Floral Arranging as a Hobby
April 30, 2007
Flower arranging has become increasingly popular as a hobby, for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Have you ever put flowers in a vase and they just don’t sit right? By learning a few basic principles you will be able to create attractive floral designs for your own home.
Flowers add the finishing touch. Imagine the pleasure you will get by being able to make a lovely flower arrangement for your entrance hall or a floral centrepiece for the dining room table.
Flower arrangements make the perfect gift for so many different occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, get well wishes, or to simply say “I care”.
Unlike many other hobbies, you don’t need a lot of expensive equipment. You can often use flowers and foliage from your own garden or you can buy some inexpensive flowers. Once you learn how to position flowers and foliage correctly, you can quickly make eye catching floral designs. You can also create floral designs using silk flowers. There are some very natural looking silk flowers available, and you will be able to make lasting floral designs. Imagine the thrill of being able to say “I made it myself”.
Quick and Easy Holiday Decorating
April 30, 2007
You’re tired. You’ve worked hard all week. Suddenly, the kids shout gleefully… “let’s decorate!” … in anticipation of the coming holiday. The “let’s not” is miraculously not permitted to escape your lips. Instead you take a deep breath while you wonder about how this decorating could become an easier and more fun-filled activity.
Well, it can be!
- First, insist on family members pitching in to help and treat this like a family project. This should not just rest on your shoulders to accomplish and it will be much more fun if you all are making changes and creating memories together.
- Next, pick a day and time you’ll all devote no more than one to two hours for a quick holiday makeover at your home (for a major decorating holiday schedule two or three longer blocks of time). It helps if you can set the decorating date about one to two weeks from now, if time still allows for that. This gives you time to gather items together for the project.
- Ask the kids to create one or two new arts and crafts decorations that are suitable to the holiday to have ready for the decorating day. Or, ask them to select ones from among any they may already have on hand, for instance, from school projects.
Money Making Hobby - Do You Have One?
April 29, 2007
Everyone has a hobby. We love all kinds of music, sports, movies, books… We have pets, we grow flowers, we build houses, buy cars… Some of us even love our jobs (boy, those are the lucky ones)…
Dale Carnegie said:
“Today is life - the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto.”
Our hobbies help us to relax and forget our everyday problems and troubles.
We are all experts in one or more fields of our lives.
But I am sure that not everyone has a hobby that makes money for him/her (except, of course, if you love your job).
Just imagine, wouldn’t it be great if you could have a money making hobby? You could get involved even more with what you already love to do, you could treat your family and friends with the extra cash, or… even quit your current job that you probably hate.
You see, everyone can make money with his/her hobby, and I am going to reveal it to you in a minute…
Welcome to the Town of Feeling
April 28, 2007
Happy, Sad, Mad and Glad, Moved in down the street
Cautious watched them, from her window, Wondering, which one should I meet?
Confused came in with overwhelmed and said, "The Panics have come to town"
Then Hopeful called the carefulls, And said that Happy was a clown.
Anxious came in with the news, Confident had called a town meeting
To take a vote for Mayor, And to Welcome the new neighbors to Feeling.
Feeling was a busy town, Always on the go
Happy was voted as Feeling’s Mayor, While Confident decided to go.
Happy took the Mayors Job and took it seriously.
Thinking the town, Would be so much better off,
If everyone were Happy.
Now Happy asked for their suggestions, Saying yes to everyone.
Soon, Happy was out and Chaos was in, Chaos was on the run.
Gathering the folks from Feeling, Chaos ran from house to house,
While Bored and Lonely ran into town, And were quiet as a mouse.
While Chaos was running with Crazy, Happy called Confident and Calm,
They knew that Lazy was out of the question, For it was nearly dawn.
50 Ways to Acknowledge Your Employees Before and After Labor Day
April 27, 2007
For most people, Labor Day symbolizes the end of summer, back to school, and another long weekend. Deep down however, when we stop for a moment and reflect as we often do on bank holidays, we all know that Labor Day is, in reality, meant to signify a time to recognize the achievement, struggle and determination of the working man and woman.
