creative jewish mom

DIY Ugly Holiday Sweater Cards To Make Now!

When I shared with you the splattered paint paper that I made to use for holiday crafting projects, I had no idea that I would be making an ugly holiday sweater card from my favorite piece! And that is one of the best parts of letting the art tell you what it wants to be, and the results of having a pile of abstract patterned paper to work with. I have been wanting to make an ugly chanukah sweater craft for a few years now, and last year while my holiday sweaters weren't ugly, they were HUGE, made from cardboard and pom poms and strung on a clothesline! So this year, since I am into the painting, the sweaters will hopefully be like this one, only quite a bit larger, and of course I'll let you in on all the fun that happens trying to make this idea reality!

In the mean time, with Chanukah roughly seven weeks away, now is a great time to make cards to send in the snail mail, as who wouldn't appreciate a little whimsical work of art to brighten their days right about now? So get out the paint and some heavy weight paper, or light weight cardboard, and lets make some fun and creative holiday sweater cards. Ready?

DIY Paint Splatter Paper For Holiday Crafting!

With Chanukah and gift giving season quickly approaching, now is a great time to have some fun making your own decorative paper for crafting! And while you are covering blank sheets of watercolor paper or mixed media paper with layers of colorful and messy drops, splatters and patterns, you may just learn a thing or two about abstract painting, and how colors work with one another, not to mention that putting paint to paper without a plan can be just downright relaxing and enjoyable! There are so many ways to use artful and vibrant painted paper like the sheets I've made here, and the main thing is not to get too hung up on how you'll use the paper, just make it and then based on the results the inspiration will come, hopefully. If not, you can always consult me for tips, and of course project ideas, which I'll be posting here, now that the topic is at hand. I already have one little project idea with the colorful square piece, now underway, which I'll share with you next, assuming it is shareable! Okay, lets get into the supplies you'll need and some tips for avoiding a huge mess!

A Peek In My Sketchbook: An Abstract Pear and Peonies!

Yes dear readers, I am back on the road with my my sketchbook/art journal journey which took a short hiatus due to all the Jewish holiday preparations and celebrations. I have to admit, I REALLY missed drawing and painting, which came as a huge surprise to me, as the only specific creative activity I recall missing during the holidays is crocheting! So,apparently the painting/drawing journey has taken a hold on me, and I am downright pleased, as this means that I can easily hop back on the wagon and continue filling my art journals with paintings and drawings. It is true, painting in a sketchbook with paper that is meant for drawing is a bit risky, but I've found that it works just fine as long as you realize that the pages will buckle/ruffle a bit and not lie exactly flat. But a small price to pay for the joy of recording your journey in a book, rather than worrying about where to put or what to do with the paintings! If you love a particular painting you've done in your sketchbook, so photograph it and print it! I actually am quite happy with the results of this abstract pear painting, lets take a closer look at how it was done, shall we? Ah yes, and there are peonies as well!

4 Creative Ideas to Refresh Your Walls

Now that virtually the whole world is spending so much more time at home due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, giving those often neglected living spaces a little design attention seems like the smart thing to do, after all, if you are going to be home why not make the most of it? Applying wallpaper or paint is a great way to change the feeling in any room, but there are also many other creative decor ideas that can transform your home, and with less effort. Those (blank?) walls have endless potential, and with just a little bit of effort you can make your house into a home. Everyone has their own personal style, and the good new is, that you can bring out your taste and personality by converting those bare walls into a stylish backdrop for your everyday life. Whether you love books, paintings, works of nature, or you are an art collector, these four decor ideas will help you transform your home by adding style to your walls! Okay, lets get started.......

9 Easy Hacks to Improve the Look of Your Living Room

While this is being written, planet earth finds itself in the grip of a global health crisis. The SARS-CoV-19 virus has changed the entire world irrevocably. It seems that, even when lockdown restrictions are removed, we will still find ourselves suffering the consequences of this dreadful, indiscriminate, and virulent disease. The lockdown restrictions have been an oppressive cloud hanging over us – with many of us unable to leave our homes. However, as we all know, every cloud has a silver lining, and the lockdown restrictions have given many of us much-needed time to make home renovations and redecorate, not to mention get to really know our families or housemates!

