By Christina VanGinkel
When I wrote my previous blog posting, I was thinking about all of the gifts that someone who enjoys a creative hobby could make for their Dad this upcoming Father's Day. This got me thinking about all of the hobbies that many of these same Dads might like to participate in themselves, some of them creative, some of them not, but all things that they seem to talk about yet never take any action towards doing. Maybe they cost a bit too much, or your Dad feels it is something that he has left too long and he might feel a bit too old to have a go at it. That is when I realized that if you cannot come up with a good gift idea for your Dad this Father's Day; why not give them the gift of the hobby of their dreams? Unless your Dad is so old that he cannot get a pass to leave the nursing home, chances are he is plenty young enough to try just about any hobby of his dreams. Maybe it will be a one shot deal, and then again, maybe it will lead to many years of continued joy. Either way, they will realize that at least you were listening all those times they were going on about their interests.
First, consider what hobbies your Dad has talked about through the years, then take action:
Set them up with lessons and an accompanying adventure for anything from riding a motocross bike, deep sea diving, to skydiving. If NASCAR is there thing, check if the closest track to you offers half day, full day, or even week long classes that let participants get behind the wheel, or sit up front with an experienced driver, and experience the thrill of racing first hand. If you do not live close to a big track, check with a smaller track to see if they offer anything similar.
Get him tickets to the sporting event of his dreams, especially if he has made a hobby through the years of following a certain team.
If they have always dreamt of running a marathon or competing in some other sort of race, say bicycling, arrange for them to head to one of these events as a spectator, and maybe talk with one of the promoters about all that is involved.
If you Dad is the sort that has always talked about writing a novel, send him off to a conference. There are writing conferences geared toward various genres all across the United States and Canada. There are even conferences that are situated on board cruises for a vacation of a lifetime. A writers retreat might be just the ideal getaway if a conference seems like too much. Maybe he has not really started writing, so a conference might seem like overkill, while a retreat would provide him with the solitude to reflect on what he would really like to write.
If he enjoys the creative arts, such as painting or working with clay, see if you can find a class on a subject that he does not do, but again, has expressed an interest in, such as a photography class, a class on blowing glass, metalwork, etc.
If one of these examples or something you come up with on your own sounds ideal, but out of your price range, approach your siblings if you have any, and ask them if maybe they would like to split the cost, as this is a great way to make a dream that is a bit costly come true.
Often, the older one gets, the less time they feel they have. When all they really need is a gently push towards these hobbies of their dreams to realize that yes they do have the time for them, and yes they really are, or maybe are not, what they had always hoped they would be. Too often, we do a lot of talking about something, but never get up the speed to take action. Take that step for him by taking matters into your own hands and making all of his fondest wishful thinking a reality. Give your Dad the gift of a new hobby. Give him the permission to experience and try something that he has always dreamed about doing. He might try it and never try it again, or he might be begging you for more of the same when the next gift-giving holiday rolls around!
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Father's Day Gifts to Make
By Christina VanGinkel
If you enjoy any hobby that involves a craft, instead of buying another necktie or some other gift that your Dad will probably not use for this upcoming Father's Day celebration, why not make him something. As adults, we often think that handcrafted gifts are something we should leave to the kids, but as adults, we actually have the advantage of being able to create something our Dads might actually enjoy and or use. At the same time, with budgets popping up everywhere, while we might like to send our Dad off on a cruise, or some other exotic vacation, the funds most likely are just not realistically there. In addition, if you think that there is nothing you could make that would be any better of a hit than that ill-gotten necktie, think again. Not only are there items you can make that he will appreciate, you might even be able to save a few dollars by making over something you already own.
Custom Designed Frame
If you enjoy painting or creating collages, how about transforming a ho-hum picture frame into something that he would proudly display, on his desk at home or work? To start, find a frame that you might have tucked away because it was looking it's age, or it no longer fit in with the decor of you home or the room you had it displayed in. You might also find something suitable at the local dollar store or thrift shop if you cannot find an old one in need of recycling.
Once you have a frame, decide what theme you are going to aim for when considering how and what to cover it with. If your Dad has a particular interest, you could use that for inspiration, or if you have a favorite hobby or thing you two do together, consider that. Camping, football, fishing, golf, reading, NASCAR, or even going to the movies are all subjects that would be good ideas to start with, if any of them are things your Dad, or you and your Dad like to do together. If you happen to scrapbook or make cards, look through your embellishments to see what you can pilfer for this particular craft. Paper die cuts can also be used. Cover them in enamel or even Modge Podge before applying to the frame so that you will still be able to clean it when it is finished. Pop in a favorite picture of the two of you together, and he will proudly display your gift instead of stuffing it with all the other neckties he has received through the years.
Poetry from the Heart
Write you Dad a poem. Make it as mushy or as funny as he is. Even the most un-poetic person can pen a great poem when they consider the person they are writing it about. No one said every poem has to rhyme either, so if yours does not, so what. Just put your feelings down on paper, or the inside of a blank journal, and on Father's Day, your Dad will know just how much you care about him.
