Now is the perfect time to take up walking. While it may seem like a dull hobby, it can be a great way to accomplish several tasks at once. I have really picked up my walking in the past few weeks, and I love it. I encourage you, too, to consider taking up walking as a hobby.
First walking is good for you. While it does not burn fat the way that running or other aerobic activity does, it definitely is helpful to your body. You can burn calories by walking, particularly if you add something to the walk. You may want to try wrist or ankle weights or try walking up stairs or hills. You will be adding something to the walking so that you can increase the number of calories you burn.
If you are a couch potato, then any type of activity is better than nothing. You should start walking at least a couple of times a week and see how you like it. One of the things that I have noticed is that I see much more when I am out taking a walk. Now I notice the birds chirping or the trees swaying. While it may sound silly, I do think that it renews the spirit to notice nature around us.
Another benefit to walking is that we can save on gas prices! Now you may be thinking that you do not live in an area where it is possible to walk and get things done, but you are probably wrong. Even if you live in a rural area, you can park once you get to town and then walk to all of the stores. Even if you have to go back to your car after a couple of stores to drop off packages, that is okay. You will be getting in better shape and saving on gas prices. Plus you will realize that you really do not save much time by going from spot to spot while you are shopping. The next time you are out try to think of a way to cut out some of the driving and get a little extra walking into your routine.
If you live in a more urban area, then you can begin to walk to the library, to shops, and even to restaurants. It will feel good to relax on your way there and get a little exercise in. While you are headed to the library, you can take books with you. The extra weight will be an added benefit.
Walking also gives you time to think, which most of us need. We often find that we have too much going on. The modern world is full of running and going to the next activity. By walking to the corner store, you have that 15 minutes there and back to think about what is going on. Consider your day and how it is going. Think about what you have to do tomorrow. Take some time for yourself. Walking can help you get that time to yourself.
If you are thinking of picking up walking as a hobby, start out slowly. Try walking for 15 minutes two nights this week. Then move up to three nights next week. Take the walk at the same time so that it can become part of your routine. Walk every evening after dinner or in the early morning hours when the world is just waking.
Once you are walking the number of nights you would like, then you can add time and difficulty to your walks. Fifteen minutes may seem like an eternity when you first get started, but soon you will find that you can get through it easily. Then you may want to move to 20 minutes and then 25. Or you may want to start increasing your speed so that you can get farther on that 15-minute walk.
Do not wait for the right time to start your walking routine. Start it today. Instead of sitting back tonight and watching another CSI marathon, think about what you could be doing. Instead of watching the world go by, you could be particularly in it, and that is much more fun.
By Julia Mercer
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Friday, April 28, 2006
Join a Local Theater Group!
By Christina VanGinkel
If you are looking for a hobby that will get you out of the house, introduce you to other people, and have some fun in the process, and you do not mind making a commitment of time for at least a while, have you considered local theater?
Many towns, large and small, have theater companies made up of local talent. They range from obviously amateur organizations to ones that would be hard to distinguish from a professional group.
Theater is not for everyone, but for those that enjoy it, it can be one of the most rewarding hobbies that they will ever experience. Getting up on a stage is often a part of it, but even if that element is not for you, there are many other parts of a theater group that need to be filled, including sets, lighting, promotion, even ticket sales. In small groups, some members might perform several of these jobs, so keep that in mind. Larger groups may have enough members to go around that the work load is limited to what you enjoy doing, but as with any hobby that someone loves, there are often aspects of it that we need to do in order to allow us to participate in what we conceive to be the fun part.
In addition, with theater, there is plenty of fun to go around. The prospect of dressing up and pretending to be someone, or sometimes something else, is for many people one of the best stress relievers ever invented. In recognition of all kids who like to pretend, acting, as fancy and professional as it can be, is just grownups on the stage playing out parts in much the same manner as kids playing pretend.
If you would like to join a local theater group and there is none in your area, do not give up. Call a local school and ask if they have a theater group for the students. If they do, ask them to put you in touch with the teacher in charge, and inquire of them if they have a need for any adult volunteers for tasks ranging from painting sets to background actors. While leads and most main characters will surely be left for the students to fill, you never know when a fill in for a minor part might be needed. Helping with the sets, and if you have a theater background yourself already, offering your services in other ways might be greatly appreciated. Unless you approach the school though, you will never know.
Forming your own theater group is always an option too. Run an ad in a local paper to see if there is any interest among others in the community. Some of the smallest towns are able to put together some very good groups. If you would not know where to hold your meetings, for starters approach any local business that would have enough room to gather. The library, a church basement, Moose Lodge, Legion Hall, anywhere that is willing to lend you space. Once you have an established group, you could look towards using the dues from club members to pay for a rental space. Many small communities are also willing to allow local theater groups access to school buildings and stages as long as everyone can come to a mutual meeting of the minds on when and how the facilities are to be used. If you can promise that a good portion of your ticket sales will be donated to the school for example, in return for them allowing you use of the stage, most schools will readily agree to allow local theater groups to both meet and put on their shows.
Joining or creating a local theater group can be fun for a variety of reasons. If you have been in search of some activity that will get you motivated, get you out into the community, provide interaction with other people in a more meaningful way than any coffee klatch ever could, and potentially provide some fun and laughter along the way, then be sure to consider what happens to be a growing hobby for many adults. Local theater is making a comeback, check it out the next time you decide to try something new!
If you are looking for a hobby that will get you out of the house, introduce you to other people, and have some fun in the process, and you do not mind making a commitment of time for at least a while, have you considered local theater?
Many towns, large and small, have theater companies made up of local talent. They range from obviously amateur organizations to ones that would be hard to distinguish from a professional group.
Theater is not for everyone, but for those that enjoy it, it can be one of the most rewarding hobbies that they will ever experience. Getting up on a stage is often a part of it, but even if that element is not for you, there are many other parts of a theater group that need to be filled, including sets, lighting, promotion, even ticket sales. In small groups, some members might perform several of these jobs, so keep that in mind. Larger groups may have enough members to go around that the work load is limited to what you enjoy doing, but as with any hobby that someone loves, there are often aspects of it that we need to do in order to allow us to participate in what we conceive to be the fun part.
In addition, with theater, there is plenty of fun to go around. The prospect of dressing up and pretending to be someone, or sometimes something else, is for many people one of the best stress relievers ever invented. In recognition of all kids who like to pretend, acting, as fancy and professional as it can be, is just grownups on the stage playing out parts in much the same manner as kids playing pretend.
If you would like to join a local theater group and there is none in your area, do not give up. Call a local school and ask if they have a theater group for the students. If they do, ask them to put you in touch with the teacher in charge, and inquire of them if they have a need for any adult volunteers for tasks ranging from painting sets to background actors. While leads and most main characters will surely be left for the students to fill, you never know when a fill in for a minor part might be needed. Helping with the sets, and if you have a theater background yourself already, offering your services in other ways might be greatly appreciated. Unless you approach the school though, you will never know.
Forming your own theater group is always an option too. Run an ad in a local paper to see if there is any interest among others in the community. Some of the smallest towns are able to put together some very good groups. If you would not know where to hold your meetings, for starters approach any local business that would have enough room to gather. The library, a church basement, Moose Lodge, Legion Hall, anywhere that is willing to lend you space. Once you have an established group, you could look towards using the dues from club members to pay for a rental space. Many small communities are also willing to allow local theater groups access to school buildings and stages as long as everyone can come to a mutual meeting of the minds on when and how the facilities are to be used. If you can promise that a good portion of your ticket sales will be donated to the school for example, in return for them allowing you use of the stage, most schools will readily agree to allow local theater groups to both meet and put on their shows.
Joining or creating a local theater group can be fun for a variety of reasons. If you have been in search of some activity that will get you motivated, get you out into the community, provide interaction with other people in a more meaningful way than any coffee klatch ever could, and potentially provide some fun and laughter along the way, then be sure to consider what happens to be a growing hobby for many adults. Local theater is making a comeback, check it out the next time you decide to try something new!
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Starting an International Music Collection
There are people who lift their eyebrows when I say I like to listen to international music. They probably have visions of "jungle music" or Gregorian chanting. They just don't seem to "get" that listening to many different music styles helps the world seem a little bit smaller. It's a strange concept to them that I'm not a "typical" person who listens to more "normal" music such as rock 'n roll, pop, country, etc. There are countless advantages to having a collection of music from around the globe; for those of us who love the idea of hopping on a cruise ship and seeing the ancient wonders of the world, it brings us a little bit closer to the cultures we love to study.
I didn't actually formally "start" an international music collection; it just happened. A Latino CD here, an Arabic CD there, and so on. Whatever looked good, I bought. As time went on, though, I realized it was indeed becoming a collection, and I decided to make it my goal to have music from every major language of the world. I've found that organizing my CDs into separate genres helps to organize the CDs. I try to keep the Celtic music in one place, the Middle Eastern music in another place, etc.
Before buying an international CD, here is a helpful tip to keep in mind as you shop: If you know someone who can translate the music in question, go for it. After all, if you're buying for kids or teenagers who enjoy the ethnic groove, you really have no way to know if there are "dirty" words if you can't comprehend the language. If kids go and look up what the songs mean on their own, there could be some trouble.
Another tip is that if you're buying online, it's a good idea to go to a site such as amazon.com or cdbaby.com and listen to clips of the music. My own personal philosophy is, if I like at least three song clips I play, I'll probably buy the CD. If I don't like even two, or don't like the sound of the person's voice, it's a no-sell. You can tell if you will like most CDs by listening to the person's voice; if it's too high, nasal, difficult to understand or screechy, there's a very good chance you won't like the rest of the CD either.
There is so much available these days in the genre of international music. You can either buy folk music or contemporary music. In Germany, for instance, the "folk" music will be the polkas, waltzes and folksy tubas that you usually imagine when thinking of German music. Contemporary, however, will be a German person singing in German, but the songs will have a modern pop, rock, gospel or easy listening sound. If you're into religious music, there are also two kinds in that sub-genre. This is where those Latin chants would be. Many Latino and other ethnic groups have contemporary worship CDs; songs popular in this day and age, but sung in their own language.
It is a wonderful experience to have music from every corner of the globe. Try inviting some friends over; you never know when a song might touch someone and make them want to start their very own collection. Don't make the mistake of thinking international music is "extra expensive" and hard to find. Many CDs aren't priced any higher than English language tracks, and there are lots of places on the wonderful "World Wide Web" that sell such items. Watch the shipping; if it's coming directly from another country, shipping is bound to be high, and it might be difficult to convert U.S. dollars. You'll probably want to order from an American company that has imported the CDs previously.
Some of my favorite ethnic CDs have been found "by chance," and come from a variety of countries. Among favorites are "Youm Wara Youm," a fast-paced Arabic CD by Samira Said; "The Farthest Wave," hauntingly beautiful Celtic tracks from Cathie Ryan; and "Tercera Dimension," a modern Latino pop CD by an artist known as Julio. There really are very few countries that you can't find music from. One of my tapes is actually from a group in Iceland! The possibilities for your own collection are as big as . . . the world!
By Lacie R. Schaeffer
I didn't actually formally "start" an international music collection; it just happened. A Latino CD here, an Arabic CD there, and so on. Whatever looked good, I bought. As time went on, though, I realized it was indeed becoming a collection, and I decided to make it my goal to have music from every major language of the world. I've found that organizing my CDs into separate genres helps to organize the CDs. I try to keep the Celtic music in one place, the Middle Eastern music in another place, etc.
Before buying an international CD, here is a helpful tip to keep in mind as you shop: If you know someone who can translate the music in question, go for it. After all, if you're buying for kids or teenagers who enjoy the ethnic groove, you really have no way to know if there are "dirty" words if you can't comprehend the language. If kids go and look up what the songs mean on their own, there could be some trouble.
Another tip is that if you're buying online, it's a good idea to go to a site such as amazon.com or cdbaby.com and listen to clips of the music. My own personal philosophy is, if I like at least three song clips I play, I'll probably buy the CD. If I don't like even two, or don't like the sound of the person's voice, it's a no-sell. You can tell if you will like most CDs by listening to the person's voice; if it's too high, nasal, difficult to understand or screechy, there's a very good chance you won't like the rest of the CD either.
There is so much available these days in the genre of international music. You can either buy folk music or contemporary music. In Germany, for instance, the "folk" music will be the polkas, waltzes and folksy tubas that you usually imagine when thinking of German music. Contemporary, however, will be a German person singing in German, but the songs will have a modern pop, rock, gospel or easy listening sound. If you're into religious music, there are also two kinds in that sub-genre. This is where those Latin chants would be. Many Latino and other ethnic groups have contemporary worship CDs; songs popular in this day and age, but sung in their own language.
It is a wonderful experience to have music from every corner of the globe. Try inviting some friends over; you never know when a song might touch someone and make them want to start their very own collection. Don't make the mistake of thinking international music is "extra expensive" and hard to find. Many CDs aren't priced any higher than English language tracks, and there are lots of places on the wonderful "World Wide Web" that sell such items. Watch the shipping; if it's coming directly from another country, shipping is bound to be high, and it might be difficult to convert U.S. dollars. You'll probably want to order from an American company that has imported the CDs previously.
Some of my favorite ethnic CDs have been found "by chance," and come from a variety of countries. Among favorites are "Youm Wara Youm," a fast-paced Arabic CD by Samira Said; "The Farthest Wave," hauntingly beautiful Celtic tracks from Cathie Ryan; and "Tercera Dimension," a modern Latino pop CD by an artist known as Julio. There really are very few countries that you can't find music from. One of my tapes is actually from a group in Iceland! The possibilities for your own collection are as big as . . . the world!
By Lacie R. Schaeffer
Personalizing a Photo Mat
By Christina VanGinkel
My grandson was over yesterday and it has become routine for him to want to look at the pictures of him self and the rest of the family that are in the computer. We will sit together at the computer and I will open any new photo files that I might have. His mother recently gave me a CD filled with older photos of when they were doing a fair amount of travel for work last year. Included in these snapshots was several of my grandson dressed up like a cowboy. His outfit consisted of a big, old cowboy hat and a toy vest with plastic badge and sheriff's rifle. The rifle was a plastic cap gun. When he saw these pictures, he got all excited and started telling me about when his dad bought him the toy play set. He then realized he no longer had it, and he looked somewhat sad. Keep in mind that he is two years old, so I asked him if we should print one of the pictures. As soon as I asked, I realized none of the pictures was really worth printing. Not a one of them was clear, you could not see his face, and they were your typical bad snapshots that you usually just passed over. However, I had asked, and he answered with a big yes. He then informed me that not only should we print one we should frame it!
He had just watched me a few days before frame several pictures, so in his opinion, that was what we needed to do with his picture. I could have just printed it, stuck it into a frame, and left it at that, but I figured if we were going to print and frame it, we might as well do it right. I had a couple of small frames left over from when I just did some framing, and I knew I had a five by seven frame. I decided we would print it as a four by six and make a mat befitting the grandeur of the picture.
With a plan in mind, we printed it and set it aside to dry. I have a common problem when I print pictures. I want to stick them into frames or albums too quickly, and if they are not dry enough, the surface sticks and become damaged. I figured it would take us a bit of time to make our mat all it could be, so we had better print the picture first to allow adequate drying time.
Once the picture was drying, we pulled out the frame and mat, which was a plain wooden affair with a cream-colored mat; perfect for the idea I had forming. I also dug through some scrapbook materials I had bought specifically for pictures of my grandson, but could not find what I was looking for. I decided to run to town to see if I could find what I wanted. First, I stopped in the shed to see if my husband had any rope I could borrow a piece of, and I did find a short piece of regular brown twine, which once I saw it, I knew it would be perfect. I had shared what we were going to do with my grandson and he seemed excited, so off we went.
After our quick shopping expedition, we arrived back at the house and laid the picture under the mat. Then we used several squares of foam in the corners of the mat to make sure that when we placed the mat and picture back into the frame, there would be a bit of space between the two. We needed it to accommodate our decorations. We used the bit of twine to wrap around the mat, making it look like a lasso, but across the bottom of the mat, we made the twine spell his name out, so there would be no questioning who it was in the photographs. (This was perfect because while we all knew who it was in the picture, it was not composed well enough for anyone else to really know). We also had bought a pack of silver sheriff stars (we found them in the aisle by the birthday party supplies) which we used one to place in one corner of the mat. My grandson latched onto the rest of the pack and proclaimed that he was the sheriff. We finished assembling the mat and frame with picture, and when my daughter and son-in-law arrived to pick him up they both loved the picture when he gave it to them.
Decorating a mat in such a manner is a fun way for adults or kids to liven up an otherwise plain mat. We might have been able to shop for a mat and frame that would exemplify the picture, but making it ourselves made it perfect. We were able to personalize it like no purchased frame and mat could ever have done.
My grandson was over yesterday and it has become routine for him to want to look at the pictures of him self and the rest of the family that are in the computer. We will sit together at the computer and I will open any new photo files that I might have. His mother recently gave me a CD filled with older photos of when they were doing a fair amount of travel for work last year. Included in these snapshots was several of my grandson dressed up like a cowboy. His outfit consisted of a big, old cowboy hat and a toy vest with plastic badge and sheriff's rifle. The rifle was a plastic cap gun. When he saw these pictures, he got all excited and started telling me about when his dad bought him the toy play set. He then realized he no longer had it, and he looked somewhat sad. Keep in mind that he is two years old, so I asked him if we should print one of the pictures. As soon as I asked, I realized none of the pictures was really worth printing. Not a one of them was clear, you could not see his face, and they were your typical bad snapshots that you usually just passed over. However, I had asked, and he answered with a big yes. He then informed me that not only should we print one we should frame it!
He had just watched me a few days before frame several pictures, so in his opinion, that was what we needed to do with his picture. I could have just printed it, stuck it into a frame, and left it at that, but I figured if we were going to print and frame it, we might as well do it right. I had a couple of small frames left over from when I just did some framing, and I knew I had a five by seven frame. I decided we would print it as a four by six and make a mat befitting the grandeur of the picture.
