Natural Crafting and Wreaths Year 'Round
0 Comments Published by Qwilleran on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 at 5:06 PM.
As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach this year, we have an immense opportunity to use items that are characteristically natural, and that are often available from the garden in any area of America, for holiday crafting. You can use a variety of greenery, flowers, wild grasses, pinecones, nuts, and many other living materials either alone or in combination with purchased materials to make attractive wreaths and wall hangings in any season of the year. Some of these items will serve your home just as well in other seasons besides autumn, and far beyond the New Year celebrations of 2006.
Wreaths have been used to decorate the home and the human body itself much farther back in history than we can recall. We know that diadems, as they were called in the ancient cultures of Persia, came originally from Greece and the Greek word diadema, meaning a thing that is bound around. This symbolized royalty and was worn around the head of a royal bonnet or hat, but diadems were actually bands or wide strips of fabric at the time. The Greeks used leaves to make head garlands that were awarded as prizes during the ancient Greek Olympic Games. Julius Caesar wore a wreath himself. As time passed, other countries created a variety of headdresses and crowns. In the fifteenth century AD, the working class populations began wearing wreaths to honor religious holidays and to commemorate different occasions. This is where Thanksgiving, autumn and Christmas wreaths were popularized for the home. The tradition has spread to many cultures, for many occasions, all year long.
The holiday wreath is a tradition in many parts of the US and the world, but a Southwestern wreath can be used for autumn holidays and modified for other seasons of the year with add-ons and interchangeable decorations. Your basic wreath can be woven from prairie grasses that grow well in the Southwest, and these can last quite a long time. Long sections of one or more of these grasses can be twisted together in a spiral and then joined at the ends to form a circle or oval shape, held together with floral wire or picture hanging type wire.
Ribbon or raffia can be tied around the body of the wreath's circular arm at intervals, with some wire first applied around under it, if the arm is very large. From season to season, these ribbons, raffia, or a combination of both can be changed to different colors and textures. Ribbons might be wrapped the whole length the arm diagonally, as an alternative. Strips of dark or tan leather make attractive wrappings as well. Seasonal plants and flowers can be inserted at intervals around the wreath, using their stems and floral picks.
On top of that, you can add seasonal ornaments for Thanksgiving, then changing for Christmas or Hanukkah. To finish the piece, add a large bow of your favorite color(s) at either the top or the bottom of the wreath. For New Year's Eve, add some ornamental top hats and champagne classes from your local party store, along with a couple of full sized noisemakers.
To add to your decor enjoyment, try a Southwestern Christmas Tree. You could use a more traditional evergreen or fir and decorate it with Southwestern-design ornaments, but you might also consider trying a cactus as either a large or a smaller centerpiece Christmas Tree. If you have children at home, be sure to remove the lower thorns if you use a large cactus in a pot on the floor. You can stand pots of native grasses or other plants around the base of either a cactus or a fir tree, with bright bows tied around each pot, in place of the traditional cotton snow blankets. Smaller cacti could be decorated and kept on shelves and mantels.
For Southwestern ornaments on any kind of tree, look for native American Indian flutes, full sized, small but still authentic, or toy and Christmas-ornament versions. Add figures of the wolf, the bear, the bald eagle, the Thunderbird, kokopelli, mystic baskets, small adobe houses, horses, and similar images. String several lengths of tiny white lights first to resemble stars in the wide-open sky. Top it all off with shiny ball or fruit-shaped ornaments. Then for the tree topper, use the traditional star, a native headdress, or an American eagle. If you use a cactus in a sunny window area, you can decorate it for each coming holiday and move it outdoors as needed. For your wreath and Christmas Tree needs, visit your local nursery, party store, and department or specialty stores; and do not forget your own backyard for greenery!
Another good resource for ornaments and accessories around the year and around the world is Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Their web catalogue order system can be found at http://www.bronners.com. Many of the ornaments shown are accompanied by the history of associated holidays and legends.
The store in itself covers several acres, and inside there are hundreds of areas arranged by color, style, legend, tradition, country, faith, and holiday. The parking lots combine in lights and decorations to offer a Holiday Light Show 365 days a year, at no cost. You can view all of this online at their website. There is a lot of information and good reading offered there. Happy holidays!
Since I was about 5 years old, I started collecting hair accessories and stationeries. As I got older, I would use my hair accessories in every occasion even if it meant wearing them on my head all at the same time. People often turned to me to borrow a single ponytail, clip or whatever hair remedy they needed. As for the stationeries, I still have vivid memories of trading some of my collection with other stationery collectors.
Collector: My cousin
Collector: One of my good friends a.k.a. Gameusfreakus
Gameusfreakus embarked on his game collection journey when he was 13 years of age. Like most high school students belonging to the male species, he had a fondness for games which eventually turned to addiction. Video games, card games, board games, name it, he makes them part of his daily diet. However, he became even more interested in card games since they were the handiest. The first kind of game cards he got addicted to was Magic game cards, which he played with his friends and classmates. Then, to try other games with different mechanics and concepts, he started to acquire other more card games.
Downside: This hobby is definitely costly except if you were a grandson of a game shop owner. Well, Gameusfreakus happens to be financially challenged like most of us. But this, in my opinion, is something he has turned into an advantage since you can expect him to study each game's angles to know if it's worth every penny. Upon knowing that a game won't give him a financial headache, he spends his well-earned money on a game worth adding to his collection.
Collector: Another friend I know a.k.a. R2Design2
Collector: My previous student a.k.a. Goryhandsstuffynose
By Simon Woodhouse
As an alpine pastime, snowboarding has been around for about forty years. Though similar to skiing, its origins are in fact more closely link with surfing and skateboarding. The very first snowboard was called a Snurfer (the word being a hybrid of snow and surfer), and it appeared in America in 1965. Since then the basic concept has stayed the same, albeit subject to constant refinement and variation.
Snowboarding looks quite simple, and essentially it is. But there are a few things you need to know that'll help you get started, or perhaps decide if it's the right pastime for you. First of all there's the board itself. Basically this is a vaguely hourglass-shaped, flat piece of lamented material anything up to nearly six feet long. As a rough guide to choosing the right board length for a beginner, it's best if when standing on its end, your board comes somewhere between your collarbone and your chin. The anatomy of the board is quite simple. The front end is the nose, the back the tail and the two sides are heel and toe. The only slight complication here is the heel and toe sides. Which is which depends on whether you're regular or goofy - I'll explain. When you're stood on your board and facing downhill you'll have one foot in front of the other, and your front foot is your leading foot. If this is your left foot then you're regular, if it's your right foot you're goofy.
The next piece of important equipment is your boots. The snowboard is controlled by the movement of your feet, so properly fitting boots are vital. If your foot moves around inside the boot you won't have so much control over the board. Dense foam padding inside the boot helps create a snug fit, whilst at the same time not pinching or rubbing your foot. The other essential piece of equipment goes on the opposite end of your body - a helmet. No matter how cool it might look to go zooming down the slopes with the wind in your hair, it won't feel quite so cool if you hit your head on something (a tree, a rock, another skier) and you're not wearing a helmet.
Now because snowboarding takes place on snow (duh!), it'll be cold, so you're going to need some warm clothing. However you don't want anything too restrictive. Your jacket and pants need to be comfortable enough to allow you to bend and twist, as well as get up easily after you've fallen over. Gloves, scarf and goggles are three accessories that'll make your time on the slopes that much more comfortable.
