creative jewish mom

DIY Seven Species Garland

As you can well guess I have so many Succah decorations from previous years that I still love, so spending time making new ones is certainly not a priority! Of course when one of my sons requested that I create the "seven species" as part of my Daily Object series (read about that here) in order to hang them in the succah, well of course I could not resist, because while we try to hang actual versions of the 7 species in the succah, artistic representations of them haven't been created for some time, and my previous version is in a box lost in the attic somewhere! So while of course now is not the time to be making succah decorations, you can save this idea for next year, or after the holiday get to work on your own version to enjoy for the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat, when we eat the 7 species! What are the 7 species you ask? Keep on reading!

DIY Brush Lettering And Watercolor Rosh HaShana Card Craft

Wishing everyone a Shanah Tovah U'Metuka! A new year filled with good health and success in all you do and of course filled with creativity and a big huge dose of kindness to all. The good news is that you can still make Rosh HaShanah cards to wish loved ones a wonderful new year, it is not too late! So get started today, put them in the mail if need be, and spread the love. Cards can be received even for the Succot holiday, don't stress out, just get to work! My lovely daughter made this card for me, and wow, I just wish she realized that she has so much talent, especially given that she does not spend any time at the moment doing art of any kind! Years ago I did print out some brush lettering sheets which she practiced, and that has served her well, and the rest, hmmm, just experimenting with little doodles and fields of either water color or watercolor pens, not quite sure. Also, not the long shape of this card, which is perfect for a greeting theme! The little stars? Yes, I folded them myself, and each one takes about 40 seconds once you get good at it, and uses quilling paper! Sure would be fun to include some lucky stars in the envelope, right?

How To Start A Daily Art Practice (That Sticks!)

Ever heard of a daily art practice? Wondering why you should consider one? Wondering if you can actually do it? A little voice is telling you that you should do it? Okay, so lets take a look at all these questions! I have now had enough experience over the last year with my "daily object" series that I think I can shed some light on the topic and give you a few valuable tips. And, as someone who is relatively new to the idea, and who has also only started creating in a journal/sketchbook since 2020, but has continued to do so, I think I can still remember all the little nuances that might be helpful for you! A daily art practice is an amazing way to make art, and exploration of art and creativity a part of your life without going crazy, and while still making progress and honing skills, so keep on reading!

Artists Who Painted The View From Their Window

If you are an art history buff, or have followed museum exhibitions and/or careers of famous painters, you may or may not be aware, that many of them were inspired to paint the view from their studio window, or maybe the view from their lodging window. To most of us, this of course makes total sense, but I don't think that artists before say 1850, or so, would have dreamed of painting something so "mundane" gasp! And if they did, it certainly would not have included the not so attractive roof scene that Van Gogh dared to capture, for example! Van Gogh did it, Cezanne did it, Matisse did it, Pissarro did it, Diebenkorn did it, just for starters, so I think that is more than enough proof that those of us interested in developing our art should also do it!

Why am I writing about this now? Because friends, I have started a challenge on Instagram called #sketchfrommywindow which got me thinking about all the artists who did just that! Of course, I'm sharing here paintings, not loose sketches, but I'm hoping, at least in my case, that the sketches I'm working hard to create at least several days a week (and that are not all that loose at the moment) will indeed lead to paintings! So lets take a look at just a few of famous artists whose work is truly a great inspiration, shall we? And if you are not on instagram, but would like to join the challenge, just write to me (studio8@013net.net) and I could start posting contributions right here on the blog!

How To Paint An Artful Watercolor Strawberry

Friends, this painted watercolor strawberry tutorial is from way back in 2015, but since I just used the strawberries for the last time (since I wrote my son's name and age on them) 7 years later and they still look great, I thought I'd revisit this fun craft. Make a bushel of strawberries, cut them out and use them as garlands or cake or cupcake toppers, gift tags, you name it! And best of all, they keep really well, you know in that box of little pieces of art that you can use in a pinch for party decor! Here is the text from the original post:

Isn't this watercolor strawberry portrait just the greatest? While I though at the time that she wasn't really putting her mind to this little painting session, in the end her unstudied strawberry turned out to be the best of all. Isn't it great when your kids out-do you?

DIY Painted Paper Gerbera Centerpiece

There is nothing quite as lovely as painted paper flowers used as holiday decor, or really anytime! I am so thrilled to have these flowers on my sideboard right now!  They are so cheerful and never fade, and can be easily saved in a box to pull out for any occassion! And I had to laugh, that the wires that I've saved from real gerbera flowers (that honestly as so annoying as they don't last very long...) are perfect for this craft. And that I actually knew where they were, a small miracle! If you have not saved the wires from the gerbera (who would do that?) so just use some green floral wire or tape skewers to the back for support. Or if you use very heavy watercolor paper you may not need any extra support. I also happened to have these 3 narrow and tall glass vases on hand, which were perfect for this, so do play around with a variety of vessels, to see what works. Okay, keep on reading for a few more tips.

DIY Painted Paper Daisy Cut Outs For Holiday Decor!

The festive holiday of Shavuot starts Saturday night, so now is the time to get busy filling our homes with greenery and flowers, and I say go for paper! Whether you have time for a whole set or even just one sweet flower, give it a try, I'm sure you will love it. This post just shows how to create the flowers, in my other post, coming shortly, I'll share with you  one idea how to use them. Okay time is of the essence, lets get started! And of course, you can choose to do any flower, though keep in mind that Gerbera really works because it has a long stem without leaves in nature.

DIY Paper Vase Makes A Great Centerpiece!

I originally posted this just before Passover two years ago, and am sharing it again, because it will be moved from my kitchen to the dining room for use as decor for the upcoming Jewish holiday of Shavuot! A vase like this can of course be stored flat and is wonderful to have on hand, so give it a try, even if you use colored card stock, with our without a bit of collage! Here is what I wrote back then.....

When it comes to making a DIY paper vase, there are literally so many ways to go, though for me, the idea of using not successful artwork is a lightbulb moment that happened one evening. I was going to use an abstract pattern to create a vase, and in the same pile as that absract pattern was this sweet landscape that I liked, but didn't love. As a vase however, it is fabulous! And friends, when you are in the groove of making lots of art, a way to use up anything you wouldn't want to see on someone else's wall is like gold! Even when painting on paper the pile starts to get out of control, so pick the ones you aren't loving and then make a wonderful artful vase! While I wouldn't want to give someone my mediocre painting, i would give them my mediocre painting turned into a vase, because it is just so charming! Okay, want to see the painting before I cut it up? Keep on reading......

Watercolor Flowers Cut-Out Centerpiece For Shavuot!

I have pulled this one out of the archives, because there is no time like the present to get crafting for Shavuot, and this one is a keeper! Plus you can simply disassemble the centerpiece when the holiday is over, and store the flowers, flat, for future use, they are always great to have on hand in a pinch! Enjoy!

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?

DIY Counting The Omer Art Journal

With all the preparations for Passover, it is generally quite difficult to think about counting the Omer art projects ahead of time, but this year I actually succeeded in making a DIY art journal for daily creating according to the Omer, ahead of time! I'll admit, it was really quite a fluke, and happened 3 weeks before Passover, when there was still room for creative activities. And let me tell you, I couldn't be more pleased with the results, and the fact that, just as soon as Passover ends I have the energy after Passover ends, I'll be ready to go! Hoping the energy returns soon, as we are already on Day 10 of 49, so time is of the essence! What will I be creating on these pages? Well it is true that there are already many accidental abstract landscapes waiting to be realized, so that may be the direction, but I will decide when the time comes, which means hopefully tomorrow? Lets take a closer look, shall we?