Hobbiez.com

By Christina VanGinkel

After you have scrapped a while, you might find yourself running out of ideas to scrap. Never, you might say. It does happen though, especially if you are a prolific scrapper. One day you find yourself nearing the bottom of the photos you had picked out to scrap, no holidays are approaching, no birthdays, Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, not even a new pet in the family. Do not sink into depression; you just have not thought it through enough. There are always ideas waiting to be scrapped, you just have to be resourceful when it comes to recognizing what some of them are. Surprisingly, you can often find some fantastic ideas to scrap from your everyday life. Things we often take for granted, are some of the very things that define us, that make us who we are. Try to capture some of these, the more mundane moments of your lives, and when some future generation sits down with our scrapbooks filled with memories, they will be better able to glimpse whom the real we were!

With that in mind, think of what makes you, you, what you like to do, what you do not like to do, people you meet in an ordinary day, etc. I have jotted down a few ideas also to get you stared. Happy Scrapping!

Walk outside your door with your camera and take a picture. Maybe of the walkway, or your mailbox, how about the street that runs in front of your house, or even your neighbor or their house, which you have lived next to for ten years but other than an occasional wave, you do not know because they are a homebody. Create a layout of what it is that you first notice each day when you go out. Journal with the pictures that you capture where you go each morning, to a job, to bring your kids to school, just to open the door and pick up the paper and close it again because you work from home.(That last one would be me!) When you consider just how much this simple part of the day helps define who we are, it can be quite surprising.

If you or someone in your family eats the same thing every single day, such as a bowl of oatmeal or a half a bagel, with no variation, scrap it. Take a photo of the person and food and either create some typical journaling, or maybe do a question and answer with them, much the same, as you would find in an interview.

If you go to a gym each week, or belong to an exercise group, create a layout about why you joined and what you have accomplished so far, and what you hope to accomplish in the future.

If you are a gardener, scrap your garden in both the highlight of the season and the off-season. A garden is often a very personal reflection of the gardener, so combining the two into a scrapbook layout only makes sense.

Piles of laundry to be washed or folded, dishes to be washed, a lawn desperately in need of mowing, what is your least favorite household task to do? Catalogue it for posterity through an eye opening scrapbook layout.

Our elderly relatives have a lot to say about who we are, in the same way that someday our kids will be a reflection of us. If you would love to create a scrapbook about an elderly relative, but do not have many, if any, photographs, take some of items that in some way bring forth memories of that relative. My youngest son recalls his great grandmother as his Cookie Grandma, for the fact that when he was little, she always had a cookie for him when he came to visit. While we do have photos of her, I created a scrapbook layout for his book that I have been working on, focused around a photograph of a plate of cookies. The plate is the same one she always had on her counter, the same one she often used to stack cookies on fresh from the oven for company.

Life is what makes each scrapbook the very personal entity that each one becomes when completed. Capturing some of the most basic pieces of it is only fitting. Scrapbook something that makes each day a slice of life and you will never run out of ideas to scrap.

Scrapbooking is one of the most favored hobbies around right now. I myself have a problem with spending all my money on supplies and taking never ending photographs to use on the pages of my albums. Scrapbooking is something that has so many options and so many possibilities that you can never get bored with it. It allows you to create a legacy for the future and preserves memories in a way that nothing else can.

Right now the scrapbooking industry is booming. Twenty five percent of all households have participated in scrapbooking in the last year. All kinds of events are now offered for scrapbookers. Weather you are relatively new to the craft or if you have been doing it for years there is something out there for you. There are conventions, workshops, and even scrapbooking retreats or camps. They really give you the opportunity to met others that enjoy the same things as you and also learn new techniques or get ideas. Plus, it is a chance to get away from the husband or the kids and just do what you love to do.

I recently discovered that there is a scrapbooking camp local to me that I have never heard anything about. Amazing that it has been there a while and I never even knew. Now I am in the process of begging my husband to send me there as my anniversary present. For anyone who would be interested in that sort of thing you should try looking around on the internet for things in you area. You will be surprised at what you find.

Besides going to local workshops and such there are tons of resources on the internet to help with any of your scrapbooking needs. Websites that offer supplies that you can buy in case there isn't much to choose from in your local area. There are how to articles and layouts that you can try. Most even offer quotes for any occasion and message boards and chats where scrapbookers can share their ideas over the computer. It is a online community of people trying to achieve the same thing.

For people who have never tried it or have never even given it a thought should really take the time to find out more about it. Everyone takes photos and we all take them for the same reason, because we do not want to forget the special events or occasions in our lives. We all want to be able to look back at the great things that have happened to make our lives what they are and scrapbooking is a great way to take all those photos and organize them and then highlight them in a unique way. No matter how many pages you complete or how many ideas you use from others, there will never be two pages that the same and that to me is part of what makes scrapbooking a hobby that just stands out from the rest.

Right now my husband and I are expecting, so very soon my scrapbooking will be going into overdrive. I am sure I will be feeling the need to place every picture ever taken of the baby in an album. Albums are great to have around to show friends and family and among other things they are great to give as gifts.

One of my favorite things to do is to buy mini albums and make them for specific people about a certain occasion or having a theme going through the whole album. They are great for birthdays, Christmas, or anniversaries. They are also great for graduations, bridal showers, or even baby showers. If you are like me and you have pets that are more like children than actual animals you can always make an album designed around them.

Albums are always great to put together for your vacations too. Honeymoons or weekend trips to the mountains or to the beach. Also, road trips or camping trips are always a good idea. The possibilities go on and on. The longer you do it the more of an addiction it becomes but an addiction with incredible results. I recommend for anyone who has never tried to give it a go. Even people who do not think that they have the time should try it at least once and I bet that most of you will realize soon after that you might be able to squeeze it in once a week.

By Crystal Bowden

One of the hardest things about being a dog breeder is saying goodbye to the dogs you've come to know and love as your own. We had to do this for the first time this summer. We sold our first puppy to a woman in MA, near Boston. Kathleen, the very nice woman who adopted our puppy Juniper, (now called Nanook), met me as I came out of the gate - she was as close as security would let her get, and the minute she saw that it was me who was carrying a bag with a puppy inside of it, she dropped to one knee and was so excited that by the time I finally got to her I think she might have been crying just a little bit. She reached out her arms for the dog, and on second thought looked at me and said "I'm Kathleen, Its nice to finally meet you", before returning to Juni. I took him out of the kennel right away and she took him and said "Hello Sweetheart", but she said it in a Boston accent, which will always stay with me. "Hello, Sweethart", she said to him. And then it was my turn to get just a little bit teary-eyed, because that little Sweethart turned to her and licked her nose. At that moment, Kathleen and Nanook fell in love. And I felt ok.

I'd been dreading giving him up, you know. This whole time we'd assumed we'd be selling both Juniper and Daisy, and so we prepared ourselves for that right from the get-go. ... and then Tony started saying it would be just fine with HIM if we kept Daisy, and I started saying that would be alright with me as well. By that time I'd had this home here in MA lined up for Juni, so I knew he was going to a good place... and ever since we decided for sure to keep Daisy I'd been kind of counting the days in my head - "he's got three more weeks with his family".... and it just about broke my heart to millions of peices, so I stopped thinking about it. But boy, that last night in the hotel was hard. Letting Daisy sleep with her brother in the kennel one last time... knowing they'd say goodbye without even knowing they were being separated form each other - uffda. That was almost too much.

But we got up, and Tony took me to the airport. I put Juni in his carrier and he touched noses with Daisy through the kennel. Then, he and I were off. Tony says the other dogs were concerned when he came back to the car and Juni and I weren't with him. But they are dogs, after all. And they do adapt. And they are safe at home with Tony and will be fine.

Juni was great on the airplane. He didn't make a peep, just slep there in his basket the whole time, and when we finally arrived he seemed to know that something - SOMETHING - was happening.

And then I handed him to Kathleen. And she plastered his little doggy face with kisses, and told him that his daddy was waiting for him at work, and he had a big brother doggie that was just dying to meet his new little playmate and best friend.

And then she shook my hand, and she gave him to me to kiss for a moment while she signed the contract. I snuggled my face into his floppy ears, and he kissed me. And I chose, at that moment, to not be sad. I made a choice, an absolute choice - because the first moment Kathleen had called him her Sweethart, I had known in my own heart that this was a very, very good place for him to go.

I said my goodbyes, and I watched them leave together - and I thought to myeslf that this whole breeding of dogs thing isn't going to be that hard. Oh yes, I love Juniper, and oh dear I will miss his sweet little face and his floppy ears - but the way that that woman called him her sweethart will always be prominent in my ears. I know that I have done a good thing here - that WE have done a good thing here. We have raised up a good little boy puppy and we have loved him and taught him all that time would allow us to teach. And he has gone out into the world to complete the lives of two people and one other dog.