With a plan in mind, we printed it and set it aside to dry. I have a common problem when I print pictures. I want to stick them into frames or albums too quickly, and if they are not dry enough, the surface sticks and become damaged. I figured it would take us a bit of time to make our mat all it could be, so we had better print the picture first to allow adequate drying time.
Once the picture was drying, we pulled out the frame and mat, which was a plain wooden affair with a cream-colored mat; perfect for the idea I had forming. I also dug through some scrapbook materials I had bought specifically for pictures of my grandson, but could not find what I was looking for. I decided to run to town to see if I could find what I wanted. First, I stopped in the shed to see if my husband had any rope I could borrow a piece of, and I did find a short piece of regular brown twine, which once I saw it, I knew it would be perfect. I had shared what we were going to do with my grandson and he seemed excited, so off we went.
After our quick shopping expedition, we arrived back at the house and laid the picture under the mat. Then we used several squares of foam in the corners of the mat to make sure that when we placed the mat and picture back into the frame, there would be a bit of space between the two. We needed it to accommodate our decorations. We used the bit of twine to wrap around the mat, making it look like a lasso, but across the bottom of the mat, we made the twine spell his name out, so there would be no questioning who it was in the photographs. (This was perfect because while we all knew who it was in the picture, it was not composed well enough for anyone else to really know). We also had bought a pack of silver sheriff stars (we found them in the aisle by the birthday party supplies) which we used one to place in one corner of the mat. My grandson latched onto the rest of the pack and proclaimed that he was the sheriff. We finished assembling the mat and frame with picture, and when my daughter and son-in-law arrived to pick him up they both loved the picture when he gave it to them.
Decorating a mat in such a manner is a fun way for adults or kids to liven up an otherwise plain mat. We might have been able to shop for a mat and frame that would exemplify the picture, but making it ourselves made it perfect. We were able to personalize it like no purchased frame and mat could ever have done.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Discovering Postcard Collecting
By Christina VanGinkel
Collecting postcards has been a hobby of mine for as many years back as I can remember. It actually started when I was still in school and my older brothers were in the service. They kept in touch with my parents and the rest of us kids by sending postcards often. The notes were short, not requiring a lot of time from them to write. However, they were exactly what my mother needed to know that all was well. I saved these postcards, keeping them in a scrapbook, with other mementos my brothers sent home, including a silk scarf that professed their love for their sister!
Then one day, years later, I was at a sale out in the country at a farm that was closing. The owner had retired, and his children had no desire to run a dairy farm. Seemingly, everything was for sale, and if the price being offered was at least close to being reasonable, it was accepted. I was browsing through one old building that they had piled some house wares and miscellaneous items in when I came across and old cigar box filled with pictures and postcards. I inquired if they were for sale individually. The elderly woman asked what I was willing to pay. I offered her fifty cents a card, and she glanced at the box and told me I could take the whole lot for two dollars! I paid her up and was out of there before she could change her mind.
I went home, fixed my self a cup of tea, and proceeded to go through the treasures I had purchased, and treasures I did find. Old black and white and sepia toned postcards, with many of them blank on their backs. Maybe they were bought to be used, or just collected. Several had been stamped on the back with the name of a now defunct photography studio that had been closed some seventy or more years before. I found this out through research at the library. Old microfiche files offer a plethora of information about local businesses from the past, if one is willing to take the time to search through them. This made me think that portions of the postcards were actually family pictures and they might not have ever been intended to be used as postcards per se.
Also mixed in the box were postcards of whaling, travel postcards from various landmarks across the United States and even a few from England. A few of the postcards had writing on them and had stamps that had clearly been used, proof that they had been mailed. The postcards also portrayed things like the Pine Mountain Ski Jump in neighboring Iron Mountain Michigan, when it was a newly built jump, postcards depicting the a Hurley Wisconsin mine, several of ice bound boats going through the locks north of where I live, and many that were just your average picture postcard, portraying wildlife and fields of flowers. I also discovered a few early photographs in the box, including a train wreck and a lone cow standing against a fence in a field.
I have since collected older postcards here and there and always ask when stopping at a sale or antique store if they have any old postcards. I am not truly sure of the fascination they provide, just that they do. I have shared some with one of my brothers who also enjoys them. He ahs amassed quite a collection of his own. I have also sold a few on eBay to fund the purchase of others.
As a writer, I love looking through the postcards when I have moments of writer's block, as the pictorials have a way of giving my brain a jump-start. They almost seem like a window into the days of old, especially those that have snippets of writing on their backs. Notes about trips, new jobs, lost loves, and more, as a fan of old black and white movie reels too, maybe it is just the appeal of simpler times, when things moved at a slower pace. Whatever the draw, it is there. If you are looking for a hobby to take up, one that does not have to cost a lot of money, that gives you something to look for when you are out antiquing or stopping at sales this summer, or even browsing on eBay, consider postcard collecting. It is both fun and relaxing, and you never know what other treasures you might discover along the way!
Collecting postcards has been a hobby of mine for as many years back as I can remember. It actually started when I was still in school and my older brothers were in the service. They kept in touch with my parents and the rest of us kids by sending postcards often. The notes were short, not requiring a lot of time from them to write. However, they were exactly what my mother needed to know that all was well. I saved these postcards, keeping them in a scrapbook, with other mementos my brothers sent home, including a silk scarf that professed their love for their sister!
Then one day, years later, I was at a sale out in the country at a farm that was closing. The owner had retired, and his children had no desire to run a dairy farm. Seemingly, everything was for sale, and if the price being offered was at least close to being reasonable, it was accepted. I was browsing through one old building that they had piled some house wares and miscellaneous items in when I came across and old cigar box filled with pictures and postcards. I inquired if they were for sale individually. The elderly woman asked what I was willing to pay. I offered her fifty cents a card, and she glanced at the box and told me I could take the whole lot for two dollars! I paid her up and was out of there before she could change her mind.
I went home, fixed my self a cup of tea, and proceeded to go through the treasures I had purchased, and treasures I did find. Old black and white and sepia toned postcards, with many of them blank on their backs. Maybe they were bought to be used, or just collected. Several had been stamped on the back with the name of a now defunct photography studio that had been closed some seventy or more years before. I found this out through research at the library. Old microfiche files offer a plethora of information about local businesses from the past, if one is willing to take the time to search through them. This made me think that portions of the postcards were actually family pictures and they might not have ever been intended to be used as postcards per se.
Also mixed in the box were postcards of whaling, travel postcards from various landmarks across the United States and even a few from England. A few of the postcards had writing on them and had stamps that had clearly been used, proof that they had been mailed. The postcards also portrayed things like the Pine Mountain Ski Jump in neighboring Iron Mountain Michigan, when it was a newly built jump, postcards depicting the a Hurley Wisconsin mine, several of ice bound boats going through the locks north of where I live, and many that were just your average picture postcard, portraying wildlife and fields of flowers. I also discovered a few early photographs in the box, including a train wreck and a lone cow standing against a fence in a field.
I have since collected older postcards here and there and always ask when stopping at a sale or antique store if they have any old postcards. I am not truly sure of the fascination they provide, just that they do. I have shared some with one of my brothers who also enjoys them. He ahs amassed quite a collection of his own. I have also sold a few on eBay to fund the purchase of others.
As a writer, I love looking through the postcards when I have moments of writer's block, as the pictorials have a way of giving my brain a jump-start. They almost seem like a window into the days of old, especially those that have snippets of writing on their backs. Notes about trips, new jobs, lost loves, and more, as a fan of old black and white movie reels too, maybe it is just the appeal of simpler times, when things moved at a slower pace. Whatever the draw, it is there. If you are looking for a hobby to take up, one that does not have to cost a lot of money, that gives you something to look for when you are out antiquing or stopping at sales this summer, or even browsing on eBay, consider postcard collecting. It is both fun and relaxing, and you never know what other treasures you might discover along the way!
Monday, April 24, 2006
Difficulty and Cost of a Wishblade Media Cutter
By Christina VanGinkel
I have owned my Wishblade media cutter since October of 2005, and I am continually amazed at the many projects that it has been useful for. I originally purchased it solely with the intention of using it for my scrapbooking endeavors, but I have used it for several other projects including Christmas and other cards, stickers, vehicle decals, and my son has used it for several school projects. We are all constantly discovering new ways it can be used.
I belong to several online lists related to the ownership and use of the Wishblade and similar cutters, and two of the most common questions posted by new members who do not yet own one, but are interested in them is if they are worth the cost and if they are difficult to use. Therefore, I thought I would take this time to give my opinion on these two often inquired about questions.
Is a Wishblade or Similar Cutter Worth the Cost?
The Wishblade and similar cutters cost approximately $400 for a basic setup. Other costs will include replacement mats, blades, cutting strips. Other cutters can run upwards of a thousand dollars or more, so be sure of which cutter you are interested in before comparing cost differences and savings.
You need to ask yourself how much money you spend on items such as die cuts, titles, paper piecing, vehicle decals, and cards each year. Consider any paper item, card stock, vellum, or vinyl object that you routinely purchase. Think of finished items, and be sure you do not overlook small party favors, craft envelopes, and children's items. Once you consider all of your typical purchases, be sure to figure back in the cost of the material that you will still need to buy to make the items yourself. For example, I routinely buy and use vellum envelopes on many of my layouts. A pack of five envelopes cost me approximately five dollars. I purchased a pack of vellum in a size that would fit my cutter with no alteration and a pack of decorative vellum in colors and designs that came in a size bigger than what my cutter could use, but that I quickly trimmed to size with my Fiskars paper cutter. I bought both packs for just over twelve dollars. I now have enough vellum to keep myself in envelopes for at least the next year or two, besides having enough vellum to try any other project or two that I might come across. When I figure in the cost of just the savings on vellum envelopes, I can account for over twenty-five percent of the cost of my cutter purchase.
If you are a teacher or a librarian and you routinely buy bulletin board displays, these cutters can make many of your display pieces for you, including alphabets and pictures. If you want to print and cut multi colored pictures, these can also be done on many of the cutters, including the Wishblade. Keep in mind though that you must hand trace the pictures in the software application, then print them to a color printer, and then place it back into the media cutter where it will then, and only then, cut the picture out.
If you now own some other manual style die cutter, consider the cost of both the machine and the dies. With a Wishblade or other computer aided media cutter, once you purchase the set up, you will have additional purchases such as cutting mats, cutting strips, and blade replacements, but you will not have to buy a die every time you see a new one you want. Every font on your computer, including many pictorial dingbats can be cut in various sizes up to the size limit of the individual cutter you choose. If you choose to cut connected titles, you may need to add a software package of your choosing, but that will be an optional purchase can vary greatly in cost, so it must be a consideration. There are shareware software programs that will do the connected words for you, but they are mostly in the experimental stages and unless you have a lot of patience and computer knowledge, I would not recommend them.
Is a Computer Aided media Cutter Difficult to Use?
Ask yourself if you are comfortable in front of a computer first, because there is a learning curve with the software, and with the cutters themselves. They are not like a printer in that you can tell them what to print and walk away. There is always a small risk of paper slipping which would allow the blade to be damaged, so I always sit and watch whatever is being cut, or at the least, stay in front of the computer doing something else so that I am near enough to power down the machine if there is a problem. If your mat loses it grip (and they invariably do) you will need to either replace it, which can be costly, learn how to reapply the grip through some secondary means, or learn to make your own as many on the groups have done. I would not say that any of this is difficult to learn, only that some time and patience must be given to learn them.
You will also have to have the patience to lift off whatever design you have cut. This can be simple with large, clean cuts, or tedious with small, more detailed designs.
The program with the Wishblade is easy to learn, or I should say no more difficult than any other graphic program. If you plan to sue a secondary graphic program such as Illustrator or CorelDraw, there will also be a learning curve with them unless you are all ready proficient using them, then you will just need to learn how the two work together.
I have owned my Wishblade media cutter since October of 2005, and I am continually amazed at the many projects that it has been useful for. I originally purchased it solely with the intention of using it for my scrapbooking endeavors, but I have used it for several other projects including Christmas and other cards, stickers, vehicle decals, and my son has used it for several school projects. We are all constantly discovering new ways it can be used.
I belong to several online lists related to the ownership and use of the Wishblade and similar cutters, and two of the most common questions posted by new members who do not yet own one, but are interested in them is if they are worth the cost and if they are difficult to use. Therefore, I thought I would take this time to give my opinion on these two often inquired about questions.
Is a Wishblade or Similar Cutter Worth the Cost?
The Wishblade and similar cutters cost approximately $400 for a basic setup. Other costs will include replacement mats, blades, cutting strips. Other cutters can run upwards of a thousand dollars or more, so be sure of which cutter you are interested in before comparing cost differences and savings.
You need to ask yourself how much money you spend on items such as die cuts, titles, paper piecing, vehicle decals, and cards each year. Consider any paper item, card stock, vellum, or vinyl object that you routinely purchase. Think of finished items, and be sure you do not overlook small party favors, craft envelopes, and children's items. Once you consider all of your typical purchases, be sure to figure back in the cost of the material that you will still need to buy to make the items yourself. For example, I routinely buy and use vellum envelopes on many of my layouts. A pack of five envelopes cost me approximately five dollars. I purchased a pack of vellum in a size that would fit my cutter with no alteration and a pack of decorative vellum in colors and designs that came in a size bigger than what my cutter could use, but that I quickly trimmed to size with my Fiskars paper cutter. I bought both packs for just over twelve dollars. I now have enough vellum to keep myself in envelopes for at least the next year or two, besides having enough vellum to try any other project or two that I might come across. When I figure in the cost of just the savings on vellum envelopes, I can account for over twenty-five percent of the cost of my cutter purchase.
If you are a teacher or a librarian and you routinely buy bulletin board displays, these cutters can make many of your display pieces for you, including alphabets and pictures. If you want to print and cut multi colored pictures, these can also be done on many of the cutters, including the Wishblade. Keep in mind though that you must hand trace the pictures in the software application, then print them to a color printer, and then place it back into the media cutter where it will then, and only then, cut the picture out.
If you now own some other manual style die cutter, consider the cost of both the machine and the dies. With a Wishblade or other computer aided media cutter, once you purchase the set up, you will have additional purchases such as cutting mats, cutting strips, and blade replacements, but you will not have to buy a die every time you see a new one you want. Every font on your computer, including many pictorial dingbats can be cut in various sizes up to the size limit of the individual cutter you choose. If you choose to cut connected titles, you may need to add a software package of your choosing, but that will be an optional purchase can vary greatly in cost, so it must be a consideration. There are shareware software programs that will do the connected words for you, but they are mostly in the experimental stages and unless you have a lot of patience and computer knowledge, I would not recommend them.
Is a Computer Aided media Cutter Difficult to Use?
Ask yourself if you are comfortable in front of a computer first, because there is a learning curve with the software, and with the cutters themselves. They are not like a printer in that you can tell them what to print and walk away. There is always a small risk of paper slipping which would allow the blade to be damaged, so I always sit and watch whatever is being cut, or at the least, stay in front of the computer doing something else so that I am near enough to power down the machine if there is a problem. If your mat loses it grip (and they invariably do) you will need to either replace it, which can be costly, learn how to reapply the grip through some secondary means, or learn to make your own as many on the groups have done. I would not say that any of this is difficult to learn, only that some time and patience must be given to learn them.
You will also have to have the patience to lift off whatever design you have cut. This can be simple with large, clean cuts, or tedious with small, more detailed designs.
The program with the Wishblade is easy to learn, or I should say no more difficult than any other graphic program. If you plan to sue a secondary graphic program such as Illustrator or CorelDraw, there will also be a learning curve with them unless you are all ready proficient using them, then you will just need to learn how the two work together.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Hobbies for Children
We all have hobbies, whether we realize it or not. It may be reading, crafts, collecting, playing sports or listening to music, but we all have certain activities that we like to do in our spare time.
When it comes to their children, many parents sign their kids up for school sports and other extra curricular activities-- and that's fine if the child wants to do those things. But when it comes to your children's hobbies, it is important to encourage them to do the things that they love.
Reading. If your child loves to read, you can encourage this by taking the child to the library on a regular basis. You can also start a book club with your child, which is a wonderful way to share the joy of reading. In the summertime, check to see if your local library offers summer time reading programs. You can also have your child volunteer at the library.
Collecting. Kids are natural collectors, but if your child has a passion for trading cards or stamps, encourage it by buying binders for them to be stored in. Coin collecting is popular among youngsters, so if your child tends to hold on to unusual coins, give your child a place to store his or her collection and take the child to coin shows. You should invest in an up to date coin collecting book as well.
Sports. Sports are a great hobby, provided the child has a talent for it and loves doing it. Your child may want to try out several different sports over a couple of years (soccer, dance, baseball, etc.) before he or she settles on one. It is important not to force a child to play sports, and if he or she wants to quit ask why. If your child loves to dance, consider a weekend dance class. Many area YMCA's also offer dance lessons, as well as a variety of other sports programs. Once your child finds a sport that he or she loves, be prepared to spend some money. As children get older, it costs more money for them to participate on team sports and in dance recitals. Still, it's important to keep your child up to date with the latest equipment needed for their favorite sport.
Arts and crafts. Does your child have a penchant for drawing? Or is sewing more his or her forte? Perhaps your child likes to paint or make model airplanes. Artistic tendencies tend to run in families, so if you are crafty or artistic, expect that your child may follow in your footsteps. But just because you like to paint with watercolors doesn't mean your child will automatically have the knack for it. Instead, your child may love to sculpt clay or make ceramics. Feed your child's artistic frenzy by taking him or her to craft workshops and art shows. Young children with a love for the arts will benefit from museum outings, too. Take your child to the craft store with you so that he or she can pick out items for craft projects-- for instance, if your child likes to pencil sketch, stock up on charcoal pencils and sketch pads. Encourage your child's love of arts and crafts and it will turn into a lifelong hobby.
Writing. If your child is particularly creative, he or she may enjoy writing short stories or poems. Not all children enjoy writing as a hobby, so if your child does like to do it then consider it a gift. Encourage you child to work at their craft and consider submitting works to contests.