Ok, so you've got your board and your clothing, now it's time to hit the slopes. When I say hit the slopes, that's exactly what you'll be doing. Learning to snowboard involves a lot of falling over. If you accept it's inevitable, and take it with good grace, you'll get through the first few hours a lot more easily. Learning to fall over is also important. This may sound a little daft, but if you don't know how to fall properly you'll make matters a lot worse. Here are a couple of simple do's and don'ts. First of all let's talk about falling forward. The natural reaction here it to put your arms out in front of you to cushion the impact - not a good idea. If you do this, you risk damaging your wrists, something that's pretty painful. So, when you feel yourself falling forward, instead of putting your arms out, fold them across your chest and try to land on your forearms. This'll spread the impact and protect your joints. If you feel yourself falling backward, tuck your chin into your chest, this'll help protect your head. Also, try to twist one way or the other and then you won't land on your tailbone, which can really hurt.
Now you've got the basics of falling, it's time to think about staying upright. As you move downhill you'll be going across the slope, so to stop yourself from toppling over you need to keep pressure on the uphill edge of the board (that's the side that's facing toward the top of the slope). You do this by putting pressure on either your toes or heels, depending on whether you're going left to right, or right to left across the slope. As you're moving, try to keep your weight evenly distributed between your two feet. It's important the leading edge of the board (the end that's pointing downhill) stays in contact with the snow, as this is the means by which you steer. Though getting the hang of moving is the fun part, learning to stop is essential. To slow down and stop you need to push the uphill side of the board further into the snow, by putting more pressure on either your toes or heels. The more pressure you apply, the faster you'll stop.
Though I've gone over the basics here, snowboarding isn't something you can learn on paper. It's a 'hands on' hobby that requires a lot of practice, plenty of patience and a whole heap of perseverance. But like most things that appear difficult at first, as soon as you feel yourself making even a slight improvement, all the falling over will seem worth it.
Can painting be considered a hobby? I do not mean the type of painting where one creates beautiful pictures on a leaning easel, palette in hand, while donning a bright red beret. I mean the type of painting where one paints the walls and trim of a home. When we bought our first home eight years ago, we were so thrilled to be finally owning our own home, that we did not think much about the look of the rooms, other than the fact that they were clean, bright, the right size, and not ugly. Although another family with two children had lived in the home for about fourteen years after it was built, the walls and trim were exactly the same color that they had been when the house was built. We acquired the house with all white walls and dark brown trim, doors, and window frames. At first, this did not bother me in the least. I was more concerned with getting settled into the house, putting all our things away and gearing up for the upcoming winter. Yet as winter set in, I realized that the long dark days required a bit more color and brightness in our home than we were currently getting.
The next spring, I decided to paint our downstairs bathroom. I was a bit nervous about painting walls in our own home. What if I messed it up? What if we all hated the color? I figured a bathroom was a safe place to begin. Plus, I was determined to get rid of the dark brown trim, doors, and cabinetry in that bathroom. I started with the trim. I did extensive research on how the wood should be prepped and treated before painting, and I found that a special bonding primer was all it really needed. With three small children in the house, as well as homeschooling responsibilities, it took a few weeks for me to finish the job of the trim, doors, and cabinets; but the change was drastic and shocking. Although the walls were still a drab white, the formerly dark trim was not a bright, creamy white and the entire bathroom was significantly brighter. I decided to live on the edge and chose a denim blue paint with a tinge of purple for the walls of the bathroom. I knew that if I could pull this off, the rest of the house would follow suit with bright colors and beautiful white trim. It turned out to be absolutely lovely. It was a bold color and I was slightly afraid, but we got many compliments on it, and still do, years later.
After that, the painting became a hobby, and somewhat of a joke, in our home. Each successive year after that initial bathroom experiment has found me covering the old, dark trim with white paint, and painting the walls in one of the rooms a pretty, brighter color. I do not always go with bold colors as I did with the purple-blue in that bathroom. For instance, I painted our living room a creamy, peachy beige color, and it follows right into the kitchen, where a chair railing separates it from a light brown underneath. Thankfully, by some stroke of luck, our kitchen cabinets were already painted white. My next project was my youngest daughter's bedroom, which is on a north side. We changed it from dark and drab to a pretty, bright yellow. My other daughter has the north room downstairs, and while she insisted on painting her room dark blue (much to my chagrin), the white trim, doors, closet, and windows, as well as the white furniture, made it incredibly beautiful. Oddly, it actually seems brighter now. This past spring, I painted the upstairs bathroom a light, stucco brown, and I attacked the master bedroom, again with white trim and sea foam green walls. It is amazing the difference a coat of fresh paint can make in a room.
I am not finished with the house, yet. I still have to paint my son's room, the stairwell, and the trim in the kitchen. At some point, I will paint the walls in the basement stairwell, and I might even paint the basement stairs. I suppose when I finish everything, I will simply start over and begin changing the colors. That must be the best part of painting one's own house as a hobby!
What is the best thing to make the most of your time? Then of course, doing the things you really like. Sometimes we lost the idea of what we really like and instead of waiting for the day or just waiting for anyone to invite use. Then it should be the time to indulge to things making us productive.
In creating a dull day to something spontaneous and useful, we must consider four things; time, space, resources and the sense of self. What we needed to do and how should we do it.
Most of the time, we indulge into writing or reading as a kind of hobby to ease our day. We sometimes make it a routine. However, the question now, is it something you really need? Is it something necessary or perhaps do you feel satisfied doing? Sometimes we have some extra curricular activities that add up to our loads of responsibilities. In the end, we do not find it fulfilling instead make us tired.
Hobby creates a routine in us just like a clock it always points to what the time is. This should not be a case or else we are not far from becoming a clock or a machine or mechanism. Hobby must be done out of what we want and needed to do that can makes us happy in the end. Here are some guides to make the most of your time.
We have defined hobby as recreation for self-satisfaction and making one useful. Then we must also find other hobbies that are not conventional. Most hobbies were reading, writing, stitching, painting and other related things. Nevertheless, some other hobbies can be productive also.
Instead of rushing into the mall of buying groceries, sometimes we do not take time to make it pleasurable. It is by going to grocery not as an impulse buyer but someone who thinks is best for the budget. This kind of hobby in grocery buying is different from we often feel when we are inside the mall. We sometimes forgot to take the list we necessarily need. Having grocery buying as a hobby creates a feeling to plan, budget and take time in choosing for the right quality of the product. It even makes window-shopping pleasurable because we eliminate the feeling of impulse buying.
Here are some tips as to how grocery buying can be a hobby. Check the items that should be in the list and do your grocery early in the morning. In this way, you avoid traffic both on vehicle and on people. It is also convenient since you can choose the best items; check their freshness and the price. What is advantageous of grocery buying as a hobby makes you a smart buyer. Smart buyers always know when most stores on sale, giving out discounts, know what season where prices are high or low and even when the stocks are around. It is for the reason that they take the time to talk to the sales clerks. These people can give you information that you needed since they know when the stocks or items purchased, delivered, displayed and even discounted. For example, when is the right time to buy school supplies, Christmas decor, holiday sales, fresh vegetables and meats and even when the bread is, hot.
