies, which, if we in our somewhat remote Northern Israel location can purchase at the store, you surely can!

Before I continue, let me just say, I did not bake and decorate this cake, but my teen daughter did, with a friend, together with the friend's semi-professional cake baking sister. My daughter's school had been cancelled but we hadn't started taking the strictest measures to prevent the spread of the Corona virus, so when daughter asked to go to a friend's house to learn how to ice a fancy cake I said yes, after all my daughter loves making desserts and this was an opportunity to learn something new. And, the cake they were to make was to give to friend for her engagement party dessert table that same week. In the end the engagement party was cancelled, but my daughter delivered the cake to her friend just the same, an amazing act of kindess at a time like this.

Of course before that cake went out the door we (myself and daughter who is delving into photography a bit) took some photos to share with you! Now sure would be a great time to learn some new skills in the kitchen, whether it be fancy cake decorating (my daughter) or possibly setting up a way to make our own sprouts (me), right?

Ice Cream Cone Gift Tags From A Recycled Ice Cream Cone Box!

Ice cream cone gift tags from an ice cream cone box are just the cutest and one of the quickest recycling crafts ever! As I was trying to clear out all the recycling items that I hoard, including a lovely pink ice cream cone box from a certain Israeli brand, the idea struck and within minutes, voila, two ice cream cone gift tags were born! And oh so relevant as my daughter whipped up an amazing cake that I'll be sharing next, (meaning there were some very photogenic cookies and candies to style the photo) making this week birthday week! In general I love saving graphics from boxes, especially vintage ones, and in the past I've cut up cardboard vegetable crates to make a set of play vegetables for kids, though once you start looking at boxes, don't just toss them, get creative. And of course most boxes can be turned inside out, decorated and used as gift boxes! I will admit I have a growing collection of tiny pharmacy and cosmetic boxes that I'm storing flat and will become a project, but am happy to have found a use for this larger ice cream cone box! Okay, I'm thinking that this is pretty self explanatory, but I'll be happy to give a list of supplies in case you are wondering about that cute striped string or anything else. Keep on reading!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! I am now more grateful than ever for this virtual get together and hoping that everyone is well. These are scary and uncertain times, and the perfect opportunity to work on things that were previously not possible. So much is totally out of our hands, so rather than worry, learn something new, delve into a creative activity that you've been wanting to try, do acts of kindness, and most importantly work on strengthening family bonds that may need some attention.

Here in Israel what seemed like drastic acts on the part of the government early on are hopefully saving us from a stress on the healthcare system. I am so grateful to be living in a country that values life!  Everyone is laying low, and in our town of 35,000 things are very quiet. There are 11 cases of corona virus, and hoping that with the new sanctions these numbers will not increase drastically. With the holiday of Passover in just 2 1/2 weeks we have more than enough to keep ourselves busy with our yearly spring cleaning and final preparation of the kitchen. The weather has been uncharacteristically wet and cold, with more rain than even seen recently. I am looking forward to some family trips into nature locally once it warms up, and the yearly bloom of gorgeous wild flowers. In the mean time, we are staying positive and realizing that the world is shifting, with something entirely new on the horizon! Here's to world peace and good health for all.

Not everyone realizes the importance of craftng and creativity, but we surely do, right? Don't forget that just by creating something new you can do your part to bring about change, so lets take a look at those features from last week's party:

DIY Origami Crane Mobile To Welcome Spring

After sharing with you my photos of cranes migrating over Northern Israel I realized that origami cranes are a perfect craft right now, so I've dusted off my origami crane mobile from 8 years ago to present to you once again! While most of the origami I've done lately has been giant origami to use as wall decor for Purim (giant origami clowns here, giant origami birds here), or table decor for a birthday party, (giant origami stand up giraffes, here) making origami cranes using actual origami paper is just so very satisfying, and the results are truly delightful. Add an extra dose of cuteness by including some pom poms and voila, an amazing mobile or wall hanging is born!

With so many folks finding themselves unexpectedly at home, together with the kids, due to the Corona virus, learning a new skill that takes time and patience is a great way to pass the time, rather than listening to too much news and just zoning out in a state of worry. So why not fold as many paper cranes as possible, string them together and make a cheerful mobile? Okay, lets do it!

Cranes Migrating Home To Europe On A Rainy Day

Yes, dear readers, we know that Spring is quickly approaching, even in some of the colder countries in Europe, as the twice-yearly crane migration is happening! This is one of our favorite things to witness, here in Northern Israel, and family members generally shout to one another "cranes!" and everyone comes running, as it is truly a sight not to be missed. Sometimes small groups of cranes fly close enough to even see their tiny feet with the naked eye, while most of the time the cranes are rather far away. Today, amidst the rain clouds I spotted several very large groups of cranes, and ran to grab my camera. Today, possibly because of the weather the cranes were flying higher than usual, though the sighting was still exciting. Keep on reading to see the entire grey sky filled with tiny cranes, stunning!

When To Return To Work After Health Or Maternity Leave?

Above: Cranes migrating home to Europe from Africa passed over Northern Israel yesterday! My neighbors pergola and balcony did obscure them a bit by the time I ran to grab my camera.

With so many folks around the world either working from home, quarantined, or just plain out of work due to hopefully temporary business closures, thinking about returning to work is a great way to bring hope into the picture. Rather than dwelling on the current situation, lets pray that the Corona virus pandemic will not reach disastrous levels in most of the world, and within a month or so the majority of folks not working will be able to return. Certainly a difficult situation, though a good time to think about how generally fortunate we have been to have conquered so many other diseases that used to wipe out huge portions of a given location, and how fortunate most folks are to be able to physically go to work in the first place! This article is about returning to work after maternity or sick leave, something that will likely be put on hold given the current situation, so use the extra time to do your research and make the right decisions!

If you've been off work for a while due to illness or maternity leave, knowing when you are physically and psychologically ready to go back can be challenging, and returning prematurely can have a negative impact on your return. Of course the whole process is even more difficult when you've been enjoying your time at home caring for your newborn. For a smooth transition, put lots of thought into the timing of your return, keeping in mind your colleagues and the organization in general.