Archive for January, 2010
Regardless of who you are, I would venture to say that there are very, very few (if any at all) of you who do not have someone to remember on Valentine’s Day, whether it be a wife, husband, sweetheart, child, grandchild, or other friend or relative. At least I really hope you are not that alone that you have no one to remember or who will remember you in some way. And being the crafters that we are, what better way is there to show our love than with a candy bouquet?
Candy bouquets are easy to create, and are not expensive to make even though the final results of your efforts are very attractive and unique. Seems to me this is the ideal gift – one that will be cherished and enjoyed for a long time.
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.
People are always looking for new and interesting hobbies, and one of the best sources for inspiration is turning to the past. To that end, if you’re looking for something to pass the time on the weekends or to fill your nights, look into candle making. Making the most basic kinds of candles is surprisingly easy, and if you’re interested in the process, you can work your way into more complex forms of the practice.
Beginners, therefore, just need a hot plate, some wax, essential oils, dyes, wicks, and a mold. Simply melt the wax in a stainless steel container or old pot on a hot plate, and add the desired scent and color. Once the liquid wax is to your liking, pour it into a mold with a wick already fixed to the bottom. Let the wax entirely harden before attempting to remove the mold. The result will be basic pillar candles that are perfect for the dining room table or any household accent. Also, it’s a great way to utilize all those half burned candles lying around the house that you’d otherwise throw away.
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.
Isn’t painting fun? Thinking of painting makes me think of my childhood.
Nearly every summer when I was growing up, my father would load all of our family (my mother, my 2 brothers, and me) into our car, and we would travel way up North into Canada for our yearly vacation. It was a fun time!
My father was an avid fisherman so, of course, we rented a cabin on a fishing lake. It was not unusual for him to go out in his boat and sit and fish for hours, often without getting a bite. Many times I went along, fishing at times and trying to keep still so as not to scare the fish away. It was on these occasions that I would look around at the beautiful scenery and think ‘if only I could paint.’
Since then I have learned to paint, and even though I’m not the best painter – I certainly can’t hold a candle to many of you – it’s something I really enjoy, along with the other crafts and hobbies I enjoy.
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.
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.