Hobby Shop Blog

With the holidays approaching, it is time to think about visiting with friends, participating in family gatherings and creating special gifts for our loved ones. The memories of Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas gift giving remind us of the special times in our lives when we catch up on family news and visit with old friends.

With the colder weather, shorter days and lots of time spent indoors, now is the time to start your scrapbooking project. What better way is there to spend a rainy day than to dig out all those old photos, children’s artwork and long kept treasures from vacations, birthdays and special occasions and begin working on a scrapbook. Scrapbooks make great gifts and also provide a way for us to share our life with others. Of course, some of us have to dig pretty far down to find these things which may have been kept in several different boxes and placed throughout the house over the years.

Where do you begin? Well, the first step is to look through all the things you have collected over time and decide what you want to keep. Next, decide what theme to make your scrapbook pages about. What is the overall purpose of the project? Who is it for? Or perhaps you would like to make several scrapbooks for various family members. The answers to these questions will help you select an appropriate theme for your creative endeavor.

Grandmother would love a scrapbook with a collection of photos of the grandchildren; perhaps creating a book with each child as the theme. Include a few of their art projects and cute photos for each scrapbook. Let each child be involved in the project, selecting their favorite color for the background. Ask them to pick out their own embellishments, paper, rubber stamps, and help create the overall design of the scrapbook. Your sister or brother would love a scrapbook with all the latest pictures of each child, collage-style. Try adding lot’s of text to your scrapbook and let each child help in composing the words in their own handwriting.

Friends would love a small scrapbook of current photos of your spouse, children, etc. It is best to arrange the photos in chronological order. Also, try including some pictures of past adventures you have shared with them. If you were high school or college pals, find some pictures of your school years and make a collage using the best photos and add some school memorabilia (if you have any) to your scrapbook.

The use of dark colored backgrounds makes a nice backdrop for photos. Experiment with photo editing software for your digital photos and print out photos on photo paper. Remember to use acid-free and lignin free paper for long lasting prints.

Creating scrapbooks on rainy or snowy days is a great way to pass the time and an enjoyable experience for the entire family.

1. Of the many rulers available, Creative Grid Rulers are brilliant. The white and black lines are easy to see on any colour fabric. The best advantage that these rulers have, are the built in grips that eliminate slipping of fabric. These two features make tasks much easier. Available in 6 ½” x 6 ½” square, 6 ½” x 12” ruler, 6 ½” x 24” ruler

2. Clover Flower Head Pins are one of the most valuable tools you can have in your sewing kit. They work exceptionally well for foundation piecing, pin through your papers with ease and they lay flat over your feed dogs as you sew. If you have problems with your fabric moving when you are cutting, place flower pins through the layers of fabric then place a ruler over the top of your pins and cut your strip. The flower heads are so flat that your ruler will fit perfectly level over the pins. They will take all the stress out of the fabric moving.

3. Clover Desk Top Needle Threader is a fantastic tool that is great for threading any size needle. Just one click of the button threads the needle. It is so amazing it will even thread three strands of embroidery thread at once.

4. ‘Add a ¼” Ruler’ is the most useful ruler if you are making templates and need to add a ¼” seam allowance. Make your template to the finished measurement. When cutting out your fabric place template on fabric, then place your Add a ¼” Ruler on top of the template. With your rotary cutter cut along the edge of ruler. Presto, you now have your perfect 1/4” exact seam allowance.

5. Kwik Clip is a fantastic tool to save your fingers. Anyone who has pinned a quilt for machine quilting will appreciate this tool. The Kwik Clip saves your fingers from getting sore doing up the 100’s of pins. Just simply put the Kwik Clip under the tip of the safety pin and press upwards until the pin is closed.

6. The Rotary Cutter is the best invention ever for cutting all those pieces for patchwork. Rotary cutters come in many sizes. The medium sized rotary cutter is the most used, as it is great for single or multiple layers. The jumbo rotary cutter is ideal for cutting through multiple layers. The mini cutter is superb for cutting around curves and trimming ½ square triangles back to size.

