creative jewish mom

Whimsical Bear Portraits Make Perfect Party Decor!

As you may realize, I have been delving into drawing and painting and sketchbooking and art journaling more than actual crafts this past year, but that does not mean that our house is suddenly lacking festive decorations, infact just the opposite. Because dear friends, brightly colored or whimsical paintings, whether on paper or in my case milk cartons and boxes make really wonderful party decor, come on by and take a look! These fun bear portraits are now part of my kitchen gallery shelves display, and I even taped a few to boxes so they can stand up. They would make amazing gift tags (they work up quickly, and the quicker the better!) or adorable greating cards, or once you get the hang of it, why not a huge portrait on your front door for Purim? Yes, Purim is coming up in a week, yikes, and a painting session to create some whimsical bears is certainly in order! Give your bears some added accessories, like the ones I've shown or maybe even a crown, or a birthday cake or a little bird? To give credit where credit is due, this idea is from Cottonwood Artistry, on instagram here, who actually posted an amazing how-to video on a private Facebook group, and I'm hoping she'll share it with the world, in which case I'll let you know! Okay, lets take a closer look......

Paint And Doodle Heart Birds!

After filling many pages in my sketchbook with layered heart paintings, covering a cardboard box with graffiti hearts, and even making an actual layered hearts painting on canvas, the natural progression might be to start seeing things in those heart shapes, and what did I see? Why birds of course, because there are plenty of birds around here lately because of the #28featheredfriends instagram challenge I'm doing! I had hoped to have time to do an actual tutorial on this one with individual hearts, but there just isn't time for that right now, so I'm showing you the page in my sketchbook, now called "flash mob doodle birds" and I'm quite sure you can take it from there. These heart shaped birds would look great on a card, a gift tag, or even a tote bag or t-shirt, right? If you choose to create them on paper, why not do it on a large sheet that you can then cut up into smaller pieces? Okay, let's take a closer look!

Doodle Fish Gift Tags

Okay dear readers, it is time to face the facts, the Jewish holiday of Purim is coming up in exactly two weeks, so now is the time to get started with the preparations! This year I think I'll start with the thing that I generally run out of time for at the end, gift tags! Yes indeed, start with the seemingly simplest thing, and believe me you will not regret it. In the flurry of preparing the mishloach manot (gifts of food), whether you do it on Purim or a few days ahead of time, (more likely this year as Purim is on Friday!) having adorable gift tags on hand that you made yourself will be fantastic. And of course there are always last minute things to put together when someone arrives at your door with a gift for you and you need to quickly make one for them, right?

So check out my previous post how to make fish gift tags,  and whether you choose to actually make fish or maybe hamentaschen, or clown's hats, or little bottles of wine, or ..........just do it, and enjoy! And if none of the aforementioned ideas suit you, how about little house shapes, and you can write " from our home to yours." Again, just do it!

Trees In Bloom On A Milk Carton Craft!

Tonight is the wonderful Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat, so it is time to get crafting, either to create decor for the holiday, or as an activity to honor the holiday. After all, whimical paintings of trees in bloom gracing milk cartons is something one can certainly enjoy for a good few months? I just love painting on milk cartons because the results are ready to display and honestly it is just so darn cute, and unexpected, a great combination! Last week I shared milk carton row houses with heart graffiti, and now I'm sharing almond trees in bloom painted on the rejects from the previous project, which is a perfect way to go! And the truth is I started painting whimsical almond trees in bloom on paper, check it out here, and then I started to explore the topic further on milk cartons. In case you are wondering, this painting on milk carton trend is not likely to disappear any time soon, I'm already thinking about Purim, the next Jewish holiday! Okay, but first things first, lets take a look at how to go about painting blooming fruit trees on milk cartons!

Folk Art Trees In Bloom Doodle Painting

Looking for a fun tree doodle, that is simple with great results, and that you could even use as a Tu B'Shevat craft? These folk art doodle trees are sweet as can be, and look great as is, on paper, but one could also draw them on cereal box cardboard and use them for a garland or napkin rings, or how about a grove of stand up folk art doodle trees? This was a first for me, and I have to admit, the last time I tried to doodle trees in my sketchbook, sometime last May, I failed completely, but I just had to get back up on the horse, and this time, yippee, I've already filled six pages in my sketchbook with doodle trees and I am thrilled! And after all the acrylic paintings I've been doing in the same sketchbook, I need to do a whole bunch of pages that aren't so paint laden, and this is a good start! I have actually taken photos of these doodles in progress in order to do a small tutorial, so lets get started!