When I get home from Boston I will look at our three doggies - and I will pet them and I will cuddle them, and I will know how happy they have made me and Tony. I will always remember Juni, for he was the first puppy we raised and handed over to some other forever home. I will remember him always, but it will be without sadness. Because I know he is warm and safe and happy and loved - he is someone's Sweethart - and THAT is what will always remain most important.

Our dogs keep us very busy indeed. We have a system worked out in our kitchen. Once they have gone outside to do their business in the morning, they can be safely penned into the kitchen. They can't get to the rest of the house, and Tony and I can even go back to sleep! They have become the joys of our lives lately. My parent's dog, Rx, is a hoot to visit and fun to be around. Willie and Wicket have pretty much taken command of me and Tony's life! Willie is a tiny dog. She is very skinny and very light, and her eyes are two different colors. One is brown, one is blue.
You'd think for something so small she might be meek and quiet -or at least a little unsure of herself. She is none of these things. Willie will bark at, and would attack, anything. She leaps 3 foot high baby-gates with no problems what so ever - when there is something on the other side she wants to have, like a cat or a person she loves. On the other hand, when she feels like being a baby, she can't jump over something knee high to us. She whines when she is left alone, and will smother our faces with kisses the moment she sees us. She steals paper from the trash and shreds it into tiny pieces, leaving them all over the house. She strains on her leash to confront Malamutes or German Shepards - because no matter how small she is, she must ALWAYS, ALWAYS be the boss. She knows her name and she knows how to come.. and she COULD know how to sit, but most of the time she just doesn't WANT to sit. She growls at pigs ears, and attacks anything that comes in the way of her chewing one of them. She cries in the morning when she wakes up without her people around her, and when she rides in the car she curls up on whoever's lap is situated in the passenger seat. She is a lovable dog - except that for some reason she has taken a dislike to my brothers. We can't figure out why she doesn't like them, and have concluded that sometime in her early months living in Colorado a blond haired boy must have done something wrong to her. With other people she is cautious at first, but if she warms up to them she is lovable beyond belief.
Wicket is our little man. He is bigger than Willie but much more hesitant than she is. He is afraid of doors sometimes and will freak out on his leash for no reason whatsoever. He makes noises like an Ewok, quite appropriately, or like some kind of very cute alien. He loves people VERY much, and only barks at my brothers when Willie does. IN fact, Wicket does most everything Willie does. He can't quite jump over the baby gates like she can, either that or he is afraid to, but he will sure tell us when she has. He will put his paws up onto the top of the gate and cry and cry when Willie has made an escape. He is a closet-chewer - he will steal things when we aren't looking and destroy them before we notice they are gone - but he won't touch the many chew toys we have given him. He also has a fascination for licking fabric. Seat covers, blankets, rugs, carpet. He licks his paws as well, just like a cat. He loves cheerios and knows how to come, reluctantly, and how to go into his kennel when we tell him. Of course, only if Willie has already gone. Wicket loves to sit in the space between the front seats in the van that Tony drives, and tries very hard to deny that he loves the scratching he is always getting. He doesn't whine at all, and only gets lonely if he is by himself for a long period of time. Nothing seems to bother or concern him very much, as long as Willie is near to show him what to do. He loves Willie most of all, and loves whomever she is loving most at the moment. He is a follower, but a very cute one at that!!
When we go to bed, Wicket and Willie get treats and spend the night in their kennel. They are mostly quiet for the whole night. When we were living at my parents' house, they would go to sleep around midnight or one in the morning, and cry first around nine AM. We decided to try the "cheerio trick". Eileen, the women we had bought the dogs from, had told us that the puppies LOVED honey-nut cheerios. So when they cried in the morning, I would get up, give them some cheerios, cover the kennel back up again and go back to bed; and it worked! I would get up when I heard her cry, give them 15 or 20 cheerios in a bowl, and they would sleep again until whenever WE got up. We thought we were so lucky, having dogs that liked to sleep in! How great is it that WE would get the two dogs that liked to sleep all day, just as much as we did! My mom would tell us about Rx, and how he sometimes had trouble staying asleep all night, and I would think that we were very lucky that Willie and Wicket were so well behaved.
But apparently, moving to a new house changes things. In our new apartment, the kennel is situated in the kitchen. For the first few nights, before we moved the cats over to our new house, we slept with our bedroom door open so that we could hear anything we might need to hear from the kennel. I was perplexed the first night when Willie cried nearly the WHOLE period of sleep time. We chalked it up to her being in heat for the first time, and hoped that the next night it would go differently. It didn't get much better.
Tony and I decided that perhaps the puppies could hear us getting up to use the bathroom, so we put the dehumidifier next to their kennel and made sure to run a fan near them. We were sure this "white-noise" would keep them from hearing US and hopefully help them to sleep longer. When the puppies still cried a few times in the night, I decided that perhaps that kitchen was too bright. I re-vamped their kennel, covering it with first a black sheet and then a heavy comforter, in order to block all of the light. And I DID block the light. And Willie and Wicket started sleeping - through the night, that is. We would go to bed around the same time we went to bed in the summer. But the moment the "morning" came, Willie would wake up and start to cry. I would get up, give them some cheerios, and go back to bed. But it never last for very long. And it was certainly earlier than 9 AM as it had been in the summer. Willie would cry for the first time around 8, a couple of weeks after we moved in. And the cheerios would last her until ALMOST nine. But as the days living at 811 wore on, it began to get earlier and earlier.
Every morning, Willie would cry for the first time about 10 minutes earlier than she had the morning before. And the "cheerio trick" would last for even less. It got to the point when she was waking for the first time around 6, and ten minutes later she was barking, wanting OUT of the kennel. And the cheerios had completely worn off. We wonder now, if it was perhaps that the dogs just got bored with honey-nut cheerios. They DID love them, when we first got them, but by the middle of September, when Willie was crying at 6, cheerios were nothing of a joy to them. We think that once we started spoiling them with the world of pig ears and t-bone flavored treats, the cheerios were simply nothing to write home about. Or nothing to go back to sleep about, either way.
And so, we developed a way that they could be safe and sound in the kitchen in the early morning. When 6 would come around, and they would cry, I would sometimes give them treats, and hope it worked, and I would sometimes just give up and take them out to go to the bathroom.
Because of how busy we have been, and with homework and work, Tony and I haven't been going to bed until 2 or even 3 some nights. That meant that 3 hours after I had gone to bed, I was getting up and taking dogs out, and then locking them in the kitchen. As the days wore on, I found myself becoming more and more tired. Try as I might I could not get the dogs to sleep past 6. If we kept them up until 3 or 4, they STILL wouldn't sleep any later than 6. After awhile, I had resigned myself to never getting any more sleep, EVER. I grew quite accustomed to sleeping for a few hours, letting dogs out, bringing them in, barricading them in the kitchen with fresh food and water and treats, and then trying to catch a few more hours of sleep before my classes began.

We had our worst morning of all. That day, Willie was up, actually up, at 10 minutes to 6. That was just unfathomable! 5:50 is pretty much still night time! With the onset of the fall, it was no longer even about getting up with the sun. It was simply getting up! We were VERY frustrated indeed. Tony and I got tickets to see a concert in Minneapolis. We were very excited because we love to go to shows, we love to go to the city and, most of all we just needed a vacation! Grandma Diane agreed to watch Wicket and Willie while we went to see our show. We left them at the house in town on Sunday morning and headed to Minneapolis. We DID miss the little black and white dog lying between the seats, and the little grey wolf-dog lying curled up on the passenger's lap. But we looked forward VERY much to getting a full nights sleep - perhaps even sleeping in a bit.

The concert was fantastic, both of us agreed that both bands put on the best shows we have ever seen them do, and as we put the "do not disturb" sign on the hotel room door and shut off the lights, I pulled the curtains extra tight along the window, vowing that we would NOT get up until we FELT like it. And we slept soundly. Until 7:00 the next morning.

As it turns out, the person staying across the hall from us had a large dog staying with him. At 7, he left the hotel room and must have had his dog sitting in the hallway right outside our room as he locked his door. The sun had barely begun to sneak through the heavy curtains when both of us were jolted out of a sound sleep. "WOOOF! WOOOF!!" ..... "WOOOF!!! WOOOFFF!!!"

Tony grunted.

"You've GOT to be kidding me."

I guess, when you truly ARE dog people, there is no escaping the barking, or the whining, or the dog hair all over everything. At the very least, the dog outside was none of our concern, and we could roll over and go to sleep without trying to blindly find the box of cheerios. Sure, its a little less sleep. We're getting used to it. And actually, I am proud to report that the last week or so, Willie has relaxed quite a bit. In fact, this very morning I was able to sleep until 8:30 before she got me up. I count that as sleeping in now.

