Barbara Shaw - Bold Heritage Gifts with a Twist

Jerusalem Inspires Barbara Shaw to Create Design-Led Heritage Themed Homewares

Press release July 30th 2012

Barbara Shaw of Jerusalem is launching her product range "Bold Heritage Gifts with a Twist" at the New York International Gift Fair (Booth 2351A). Her gifts for the kitchen and home feature bright, colorful, upbeat designs with heritage themes that have global appeal.

Barbara’s range includes aprons with fun sayings and also classic themes, table linens, baby wear, T-shirts for all ages as well as cushions, totes, ceramic and glassware, and wooden coasters, clocks and trivets. A number of items celebrate mothers and women in a variety of languages.

Zany wise Yiddish proverbs with appear on a multitude of products; coaster, trivets - her Schlep bag is a classic.

“I draw from the ancient sources and apply them to designs that are fresh, bold and sassy,” says Barbara.” I am creating a new idiom, with up-market styling and packaging. I weave the landscapes around me into products with humor that enhance the home and beautify everyday living.”

Inspired by piles of fresh Jaffa oranges discovered on market day in her home city of Jerusalem, Barbara Shaw created this fun pattern to bring a pop of color to the table. The 19” x 19” napkins are screen-printed by hand, and sewn from cotton drill fabric. The set of four is packaged with wide ribbon and a gift tag. Her iconic Jaffa orange and pomegranate themes appear on upscale housewares.

One of the most innovative textile artists in Israel, Barbara manages production from her studio in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, her store in downtown Jerusalem is bursting with color and great design. She sells to gift shops and museum stores worldwide.

Be sure to come by at the Gift Fair for a free gift.

Barbara Shaw

www.barbarashawgifts.com

barbshaw@gmail.com

972 547 421815

We ❤ Ladino

Do you speak Ladino?
Ladino is a quite beautiful Romance language derived from Old Spanish, which Sepharadic Jews have spoken since the Middle Ages. It is influenced by Hebrew and Aramaic, as well Arabic, Turkish, Greek, and Portuguese - from all of the lands where Sepharadic Jews settled.

We love Ladino because it has a really musical richness about it and we've been using some great sayings in our new coasters:

Our fave:  
"Quien mucho pensa, no se la fada Yersalaim."
(Whoever hesitates will never reach Jerusalem.)





Although not many people around the world speak it today, Ladino is still alive and well in Israeli music. 

Here's one of the classics, from the great Yehoram Gaon:

Getting ready for the Pesach Seder

I'm thinking about making my superb chicken soup for this year's seder - here's the recipe:

Most Magical Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
 1 chicken
1 large onion
1/2 large head of celery
4-5 carrots
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 parsnip (optional)
salt and pepper
nutmeg
handful of parsley

and a large soup pot

Method:
Slice the carrots, garlic, and celery. Coarsely chop the parsnip, and cut the onion in half. If you’re feeling healthy, you can also remove some of the fat from the chicken.

Put all the ingredients into a large soup pot, and add enough water to cover the chicken well. Cook over high flame until water boils, then turn down the flame to medium/low. Boil for at least 1 and a half hours.

Towards the end of cooking, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and a large fistful of torn parsley. Enjoy!

My recipe features on the Most Magical Chicken Soup apron which, as usual, is illustrated by our favorite lovable and quirky artist Galit Lofman at Jerusalem's own Ira Ginzburg Studio.

Happy pesach, everyone!

Perfect Pesach Gifts

We are getting into a Pesach state of mind. This morning we set up the new store window, which created a lot of excitement and activity around and inside the store.

Yesterday we shot some great photos of the new Pesach range, which is now found in stores and museum shops around the US and in Europe as well.  When you are in town come by and if you are not close enough to come into the store, stop by our website at http://www.barbarashawgifts.com/

Fun at the Fair

Exhibiting at the New York Gift fair felt like a big step forward. Pleased that the Barbara Shaw range can now be found at  Museum shops and selected stores across the USA. It was wonderful to meet store owners and managers and hear the positive reactions to the new items. We are now in the Jewish Museums in NYC, Spertus in Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, plus in stores in NYC - Rosebud, LA- Gallery Judaica, Shalom House, Berkeley -Afikoman. We are also in Panama City- Stellas Linens, and in London, Paris and Denmark.
If there a store near you that you think could stock the range - let me know - Thanks Barbara

Barbara in the Jerusalem Post

We've been written up by the Jerusalem Post travel section!
Lots of fun behind-the-scenes peeks into the story behind my designs.
Here's a link to the article on the Jerusalem Post website.