7. Self-healing cutting mats are specially designed for use with rotary cutters. The mats come in many different sizes. The recommended size for most quilting work is 18” x 24”. The mat protects the rotary cutter from damage, prevents harm of the surface where you are cutting and helps keep the fabric from slipping about.

Origami is a fantastic art form that guarantees hours of fun and enjoyment, not to mention a great way to challenge yourself and build your creativity. However many beginners come across trouble in 2 main areas:

1. Following the instructions (especially when the creations you wish to fold become more complex)

and

2. Finding enough information in the form of patterns and directions so that you don’t become bored!

I know this because I found the exact same problems! As a result I developed an Origami resource that would actually solve the ‘Origami Problems’ I know people want answered to make life easier for everyone who wants to enjoy this amazing art.

Here are a few samples of some secrets you might not know about origami and the process of it’s learning.

- Every line and every shading on an Origami diagram has a specific meaning (that most people don’t know) that assists in the understanding of the fold required for that diagram. Some of these include grey shades black shades, dotted lines straight lines, forward arrows reverse arrows and crossed arrows.

- Every Origami structure is made up only of a certain set of folds that is common to every other diagram. ie there are techniques you can learn to assist you no matter what it is your folding. Some of these folds include the sink fold, the wet fold, the reverse fold and the inverted fold.

- There is a certain order in which to learn folds bases and finally full designs that ensures you understand the fundamentals of paperfolding once and for all.

- And finally there are places tucked away (that have taken me hours to discover) where you can find CLEAR directions for any origami design your heart desires, and if you have developed your skills in the right way, you can be able to fold, without frustration.

Don’t be one of the people who give up on Origami because it becomes too challenging. Obtain the best information, persist in building your skills and open yourself up to everything Origami has to offer.

Good luck and happy folding!

In this article we’re going to review one of the most unique collectible dolls that was ever made, or not made depending on how you look at it. The one and only Mr. Potato Head.

Most collectible dolls come put together. That is pretty much the way of the world. But Mr. Potato Head was a collectible doll of a completely different breed. This was a doll that you put together any way that you liked and could make him look just about any way you wanted. This was a truly unique concept,

Mr. Potato Head was patented in 1952. That’s right, patented. That’s how unique the concept was at the time and even to this day. The doll was invented by a George Lerner in New York City (where else?) which was actually based on an earlier toy called make a face that actually used a real potato. The doll was originally designed to be used as a prize for cereal premiums. Lerner then sold the doll to Hasbro, who also made Barbie, and the rest was history.

Mr. Potato Head reached his peak of popularity in the 1960’s. The concept was pretty simple. In the box you got a plastic head which was shaped like a potato. Inside the box you had the various items that made up the face and a few different bodies to go along with them. You got about 3 or 4 pair of glasses, several sets of eyes and ears, a few mouths and a number of hats and hair styles. You could mix and match these items in just about any way you liked.

As the doll evolved we eventually got Mrs. Potato Head. This was basically the same doll as the original expect the body and face parts were more lady like. The hats were ladies’ hats, the hair was longer, the bodies featured dresses instead of shirts and pants and the shoes were ladies’ shoes. Of course all the accessories were nothing close to real life as they were just a scream to look at.

The evolution didn’t stop with the doll itself. Eventually kids began to realize that you could substitute the plastic head for a real potato. So kids starting raiding their mom’s refrigerator for Idaho potatoes and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head had just taken on a new and more realistic look.

Some notes of importance on the Mr. Potato Head doll. For starters, it was the first doll to be advertised on TV. Back in the 1950s TV was pretty new and most advertisements were reserved for more serious things. So seeing Mr. Potato Head on the tube was a big sensation for the times.

But even more insane is that in the 1985 election for Mayor of Boise Idaho, Mr. Potato Head received five write in votes.

Today, over 50 years later, Hasbro still manufactures the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head dolls. They’re not as popular as they once were but they are still the most novel dolls to come out and most likely will always be.

Here is a dream house that is quick cheap and fun to make. Every little girl loves playing with their dolly’s, what better way to make it more fun than to make a cozy home for them, plus this doubles as storage carry case, so it is easy to take dolly out on visits to family and friends.

Let’s get started.

You will need

A cardboard pet carrier, most pet stores sell these at a low cost.

