Archive for the ‘Hobbies’ Category
Oftentimes selecting a gift for a friend or family member can turn into a very tedious process. Trying to decide what type of present might be appropriate and appreciated can be difficult. Even though we may be familiar with someone’s likes and dislikes, we still often do not know what they may already have.
Have you ever considered that a personal scrapbook might be the ideal gift? If you have access to photos of the person you are getting a gift for, a scrapbook would be something truly one of its kind.
One year at Christmas, my daughter-in-law gathered together photos of her family members and created scrapbooks for each of them. Certainly a gift of this nature would be loved, appreciated, and enjoyed for many years to come.
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Add A Die Cut Machine To Your Scrapbooking Supplies
posted by Linda @ 11:11 AM
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A die cut machine is a really neat addition to your scrapbooking and card making supplies. This fun tool allows you to cut out intricate shapes, designs, letters, frames, and more with ease and without scissors.
There are a number of styles of die cut machines available on the market, and they vary greatly in price and how they perform. Some of them are manually operated, others are electronic, and some of them require a computer to operate them. It is a matter of personal choice as to what you choose and how much you are willing to pay.
Regardless of which you choose, be prepared to spend more money after your initial purchase, as all of them (as far as I am aware) require additional cartridges, templates, dies, or software. Even if you purchase a die cut package which includes the machine and additional supplies, you more than likely will be tempted to buy more.
If you do not have one and decide to purchase one, be ready to have fun and create some neat projects!
Scrapbooking has become so popular in recent years that supplies to create fabulous scrapbooks are readily available in abundant supply nearly everywhere we look. It would seem as if embellishments are available for absolutely any subject or topic we could imagine. The problem then arises – Where do we keep all this ‘stuff?’
If you are serious about your hobby/craft and have looked around much, then you’ve seen the really neat scrapbook totes on the market, and you probably even have one. The totes come in a great variety of styles and are a really practical and convenient way to store and carry all your supplies from place to place. If you haven’t invested in one, now just may be the perfect time to do so.
In the past, scrapbooking consisted of buying a plain album and attaching photos or post cards with photo corners (which were usually, if not always, black) to plain ugly pages. That was about it! Any information included with the photos was generally, as I recall, written on the back of the photos. All one had to do was slip the pictures out of the photo corners to read the back sides.
Those days are, thankfully, far behind us. Scrapbooking has come a long way since then. There are scrapbook pages of so many colors, designs and themes that I imagine one could spend hours browsing them all. Crafts stores have aisle after aisle of neat embellishments of everything one can imagine along with tools to enhance your scrapbook pages.
All one has to do is browse through all the supplies available to get the creative juices flowing. Even a beginner should have no trouble finding ideas to get started.
Making a scrapbook is, in essence, recording history of your life and that of your family and friends. It is an account of special occasions and events in your life that you want to remember. You are telling a story with photos, journaling, and embellishments.
It is important, then, to plan your scrapbooking page layouts so that you can properly convey these events to others who may browse through your album.
To find ideas for your pages, try searching the internet. See how others have laid out their pages. Often you can find free layout ideas, which will inspire your own imagination and creativity.
If you want to start scrapbooking, but feel inhibited by the cost of all the supplies needed, why not consider starting with a scrapbooking kit? Kits come in a variety of color palettes and styles and include everything needed to get you going at a one-time reasonable price.
One of the kits that I purchased included a scrapbook album, a wide variety of two-sided scrapbook pages, card stock, several frames, tags, stick-on letters, borders (many with pre-printed sayings), a marker and a glue stick. The entire contents of the kit were color-coordinated. The only supplies I have to add to this kit are my photos. I don’t even need to get out my scissors unless I have to trim my photos.
It’s a new year! What a great time to start a new scrapbook album if you haven’t done so. The old year has come and gone and hopefully the coming year looks much brighter for you and your loved ones.
If you are a beginner to scrapbooking, the timing is perfect. You can start with your activities from the first minute of 01/01/2010 -( unless you did what I did. I watched the ball drop on TV and went straight to bed.)
If your family is like our family and a lot of others, January is a busy month. We have 3 wedding anniversaries and 3 birthdays to celebrate. Once you get started, you’re sure to find many reasons to scrapbook and many occasions to record.
….continued from yesterday…..
American Flyer New York Central
World War II ended the production of toy electric trains from 1940 through 1945. When production resumed after the war, their popularity skyrocketed.
By the 1950′s, electric trains were the most popular toys among boys in the United States. Lionel was the largest toy train manufaturer, and they had become much more affordable.
Over the years various gauges of toy trains were introduced to the public. Realistic sounds and digital control systems were eventually added to the electric toy trains in the 1980′s. It has been estimated that there are over a half million train collectors in the United States and Canada.
Not only do toy electric trains provide a lot of enjoyment for the entire family, they have a history almost as rich as that of the real railroads.
Toy trains first appeared on the market during the 1860′s. These trains were simply designed and were made from wood and metal. It is highly unlikely that the designers of them had any inkling of what these simple floor toys would evolve into.
The first electric toy train was introduced to the world in 1901, a product of the Lionel Toy Company. Originally this train was meant to be used only as a window display. However, customers soon grew more interested in the trains in the window display than in the merchandise.
During the 1920′s electric toy trains became really popular. All of the kids wanted one, but only the rich could afford them.
…more tomorrow…..
Model trains are typically set up indoors in various settings. The most popular, it seems, is under a Christmas tree, winding around the gifts that have been wrapped and placed there. While there are many people who prefer to set up their own unique display for year-round viewing inside their homes, it is rare to find model train layouts on display outdoors. This is mainly because of the fear of damaging the train system. However, there are a number of model trains and model train systems designed just for the outdoors.
It is important to know how to properly set up a good outdoor model railway display, so it is important to learn all you can before starting this venture. Outdoor model trains should always be placed in a secure area and should be as level as possible. An outdoor train system added to a garden or a garden designed around a model train makes a beautiful, yet fun, display. With some planning and creative thinking, you can create a toy train wonderland right in your own backyard!