Photography. With today's easy to use digital cameras-- with their instant gratification-- even young children can develop a knack for photography. If your child loves to take photographs, buy him or her an inexpensive camera to start with. Take your child on trips where there are great photo opportunities or let the child snap away at family gatherings or just out in your yard. You may be amazed at what you can see through a child's eyes. If photography is really a passionate hobby for your child, invest in some higher etch equipment and make sure to blow up some of the best shops to large size and frame them. Both you and your child will be proud when someone comments on the lovely photograph and you can say that your child took it. If your child is in a school that offers photography classes, encourage him or her to take them. Otherwise, check out local photo classes so that your child can lean more about the art of photography.
When it comes to their children, many parents sign their kids up for school sports and other extra curricular activities-- and that's fine if the child wants to do those things. But when it comes to your children's hobbies, it is important to encourage them to do the things that they love.
Reading. If your child loves to read, you can encourage this by taking the child to the library on a regular basis. You can also start a book club with your child, which is a wonderful way to share the joy of reading. In the summertime, check to see if your local library offers summer time reading programs. You can also have your child volunteer at the library.
Collecting. Kids are natural collectors, but if your child has a passion for trading cards or stamps, encourage it by buying binders for them to be stored in. Coin collecting is popular among youngsters, so if your child tends to hold on to unusual coins, give your child a place to store his or her collection and take the child to coin shows. You should invest in an up to date coin collecting book as well.
Sports. Sports are a great hobby, provided the child has a talent for it and loves doing it. Your child may want to try out several different sports over a couple of years (soccer, dance, baseball, etc.) before he or she settles on one. It is important not to force a child to play sports, and if he or she wants to quit ask why. If your child loves to dance, consider a weekend dance class. Many area YMCA's also offer dance lessons, as well as a variety of other sports programs. Once your child finds a sport that he or she loves, be prepared to spend some money. As children get older, it costs more money for them to participate on team sports and in dance recitals. Still, it's important to keep your child up to date with the latest equipment needed for their favorite sport.
Arts and crafts. Does your child have a penchant for drawing? Or is sewing more his or her forte? Perhaps your child likes to paint or make model airplanes. Artistic tendencies tend to run in families, so if you are crafty or artistic, expect that your child may follow in your footsteps. But just because you like to paint with watercolors doesn't mean your child will automatically have the knack for it. Instead, your child may love to sculpt clay or make ceramics. Feed your child's artistic frenzy by taking him or her to craft workshops and art shows. Young children with a love for the arts will benefit from museum outings, too. Take your child to the craft store with you so that he or she can pick out items for craft projects-- for instance, if your child likes to pencil sketch, stock up on charcoal pencils and sketch pads. Encourage your child's love of arts and crafts and it will turn into a lifelong hobby.
Writing. If your child is particularly creative, he or she may enjoy writing short stories or poems. Not all children enjoy writing as a hobby, so if your child does like to do it then consider it a gift. Encourage you child to work at their craft and consider submitting works to contests.
Photography. With today's easy to use digital cameras-- with their instant gratification-- even young children can develop a knack for photography. If your child loves to take photographs, buy him or her an inexpensive camera to start with. Take your child on trips where there are great photo opportunities or let the child snap away at family gatherings or just out in your yard. You may be amazed at what you can see through a child's eyes. If photography is really a passionate hobby for your child, invest in some higher etch equipment and make sure to blow up some of the best shops to large size and frame them. Both you and your child will be proud when someone comments on the lovely photograph and you can say that your child took it. If your child is in a school that offers photography classes, encourage him or her to take them. Otherwise, check out local photo classes so that your child can lean more about the art of photography.
Make A Dream Catcher
By Christina VanGinkel
I made my first dream catcher years before they were the popular decor item that they are now. Steeped in Native American culture, the modern day, dream catcher is thought to catch bad dreams before they reach the person sleeping beneath. The dreams are supposed to become entangled in the web of sinew and beads, until the sun rises. When the sunlight hits the web, it is suppose to shatter the bad dreams wandering along the strands of the web. During the night, the good dreams are shown the way through the web and drip innocently down a feather to reach the sleeper beneath.
I have made dream catchers from various materials, including metal rings purchased in a craft department of our local Wal-Mart, to small metal rings that I bought from suppliers such as Fire Mountain Gems, which make up into earrings and pendant they are so small. I have also used willow for the frame, and even made several from the ribs of deer we harvested during deer season. After nature did her job of cleaning off the leftover carcass, I boiled the ribs to strip them completely clean, and then used either two together to form a teardrop, or four for a more natural oval or round shape.
If you want to make a dream catcher yourself, the supplies to make them are quite basic, and the weave is as simple as can be. Gather your supplies first:
A length of willow is the easiest to work with, or a metal ring. A six or eight inch ring would be a good size to begin with, as you will not have to struggle with a small weave, and will be able to see what you are working on. Save trying to make a pair of earrings or a pendant until you are more adept at making the weave.
A spool of sinew either split or un-split. Split is thinner, un-split can be slit or left as is. For a beginner, I would use the un-split as is.
A few glass beads that will easily fit over the thickness of sinew that choose, and if desired, a few metal beads.
A plastic or metal yarn needle.
A couple of feathers.
If using willow, you might also need a few strips of leather to secure the ends of the willow together.
To start the web itself, cut a length of sinew that you are comfortable working with. If you cut it too short, you can add another length, when you come to the end. Tie the sinew to the hoop. With the sinew in needle, holding the hoop in your left hand, facing yourself, and the needle with the sinew in your right, place the sinew over the hoop, to the right, bring it over the hoop and under, to the left, keeping to the inside of the sinew, in essence forming a loop over the hoop. Keep the sinew taught as you work, turning the hoop slightly, and depending on the size of hoop you are working on, move over anywhere from an inch (an eight inch hoop) to several inches (the bigger the hoop, the farther over you move) and repeat around the outside of the hoop.
When you reach the first loop, you made, continue around again, this time making your loops into the previous loop instead of the hoop. Keep in mind at this point that beads can be added to the sinew whenever and in whatever pattern desired. Do the weave in a repeating pattern until you are nearly to the center of the hoop. On your last round, instead of making the loop, just weave the end of the sinew in and out. Pull tight forming the web, and tie securely. If the web is not tight when you weave the last round and pull, you have made too many rows. Undo one or two rows back, weave in the last row again, and then pull. There will be some trial and error when you make your first ones, but after making several you will learn when to stop making the loops and add in the final row of weave.
Beads can be added while you are forming the web as I mentioned before, or just tied on afterwards. Feathers can be tucked into the ends of the beads, adding a bit of glue if desired to keep them in place. Add an additional loop of sinew or piece of leather at the top of the hoop to form a hangar, and hang near or over the bed of someone having bad dreams.
I made my first dream catcher years before they were the popular decor item that they are now. Steeped in Native American culture, the modern day, dream catcher is thought to catch bad dreams before they reach the person sleeping beneath. The dreams are supposed to become entangled in the web of sinew and beads, until the sun rises. When the sunlight hits the web, it is suppose to shatter the bad dreams wandering along the strands of the web. During the night, the good dreams are shown the way through the web and drip innocently down a feather to reach the sleeper beneath.
I have made dream catchers from various materials, including metal rings purchased in a craft department of our local Wal-Mart, to small metal rings that I bought from suppliers such as Fire Mountain Gems, which make up into earrings and pendant they are so small. I have also used willow for the frame, and even made several from the ribs of deer we harvested during deer season. After nature did her job of cleaning off the leftover carcass, I boiled the ribs to strip them completely clean, and then used either two together to form a teardrop, or four for a more natural oval or round shape.
If you want to make a dream catcher yourself, the supplies to make them are quite basic, and the weave is as simple as can be. Gather your supplies first:
A length of willow is the easiest to work with, or a metal ring. A six or eight inch ring would be a good size to begin with, as you will not have to struggle with a small weave, and will be able to see what you are working on. Save trying to make a pair of earrings or a pendant until you are more adept at making the weave.
A spool of sinew either split or un-split. Split is thinner, un-split can be slit or left as is. For a beginner, I would use the un-split as is.
A few glass beads that will easily fit over the thickness of sinew that choose, and if desired, a few metal beads.
A plastic or metal yarn needle.
A couple of feathers.
If using willow, you might also need a few strips of leather to secure the ends of the willow together.
To start the web itself, cut a length of sinew that you are comfortable working with. If you cut it too short, you can add another length, when you come to the end. Tie the sinew to the hoop. With the sinew in needle, holding the hoop in your left hand, facing yourself, and the needle with the sinew in your right, place the sinew over the hoop, to the right, bring it over the hoop and under, to the left, keeping to the inside of the sinew, in essence forming a loop over the hoop. Keep the sinew taught as you work, turning the hoop slightly, and depending on the size of hoop you are working on, move over anywhere from an inch (an eight inch hoop) to several inches (the bigger the hoop, the farther over you move) and repeat around the outside of the hoop.
When you reach the first loop, you made, continue around again, this time making your loops into the previous loop instead of the hoop. Keep in mind at this point that beads can be added to the sinew whenever and in whatever pattern desired. Do the weave in a repeating pattern until you are nearly to the center of the hoop. On your last round, instead of making the loop, just weave the end of the sinew in and out. Pull tight forming the web, and tie securely. If the web is not tight when you weave the last round and pull, you have made too many rows. Undo one or two rows back, weave in the last row again, and then pull. There will be some trial and error when you make your first ones, but after making several you will learn when to stop making the loops and add in the final row of weave.
Beads can be added while you are forming the web as I mentioned before, or just tied on afterwards. Feathers can be tucked into the ends of the beads, adding a bit of glue if desired to keep them in place. Add an additional loop of sinew or piece of leather at the top of the hoop to form a hangar, and hang near or over the bed of someone having bad dreams.
Scrapbook Supplies Locally versus the Internet
By Christina VanGinkel
Our local Wal-Mart has undergone a makeover in their craft department. The scrapbook aisle has had the same racks of paper for close to two years, and the shelves holding embellishments including stickers and items such as brads and eyelets, have not seen anything new in about the same length of time. Therefore, a few weeks ago, when I noticed that they were starting to clearance out many of the items that have been standard for so long, I had high hopes. Yesterday I had to stop at Wal-Mart for groceries, and I told my daughter that I wanted to see how they had come along with what I had heard was a complete makeover. They had finished the reorganization, and while some of the changes were interesting and they had added a few new tools and selections of paper, the main category that they had added was not something that I would really use. They had added a whole section to the scrapbook department devoted entirely to pets.
Before anyone shouts that hey, what is wrong with that, let me further explain. I realize that pets are an important part of many people's lives. My own included. Our family has four dogs and one very spoiled bird. With all of the photographs that I have to scrap and those yet to be taken, there are pictures of them, but to fill a whole scrapbook devoted to them is not likely something I will do. Yes, I know there are many pet lovers who are shouting that they will scrap a book about their pets, even more than one. However, I firmly believe that many more people will scrap about their kids, their vacations, and their homes and families. I guess what I am saying is that the proportion of space that our local Wal-Mart devoted to the pets was much more than I think would be needed. Broken down, they used over one quarter of their available scrapbook supply space for pet items. They have dog, cat, fish, and bird scrapbooks, papers, stickers, rub-ons, and embellishments. For anyone wanting to create a scrapbook entirely about his or her pet, our Wal-Mart could have you started and finished in no time at all.
I must concede that they added a few sports related categories in a similar format to the pet section, with soccer, basketball, and football themes abundant. I was thrilled to see this, as I am always in search of football gear to embellish my youngest son's football snapshots. They now stock scrapbooks, papers, and embellishments to fit just about any sports need that might arise.
The rest of the space was more or less just cleaned up, with much of it the same as it was before. Stickers were the same, with a few new ones added, and the tools and necessary supplies such as cutters and adhesives the same items that they have carried for several years running. I know I might be expecting a lot, but with no traditional scrapbook store in our locale, I was quite optimistic when I saw that they were reorganizing the shelves. I was hoping to see a new line of papers, maybe a few new tools. Stamps were all on clearance, with only a few foam ones left, and there was not a single heat gun to be found. A few months back when I bought mine, I ended up ordering one from the Internet, as I could not find one locally to buy. I had thought that with embossing being so popular, for both scrapbooking and other paper crafts such as card making, that when they reorganized, they might stock supplies for this. When I had inquired about the heat gun way back, the employee who had waited on me had said that it was a popular request, that she herself had customers ask her almost every day that she worked for either a heat gun itself, or the embossing powders that go with it, but that they had no shelf space to carry the supplies. Therefore, for now, I will continue to order all of my heat embossing supplies via the Internet. I might have been expecting too much I guess, as Wal-Mart has never said that they were a full featured scrapbook store, but still, a person can hope, can't she?
Our local Wal-Mart has undergone a makeover in their craft department. The scrapbook aisle has had the same racks of paper for close to two years, and the shelves holding embellishments including stickers and items such as brads and eyelets, have not seen anything new in about the same length of time. Therefore, a few weeks ago, when I noticed that they were starting to clearance out many of the items that have been standard for so long, I had high hopes. Yesterday I had to stop at Wal-Mart for groceries, and I told my daughter that I wanted to see how they had come along with what I had heard was a complete makeover. They had finished the reorganization, and while some of the changes were interesting and they had added a few new tools and selections of paper, the main category that they had added was not something that I would really use. They had added a whole section to the scrapbook department devoted entirely to pets.
Before anyone shouts that hey, what is wrong with that, let me further explain. I realize that pets are an important part of many people's lives. My own included. Our family has four dogs and one very spoiled bird. With all of the photographs that I have to scrap and those yet to be taken, there are pictures of them, but to fill a whole scrapbook devoted to them is not likely something I will do. Yes, I know there are many pet lovers who are shouting that they will scrap a book about their pets, even more than one. However, I firmly believe that many more people will scrap about their kids, their vacations, and their homes and families. I guess what I am saying is that the proportion of space that our local Wal-Mart devoted to the pets was much more than I think would be needed. Broken down, they used over one quarter of their available scrapbook supply space for pet items. They have dog, cat, fish, and bird scrapbooks, papers, stickers, rub-ons, and embellishments. For anyone wanting to create a scrapbook entirely about his or her pet, our Wal-Mart could have you started and finished in no time at all.
I must concede that they added a few sports related categories in a similar format to the pet section, with soccer, basketball, and football themes abundant. I was thrilled to see this, as I am always in search of football gear to embellish my youngest son's football snapshots. They now stock scrapbooks, papers, and embellishments to fit just about any sports need that might arise.
The rest of the space was more or less just cleaned up, with much of it the same as it was before. Stickers were the same, with a few new ones added, and the tools and necessary supplies such as cutters and adhesives the same items that they have carried for several years running. I know I might be expecting a lot, but with no traditional scrapbook store in our locale, I was quite optimistic when I saw that they were reorganizing the shelves. I was hoping to see a new line of papers, maybe a few new tools. Stamps were all on clearance, with only a few foam ones left, and there was not a single heat gun to be found. A few months back when I bought mine, I ended up ordering one from the Internet, as I could not find one locally to buy. I had thought that with embossing being so popular, for both scrapbooking and other paper crafts such as card making, that when they reorganized, they might stock supplies for this. When I had inquired about the heat gun way back, the employee who had waited on me had said that it was a popular request, that she herself had customers ask her almost every day that she worked for either a heat gun itself, or the embossing powders that go with it, but that they had no shelf space to carry the supplies. Therefore, for now, I will continue to order all of my heat embossing supplies via the Internet. I might have been expecting too much I guess, as Wal-Mart has never said that they were a full featured scrapbook store, but still, a person can hope, can't she?
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Uses for those Extra Craft Supplies
By Christina VanGinkel
The average crafter at some point in time often realizes that they have far more supplies, or books about their hobby, than they are ever going to use. On the other hand, maybe they purchased supplies that are not really to their liking. Yarn in an odd color, or scrapbook paper in a pattern or design that they liked at first, but later decided was not really their style. What is one to do with these things, besides tossing them in the trash? Sell them or use them as a RAK!
EBay is a great place to sell unused and or unwanted craft supplies, books, even magazines and patterns. They have detailed categories and sub categories under the Craft heading including:
Basketry
Bead Art
Candles and Soap Making
Ceramics, Pottery
Crocheting
Cross Stitch
Decorative, Tole Painting
Drawing
Embroidery
Fabric
Fabric Embellishments
Floral Crafts
Framing and Matting
General Art and Craft Supplies
Glass Art Crafts
Handcrafted Items
Kids Crafts
Knitting
Lace making, Tatting
Latch Rug Hooking
Leathercraft
Macrame
Metalworking
Mosaic Needlepoint
Paper Crafts and Origami
Painting
Quilting
Ribbon
Rubber Stamping and Embossing
Scrapbooking
Sewing
Shellcraft
Spinning
Upholstery
Weaving
Woodworking
Yarn
Wall Decor, Tatouage
Other Arts and Crafts
Crafts Wholesale Lots
These are just the first breakdown of categories keep in mind. Under each of these, there are numerous sub categories to better help you sell (and buy) what it is you want.
Selling your unused and unwanted supplies though an outlet such as eBay is a good way to recoup some of the money you spent on the original purchase, and is a good way to earn money towards another hobby related purchase. When I first bought my Wishblade, selling off numerous dies and my manual die-cutting machine on eBay was a great way to help fund almost the entire cost of it. Since then, I have known several other friends and acquaintances that have done the same. Funding your hobby purchases through the selling of unwanted supplies makes good sense no matter how you look at it!
Other outlets for selling off unused or unwanted craft supplies is your local penny saver paper, at a garage or yard sale, or if you sell at any hobby or craft shows, assemble some of your extras to sell at the same time. Many crafters and hobbyists are thrilled to find supplies at shows just as much if not more than finished pieces from a hobby that they enjoy.
