creative jewish mom

How to Reduce the Size of a PDF File Like a Pro

With so many of us now working at home, which means working on the computer, honing our skills is more important than ever! After all, there is life to be lived away from the computer. So make a list of all the things that could be improved regarding your technical knowledge and start crossing them off your list. Among your queries, are you possibly wondering how to reduce the size of the PDF file like a pro? If so, you're in the right place! There are various ways to reduce the size of a PDF file, so do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to read this article and become comfortable with the concepts and techniques, such that you'll have the skills and knowledge at hand when you need them. In 2018, 156 million emails were sent worldwide, and it is quite likely that many of those emails were attempts at sending large files in small parts, due to the size limit of the files one can attach in an email. With a PDF file, it takes a lots of work to re-edit, save, and then send the file in portions. Why go through all that effort when you can reduce the size of a PDF instead? To find out how to resize a PDF file for faster uploads, email attachments, and more, keep on reading......

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! This past Friday and Saturday (shabbat) we celebrated the holiday of Shavuot back to back with Shabbat, so two days of family time, spiritual time (getting up at the crack of dawn on Shavuot for the customary prayer service, to receive the Torah) and some rest, phew we did it! My house is always filled with greenery due to a large collection of houseplants, but I gathered some of the plants around the dining room table to give an even greater feeling of greenery, and that together with my watercolor paper poppies created a really lovely and festive setting. Additionally a young neighbor who just got engaged asked me to take care of one of the houseplants she was gifted for her engagement, so of course I obliged as who can turn down another house plant, especially a large pathos with hormone induced huge leaves straight from the nursery and looking great? She isn't getting married for another six months, at which time I'll have taken quite a few cuttings from this plant before returning it to her with care instructions! Pathos, by the way, is a great plant for not so green thumbs as it is known to be one of the plants that is extremely understanding when not cared for properly. And just by the way, you can grow pathos cuttings in water, forever, and unless you totally forget to fill up the water, well, all is great. Pathos can even be grown in fish tanks, and I have my eye on a wall mounted fish bowl that I'd love to fill with pathos. Okay, enough about houseplants, which I do recommend as they bring life and every purer air into your home, lets take a look at the features from last week's party:

Blooming Watercolor Poppies Centerpiece Is Festive And Very Budget Friendly!

I am totally in love with the watercolor poppies in a pot centerpiece, well one-sided centerpiece really, and I have already made two more! This idea, is something that you can play around with depending on your own needs, and there are so many ways to go! I actually made a small one using a small round plastic peanut butter tub, which would make an adorable teacher appreciation gift or a token of appreciaion for a neighbor, for example. Then again, making larger pots of poppies really doesn't take that much more time, so go for it, as this burst of festive and artful color is a joyful addition anywhere or anytime! The Jewish holiday of Shavuos is on Thursday night, so we'll be enjoying all the watercolor poppies as we celebrate the giving of the Torah, and then they will likely be used as centerpieces for any number of occassions. I'll admit, I can't wait to try this idea out with other flowers, but with the holiday approaching, together with houseguests, that will just have to wait. Okay, lets make some of these pots of blooming flowers, shall we?

Watercolor Poppy Cutouts To Make NOW!

Please take my word for it, these watercolor poppy cutouts are one of the best things I've made in a long time, as there is just something about them that looks AMAZING! And that is even though my illustrations and the paint job were a bit lacking.......So get out the biggest watercolor paper you can find and start making some watercolor poppy cutouts, you won't regret it, and in fact you'll be jumping for joy and planning all the ways you can use these beauties! I have this idea of a diorama of sorts with watercolor poppies, so with that in mind I drew my poppies with straight stems so that I can tape a skewer to the back (which I did in this photo) but you can also draw them as shown inside this post, and then figure out how to use them afterwards! I'd say just hanging them anywhere could look amazing, or use them as a gift topper, or make a bouquet, of any number of other ideas I have yet to think of! The Jewish holiday of Shavuot is coming up this Thursday night, and since it is the holiday of greenery and flowers to remember the lush Mt. Sinai, where the Torah was given, these poppies are just perfect! (Never mind the fact that the poppies usually bloom for Passover in Israel, we really don't need to be so literal, we just need to be joyful!) Okay, lets get to it!

Simple Balloon Cactus Is Perfect Anytime!

This balloon cactus party centerpiece idea is truly a keeper, and I will very likely be making many many more of these simple balloon cacti in the future. I tend to need ideas that can be made for 8 to 10 tables, on a budget, and this is perfect! I can't take credit for this idea, but I can take credit for using egg cartons to make the cactus flowers, which I just love! I made these cactus balloons for my son's birthday party this past shabbat, and since the parsha of the week was bamidbar (which means "in the dessert") well, the cactus theme was just perfect! The truth was I was in a big hurry and we happen to have lots of cactus themed items in our house, so I rounded all of them up to fill the table and dining room with festive items in keeping with the theme. Ah yes, and all the decorations had to be things that I could quickly assemble or bring into the room Friday night after everyone had left the house to go to the synagogue, as we have a custom of making the birthday a "surprise".  Phew, another festive birthday accomplished, with all the usual fixings! Okay, lets learn how to whip up these festive cactus balloon centerpieces, and with the Jewish holiday of Shavuot quickly approaching (Thursday night) this might be something to make for that as well, perfect infact!