Another hobby that you can make most is handling your money. To handle your money is not just about budgeting but it also includes how to transact your money in different financial institution. To handle is to manage properly and making it as a hobby can either increase or decrease your financial status. What is advantageous of handling your money as a hobby is that it will make you conscious as to where your money comes and goes. You will realize on how to organize your bank accounts, withdrawal slips, encode your earnings and monitor your finances. It can include as to the proper ways of transacting business in your own bank. It can then affect as to how you transact your ATM card, Credit cards and passbooks. You will become you own financial manager or your own bookkeeper. You will then realize when is the right time to transact business from ATMs, Banks and even purchases done on the internet. Handling money as a hobby is satisfying since it will excite you in the business world and even indulge yourself into investing.
The third hobby you can have is getting fit. Remember the time you realize that you are getting bigger and bigger yet you always forget of exercising. This is because we do not take exercising as a hobby. It must be made pleasurable in order for you to continually doing it even if you do not consider it as an exercise. Exercise is not merely losing weight it is a healthy lifestyle. Exercise as a hobby creates a conscious effort to eat the healthy meal at the right time, taking a walk instead of an elevator and keeping you from smoking and drinking. In this way, your simple hobby of getting fit does not only make a healthy lifestyle but fulfilling as well.
One expensive hobby one can make is traveling. However, one can still travel like his own dream out of town tour. Remember the time you once traveled and somehow you worried about expenses and sometimes some bagged worries you have left behind. This kind of worries will not make you traveling as pleasurable as possible. Therefore, if you are thinking of traveling as a hobby be smart in purchasing whether airline tickets, land transport, or having your own car with you. Try to check airline tickets during off-peak season and months wherein most establishments offer affordable rates. In this way, you can travel with lots of discounts.
Some hobbies really are expensive like a collection of cars, or a car for show-off. Then the deal is to lessen the amount you are paying or have a discount just by looking into small details of having it in the minimum amount. If you want a brand new car in its latest model, talk to the dealer and have it reserve for you. Mostly the first 100 units do have imported parts. If not, buy a car that is in the end of the year, most dealers negotiate that are advantageous to you. This is for the reason that they need to release all the old stocks. Good referrals from friends do make good deals. If you are thinking of selling your car, try to have it sold after the manufacturer's warranty has expired and the model is still on high price.
Lastly, the hobby of rejuvenation is different from being vain. It is important to keep our skin healthy, looking healthy and presentable to everyone even to ourselves. If we continually have this kind of hobby, we avoid going to dermatologist for mass reconstruction or modification of our skin. We will try to learn even home remedies and be conscious to how our face looks.
As they say, hobby can also depend in timing. If you think your hobby is best for this season, then go for it. As long as it makes you enjoy doing it and it is productive.
Marbles are played with around the world and it would seem that there are thousands of marbles to choose from these days, but it would also seem that this was not always the case. Marbles, in some shape or form, have been around almost as long as people have. Small balls of clay that were supposedly marbles have been found in the tombs of the great Egyptian rulers. Other small clay marble like balls have been found with relics left behind by the Aztecs. Whether these marbles were used as toys, no one really knows. In Roman times, marbles were played with as well, but smoothed over nuts replaced the small clay balls.
By the time of the middle ages, games were played all over Europe with clay balls. By the time that the eleventh century rolled around, glass blowers in Venice, Italy were already making small balls out of glass. In fact, Shakespeare mentions a game called Cherry Pits, which was no doubt played with some sort of marbles (or perhaps they were actually cherry pits?)
In 1815, the earliest known book was published in England about marbles and the book included several games that are still played around the world today. Marbles at that time were made out of glass, china or clay. But the more popular ones were made out of real stone, such as aggies (made out of agate) and these soon became the popular favourite both in Europe and in the US.
As people immigrated from Europe and England, they brought their marbles with them. Around 1890, the first machine made marble appeared on the scene. They were made in Germany and later made in the United States.
The first national marbles tournament was held in 1922 in Philadelphia and sponsored by Macys Department Store and has been held every year since, excluding two years during World War 2. Marbles again became popular during the 1950s and not to be outdone by the Japanese, the United States began cooking their marbles so they would crack inside without falling apart. Perhaps the crowning moment for the lowly marble was when a few were taken on one of Apollo trips by Neil Armstrong. So marbles have truly been all over the world and beyond.
Collecting marbles is a great hobby. My daughter collects them and we have been known to pick them up at antique markets for her. But there are few terms that you might want to know if this is something you are interested in doing.
You should do your home work before you start collecting marbles. There are many books that you can read about marbles and collecting them and you can get these at the library or at a book store. Educating yourself is the best hedge against people that are going to try to sell you phonies. You should then seek out other marble collectors, join a club, make contact with other sellers that you can get advice from on where to purchase marbles and what to look for in a marble and help you the manoeuvre around the different types of marbles. You can look for marbles at antique markets and flea markets. Sometimes, you will be lucky because most antique dealers do not know much about marbles.
Once you have a nice collection, you will want some ideas on how to store them. One thing you should remember is to never store your marbles in a vertical jar as they can rub against each other, scratch and possibly cause some pitting in the glass. Antique flower frogs are great for displaying marbles as they have holes in a glass base (these can be purchased for $5-$10 at antique markets). You could also make a wood box with individual departments, small zip loc bags, well there are quite a few creative ideas on how to display your marble collection.
Taking care of your marbles is not a hard task to do. You need to clean your marbles and while you could attack each marble with a toothbrush and water, but why not dunk a few at a time in a bowl with some toilet bowl cleaner, it will have the same effect. Make sure that you do not use anything abrasive that will harm the surface of your marble. Should you have any pitting in your marble, you can take it to a professional restorer.
Marble collecting can be a fun and rewarding hobby and definitely can be more than meets the eye.
Some years ago I thought that rag work was something I will never try. I thought that it would be very difficult. One day I visited a friend. In her house I saw exquisite pieces of rags. I asked their origin and the answer was not what I expected. She made them herself!!! I was so surprised because I could never imagine that a hobby could produce so fine results. When she saw how surprised I was, she offered to show me the basic techniques. Believe me I was willing to learn much more than that and I did. Now I am in the position to tell you what she taught me back then. Try rag work, it is more than a hobby...
Here I will start with the materials. Do not think of something expensive, the materials are recycled and therefore very inexpensive. Even the most unlikely fabrics, such as crimpling or unfashionable prints, are transformed when cut into strips and mixed with other colors and textures. Modern rag makers even use discarded plastic carrier bags, crisps and sweets packets. The other inexpensive material widely used in rag work is Hessian.
You can find below all the details that you will need concerning materials to use for rag work.
Cotton Fabrics
In particular old printed shirts and dresses or remnants, are ideal for rag work and particularly suitable for plaiting, crochet and knitting.
Jersey Fabrics
Cotton T-shirts are lovely to work with, fray very little and are good for cut or loop pile surfaces.
Fabric strips
A wide variety of fabric can be recycled, including old clothing, curtains and bedclothes. Cut off any fastenings and seams.
Plastic strips
These are a modern option to use with or instead of fabric. Plastic carrier bags slip easily through the Hessian and create unusual textures.
Foil strips
Add sparkle with foil-backed crisps packets and gift wrap.