Create a Stepping Stone
If your Dad is the gardening type, or even if he just have a favorite spot in the yard that he likes to hang out after a long day at work, make him a stepping stone. You can pick up a kit to handcraft stepping-stones at most lawn and garden shops and sometimes at craft stores. Once you have the basic supplies, consider how you might personalize it. If he is big into fishing for example, consider embedding a couple splashy looking lures around the edge, minus the hooks. On the other hand, go all out artistically, and create a design with broken pottery or marbles, the flat marbles that are used to line vases or layer the bottom of fish tanks with work great too.
Whatever you decide to give your Dad this upcoming Father's Day will surely be welcome, but before you spend a ton of cash for something he really cannot use or will not like, consider what hobbies you enjoy that have a creative side, and contemplate making him something to show him just how much you care!
If you enjoy any hobby that involves a craft, instead of buying another necktie or some other gift that your Dad will probably not use for this upcoming Father's Day celebration, why not make him something. As adults, we often think that handcrafted gifts are something we should leave to the kids, but as adults, we actually have the advantage of being able to create something our Dads might actually enjoy and or use. At the same time, with budgets popping up everywhere, while we might like to send our Dad off on a cruise, or some other exotic vacation, the funds most likely are just not realistically there. In addition, if you think that there is nothing you could make that would be any better of a hit than that ill-gotten necktie, think again. Not only are there items you can make that he will appreciate, you might even be able to save a few dollars by making over something you already own.
Custom Designed Frame
If you enjoy painting or creating collages, how about transforming a ho-hum picture frame into something that he would proudly display, on his desk at home or work? To start, find a frame that you might have tucked away because it was looking it's age, or it no longer fit in with the decor of you home or the room you had it displayed in. You might also find something suitable at the local dollar store or thrift shop if you cannot find an old one in need of recycling.
Once you have a frame, decide what theme you are going to aim for when considering how and what to cover it with. If your Dad has a particular interest, you could use that for inspiration, or if you have a favorite hobby or thing you two do together, consider that. Camping, football, fishing, golf, reading, NASCAR, or even going to the movies are all subjects that would be good ideas to start with, if any of them are things your Dad, or you and your Dad like to do together. If you happen to scrapbook or make cards, look through your embellishments to see what you can pilfer for this particular craft. Paper die cuts can also be used. Cover them in enamel or even Modge Podge before applying to the frame so that you will still be able to clean it when it is finished. Pop in a favorite picture of the two of you together, and he will proudly display your gift instead of stuffing it with all the other neckties he has received through the years.
Poetry from the Heart
Write you Dad a poem. Make it as mushy or as funny as he is. Even the most un-poetic person can pen a great poem when they consider the person they are writing it about. No one said every poem has to rhyme either, so if yours does not, so what. Just put your feelings down on paper, or the inside of a blank journal, and on Father's Day, your Dad will know just how much you care about him.
Create a Stepping Stone
If your Dad is the gardening type, or even if he just have a favorite spot in the yard that he likes to hang out after a long day at work, make him a stepping stone. You can pick up a kit to handcraft stepping-stones at most lawn and garden shops and sometimes at craft stores. Once you have the basic supplies, consider how you might personalize it. If he is big into fishing for example, consider embedding a couple splashy looking lures around the edge, minus the hooks. On the other hand, go all out artistically, and create a design with broken pottery or marbles, the flat marbles that are used to line vases or layer the bottom of fish tanks with work great too.
Whatever you decide to give your Dad this upcoming Father's Day will surely be welcome, but before you spend a ton of cash for something he really cannot use or will not like, consider what hobbies you enjoy that have a creative side, and contemplate making him something to show him just how much you care!
Friday, June 02, 2006
Paper Piercing and Supplies
By Christina VanGinkel
When I think I could not ever find another hobby that I would enjoy as much as I do those I already participate in, along will come something like paper piercing. Paper piercing is actually an ancient craft, dating back many centuries, but the most compelling fact of it is, is that I have many papers and vellums suitable for piercing that I already possess for my scrapbooking and card making hobbies. All I needed to acquire when I first saw a framed piece of paper piercing, and decided I would love to try to make my own piece, were the tools that make the holes themselves. You can also buy templates (I have seen some gorgeous brass ones) that you can use repeatedly, but they are by no means required.
I was drawn to this craft because it opened up new dimensions when working with my scrapbook pages and cards. I was also interested in creating a couple of framed pieces of cutwork for my entryway, but when I saw how lovely the paper piercing was, I realized that it would be much more interesting to make an assortment of framed pieces, covering several different paper working techniques. So far, I have decided to do a paper piercing of the word Welcome, with a floral border, and another one depicting the word Welcome in intricate Scherenschnitte.