If you have quite an assortment of supplies that you just do not know how you would list for sale, or you have no desire to join eBay as a seller, you could always give them to someone as a RAK, otherwise known as a random act of kindness. Maybe you know of someone who is new into the same craft, and they could probably use the items and be glad to have them, or maybe a school or club that teaches a class on the subject, or is in need of craft supplies in general. Pack it all up and mail it to them or drop it off if they are close by. If you do not know someone that would love to be given a gift such as this, consider what the hobby is, and join a list online to see if they have any requests for such a thing. One scrapbook list that I am on actually has a whole 'room' devoted to RAKs. They help point the people who have extras they want to share towards those who are deserving or in need of supplies. Teachers for example are often more than happy to receive craft supplies of all sorts, and even if it was not something they were actually looking for, most likely can find a use for it. Elderly people who are on fixed incomes are often thrilled to receive a RAK of craft supplies. They often have free time to participate in a hobby they love, but just as often lack the funds for the necessary supplies. Young parents are also often delighted to get a few freebies from someone looking to share. This works both ways, and the person giving the items has the advantage of knowing they brightened up someone's day!
The average crafter at some point in time often realizes that they have far more supplies, or books about their hobby, than they are ever going to use. On the other hand, maybe they purchased supplies that are not really to their liking. Yarn in an odd color, or scrapbook paper in a pattern or design that they liked at first, but later decided was not really their style. What is one to do with these things, besides tossing them in the trash? Sell them or use them as a RAK!
EBay is a great place to sell unused and or unwanted craft supplies, books, even magazines and patterns. They have detailed categories and sub categories under the Craft heading including:
Basketry
Bead Art
Candles and Soap Making
Ceramics, Pottery
Crocheting
Cross Stitch
Decorative, Tole Painting
Drawing
Embroidery
Fabric
Fabric Embellishments
Floral Crafts
Framing and Matting
General Art and Craft Supplies
Glass Art Crafts
Handcrafted Items
Kids Crafts
Knitting
Lace making, Tatting
Latch Rug Hooking
Leathercraft
Macrame
Metalworking
Mosaic Needlepoint
Paper Crafts and Origami
Painting
Quilting
Ribbon
Rubber Stamping and Embossing
Scrapbooking
Sewing
Shellcraft
Spinning
Upholstery
Weaving
Woodworking
Yarn
Wall Decor, Tatouage
Other Arts and Crafts
Crafts Wholesale Lots
These are just the first breakdown of categories keep in mind. Under each of these, there are numerous sub categories to better help you sell (and buy) what it is you want.
Selling your unused and unwanted supplies though an outlet such as eBay is a good way to recoup some of the money you spent on the original purchase, and is a good way to earn money towards another hobby related purchase. When I first bought my Wishblade, selling off numerous dies and my manual die-cutting machine on eBay was a great way to help fund almost the entire cost of it. Since then, I have known several other friends and acquaintances that have done the same. Funding your hobby purchases through the selling of unwanted supplies makes good sense no matter how you look at it!
Other outlets for selling off unused or unwanted craft supplies is your local penny saver paper, at a garage or yard sale, or if you sell at any hobby or craft shows, assemble some of your extras to sell at the same time. Many crafters and hobbyists are thrilled to find supplies at shows just as much if not more than finished pieces from a hobby that they enjoy.
If you have quite an assortment of supplies that you just do not know how you would list for sale, or you have no desire to join eBay as a seller, you could always give them to someone as a RAK, otherwise known as a random act of kindness. Maybe you know of someone who is new into the same craft, and they could probably use the items and be glad to have them, or maybe a school or club that teaches a class on the subject, or is in need of craft supplies in general. Pack it all up and mail it to them or drop it off if they are close by. If you do not know someone that would love to be given a gift such as this, consider what the hobby is, and join a list online to see if they have any requests for such a thing. One scrapbook list that I am on actually has a whole 'room' devoted to RAKs. They help point the people who have extras they want to share towards those who are deserving or in need of supplies. Teachers for example are often more than happy to receive craft supplies of all sorts, and even if it was not something they were actually looking for, most likely can find a use for it. Elderly people who are on fixed incomes are often thrilled to receive a RAK of craft supplies. They often have free time to participate in a hobby they love, but just as often lack the funds for the necessary supplies. Young parents are also often delighted to get a few freebies from someone looking to share. This works both ways, and the person giving the items has the advantage of knowing they brightened up someone's day!
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Scrapbook Clipart
By Christina VanGinkel
Clipart can be found all over the Internet, both for free and for sale. It comes packaged with many software applications, including office programs and graphic oriented programs. Some software is devoted entirely to clipart, with it broken into various categories to make it easy to find what you need. The advantage of a lot of clipart when compared to pre-made stickers is that it can be customized quickly and easily to the size you want, and even the color of it can usually be altered with little difficulty.
What to Do with All that Clipart
Why would a scrapbook enthusiast want to be able to make his or her own clipart you might ask? Clipart can be used in your scrapbook layouts in a variety of ways. If you cannot find the perfect sticker to embellish a layout you happen to be working on, with access to the right clipart, a computer printer, and a Xyron, you can make your own. You can also print clipart directly onto your layout if your printer will take the size and type of paper or material that you want to print directly onto. While one of the most common sizes of paper used in scrapbooks is 12" x 12", this would require a printer that accepts a size larger than your average 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper or cardstock. They are available, but often cost more than your average inkjet printer cost. Keep in mind though, that prices often fall with demand, so as more people discover the feasibility of printing directly on oversized layouts, the possibility of a printer being manufactured for less than what they currently are, which will do what the average scrapper wants it to, is a possibility. Clipart can also be used to make your own customized overlays. Everyone seems to love the idea of an overlay at some point in time, but finding one that fits the page you want to use it on can be near impossible. With access to clipart, and the right fonts, you can have the perfect overlay readily available every time.
Too Much to Choose From
To think that it is possible that you have too much clipart sounds almost impossible, but that can be a problem. With it packaged with just about every computer program you own, wading through it all for the perfect piece can be an issue. Because of this, several ingenious companies have come up with some very good programs for the computer devoted to scrapbooking and crafting itself. Choosing one or two of these programs is a great way to avoid the clipart that might seem like it will work, but just does not do justice to your layouts. Consider one of these, such as those from Creating Keepsakes, Hallmark, American Greetings, or Nova Development.
One of my favorite online companies that have clipart perfectly suited to scrapbook layouts includes pcCrafter. They have artwork by some of my favorite artists, including Debbie Mumm, Tina Wenke, Debra Jordan Bryan, Beth Logan, and many, many more artists that lend their work very well to the craft of scrapbooking.
There are also companies such as Lettering Delights that combine fonts with clipart for creations that are nearly indescribable, yet once you encounter them, you find yourself wanting more and more of them. If you can conceive of a way to combine letters with pictures, they have most likely already done it, and better than you could ever have imagined. One of my favorites of theirs is an Easter one. Each letter and number is combined with a tulip or two, so whatever you spell out is touched with a bit of spring. Another favorite of mine is their Animal; set, which includes three fonts, the color alphabet Beast, along with LD Zoo, and LD Funny Serif. The color alphabet Beast combines an array of animal prints with each plump shaped letter. The LD Zoo is one of the funniest zoo arrangements mixed with lettering I have ever come across, and is perfect for any layout having to do with a trip to the zoo, Africa, or anywhere wild for that matter!
The next time you need the perfect piece of clipart, turn to your computer before you spend hours at the local scrapbook store in search of that elusive sheet of stickers that never seem to be exactly what you wanted in the first place.
Clipart can be found all over the Internet, both for free and for sale. It comes packaged with many software applications, including office programs and graphic oriented programs. Some software is devoted entirely to clipart, with it broken into various categories to make it easy to find what you need. The advantage of a lot of clipart when compared to pre-made stickers is that it can be customized quickly and easily to the size you want, and even the color of it can usually be altered with little difficulty.
What to Do with All that Clipart
Why would a scrapbook enthusiast want to be able to make his or her own clipart you might ask? Clipart can be used in your scrapbook layouts in a variety of ways. If you cannot find the perfect sticker to embellish a layout you happen to be working on, with access to the right clipart, a computer printer, and a Xyron, you can make your own. You can also print clipart directly onto your layout if your printer will take the size and type of paper or material that you want to print directly onto. While one of the most common sizes of paper used in scrapbooks is 12" x 12", this would require a printer that accepts a size larger than your average 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper or cardstock. They are available, but often cost more than your average inkjet printer cost. Keep in mind though, that prices often fall with demand, so as more people discover the feasibility of printing directly on oversized layouts, the possibility of a printer being manufactured for less than what they currently are, which will do what the average scrapper wants it to, is a possibility. Clipart can also be used to make your own customized overlays. Everyone seems to love the idea of an overlay at some point in time, but finding one that fits the page you want to use it on can be near impossible. With access to clipart, and the right fonts, you can have the perfect overlay readily available every time.
Too Much to Choose From
To think that it is possible that you have too much clipart sounds almost impossible, but that can be a problem. With it packaged with just about every computer program you own, wading through it all for the perfect piece can be an issue. Because of this, several ingenious companies have come up with some very good programs for the computer devoted to scrapbooking and crafting itself. Choosing one or two of these programs is a great way to avoid the clipart that might seem like it will work, but just does not do justice to your layouts. Consider one of these, such as those from Creating Keepsakes, Hallmark, American Greetings, or Nova Development.
One of my favorite online companies that have clipart perfectly suited to scrapbook layouts includes pcCrafter. They have artwork by some of my favorite artists, including Debbie Mumm, Tina Wenke, Debra Jordan Bryan, Beth Logan, and many, many more artists that lend their work very well to the craft of scrapbooking.
There are also companies such as Lettering Delights that combine fonts with clipart for creations that are nearly indescribable, yet once you encounter them, you find yourself wanting more and more of them. If you can conceive of a way to combine letters with pictures, they have most likely already done it, and better than you could ever have imagined. One of my favorites of theirs is an Easter one. Each letter and number is combined with a tulip or two, so whatever you spell out is touched with a bit of spring. Another favorite of mine is their Animal; set, which includes three fonts, the color alphabet Beast, along with LD Zoo, and LD Funny Serif. The color alphabet Beast combines an array of animal prints with each plump shaped letter. The LD Zoo is one of the funniest zoo arrangements mixed with lettering I have ever come across, and is perfect for any layout having to do with a trip to the zoo, Africa, or anywhere wild for that matter!
The next time you need the perfect piece of clipart, turn to your computer before you spend hours at the local scrapbook store in search of that elusive sheet of stickers that never seem to be exactly what you wanted in the first place.
The Appeal of Black and White Photography
By Christina VanGinkel
I do not know what it truly is, but there is something, some element, about black and white photography that makes me stop in my tracks and really look. They can be newly developed prints, fresh off a roll, converted digitally, or they could be a box of old photos discovered hidden away at an estate sale. Any of these black and whites photo options would appeal to me.
The figures in the photos seem to be held within the confines of the paper almost by magic. Color film can also be engaging, but to me, never quite in the same way that so touches whatever it is inside of me that make me stop and stare at black and white prints.
Not a photography expert by any stretch of the imagination, I can still tell you what it is somewhat that I so like about black and white. Life is busy, and part of that busyness is the colors that surround everything we do. The fabric of our clothes, the color car we drive, the patterns of light green grass, with dark green leaves, beneath a blue sky. Do not get me wrong. Color is good. I love color. I love the snapshots that show the blue of my grandson’s eyes and his rosy red cheeks. I love the photos of my young son all decked out in his Kawasaki greens flying over a jump. I also am drawn into the shadows, the contrasts of light and dark, the lines, the curves, the details that seem to jump off the picture that is printed in black and white.
Ansel Adams, born in 1902, created a life of photography up until his death in 1984. A commercial photographer by trade, he took what I believe to be the most stunning landscapes photos ever captured on film. He also photographed everything from a still life to whatever happened to catch his eye. One photograph of a Leaf, taken in Alaska in 1948 is a perfect example of what is so captivating about the possibilities of black and white photography. I have seen many a photo of leaves, but none has ever reached out to me like the single leaf central to this photo.
Long before I even knew his name, I knew I loved his pictures. My niece had a book of his work that she shared with me probably ten years or so after I saw his first photo. Once I had a name to put to the few prints I had discovered, I was able to search out even more of his work, and after that, all I can say is I was addicted. To say that I would not miss color would be a lie, but a life in black and white if it could be viewed through the eyes of this most talented photographer would not be a bad thing!
If you have never tried black and white photography, give it a try. It is the only way that you can discover for yourself if you think it might be something you like. If you use a digital camera, it most likely comes with a black and white setting, or otherwise you can always use a photo editing software package to convert literally any color photo to black and white. One of my favorite examples that I always show to people who ask me why I love black and white film so much is actually a close-up of my grandson. Now anyone who has ever heard me go on about him, knows he has the biggest blue eyes a child could be gifted with, so for me to remove the color from those baby blues, even electronically through the world of computers and software, might seem sacrilegious! However, that is exactly what I have done. In addition, everyone who sees the photo, first in its original color form, and after, in black and white, instantly gets it. They understand how black and white can be so persuasive a sell when it comes to photography. His eyes speak from their very depths, minus the distraction of color, to appear as if an angel or some other innocent creature lies behind them. Be warned though, that if you take a few rolls in black and white, or tinker in a software package with some of your digital images, you might notice that color is missing for a very long time!
I do not know what it truly is, but there is something, some element, about black and white photography that makes me stop in my tracks and really look. They can be newly developed prints, fresh off a roll, converted digitally, or they could be a box of old photos discovered hidden away at an estate sale. Any of these black and whites photo options would appeal to me.
The figures in the photos seem to be held within the confines of the paper almost by magic. Color film can also be engaging, but to me, never quite in the same way that so touches whatever it is inside of me that make me stop and stare at black and white prints.
Not a photography expert by any stretch of the imagination, I can still tell you what it is somewhat that I so like about black and white. Life is busy, and part of that busyness is the colors that surround everything we do. The fabric of our clothes, the color car we drive, the patterns of light green grass, with dark green leaves, beneath a blue sky. Do not get me wrong. Color is good. I love color. I love the snapshots that show the blue of my grandson’s eyes and his rosy red cheeks. I love the photos of my young son all decked out in his Kawasaki greens flying over a jump. I also am drawn into the shadows, the contrasts of light and dark, the lines, the curves, the details that seem to jump off the picture that is printed in black and white.
Ansel Adams, born in 1902, created a life of photography up until his death in 1984. A commercial photographer by trade, he took what I believe to be the most stunning landscapes photos ever captured on film. He also photographed everything from a still life to whatever happened to catch his eye. One photograph of a Leaf, taken in Alaska in 1948 is a perfect example of what is so captivating about the possibilities of black and white photography. I have seen many a photo of leaves, but none has ever reached out to me like the single leaf central to this photo.
Long before I even knew his name, I knew I loved his pictures. My niece had a book of his work that she shared with me probably ten years or so after I saw his first photo. Once I had a name to put to the few prints I had discovered, I was able to search out even more of his work, and after that, all I can say is I was addicted. To say that I would not miss color would be a lie, but a life in black and white if it could be viewed through the eyes of this most talented photographer would not be a bad thing!
If you have never tried black and white photography, give it a try. It is the only way that you can discover for yourself if you think it might be something you like. If you use a digital camera, it most likely comes with a black and white setting, or otherwise you can always use a photo editing software package to convert literally any color photo to black and white. One of my favorite examples that I always show to people who ask me why I love black and white film so much is actually a close-up of my grandson. Now anyone who has ever heard me go on about him, knows he has the biggest blue eyes a child could be gifted with, so for me to remove the color from those baby blues, even electronically through the world of computers and software, might seem sacrilegious! However, that is exactly what I have done. In addition, everyone who sees the photo, first in its original color form, and after, in black and white, instantly gets it. They understand how black and white can be so persuasive a sell when it comes to photography. His eyes speak from their very depths, minus the distraction of color, to appear as if an angel or some other innocent creature lies behind them. Be warned though, that if you take a few rolls in black and white, or tinker in a software package with some of your digital images, you might notice that color is missing for a very long time!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Woodcarving
By Christina VanGinkel
Carving wood is not a hobby for everyone, but it is something that more people might enjoy if they were to give it a chance. I have seen carvings both large and small that appealed to me. Some of my favorites were actually made by my very own sister. She no longer does much carving due to arthritis, but the pieces she did before she had to give up a hobby she enjoyed so much are exquisite examples of just how detailed carvings can be.
While I myself have never been able to pick up the knowledge or discover the talent in my own hands, that some people can pick up the tools devoted to carving and turn out pieces that are so lifelike that you often do a double take when seeing them, believing them to be real instead of a copy, is amazing. My sister often carved birds, and one piece she did years ago was of several songbirds perched on a branch. An art studio in Escanaba Michigan purchased it and several others of her pieces the first time they saw them, as taken with her work as I and other family members were. The manager of the studio said he had never looked at a carving before of birds that made him want to reach out to touch the birds, as incredibly lifelike as they were. What he did not know until after he purchased them though, was that these were the first carvings she had made. He thought she had been at it for some time, but in all reality, she had only just then been testing the waters per se of this formidable craft.
If carving wood is something that you think might be something that you would enjoy, pick up a copy of a book or two such as The Beginners Handbook of Woodcarving : With Project Patterns for Line Carving, Relief Carving, Carving in the Round, and Bird Carving, by Charles Beiderman and William Johnston. This book has information that will be appealing to both novices and those who already know the basics. It includes tips on everything from the tools of the trade, to exhibiting your work, and everything imaginable in between. The book is laid out in a manner that makes it easy to understand, which in the world of woodcarving can mean the difference between being a book that is useful and one that is no good. There is a lot of information to be gleaned from within the pages of this book, and you will find yourself going back to it time and again.
If you decide that this might be just the hobby you have been looking to try, pick up a beginner's woodcarving kit like the one offered from the Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers. Inexpensive as far as woodcarving kits go, at just over thirty dollars, it contains all of the essential tools that any beginning wood carver might need. It also comes with a First Projects book, to provide plenty of ideas of what to do with the tools. Some wood to get you started is also included. If after researching this kit, it sounds like a good place to start, but you think you might want a bit more as far as the tools offered in the kit goes, they also have a deluxe kit. The deluxe kit from Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers retails for closer to forty dollars, and comes with a v-tool and a gouge in addition to the pre-sharpened bench knife, a leather strop to help you keep the edge on the 1 1/2" blade of the knife, and a container of strop abrasive.