By Brandi M. Seals

Is your husband or wife constantly telling you that you need to do something with your time? Or are you otherwise just looking for a way to fill some of your free time with something that will make you happy? You are in need of a new hobby.

There are plenty of hobbies out there. Collect baseball cards, scrapbook all your memories, or record everything with a camera. When looking for a new hobby it can often be hard to decide if you are really going to like something. Often times, new hobbies have considerable start up cost. Next time you are looking to try something new but do not want to be out an arm and a leg, try one of the following hobbies. They are great fun and considerably low-costing.

1.) Running
Running is a great way to burn some calories, get into shape, and get some fresh air. As long as you are not suffering from some age old injury to your ankle or knees, running should work for anyone. The only supplies new runners will need are some work out clothes and a good pair of shoes. Once you have that simply lace up a pair of running sneakers and pick a path.

Safety is always very important, so if you will be running alone, make sure it is in an open area where lots of people can see you. It is also a good idea to very your routine, especially if you like to run in the early morning or late evenings. Someone could pick up on your habits and use that to their advantage.

2.) Cooking
You have got to eat anyway, so why not hone your cooking skills. Next time you are making dinner for your family try out a new recipe. As long as you don't go too hard on your first try, you will probably have all the equipment in your kitchen already. And, if cost is a concern, just pick recipes with low-costing ingredients.

If you are already a master at Italian cuisine, perhaps it is time to tackle a new genre. Or, if you are a cooking pro, try baking. Producing yummy, gooey brownies may be harder than you thought - especially if you are not using a boxed mix.

3.) Photography
Photography was once quite a pricey hobby to have, but now just about anyone can afford to become an amateur photographer. Do not run out and buy a $900 digital SLR or even a $300 film SLR. See if you like photography first by using the point and shoot camera you already have. Start looking for shots that are not your typical shot of the kids. Look at flowers, landscapes and more. Once you develop an eye for the perfect photography you may wish to upgrade your equipment.

If you like an automated camera, buy a digital. You can get excellent pictures from even a moderately priced digital camera. When purchasing, make sure the camera has enough memory to satisfy you and a zoom of at least 10. If you shop at the right time, this type of camera does not have to cost more than $250.

If you are looking to control everything yourself, perhaps look into getting a film SLR camera. They generally run several hundred dollars under their digital counterparts, but will require you to spend money for the film development. But, the upfront savings may be just what you need.

4.) Knitting
There are few other hobbies that have as low of a start up costs as knitting. An initial investment in some knitting needles and a skein of yarn is all you need. That is what, maybe $20? Such a small investment can lead to you making all sorts of things.

If you want to take up knitting but do not know how to knit, it is time to cozy up to your mom, grandma or friend that knows how. It is fairly easy to pick up and after awhile you will be amazed at how fast you can turn out wash clothes, scarves, and even socks.

Don't know anyone who knows how to knit? There are instructions available on several websites, just use a search engine to search "how to knit". You may also be able to find a knitting class at your local craft store. One course should be all you need for the more basic knitting projects.

By Christina VanGinkel

If your scrapbook layouts are all starting to look alike, and you want to bring some zest to the next ones that you make, maybe its time to spice them up a bit. You know how it is, you get comfortable using the same techniques and supplies, which are fine, but then you never try anything new. Before you know it, you have a first hand account of what a cookie cutter layout means, and it is not a cute rendition of you and your sister in the kitchen whipping up a batch of frosting! What you need is some life in those layouts, and I mean that literally.

Be realistic. Consider what each of your layouts has in common. Then browse some online galleries to see what others are doing. Take notes if it will help when you remember a style that makes you take notice. Like anything else in life, it is easy to get in a rut. We become comfortable in the sameness of our ways, and forget about all the other options we have for creating layouts than those we are most use to doing. Sure, we browse the galleries, but once we close our browser, we forget what it was we saw, even if it was something that we really liked. If we actually write down what it is we like about another person's work, and pull that note out and read it the next time we sit down to create in our scrapbooks, the more apt we will be to climb out of that rut. Once you have successfully created a layout different from what you normally do, and are inspired to go even further, try to define your own style, the style that you know is hiding in you, just waiting to be defined.

Begin by browsing the web in general and when you see a website that you like aesthetically, ask yourself what it is that caught your attention. Is it a combination of colors or perceived textures? Maybe they have the title of the website done up in a way that you never gave a thought to. Do they have interactive parts to their site? If they do, is there a way you could create your own interactive element within your next layout? Inspiration can often come to us from unusual places, and websites are just one of many places we Scrapbookers can gleam some motivation from. Because it is not just another scrapbook layout though, we are being forced to question what it is we like in a more general way.

Next, ask yourself what you like when it comes to other styles. Is your home furnished in a singular style, say Victorian or early English, maybe rustic country, or is it more of an eclectic style, with a bit of everything tossed together for good measure? What do you like about the style your home is furnished around? Ask yourself how you could transfer some of those same style ideas onto your pages. What type of vehicle do you drive? Do you think that this has anything to do with what you like fashion wise or was it just too good a buy to pass up? By going through these questions, you can candidly start to perceive a realistic look at what you like and why. Once you have built up some answers to these questions, and are starting to understand your own likes and dislikes, consider how you can transfer these things you have learned about yourself to your next layout, the layout that will make others say Wow, and be the layout that they want to copy from you!

Most importantly, do not be afraid to borrow elements from your own life when you begin to gain an understanding of what it is you like. Just because the latest designers are hot with everyone else, do not feel like you have to create every one of your year's layouts to fit their designs. Some of the best layouts I have ever seen are ones that began with nothing more than a basic piece of cardstock and embellished with pieces of this and that from the creator's life. Alter basic supplies to fit your vision, pound out metal, burnish paper, tear the edges off things, dip them in dyes, look over items before you toss them to see if there is anything you can salvage to use on a layout, such as buttons and rickrack.

When you let life into your layouts, you will find yourself on top of that rut looking in, amidst the sounds of growing Wows as others take stock of what you have created

By Christina VanGinkel

I have found myself checking other people's signatures on the crafting boards I visit lately to see if they have a blog or website related to the hobby we share. Why the sudden fascination, I am not sure. People have been putting address in their signatures for quite some time, but until very recently I have ignored them. Then, one day out of total curiosity and a bit of writer's block I might add, I decided to click on one.

What I discovered was like a completely new world, with people sharing insights into the hobbies that they love. Tips on buying hobby supplies, how they used something in a way it was not intended, stories about hobby conventions and sales, and directions to shows. I also discovered tips on hotels to stay in, and eateries to avoid if going to a show being mentioned in the blog or on the website, even links to numerous small stores that catered to the particular hobby under discussion, stores that others might overlook because they are local or so small that they do not really have an advertising budget.

Beyond this though, I found personal essays about why people partake in the hobbies they love, stories about how they started, who turned them on to the hobby, how time spent participating in the hobby is like self treatment, therapy for the masses who cannot afford therapy other than the retail kind. I discovered such intimate details amongst many of these hobby related blogs that at times I felt as if I were eavesdropping on someone's private life, their very private life at that.

Many of the blogs and websites offer up specific information on why or why not to buy something or attend a specific event. When I read that someone has tried a technique I was considering, or tested out a product I was considering buying, it is like having my own personal shoppers and testers. I can read through why they liked a show they attended one year, and why they are going back the next, and at the same time, why they are never going to another party with such and such a company again, no matter how significant the hostess benefits are.

Each blog is usually a bit of self-discovery for the reader too. People often feel a connection with the readers they hope to attract. People who have a love of a hobby they both share, and in this sameness, they often spill out personal stories about their lives, their kids, their loves, their losses.

If you think creating a blog or website about a hobby you love is something you would like to do, check out one of the many free places online that will provide you with web space to do just that. Most offer at least some limited picture space, while others offer up quite a bit of bandwidth for those who want to share pictures related to the hobbies they love. Scrapbookers especially would do well to find a site that is going to offer them enough space to upload the occasional layout.

You can find free blog sites to post online by typing in what you are searching for in any major search engine. Sometimes being specific is a good idea, other times it will do nothing more than provide you with blogs on the subject. For example, if you would like to create a blog about scrapbooking, type in 'free scrapbook blog'. You will find several that cater to those wanting to upload pictures. If typing in a specific hobby does not bring up a match, just do a general search for 'free blog'. If a website is more to your way of thinking, type in 'free website'. If you insert a specific hobby, you are more likely to come up with websites about the hobby itself than you are places that are offering up free space. Do not overlook Blogger.com as an ideal place to post a blog about your hobby. Blogger.com is free, and easy to use. It also offers you the option to ad AdSense to your personal blog, which can even net you some revenue, which you can then use to help fund your hobby!

