Archive for the ‘Hobbies’ Category
Although I haven’t crocheted anything recently, crocheting is still a very popular hobby. There are so many cute and decorative items you can make to use or give away as gifts. And it generally takes so little of your time. Crocheting is something you can do while riding or waiting. It’s a great way to pass time that would otherwise be wasted.
I crocheted this cute little poodle shown here a number of years ago. Isn’t he a darling cover-up for your extra roll of toilet tissue?
If you are wanting to make some extra money, you can even sell your homemade items.
Is that a stupid question or what?
On a recent post I suggested that you crochet while watching TV, BUT sometimes the show we are watching is just too good to miss even a second.
Tonight I watched the prelude to my favorite television show - “Survivor.” I just won’t miss the show if I can help it at all, even though I can watch the replay on the computer. Tonight’s show was ‘Surviving Survivor’ and it looks like this year’s shows will be just as exciting as all the others. If you like it too, don’t forget the first of the series on February 11. If you’ve never seen it before, you don’t know what you are missing!
And if you are one of those people who can do two things at once, get out the yarn and crochet hook and make something great. (How about the cute hat pictured here?)
My grandmother used to crochet a lot, and she had lots of crocheted doilies in her home. My mother also crocheted and decorated with doilies. When I started to crochet, I did the same thing. We had doilies on the backs and arms of our chairs. We made doilies with ruffles and made them stiff with starch so that the ruffles would ‘stand up’ and stay in place. These were used to sit our table lamps on, and the lacy ruffles would flare around the lamp bases.
I don’t see so many people doing this nowadays, but maybe I don’t get around that much. However, these doilies added a nice touch to the atmosphere of a room and were a dainty addition to our decor, especially those made with flowers and other designs in colors to match our decor.
If you are looking for a neat craft with beautiful results, I would suggest that you try paper quilling or paper filigree, as it is also called. This once-popular craft is making a resurgence in the art and craft world, and you can readily see why when you view all the beautiful items that can be created from plain strips of paper, a couple of tools and glue.
This is one of those crafts in which you do not have to invest a large amount of money to get started. Yet you can create beautiful cards and other items that look expensive and professionally made.
Look at the picture here. Is it an art, a craft, or a hobby? This neat decorative fountain was given to me by son, Ted, and daughter-in-law, Tracey. Whoever it was that came up with this project did some cool thinking. They have taken an unusual piece of tree limb, actually 2 or 3 pieces of tree, and arranged them in an attractive way. A pitcher pump has been added. A small electric fountain pump has been included with the tube running through the spout of the pitcher pump. A nice-sized bucket catches the water that falls from the spout of the pump when the cord is plugged in. Several artificial flowers and plants have been added to enhance the appearance. All of this is sitting on a piece of plywood covered with artificial grass.
I have seen a great variety of designs and styles of these, and perhaps you have, too. They seem to be popular at flea markets and other events where things are sold. As you can imagine, no two are alike.
If you are interested in making money from your crafts, this might be a project you would want to consider.
My parents started me on piano lessons when I was 6 years old. They were something that I did not particularly like or enjoy. My piano teacher seemed old and grouchy, and I did not like it when she tapped my fingers with the little stick she always held in her hand. Practicing was not fun, especially when doing scales.
I don’t remember how many years I took lessons from this teacher, but as I grew older and began to play in church, suddenly I appreciated all these lessons I was forced to take. I wanted to learn to play by ear, not having been born with this talent as some are. I sought out teachers and studied every book I could find. I studied music theory, chords, everything that I could get my hands on. Now I am thankful that I was given this chance. It is so relaxing just to sit down and play. Playing lifts my spirit and takes me from a low mood to a happy mood.
What song is running through your mind at the moment? Would you love the ability to sit down at your piano and just play the songs you hear and enjoy? Are there songs you want to play with your church? Perhaps you want to write and perform your own music? Although you may think it is impossible, you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish when you put forth a little effort.
My Dad's Prize Catch
As I mentioned in my last post, my family, while I was growing up, nearly always went to Canada for our yearly vacation, My father loved to fish so of course he spent day after day fishing, and I often went along in the boat with him.
Fishing is a very enjoyable hobby or sport and at times very relaxing. However, being relaxed usually meant that not too many fish were biting, but we still enjoyed just being on the water with a pole or two in our hands.
It was during those early years of my life that I learned to put a fishworm or night crawler on a hook. That was about the extent of my education when it came to fishing because most of the time when I caught a fish, it was up to my dad to remove it from the hook. I remember the one big (?) fish that I caught back then. It was a 6 1/2 pound Pike that was 28 inches or so long. To me that was huge. (I was only 12 years old.) However, I will admit that my dad really did the catching. I hooked the fish, and my dad did the rest. He fought with that fish for 30 minutes or longer before he finally got it in the boat. BUT I still got to claim that I caught it.
Candy Card
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner and St. Patrick’s Day and Easter not far behind, you just might want to start your cardmaking projects now. I’m sure that you know that everyone appreciates a handmade greeting card.
When I was in grade school (and I’m sure it isn’t any different now), I always thought it great to give and receive a Valentine with candy attached to it. I’m just wondering – - Do you think an adult might also enjoy receiving a candy card?
I may be telling my age, but when my boys were born, mothers as a rule didn’t consider making a scrapbook, at least in the sense of the ones made today. We bought what was called simply a ‘baby book.’ The contents were pretty much pre-written, and we (mothers) just filled in the spaces with our answers or remarks and added a photo or two.
There was a space to paste a photo of the baby at birth and blank lines to fill in the date and time of birth, weight and length of the baby at birth, plus various other pertinent information. Of course, we always included a footprint and a lock of hair. If I remember correctly, a record of shots and immunizations was listed in this book along with various happenings over the first few years of life.
It is fun to go back and browse through our children’s baby books and although we have a number of photos scattered around the house which were taken throughout the years, how nice it would be to have it all arranged in an orderly scrapbook. (Now that sounds like a great project, but at this stage in life, it’s one that I probably won’t get to.)
If your children have taken an interest in arts and crafts, scrapbooking is an enjoyable activity that you can share with them. This is also one of those activities that they can perhaps ask their friends and playmates to participate in. If you plan properly, this could just be a means of keeping them occupied for an extended period of time.
A few suggestions to help you keep down the cost of your supplies are:
* Let them cut out pictures from old magazines.
* Gather up old photos that you no longer want or need and let them scrapbook with them.
* Make photo copies of your pictures for them to scrap.
* Kids always love using stickers. Often these can be bought very inexpensively.
* Check your scrapbooking supplies for leftovers and odds and ends. Kids are good at finding uses for unused pieces you will probably not use.