Wednesday 30 July 2008

Summertime

Summer is here (actually summer arrived here in Israel a long time ago!), the kids are home from school and have finished camp, and we are heading off on a big trip in a few days time. I'll be away from 'Handmade in Israel' for a short while, so am leaving you with a couple of 'summery' images for you to enjoy. On the left some of my all-occasion cards in pretty pastel colours, and on the right a re-make of this birthday card, this time for a younger girl, simplified a little and crafted in lighter colours.
I was flattered to receive my very first blog award from Jen at Frazzy Dazzles. I am not too sure how Jen originally found my blog but she has been a constant support all along and always has something lovely to say! Thank you Jen for thinking of me. I promise to comply with the rules of this award and nominate some very worthy blogs when I return!
Wishing you all a happy and relaxing summer.

Thursday 24 July 2008

The Cobbler’s Children Have No Shoes

You’ve probably heard the expression 'The Cobbler’s Children Have No Shoes'. This describes the phenomenon whereby 'professionals' in any given arena are so busy with work for their customers that those closest to them get somewhat neglected. I always pay great care and attention to custom orders and can spend a lot of time researching particular subject matters and hobbies, but when I need a card to send to a family member or friend it usually comes out of my stock! However, on this occasion I did spend some time on a card that I have just mailed off to a close relative and I hope that it will be well received. I also think that I may have something that I can reproduce again and add it to my handmade card range. Happy Birthday!

Sunday 20 July 2008

Trying something new

I periodically take part in local arts and crafts fairs and therefore I am always trying to think of ways to make my product and table look more interesting. I found these little note holders in a craft shop and have embellished them in my usual style. I have no idea as yet what the reaction will be to them, but I am happy with the way that they look and hope that others will like them too.

Sunday 13 July 2008

A bit about me

Gill and Kellie left some very kind comments on my blog, complimenting me on my recent designs and asking me to explain a little more of my background. I started this blog to write about and display my work on-line, and wish it to remain a blog about my arts and crafts endeavours, but I am of course happy to outline a little of my background and how it influences my work.

In my very first posting I mentioned that I am a graphic designer by profession and currently work from home, creating greetings cards, gift boxes and pictures, primarily working with cut paper. I am Mum to two boys, aged seven and five, and work like mad on my art when they are out at school in the mornings (here in Israel they start school early and come home early, at 1:30pm). Time is limited but I really enjoy what I do and find that it works round my schedule perfectly.

All the cards are hand crafted. I make cards for all occasions, that people buy as is, but I also design and produce cards to order. The custom-made cards can take me some time to create, particularly when I get very involved in the details. On other mornings I can produce many cards of the same design, if a particular person, or occasionally a store, has requested birthday, new baby or maybe Barmitzvah cards. It all depends on the particular design really.

I am British-born, hence the reasonable standard of English (I hope!), married to a Londoner whom I met over here, and have lived here in Israel for over 13 years now. My custom-made cards are generally requested by the Anglos here, but my more general designs are bought by Anglos and Israelis alike, and therefore I produce them in both languages.

Above you can see examples of some of my many designs. From left to right, a floral greeting card for every occasion, cards for a new baby, and a birthday card in Hebrew - Yom Holedet Same'ach! Below are two examples of my Barmitzvah card designs. On the left a boy holding a Torah with the words Mazal Tov, or congratulations in English, written on it, and on the right a more traditional design with a Magen David, or Star of David and stripes to represent the Tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl, which a boy is obligated to wear in the synagogue from the day of his Barmitzvah and onwards.

I hope that you have enjoyed this outline of my work, and also the lessons about the Jewish faith that seem to have accompanied it! I hope to start an Etsy shop in the not too distant future, but in the meantime look forward to your continued visits to my blog and the opportunity to share my work and thoughts with you.

Wednesday 9 July 2008

Happy Birthday Aba

This particular Aba, or Dad in English, is having a birthday and cards were requested to illustrate his many interests. He is a Mets fan, is soon going on a wonderful surprise trip abroad, and his youngest son is big on cars and driving. I hope that Aba is happy with his cards.

Thursday 3 July 2008

Happy 50th

I think that this card speaks for itself - a 50th birthday for a lady. It was requested that I make it 'gold' and pretty.You can see clearly in this photograph how I layer some of the elements in my cards using foam strips. This makes it a bit more interesting creatively, and the cards still travel through the mail system well.

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