Paper piercing is what it sounds like. Designs are created by piercing the paper. Depending on the tools used, and the thickness of the paper, the designs created will vary in intricacy. Vellum that has been pierced will actually take on the look of old-fashioned lace if done correctly. Part of the illusion is created when the vellum turns darker around the holes from the pressure of the piercing, with larger holes obviously causing a darker surrounding area, and with finer holes not causing such a prominent white area, but still enough to lend to the look of thread and needle.
Giving computer-produced items a look of handcrafting is another great way to use the paper piercing techniques. If you have a nice picture or piece of clipart that would great on a note card for example, yet be a bit on the plain side by itself, creating a bit of paper piercing in alternating corners would be a great way to provide somewhat of a frame for the item, without adding more color which can sometimes be just to overbearing. Paper piercing the corners or even a border will add just enough of another element to make the finished piece stand out, but not so much that it is overkill.
I have seen some good results of paper piercing made with handcrafted piercers, nothing more than an eraser or piece of cork, with needles of various thicknesses inserted snugly into them, but to get the best results with the least bother, I would recommend investing in a few piercing tools created just for the hobby of paper piercing itself. I found my first piercing tool at Joann's online and two other sizes at Nordic Needle online. I also made my first piece with my paper laid over a mouse pad, but the mouse pad was smaller than the piece of paper I was working on and it left creases along the one side of the paper. I was working with vellum though, and I doubt this would have happened with a heavier paper. For future projects though, I invested in a self-healing quilter's mat. This gives me something to lay the piece I am working on flat, and provides a simple way for me to pierce the paper without having to worry about poking through into a table surface or something that will not give enough for the design to look its very best. If you are just starting out though, and do not want to invest any more than you have to, a mouse pad will work fine. Once you progress to larger pieces, you can then decide if buying something larger, such as a quilting mat is worth it or not. Also, look around your craft room or tote of supplies to see if you have something similar that might also work for this. Many scrap bookers might already own a cutting mat of some sort that might suffice.
When I think I could not ever find another hobby that I would enjoy as much as I do those I already participate in, along will come something like paper piercing. Paper piercing is actually an ancient craft, dating back many centuries, but the most compelling fact of it is, is that I have many papers and vellums suitable for piercing that I already possess for my scrapbooking and card making hobbies. All I needed to acquire when I first saw a framed piece of paper piercing, and decided I would love to try to make my own piece, were the tools that make the holes themselves. You can also buy templates (I have seen some gorgeous brass ones) that you can use repeatedly, but they are by no means required.
I was drawn to this craft because it opened up new dimensions when working with my scrapbook pages and cards. I was also interested in creating a couple of framed pieces of cutwork for my entryway, but when I saw how lovely the paper piercing was, I realized that it would be much more interesting to make an assortment of framed pieces, covering several different paper working techniques. So far, I have decided to do a paper piercing of the word Welcome, with a floral border, and another one depicting the word Welcome in intricate Scherenschnitte.
Paper piercing is what it sounds like. Designs are created by piercing the paper. Depending on the tools used, and the thickness of the paper, the designs created will vary in intricacy. Vellum that has been pierced will actually take on the look of old-fashioned lace if done correctly. Part of the illusion is created when the vellum turns darker around the holes from the pressure of the piercing, with larger holes obviously causing a darker surrounding area, and with finer holes not causing such a prominent white area, but still enough to lend to the look of thread and needle.
Giving computer-produced items a look of handcrafting is another great way to use the paper piercing techniques. If you have a nice picture or piece of clipart that would great on a note card for example, yet be a bit on the plain side by itself, creating a bit of paper piercing in alternating corners would be a great way to provide somewhat of a frame for the item, without adding more color which can sometimes be just to overbearing. Paper piercing the corners or even a border will add just enough of another element to make the finished piece stand out, but not so much that it is overkill.
I have seen some good results of paper piercing made with handcrafted piercers, nothing more than an eraser or piece of cork, with needles of various thicknesses inserted snugly into them, but to get the best results with the least bother, I would recommend investing in a few piercing tools created just for the hobby of paper piercing itself. I found my first piercing tool at Joann's online and two other sizes at Nordic Needle online. I also made my first piece with my paper laid over a mouse pad, but the mouse pad was smaller than the piece of paper I was working on and it left creases along the one side of the paper. I was working with vellum though, and I doubt this would have happened with a heavier paper. For future projects though, I invested in a self-healing quilter's mat. This gives me something to lay the piece I am working on flat, and provides a simple way for me to pierce the paper without having to worry about poking through into a table surface or something that will not give enough for the design to look its very best. If you are just starting out though, and do not want to invest any more than you have to, a mouse pad will work fine. Once you progress to larger pieces, you can then decide if buying something larger, such as a quilting mat is worth it or not. Also, look around your craft room or tote of supplies to see if you have something similar that might also work for this. Many scrap bookers might already own a cutting mat of some sort that might suffice.
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