Woodcarving is a hobby that can offer you the perfect outlet for your creativity, and even open doors to events such as juried shows and recognition in the art world if that is something that might be of interest to you. While woodcarving might not be the perfect hobby for everyone, unless you try it, you might never know if it is something that you can be as good at as my sister is. After trying it, you might wonder how you ever lived your life without expressing yourself in such a creative way.
Carving wood is not a hobby for everyone, but it is something that more people might enjoy if they were to give it a chance. I have seen carvings both large and small that appealed to me. Some of my favorites were actually made by my very own sister. She no longer does much carving due to arthritis, but the pieces she did before she had to give up a hobby she enjoyed so much are exquisite examples of just how detailed carvings can be.
While I myself have never been able to pick up the knowledge or discover the talent in my own hands, that some people can pick up the tools devoted to carving and turn out pieces that are so lifelike that you often do a double take when seeing them, believing them to be real instead of a copy, is amazing. My sister often carved birds, and one piece she did years ago was of several songbirds perched on a branch. An art studio in Escanaba Michigan purchased it and several others of her pieces the first time they saw them, as taken with her work as I and other family members were. The manager of the studio said he had never looked at a carving before of birds that made him want to reach out to touch the birds, as incredibly lifelike as they were. What he did not know until after he purchased them though, was that these were the first carvings she had made. He thought she had been at it for some time, but in all reality, she had only just then been testing the waters per se of this formidable craft.
If carving wood is something that you think might be something that you would enjoy, pick up a copy of a book or two such as The Beginners Handbook of Woodcarving : With Project Patterns for Line Carving, Relief Carving, Carving in the Round, and Bird Carving, by Charles Beiderman and William Johnston. This book has information that will be appealing to both novices and those who already know the basics. It includes tips on everything from the tools of the trade, to exhibiting your work, and everything imaginable in between. The book is laid out in a manner that makes it easy to understand, which in the world of woodcarving can mean the difference between being a book that is useful and one that is no good. There is a lot of information to be gleaned from within the pages of this book, and you will find yourself going back to it time and again.
If you decide that this might be just the hobby you have been looking to try, pick up a beginner's woodcarving kit like the one offered from the Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers. Inexpensive as far as woodcarving kits go, at just over thirty dollars, it contains all of the essential tools that any beginning wood carver might need. It also comes with a First Projects book, to provide plenty of ideas of what to do with the tools. Some wood to get you started is also included. If after researching this kit, it sounds like a good place to start, but you think you might want a bit more as far as the tools offered in the kit goes, they also have a deluxe kit. The deluxe kit from Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers retails for closer to forty dollars, and comes with a v-tool and a gouge in addition to the pre-sharpened bench knife, a leather strop to help you keep the edge on the 1 1/2" blade of the knife, and a container of strop abrasive.
Woodcarving is a hobby that can offer you the perfect outlet for your creativity, and even open doors to events such as juried shows and recognition in the art world if that is something that might be of interest to you. While woodcarving might not be the perfect hobby for everyone, unless you try it, you might never know if it is something that you can be as good at as my sister is. After trying it, you might wonder how you ever lived your life without expressing yourself in such a creative way.
Post-it Picture Paper
By Christina VanGinkel
Print, peel, and stick is not a phrase that I ever thought I would hear associated with paper for my photo printer, but then I was given a sample of Post-it picture paper. The paper comes in a matte or semi-gloss finish, and works in most inkjet printers the same as any other photo paper. Choose Other Inkjet Paper or Plain Paper when your printer asks you to specify what type of paper you are printing on. What is so unique about it though, is that it comes with a peel off backing that exposes a sticky side. The sticky side is not so sticky though that once you stick it somewhere, it is there for good, but rather the backing is the same as the sticky side of a regular Post-it note. This means that not only can you stick your favorite snapshots wherever you want to, then you can peel them up and re-stick them somewhere else!
The paper is thin in comparison to my regular photo paper, but for the purpose of what it is, I do not find that to be a negative factor at all, but a positive one. At first, I thought about using the photos for projects such as my son’s schoolwork. He could easily print and apply pictures right into his school projects with ease. For example, he has an Invention Convention coming up, and he has to assemble a bulletin board in relation to the invention, which shows the steps taken to create it, and how it works. Due to the size of the poster board, there is no way to print directly onto the board. Last year, he cut out his pictures and taped or glued them down. I do not remember which one, but I do know that he had issues with one of the pictures falling off during the day of the display, and he had to tape it onto the board. If he had printed his pictures onto this paper that would never have been an issue. The more I thought about the uses for this paper though; I realized that it could work for a lot more projects.
In school, he could use them on his folders, notebooks, and even inside of his locker. Because they will peel off without leaving residue (except for some very rare cases with some delicate fabrics and papers, which is noted on the packaging), school kids could stick them almost anywhere their imagination could think up.
For parents of very young children, they could even use them to place a personalized note inside their lunch box or backpack. If a child has to remember to go somewhere different from their regular routine after school, but they are too young to read, send the written note for the teacher, and one with a picture of their destination for the day for them. If they open their backpack to see a smiling face of grandma stuck to the inside flap of their backpack, what better a reminder than that!
In a small child’s room, you could use this paper to make illustrated tags to correspond to what is in their drawers or toy cubbies. Because the paper will peel off whenever you want it to, updating the look when they outgrow the need for such a thing, is easy as can be.
For work, you could use these to illustrate reports at the last minute, add some pizzazz to the file cabinets, or to stick a picture of a loved one front and center, to help keep you motivated to meet the big deadline. In addition, because you are at work, these photos can be peeled off if the need ever arises.
How about creating place cards for an outdoor party on a windy day, or tagging baskets of supplies at a class, where the users change each week. Simply make the nametags, apply, and at the end of the week, peel them off and put on new ones. Unlike other labeling systems, these can be easily switched around. I cannot remember the last time I was so excited about a new product, let alone a new paper product. The possibilities are as they say, endless. Pick up a pack of these, and let me know what uses you come up with for them!
Print, peel, and stick is not a phrase that I ever thought I would hear associated with paper for my photo printer, but then I was given a sample of Post-it picture paper. The paper comes in a matte or semi-gloss finish, and works in most inkjet printers the same as any other photo paper. Choose Other Inkjet Paper or Plain Paper when your printer asks you to specify what type of paper you are printing on. What is so unique about it though, is that it comes with a peel off backing that exposes a sticky side. The sticky side is not so sticky though that once you stick it somewhere, it is there for good, but rather the backing is the same as the sticky side of a regular Post-it note. This means that not only can you stick your favorite snapshots wherever you want to, then you can peel them up and re-stick them somewhere else!
The paper is thin in comparison to my regular photo paper, but for the purpose of what it is, I do not find that to be a negative factor at all, but a positive one. At first, I thought about using the photos for projects such as my son’s schoolwork. He could easily print and apply pictures right into his school projects with ease. For example, he has an Invention Convention coming up, and he has to assemble a bulletin board in relation to the invention, which shows the steps taken to create it, and how it works. Due to the size of the poster board, there is no way to print directly onto the board. Last year, he cut out his pictures and taped or glued them down. I do not remember which one, but I do know that he had issues with one of the pictures falling off during the day of the display, and he had to tape it onto the board. If he had printed his pictures onto this paper that would never have been an issue. The more I thought about the uses for this paper though; I realized that it could work for a lot more projects.
In school, he could use them on his folders, notebooks, and even inside of his locker. Because they will peel off without leaving residue (except for some very rare cases with some delicate fabrics and papers, which is noted on the packaging), school kids could stick them almost anywhere their imagination could think up.
For parents of very young children, they could even use them to place a personalized note inside their lunch box or backpack. If a child has to remember to go somewhere different from their regular routine after school, but they are too young to read, send the written note for the teacher, and one with a picture of their destination for the day for them. If they open their backpack to see a smiling face of grandma stuck to the inside flap of their backpack, what better a reminder than that!
In a small child’s room, you could use this paper to make illustrated tags to correspond to what is in their drawers or toy cubbies. Because the paper will peel off whenever you want it to, updating the look when they outgrow the need for such a thing, is easy as can be.
For work, you could use these to illustrate reports at the last minute, add some pizzazz to the file cabinets, or to stick a picture of a loved one front and center, to help keep you motivated to meet the big deadline. In addition, because you are at work, these photos can be peeled off if the need ever arises.
How about creating place cards for an outdoor party on a windy day, or tagging baskets of supplies at a class, where the users change each week. Simply make the nametags, apply, and at the end of the week, peel them off and put on new ones. Unlike other labeling systems, these can be easily switched around. I cannot remember the last time I was so excited about a new product, let alone a new paper product. The possibilities are as they say, endless. Pick up a pack of these, and let me know what uses you come up with for them!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
My Hobby is NASCAR!
By Christina VanGinkel
If I ever wondered if watching a sport on television qualified as a hobby, I no longer doubt it one bit. NASCAR has always been a favorite around our house, with each member of the family having a favorite driver, and talks about the many different drivers and teams in both NASCAR and the Busch series a regular event. Among us, we have Dale Jarrett caps and license plate holders, Dale Earnhardt Jr. T-shirt, shorts, and tank tops, bumper stickers proclaiming Michael Waltrip as 'my' favorite, and window decals announcing the numbers of different favorite's cars, a blanket sporting some of the same, and now a whole stack of snapshots taken at the Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday!
When my thirteen year old flew out to Texas last Saturday to visit his Aunt and Uncle, he was surprised with a ticket to the NASCAR race the very next day. To say that he was thrilled would be putting it about as mildly as one could. He was ecstatic! He also took a ton of photos that will fill a scrapbook and then some, so that he will forever have vivid memories of the day. My brother surprised him with this of all events, because he knows what a huge fan of NASCAR my son is. Even though they live over a thousand miles away, they routinely discuss who is doing what in the world of NASCAR. It transgresses the ages, and is a communal ground for every family member, no matter his or her age. Even my two-year-old grandson tells us that his car, the 'red' car, is going to win, when we are all together watching a race.
When a hobby is as all encompassing as NASCAR can be, some people may wonder why others become so obsessed that they fill their homes with novelties related to the hobby, wear clothing emblazoned with aspects of it, even travel hundred, even thousands of miles to participate in an event. People engage in hobbies for all sorts of reasons, but oftentimes, when it is a hobby as popular as NASCAR, it is just as often for various reasons. It provides something other than the hectic day-to-day life dealings to think about. It provides something fun for family members and friends to talk about and participate in directly, or indirectly together. Heck, it even provides choices for decorating a bedroom, family room, or any room for that matter.
One of my favorite monikers is that you should not knock something you have not tried yourself, especially where hobbies are concerned. It is often hard to understand what the draw to so many others is, if you do not know anything about the sport itself. NASCAR is a perfect example of this. For years, even though I lived in a house where a huge NASCAR fan (my husband) resided, I could not understand the fascination. Then, by chance one afternoon, as I was recovering from a minor surgery, I ended up watching a race with my husband. I have been a fan ever since. Last year, when they came out with a show about the lives of the drivers, which included clips of them with their wives and girlfriends, tours of their homes, and even a look at what they do outside of racing, I was hooked even more. This showed that the drivers are as real as you and I. Though they most assuredly have a bigger bottom line in their checkbook, they are still people. In addition, as such, this might be the biggest draw to so many NASCAR fans, that many of the drivers had humble beginnings, and still head to their family's homes for the holidays, and strive to raise their own families like upstanding, solid citizens.
If you have always wondered what the heck all the NASCAR fuss was about, you should take the time to watch a race, maybe browse the website dedicated to NASCAR. You might still not understand it; then again, you might come away as big a fan as I am. Now if I can just convince my husband that next year we should go to the Texas Motor Speedway so we can take a few photos to fill a scrapbook of our own, I will have it made!
If I ever wondered if watching a sport on television qualified as a hobby, I no longer doubt it one bit. NASCAR has always been a favorite around our house, with each member of the family having a favorite driver, and talks about the many different drivers and teams in both NASCAR and the Busch series a regular event. Among us, we have Dale Jarrett caps and license plate holders, Dale Earnhardt Jr. T-shirt, shorts, and tank tops, bumper stickers proclaiming Michael Waltrip as 'my' favorite, and window decals announcing the numbers of different favorite's cars, a blanket sporting some of the same, and now a whole stack of snapshots taken at the Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday!
When my thirteen year old flew out to Texas last Saturday to visit his Aunt and Uncle, he was surprised with a ticket to the NASCAR race the very next day. To say that he was thrilled would be putting it about as mildly as one could. He was ecstatic! He also took a ton of photos that will fill a scrapbook and then some, so that he will forever have vivid memories of the day. My brother surprised him with this of all events, because he knows what a huge fan of NASCAR my son is. Even though they live over a thousand miles away, they routinely discuss who is doing what in the world of NASCAR. It transgresses the ages, and is a communal ground for every family member, no matter his or her age. Even my two-year-old grandson tells us that his car, the 'red' car, is going to win, when we are all together watching a race.
When a hobby is as all encompassing as NASCAR can be, some people may wonder why others become so obsessed that they fill their homes with novelties related to the hobby, wear clothing emblazoned with aspects of it, even travel hundred, even thousands of miles to participate in an event. People engage in hobbies for all sorts of reasons, but oftentimes, when it is a hobby as popular as NASCAR, it is just as often for various reasons. It provides something other than the hectic day-to-day life dealings to think about. It provides something fun for family members and friends to talk about and participate in directly, or indirectly together. Heck, it even provides choices for decorating a bedroom, family room, or any room for that matter.
One of my favorite monikers is that you should not knock something you have not tried yourself, especially where hobbies are concerned. It is often hard to understand what the draw to so many others is, if you do not know anything about the sport itself. NASCAR is a perfect example of this. For years, even though I lived in a house where a huge NASCAR fan (my husband) resided, I could not understand the fascination. Then, by chance one afternoon, as I was recovering from a minor surgery, I ended up watching a race with my husband. I have been a fan ever since. Last year, when they came out with a show about the lives of the drivers, which included clips of them with their wives and girlfriends, tours of their homes, and even a look at what they do outside of racing, I was hooked even more. This showed that the drivers are as real as you and I. Though they most assuredly have a bigger bottom line in their checkbook, they are still people. In addition, as such, this might be the biggest draw to so many NASCAR fans, that many of the drivers had humble beginnings, and still head to their family's homes for the holidays, and strive to raise their own families like upstanding, solid citizens.
If you have always wondered what the heck all the NASCAR fuss was about, you should take the time to watch a race, maybe browse the website dedicated to NASCAR. You might still not understand it; then again, you might come away as big a fan as I am. Now if I can just convince my husband that next year we should go to the Texas Motor Speedway so we can take a few photos to fill a scrapbook of our own, I will have it made!
Extra Photos plus Kids Equals Fun
By Christina VanGinkel
The next time you go through a stack of family photographs, sort out some of them that you know you are never going to frame, put in a photo album, or use to embellish a scrapbook page. If you went through a phase of getting doubles of every roll of film you developed, you will probably have quite a few decent photos amongst them, but even if you did not, chances are there are still quite a few photos that you know you are never going to use. Maybe you have some that are so close to the ones you are keeping, they might as well have been doubles, the lighting is a bit off, or someone’s head is half in and half out of the shot, etc. Basically, any photos that you really do not have a use for, that you feel is just clutter in your stash of photos. Take these pictures, and instead of tossing them out, offer them to your kids with an assortment of craft supplies to embellish some projects of their very own. Not only will you gain the satisfaction of clearing out some of them, your kids will feel like they have hit a prospective gold mine of crafting inspiration.
If the kids are old enough, provide them with a pair of craft scissors, or even a tool such as the Fiskars ShapeXpress, which allows the user to cut out various shapes with the aid of templates or freehand. If they are too young to use scissors or tools like these, offer up your services to help them prepare their new found treasure for greatness!
What they can make with your castoffs will surprise both you and them. Collages of all sorts are easy, fun to assemble, and can be used in various ways. They can cover everything from a picture frame to a small box. Most craft departments stock small wooden boxes in various shapes for no more than a dollar or two a piece. If you have any cast off tins, like those that Altoids Mints come in, or an empty CD case, these could also be covered with a collage of snapshots. If you have a laminator machine, such as those from Xyron that do not require heat or electricity, they could also laminate selections to create magnets for the fridge, or coasters for placing drinks on. Other projects could include transforming some of the altered snapshots into stickers to use on all sorts of things, such as decorating notebooks and journals, and filling a sticker book for some future projects. With some postcard-sized pieces of cardstock, and some good quality tacky glue, they could also make their own postcards to mail to grandparents and other far away relatives.
Photos are good materials to make simple jewelry projects from too. Use Modge Podge to cover over a favorite photo onto a square, flat bead, and make a charm to be used on a necklace or bracelet. If you have small squares, they could even make a pair of earrings for themselves or for a gift.
The possibilities for what they can create are as limitless as their imagination. If many of the photos are duplicates, and there are enough decent shots, they could even create their very own scrapbook. When my daughter was little, I gave her a stack of photos much the same as I have described here. She had an old footlocker in her room, one that had been mine years before. It had definitely seen better days, yet there was a lot of life left in the old chest. She made a huge collage to cover the complete top of the footlocker. She also covered the tray that sat inside of it in old pieces of fabric and embellishments that her grandmother shared with her from her scraps from her sewing room. While the chest did not survive the years, she has pictures of ‘it’ that she made a scrapbook layout of and still talks about it with very fond memories.
The next time you need to clean out an ever-expanding supply of duplicate photos, new or old, and you happen to have a child or two that could use a good project, combine the two for some welcome surprises.
The next time you go through a stack of family photographs, sort out some of them that you know you are never going to frame, put in a photo album, or use to embellish a scrapbook page. If you went through a phase of getting doubles of every roll of film you developed, you will probably have quite a few decent photos amongst them, but even if you did not, chances are there are still quite a few photos that you know you are never going to use. Maybe you have some that are so close to the ones you are keeping, they might as well have been doubles, the lighting is a bit off, or someone’s head is half in and half out of the shot, etc. Basically, any photos that you really do not have a use for, that you feel is just clutter in your stash of photos. Take these pictures, and instead of tossing them out, offer them to your kids with an assortment of craft supplies to embellish some projects of their very own. Not only will you gain the satisfaction of clearing out some of them, your kids will feel like they have hit a prospective gold mine of crafting inspiration.