Three to four sheets of gift wrap or wall paper

Carpet remnant you can pick up samples or off cuts from carpet stores

Scraps of fabric for curtains

Three sheets of thin card in a color of your choice I used pink to fit outside of house

Corrugated card

A sheet of brown paper or some brown paper bags

Two toilet tissue tubes

Poster paints, with color to match card, and paint brush

Strong craft glue

Double-sided sticky tape

Craft knife and scissors

This is what you do.

Inside the house

Cut the gift wrap or wall paper to line the four walls of the house,

Including the lid flaps.

Stick in place but don’t use too much glue to avoid paper wrinkling.

Score along the fold lines of the lid to allow the paper to lay flat,

Then carefully cut out the handle holes.

Cut the carpet to fit the floor.

Decorate the inside of the house with cut down post cards for pictures

And cut out card for windows, door and little pieces of scrap material for curtains

Outside the house

Cut two rectangles of card to cover the ends of the box allow about 1.5cm overlap at each side trimming the card to fit the triangular shape at top. Glue firmly into place.

Stick a piece of corrugated card over each triangle from fold to top and trim to fit shape.

Brush with matching paint.

Cut two pieces of card to fit the back and front of box exactly and glue firmly into place.

Here you will need to paint a door and windows lining up with the inside ones, also I painted a white picket fence and flowers all around from one side of the door to the other.

The Roof

Cut brown paper or bags into 8cm wide strips fold in half lengthways and cut from open edge up to make a fringe.

Stick a piece of double sided tape to each strip and stick to the lid in overlapping layers to look like a thatched roof.

For the chimney cut the toilet tubes in half lengthways trim one end of each half to an angle of about 45 degrees, so it will fit snugly against the slope of the roof.

Cover each half with brown paper, leaving 3cm sticking tabs at the back.

Using double sided sticky tape stick the tabs either side of the handle at back and front

Fill the gaps around the chimney with the paper thatch.

When lid is closed the chimney halves will come together to make it look like one.

Now all you need is dolly and her furniture and lot’s of fun play imagination.

The funniest thing triggered some great old memories of 80s arcade games . Last night I went to a store, a 24-hour convenience one, to get a cigarette lighter and asked for the difference between Bic lighters and Scripto lighters. Unexpectedly the boy on shift was helpful and kind enough to inform me that as per their reputation the Bic works much better. That’s when I made my decision to go for the good old, never failing Bic.

That is how I remembered an old TV ad with Peggy Fleming. And I told the kid about it, about her skating on a Bic pen attached to the blade of her skate and after a round on the ice the pen was still writing. Obviously that story I told him made him calculate quickly, and he made me laugh with the question asking if that was back in the fifties. But he wasn’t scoffing, on the contrary, he actually confessed that he would have loved it to be born and raised in this age, in the time when things have been new and cheap as the first video games and even McDonald’s.

This on is turn made me think about the things we had as children and how very few kids nowadays will consider them worthy to even look at. Unlike the twenty-something generation now that only know computers and the latest video consoles, I’ve experienced first hand how the 80s arcade games were played, and how they paved the road for PC games and the portable handheld games.

It is true that for 80s arcade games, Pong itself was a big thing - the first ever thing to be done virtually, but it was far in the 60s and what I am really fond of are the memories of actually going to an arcade in order to play games. Real arcade with a change machine only apart from the stand alone, full sized games with their handles and buttons, such as Asteroids, and Donkey Kong, Pac Man and Mr. Pac Man.

As there was nowhere else to go after school actually, because apart from the malls that e didn’t like t hang into, the 80s arcades games were the only places for under 21-year-olds. And we devoted both ourselves and our free time to spending every last quarter there.

There was one 80s arcade game that I liked much more than the others. It was called Quix and I never managed to find a copy of it again, neither in the internet, nor on a CD-R. The task was to part off pieces of a huge rectangle that was on the screen, using a stylus controlled by the joystick, avoiding the electrical sparks/fuses moving around, because in case they get to you, your score returns to zero and you start from the beginning. It was just a simple game or people who were not fond of all the killing and shooting and in was much easier to move in the limited 2D space.

