The new year is coming and I couldn’t be more excited for a fresh start! I have been MIA for far too long. Year 38 has probably been the longest of my life.  So I mentioned back in December that we’d had health challenges – well now that they seem mostly behind us (pu pu pu), I can offer a bit more explanation.  At 38, my dear sweet husband was diagnosed with TWO kinds of cancer.  After major surgery the week of Thanksgiving, he’s spent the last nine months in a cycle of chemo and radiation, all while juggling work and life with two kids (who turned 8 and 2 this summer!)  So, you can guess where much of the day-to-day worry fell.  But I am thrilled to say that my sweet is now cancer-free!! One of my goals is to return to my craft projects, or rather sharing them with all of you; the sign in my craft room does proclaim, “Arts and Crafts Keep Me Sane” after all. I’ve still managed to sneak some projects in over the past year and will try to go back and share them over time.

But here we are at the end of the summer.  School starts next week! And the high holy days are fast approaching with Rosh Hashanah starting at sunset on the 20th.  My new calendar is well-hung in the kitchen and ready for ALL of September’s firsts to be added.  Note the magnetic chalkboard door – that is a long ago project that I have been meaning to blog for a long time!  As 2nd VP of our synagogue board, one of the things that comes with the holidays is new year greetings to members.  I am old-school and appreciate the art of the handwritten note, so I decided to make some for myself as well another board buddy.

So as you know, I am quite the rubber stamp collector.  I am constantly on the hunt for new additions to my collection but the most recent one is quite the standout.  It is a gorgeous pomegranate and shofar image with a handwritten Shana Tova that is so simple and elegant – perfect for a fabulous greeting card.  I found the stamp on eBay but it is by Rubber Hedgehog. Lovely craftsmanship and well worth it. 

To get the most out of simple stamps you need good paper and good ink. In this case, I used Fabriano notecards in the folded reply card size in gorgeous raw edge Italian paper with matching envelopes.  I stamped in Brilliance ink, both Pearlescent Crimson and Pearlescent Poppy.  Both look fabulous although the photos don’t quite do justice to the beautiful pearlescence that these inks provide.  Regardless of which you choose, it is a quick way to create elegant handmade Jewish new year cards.  I did dry the ink with a heat gun (aka fancy hairdryer) just to make sure it was set before I packaged them, but otherwise, easy peasy.

Are you sending any new year cards?  Any crafting plans in the next couple of weeks?  Remember, you can always enlist your kiddos too!

Also, since it’s almost the new year, my resolution is to BLOG more for all of you!  So please share any crafty, Jewish Martha topics you’d like to see covered in the coming months and I’ll see what I can do.  Shabbat Shalom and happy end of summer!

P.S. Made by Mamaleh is now on Instagram. Come follow me @madebymamaleh