If the kids are old enough, provide them with a pair of craft scissors, or even a tool such as the Fiskars ShapeXpress, which allows the user to cut out various shapes with the aid of templates or freehand. If they are too young to use scissors or tools like these, offer up your services to help them prepare their new found treasure for greatness!
What they can make with your castoffs will surprise both you and them. Collages of all sorts are easy, fun to assemble, and can be used in various ways. They can cover everything from a picture frame to a small box. Most craft departments stock small wooden boxes in various shapes for no more than a dollar or two a piece. If you have any cast off tins, like those that Altoids Mints come in, or an empty CD case, these could also be covered with a collage of snapshots. If you have a laminator machine, such as those from Xyron that do not require heat or electricity, they could also laminate selections to create magnets for the fridge, or coasters for placing drinks on. Other projects could include transforming some of the altered snapshots into stickers to use on all sorts of things, such as decorating notebooks and journals, and filling a sticker book for some future projects. With some postcard-sized pieces of cardstock, and some good quality tacky glue, they could also make their own postcards to mail to grandparents and other far away relatives.
Photos are good materials to make simple jewelry projects from too. Use Modge Podge to cover over a favorite photo onto a square, flat bead, and make a charm to be used on a necklace or bracelet. If you have small squares, they could even make a pair of earrings for themselves or for a gift.
The possibilities for what they can create are as limitless as their imagination. If many of the photos are duplicates, and there are enough decent shots, they could even create their very own scrapbook. When my daughter was little, I gave her a stack of photos much the same as I have described here. She had an old footlocker in her room, one that had been mine years before. It had definitely seen better days, yet there was a lot of life left in the old chest. She made a huge collage to cover the complete top of the footlocker. She also covered the tray that sat inside of it in old pieces of fabric and embellishments that her grandmother shared with her from her scraps from her sewing room. While the chest did not survive the years, she has pictures of ‘it’ that she made a scrapbook layout of and still talks about it with very fond memories.
The next time you need to clean out an ever-expanding supply of duplicate photos, new or old, and you happen to have a child or two that could use a good project, combine the two for some welcome surprises.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Make Yourself a Tag Brag Book
By Christina VanGinkel
Tags are great for all sorts of things. They make great embellishments when decorated, and are also ideal journaling spots in your scrapbook layouts. You can fancy them up and then use them to add flair to the next gift you give. I once transformed a miniature one with dried flowers and layers of embossing enamel into a charm for a necklace that I received more compliments on than any other piece of jewelry I have ever worn.
With the popularity of scrapbooking and other paper crafts, the availability of paper tags in various sizes is a fortunate thing to those of us who are always looking for new things to make. By embellishing oversized tags with papers, fibers, brads, eyelets, and your favorite picture, you can make a Tag Brag Book in no time at all. So simple are they to create, you will want to make some for yourself in all of your favorite subjects, and make a few to share too!
To make your own, all you need are a few basic paper-crafting supplies, including:
Tags
Brads
Eyelets
Wide and narrow ribbon
Decorative paper
Photographs of your own choosing
Any other embellishments you might want to use
Scissors
Glue
Photo editing software
Photo printer (so you can print your chosen photos in various sizes to apply to the tags. While you could have this printed third party, it makes it much simpler if you are able to resize and print the photos, as you need them)
The process of assembly of a Tag Brag Book is so simple, be prepared to make many of them after your first. Start by choosing the photos that you want to include in your brag book. This will help determine how many tags you will actually require. Plan to use only one side of each tag for either a photograph or any journaling you would want to include. With this in mind, plan your layout.
Decorate each tag as desired. Use photo-editing software to transform your desired photographs into various sizes that will work with your chosen tag size. Print and affix to tags along with your other embellishments. Some of the curtest little Tag Brag Books I have seen included other things besides photos and journaling. One of my friends did one about her young daughter's visit to her cousin's birthday party, and it actually only had three photos, one of her daughter, one of her niece, and one of the two girls together on the big day. The remaining six tags were quotes of fun, and profound things her three-year-old daughter and niece had said that day, and some special mementos relating to the big day too. She gave the book to her sister, the cousin's mother, and I heard it was a big hit with her!
Layout of the tags and assembly can be done in one of two ways, accordion style, or loose. Accordion style is achieved by laying the tags out face down, and applying a piece of wide ribbon across the back of them to hold them together. Fold up accordion style, and enjoy. If you would like, you could use a thinner ribbon to tie the tag book closed when not showing it off. Feel free to use ribbons and such in the tops of the tags if the tags have eyelet openings, etc. You can also use the eyelet opening with a brad to hold the pages of your book together. To look through it, you simply slide them by, one at a time. I have also used a medium sized key ring to loop the pages together.
Remember that the fun of a Tag Brag Book is that there really are no rules. What I have provided you with are simply guidelines to get you started. Tags can be small or large, and can be assembled in any manner you choose. If you think that you will be showing off your little book a lot, you may even wish to laminate each tag so that they hold up under lots of handling. Be prepared though to make more than one, because once you start, you will find it hard to stop making these great little books for yourself and everyone you know!
Tags are great for all sorts of things. They make great embellishments when decorated, and are also ideal journaling spots in your scrapbook layouts. You can fancy them up and then use them to add flair to the next gift you give. I once transformed a miniature one with dried flowers and layers of embossing enamel into a charm for a necklace that I received more compliments on than any other piece of jewelry I have ever worn.
With the popularity of scrapbooking and other paper crafts, the availability of paper tags in various sizes is a fortunate thing to those of us who are always looking for new things to make. By embellishing oversized tags with papers, fibers, brads, eyelets, and your favorite picture, you can make a Tag Brag Book in no time at all. So simple are they to create, you will want to make some for yourself in all of your favorite subjects, and make a few to share too!
To make your own, all you need are a few basic paper-crafting supplies, including:
Tags
Brads
Eyelets
Wide and narrow ribbon
Decorative paper
Photographs of your own choosing
Any other embellishments you might want to use
Scissors
Glue
Photo editing software
Photo printer (so you can print your chosen photos in various sizes to apply to the tags. While you could have this printed third party, it makes it much simpler if you are able to resize and print the photos, as you need them)
The process of assembly of a Tag Brag Book is so simple, be prepared to make many of them after your first. Start by choosing the photos that you want to include in your brag book. This will help determine how many tags you will actually require. Plan to use only one side of each tag for either a photograph or any journaling you would want to include. With this in mind, plan your layout.
Decorate each tag as desired. Use photo-editing software to transform your desired photographs into various sizes that will work with your chosen tag size. Print and affix to tags along with your other embellishments. Some of the curtest little Tag Brag Books I have seen included other things besides photos and journaling. One of my friends did one about her young daughter's visit to her cousin's birthday party, and it actually only had three photos, one of her daughter, one of her niece, and one of the two girls together on the big day. The remaining six tags were quotes of fun, and profound things her three-year-old daughter and niece had said that day, and some special mementos relating to the big day too. She gave the book to her sister, the cousin's mother, and I heard it was a big hit with her!
Layout of the tags and assembly can be done in one of two ways, accordion style, or loose. Accordion style is achieved by laying the tags out face down, and applying a piece of wide ribbon across the back of them to hold them together. Fold up accordion style, and enjoy. If you would like, you could use a thinner ribbon to tie the tag book closed when not showing it off. Feel free to use ribbons and such in the tops of the tags if the tags have eyelet openings, etc. You can also use the eyelet opening with a brad to hold the pages of your book together. To look through it, you simply slide them by, one at a time. I have also used a medium sized key ring to loop the pages together.
Remember that the fun of a Tag Brag Book is that there really are no rules. What I have provided you with are simply guidelines to get you started. Tags can be small or large, and can be assembled in any manner you choose. If you think that you will be showing off your little book a lot, you may even wish to laminate each tag so that they hold up under lots of handling. Be prepared though to make more than one, because once you start, you will find it hard to stop making these great little books for yourself and everyone you know!
Keeping Memories Alive
By Christina VanGinkel
My thirteen year old son arrived home yesterday from a trip he took over spring break to Texas. He brought home a CD filled with images his Aunt took of him while there. They had developed a few so he had something to share with us on the two-hour drive home from the airport, but the majority of pictures were on the CD.
When I think of how far camera technology has come in the last few years, it is just amazing. When we arrived home, one of the first things we did was to turn on the computer and pop the CD into the drive to look at the many photos they snapped. Pictures of the Texas Speedway and the NASCAR race last Sunday were the majority of the saved photos, with a few others to round out his vacation, such as his arrival at the Dallas airport.
With over sixty pictures just on the CD, plus the handful of ones they had developed while he was out there, along with a few dozen more my sister-in-law said she needs to send me on another disk once she copies them from her camera, my son ended up with a huge photo library of his vacation. As a scrap booker, I already have numerous plans for several groups of the pictures, such as one complete scrapbook just of his NASCAR photos. Years from now, thanks to the technology of digital photography, he will have photo evidence of the wonderful memories he accumulated while visiting his Aunt and Uncle.
While we were waiting for his plane to arrive, my husband and I had decided we would head to Green Bay a bit early (the airport he was arriving at is about a two hour drive from our home), and stop at the New Zoo in Brown County on the way. The zoo has two new giraffes that arrived this past November, and we had yet to see them. The zoo is a popular place to visit when in Brown County, as even though it is a newer zoo, as its name promotes, it is quickly becoming a well known one and has quite a selection of animals, all of them obviously well cared for which makes for a nice visit.
When we arrived, we found out the giraffes were still on a limited viewing schedule because their permanent enclosure was not completed. We walked around the zoo itself to pass the time, which also happened to coincide with feeding time for many of the zoo’s population. All of the times we have been to the zoo throughout the years, we had never been there during feeding time except for year’s ago we happened once to have the opportunity to watch a caretaker feed a giant turtle. My husband casually commented to me as we were watching one staff member feed several monkey, that I should snap a few pictures. One young member of the zoo’s monkey population had yet to learn not to hassle the older ones during feeding time, and was setting his self and the other monkeys up for some nearly perfect photographic opportunities. That is, if I would have had my camera with. Once again, I had headed out the door for the day minus my camera, not thinking that I might want it. We were after all just taking a quick stop at the zoo to see the giraffes and then heading over to the airport to pick up our son, stop somewhere for a quick bite to eat, and heading home.
No matter how many times I remind myself that it is easy to miss taking the perfect picture, but that if I do not even take my camera with, it is a sure thing that I will not get it, I still have days like yesterday, where I walk out the door and leave it behind. If you are regretting a shot missed, or one that turned out a bit blurry, too bright, filled with shadows, etc., at least you gave yourself the opportunity to try. If you are like me, and forget your camera completely, all I can say is that we have to try harder to make our cameras an item of necessity.
If my son and brother had headed off to NASCAR with no camera, sure, he would still have the memories, but memories do fade. Photographs are the perfect way to keep memories alive.
My thirteen year old son arrived home yesterday from a trip he took over spring break to Texas. He brought home a CD filled with images his Aunt took of him while there. They had developed a few so he had something to share with us on the two-hour drive home from the airport, but the majority of pictures were on the CD.
When I think of how far camera technology has come in the last few years, it is just amazing. When we arrived home, one of the first things we did was to turn on the computer and pop the CD into the drive to look at the many photos they snapped. Pictures of the Texas Speedway and the NASCAR race last Sunday were the majority of the saved photos, with a few others to round out his vacation, such as his arrival at the Dallas airport.
With over sixty pictures just on the CD, plus the handful of ones they had developed while he was out there, along with a few dozen more my sister-in-law said she needs to send me on another disk once she copies them from her camera, my son ended up with a huge photo library of his vacation. As a scrap booker, I already have numerous plans for several groups of the pictures, such as one complete scrapbook just of his NASCAR photos. Years from now, thanks to the technology of digital photography, he will have photo evidence of the wonderful memories he accumulated while visiting his Aunt and Uncle.
While we were waiting for his plane to arrive, my husband and I had decided we would head to Green Bay a bit early (the airport he was arriving at is about a two hour drive from our home), and stop at the New Zoo in Brown County on the way. The zoo has two new giraffes that arrived this past November, and we had yet to see them. The zoo is a popular place to visit when in Brown County, as even though it is a newer zoo, as its name promotes, it is quickly becoming a well known one and has quite a selection of animals, all of them obviously well cared for which makes for a nice visit.
When we arrived, we found out the giraffes were still on a limited viewing schedule because their permanent enclosure was not completed. We walked around the zoo itself to pass the time, which also happened to coincide with feeding time for many of the zoo’s population. All of the times we have been to the zoo throughout the years, we had never been there during feeding time except for year’s ago we happened once to have the opportunity to watch a caretaker feed a giant turtle. My husband casually commented to me as we were watching one staff member feed several monkey, that I should snap a few pictures. One young member of the zoo’s monkey population had yet to learn not to hassle the older ones during feeding time, and was setting his self and the other monkeys up for some nearly perfect photographic opportunities. That is, if I would have had my camera with. Once again, I had headed out the door for the day minus my camera, not thinking that I might want it. We were after all just taking a quick stop at the zoo to see the giraffes and then heading over to the airport to pick up our son, stop somewhere for a quick bite to eat, and heading home.
No matter how many times I remind myself that it is easy to miss taking the perfect picture, but that if I do not even take my camera with, it is a sure thing that I will not get it, I still have days like yesterday, where I walk out the door and leave it behind. If you are regretting a shot missed, or one that turned out a bit blurry, too bright, filled with shadows, etc., at least you gave yourself the opportunity to try. If you are like me, and forget your camera completely, all I can say is that we have to try harder to make our cameras an item of necessity.
If my son and brother had headed off to NASCAR with no camera, sure, he would still have the memories, but memories do fade. Photographs are the perfect way to keep memories alive.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
A Needlework Story
When I was about seven-years-old, my mother began teaching me to do needlepoint and how to knit. Being a visual learner and a bit artistic, I quickly picked up on her love for needlework and I gladly worked on everything she gave me. The next year, when I was eight, my mother and one of her good friends decided to start their own business. They were both artists, and they both loved antiques and needlework, so they decided to open a little shop that sold antiques, artwork, and needlework. It was an eclectic little shop that looked like it belonged on the main street of a quaint little New England town; however, we were living in Colorado, and their shop was housed in a brand new strip mall. It was a thrill for me to be part of the planning and opening of the store. My mom let me help pick out needlework books, colors of yarn, and many pre-made needlework packages, with needlepoint, cross-stitch, crewel, and various other needle related hobbies. I used to go to the shop in the afternoons after school, and I sat in on the needlework classes that were being taught, as well as sitting in the large, wicker rocking chair, working on my own projects.
My mom's partnership in the little shop did not last long. Though she was dedicated to it, she had me and my younger brother to care for, and the full time responsibility of her own business turned out to be too much for her. After a couple of years, she sold her half of the shop to her friend, and came back home to be with us full time. But the dye had been cast, so to speak, and she had instilled in me a lifetime love for needlework.
Over the years, I continued to do needlework, occasionally knitting a scarf for someone for Christmas, or doing a pre-made needlepoint picture. When my first child was born, a son, I began my biggest project yet; I made him a needlepoint Christmas stocking with tin soldiers across the front and his name printed along the top cuff. This began my era of Christmas stockings. Next, I made one for my husband, then my mother, then my baby daughter, who came along five years after her brother, and my next daughter who came just one year later. As the babies came, my needlepoint slowed a bit, but I pressed on. I finished my older daughter's stocking when she was about three-years-old, and the youngest daughter's stocking when she was about five. Dotted in between the large stocking projects, which now don our walls every Christmas season, I worked on smaller projects and finally taught myself to do cross-stitch. For some reason, over the years, I had resisted doing cross-stitch because I wasn't as fond of the look as I was of needlepoint; but once I did my first project, I was hooked. I stitched together my son's ham radio call sign letters for him to hang on the room of his wall, among various other projects.
Today, now that my children are in their teens, I have finally begun working on my own Christmas stocking. I have one already, but not one that has been stitched personally by me, in needlepoint, like the others in the family. A few years ago, my children all pushed me into starting a stocking for myself. All our stockings are different, and so far, the one I'm making for myself is my favorite. It has a picture of a snow-covered church, surrounded by evergreens and Christmas lights. I began the project not long after I purchased the materials, but I found that I have not been as urgent and diligent about finishing my own stocking as I was about those of my family members. Plus, life is busier now with family activities and homeschooling. I still work on my smaller projects from time to time, but I only work on my Christmas stocking about two months before the holidays. I sit and stitch while watching the annual Christmas movies or while on a long car ride.
Perhaps one day I will actually finish my stocking, but in a way, I think it will signify the end of an era for me. My family will probably be all grown up by then and that will be sad. Of course then, perhaps I will begin stockings for my grandchildren!
My mom's partnership in the little shop did not last long. Though she was dedicated to it, she had me and my younger brother to care for, and the full time responsibility of her own business turned out to be too much for her. After a couple of years, she sold her half of the shop to her friend, and came back home to be with us full time. But the dye had been cast, so to speak, and she had instilled in me a lifetime love for needlework.
Over the years, I continued to do needlework, occasionally knitting a scarf for someone for Christmas, or doing a pre-made needlepoint picture. When my first child was born, a son, I began my biggest project yet; I made him a needlepoint Christmas stocking with tin soldiers across the front and his name printed along the top cuff. This began my era of Christmas stockings. Next, I made one for my husband, then my mother, then my baby daughter, who came along five years after her brother, and my next daughter who came just one year later. As the babies came, my needlepoint slowed a bit, but I pressed on. I finished my older daughter's stocking when she was about three-years-old, and the youngest daughter's stocking when she was about five. Dotted in between the large stocking projects, which now don our walls every Christmas season, I worked on smaller projects and finally taught myself to do cross-stitch. For some reason, over the years, I had resisted doing cross-stitch because I wasn't as fond of the look as I was of needlepoint; but once I did my first project, I was hooked. I stitched together my son's ham radio call sign letters for him to hang on the room of his wall, among various other projects.