Black felt
It is used as a smart backing cloth to finish jewellery, mirror frames and tablemats. Cut offcuts into strips and use in another project.
Calico
This is cheap, lightweight cotton very suitable for internal covers for cushion pads. It can be used as a backing cloth.
Hessian
Originally old sacking cloth was used to hook or prod through. Hessian, made from jute, has a pliable, woven construction and the warp and weft threads open and close easily. It is available in different weights. 250gr is perfect for rag work.
Tapestry canvas
It has a more rigid construction and can therefore be worked without a frame. For a rug, choose a weave of three holes to 2.5cm
Carpet webbing tape
This one is a heavy-duty woven calico tape, used to cover the edges of rugs. It comes in various widths.
Carpet binding tape
This is also used to bind edges and seams on the back of rugs.
Thin wire
It is useful in sculpted pieces. It is often used in the wrapping technique.
Latex carpet adhesive
It is used in backing finished pieces of rag work. Use in a well-ventilated area and avoid contact with clothing.
Clear-drying impact adhesive
It can be used in small amounts to stick backing cloth such as felt to smaller pieces of work.
Superglue
It is a very strong, quick-drying adhesive that is used to secure jewellery findings, such as ring fittings etc.
Brooch clip fastenings
These are available in metal in several designs. The two pictured are suitable for rag work jewellery. The brooch bar-style fastening is sewn to the back of work, while the round-shaped fastening is best stuck on.
Hair clip fastenings
They are available in several sizes. Measure the finished hairslide shape to determine the length of the bar needed.
Ring fittings
Made in metal, these are available in silver and gold finishes. Adjustable styles are best.
Drinks can ring pulls
They make ideal hangers for picture and mirror frames.
Elastic hair bands
These are available in a variety of colors so you can coordinate hair accessories.
Black sewing thread
It is used to tack down edges and to slip stitch black felt backing cloth into position.
Invisible thread
It is very strong. It is used to hem finish any color.
Colored sewing threads
For hard-wearing projects, use double-thickness cotton or a polyester mix sewing thread.
Colored viscose / rayon embroidery threads
They come in a selection of bright, acidic colors. Use to bind strips of fabric in wrapping.
Colored cotton embroidery thread
It is thicker than general sewing thread and suitable for hand-sewn decorative finishes.
All the above are basic the materials that you will probably need for rag work. You can use other materials as well, if you think they match.
Besides the materials you will need equipment as well. Rag work requires very few specialist tools. The equipment needed depends on which rag work techniques you are using. Plaiting and wrapping need least equipment of all; little more than a needle and thread. Knitting and crochet are done with ordinary needles. For hooking or prodding, you need a frame of some kind. Small projects can be worked in an embroidery hoop.
Here you can find a list of equipment that you will probably need.
1. Masking tape is used to stick down a tracing, prevent the raw edges of Hessian fraying, or to tape the rough edges of tapestry canvas, to avoid skin irritation.
2. Tape measure. This is an essential item and more flexible than a ruler.
3. Dressmaker's pins are handy to hold fabric in place before stitching.
4. Safety pin. This is used in the plaiting technique.
5. Sewing needles are constantly used for finishing, especially when attaching the backing cloth. Also they are important in plaiting.
6. Crochet hook (10 mm size) is needed for the crochet technique and it can also be used in the hooking technique.
7. Knitting needles (10 mm size) are used for the knitted patchwork rug.
8. Drawing paper. It is always a good idea to draw the design first.
9. White card is used for making templates.
10. Cutting mat. A plastic self-healing cutting mat prevents marking your table.
11. Tracing paper is used to sketch and transfer the design.
12. String is used in setting up a frame. By using a large-eyed needle, stitch the string through the Hessian and around the frame edge to get the Hessian taut.
13. Craft knife. Use as an alternative to scissors for cutting out templates.
14. Scissors are essential in all rag work projects. You need two pairs: a sharp pair for cutting fabric and a pair for cutting paper, foil and plastic, as these materials will blunt the blades.
15. Marker pen. A large, black, indelible marker pen works best for marking out the design on the Hessian
16. Transfer pencil. This is used to transfer the design on to the Hessian. Draw over the reverse of the artwork, and then iron on.
17. Prodder. This is a blunt-ended wooden tool used in making a prodded mat. An alternative is a large, smooth-ended wooden peg.
18. Hook. This has a hand-turned yew handle with a tapering brass sharp-ended hook. It is pushed through the Hessian up to the wooden handle, leaving a large hole.
19. Metre rule. Use this to mark out the outline of a large rug on to Hessian.
20. Ruler. Use this to measure straight edges for small-scale design work.
21. Large adjustable frame and pegs. The traditional wooden mat-making frame is adjustable, with two pieces of wood for the length, two) with drilled holes in which to position the pegs) for the sides, and four turned wooden pegs, one for each corner. The length can be wrapped round the frame so that you can continue working on the next area, approximately 56 cm deep. Hessian is stapled or strung on to the frame and the pegs are then positioned one at each corner, keeping the Hessian very taut. Use this for larger rugs and wall hangings.
22. Embroidery hoops are used to stretch Hessian for making smaller items.
23. Artist's stretchers make a good portable frame and are available in pairs in many different lengths. Always use a frame larger than the finished piece of work.
24. Pliers are used to cut wire, particularly in the wrapping technique.
25. Sewing machine. This is not an essential item, but very helpful for stitching applique and hems.
26. Rotary cutter. This is useful for quickly cutting layers of fabric into strips.
27. Staple gun. This can be used to attach the Hessian to the frame quickly.
28. Iron. Hessian is usually supplied either rolled or folded, so you may need to iron out any creases.
So, all you have to do is to gather all the materials and equipments that you will need (it is not necessary to have everything) and we will start together. Later I will give you the basic techniques and then I will tell you how you can make yourself rugs, jewellery, handbags, cushions and many more things that you probably would like to have or to give to your love ones.
Benefits of Reading Magazines
0 Comments Published by alfie on Saturday, October 28, 2006 at 9:45 AM.
Every woman will eventually lose her freedom once she has settled down with a family. Even if you do have a spouse that is so understanding you will still have duties to fulfil as a wife and as a mother. You start your day in the morning with a sparkling smile and at the end of the day you are just worn out and before you now it the day is over. Sometimes you feel totally ignorant to the changes around you, like the latest handbag or lipstick in the market. Although you could surf the net or watch a fashion show but after a long day I am sure you do not want to be stuck in front of your computer or television.
This is where I feel a magazine comes in handy as it an excellent source of information that will be able to put you on track with the latest news and updates, whether it is about fashion, celebrities, entertainment or about your intimate life. Magazines are attractive to look at with its impressive colorful cover page that will cheer you up after a long day. It is compact and is your complete guide for better living. All you need to do is lay back and enjoy reading your magazine with a nice hot cup of tea.
My favorite magazine is The Malaysian Womens Weekly and I always make it a point to purchase it every month without fail. As a working mother of two highly active kids most of the time I just want to hit the sack but since the magazine is such a good read, I spare a few minutes reading or just browsing through it. It helps me to relax and unwind myself just before going to bed.
In my opinion the magazine is a must have item especially for married women as it will definitely be helpful for them as it addresses important issues such as marital relationships, financial advises, health tips, career development and cooking. The magazine is broken into to four parts that is glamour and news, fashion and beauty, better living and you and your family. All these columns basically cover all that a woman needs to cope with her busy life.
