12 Days of Home for the Holidays Welcomes Irit Shalom!

I honestly do not believe there is not anything that Irit can't create!  I see Irit's work everywhere.  I was blessed to serve on the same design team at one time with Irit.  Check out her blog Irit Shalom's Designs to see her work, check out her publications, and team affiliations.  I am proud to Welcome Irit Shalom.

My name is Irit Shalom and I am an Israeli crafter. I met Debby on Epiphany Crafts DT and I was  thrilled when she asked me to  be on her Holidays week in her blog.

A bit about me (or a lot):

In my “real life” I am a dentist, but for the last 5-6 years I do it as a part time job, because I need some extra time for my scrapping and crafting addiction and I have a lot of fun doing something else after 25 years of dentistry. I have been married for 29 years to a retired high police officer, who is the full time family cook these days. I am a mom to 4 grown ups: 2 sons and twin daughters.

The empty nest is probably the main reason for my obsession for crafting – finally I have some time for myself. My oldest son is an army officer, married and a Dad of my first grandson Omer. The second one is “a world traveler” – for the last 7 years after his army service he is out of Israel for at least 9 months a year – lives and works in Spain. My twin girls just finished college and got their first real job .

I need to say that I have been totally addicted to crafting since I was a little girl. For many years it was a polymer clay and jewelry making, but after I saw a scrapbook layout for the first time in my life (only 5 years ago during my visit to USA), I finally understood that I am in love with paper. Today I mostly scrap and do altered art and less card making.

 I have been a design team member in about two dozens blogs and companies. Right now I am a permanent designer for UK chipboard company named Tando creative, UK Visible Image stamp company, A2Z Scraplets Australian company, WOW embossing powders company and Inspired by Stamping stamp company. I was published in print in Israel, UK and will be in USA print next year a couple of times.
Last, but not least – my other addiction is….. folk dancing. So if I am not in my crafting room- I am probably dancing. 

And now about our Holiday traditions:
As we are Jewish, we celebrate Hanukkah and as Hanukkah is totally non religious holiday, we celebrate it is this family funny way: lighting the candles and eating. Mostly eating.

For those who are not familiar with Hanukkah I add a bit of a description from the web:
Hanukkah- (Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה, Tiberian: Ḥănukkāh, usually spelled חנוכה, pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew; a transliteration also romanized as Chanukah, Chanukkah or Chanuka), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical Menorah consists of eight branches with an additional raised branch. The extra light is called a shamash (Hebrew: שמש‎, "attendant")^[1] and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves is forbidden.

• The most popular Hanukkah traditions are
• Sufganiyah
• Latkes (Potato pancakes)
• Dreidel
• And singing . We sing a lot of Hanukkah songs, but the first and the most popular is Ma'oz Tzu

And now, when you are a bit familiar with our traditions, it’s a time to show you some of my craft projects about Hanukkah.The first two are the actual Hanukkah recipes of Latkes and Sufganiyah, scrapped as the traditional scrapbooking 12*12'' pages.

You are welcome to try those recipes! They are very simple and delicious. (click to enlarge photos)

And as you can see after eating those fatty lovelies for 8 days we gain weight, so my next page is all about it. 

Please, read my journaling, it's funny !

A lot of folks ask me if we give gifts. Yes, we do, but to kids only and a lot of them. We call it Hanukkah gelt (Yiddish word for $$$), but it's not just money, but toys mostly. So we do add gift tags or cards with those gifts and here are my samples of some.

Hope you liked our family traditions and now you know a bit more about Hanukkah. 

I wish you all a Happy Holidays! 

Irit
Irit Shalom's Designs

Thank you Irit for your craft and sharing your celebration of  Hanukkah.  I am friends with Irit on Facebook and a day doesn't go by that I'm not amazed by something new she has created.  

Giveaway

What an incredible giveaway from  Graphic 45, X-ACTO, Sizzix, and May Arts!  Leave a comment for Irit and I’ll put your name in the drawing. Leave a comment on each of the 12 day's posts to be entered for 12 opportunities to win this gorgeous prize package!  You can also go to X-ACTO's, Graphic 45's, Sizzix's, and May Art's Facebook page and “like,” leaving a comment you came from D’s Paper Studio and leave another comment on one of the blog posts letting me know to be entered again.  One blog reader's name will be drawn and announced on Monday, December 14th. On your Mark, Get Set, Go....!

 Included in the Giveaway: 

Graphic 45:  Nutcracker Sweet 12x12 paper pad; both sets of coordinating stickers; Ornate Metal Keys; Ornate Metal Key Holes; Flower Staples, Envelope Tag Staples

May Arts:  (as pictured) Red and Green Center Strip 25 yards; Jute 400 yards; Mini-Pom Poms 30 yards; Velvet 50 yards; Cotton Strip 30 yards

X-ACTO: X-ACTO Designer Series 9’’ Fixed Blade; X-ACTO Designer Series Precision Scissors; X-ACTO Designer Series Corner Punch; X-ACTO Designer Series Gripster; X-ACTO Designer Series Shapes Templates; CraftBond Glue Spots; CraftBond Quick Dry Dual Tip Glue Pen; CraftBond All Purpose Glue Stick

Sizzix: The New Tim Holtz Texture Fades; They include: 658269 Holly Pattern & Wreath Set; 658273 Brush Poinsettias & Winter Berries Set; 658270 Textured Poinsettia Pattern Set; and 658272 Holly Branch & Pine Branch Set

Have a Wonderfully Crafty Holiday!