Today, now that my children are in their teens, I have finally begun working on my own Christmas stocking. I have one already, but not one that has been stitched personally by me, in needlepoint, like the others in the family. A few years ago, my children all pushed me into starting a stocking for myself. All our stockings are different, and so far, the one I'm making for myself is my favorite. It has a picture of a snow-covered church, surrounded by evergreens and Christmas lights. I began the project not long after I purchased the materials, but I found that I have not been as urgent and diligent about finishing my own stocking as I was about those of my family members. Plus, life is busier now with family activities and homeschooling. I still work on my smaller projects from time to time, but I only work on my Christmas stocking about two months before the holidays. I sit and stitch while watching the annual Christmas movies or while on a long car ride.
Perhaps one day I will actually finish my stocking, but in a way, I think it will signify the end of an era for me. My family will probably be all grown up by then and that will be sad. Of course then, perhaps I will begin stockings for my grandchildren!
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Woodworking
By Christina VanGinkel
Woodworking as a hobby can encompass many different things. From refinishing items, to building a piece of furniture from the ground up, to creating smaller decorative items and toys. I first become interested in woodworking during the eighties when I worked for a company that manufactured decorative wood products for the retail market.
The company employed just a handful of people, most who would come into work one day a week, pick up their supplies, and take them home to do the actual work which mostly consisted of painting and assembling the wood components into Amish themed miniature scenes and Christmas decor. The following week, they would bring back the work they had completed and pick up more for the coming week. A few employees, myself included, also worked in the shop, cutting the wooden pieces. We also did some assembly on site, and most of us who worked in the shop took work home much the same as the part time employees who worked exclusively from home.
There is some aspect of taking a plain wooden board, and with the help of a few tools, such as a saw and sander, and turning it into something of shape that can have a use either decorative or useful, that is addictive. Like many other hobbies, woodworking draws on some inner human aspect of survival, for without the use of wood, consider where modern man might be today. The prospect of taking someone else's work too, that has survived its original use, but is now in need of some revamping, and being able to restore it to its former or some new glory, is also fascinating. Ask anyone who has sanded away several years worth of paint or stain from an old chair, reupholstered the seat, and re-glued the joints, the pride they have the first time someone comments on the restored antique chair.
If woodworking interests you, but you are not sure about working with tools that are both noisy and intimidating, then consider a few smaller projects first, to test the waters of this fascinating hobby first. Choose a project that you can accomplish with basic hand tools, leaving the projects that will require the use of power tools until you are a bit more comfortable with the whole aspect of woodworking in general. You may find that working with the simplest of tools is all you will ever want to do, or you may crave the need for power and before you know it, be the proud owner of every woodworking power tool known to humanity!
Some simple projects that you might consider trying could be assembling a pre-cut dollhouse that will need some minor sanding and cutting, a shelf that needs to be refinished, or a simple birdhouse that you cut and assemble from scratch. The key to choosing a project for a beginner is to look for those that will not harm anyone if they were to fail. For example, avoid making a weight bearing set of bunk beds, which could cause harm to anyone sleeping in them if the assembly were to have errors.
Also, be sure to read up as much as you can on the proper tools and the use of them, and the hobby of woodworking itself. If you know a woodworker, ask them if they would be willing to offer you a few lessons on their beloved hobby. Many colleges and adult education centers also offer classes on woodworking for the beginner to the advanced. There is much to be learned from any of these choices.
Exploring the avenues of such a hobby can be almost as much fun as the hobby itself, as you find out all of the amazing things that can be made of wood, or how restoring something can breathe a completely new life into an old piece. If you are still in the contemplation phase, wondering if woodworking is something that might be of interest to you, then browse online for sites related to this interesting hobby that often becomes a way of life for those who partake in it. Be sure to check out a few books on the subject, such as Getting Started in Woodworking: Skill-Building Projects that Teach the Basics, by Aime Fraser, or The Complete Manual of Woodworking, by Albert Jackson and David Day.
Woodworking as a hobby can encompass many different things. From refinishing items, to building a piece of furniture from the ground up, to creating smaller decorative items and toys. I first become interested in woodworking during the eighties when I worked for a company that manufactured decorative wood products for the retail market.
The company employed just a handful of people, most who would come into work one day a week, pick up their supplies, and take them home to do the actual work which mostly consisted of painting and assembling the wood components into Amish themed miniature scenes and Christmas decor. The following week, they would bring back the work they had completed and pick up more for the coming week. A few employees, myself included, also worked in the shop, cutting the wooden pieces. We also did some assembly on site, and most of us who worked in the shop took work home much the same as the part time employees who worked exclusively from home.
There is some aspect of taking a plain wooden board, and with the help of a few tools, such as a saw and sander, and turning it into something of shape that can have a use either decorative or useful, that is addictive. Like many other hobbies, woodworking draws on some inner human aspect of survival, for without the use of wood, consider where modern man might be today. The prospect of taking someone else's work too, that has survived its original use, but is now in need of some revamping, and being able to restore it to its former or some new glory, is also fascinating. Ask anyone who has sanded away several years worth of paint or stain from an old chair, reupholstered the seat, and re-glued the joints, the pride they have the first time someone comments on the restored antique chair.
If woodworking interests you, but you are not sure about working with tools that are both noisy and intimidating, then consider a few smaller projects first, to test the waters of this fascinating hobby first. Choose a project that you can accomplish with basic hand tools, leaving the projects that will require the use of power tools until you are a bit more comfortable with the whole aspect of woodworking in general. You may find that working with the simplest of tools is all you will ever want to do, or you may crave the need for power and before you know it, be the proud owner of every woodworking power tool known to humanity!
Some simple projects that you might consider trying could be assembling a pre-cut dollhouse that will need some minor sanding and cutting, a shelf that needs to be refinished, or a simple birdhouse that you cut and assemble from scratch. The key to choosing a project for a beginner is to look for those that will not harm anyone if they were to fail. For example, avoid making a weight bearing set of bunk beds, which could cause harm to anyone sleeping in them if the assembly were to have errors.
Also, be sure to read up as much as you can on the proper tools and the use of them, and the hobby of woodworking itself. If you know a woodworker, ask them if they would be willing to offer you a few lessons on their beloved hobby. Many colleges and adult education centers also offer classes on woodworking for the beginner to the advanced. There is much to be learned from any of these choices.
Exploring the avenues of such a hobby can be almost as much fun as the hobby itself, as you find out all of the amazing things that can be made of wood, or how restoring something can breathe a completely new life into an old piece. If you are still in the contemplation phase, wondering if woodworking is something that might be of interest to you, then browse online for sites related to this interesting hobby that often becomes a way of life for those who partake in it. Be sure to check out a few books on the subject, such as Getting Started in Woodworking: Skill-Building Projects that Teach the Basics, by Aime Fraser, or The Complete Manual of Woodworking, by Albert Jackson and David Day.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Taking Better Photographs by Examining the Ones you Already Took
By Christina VanGinkel
Whenever I see a photo that makes me take a step back and say wow, how did they do that, I am one of those people who really want to know. Even amongst my own photographs, certain ones stand out from the others. There is a quality about them that makes me even ask myself just what I did different on those than I do when taking many of the other more mundane shots.
Some tips that I have gleaned from others and from my own photos are as follows:
Do not stage every photo. Sure, staging a shot has its purpose in the land of photography, but I would argue overall that the best shots taken by anyone are those that are snapped in the moment, when the subject least expected it, and with the smallest amount of warning possible.
Try different angles. Do not always shoot straight on. The angle at which a shot is taken can make a huge difference in the outcome. To experiment with this tip, choose a willing subject, and shoot it, him, or her, from several different angles so you can see with your own eyes how a different angle can have such a profound affect on a subject.
Know your subject and do not be afraid to use the zoom. Sure, the shot of a subject such as The Grand Canyon, or Pikes Peak might be encompassing a wide range of area, but even in a photo such as those, they are your subjects, so you will want landscape shots that encompass a wide area. At the same time, pick a subject, maybe a single flower in a field, or the top of the lighthouse, or your child's smile as he blows a bubble in front of it! Consider if you are snapping photos at a birthday party. Go ahead and snap a few wide shots, but then snap some of the partygoers up close. Pick a subject and snap. If you just take many photos of the group in general, you will miss chances to get some amazing shots of those people attending the party. Get up close and photograph your subjects, not just the party in general.
With the previous two tips in mind, be sure to consider the composition of the subjects. If you are wanting to take a picture of a lighthouse for example that is going to be worthy to hang on the wall, but all you have been able to end up with are ones that are barely good enough to develop, consider the placement, the composition of the subject. Try snapping the photo with the lighthouse off to one side, with another element (the bay, or a piling of rocks) off to the other side. Too often, we think we need to have the main subject in the middle of the picture, and this rarely works.
Lighting is as important as the subject of the photo is. The same scene can be stunning in the setting sun, and rather mundane in the light of day. Keep in mind that conditions such as clouds, fog, and storms, can all have effects on lighting.
My favorite photo of all time takes into account several of these tips all together. It is of my young grandson, when he still had a pacifier, and he could not find it. He had just stuck his thumb in his mouth, and was not sure if it was going to work like his beloved pacifier did. I had my camera in my hand, and just spontaneously called his name softly. As he looked up at me, thumb buried in his mouth, with eyes wide open in wonder both at the thumb and why Nana was calling his name, I snapped the photo. I was slightly above him and the sun was winding down for the day, offering softness to his features that would never have appeared under a glaring light. The soft light also contributed to him not squinting, at least in my opinion, and helped make the picture work as well as it did.
Study your pictures and ask yourself what might have been done differently to make a photo you like, be one that you love. You are your own best teacher, and with photography, simply opening your eyes, and acknowledging what works, and what does not, can be a significant step toward taking better photographs.
Whenever I see a photo that makes me take a step back and say wow, how did they do that, I am one of those people who really want to know. Even amongst my own photographs, certain ones stand out from the others. There is a quality about them that makes me even ask myself just what I did different on those than I do when taking many of the other more mundane shots.
Some tips that I have gleaned from others and from my own photos are as follows:
Do not stage every photo. Sure, staging a shot has its purpose in the land of photography, but I would argue overall that the best shots taken by anyone are those that are snapped in the moment, when the subject least expected it, and with the smallest amount of warning possible.
Try different angles. Do not always shoot straight on. The angle at which a shot is taken can make a huge difference in the outcome. To experiment with this tip, choose a willing subject, and shoot it, him, or her, from several different angles so you can see with your own eyes how a different angle can have such a profound affect on a subject.
Know your subject and do not be afraid to use the zoom. Sure, the shot of a subject such as The Grand Canyon, or Pikes Peak might be encompassing a wide range of area, but even in a photo such as those, they are your subjects, so you will want landscape shots that encompass a wide area. At the same time, pick a subject, maybe a single flower in a field, or the top of the lighthouse, or your child's smile as he blows a bubble in front of it! Consider if you are snapping photos at a birthday party. Go ahead and snap a few wide shots, but then snap some of the partygoers up close. Pick a subject and snap. If you just take many photos of the group in general, you will miss chances to get some amazing shots of those people attending the party. Get up close and photograph your subjects, not just the party in general.
With the previous two tips in mind, be sure to consider the composition of the subjects. If you are wanting to take a picture of a lighthouse for example that is going to be worthy to hang on the wall, but all you have been able to end up with are ones that are barely good enough to develop, consider the placement, the composition of the subject. Try snapping the photo with the lighthouse off to one side, with another element (the bay, or a piling of rocks) off to the other side. Too often, we think we need to have the main subject in the middle of the picture, and this rarely works.
Lighting is as important as the subject of the photo is. The same scene can be stunning in the setting sun, and rather mundane in the light of day. Keep in mind that conditions such as clouds, fog, and storms, can all have effects on lighting.
My favorite photo of all time takes into account several of these tips all together. It is of my young grandson, when he still had a pacifier, and he could not find it. He had just stuck his thumb in his mouth, and was not sure if it was going to work like his beloved pacifier did. I had my camera in my hand, and just spontaneously called his name softly. As he looked up at me, thumb buried in his mouth, with eyes wide open in wonder both at the thumb and why Nana was calling his name, I snapped the photo. I was slightly above him and the sun was winding down for the day, offering softness to his features that would never have appeared under a glaring light. The soft light also contributed to him not squinting, at least in my opinion, and helped make the picture work as well as it did.
Study your pictures and ask yourself what might have been done differently to make a photo you like, be one that you love. You are your own best teacher, and with photography, simply opening your eyes, and acknowledging what works, and what does not, can be a significant step toward taking better photographs.
Scrapbooking Outside the Book
By Christina VanGinkel
With so many items in our lives just waiting for personalization and embellishment, scrapbooking outside of the book is not all that novel of an idea, yet for some people it is a difficult concept to take hold of. However, for those willing to recognize it as a valid hobby in itself, it can be one of the most enjoyable you will ever participate in. What exactly is scrapbooking outside of the book you might be asking? First, let me say that it is not just the act of altering an object. It is when you complete a layout on said object.
This is the perfect hobby for both old and new to the hobby of scrapbooking and I have found it to be most useful for showing off to reluctant friends and family members what it is you are doing with all of those snapshots and embellishments. For example, if you have an in-law or even a spouse who scoffs at the time you spend arranging your photos, keepsakes, and embellishments inside the pages of your latest scrapbook. They always have ready the comment that who is going to take the time to look through the books to make it worth your while to have spent all that time doing so, then scrapping outside the book might be the perfect way to show them just how serious you are about the hobby.
Start with a layout in mind. Maybe your child won an award, your dog came home from the groomer looking not perfectly groomed, or you and your spouse took a long anticipated vacation. My point being that the layout can be anything you would normally scrap. Once you have decided on the layout, consider what item you could embellish that would suit the layout. Some friends of mine will argue that you should choose the item you want to embellish, and then choose the layout, and that is fine too. Whichever order works for you. Remember that is the greatest thing about scrapbooking in general, that there are no hard and fast rules and that if you find a better or more convenient way to do a task, then go for it!
Some items you could scrap on could include:
Clock face
Wall photo
Ornament
Box of various sizes and uses
A clock face is my favorite. It is a good surface to create a layout on, and is a visual surface once it is complete. You can use a blank clock face and kit, made, and sold for personalization, or pick up any inexpensive clock that you can easily get at the face of. The first clock I scrapped I actually picked up at our local Goodwill store. I simply undid the screws holding the clear cover in place over the face of the clock, and left the hands intact. I was careful not to disturb the hands too much as I applied my layout to the face, and the clock is still hanging in my bedroom several years later.
A layout placed into a frame to hang on a wall is not all that novel of an idea by itself, but if you also continue the layout to incorporate the frame too, you can really end up with some stunning results, and the layout can then be front and center when visitors stop by. This is a great way to show others what you can do with your photographs and a few simple embellishments. The difference between a snapshot in a frame and a couple of snapshots incorporated into a layout and frame is a world of difference.
Scrapping onto ornaments can also be an ideal way to share your talents and snapshots with family members. What grandparent would not love to receive to an ornament to hang on the Christmas tree that is a whole layout in miniature? I know I love the one my daughter made of my grandson last year. She used a graphics program on the computer and shrunk eight pictures down into a strip, which forms the center of the ornament. She also used paper, and along with some journaling, created a one of a kind ornament that I will treasure forever.
Scrapbook supplies are too awesome to use just in a scrapbook. Scrap outside of the book today and make some memories to share!
With so many items in our lives just waiting for personalization and embellishment, scrapbooking outside of the book is not all that novel of an idea, yet for some people it is a difficult concept to take hold of. However, for those willing to recognize it as a valid hobby in itself, it can be one of the most enjoyable you will ever participate in. What exactly is scrapbooking outside of the book you might be asking? First, let me say that it is not just the act of altering an object. It is when you complete a layout on said object.
This is the perfect hobby for both old and new to the hobby of scrapbooking and I have found it to be most useful for showing off to reluctant friends and family members what it is you are doing with all of those snapshots and embellishments. For example, if you have an in-law or even a spouse who scoffs at the time you spend arranging your photos, keepsakes, and embellishments inside the pages of your latest scrapbook. They always have ready the comment that who is going to take the time to look through the books to make it worth your while to have spent all that time doing so, then scrapping outside the book might be the perfect way to show them just how serious you are about the hobby.
Start with a layout in mind. Maybe your child won an award, your dog came home from the groomer looking not perfectly groomed, or you and your spouse took a long anticipated vacation. My point being that the layout can be anything you would normally scrap. Once you have decided on the layout, consider what item you could embellish that would suit the layout. Some friends of mine will argue that you should choose the item you want to embellish, and then choose the layout, and that is fine too. Whichever order works for you. Remember that is the greatest thing about scrapbooking in general, that there are no hard and fast rules and that if you find a better or more convenient way to do a task, then go for it!
Some items you could scrap on could include:
Clock face
Wall photo
Ornament
Box of various sizes and uses
A clock face is my favorite. It is a good surface to create a layout on, and is a visual surface once it is complete. You can use a blank clock face and kit, made, and sold for personalization, or pick up any inexpensive clock that you can easily get at the face of. The first clock I scrapped I actually picked up at our local Goodwill store. I simply undid the screws holding the clear cover in place over the face of the clock, and left the hands intact. I was careful not to disturb the hands too much as I applied my layout to the face, and the clock is still hanging in my bedroom several years later.
A layout placed into a frame to hang on a wall is not all that novel of an idea by itself, but if you also continue the layout to incorporate the frame too, you can really end up with some stunning results, and the layout can then be front and center when visitors stop by. This is a great way to show others what you can do with your photographs and a few simple embellishments. The difference between a snapshot in a frame and a couple of snapshots incorporated into a layout and frame is a world of difference.
Scrapping onto ornaments can also be an ideal way to share your talents and snapshots with family members. What grandparent would not love to receive to an ornament to hang on the Christmas tree that is a whole layout in miniature? I know I love the one my daughter made of my grandson last year. She used a graphics program on the computer and shrunk eight pictures down into a strip, which forms the center of the ornament. She also used paper, and along with some journaling, created a one of a kind ornament that I will treasure forever.