A DIY interior design trend and redecoration is sweeping the entire world, and no wonder with folks spending more time than ever at home. If you are thinking of turning interior designer for the winter – then look no further! I've assembled some simple and budget friendly tips to get you started.

Hello Prague: The Starbucks On The Old Town Square With A View!

We do not have Starbucks in Israel, surprisingly enough, so it is a treat to get some of my favorite coffee, with kosher soy milk, almost every place I've visited around the world, ah, with the exception of Kiev, as I believe the Ukraine has no Starbucks! So, having been up all night due to a 3am arrival time to the Tel Aviv airport for our flight to Prague, I was sooooo happy to see a Starbucks appear before my eyes on our first outing in this new city. Ahhhhh, some coffee before we continue our adventures sounds good right about now, and lttle did I know, as I did not read the sign on the glass (next photo) this is a Starbucks with two floors of seating upstairs, just opposite the Astronomical Clock, whaddya know! Okay, lets have a seat, sip our coffee and take a look at the view, shall we?

Hello Prague: The Astronomical Clock On The Old Town City Hall

Continuing our tour of Prague, I now present to you, one of the top tourist attractions in Prague, the Astronomical clock! Between you and me, yes it is very old and significant, a great work of craftmanship and beautiful, but given everything else Prague has to offer, hmmmm, this clock is way down on my list of things to see. But hey, it is part of the Old Town City Hall, that is a must, so take a look at the clock, on your way in, and if you can, do plan to be there for the little show of figures on the hour, (the walk of the apostles) but don't sweat it if you can't, (don't tell anyone I said that) you can always see the fun musical clock in Central Park NYC, where you can see the entire figures, or witness it on video, just sayin. Because dear readers Prague is AMAZING and with so much to see, waiting around is not the wisest choice, then again there is a Starbucks right next door, and lots of entertainment in the Old Town Square, so you decide.

The Prague Astronomical Clock, or Prague Orlo is a medieval astronomical clock, first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest clock still operating. That is seriously antique, wow. Okay, maybe you should wait around to see the little figures after all? While you are waiting, lets take a closer look at this special clock!

Hello Prague: View From The Old Town Hall Tower

  Our trip to Prague a full year ago is still fresh in our minds and hearts, as truthfully Prague is amazing. And while it seems that Prague hasn't been really discovered by all those west of the Czech republic, it has been discovered by many, and is not a destination to consider during the summer when I've read it is packed to the gills. Our trip was in October, and there were still quite a few tourists, but it was totally bearable and I was cringing to think of this amazing place even more crowded that it was during the Fall. As you can see from my photos in this post, we did have overcast weather, and some rain, but not cool temperatures. I'd say visit Prague during coat weather, but not glove and scarf weather, to avoid the crowds and enjoy! There is sooooo much to see, and we barely skimmed the top of the iceberg with our week or so long stay, but one of my very favorite places was the Old City Hall located in the famous Old Town square, and the vlewing gallery from the top with stunning views had our jaws dropping. I have really never seen anything quite like it. All we kept saying was wow! Come join me for a little taste of wow, as we view Prague from the top of the Old Town Clock Tower, no coats required this time!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thank so much for joining me here! We are now in the Jewish month of Cheshvan, the only month on the Jewish calendar with no holiday, and it is thus considered a "dark" month. So I say, now is time to fire up the creative ovens and get cracking on crafts and decorations for Chanukah which is a mere two months away, and surely deserves some extra attention, especially this year. My archives are busting at the seams with all kinds of crafts for chanukah, and of course I'll be adding some new ones to the roster though I think at the moment I'd rather delve into crocheting something! The features as always, are full of great crochet projects and craft and DIY projects that can keep everyone busy and fulfilled, so enjoy!

Pink Clouds At Sunset In Northern Israel

When nature mimics art (ha ha) I am always running to grab my camera! This week as the sun set over the Meron mountain range in Northern Israel, the cloud formation was very unusual. It looked as though as lawn mower had created strips of mowed areas across the sky, and as the sun continued to set those strips of clouds became a deep pink, stunning and so unlike anything we consider to be natural, funny enough. So dear readers, when you have a moment to try painting or drawing some clouds, just remember they really can be pink with deep eggplant shadows! Enjoy this little show that I witnessed from the window right next to the sink where all the piles of dishes are washed, meaning I'm standing in this spot for many hours each week.