If you go through the Fashion and Glamour sections you will come across Spy: Style, which highlights glamorous ladies usually celebrities whether local or abroad establishing fashion headlines worldwide. It usually features the celebrities and the fabulous gowns and accessories that they have donned on for a special occasion such as the Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Grammy awards and the list goes on. This column is perfect if you want to impress the crowd at a party and it allows you to have the knowledge on how to utilize your accessories wisely, so go ahead and be a star for a day.
Spy: Scene gives you an insight into the latest stylish events happening in town like Lancôme Color Design Awards, Launch of the Royal Raffles Collection (pearls), Grease the Musical Party and so on. Spotlight; Celebrity, covers the lifestyle of Hollywood stars on issues such as celebrity mums, their favorite bling; gems, rings, bracelets, staying fit in luxury, latest products in the market and so on. Society Spotlight features the lifestyle and problems faced by the Malaysian women and how they overcame their obstacles, which is excellent to boost your confidence after a tiring day. There is also a column for Hot Gossip so you can get hot juicy news of stars and their private lives in a flash.
Moving on to the Fashion and Beauty section is where you will be able to obtain a complete guide to the latest fashion updates, cosmetics and skincare range. Free samples of products that are advertised in the magazine are provided giving you a chance to actually try out the product before purchasing it. The Beauty Bulletin offers beauty tips and treats to help you look your best even when you are having a bad day. Get to know the latest whitening skincare range in the market from its usage to its price allowing you to select a skincare that is suitable for your skin and your budget. Leading brands such as Biotherm, Christian Dior, Loreal, Mary Kay and Estee Lauder are featured in this column. The column also addresses common skin conditions that are experienced by Asian women like blackheads, pimples, and dark circles under the eyes, wrinkles and probable solutions such as eye and mask treatments.
There is a star featured every month on the cover page of the magazine together with the exclusive interview attached into it. The stars share their lifestyle, secrets, career and future plans with the readers. If you want to look exactly like the star on the cover page all you need to do is head over to the Cover Style page. You will be able to obtain complete details of the attire worn together with the place of purchase and its price. There is also a complete account about the cosmetics used by the star to achieve that cover page look.
If you are bored to look at your same old face everyday in the morning be bold and have a hair cut. The magazine offers advice on the different styles of haircuts according to the shape of your face. Last week I took the magazine with me when I went for a haircut and followed the cover page look. It turned out so great that my husband was amazed about my new looks. You can also learn to style your hair yourself at the comfort of your home whether you want your hair to be long and wispy, bold and blunt or side –swept chic all you need to do is purchase the right tools such as creams, oil, sprays and serums.
Working women will find the Career wise column very helpful as it addresses the normal issues faced at work and provides excellent advise on how to excel in ones career. The information available in these column ranges from writing the best resume tips on how to excel in an interview, beating stress at work, choosing a right career and maintaining it.
If you feel uncomfortable to voice out your sexual problems to a doctor the magazine is a great alternative outlet that you can use to obtain advise for your sexual problems. A specialist doctor in this field will give advice and you can still maintain your privacy, as you do not have to state your name. The column Sex and you provides tips and advice that will help you to maintain a happy and healthy sexual life with your spouse.
Valuable advise on parenting can be obtained in the smart parenting column that features interesting topics and its solutions such as potty training, preventing the usage of pacifiers, keeping viruses at bay, dental mistakes to avoid, breast feeding and pregnancy issues. This column is a haven for all mothers as they can share their views and get solutions to their problems at the same time.
My favorite column in the whole magazine is the Real Life Drama column depicting true stories of women and their hidden secrets that they cannot share with anyone else. It gives you a bigger picture to life when you realize that you might not be that unlucky as the person in the story. It makes you want to appreciate the life that you have.
The better living column will aid you to vow your guests with delicious recipes from renowned chefs and stylish table decors to brighten up the atmosphere. Food ID is about the flavors and spices that will spice up your cooking, while cookery school provides you with instructions to improve your cooking. There are also a number of recipes featured together with healthy cooking ideas to follow.
Make sure to take a peek at the 5 minutes expert page that has fast facts that will help you organize your day around the clock with no sweat at all. Get useful hints on how to maintain your jewelry, deodorizing the room, getting off stubborn stains from the Reader hints page. This will save your time as well as your money. Financial advise on managing your money, insurance and retirement plans is discussed in the magazine which is important as each individual needs to be aware of the financial needs in the family.
Finally the magazine has so many prizes and giveaways to offer. All you have to do is participate in the contest that can be obtained inside the magazine. You need to answer the questions correctly and post it as soon as you can. Contests are interesting and fun to participate in and provide you an avenue to reveal your creativity.
Reading magazines is definitely beneficial as it addresses many issues and problems that is related with our daily life and is one of the ways we can use to update ourselves about the latest news and updates. Business, sports and medical magazines could also be an excellent read depending on the taste of the reader. It is an excellent way for you to express and share ideas with other magazine readers. Therefore if you lead a hectic life, magazines could be an alternative source of information that you can rely upon.
By Christina VanGinkel
I belong to several hobby related boards online. They relate to various hobbies that I or my husband and son are interested, or actively participate in. One of the boards is a scrapbooking board, but within it, there are several other boards related to various craft techniques and subjects related to crafts in general. It was on this board that I found myself browsing some of the messages yesterday. I ended up stumbling into a discussion about a technique I had never heard of, but found quite interesting. The technique that was under discussion involved getting an image, either words, picture, or a combination of both unto the face of a candle. When I first read it, I imagined the person used some fancy, probably expensive tool, but as I read into the posts further, I found just the opposite to be true. What was also under great discussion was how great the finished candles were as gifts. I could not agree more, that was if the technique were as simple as everyone was saying it was.
I decided that yes, it would be the perfect way to make some unique gifts for this upcoming holiday season. Even if it were not quite as simple as it seemed, as the instructions the woman had included in her post seemed almost too simple. I decided that I would look it up online a bit further to see if anything had been left out. While the internet might not always provide definitive answers for everything we come across, when it comes to the crafting hobbies, chances are you can find a wealth of information on just about any related subject if you just take the time to search for information.
What I found both surprised me and delighted me. In addition, I can tell you right now, that there are several people on my holiday gift list, which will be getting personalized candles this year.
Personalized Candle Instructions
After reading through several different people's observations on this craft, I tried out several, and ended up following along the basic steps to create my own personalized candles with no problems or issues whatsoever.
I chose a medium sized white candle to try this on, because that is what I had on hand. I imagine any sized or color candle will do. For the image and text that I chose to use, I printed it, via my inkjet printer, directly onto a sheet of white tissue paper (think thin wrapping paper). Note: I first taped the piece of tissue paper to a plain white sheet of regular printer paper, as the tissue paper seemed a bit too thin to send through my printer on its own, and I hate paper jams and avoid them at all costs. Once I had the image onto the tissue paper, I hand tore the image out, just leaving a very narrow margin around the whole thing. I could have also stamped an image onto the tissue paper and I believe it would work just as well, and I would not have had any worry about issues with the medium going through a printer.