By Christina VanGinkel

Yes, this is about the world of hobbies, scrapbooking, and other hands on hobbies to be exact. As a member of several hobby related discussion boards online, I came across a post one day in reference to a RAK. I did not have any idea what they were talking about at the time, but the abbreviation caught my attention and I was soon intrigued by this growth of friendship between otherwise unknown members on a board.

If someone has something they wish to share, maybe they accidentally picked up two of the same instructional books, or they suddenly find themselves swimming amidst an overflow of patterned paper, yarn, embroidery floss, or whatever craft materials they might use for their hobby, they RAK them instead of selling them or tossing them in the trash. That old saying about one person's trash being another person's treasure is very true, as any crafter knows.

Sometimes a list is generated between members. You add your name, and in a rotation type way, people pass RAKs back and forth. This is a somewhat organized form of a RAK, but still fun. The RAKs might even be of a particular item, say 12 x 12 sheets of cardstock, or assorted embellishments. One round robin RAK that I thought sounded fun and would not eat up the dollars just covering shipping was for one-yard lengths of ribbon. Easily mailed, fun to receive, and a great way to pass on ribbon from your own stash that you have already used but still have some left.

Other RAKs are much more spontaneous. Someone will post that they have such and such stuff, and that whoever emails them first is the recipient. Others might ask for anyone who would like the items to be gifted to explain why they can use them. Sometimes a RAK is just a single item or two, and other times they can be quite extensive. I once came across one member on a board who had listed what surely amounted to a box full of stuff. She said she would pass it on to the first schoolteacher who sent her an email stating that she could sue the supplies in an art class or at least to fill up a craft closet in their room. I think it took about two minutes for the person to receive a reply. This one RAK actually then led to several more of a similar nature. People got their supplies cleaned up and thinned out and some much needed craft supplies made it into the hands of some budget minded teachers.

My favorite types of RAKs though, are those that stand true to their name. Someone will mention on a board that they are looking for something specific, or are in need of some particular supply and if someone happens to have just what the other is looking for, they will send it to them. The person on the receiving end is not actually asking for the item to be given to them. They are often trying to track down a place to purchase it, or if it is a discontinued item, they might be asking if someone has the item and are willing to sell it. When they become the receiver of a RAK instead of an offer to buy the item, you can hear the gratitude right through the exchanges.

With swaps already in place on many of these same boards, addresses might be exchanged previously between the members to facilitate a swap. If an address is needed, this is often when a RAK becomes known about before its actual arrival. Either way, I think it is fun to be both a giver and a receiver.

Someone once explained to me that a RAK is similar to a throwback to those simpler times when groups of women would get together to craft in one another's homes. Think of a quilting bee, was how it was explained. When women would get together to work on a quilt, they would often bring along other sewing projects too. If someone had extra fabric, extra buttons, what have you, they would often pass the unused items onto someone within the group that could use them.

The next time you join a hobby board online; make someone's day by surprising them with a RAK. Who knows, someday you might be on the receiving end!

By Christina VanGinkel

I wrote some time ago about the Little Red Riding Hood kitchenware manufactured by the Hull Ware Company. I once owned several pieces of the set, and after having sold them to help make ends meet after my husband was involved in a debilitating accident, I made a solemn vow to replace the set someday, as it had always been promised to my daughter, and had sentimental value along with the monetary one that won out. Piece by piece I hoped that I would be able to gather back the set, which included a teapot, cookie jar, sugar and creamer, and a salt and pepper. The Little Red Riding Hood set by Hull also has numerous other pieces, including a spice set, tea canister, pie vent, butter dish, match safe, and more.

Yesterday, I made my first step at replacing the set. I am sure it will take me many years to complete it, but at least I have made a start. I always check every antique store I enter, every rummage and estate sale I come across, and browse eBay quite fanatically at times hoping to find a piece or two of the set at a bargain price. Sure, eBay always has pieces from the Little Red Riding Hood by Hull set, but usually for more than my budget can handle.

Then yesterday morning as I was doing some of my eBay browsing, I came across the pair of salt and pepper set that I had sold. While not the exact ones, they were the same design, same size, three, and a quarter inches tall, etc. The salt and peppers from this particular collection actually come in two sizes, large and small, one set for the table, and one for cooking to keep near a stove The best part of it though was that they were selling for a much cheaper price than I had ever seen similar sets go for. That is one of the great things about eBay. You never know what sort of deals you might come across. Search long and hard enough, and there are deals to be had. This was looking like just such a deal.

The set had a bid of $8.00 when I first found it and it only had about three hours to go. It had a somewhat vague description, with a comment by the seller that they were not sure if they were the real thing. She had provided plenty of good pictures though and I was able to easily discern that they were indeed an authentic pair of Little Red Riding Hood by Hull salt and pepper shakers. They did not have any cracks, chips, or crazing the description went on to say, and other than one of them missing a cork, appeared to be identical to the set I had parted with years ago, and so I watched the bidding on them for the next couple of hours. With about an hour to go, someone else placed a bid and the price jumped to just under ten dollars. I decided to do what I often do when bidding at eBay on something I really want, but have a limit on what I will pay for it set in my mind. I waited until there were only a few minutes left on the auction, and then I placed a bid for the highest amount that I was willing to pay. My bid was the highest bid and best yet, it was not for what I was willing to bid up to. With only a few seconds left, the clock ran out and I was the high bidder. I had won them!

For now, I am one salt and pepper set closer to my goal, and my daughter will be the recipient of her first pieces of collectible Hull ware this coming Christmas, which is when I plan to give her these. I still have many more pieces to collect to replace all that I sold, but this is a start. Collecting a set of something can be fun, but when you have a goal in mind as I do, the hobby of collecting takes on even more meaning. To all you collectors, you will know what I mean when I say that the chase is half the fun, but finally finding something you have been searching for is a very sweet success!

By Christina VanGinkel

A fan of photography for as long as I can remember, I never game much thought to collecting older, vintage photographs until I happened upon a box of vintage ephemera including postcards and a few old magazines at an estate sale. I glanced through a few of the postcards and thrilled with what I saw, paid for my find, and headed home happy as could be. Arriving home, I carried my box of treasure inside, a box that to some surely looked like nothing more than a box of old paper garbage, and carefully began sorting through my find. Tucked at the very bottom of the box was what at first appeared to be just one more magazine, but was actually just the cover of one. Inside laid stacked an assortment of vintage photos. Military picture, wedding snapshots, pictures of cars and snow banks, cows, and tress, some that appeared to be of historical aspects of buildings, (a stunning shot of a figural tin ceiling) and quite a few portraits of people in various costume and dress, including typical studio shots and those taken in more relaxed settings outdoors.

To say that I was instantly hooked on collecting vintage photos would be accurate. Maybe it was the writer in me, drawn to these glimpses of lives and times long gone. Many of the photos were obviously local, such as the picture of the inside of a business that showed the tin ceiling. Even though it was taken long before my time, I recognized it as the inside of a building from the main street of my hometown, a street that had burned to the ground save for one building. My family had owned a business in one of the now non-existing buildings, and I grew up admiring the same patterned ceiling from when I was just barely a toddler. The picture I held though showed a store from the turn of the last century, with a big glass counter and showcase, and goods stacked up on shelves and floors. It was instantly one of my favorites. When I find myself stuck on a project, I love to look at that photo and imagine what transpired in that store on any given day.

If you are interested in collecting vintage photos, begin by picking up a copy of a good book such as the Collector's Guide to Early Photographs by O. Henry Mace. It holds a wealth of information on this hobby, including details on types of photos including Calotypes, Wet Plate, and Albumen Prints, along with Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes and Tintypes, and more. Another good book for beginners interested in learning more on the subject of collecting old and vintage photographs is Conservation of Photographs, by George Eaton for Kodak Publications. This book delves into the subject of restoration of vintage pictures, and it is a wealth of general information on the subject too. Somewhat aimed at the more experienced in the field, it is well worth having if you plan to make collecting vintage photos a lifelong hobby.

Once you have gathered a few books on the subject, read up on the various types of photographs, along with the diverse photographers of days past. While coming across a photographic subject by a famous photographer is not my goal, much preferring the more mundane photos taken by the average person, reading up on many of these photographers has helped me learn to discern the differences in types of photos, thus making my collecting of vintage photos that much more interesting a hobby.

