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!
Saturday, June 03, 2006
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.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Sports Card Collecting
By Christina VanGinkel
This morning, I opened up a box of cereal and out fell a Mark Teixeira card, of the Texas Rangers. It is an individual card, sealed in plastic, and is and Upper Deck card. This got me thinking about all of the baseball and football cards that my youngest son has collected through the years. He has folders of sports trading cards, with each card in a plastic sleeve to protect it from damage. He also has boxes of sports trading cards, some that were passed down to him from his cousin, and some from his older brother. Many of those that are loose are ones that he bought his self too, and just never got around to placing into folders. All of these are stored on shelves and in boxes in the top of his closet, out of the way for now, but never far from reach or from mind.
When he was just a bit younger, he would sit for hours on end, going though the cards almost every evening, matching up what he thought would be the all-star baseball or football team of his dreams. He would check stats both past and present, and ask his dad every so often for advice of some sort or another in relation to how a player might be currently rating out on the field. When he had a birthday or other occasion he needed a gift for, you knew you were tops on his list if he shared one or two of his favorite cards with you. The year my husband was in a devastating accident that left him in a wheelchair for some time, he made his dad a framed collage of some of their favorite players. He also took his favorite card of all time, an Emmitt Smith card from the Dallas Cowboy NFL team, and framed it in a simple frame he bought at the dollar store. My husband will cherish these until the day he leaves this world for good!
He has not spent much time with his collection in the last year or two, what with real life baseball and football, along with several other sports such as snowboarding taking up most of his free time. Still, his collection is never far from reach and I know that it will be something he most likely keeps into adulthood, possibly passing it down to some future child of his own some day.
Baseball card collecting has long been a hobby for both the young and old alike. Along with cards representing other sports, such as football, hockey, even wrestling, there are cards available that are attractive to those who enjoy the sports these cards are representative of.
Early baseball cards were given away in products such as Cracker Jack boxes, and when I was a kid, I can remember buying a single piece of bubble gum just to get a couple of cards. When my oldest son was in elementary school, he use to buy packs of assorted cards at the local grocery store whenever he could save up about a dollar. By this time, they had excluded the gum and you were just buying the cards.
Baseball and other sports trading cards are fun in several ways. If you get a double, and who has not at some time, it may be something that you want to hold onto. Maybe the player is a favorite, or you have an idea that the card might eventually go on to be worth money. Other wise, the card is prime for trading. Maybe you know someone who has a card you do want, and that same person wants the card you are willing to trade. Maybe a deal can be struck, and once it has been, the trade is made, hence the reference to many of these cards, being called trading cards.
Card shows are also quite popular events these days, with some small enough to be set up at some other event, such as a mee4ting of boy or girl scouts. Other times, the event is so large, that dealers drive in from all across the country to set up their wares, with tables filling a whole stadium. Often, other sports collectibles are also sold and traded at these events, but the sports trading cards themselves are still the number one attraction.
This morning, I opened up a box of cereal and out fell a Mark Teixeira card, of the Texas Rangers. It is an individual card, sealed in plastic, and is and Upper Deck card. This got me thinking about all of the baseball and football cards that my youngest son has collected through the years. He has folders of sports trading cards, with each card in a plastic sleeve to protect it from damage. He also has boxes of sports trading cards, some that were passed down to him from his cousin, and some from his older brother. Many of those that are loose are ones that he bought his self too, and just never got around to placing into folders. All of these are stored on shelves and in boxes in the top of his closet, out of the way for now, but never far from reach or from mind.
When he was just a bit younger, he would sit for hours on end, going though the cards almost every evening, matching up what he thought would be the all-star baseball or football team of his dreams. He would check stats both past and present, and ask his dad every so often for advice of some sort or another in relation to how a player might be currently rating out on the field. When he had a birthday or other occasion he needed a gift for, you knew you were tops on his list if he shared one or two of his favorite cards with you. The year my husband was in a devastating accident that left him in a wheelchair for some time, he made his dad a framed collage of some of their favorite players. He also took his favorite card of all time, an Emmitt Smith card from the Dallas Cowboy NFL team, and framed it in a simple frame he bought at the dollar store. My husband will cherish these until the day he leaves this world for good!
He has not spent much time with his collection in the last year or two, what with real life baseball and football, along with several other sports such as snowboarding taking up most of his free time. Still, his collection is never far from reach and I know that it will be something he most likely keeps into adulthood, possibly passing it down to some future child of his own some day.
Baseball card collecting has long been a hobby for both the young and old alike. Along with cards representing other sports, such as football, hockey, even wrestling, there are cards available that are attractive to those who enjoy the sports these cards are representative of.
Early baseball cards were given away in products such as Cracker Jack boxes, and when I was a kid, I can remember buying a single piece of bubble gum just to get a couple of cards. When my oldest son was in elementary school, he use to buy packs of assorted cards at the local grocery store whenever he could save up about a dollar. By this time, they had excluded the gum and you were just buying the cards.
Baseball and other sports trading cards are fun in several ways. If you get a double, and who has not at some time, it may be something that you want to hold onto. Maybe the player is a favorite, or you have an idea that the card might eventually go on to be worth money. Other wise, the card is prime for trading. Maybe you know someone who has a card you do want, and that same person wants the card you are willing to trade. Maybe a deal can be struck, and once it has been, the trade is made, hence the reference to many of these cards, being called trading cards.
Card shows are also quite popular events these days, with some small enough to be set up at some other event, such as a mee4ting of boy or girl scouts. Other times, the event is so large, that dealers drive in from all across the country to set up their wares, with tables filling a whole stadium. Often, other sports collectibles are also sold and traded at these events, but the sports trading cards themselves are still the number one attraction.
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