I laid the candle on its side for this part, and I cheated a bit during this step and used just a tiny amount of glue, to keep the image in place on the candle where I wanted it to be. I would not recommend gluing it in place, just a tiny dot, or two on the edges to keep in flat on the curve of the candle.
I then turned my heat gun on and keeping it a few inches away from the candle, but close enough to heat it up just a bit, I moved the heat gun in a back and forth motion so that the wax heated up enough and melded together with the image. What resulted was a personalized candle that looked as if I had it done professionally. When I thought how easy it would be to make candles with my friend's names on, or with sayings or even short pieces of poetry, I realized I will never be without a last minute gift again as long as I keep a few candle s on hand. Finished off with a bit of ribbon, or ribbon and a couple of charms or beads, and even a last minute gift will look as if I spent hours making it or putting the details together to have someone else create it!
The other day when I visited one of my close friends Jaya, I saw some beautiful ornaments displayed on top of her book shelf. When I enquired about her latest deco, she told me it was made out of egg shells. I was quite surprised and decided to start my own hobby of egg shell painting. You can do this hobby anytime and anywhere, the cost is not that expensive and the best part is you can eat the egg and use the shell for deco.
It is an excellent hobby to start with your kids. You get to teach them to be creative and have fun at the same time. This craft is safe for your kids to do by themselves and will keep them busy for quite some time if you need to keep them out of your way. This is a good way to get them to focus their mind and energy on useful stuffs rather than getting involved in mischievous activities.
You can choose to do egg shell painting at any time of the year, it is not necessary that you should wait until Easter to do this. Hard-cooked eggs or emptied egg shells can be used for egg shell painting. Emptied eggs are light weighted and can easily break, if you are a beginner than you could start with hard-cooked eggs as it is sturdier. You can use these egg shells painting as deco for your house, Christmas tree or Easter tree.
The egg shells can be painted by using egg dyes, food coloring or natural dye that you can make on your own. Crayons, felt-tipped pens can be used to decorate the egg shells after the paint is dry. The unique oval shape of the egg makes it very attractive and a charming deco.
In order to start painting, you must empty the egg first. You need to wash and rinse your hand cleanly in warm water. Wash and dry the eggs as it may be oily. Than use a big, clean or sterilized needle and make a small hole at the small end of the egg. Proceed to make a larger hole at the larger end of the egg. Place a bowl in front of you and put the egg over the bowl. Blow through the small hole of the egg until all the content of the egg is removed or you can use a baster to push out the contents. Rinse the empty egg shell and leave to dry before painting. The raw egg can be used to make quiche; omelet, scrambled eggs, and bread, if you are not using it just yet make sure to freeze it.
You can also opt to use the egg yolk to paint the egg shell; this is known as egg tempera. It is very simple to do. Crack the egg open carefully and separate the egg yolk from the white. Place the yolk in a bowl and mix with 1/2 a teaspoon of water. Separate the egg yolk into different containers and add different food colorings to each container. If you find the paint becoming thicker just add a few drops of water and continue to paint.
Emptied egg shell painting can be kept for a long time as it can not get spoiled. If you want to preserve the egg shell for a longer period of time, you need to protect it first. Apply layers of newspaper, tissue paper or any other similar paper to the egg and use white glue, wall paper paste or make your own glue to paste the papers onto the egg. Once the egg is dry you can start painting and after it is finished to further preserve it you can choose to apply a coat of thinned glue, pearl nail polish, shellac or varnish.
If you are using hard cooked eggs for your painting and you plan to eat it, make sure to adhere to certain safety food tips carefully. All the dyes and food coloring used must be safe for consumption. There should be no cracks on the shell when painting or dying the egg, if there is cracks please throw it away. The crayons and felt-tipped pens used must be non-toxic. When you are not painting the eggs keep it refrigerated and do not consume eggs that have not been refrigerated for more than 2 hours.
You can opt to make natural dye from food to be on a safer side but the natural dye may be dull and not so shiny. Some of the food stuffs that you can use to make the dye are hickory barks, coffee, madder roots, berries and walnut shells.
Estimate the amount of dye that you would require to paint the egg shell. Place a handful or two handful of the dyestuff in a saucepan and add tap water. The measurement is one cup of water for a handful of dyestuff. Let the water boil and than reduce the heat, allow the liquid to simmer for 15 minutes or up to an hour until you obtain the desired color for your paint. Strain the dye liquid by using a suitable strainer and add two to three teaspoon of white vinegar into the liquid. Place the dye in a bowl that is deep enough so that the egg can be soaked completely in the dye. Please note that since this a natural dye you the color will not be as dark as the liquid.
The dyed eggs can be removed by using a spoon and left to dry on a rack. They might not be glossy or shiny so you can rub some mineral or cooking oil onto it to give it a sheen look. Natural dye is safer especially if children were to consume the painted eggs. The list of color that you can obtain from food stuffs is as stated below;
Beets, cranberries for Pinkish red color
Ground turmeric for Yellow color
Yellow onion skins for Orange color
Brewed coffee for Beige to brown color
Purple or red grape juice for Gray color
Canned blueberries for Blue color
These are just some of the examples; you can also come up with your own ideas to make natural dye from other food stuffs or herbs.
If you feel it is a hassle preparing your own natural dye, you can always use food coloring as mentioned earlier. All you need to do is get some water that is warmer than the egg, add in drops of food coloring together with 2 to 3 teaspoons of white vinegar. Use a spoon to place the egg in to the bowl and leave it there until you are satisfied with the color. Leave it to dry and paint in desired patterns and designs. You can also use a pencil and draw the designs and paint over it.
Felt-tipped pens and crayons can be used to add in designs or draw funny faces. If you want layers of colors just dye different parts of the eggs in different colored dyes. Sometimes the cooked eggs can be quite oily or it could pick up the oil from your hands so you can wipe it by using some vinegar. Never let the egg sit or soak in vinegar as it will cause the egg shell to dissolve.
My kids and I have so much fun painting egg shells that we do it every weekend. It has become a family activity. Get creative and start egg shell painting, you can even make it as a gift for your loved ones and this is a much more special gift compared to the one that you buy from the store because you are making this gift with love and your own two hands. Egg shell painting is perfect for mums who work at home because you can sell it to your friends and family and earn extra income too.
Creating your own Altered Embellishments
0 Comments Published by CMV on Thursday, October 26, 2006 at 8:45 AM.
By Christina VanGinkel
Altering common household items to create embellishments to scrap or make personalized cards with is a great way to stretch your craft budget. Many of the items that are easy to alter, often have an equivalent on the average scrapbook, or craft store shelf, but were first borrowed at home by some ingenious scrapper, to be transformed into the very product you see in the stores for busy scrappers. What so many of us overlook though, is that if we have the time and the tools, there is nothing wrong with creating our own counterparts today. Just because the embellishments are now available to buy in their already finished form, does not mean that we cannot still make them at home cheaper or even free. In addition, because we are altering the items ourselves, we can personalize the pieces in a manner that will fit our projects better than anything we could ever buy anyway, on top of saving money, which was often the motivation behind their original counterparts to begin with.
Bottle Caps
Bottle caps are one of the easiest and most fun things to alter. They can be painted, words can be stenciled or freehanded across them, you can use stickers directly on them, or they can even be used as is once they are flattened. I have seen them used as centers of flowers, with the flower petals doodled around the edges, as wheels in a layout, or just lined up in a row, spelling out a saying or name. Bottle caps are fun to use in various ways. I cringe when I see what some companies charge for them though, especially when they are so inexpensive to come buy and so incredibly easy to alter.