But in fact I still have a place in my heart for the times (a few months only) that I was totally addicted to the great Space Invaders. Boy, the more I think about it the more I realize just how much I loved those 80s arcade games.

Is letter writing a lost art in this day and age of computers and email? I’d like to hope that it’s not. I personally love to get mail in my real mailbox, whether it be a birthday card, a get-well card, a thank you card, or just a note saying hello. It always makes me feel good to know someone is thinking of me and took the time out of their day to pick out a card or write a note, and mail it off to me. I’m pretty certain that I’m not the only one that feels this way. Now, there’s nothing wrong with email, I use this convenient service most every day. I even use it to contact family or friends, sometimes to just say hi. It just seems like any more these days people have forgotten the power of receiving real letters.

I was taught at a young age that when I received a gift, whether a birthday gift or a Christmas gift, that I was to write a thank-you note expressing my thanks to the person who gave me the gift. Doing this when I was young helped me, as I became older, to continue the same thing. I was also encouraged to send get-well cards to those who were sick, or thinking-of-you cards to family or friends, or encouragment cards to those who were down. Today I am told by those who have received cards from me how nice it was to get a card, how it lifted their spirits, or just made them feel good. This is the reason the art of writing and sending cards should not go by the way-side. Even though my children are too young to write I still encourage them to color a picture to send to our family. I’ll include a note of my own to our family and enclose their picture.

If we, as adults, can continue the art of letter writing and teach this art to our children then maybe sending and receiving letters and cards will not become a lost art in the future.

Anyone can make a gift basket and you’ll definitely have fun doing it! Your basket, any container of your choice, should appeal to your recipient. The contents should also appeal to your recipient and should be customized for the occasion or the individual. So gather your ideas and head off to find those special gift items. Remember, your basket and the contents do not have to be expensive; rather you want the recipient to know that you took special care in making a unique gift.

Gift baskets are great for all occasions: for the new baby, a wedding, birthdays, get well, housewarming, special holidays or “just because I’m thinking of you”.

Be creative when selecting the “basket” and determine how much you will place in it to insure you select the right size. If your gift is for an adult, select a wicker basket, a gift box /bag, or a hobby/themed container. Themed basket ideas would include a range basket for a golfer, a tool box for a gardener or a handy person, or a specialty ceramic piece to capture your theme. If the gift is for a child, make it fun! Select a dump truck for a little boy; a girl would love colorful purse.

With basket in hand, you now need to fill it with what your recipient likes. Candies, nuts, cookies, cheese, crackers, coffees/ teas or a favorite bottle of soda or wine are snacks you must include! But remember to leave room for the personal gifts. Consider a book for the book lover, a DVD for the movie buff, mugs for the coffee aficionado, spa items for someone who likes to unwind or special hobby gifts for the chef or fisherman. Remember that you are creating a gift that is personal and unique, so select items carefully.

You now have the basket and the gift items, but you’re not creative and have not done this before, so how do I make the basket presentable? Fear not, it’s easy and fun. Place the largest item(s) in the back of the basket, heaviest in the center and arrange the remainder of the items in the front and sides of the basket. A little tissue in the bottom to assist in arranging, a little tape (very little) to keep the gifts in place, a bow or colorful cellophane and you’re finished.

Gift baskets are great for all occasions: for the new baby, a wedding, birthdays, get well, housewarming, special holidays or “just because I’m thinking of you”. The items to put it all together can be found in your home, at your favorite hobby shop, stores or on the internet. Make it special, make it personal and remember have fun doing it! When you present the gift to that someone special, they’ll appreciate it even more because you made it yourself.

In the 1800s, scrapbooks first got their name from the different “scraps” (tickets, clippings, etc.) that were contained within them. These days one could make a case for scrapbooks getting their name from the amount of “scrap” paper that gets generated in the process, and before you stick that next strip of scrap paper in the trash, think about it’s possible uses…

Testing out new tools and techniques

Imagine… You just bought an embossing heat tool and are anxious to use it on a layout for your wedding scrapbook. Are you going to give it a test run on fancy paper that cost you $1.00/sheet? Of course not, that’s what scrap paper is for! You can use those small pieces of excess cardstock to test out edging scissors, die cut machines, stamps, chalks, paints and inks.