Beginning a collection and adding on to it is not that difficult if you take the time to find photographs that really interest you. You can build your collection through outlets such as eBay, antique stores both brick and mortar style and online, estate and rummage sales, and auctions. Do not overlook your own family's closets and attics. Ask your parents or grandparents if they have any old photos they no longer want. Be careful with those you find. Take the time to categorize them and preserve them in a fashion so that future generations can also enjoy them. If you display them, keep them out of direct sunlight, and be sure that they are not stored where moisture or condensation could be a concern.

By Christina VanGinkel

If you have documented your child's life through words and pictures in scrapbooks, and now that child is headed off to college, you might be mourning not only the loss of time spent with your child, but also loss of a subject! No, you cannot follow them to the dorms to become staff photographer, but you can use this as an opportunity to introduce your side of scrapping to your college bound child.

Make sure that they are prepared for everything college sends their way by sending them off prepared to scrapbook the big and small events that will make up their lives for the next couple of months, even years. Put together a scrapbook kit just for them to take along to school. Depending on their aptitude when it comes to projects such as scrapping, a kit might be as generic as an album and assorted papers and embellishments, or as detailed as an assembled album just waiting for your student to add photos and maybe a bit of journaling here and there. If you have a few favorite tools that you always find yourself using, include a few duplicates for their use. Scissors, a few stamps with designs that will blend with their new lifestyle, maybe a couple of punches, both hole and corners. A paper cutter and a few essential markers can round out the supplies nicely. Do not forget a few different adhesives, maybe even a small Xyron sticker maker and a heat gun if you think they will use them.

Consider the school they will be going to and any extra curricula activities they will be involved in when choosing supplies too. If football, cheerleading, band, or the deep study of one subject when compared to others is going to be a part of their agenda, consider these factors when choosing supplies. If their main social activities will be centered on the school itself, be sure to add in some papers and supplies with the school colors as a central theme.

Along with the scrapbook and extras, be certain to include what is sure to be one of their favorite going away gifts, a new digital camera, and a photo printer that will work directly with the camera as a docking station. If budget is important, choosing a printer that can be easily plugged into their computer at school might be the way to go in place of a printer docking station as they are often much cheaper. Be sure to include several extra cartridges of ink also.

The easier you make it for them to snap and print photos, the more apt they will be to use the camera and supplies. Prices have becoming increasingly affordable on digital cameras, so do not feel as if you must add hundreds of dollars to a budget that is probably already stretched to the limit just paying their first tuition installments and buying books. Many brands and models of digital cameras that will produce a decent 4 x 6 photo are available for less than one hundred dollars. Forego extras such a big zooms and large memory cards and keep with the basics. Photo printers can also be purchased for deeply discounted prices when compared to what they cost just a year or two ago. Shop for a bundled camera and printer dock if ease of use is more important than cost, so students will no be put off by a few extra steps to print their shots. Kodak offers several bundles, including a couple aimed directly at the back to school crowd. For around five hundred dollars, you can bundle the Kodak Easy Share Z612 Zoom Digital Camera with a printer dock, an expanded memory card, camera bag, printer bag, extra battery, and a paper kit or tripod.

If all is successful, your college student will document their days at college and share some of the memories with you with a token photo and story now and then. With a digital camera, your student will be able to easily send you copies of photos via the Internet or email so that you can keep up with your own scrapbooking time too. This way, everyone benefits! Years from now, when they look back at their scrapbook(s) of memories from their days at college, they will be incredibly grateful that you took the time to help them document such an important time of their lives.

By Misti Sandefur

Children love spending time with you, and what better way to give your children that time than creating crafts together! Following are a couple crafts that even the smaller kids can enjoy. Both crafts make wonderful gifts for anyone, and handmade gifts are more special than store-bought gifts.

Puzzle Picture

What you need:
Wooden or fabric picture frame
Puzzle
Puzzle glue
Cardboard
Tape measure

1. Buy a puzzle containing as many pieces as you wish to work with, and be sure the picture is appealing as well. If you know the person you are making the gift for, and if you know they like a certain thing (horses, dogs, cats, waterfalls, etc.), you can always try to find a puzzle that fits that theme.

2. Sit down together and work the puzzle until it is completed.

3. Take a tape measure and measure the finished puzzle to see what size cardboard and frame you will need.

4. Using your measurements cut out the correct size of cardboard. Once you have the correct size of cardboard cut out, take puzzle glue, and glue each puzzle piece to the cardboard. You will have to take the puzzle apart to do this, but if you do it carefully you have already worked the puzzle, and you should be able to fit the pieces onto the cardboard correctly.

5. Once all the pieces of the puzzle have been glued onto the cardboard, let it dry overnight.

6. Using the measurements from the puzzle, buy a frame that will fit it.

7. Place the puzzle you have just glued to the cardboard, then put the puzzle and the cardboard into the picture frame.

If everything is done correctly you should have a beautiful picture for any wall. Anyone will love this gift!

Beaded Keychain

What you need:
Pony beads
Concho
Round keyring
Suede lace

1. Decide on how long you want your keychain to be, and then cut off that much suede lace.

2. Double up the lace, take the ends of the lace and wrap around the keyring, and then bring the ends through the loop (similar to a hitch knot) and pull your knot tight. Make sure the knot goes on the bottom of the keyring so the keys can be put onto the ring.

3. Thread the lace through the concho. When finished with the lace you should have two strands of lace to place beads on. You can choose any design concho you want.

4. Put any color beads you like on one strand of lace, and then put any other color beads you desire on the other strand of lace. Depending on how long you made your lace will determine how many beads will fit onto one strand. You will then place the same number of beads onto the second strand of lace.

5. Tie a knot at the bottom of the lace to hold the beads on. You should now have a beaded keychain.

I started making and giving these keychains when I was a teenager, and now my kids enjoy making them too.

Finally, you will need a label for each gift, so you will know to whom the gift belongs.

Gift Tags

What you need:
110 lb. card stock paper (any color you like)
Scotch tape
Marker (any color that will show well on the color paper you chose)
Scissors

1. Cut out a square from the card stock paper. It can be any size you desire.

2. With your marker, write "Merry Christmas," "Happy Holidays," "Season Greetings," or anything you desire on the square you just cut out. If your child can write, you canlet him or her do this unassisted. Leave room so you can write "To:" and "From."

3. Under what you just wrote write "To:," and put the name of the person you're giving the gift to.

4. Under "To:" write "From:," and put your child's name or whatever name or names should go there.

5. Using scotch tape, tape the gift tag to the package or gift.

6. Repeat steps one through five for each gift you just made.

And there you have it, easy crafts you can enjoy with your children anytime you want! Do these crafts on a rainy day, for Christmas, or just for fun if you like.

Scrapbooking is really interesting to me because it's a hobby that didn't always exist within my lifetime. And I'm not all that old, but I still was able to watch the phenomenon grow.

Now I don't mean to say that the very concept of the scrapbook was created during my lifetime, just the craft known as scrapbooking. Scrapbooks have been around for years. They tended to be collections of newspaper clippings and party invitations rather than photo albums. Sometimes people would keep scrapbooks that weren't even devoted to themselves. They might have a scrapbook of home decorating ideas or a scrapbook with pictures of and articles about their favorite movie star. Keeping a traditional scrapbook had long ago fallen out of favor, but you could still find a few people assembling them to remember their teenage years, or their babies' first years, or some other span of time in their lives. I once came across a table of old scrapbooks at an antique book store, and it was fascinating to flip through them and get a peek into someone's life and a long-gone era.

When I was in elementary school, my mom actually bought me a scrapbook. This was a scrapbook in the traditional sense. It was simply a number of large sheets of paper bound together by a cover reminiscent of a photo album. The paper was cheap and tended to rip if you weren't careful or when you tried to reposition something you had taped down. This scrapbook was meant to be a repository of my achievements. So when I got an honor roll certificate, into the scrapbook it went. It was soon joined by programs from my dance recitals, invitations to birthday parties, and any number of other small mementos. I don't believe I ever put a single picture in the entire scrapbook, just bits and pieces of paper, and the occasional science fair or dance competition ribbon.

I had a slightly unique scrapbooking experience in college. I was in an organization that held a state convention every year, and the individual clubs would compete for awards. One yearly event was the scrapbook competition. Clubs would try to represent their events and achievements of the year in a book filled with pictures, flyers, certificates, and other reminders of the year. We started doing this just before scrapbooking really hit the big time as a craft, and you could actually see the shift in club scrapbooks from year to year. What had once been hodgepodges of haphazardly cut out photos with a few scraps of construction paper thrown on for variety were now color-coordinated, expertly cropped, not a piece out of place productions. But while the scrapbooks of today can border on being pieces of art, I think they lack a bit of the do-it-yourself charm of the way we used to do it.