See you at the New York Gift Fair- Javitz Center Jan 29th - Feb 2nd!

Things are very hectic as we prepare for the Gift Fair in New York. This is the first time I shall be exhibiting at the fair, and I am both very excited and nervous. In the studio we are in the final stages of designing the booth - No 1968, which we are aiming to make strikingly bold and bright - a taste of the store. Terrific Tova Safra our muti-talented designer is ensuring that all our marketing materials, brochures and fun give away is in production and will be ready in time. And at the same time we are forever working on new designs and products.

We shall be showcasing new designs for the spring and Passover season and presenting some well loved favourites. Pls find us under the Israeli banner. We will be making appointments with stores next week.
I decided to exhibit in New York as I currently do sell to a number of stores and Museums in the US but I would like to extend my reach. Response has been so terrific from visitors to my store that I feel I can bring a bit more joy and fun further afield.

Hanukka Is Almost Here

Hanukka latkes in our "Letters" serving dish

This Hanukka, I'm celebrating one of my all-time favorite foods: Latkes! (Levivot, in Hebrew)
My tried-and-true recipe for cooking up these golden potato patties is so simple and delicious that for ages I've wanted to use it in one of my designs - and now I have!

Meet the Latkes apron - It's got a lovely hand-printed graphic illustrating the recipe with quirky pictures of each ingredient. It comes in blue and bordeau. This recipe makes about 25 latkes if they ever get to the table; most of the time you can't resist eating them from the pan...

and I hope you'll join us this season for some fun:

Barbara Shaw invites you for a Pre-Hanukka Party: drinks, tasty nibbles, and good cheer.

Dec 15th 2011, 4-7pm

Live music with Simon Shaw

Bezalel Street #2, Jerusalem
02-625-7474

Everyone Loves a Yiddishe Mama!

She stirred the savory, dill-spiked chicken soup as it simmered for hours on the stove... She served the hearty, stick-some-meat-on-your-bones shabbat cholent, brought steaming to the table on chilly Saturday afternoons while the family gathered round, laughing noisily over a week's worth of small (or not-so-small) misfortunes...
Isaac Bashevis Singer once said that "Yiddish is the language with the most vitamins in it," and this is certainly what your Yiddishe Mama would have hoped for, whenever she peppered you with questions about your health and well-being...

Here at Barbara Shaw we love to celebrate all our yiddishe mamas - their struggle and their strength, but most of all - their hilariousness! We hope that you enjoy our ever-expanding collection of home gifts that feature the the witty Yiddish sayings of yesteryear.

At our Bezalel Street store this month you can find coasters, mugs, aprons and more with all your favorite Yiddishisms, each one full of the twinkle-eyed fun in zaydie's grin ;-)

Rimon Mania

It's Pomegranate season in Jerusalem!

I just love that first sign of fall, when pomegranates all over the city begin to redden and ripen. Did you know that pomegranates have been grown in Israel and the Mesopotamian region for over 4,000 years? We are just as smitten by its tangy ruby morsels today as in ancient times. In Jewish tradition the pomegranate symbolizes abundance of blessing and a fruitful new year. In India and Persia this fruit was traditionally considered to have powerful medicinal properties; today we know that pomegranates contain high levels of antioxidants and even have an anti-bacterial cleaning effect on your teeth! 

For hundreds of years, Persian and Syrian Jews have used pomegranate concentrate to flavor meat dishes and stews: try pouring a generous amount of pomegranate syrup over chicken before baking or roasting, adding a bit of honey, and crushed garlic or sauteéd shallots  - you can't go wrong!  

Visit us this season at our shop (Bezalel Street 2) to find lots of gorgeous pomegranate inspired items for your Rosh Hashana table- like bowls, placemats, trivets, and cushions. Plus, you'll get a free handmade pomegranate vase (50NIS value) with any purchase of 199NIS. Just print out the coupon at our Coupons Page on facebook.

Happy Anniversary on Bezalel Street

Happy anniversary to the Barbara Shaw flagship store! I’m amazed to say that it’s been a whole year since we moved to our fabulous location on Bezalel Street! Reflecting on the past year, I cannot think of a better place, in the most wonderful city of Jerusalem, to be located.
Bezalel St is the historical location of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Jerusalem, founded in 1906 by Boris Schatz. That original building still stands today. While most classes are given at the Mt. Scopus campus, the famous building still houses the department of architecture, as well as exhibitions and a wonderful café.