Just one little warning, some folks will think that these are chickens, but just ignore them as they are obviously cacti! (Though I can't wait to make some chickens too.......)

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, and thanks so much for joining me here! This week we have had a huge heat wave, which has been a bit exhausting, despite air conditioning! (I did see that in cities in Southern Israel the high was 107F, which is wow, HOT, so I'm grateful for or relative coolness.) I was not able to take my early evening nature walks as it was just too hot for any exercise, and really looking forward to resuming that next week hopefully when the temps cool down. Of course I really can not complain about the super hot weather as it does minimize the spread of Corona virus which is super important now that Israel is basically opening back up again......with rules of course, but school is back on for many, and stores are open. The weekly outdoor market (souk or shuk) in our town resumed this week, so for those who depend on shopping there for lower prices, (and just because it is a way of life) well phew.

I have been spending my creative time art journaling and sketching in my journal both of which are just soooo satisfying! And looking forward to hopefully getting into some painting soon. Would love to paint some flowers for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, coming up on Thursday night, but since that may not be realistic as done previously with acrylics, maybe some watercolor flower paintings is? Hmmm, stay tuned for that, but first my son has a birthday on Friday night, and with daughter taking care of a fancy cake I need to get cracking with the decorations, yikes! Okay, that is all for now, enjoy the features from last week's party!

A Peek In My Sketchbook: Drawing Wild Poppies

A natural outcome for a creative person who loves to take nature walks is to start sketching all that amazing inspiration, a much quicker alternative to painting I might add! So, since I have just shared with you photos of the lovely red poppies native to Northern Israel, I thought I'd share with you the sketches of poppies that I drew in my sketchbook. And not just any sketchbook, but rather one that was only half full of sketches I'd make in New York before moving to Israel, yikes, quite a long time ago. I'm a little sad that I didn't keep up the creative practice of drawing in a sketchbook most of the years in between (I did start a sketchbook 2 years ago on our vacation to Washington DC, here, and I did start a painting sketchbook last year in Sweden, here) though now I am so happy filling the pages with botanical drawings that I hope to continue, or at least fill the remaining pages! So dear readers, please please please, if you have that inner desire to create something in a journal, or draw in a sketchbook, do it, and keep doing it, and don't give up! I used to be so very reticent of sketchbooks because I was afraid of making mistakes, but guess what, you can simply cover up those mistakes by glueing paper over them, or if the paper is thick enough, painting over them, and voila, no pressure, just enjoy and don't be too hard on yourself! I did make a few mistakes with the poppies, so keep on reading to see how I worked that out!

A Walk In The Neighborhood At Dusk Northern Israel Style

Yes dear readers, this really is my neighborhood in Northern Israel, and sometimes I just have to pinch myself when I realize that I'm so very fortunate to be living in such a gorgeous place with rich history and stunning views. It feels like we are living out in the country, and yet we live in town of 35,000 and with everything we need either right next door or within walking distance! This is because we actually live on the edge of the town, and all our neighbors down the hill are those buried in the cemetery, both old (from a long as 2,000 years ago) and new, and a very special bunch indeed. Nature is just outside our door, and a small 45 minute hike through the neighboring native preserve/grazing land is like truly setting out on an adventure! This week has been really HOT and I am now missing my evening walk, so hoping the weather cools down a bit so we can enjoy the great outdoors once again. In the mean time, join me on my walk, and enjoy! Hope you are wearing comfortable walking shoes and you don't mind a bit of a workout, getting back up the hill is exercise!

Red Poppies And White Daisies In Bloom In Northern Israel

I love sharing with you all the beautiful seasonal blooming and bearing of fruit of native species here in Israel, and so of course the blooming of the red poppies, a month late this year, is on the list of things to share. I previously wrote about poppies in bloom on a hillside near my home here, but then I recently came across another patch of dense blooms and just had to photograph it! I took these photos a week plus ago, and fortunately as we are now experiencing a heat wave that has certainly led to the demise of these beauties. And the weather has been so hot that even an evening walk isn't possible, which I miss so very much, sigh. By the time I get out again for a walk in nature I'm quite sure that all the tall purple thistle will be in bloom, so we can look forward to that, though of course the red poppies, especially when paired with tiny white daisies are truly special. Enjoy!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, I hope everyone is well! Phew, here in Israel things are slowly getting back to normal, but we have heard that there may be a quarantine period in the Fall, which indeed sounds like a very good plan. My kids are all still home from school, so I'll try to treasure this time with them! Spring came late and now summer appears to have arrived early, with temps already in the 90's! The next Jewish holiday on the calendar is Shavuot, the day in which we receive the Torah every year, and in which we celebrate the giving of the Torah. Homes and synagogues are decorated with flowers and greenery, to remember the lush surroundings on Har Sinai, where the Torah was given. That is great inspiration for crafting, and we have about 2 weeks to get those gears moving, though right now I'm very busy with art journaling, and with no little ones around to wow with decorations, I think maybe I'll do some new flower paintings, or at the least decorate with some of the ones I've painted over the years. Shavuos is also a great excuse to buy some new houseplants, or fill some vases with cutting from friends, either way the idea is to go green. I am writing this on Friday morning, so with the kitchen calling my name, I'll just say, enjoy the features from last week's party and thanks for joining me here!