But I don't mean to be down on scrapbooks. While it's not a hobby in which I partake, I do appreciate the work it takes and the attention to detail many people bring to their layouts. Whenever I see a display of scrapbook supplies in a store, I can't help but be impressed by the sheer variety of papers, stamps, stickers, borders, corners, and more that are available. I've always been a sucker for miniatures, so I'm especially drawn to three-dimensional stickers. I think perhaps I've never gotten into scrapbooking because of the sheer amount of money I know I'd spend on these little details if I let myself get started.

I think one of the best things scrapbooking has done has been to get pictures out of the boxes and envelopes where they've languished and onto the page where they can be enjoyed. The same person who would find it an unbearable chore to put stacks of pictures in a photo album would gladly sort through those same photos in the name of creating a scrapbook page.

I think scrapbooking has also been good in helping people think about preserving photos. I never heard people discuss "archival-quality" papers and glues before scrapbooking came along. And I think future generations will thank us for our nicely preserved scrapbooks and photo albums that have lasted over the decades or even centuries.

If you would have asked me a few years ago whether I considered making mix tapes a legitimate hobby, I would have said no. Listening to music, maybe. Making a mix tape? Isn't that something you only do once or twice? Surely it doesn't constitute a full-time hobby.

How wrong I was.

I credit my good friend Emily with introducing me to the art of the mix tape. Emily and I met when I moved to a new town and started going to concerts. During the course of our spending time together, she kept mentioning bands that I'd never heard of. Finally, after the third or fourth time she had asked if I knew about a certain artist and I'd said no, she shook her head and pursed her lips. "I'm making you a mix tape," she said.

Enter mix tape style number one: The introductory mix tape.

Emily's tape, which was carefully labeled with the artist that performed each song and the album it was from, split my musical world wide open. From the bands that she introduced me to, I was led to certain labels I had never heard of, and those labels opened me up to even more bands and artists. In a short amount of time, I was mentioning bands that SHE had never heard of. Thus my obsession with mix tapes had begun.

Those who consider making mix tapes a hobby are very specific about the rules. First of all, a mix tape is not the same thing as a mix CD. While mix CDs are certainly allowed- and sometimes unavoidable, particularly when the recipient doesn't have a tape player- mix tapes are much better because of the fact that you can't make them with a computer. You're required to sit in front of your stereo with a stack of tapes and CDs and a ballpoint pen and paper, marking down each song as it finishes and leaping up to run to the stereo and stop the tape for just the right amount of transition time. Making a mix tape requires a commitment of several hours and a certain amount of artistic patience.

Then, of course, there's the cover art. Only the inexperienced give mix tapes with blank covers or, worse, with simply the track listing written on the insert. Experienced mixsters create intricate cover art from pages cut from magazines, old Polaroid photos, or even (on a particularly emo mix I received once) a row of Band-Aids stuck together. The cover art says a great deal about how much effort was put into the mix and what type of message it's supposed to convey.

And that brings me to the next important point about the hobby of making mix tapes: The messages. Aside from the aforementioned introductory mix tape, there are an entire host of reasons why you make tapes. If you're making one for yourself, it should ideally be for a certain purpose; ie. "Songs for the Drive to South Dakota," or "My After-Work Blasting the Car Stereo Tape." Making tapes for yourself is a great way to consolidate all of your favorite 'mood' songs into one place, making it easy to create a certain feeling at any time just by popping in the tape.

Making mix tapes for other people is a whole different story. The most common form is, of course, the girl-to-boy or boy-to-girl mix tape. These tapes are generally full of songs with underlying meaning that hints at the as-yet unspoken feelings in the relationship. Typically, the songs will go on for both sides talking about feeling misunderstood, or alone, or searching for love; then the last song will be a loud confession of the giver's feelings, and then the tape should cut off abruptly into hissing silence.

The recipient's response is important. The best possible response is a mix tape in return that confesses feelings equally difficult to speak. The worst response? "It was OK. I played it once or twice."


Regardless of why you feel like making a mix tape, you may be surprised to learn that it does indeed count as a hobby- and an enthralling one at that. Spending hours in front of the stereo mixing and matching your favorite songs into a cohesive whole will capture your attention like nothing else ever can. Get a bottle of wine or a few cigarettes, stay up extra-late with the volume down low, and start mixing. You'll never want to stop.
-by bjp

By Brandi M. Seals

Making homemade jam is surprisingly easy. People say it is hard, that it is easy to get burned, and so on. And in a way they are right. It can be hard if you do not have the proper equipment. But as long as you have pair of jar-grabbing tongs (the only utensil you will need that might not otherwise be found in the most basic of kitchens) you are set for making your very own jam.

Making your own jam has its advantages. It is very cost-effective. It is easy to do. You can make any flavor you want, so if you have been searching everywhere for some jalapeno jelly, you finally know where to find it; in your own kitchen. Plus if you want to limit the amount of sugar you or your children take in, homemade jam can be made with significantly less sugar then the store-bought variety. And did I mention, if you process the jam (More about processing later) the jam can last up to year on the shelf?

For your first jam making experience pick your recipe. There are hundreds of them. If you don't have one that has been passed down from your great grandmother try searching the internet or heck buy a packet of pectin (a thickening agent used in most jams). There are always recipes in the pectin packages.

Buy everything you need for the recipe. Typically that means purchasing which ever type of fruit is needed, a box of pectin, and some sugar. That is it.

Prepare the fruit as instructed in the recipe. This may include peeling, dicing, and or mushing up the fruit. Next get out all of the equipment you will need. Some people have intricate canning pots and jar racks, but all you really need to have on hand are the jars you will be using (including the rings and lids), a stockpot, the tongs I mention earlier, and another large pan for cooking the jam in.

If you do not plan to process your jam it will only be good for a couple of days and must be refrigerated immediately after it is made.

Before you even begin making the jam, fill a large stock pot with water. You will want to make sure that once you add your jars to the pot the water will be at least one inch above the top of the jars. Bring this to a boil and put your empty jars, lids, and rings into the boiling water. If you will be using a funnel to transfer your jam to the jars you will also want to boil the funnel. This creates a sterile environment, killing anything that might adversely affect the jam. Leave these boiling until the jam is done and is ready to be transferred to the jars.

Remove the jars first and set them on a dry towel. Fill them with the jam either with a ladle or a funnel, which ever works for you will be fine. Make sure the jam is still hot and that the jars are fresh out of the boiling water when you begin. Keep in mind this will be very hot. If you must move your jars around, use the tongs because they will burn your hands.

Once the jars have been filled (leave at least 1/4 inch of head room in the jars) wipe off the mouth of the jars with a clean towel. Fish out the tops from the boiling water and set them on top of the jars. Make sure they are on straight. Now remove the rings from the pot and tighten them over the lids.

Your jam is now ready to be processed. Simply lift the jars back into the boiling water. Make sure the jars are not touching each other or the sides of the pan. Boil them for approximately ten minutes. Boiling times very by recipe and altitude and can be up to 15 minutes in high altitude areas like Denver. Most recipes will note the processing time. If the water stopped boiling when the jars were added, you must wait until it begins boiling again before you start timing the processing.

When they are done processing, use the tongs to take the jars out. Set them upright on a dry towel or rack. Do not move them as it may interrupt the jelling process. Check the jars in about 8 hours. Press on the lids. If they make a pinging noise or move, the jars were not properly sealed. These jars will need to be refrigerated immediately and will not have the shelf life of the correctly processed jars but they will be equally delicious. If the lids seem fine, store the jam in a dry cool place until you are ready to eat it. Always refrigerate the jam after opening.

By The Rat Packer

As many coin collectors know, the Fifty State Quarter program from the U.S. Mint is nearing its end when the final quarters are released in 2008. Going through this year's and the upcoming designs and by talking to other coin collectors, I can't help wondering if the collecting craze is on the wane.

Back in 1999, it was the first time in years that the quarter's face with the bald eagle had changed to that of Revolutionary patriot Caesar Rodney on horseback. Most probably didn't know who he was (a Delaware native who served in the Continental Congress and headed Delaware's militia) , but the image of a Revolutionary-era man on a horse definitely caught many eyes. There was a noticeable increased interest in coin collecting, many adults behaved like little kids as they palmed through their loose change. And of course the marketplace fed this interest by selling cardboard maps of the U.S. with little holes punched out to place the corresponding coins of each state as they came out every year or some other means of storing the treasured coins. People that paid little interest to their currency were now sudden coin collectors or had their childhood interest rekindled as they took off on a seeming scavenger hunt to get the latest coin—not to mention the more intense hunting for quarters struck in Philadelphia and Denver, as indicated by the small p or d on the face of the coin.