Layout Templates

We are firm believers in the saying, “measure twice, cut once”. Often used by carpenters, it can apply to just about any other craft, especially scrapbooking. You wouldn’t cut into an expensive piece of paper, if you aren’t quite sure exactly what size it needs to be. So, take some scrap paper and create your own layout template system. There’s no need to spend $60, $80 or $100 dollars on a store bought version, when regular old cardstock will do the trick. Just cut out various shapes to represent the pictures and some basic scrapbook elements (paper strips, mats, etc.) and you’re on your way.

Embellishments

Save those scraps of fancy patterned paper, and even good quality cardstock, to create your own embellishments. You can use small pieces of paper to cover a piece of chipboard, create a frame or die-cut shape or mat stickers for a title.

No matter how insignificant it might seem at the time, even the smallest pieces of paper could be used in another layout, especially if it’s a basic color that you use on a regular basis.

Happy Scrapping!

Quilting was a common social activity in the past. During earlier times, quilting fabric was an activity which farm wives like to get together to do. These are opportunities for them to retreat from their straining physical chores of farm life and do something light and useful together. At that time, quilts were an essential article in households, not only as bed coverings, but also as curtains, and petticoats and waistcoats to keep the body warm. In fact, patchwork quilting was created by homemakers during the time when there was a shortage of fabric. Worn out sewn items were often recycled into patches for quilts.

Today, quilting is no longer practiced to satisfy economic or social needs, but for expression and enjoyment. Patchwork is not longer simply a form of frugality, but rather another form of art. Although quilts are still sometimes made from fabric scraps, the quilt maker is more likely to use the scraps to recreate the charming look of old quilts or to commemorate an event, rather than out of necessity. Quilting is now used as a creative and inspirational form of craft. Having a long history, quilting has shown itself to be admirably versatile and its ability to change and adapt is a hallmark of a successful craft.

Many people, today, used quilting as a hobby because they find it fun, gratifying and enriching. Quilting offers them an opportunity to express their creativity and helps to enhance their lives. Most people enjoy the process of choosing or designing a project, the process of selecting the fabrics and the satisfaction of creating something unique and special. It gives them an opportunity to experiment with color, design and texture. The completed piece of quilt gives the maker a great sense of achievement and delight. Most people engage in quilting because they want a creative experience and an emotional expression. It is no wonder that some people find it healing. Stressed mothers of young children, exhausted caregivers of ill parents, wearied working women and men seeking a creative outlet often find the process of making something soft and warm, like quilt, is more restorative than the usage of any kind of available drugs.

As quilts provide warm and comfort, they are used for clothing and bed coverings. There are those which are kept as attractive works of art. They have been showcases for the talents and skills of their creators. The range of quilted items, nowadays, has expanded to include placemats, wall hangings, cushion covers, table runners, bonnets, diaper totes, eyeglass cases, makeup bags and hanger covers.

Making quilts today is easier than you may have ever imagined. The making of quilts does not require any special skills, just a general knowledge of sewing. If you can sew a button or mend a hem, you can certainly make a quilt. Quilting is simply using a technique to stitch together layers of fabric using a decorative pattern to create a variety of beautiful and practical objects. A completed quilt is actually a creatively stitched together sandwich of fabric and batting. The basic equipment for quilting include needles, pins, thread, scissors, thimble, beeswax and a frame or hoop to quilt on. Other necessities are a long ruler, masking tape, drawing paper and a marker for transferring quilt patterns onto fabric. Although machine techniques may have replaced the tedious hand sewing one, modern quilt makers still take inspiration from old quilts and try to adapt those designs and techniques to today’s lifestyles.

It is important that while working on selected quilting patterns, a quilt maker should not just replicate the patterns and colors shown in the samples but also to adapt the patterns to his or her own color preferences and ideas. He or she should attempt to create his or her own unique designs and try out new techniques. In this way, he or she can make progress by gaining new technical skills as well as new insights into the design process.

More information on quilting techniques can be obtained from the link:- Benefits of Quilting