Bezalel St is naturally filled with art students, sipping their cappuccinos at one of the numerous little cafes filling the “midrachov.” Aside from our store and the cafes, the pedestrian walkway has a number of quirky, Israeli-style, designer clothing stores. Pop into “Sophia”, or “Shaul” the shoe shop that has been there for over 50 years. If I could, I’d spend everyday browsing the unique scarves, shoes, and leather bags available in these shops.
In addition every Friday Bezalel St, as well Schatz Street one block down, hosts a wonderful artisan’s fair. All forms of artwork are displayed, and you’ll be sure to find a one of a kind piece, whether is jewelry, woodwork or kitchen accessories. Usually there’s even some form of entertainment, such as live concerts held at the Bezalel building, giving the area an even more fabulously fun atmosphere!

It’s the combination of these factors makes the Bezalel Street and area a true exhibition of Jerusalem culture and life! I am so glad to be in the midst of it all! Come visit us on #2 Bezalel St, and be sure to check out our new travel-themed window display!

Meet me at the summer festival - Hutzot Hayotzer

It’s a busy time here at the Barbara Shaw studio! The long sunny days, filled with tourists and kids off from school, naturally make the summer a busy and energized time. But even besides for the heightened summer activity, there is something that has me and everyone else here in an eager and excited frenzy. “What could it be?” you, my loyal blog followers, ask yourselves, and I’ll tell you! The thing that has gotten me worked up into a hectic and thrilling whirl of excitement is the Hutzot Hayotzer festival.

The Hutzot Hayotzer festival is a ten day cultural fair in Jerusalem, from August 15th until August 27th, and is arguably one of the biggest summer events in this city. Taking place by the Sultan’s Pool, opposite the Old City ramparts and the Tower of David, this 30+ year tradition is a combination of art, food, and music, from all over Israel and all over the world! Every night (except Friday), from 6 PM to 11 PM, groups of families and friends come out to enjoy stalls of over 150 of the best Israeli artists of all types, food and craft stands from all over the globe, children’s events, small shows of exotic singing and dancing, and big name Israeli music performances. The combination of the breathtaking view, mix of all cultures, and great, and family-friendly, atmosphere makes this one of my all-time favorite events of the year.

This summer will be the third year that I’ll be privileged to have an artist’s booth at the festival. It’s a critical time at the studio, preparing all of the merchandise for the big event, especially all of the new gifts and designs that I’ll be debuting there! Although it’s a bit busy and crazy here, I am so excited, because Hutzot Hayozer is such a spectacular experience! If you’re planning on being in Jerusalem during those 2 weeks in August, I urge you to come to the festival, it’s truly an amazing, and come and greet us, we’d really love to meet you!

Summer Eating

Summer is the time for luscious fruits and foods. What a treat to stroll through any market or even the local supermarket and see the cornucopia of colours. I think I would be happy to live on grapes and watermelon alone! While Israel is not often thought of as a gourmet capital I believe it is. As the country is so small, the distances between the orchard to market is minimal so the freshness doesn’t have time to be squandered in transport. Being a country of immigrants with each group bringing rich culinary traditions wonderful eateries reflecting a myriad of cultures exists, yours for the picking!

Ira Ginsburg designed my new “I love Israeli Foods” apron and dish towel which reflects the wonderful eclectic variety of yummy dishes we all eat on a daily basis. Someone remarked, “but are they Israeli”? Well, we adopted them from lots of places over the years; Kube soup from Kurdistan, to Gefilte fish from eastern Europe to watermelon and Bulgarian cheese from Greece! Why not work your way around all the foods on the apron, but perhaps not all on the one day... :-)

Here is one of my favorite summer salads, so quick and tasty – takes just 5 minutes and is always a hit.

Barbara's super and simple mushroom salad:

Ingredients:

1 punnet of mushrooms

A handful of chopped parsley

A small onion chopped finely

Method:

Slice the mushrooms, or leave whole if they are small, and put in a bowl,

Mix with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

Like us on facebook to win a free apron + dishtowel gift set this week, in our tasty new print, illustrated with Israeli dishes!

facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Shaw-Gifts

Pesach Goodies

When in Jerusalem come and visit our store at No 2 Bezalel street or shop on line at http://www.barbarashawgifts.com/. We have one of the most innovative shop windows designed by the ever creative Tova Safra.+ large selection of surprising gifts inside. Lots of Matza themed ideas. Bezlale street is a great place to hang out on Friday mornings when there is a fund arts and crafts fair  which will be on during Chol Hamoed Too.