However for the past couple of years, I've noticed that the interest is lessening, but that's just based on my observations with people who were caught up with the craze initially. Lately, the idea of acquiring a newly minted coin (the Mint has recently released Colorado featuring its Rocky Mountains) barely raises an eyebrow with people I know. Though awareness of the hobby of coin collecting and interest is higher than before 1999, it isn't as high as when they first made their debut.

Why is this? I haven't found anything to really pin this down but I believe there are several factors at work. For starters, the difficulty of finding more recent coins has to be considered. Even though a new coin is released every ten weeks it is difficult to find some of them. After 2001, it seemed like finding certain coins proved harder than others. For example, I easily found dozens of North Carolina (commemorating the Wright Brothers' inaugural flight) and Connecticut (with the Liberty Tree adorning the face of the coin) quarters, but had difficult times trying to get quarters like the ones for Mississippi or Wisconsin. In fact, many noticed that each year there were a couple of coins that were easy to come across while others remained just out of reach. This could be due to hoarding or one's buying habits. Also to blame could be the amount of coins struck and circulated being that some have higher mintage numbers than others. One thing I never tried that others recommended was going to the bank and asking for a roll of quarters. Another option I didn't try was to buy them online from the Mint for starters but I didn't feel like going through the trouble when I could possibly acquire a coin through normal bartering. To date, I've been able to find the states released so far with at least a handful for each state.

Another factor could be the coin designs themselves. Many collectors bemoan the designs for many quarters as being dull or just plain ugly. For some reason, the state outline was a popular motif and squeezed into this bland design were one or two images that supposedly represented the state. Perhaps the coin that deserves the most derision is the unimaginative Michigan quarter that only features the state's outline without even attempting to throw in some other image. It didn't help that many winning designs were based from governor-appointed committees that tried too hard to please everyone. Yes, it is difficult to try to put many motifs into a single coin to try to tell what is noteworthy about your state but sometimes it seemed as the deciders didn't even try.

Maybe it was just overkill, too many coins spread out on too long a time table to hold the fickle public's interest for long. Who's to say? What about the economy? This could be just grasping straws but think about it, cash-strapped people would not be concerned about keeping a newly minted coin but would either save it for future spending or use it right away.

But there are serious collectors who not only vigorously acquire each new quarter as they come out but search for rotated die error coins, which were first reported for the Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut coins. This error is when one of the coin's dies isn't properly mounted leaving the coin struck with one side misaligned. Other more rare and coveted quarters are those that have serious errors on their faces that are supposedly worth hundreds.

Now there is the question of what happens after 2008? Supposedly the program ends and the eagle will be returned to the opposite side of Washington's profile. Will anyone notice? Maybe towards the end, interest could pick up once more; collectors could prompt the mint to do something else. I read reports online via Google that there was consideration of extending the program to include U.S. territories like Guam or Puerto Rico but this was a couple of years ago and I've yet to come across any updates. Perhaps they can go back to Delaware and start all over again with new designs, some of which would be a definite improvement over the original ones. That would be one way to keep interest alive in coin collecting.

By Christina VanGinkel

Sorting through some boxes of craft supplies a few weeks ago, I came across a rug I had started some years back. Only partially completed, as I still needed material for it, my husband went to toss it, and I stopped him. It is crocheted of strips of fabric; mostly old cotton t-shirts, some very faded blue jean scraps, and some salvaged sheet material. When he asked me if I ever plan to finish it, or just keep it to fill a space, I first chucked him on the arm, then said with all honesty, that yes, I do plan to finish it.

This rug is a perfect example of how varied the craft of crochet can be. One of the first projects I ever made from yarn and crochet hook was a tiny bear with a honey pot that was a pincushion. It was also the first design that I ever sold, a creation all my own. I made fifty dollars from the sale of the design and I was thrilled to say the least. It was the first notion that I could make money from doing things that I love. Twenty some years later, I still am crocheting and still designing patterns to fit my own desires and needs.

With a crochet hook and thread, one can whip up everything from tiny angels to decorate the Christmas tree, to doilies to trim the buffet, even arm chair covers to keep the couch and recliner arms looking new long after they should.

With yarn, I have crochet toys, dolls, ponchos, blankets, hats, and dozens of pairs of mittens through the years. I have also made nursery accessories, potholders, washcloths, layette sets, including bonnets, booties, and baby sized sweaters.

Many of the items I have crocheted have been as gifts for family members and friends. Some items have been sold at craft bazaars and even on the Internet. When beanie caps came back in style a few years ago, I was thrilled when my youngest son not only requested I make him a lime green one, but that he actually wore it for months every time he went snowboarding. When Hacky Sacks grew in popularity, I had a hard time keeping my son and his friends in stock. They had them in all different sizes and colors, as I would sit each evening and whip up one or two, filling them with plastic beans stuffed inside of a nylon stocking cut down to size. He still occasionally asks me if I will make him a couple, but I think I am all Hacky Sacked out! However, I might consider making a couple to use as trades in the geocaches we visit.

So many times when someone discusses crocheting, the image of an old granny sitting in a rocker, crocheting a blanket or piece of clothing, is what comes to mind. Sure, grandmas do crochet, I am a grandmother myself, but so do young people, and some of the stuff they are creating is a lot more fun than a pair of slippers. If you have ever considered giving crocheting a try, but were to intimidated, thinking it was difficult to learn, or something better left to the older generation, the knowledge of how to crochet passed down through the generations, ignore those thoughts. Pick up some yarn and a few crochet hooks, choosing a general size to begin with such as a size G. Skip the threads for now and the fancy yarns, instead choosing a basic four-ply yarn until you are comfortable with the basic stitches.

Also, pick up a beginners guide to crochet, in either book form, or DVD or VHS and try it. I browsed through Single Crochet for Beginners, by Cindy Crandall-Frazier, and Getting Started Crochet, by Judith L. Swartz. Both titles looked like they would work well in pointing a beginning crocheter in the right direction. Crochet is easy to learn, and before you know it, you will be crocheting all sorts of wonderful items. Start now, and by fall, you will be cruising along well enough to try some fancy yarns and maybe even be able to whip up a few Fun Fur scarves for holiday gifts this year.

By Brandi M. Seals

Candle making saw a rise a few years ago, but how many people do you really know that make there own? I know a couple and one even has a candle making business. Candles are easy to make, very affordable, and make for a great craft project. Not to mention homemade candles are much less expensive then their store bought counterparts.

Since you will be making your own candles you can customize them. Use the scents you enjoy with the colors you like. Or, set your home up for an amazing fall feel by burning your homemade pumpkin pie spice candle and Frangelico streusel. Whatever you decide to do, candle making is an easy to learn skill that will come in handy.

To make your own candles, start by compiling the following key items:
Wicks
Wax
Dye
Jars
Scents
Glue gun
Straw
Thermometer

All of these items should be easy to find at your local craft store. If there is something you cannot find, simply turn to the internet. There are several candle supply vendors online.

I like to use canning jars. There easy to find, especially in the summer. I also like to use various other glass containers that fit my fancy. Make sure the jar is clean before you use it and that all the supplies are on hand.

Start by attaching the wick. Take one wick for your candle and place it in the straw. Using a glue gun, place a dab of glue on the flat metal end of the wick. Using the wick stuffed straw push the end of the wick into the jar and allow the glue to set up. Next use a pencil and wrap the extra length of the wick around it. Place the pencil over the top of the jar. Now the wick should be fully attached to the candle jar and kept upright by the pencil.

Next, begin melting the wax. Wax is generally sold in large blocks or smaller cubes. Figure how much wax you will need for your project. If you have a pint-sized jar, you will need to melt approximately two cups of wax. Use a double boiler for the melting process. The double boiler is necessary to keep from heating the wax too much. If you don’t have a double boiler, rig one up. Take a small or mid-sized sauce pan and fill it 1/3 of the way with water. Top with a heat safe bowl, like a Pyrex bowl with the wax in it. The water should not reach the bottom of the bowl. If it does, dump a little of the water out.

Add color and scent of your choice to the wax. Be sure to mix it in well or the candle could appear streaked. Once the wax is around the 150 degrees, it can be poured into the candle jar. Do not heat it hotter, as it will take your candle longer to set up. You can use a funnel, any sort of container with a spout or if you are talented you can pour the wax directly from the double boiler into the jar. I suggest working over newspaper to make the clean up process go much smoother.

To avoid white marks in your candle and to aid in the cooling process you will want to poke holes in the candle once it has begun to cool. Once the candle is cool, you will notice that the center has sunken in. Fix this by doing a second poor. This time make sure the wax is 180 degrees or above. You need this part of the candle to attach to the original section. The additional heat will help with that.