Simple Doodle Trees Painting For Tu B'Shevat

Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish New Year for fruit bearing trees is this coming Wednesday night, so now is the time to make some simple tree-themed crafts to fill your home with joy! We are fortunate to live in Israel where we witness the blooming of the very first fruit tree, the almond tree, right around the holiday, so the holiday is especially anticipated. This first sign of spring in the dead of winter is something very special. and certainly brings great joy to those of us who are paying attention. Of course school children celebrate this event and there is a song in hebrew about the blooming of the almond trees, but it is something special for every age. I generally photography the blooming almond trees each year, so stay tuned for that. In the mean time, lets get started with tree themed crafts by making a simple doodle tree painting, that you can enjoy just for the sake of creating something, or use as a sign, or even cut out the trees to make a garland, or napkin rings, or place cards for your Tu B'Shevat seder! Okay, time is of the essence, lets get started!

Milk Carton Houses With Graffiti Hearts!

I really can't count the times I've planned to make milk carton houses, nor how many milk cartons I have packed away in the basement for those dream projects, but I can report to have taken one tiny step forward with these milk carton heart graffiti wall houses! I realize it sounds like I've never made milk carton houses, silly me, I certainly have, twice, milk carton house planter, and doodled millk carton houses. I've been all about hearts lately, and while the hearts I've been painting haven't exactly been graffiti hearts, lets just pretend they are, and certainly when painted on a milk carton house they can be! And of course there are many leaves shaped like hearts, so cover a milk carton with green hearts and you've got a wall of ivy or a garden. Add a few small house details and a whole row of houses is born! This is such a fun project for any age, and I recommend painting a bunch of milk cartons to have on hand, as in general painting on 3D objects is great for developing a creative eye, and for adding something fresh to your crafting or creative practice!  Ah yes, and with the Jewish new year for the trees coming next week, include a few almond blooms, or a blooming fruit tree and include this in your holiday decor. Either way, it feels like Spring, so it works for Tu B'Shevat! Okay, lets get started, shall we? I almost forgot, check out all of my milk carton crafts for lots more inspiration, and to plan ahead, meaning batch prepare some milk cartons for future crafts!

Stand-Up Cardboard Cake For Every Occasion

Need a fun birthday or special occasion decoration that is artful and a pleasure to make? How about a cardboard stand up birthday cake that will put a smile one everyone's face? We've been enjoying this cereal box birthday cake that I made for some family birthdays in December for quite a few weeks now, and I still enjoy looking at it, as there is just something about layered cakes that is so carefree and sort of storybook sweet! This cake is on a wall mounted Ikea sideboard in our dining room, as part of a larger whimsical display, but if would look great on a shelf, or surprise someone by putting it somewhere fun on the morning of their birthday! Okay, lets make a great looking recycled cardboard cake to add some joy to 2021! Shall we?

A Peek In My Sketchbook: Whimsical Watercolor and Pen Animals!

Now that I have finally embraced the idea of using my sketchbook to experiment with all kinds of drawing and painting, things are starting to get interesting! I have never drawn anything even remotely similar to the whimsical animals I'm sharing with you here, and I actually really love the results. Stretching one's comfort zone is the key to creative growth, and if not in a sketchbook, which is just for you, then where? A simple line drawing like the one I did, here likely does need color to make it work, and using watercolors is a great way to go, not to mention oh so simple, even in my thin drawing paper sketchbook. The animals and their shapes were inspired by Carla Sonheim, who has a wonderful online art school and lots of free classes for kids (that are great for any age) to get you started. Her style is truly unique and creative (the key right?) and in the great sea of crafting and art lessons online, something special.

A Peek In My Sketchbook: Simple Glass Bottles With Flowers

Sometimes a super simple waterproof ink pen sketch filled in with some watercolor paint can look fresh and fun. After all of the floral sketches I did in various sketchbooks this summer, the time came to introduce some color, and this is the result......not a work of art, but a sweet illustration that one can do rather quickly, even in this large A4 sketchbook! Of course, first practice drawing flowers that you love, then practice drawing simple glass bottles, and then bring them together, and that is it. A sketch like this could be done in so many ways, with a variety of flowers as I did, one with just one flower, or with even a few stems lying on the table waiting to be place in water. The main thing is, just draw it, and paint it, without worrying too much about anything, as this is supposed to be enjoyable and relaxing, got it?