Our First Sketch Challenge!

This will be a new feature on the blog..a monthly sketch! This one was created by the fabulous Jana Eubanks...

And this is what I created with it...

I used a combination of the Rosh Hashana Papers and the Hanukkah papers..love the subtle shading differences!

Some of our DT created some cards with the sketch, too...

Here is a layout by Carly using Passover and Hankukkah papers.

here is Louise's card:

And Lisa Swift's card:

So we now challenge you- blog readers- to create a layout using the Crafting Jewish Style papers and the sketch! Link us up in the comments with your layout! We can't wait to see what you create!

Hannukah in July

When we think about Hannukah foods, we think about greasy, unhealthy foods. However, without too many changes, your favorite Latkes recipe can be transformed into a healthy summer dish.

Puree the batter more than you would for Hannukah, so it's runny like a breakfast pancake. Maybe you would like to add some fresh summer vegetables, like basil from the garden. Substitute a healthier type of flour (almond meal, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, any type of flour substitute works). Then fry them in just a bit of olive oil. Skip the sour cream, and serve them with apple sauce or seasonal fruits and vegetables. Since Latkes are actually parve, you can serve them as a side dish with a barbecue, especially if some vegetarians will be joining your barbecue. If you don't have a latkes recipe, feel free to use my mother's.


Summer is also a great time to dig out those family recipes (most of mine are handwritten on scraps of paper) and make recipe cards that will preserve them for the next generation.

Paper Crafting Fun with Crafting Jewish Style plus our giveaway winner!

Sorry for the delay... Our June giveaway winner is...Lesli!!
Please contact us so that we can get out the prize package to you.

It's been a really hot summer so far here (nothing like last summer's rainy unseasonably cool weather) and while a dip in the pool or a trip to the beach is the way to go-especially if you have kids to entertain-sometimes there's nothing like a nice air conditioned environment to relax in.

Here's a great project to do together with your child or youth group, indoors (AC running) on a hot summer day. This cute paper mache wall/door hanging would also be a great pre-holiday make and take.

For this project I took a paper mache letter "S", my little one's initial, that I found in Michael's.
You will need:
Paper Mache letter
acrylic paint and foam brushes
scrapbook paper
Scissors
wet glue or Mod Podge, brayer or bone folder
stamp pad
embellishments of your choice
ribbon
hot glue gun

1. Paint the inner and outer sides pink (or the color of your choice), let dry.
2. Trace the front and back of the letter onto the back of your chosen scrapbook paper. I used the pink distressed polka dots from the Passover collection.
3. Adhere the papers to the letter with a wet adhesive (such as Zip Dry or Mod Podge). Smooth out any air bubbles with a brayer or bone folder. Let dry.
4. Ink the edges with a small stamp pad, in a coordinating color of your choice.
5. Embellish the front of your letter with flowers, buttons, wood shapes, etc.
6. Use a hot glue gun to attach a looped length of ribbon to the top of the letter. Hot glue a bow on top.
Viola! You're done!

Send us pictures of your version of this project or any layouts, cards or crafts featuring Crafting Jewish Style products. Submissions will be posted and our design team will vote on the winning one!

Happy Birthday! Card Making with Crafting Jewish Style

My youngest daughter turned 5 last week and between making a cake and organizing a party, I decided to make a series of birthday cards to share with you. I combined all CJS lines in it as I enjoy all colors it provides me.

If you are born in July, Happy Birthday to you too!

Creating Easy Hanukkah Gift Tags

It's never too early to start getting ready for a holiday so I thought it would be fun to make some gift tags for this year's Hanukkah gifts. All tags use images from the Borders & Tags patterned paper. The finished size of all tags is 2 3/4"W x 3"H (background cardstock for the card itself is cut to 5 1/2"L x 3"W).

For this menorah tag, cut the image from the Borders & Tags patterned paper, adhere it to navy cardstock and then use rub-ons to create lines inside and the word "to". You could also draw in the lines or even use a sewing machine to stitch them. Be creative! :)

This tag uses a label from the sticker sheet, some brads, and a rub-on.

For this tag, use some of the "spin" stickers, cutting them to "fall" off the edge of the paper and then add in some rub-ons.

Here's one more for inspiration. :) Now it's time to pull out your papers and have fun!

Sketch Inspiration from Jana Eubank

Sketches are a great way to inspire new designs and techniques. Crafting Jewish Style is very lucky to have Jana Eubank's sketches available to us for our sketch inspiration posts. Each month we'll bring you a new sketch with our design team's unique creations.

Nili Elburg using Passover papers


Rachel Myerson using Rosh Hashanah papers

Lisa Spiegel using Hanukkah papers

Lisa Swift using Hanukkah papers

Mimi Klein using Rosh Hashanah papers

Mimi Klein using Rosh Hashanah papers.

We'd love to see your creations. Share them with us by leaving a comment. Thanks for reading!