Scrapbook supplies are too awesome to use just in a scrapbook. Scrap outside of the book today and make some memories to share!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Introducing a Child to the Hobby of Bird Watching
By Christina VanGinkel
Introducing young children to bird watching can lead to a life long love of this fascinating hobby. In order to make sure that they are not overwhelmed with the technical end of things, introduce them to the idea with just the simplest of tools, a decent pair of binoculars, and a book identifying the local birds. A notebook to record their sightings and thoughts can also be given, providing them with an outlet for the birds they do see. Best yet, these are all the tools they will ever need. Bird watching does not require many expensive or complicated tools to start or continue.
Actually, besides the binoculars, a book to identify the birds they see, and a notebook to jot down the birds they wish to keep track of, the only other thing I can think of that they might want or need is an adult to go with them, especially when they venture outside of their own backyard. You can also bring along your own pair of binoculars, and who knows, you might just discover a love of bird watching yourself!
I heard or read somewhere else that one of the saddest facts about our children's education is that they often learn about the birds and wildlife of other countries through school, but often lack knowledge about what is in their very own backyards. The hobby of bird watching is such that it solves that dilemma, by awakening in kids the interest of what bird life is right out their very own back door. If you are knowledgeable about even a few of the birds that land on your feeders, start by getting them interested in those birds. Look them up together in a book that identifies the birds, and read about where the bird lives, what they eat, how they nest, how many and when they hatch their young, and often much more details than even those. If you happen to live along any migration route where geese or other birds travel, spring is a good time to catch site of those too. Again, a book identifying the facts of the bird's migration can be more interesting than you ever realized. If any local groups host artificial nesting platforms, those can also be fun for the kids to check out and learn about.
A few good books to choose for any budding bird watcher include:
Backyard Bird Identification Guide
Backyard Bird Identification Guide (T.F.H. Wild Birds Series), by Jerry G. Walls is a field guide in an easy to carry size, that tells the bird watcher what to look for, common bird families, and how to identify over 90 of the most common birds, with over 120 photos to help illustrate what to look for.
Backyard Bird Watching for Kids: How to Attract, Feed, and Provide Homes for Birds
Backyard Bird Watching for Kids: How to Attract, Feed, and Provide Homes for Birds, by George H. Harrison and Kit Harrison, is ideal for the child, ages 8 – 14, who is going to start exploring the hobby of bird watching in their own backyard, and will continue on just in their backyards at least for a while. It will help them attract and keep a variety of birds that they might otherwise not have the opportunity to see. It touches onto other subjects too, such as photographing the birds that do stop by, and includes a log to keep track of the birds that they do see. The book is somewhat limited as to the variety of birds it lists, but it is a great book to start with.
If you cannot find either of these, look for one that is fully illustrated, to help make the identification process as fun and easy as possible. Also, consider an identification guide that offers a look at birds local to your specific area. I remember when my daughter was younger; we found a book that was all about birds native to the state of Wisconsin, which was where we lived.
If your child enjoys this hobby, consider heading out with them to a local park or zoological center to see if they can identify any other bird species besides those that you uncover in your own backyard. Even somewhere such as a public park, due to being home to different species of trees and plants, may offer a much wider range of birds than those you can find easily at home.
Introducing young children to bird watching can lead to a life long love of this fascinating hobby. In order to make sure that they are not overwhelmed with the technical end of things, introduce them to the idea with just the simplest of tools, a decent pair of binoculars, and a book identifying the local birds. A notebook to record their sightings and thoughts can also be given, providing them with an outlet for the birds they do see. Best yet, these are all the tools they will ever need. Bird watching does not require many expensive or complicated tools to start or continue.
Actually, besides the binoculars, a book to identify the birds they see, and a notebook to jot down the birds they wish to keep track of, the only other thing I can think of that they might want or need is an adult to go with them, especially when they venture outside of their own backyard. You can also bring along your own pair of binoculars, and who knows, you might just discover a love of bird watching yourself!
I heard or read somewhere else that one of the saddest facts about our children's education is that they often learn about the birds and wildlife of other countries through school, but often lack knowledge about what is in their very own backyards. The hobby of bird watching is such that it solves that dilemma, by awakening in kids the interest of what bird life is right out their very own back door. If you are knowledgeable about even a few of the birds that land on your feeders, start by getting them interested in those birds. Look them up together in a book that identifies the birds, and read about where the bird lives, what they eat, how they nest, how many and when they hatch their young, and often much more details than even those. If you happen to live along any migration route where geese or other birds travel, spring is a good time to catch site of those too. Again, a book identifying the facts of the bird's migration can be more interesting than you ever realized. If any local groups host artificial nesting platforms, those can also be fun for the kids to check out and learn about.
A few good books to choose for any budding bird watcher include:
Backyard Bird Identification Guide
Backyard Bird Identification Guide (T.F.H. Wild Birds Series), by Jerry G. Walls is a field guide in an easy to carry size, that tells the bird watcher what to look for, common bird families, and how to identify over 90 of the most common birds, with over 120 photos to help illustrate what to look for.
Backyard Bird Watching for Kids: How to Attract, Feed, and Provide Homes for Birds
Backyard Bird Watching for Kids: How to Attract, Feed, and Provide Homes for Birds, by George H. Harrison and Kit Harrison, is ideal for the child, ages 8 – 14, who is going to start exploring the hobby of bird watching in their own backyard, and will continue on just in their backyards at least for a while. It will help them attract and keep a variety of birds that they might otherwise not have the opportunity to see. It touches onto other subjects too, such as photographing the birds that do stop by, and includes a log to keep track of the birds that they do see. The book is somewhat limited as to the variety of birds it lists, but it is a great book to start with.
If you cannot find either of these, look for one that is fully illustrated, to help make the identification process as fun and easy as possible. Also, consider an identification guide that offers a look at birds local to your specific area. I remember when my daughter was younger; we found a book that was all about birds native to the state of Wisconsin, which was where we lived.
If your child enjoys this hobby, consider heading out with them to a local park or zoological center to see if they can identify any other bird species besides those that you uncover in your own backyard. Even somewhere such as a public park, due to being home to different species of trees and plants, may offer a much wider range of birds than those you can find easily at home.
Sewing in spite of Women's Lib
I grew up in the 70s when women's liberation was at its height and my mother was striving to be one of the front runners. My mother had grown up in the 50s when June Cleaver and Harriet Nelson were the models for women. Not only that, she grew up in the deep South, where being a wife, mother, and homemaker, were not only expected, they were revered. Suddenly she found herself thrown into 1970s Colorado where everyone had long hair (men and women alike) and the traditional model of a woman was a mystery. I grew up watching my mom wear aprons, sew, and be a terrific homemaker, but she was in a constant internal struggle. She told me regularly that I could one day grow up to be more than just a wife and mother; that I could do things other than change diapers, cook, sew, and clean house. She assured me that I could go to college, get a Ph.D., and pay someone else to do all those things.
Consequently, when I grew up, married, and had children, I had watched my mother do all the homemaker duties, but I had never really learned how to do any of them, myself. I soon learned, and as with lots of other things, I learned of the blessings of being a homemaker. But there was one area in which I wanted to make my mother proud: sewing. I had no interest in sewing and I could not understand anyone who did. When fairly inexpensive clothing and other products could be found anywhere, why would anyone want to waste their time sitting in front of a sewing machine? I lamented this to my mother, who readily agreed. She pointed out that she was forced to learn to sew and that she had to make her own clothes for financial reasons; but again, she assured me that I never had to learn to sew.
Fast forward into several years of marriage, owning our own home, having three children, and still carrying the baggage that my mother gave me about being a woman. As I decorated our home, I came to want a specific type of shower curtain that I was having trouble finding. I had my sights set on toile, my latest favorite material, and I wanted a black and white toile shower curtain. It had to be the cloth kind that hung over a plastic shower curtain. I didn't want plastic toile. I searched high and low. All my favorite stores had nothing of the kind. I searched on line and found only a few toile shower curtains, but they were all well over one hundred dollars. That was ridiculous to me to spend that kind of money on a shower curtain. So I began looking for material; I figured I could find the fabric I wanted and then pay someone to make a shower curtain for me.
After searching high and low, I finally found the exact toile pattern I was looking for; but I had another problem. I could not find anyone to make the curtain for me. Those who knew how to sew were busy, and I was surprised at how many others simply did not know how to sew. After months went by with my beautiful fabric sitting on a shelf, I finally decided I needed to take matters into my own hands. It turned out my shower curtain was going to cost me after all. I went to my local discount store and bought a sewing machine. I brought it home and read the instruction book from cover to cover. I was very intimidated by my new purchase; it had so many small moving parts, I was sure I would break it. But I carefully followed the directions and within a few hours, I was practicing sewing on small scraps of material I had bought for just that reason. I began to get excited about sewing. This was something I could do!
Two weeks later, I hung my newly sewn shower curtain above our bathtub; yes, I even learned how to do buttonholes. And I also hung the new matching valance I had sewn for the bathroom window, with some of the excess fabric. I was so proud of my creation that I decided to do some more sewing. Then I caught myself; what was I saying? Could it be that sewing is fun? Could it be that I am creative in this area? Well, perhaps, but please don't tell my mother.
Consequently, when I grew up, married, and had children, I had watched my mother do all the homemaker duties, but I had never really learned how to do any of them, myself. I soon learned, and as with lots of other things, I learned of the blessings of being a homemaker. But there was one area in which I wanted to make my mother proud: sewing. I had no interest in sewing and I could not understand anyone who did. When fairly inexpensive clothing and other products could be found anywhere, why would anyone want to waste their time sitting in front of a sewing machine? I lamented this to my mother, who readily agreed. She pointed out that she was forced to learn to sew and that she had to make her own clothes for financial reasons; but again, she assured me that I never had to learn to sew.
Fast forward into several years of marriage, owning our own home, having three children, and still carrying the baggage that my mother gave me about being a woman. As I decorated our home, I came to want a specific type of shower curtain that I was having trouble finding. I had my sights set on toile, my latest favorite material, and I wanted a black and white toile shower curtain. It had to be the cloth kind that hung over a plastic shower curtain. I didn't want plastic toile. I searched high and low. All my favorite stores had nothing of the kind. I searched on line and found only a few toile shower curtains, but they were all well over one hundred dollars. That was ridiculous to me to spend that kind of money on a shower curtain. So I began looking for material; I figured I could find the fabric I wanted and then pay someone to make a shower curtain for me.
After searching high and low, I finally found the exact toile pattern I was looking for; but I had another problem. I could not find anyone to make the curtain for me. Those who knew how to sew were busy, and I was surprised at how many others simply did not know how to sew. After months went by with my beautiful fabric sitting on a shelf, I finally decided I needed to take matters into my own hands. It turned out my shower curtain was going to cost me after all. I went to my local discount store and bought a sewing machine. I brought it home and read the instruction book from cover to cover. I was very intimidated by my new purchase; it had so many small moving parts, I was sure I would break it. But I carefully followed the directions and within a few hours, I was practicing sewing on small scraps of material I had bought for just that reason. I began to get excited about sewing. This was something I could do!
Two weeks later, I hung my newly sewn shower curtain above our bathtub; yes, I even learned how to do buttonholes. And I also hung the new matching valance I had sewn for the bathroom window, with some of the excess fabric. I was so proud of my creation that I decided to do some more sewing. Then I caught myself; what was I saying? Could it be that sewing is fun? Could it be that I am creative in this area? Well, perhaps, but please don't tell my mother.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Michigan Fiber Festival, Allegan Michigan
By Christina VanGinkel
Every spring, I receive a copy of the Fiberline Magazine, an advertisement of sorts for the Michigan Fiber Festival Inc., held at the Allegan County Fairgrounds, in Allegan, Michigan. It is open to the public, and is a five day event filled with workshops on a variety of fiber crafts, including knitting, shuttle tatting, bead and button crafts, spinning, weaving, and many more crafts. The goal of the Michigan Fiber Festival Inc., is listed on the inside of the magazine, and is to promote the interests of individuals and or businesses related to natural fiber, to advance and continue high quality standards of business practice in the natural fiber area, and to further the development and knowledge within the fiber community. Their goal goes on to state that they are an all volunteer membership organization, and after looking through the classes and workshops being offered this year, all I could think again, as I do each year, was Wow!
To start with, if you are interested at all in any fiber arts, and then some, landing a copy of this free magazine is excitement in itself. It is full of ads that can point you in the directions you need to get in contact with the many small farms and businesses around the Michigan area that make available the products and supplies needed to participate in many of the related fiber crafts and hobbies that so many people do. The current copy of the magazine also has articles on issues such as natural dyeing, Alpaca fiber, Icelandic sheep facts, a pattern for socks, a pattern for a bias knit lace scarf, book reviews, and much, much more. One article that I found both entertaining and informative was "Thoughts to Ruminate on for Shearing Day", by Rita Walters with footnotes by Jerry Pepper (the shearer).
There is also information on camping at the five-day event, and obtaining daily passes. If you would rather stay at a local hotel for your lodging, instead of roughing it while camping, the magazine also includes a well rounded list of area lodging choices, including Bead and Breakfast's, hotels, and motels. There are several located in Allegan, Fennville, Kalamazoo, Holland, and a few further out in Plainwell, and at the Byron Center, which is about twenty-five miles out from the location of the festival. A listing of all of the workshops is included towards the back of the magazine, much fiber themed, but not all of them, with detailed descriptions are also included. There is also detailed information about the many displays and competitions, such as the Angora Fleece competition, the Angora Rabbit Skein competition, an Angora Rabbit show, Fiber Goat shows, Fine Arts and Photography competition, and several mini workshops, free demonstrations, and talks. A sampling of the classes, but by no means inclusive of them all includes:
Introduction to Lace
Felt for Hands and Feet
Beautiful Boucles-Plying Against a Thread
Buttons and Beads Polymer Clay
Acid Dyeing
Natural Dyeing
Basic Locker Hooking
Shaker Tape Tote Bag, Basket Weaving
Beginner Weaving
Inkle Weaving
Peg Knitting
Primitive Rug Hooking
Spinning
Absolute Beginning Knitting
Making Glass Beads
The event is also host to a couple children's workshops for ages eight and up, including Kool-Aid Dyed Friendship Bracelets, and Basket Flower Vase.
The magazine includes information on the cost, registration process, and any materials you will need to bring for both the adult and children's classes and workshops.
I was first introduced to the Michigan Fiber Festival Inc., event through the Marr Haven Wool Farm, some ten or so years back, when I was in need of wool roving to fashion several, handcrafted Mandela's. They also have what I consider the finest Merino- Rambouillet wool yarn, and as a crocheter, I would recommend it for any high quality item you would care to knit or crochet. It is 100% chemical free, available is some stunning colors, and in this day and age, those facts alone are major milestones that identify the quality of their product.
If the fiber arts are a hobby you enjoy, be sure to check out this all-inclusive festival. It has a lot to offer both the experienced and the newly introduced to the world of fiber arts.
Every spring, I receive a copy of the Fiberline Magazine, an advertisement of sorts for the Michigan Fiber Festival Inc., held at the Allegan County Fairgrounds, in Allegan, Michigan. It is open to the public, and is a five day event filled with workshops on a variety of fiber crafts, including knitting, shuttle tatting, bead and button crafts, spinning, weaving, and many more crafts. The goal of the Michigan Fiber Festival Inc., is listed on the inside of the magazine, and is to promote the interests of individuals and or businesses related to natural fiber, to advance and continue high quality standards of business practice in the natural fiber area, and to further the development and knowledge within the fiber community. Their goal goes on to state that they are an all volunteer membership organization, and after looking through the classes and workshops being offered this year, all I could think again, as I do each year, was Wow!
To start with, if you are interested at all in any fiber arts, and then some, landing a copy of this free magazine is excitement in itself. It is full of ads that can point you in the directions you need to get in contact with the many small farms and businesses around the Michigan area that make available the products and supplies needed to participate in many of the related fiber crafts and hobbies that so many people do. The current copy of the magazine also has articles on issues such as natural dyeing, Alpaca fiber, Icelandic sheep facts, a pattern for socks, a pattern for a bias knit lace scarf, book reviews, and much, much more. One article that I found both entertaining and informative was "Thoughts to Ruminate on for Shearing Day", by Rita Walters with footnotes by Jerry Pepper (the shearer).
There is also information on camping at the five-day event, and obtaining daily passes. If you would rather stay at a local hotel for your lodging, instead of roughing it while camping, the magazine also includes a well rounded list of area lodging choices, including Bead and Breakfast's, hotels, and motels. There are several located in Allegan, Fennville, Kalamazoo, Holland, and a few further out in Plainwell, and at the Byron Center, which is about twenty-five miles out from the location of the festival. A listing of all of the workshops is included towards the back of the magazine, much fiber themed, but not all of them, with detailed descriptions are also included. There is also detailed information about the many displays and competitions, such as the Angora Fleece competition, the Angora Rabbit Skein competition, an Angora Rabbit show, Fiber Goat shows, Fine Arts and Photography competition, and several mini workshops, free demonstrations, and talks. A sampling of the classes, but by no means inclusive of them all includes:
Introduction to Lace
Felt for Hands and Feet
Beautiful Boucles-Plying Against a Thread
Buttons and Beads Polymer Clay
Acid Dyeing
Natural Dyeing
Basic Locker Hooking
Shaker Tape Tote Bag, Basket Weaving
Beginner Weaving
Inkle Weaving
Peg Knitting
Primitive Rug Hooking
Spinning
Absolute Beginning Knitting
Making Glass Beads
The event is also host to a couple children's workshops for ages eight and up, including Kool-Aid Dyed Friendship Bracelets, and Basket Flower Vase.
The magazine includes information on the cost, registration process, and any materials you will need to bring for both the adult and children's classes and workshops.
I was first introduced to the Michigan Fiber Festival Inc., event through the Marr Haven Wool Farm, some ten or so years back, when I was in need of wool roving to fashion several, handcrafted Mandela's. They also have what I consider the finest Merino- Rambouillet wool yarn, and as a crocheter, I would recommend it for any high quality item you would care to knit or crochet. It is 100% chemical free, available is some stunning colors, and in this day and age, those facts alone are major milestones that identify the quality of their product.
If the fiber arts are a hobby you enjoy, be sure to check out this all-inclusive festival. It has a lot to offer both the experienced and the newly introduced to the world of fiber arts.
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