All you need is safety glasses, a rubber mallet, and somewhere to put the rubber mallet to use. A good friend does the deed right on her carpeted living room floor, but I would opt for somewhere that the occasional flying bottle cap will not break or scratch anything. I like to do mine on the railing of our deck.
Place the bottle cap top side up, and give it a couple of good whacks with a rubber mallet. (This doubles as a great way to relieve stress, especially if you have a dozen or so lined up to alter all at once). When it is flattened, flip it over and give it another good whack to flatten completely. Once you have the number you need or want to do all flat, decorate with paint, stickers, enamel, or any way you can dream up!
Paper Clips
Paper clips can be used in a variety of ways. Available not only in a huge assortment of colors, finishes, and sizes, they can be used as is, or altered into various creations. Because not all paper clips are made of the same materials, some brands and finishes will work better for being altered than others. What are paper clips good for other than clipping paper together? With a pair of round nosed pliers, you can transform a typical paper clip into all sorts of amazing creations. If you are unsure if the clips you have are suitable for such manipulation, your best way to find out is to try one. To start, decide what shape you would like to try to make. A simple swirl is the easiest thing I have found for beginners. Once that shape is made successfully, try something more difficult. Before you know it, you will be able to create all sorts of mini metal embellishments that will look like you paid big bucks for, but cost you nothing more than some time and a few paper clips. The one compatibility problem I have run into was when I tried to bend a couple of clips that in retrospect looked painted. As soon as I started to unfold the clip, the color, or paint, started to chip off.
Choose a thin metal paper clip to begin, or a colored plastic coated one as they are often of a very pliable metal. Straighten the paper clip out to begin with; unfolding the folds that the paper clips has been formed into. Grab one end of the clip with the round nosed pliers and turn slowly, creating a swirl. Once you are comfortable bending the clips, you can make anything from letters to complete words, flowers, and other simple shapes.
By Brandi M. Seals
How do I get started?
Researching your family's genealogy will either be really easy or fairly difficult. If someone has already researched it for you, you can easily tap into their information. If no one else has, then it is your job to piece together information until you can come up with a fairly accurate idea of your family's genealogy.
As you go along, expect to find mistakes. You might have great aunt Minnie but she is listed as Miriam on a census record. Do not be surprised when you unravel misconceptions that your whole family has. For example, my great grandmother went by the name of May. Her children knew her first name was May but then why is her grave inscribed for A. May Geiling? Because she apparently went by her middle name and now no one knows what her first name was. She is also said to have died while giving birth to one of my great uncles. She did not. She may have died giving birth but the baby must have died too because she died a full year after the uncle was born.
Do not get bogged down by the errors. Try to reason things out even if they are contrary to what you have been told in the past. As time passes our memories get worse, we confuse things and do not realize it. So although you may start by interviewing relatives about what they can remember, do not take their recollection as the absolute truth. It may be close but not quite right.
Once you have filled out as much of the family tree as possible, go online. Use search engines or genealogy websites to look up as much information as possible. Generally speaking, you will need the name of deceased relatives to use the genealogy websites. Anyone living will not be listed as name, only as Living followed by the last name.
Once you get on the trail of your genealogy you may be surprised that it does not go back very far or it could go on and on. Just because someone says the information is correct, does not make it so. You will often find conflicting information on the genealogy websites when you look at what other people have researched. Try to find additional information that will steer you towards what information is correct - like census records, marriage records or any other public record.
Can I get the information with out paying for it?
Yes, you can get lots of information for free. Start with your own family. Ask your grandparents or parents about the previous generation. Older people love talking about the past. You will get plenty of information which you can use.
For additional information, visit the Church of Latter Day Saints. They run a website full of genealogy information that you can access for free. You may get lucky and find your family on it, if not do not get disappointed. You can still see if you can find anything about them on Census Finder. Census Finder locates free census records for visitors.
Check with RootsWeb or other pay to use service but be aware that you can often time get some information for free. Generally family histories researched by others are free. They generally only charge for letting visitors view supporting documentation (like census records).
Why are census records important?
Census records offer us a glimpse into the past. While people's memories have faded and research may be inaccurate, the census records give you a peek into the past. Find out if your great great grandma could read. Find out what her husband did for a living or how many children they had living with them in 1900. You will also find out the names and ages of those children. Census records often include the country of origin, so you may be able to track down where your family emigrated from.
How do I keep track of all this information?
Create a spread sheet or document to house any information you have. You will want to note people's names, their birth date, death date, when they were married, who they were married to, the names of their children and when they were born. Of course you may also want to know where all these events took place so you can track where your family came from. You can also go online and search for a pedigree form. A pedigree form is used to keep track of genealogy and generally has a space for all the aforementioned information.
By Christina VanGinkel
My youngest son, fourteen years old, and yet to participate in a hobby or activity that he has not been able to master, might have finally met his match. He has been an avid shooter of the bow and arrow for several years. He practices often and is quite a good shot. He is the type of person that if he is going to do something, he is going to do it well.
Filled with self-assurance of his shooting ability, and having harvested a deer already, albeit a small racked one, he had no lack of confidence that this year if he was able to lure in a large buck that had been seen around the area into his stand, that he would be able to get it.
What he did not count on, though he had been warned of this well-known factor by his father and several other seasoned hunters, was a small thing called buck fever. Buck fever occurs to the best of hunters, at the most inopportune times. It affects a hunter by taking their normal shooting stance and all of their practiced skills and putting them as far out of whack as anyone could imagine by adding a shaking tremor, sometimes so deep that their teeth rattle.
The story goes like this. My son put in hours of hard labor to build a food plot on our land earlier this past summer. He borrowed equipment to till the raw land, breaking through topsoil, picking rocks, until finally the piece of land was ready for planting. After planting it, we entered one of the most severe droughts our state has ever seen. So in order to protect all his labor, he had to haul water (it was too far for something as simple as a garden hose to reach) via a trailer on the back of his old four-wheeler to keep the precious seedlings growing, and by early fall, he ended up having a very respectable food plot. Still, the work was not done. Planted in the middle of a stand of hardwoods, he then had to keep the plot raked as the leaves fell off the trees, covering, and smothering, the still young plants.
Because of all his hard work, the food plot survived, and there was soon sign of deer coming to visit. Season opened, and he continued to see signs of deer and even saw several does. Then, he saw him, a very nice sized eight-point buck, obviously the same one that others had seen around the area. The same day, he actually saw another one, also an eight pointer, but with a much narrower rack and thinner tines. He never got a chance to pull back his bow though, as they stayed well out of reach on a ridge that runs towards the back of our property.
A couple of weeks into the bow season, our state held an early youth hunt, where hunters under a specific age could hunt with their guns they would normally use during the upcoming gun season in November, for one weekend. If they shot a buck, it would fill their gun tag, but it was a great opportunity for a youth to hunt the woods without the pressure of a typical full-blown gun season.
As fate would have it, the smaller of the two eight pointers came into range of my son with his gun on that weekend and he downed him with one shot. This bolstered his confidence that he would not get shaky and have buck fever if the big one were to come within range of him and his bow.