Once your candle is completely cooled down you can go ahead and clip the wick. Using a pair of scissors trim the wick to 1/4 inch in length. Now your candle is ready to go. Light it and enjoy your first homemade candle. Hopefully there will be many more that follow. Also, remember that candles make an excellent gift. Any of your friends and family would welcome the gift of one of your homemade candles. Dress it up a bit by tying a bow around the jar or place a colorful tulle round over the candle lid.

By Christina VanGinkel

I have collected tea paraphernalia for as many years back as I can remember. When my friends in school were drinking soda, I was shopping for the best tasting loose tea leaves I could find. When I got married and my new husband started each morning with a robust cup of coffee, I tried it, its similarities to tea somewhat appealing, but in the end, I returned to what I considered the more polished drink, tea. With tea, there were choices in flavors, in how to brew and steep it, and the best part, the accessories were, in my humble opinion, better to collect! I still enjoy the occasional cup of coffee, and when I discovered rich, aromatic vanilla flavored beans, I have to admit to lusting after a cup with just the right amount of cream added. Pressed to choose a favorite though, tea for me is the winner. That it provides for my need to collect something is a bonus! For if for nothing else, it provides me with a good reason to collect teapots.

I have teapots shaped like snowmen, single cup serving sizes decorated with flowers and apples, a tiny antique metal one found in an out of the way shop in the mountains of Colorado. My brother actually bought it for me, after I walked through the store and somehow missed it amid the piles and stacks of treasures from days long gone. Complete with the wear and chips of age, I sometimes wonder if it was not carried across the mountains in some pack by horse or mule.

Besides teapots, I also collect tea balls and strainers, teaspoons, tea caddies, a limited number of blue and blue trimmed teacups, and a few other assorted pieces relating to tea and the drinking of it. Some of my favorite pieces include a ceramic container made to hold tea bags, decorated with a tiny tea cup on its top, which doubles as the handle to lift the lid off when it needs refilling. The tea bags are dispensed out of the bottom and I use it every day. Another favorite is a tabletop sized water fountain that is molded to look like a pile of teacups. One more favorite is a porcelain tea strainer that was a gift from my sister-in-law. On vacation a few years ago, we walked through a tiny gift shop in downtown Buena Vista Colorado, where I admired the fragile piece. Later that day, she surprised me with it as a going home gift. It is a perfect example of the simple pleasures that drinking tea evokes for me.

If just collecting teapots, or teacups, is more to your liking, go for it. As with any collectible, buy what appeals to you. I just happen to love anything that has to do with the making and drinking of tea, including tea itself, from loose tea, to tea bags, and more.

Collecting tea paraphernalia is interesting to me because many of the collectibles associated with drinking tea are reminiscent of days gone by. I love to collect antiques in general, so many of my tea collectibles fall into that category. For those who might prefer new items, there are also many tea related pieces hitting store shelves almost daily from which to choose from.

Besides those items directly related to the making and serving of tea, there are also items such as tea caddies and tea related advertising that may appeal to collectors of tea related items. While I have never collected such items myself, I am always looking for new pieces to add to my growing collection, and if I were to come across one or the other and found the piece to my liking, I am sure I would find a home for it amongst my collection.

A search at online stores for tea collectibles or on eBay for tea collectibles will also turn up quite a selection. I have picked up a few pieces this way, mostly pieces I had seen elsewhere but were out of my price range, I then shopped eBay for in hopes to find it at a better price. My favorite way to shop for additions though is to find them in antique stores and gift shops.

By Christina VanGinkel

Hobbies are in abundance, almost as varied, as there are people. From astrology to model building, model trains, collecting postcards to pottery, knitting, crochet, painting, photography, and the list goes on.

With these and all the other many choices, one would think getting started in a hobby would be easy, especially with so many choices to pick from. Sometimes though, even when you know what it is, you would like to explore when it comes to choosing from the overabundance of choices, getting started just leaves you flustered, with no real sense of direction on where to begin. If this describes you, take a few steps back and consider what it is about the hobby itself that has attracted you, and consider some of the pros and cons of the hobby.

Ask yourself what it is that you think you will enjoy about the activity itself.
Ask yourself what you hope to gain by participating, i.e., pleasure, association with others, quiet time?
Is it a group activity or one that is mainly pursued in solitude?
Are you a group type of person, or happier on your own?
Are supplies readily available?
Can you afford it?
Are there any benefits beyond the obvious enjoyment factor, such as a possibility of it creating a secondary income, (Think writing, photography, buying and selling antiques, or selling handcrafts), or health benefits (think of the exercise you could get out geocaching!).

Once you have identified what hobbies attract you and why, if any happen to be group hobbies, such as geocaching, or one represented by any sort of organization, find out if there are any branches of the organizations or local groups close to you. Many groups that focus on a particular hobby often have guides available with tips on starting out, buying guides with information on what other members use or have found to be good or bad buys depending on the hobby itself, and if any sort of equipment is required to partake of the hobby, scuba diving for example, a group might even offer a list of members who have gently sued equipment for sale to other members. Most groups or organizations are a wealth of information to a newbie, always with the interest of expanding their hobby to other interested people.

If you find yourself drawn towards a hobby that is mainly one experienced in solitude, check out your local library or bookstore for any books that might be available on the subject. If a hobby exists, chances are there are at least a handful of titles available.

If numerous tools or supplies are needed to take part in a hobby, if possible, buy used until you know that the hobby is really for you. This can save you both money and frustration if you later decide it is not for you. If you find out you do enjoy whatever it is you are doing, you will most likely always be looking for new, better supplies anyways, so starting out with used equipment is a good excuse when it comes to upgrading!

If you discover that, a hobby you thought was perfect for you is not, join the crowd. It is common for people to delve into a hobby with tons of enthusiasm, only to find out that it is not something they enjoy. Because a hobby should be a stress reliever on at least some level, forcing yourself to participate in a hobby that you realize you do not like, just because you invested a few dollars in supplies, is not healthy. Gather up the items and sell them through one of the local groups that you discovered, or through eBay or some other resale place. If the hobby was crafting related, you could always gather it all up and donate it to a school or nursing home too. Most of these places are always eager to receive supplies related to just about any activity that students or residents might use.

Getting started in a hobby should be above all else, fun. If it is not, the hobby might be better left for someone more attuned to it. Not every hobby is going to be attractive to everyone, this being the reason there are so many hobbies in the first place.

I have a confession to make. My hobby sometimes annoys people. Sometimes, it causes me to stop in the middle of a pedestrian crosswalk. Sometimes it irritates people at neighboring tables in bars. Sometimes it makes me pull off to the side of the road when I'm on my way to an appointment. My hobby is really more of an obsession than a hobby.

Calling myself a photography buff would be putting it mildly. While I work part-time as a professional photographer, my hobby photography is a whole different world. When I'm on a job, I use a 35mm film camera and spend time adjusting for light levels and exposures. I change lenses, f-stops, and apertures with a professional frown. When it comes to hobby photography, however, all bets are off.

When I'm shooting photos for fun, I use a sturdy little digital camera. It has to be sturdy, because just as some women never leave the house without a hairbrush or a tube of lipstick in their purses, I never leave without my camera. If I'm not carrying a purse, it gets shoved into a pocket or slung around my wrist. My camera is battered beyond belief, but it still shoots like a champ. It has to be tough to live with me.

My friends are used to my photography. They will meet me for coffee with the resigned acceptance of those who know what is coming. They know that just as they raise their cups for the first sip they will be greeted with a rapid clicking as I capture them gulping the hot liquid. They know that sometimes, if we drive somewhere, I will see a tree that I just have to go back to, and sometimes I will drive a quarter mile backwards to find it.

My hobby has yielded unexpected results. I've had strangers start friendly conversations when they see me standing on the corner snapping away. I've also captured many priceless moments in time that would have been lost forever had I not had a camera handy and a penchant for using it. Because I have a photograph of the moment, I will never forget the look on my fiance's face when I presented him with a beagle puppy for his birthday. Other people might have focused on yelling Surprise! or making sure the puppy didn't wet on the floor. But I was there with a camera in hand, and his astonished expression as the puppy jumped up and licked his face (and wet in his lap, I might add) is ours forever to keep.

If you're thinking about carrying a camera around for a few days and seeing if it develops (pun wholly intended) into a hobby, I have a few suggestions. The first one is to use a digital. I don't particularly prefer digital photography, but a digital camera is hands-down the winner when it comes to rapid-fire shooting at inopportune moments. And trust me- there will be lots of moments. Sometimes you will have to fight the urge to whip out your camera when the light slants just right. And if you don't fight the urge, if you do get it out, you want to make sure you can shoot quickly before the light changes position or the kitty walks away or the baby stops smiling.

Another important tip is not to be afraid of