Here are 50 ways to acknowledge your employees in honor of Labor Day. See how many you are doing already, and which ones you could start doing better:
Sell Hobby Items by Mail
April 26, 2007
You can, if you are ambitious, start a Mail Order Business selling collectables to hobbiest by mail. To begin, you must first find a hobby that appeals to YOU. Next, you must spend several weeks researching that hobby. You must learn what collectors want and how much they are willing to pay for it. You should also know what other dealers are willing to pay forthe merchandise which they sell. And you must be willing to pay the same amounts.
Perhaps you already know exactly what you want to sell. If youhave been collecting old Valentines, then start a Mail Orderbusiness buying and selling old Valentines. Or Stamps. Or Comic Books. The first rule of Mail Order selling is to sell what you yourself would buy.
To give you an idea of what collectors buy and sell by mail, here is a partial list of today’s collectables:
Travel and Scenic Photography 101
April 25, 2007
When you’re driving through the mountains somewhere, and you notice a car parked half off the road and some guy leaning to the left to avoid a branch with his Rebel 2000 camera in the act of focusing, you’ve met me. I do this because, to me, a trip isn’t fulfilling unless I’ve preserved that beauty for posterity. I’d like to share some of the techniques that make scenic photography such a wonderful artform - simple, yet elegant.
First off, equipment. As much as the cheapo disposable camera beckons, get real. These cameras have fisheye lenses which I call “spam” lenses. They cram everything in, with equal blurriness and boringness. Good photos are sharp, unless you use blur for artistic effect. Sharp comes from an adjustable lens. It can be a fixed lens or a zoom, but it must focus specially for each picture. Fixed lenses are limiting for scenic pictures, where to frame the shot you may need to move long distances. Imagine using a fixed lens on the Washington Monument, when you’re half a block away! Zooms get my vote, even though they often don’t have as wide an aperture, which limits their capabilities in low light situations.
Craft Crocheting from Your Home
April 25, 2007
Crocheting is not only a craft but an art. Once you master the basic stitches you will be well on your way to creating masterpieces you will be pride to share with your family and friends. Anyone can learn to crochet as long as they put their mind to it.
Before you run out and buy your crocheting supplies decide what you want to crochet first. According to the item you choose, you will need different size needles and yarn weight. All this information is with the patterns and you will see just how easy it is to achieve your goal of crocheting your first work of art.
You will be crocheting from toys to sweaters in no time. There are so many different items you can crochet. There are snowflakes for the Christmas tree, sweaters for your best friend, and house slippers for every member of your family. You can even learn to crochet baby bibs, blankets, and outfits.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - How to Tap in to the Holiday Publicity Bonanza
April 24, 2007
If your product or service can be given as a gift, a publicitywindfall awaits at the end of the year - but you need to startworking in June. Each December, media outlets cover the newest,the hottest and the most unusual Holiday gifts. The reportersassigned to develop these pieces typically depend on two sourcesof information:
1. Phone interviews with local store owners
- and -
2. Press materials that have been sent by publicity seekers.
Let’s deal with Point 1. Here’s a cool trick: In earlyNovember, write a letter to stores and major websites that carryyour product. Remind them that they may be hearing fromjournalists soon about hot gift ideas, and request that theyconsider mentioning your product when that happens. Point out afew reasons why your product is the newest, coolest, best orwhatever. Ask the vendor to drop you an e-mail or give you acall if a story results that mentions your product.
Getting Started Selling Your Crafts
April 23, 2007
Until recently crafts were usually sold locally or, at best, regionally. Now you literally have the whole world at your fingertips! Some of you may choose a gradual progression from selling to friends, to selling at fairs and shows, to retail selling ? and so on. Others may decide to jump directly from selling within their circle of friends to the worldwide Internet market ? the costs are low enough that this is surprisingly doable.
My first career was as a special education teacher. After 15 years of teaching I earned an MBA degree followed by CFA (Certified Financial Analyst) certification. After 15 years in finance I was a vice-president and portfolio manager of a major insurance company before I was downsized. Tired of the rat race, I opted for early retirement. Looking for something to do with all my free time, I started crafting and am now making a nice supplemental income from it.
As a crafter and a businesswoman, I feel I have some valuable insights into the craft business that I can share with you.
Getting Organized to Sell Your Crafts for Profit