This past weekend, as afternoon wore on, my son found himself sitting in his bow stand when the buck he had worked all summer and fall to attract to his stand finally made his appearance. My son kept his cool and waited for the buck to come into range of his bow and to turn just so, giving him the best shot he could have hoped for. After this, it all gets a bit blurry, but when he came down out of his stand, he knew he had missed him. He knew he had not even come close. He recalls shaking tremendously. He now knows what his father and others had told him about the malady so many hunters refer to as Buck Fever. Now he knows what to expect though, and he thinks he can control the wild woe that has felled so many whitetail hunters. We will not know for sure though, until the next time that big one comes in.
By Brandi M. Seals
When you start any quilt you have high hopes that things will turn out just as you envision them. Yet somehow things never quite come out exactly as you envision. The quilt ends up slightly smaller than you had envisioned, the colors do not meld quite the way you had hoped or maybe the colors pop a lot better then you ever could have imagined. Whether the difference is good or bad, there is always something that comes up that you could not have quite foreseen.
So it is no surprise that when I go to make a quilt, I try not to envision the finished piece to much. I work one step at a time; creating block after block and then work those blocks into the completed piece.
For this pattern I have provided you with just the block design. You can do with it what you like. Use it any size quilt that suits your needs. Use it as the only design in the quilt or alternate it with one, two, or however many other designs you like. This block is not hard to create but it may be a little rough getting the hang of it at first. To me it is reminiscent of a flag and I like that quality about it.
To make this flag block, start by purchasing your fabric. You will need at least three different colors. You could use the colors I have chosen in the design or feel free to experiment with your own color choices.
Once the fabric has been picked out and purchased you will need to wash, dry and iron it. The washing is done because fabrics tend to shrink in size after being washed. The colors may also bleed. You do not want your bright blue fabric bleeding into the pure white right next to it, so always prewash your fabrics and only wash them with like fabrics. The ironing is necessary to make sure the fabric is straight. You want to make sure all your cuts and seams are straight and that will be impossible to do one wrinkled fabric.
For each block like this you decide to incorporate in your quilt, you will need the following:
From the 1st fabric (represented in the diagram by the color yellow):
1- 2.5 inch x 2.5 inch square
4- 6.25 inch x 1.25 inch strips
From the 2nd fabric (represented in the diagram by the color white):
4- 4.5 inch x 4.5 inch squares
From the 3rd fabric (represented in the diagram by the color blue):
4- 2.5 inch by 4.5 inch strips
Cut this these pieces out of your fabric. An easy way to cut strips is to first fold the material in half. Square the sides so that you are guaranteed a straight edge, then cut out the strip width that you require. Next, unfold the cut strip and divide it up into the size you need. For example, with the blue fabric I would first cut a 2.5 inch wide strip from my material. I would then cut that long strip into 4.5 inch long pieces. Do the same thing with the squares.
Once all of your pieces have been cut out for the entire quilt, you can begin to piece the blocks together.
Start with the yellow square. Attach a blue strip to one end and another to the opposite end so that you now have one long strip. Next, take the white squares and lay them out. Put the yellow piece over the square so that it runs from one corner to the other. Mark on the back side of the white square where the strip will run. Then cut the square into two equal triangles. Attach the yellow strip to one of the triangles and then sew on the other triangle to make a complete square.
For the next step, sew together one of these yellow striped squares and a blue strip. Then attach the final yellow square in the row. Make sure the yellow strip is running in the correct direction. When all is said and done, you should have 3 rows that need to be sewn together to form the block. When the blocks are completed, sew them together in the pattern you desire to form the quilt top.
By Christina VanGinkel
Ok, the title is a tad misleading, as I do not mean for you to actually scrapbook 'on' the wall (though that could work!), but to create a scrapbook layout that is worthy of hanging on the wall. The idea came to me when I was in a small store that had a framing counter the other day and was browsing through a bin of odd sized picture frames that the storeowner had put clearance prices on. Many of the frames were good quality, but of such odd sizes, I could not at first imagine what I would frame with any of them. At about that time, a woman walked over, picked up a couple of the frames and started measuring them with a small tape measure she had attached to her keychain (I wish I were so organized) and ended up picking out several to buy. I could not help but ask her what she intended to frame with them, as the sizes were so odd. She quickly responded the sizes were not odd, that the ones she had picked up were sizes she had been looking for to frame her law degree and a couple other certificates she had earned.
At least at this point, I knew that the frames actually were made to frame something specific. Apparently, there is a whole market of different sized frames out there, but unless one has a use for them, we get our brains stuck on the more common sizes that we see everyday such as your typical 8" x 10". Sure, I knew frames were made larger for painting and artwork, but for everyday framing, we never give these sizes much thought, at least I never did.
Browsing through the bin a bit further, I did get an idea, though it was nothing as grand as going to law school to earn a degree to fit in one of the frames. I realized by turning one of the very frames she had picked up, on its side, it would make an good frame to create a landscape scrapbook layout, but not for including in any scrapbook, but to hang on the wall. At about this time I saw another frame that was about twenty inches by ten inches. It had an included mat that was made to hold three separate pictures, but my mind was racing by this time and thought this would be ideal for an idea I had just conceived, all I would have to do is remove the matting. I alter learned this was not really a new idea, but at the time it was new to me.
What I created turned out to be one of the most fun pieces of scrapping that I have ever done. I actually started out with the mind frame that it would be no different from a typical scrapbook layout, other than the size. Was I ever wrong. When I kept thinking that, the finished piece would hang on my wall, where everyone from family and friends to casual visitors would be able to view it, my approach changed somewhat. I wanted to make a piece of art. I wanted to create a layout that was both pleasing to my sense of what the page should represent, and have it fit in with my eclectic style of decor. I wanted it to be what I perceived of making it and that meant that ultimately it needed to be fun. For you, the outcome could be a piece that is sentimental, serious, thought provoking, whatever. For myself personally, I wanted the piece to represent the one emotion I have most often when I scrap and that is exactly what it ended up being. I also wanted it to be a layout though, not just a group of framed pictures.
The choice of subject was easy to choose, my son on his motocross bike. I had done previous layouts, but because of the limitations on size, I had never captured what I felt was the true emotion of his riding enjoyment. Because of the length of the layout, I was able to create a panorama of him going around the track and over jumps. I was able to capture a whole scene and not just a single snippet of one occasion. I added journaling that expressed both my fear of seeing him fly over the jumps, and my being proud at seeing him accomplish something that not everyone is able or willing to try. I also added depth by including some embellishments that I never would have thought to include in a traditional scrapbook layout, namely links from a chain that he broke and I salvaged pieces of just for the project.
I had heard others express a similar feeling of astonishment when they went from a small format scrapbook to a larger format for the first time, and while I understood their feelings to a point, this different approach to a hobby I enjoy so immensely, to me epitomized the whole pastime perfectly. It allowed me to express my perception of my son's enjoyment and my perception of it, in a way that would never have fit the boundaries of a traditional scrapbook layout. At the same time permitted me to draw on facets of scrapbooking, such as journaling and the use of embellishments, which one would not normally include in a typical framed print to hang on the wall.
Unique Collections: Good Idea or Bad Taste?
Published by Lacie R. Schaeffer on at 4:39 AM.