Ma Nishtana Spring is in the air

Have had a great time producing lots of new items, for Passover. Started a new ceramic line have a range of Seder plates. Tova Safra is my new in house designer and its thanks to her that I am going into new medium.

Pesach items on my website  are located at http://www.barbarashawgifts.com/pl_products~6~40.htm

Sweeten the New Year

For the new year I have a new design - called "Be the head and not the tail" which is a saying taken from the Tanach and said on Rosh Hashana. The extremely talented Ira Ginzburg was the designer. She also designed my pomegrnate range one of my signature designs.

New Bezalel Store now open!!

So excited that my new store has opened. Tova Safra did a wonderful job of designing every detail of the store. Really wanted a streamlined uncluttered place with a sense of clear style and colour and line. Have a look and let me know what you think.
I have a fig leaf in my logo and opposite in the old Bezalel building there is a wonderful grand Fig Tree growing.

I have included a fabulous range of jewellery from Elk Accessories, in resin wood and silver. Have also stocked funky lines of lamp-shades, purses and have extended the baby line.

I am constantly looking for exciting new designers, I do aim to spot light Israeli designers. So if you are one or have friends be in touch.

Gearing up to Launch Second Store In Jerusalem

After searching for about a year I have found what I think is a great new location for my second store. No 2 Bezalel St. I'm nervous and anxious but feel I jsut have to do it. I working on the design plans at the moment with my wonderful designer Tova Safra. Would like to have the same look and feel as my first store but also have some surprises. Looking to open just after the 20th of July.
Bezalel is a wonderul street with great shops and coffee shops there a  fun artists market on Fridays. Love the feel of the street. See you there!!

What drives me in design.

My passion is to be part of the development of a new fresh Israeli design idiom. I am committed to developing products and designs that express an essence of Israel and Judaism in a new and bold manner.
I feel a thirst in the marketplace for products and designs with true Israeli design integrity and authenticity. My aim is find the balance between international themes and motifs and an Israeli style and design. In today’s climate of globalization and multi-culturalism, there is an expectation of certain style elements with electronics and Apple leading a way in all areas of design. At the same time there is a demand for authentic local flavours. This is one of my challenges as a designer.
I would like to work towards making Israeli design a recognized trade mark. There is some development towards this, however I feel it needs to be extended. It is as I see it a process of digging into our roots at many levels, religious, pioneering, multi-ethnic, military, cutting edge, entrepreneurial, hi-tech, agricultural, and looking to see how these themes and elements can be translated into varied products. How will toys or a baby carriage or a chair or washing machine or anything else look different and perform differently if it is designed in Israel? These are questions I would like to explore.

I am interested in producing innovative Judaica because I believe as people explore different ways of observance there is a demand for objects that will accompany those newer and different styles of observance. I also have an interest in producing gifts for the Christian markets which I know are vast, yet undersupplied.

I came to textiles as it was a relatively easy entry point into design. I started producing products that I would have liked to purchase, with themes that I felt had both international and yet very locally identified elements for example jaffa oranges, pomegranates and figs. While I currently do design and manufacture principally in textiles, I would like to extend my range of skills and competencies. The combination of design and beauty and functionality is what I strive for in all I do. I very much would like to extend my design reach. I am interested in working in both metals and plastics

I do all manufacturing in Israel. I am committed to manufacturing in Israel on principle. My vision and passion is to produce in Israel and export.

Summer Fun Designs and Gifts

Summer has burst upon us in a rush, as it does each year. Not sure how we are already in June. I have had a very busy few months designing new ranges and products. I hope to launch a new stationary range in the next couple of weeks.

I just returned from attaending the gift trade fair "Pulse" which I found inspring. Its wonderful to have some dedicated time to thinking about new ideas and concepts. I also met with the recently opened gorgeous Jewish Museum in London, located in Camden Town. The Museum in London now stocks a nice selection of my range.

For many people who travel in the Summer gift giving becomes a headache rather than a pleasure. I hope to make selecting gifts a pleasure.

My juicy jaffa orange range is a great hit and suitable for eveyone on your list have a look