Learn to knit, and get those creative juices flowing… I can still remember the moment I learned to knit. I was 6 years old, and my grandma sat down with me while my mother was busy with my new baby brother.

She taught me to cast on, and knit, and I was so excited I took my knitting everywhere.. it was all uneven and horrid, but I was excited that I had learned something new, and still love to knit to this day!

I am left handed, and always found many crafts hard to do because of it, such as crochet. But knitting can be done easily whether you are left handed or right handed.

Learning to knit as a child is a great way, but if you never did learn to knit, and would like to, then why not get started now!

Take it in little steps. Learn to cast on one day, and then learn to do the basic garter stitch the next day, and PRACTICE. That is the biggest part of knitting, is practicing. Once you have mastered the garter stitch, then you can try to purl, which is going through the back of the stitch.

Once you have mastered basic knitting, then you will need to learn to cast off. Continue to practice and make lots of blocks of knitting. (you can always make them into a quilt later!).

There are many books, ebooks, and videos on the market that will teach you how to knit, learning from an experienced knitter sitting right beside you, will still always be the best way, like my grandma did. But the next best thing I feel is a video. One where you get a real good close-up of what the teacher is doing, not something far away.

With a video, you can play it over and over again, and if you sit there with your needles and yarn, you will get this new skill. Its good for the brain to learn new crafts and skills, it gets the creativity flowing and keeps the brain alert.

It is never too late, and you are never too old to learn something new! Try it, knitting is good for relieving stress, as many men are finding. Knitting has become popular amongst celebrities and many professional men.. to help with stress and become creative.

So, get yourself some knitting needles and yarn, and maybe a basic pattern to get started with, once you learn your basic skills.

Try it, you may like it, so watch a good video and learn to knit…

Drawing eyes, can be the hardest part for an artist, when trying to capture the realism of the face. Whether it is a pet, a wild animal, a bird, or a human, its all in the eyes.

The eyes are called the “window to the soul” by many people, and when you are able to catch an emotion on paper, then you have succeeded in bringing your piece to life.

You have to break the eye down into little pieces and then work on them one by one and build it up in layers, starting with a rough background and then building up the layers.

This can be hard to achieve from books, or pattern instructions, actually some artists will do detailed paint by number kits, to get some ideas of building and drawing the perfect eye. As many paint by number kits are done from photographs.

Another way, is to watch someone else draw or paint the perfect eye. You learn from them, and then practice, and you will then begin to form your own ways of drawing and painting, just like you have with the rest of your piece.

This is a great idea, if you have the time and money to take lessons, and one on one lessons like that, can cost you quite a bit of money, if you go to a talented artist.

If like me, you will tend to paint landscapes, or distant people or crowds, to avoid having to do a close-up of a detailed face, but once you get it figured out, and practice you will love drawing eyes.

Another way, is to watch a video, this is a great idea, because you can watch it over and over and learn the tricks of drawing the perfect eyes….

Interested in Train Collecting?.. Or are you wanting to add to your childhood collection?

Train collecting goes back more that 150 years, and whether you collected the vintage metal trains or the plastic model trains, or you are into the, modern state of the art remote control trains, it is great fun scouring the countryside and small shops for your find.

Sometimes the search is just as much fun as the find, and when you finally get the layout you want and all your cars lined up, it is the perfect moment!

Some people prefer to create very imaginative layouts, some are super realistic and some are not. Some people like to keep the toy look of their childhood years, and others want the most modern and to scale setup they can possibly get. Some like to have them in full operation and play with them everyday, and others secure them in pristine cases for display… What do you like?..

Train collecting is a very satisfying hobby, and now with the advances of the internet, you can search the world from the comfort of your own home for that perfect train. This is a very active hobby for all ages, and there are forums and internet sites just for the train collecting enthusiasts.

There are models out there that were made over 50 years ago, or there are ones made just last year, and yet they are all in high demand In fact, the interest in current models made by such companies as K-Line, Lionel, MTH Electric Trains, and Williams is booming. That’s because this current line of locomotives, stock, and accessories are very detailed, and perform to perfection.

What other hobby do you know that is of interest to a 10 year old all the way up to 100 years old?.. Go ahead and find that perfect train… hop on it, and let it take you to that dream destination…

I have been involved with crafts shows for a long time, and have been on both sides of the table… as a vendor and as a customer.. Here is a list of the top ten “money losing” tricks.:

1) Lay out your crafts on a table without any thought of display, look grumpy, set up your chair behind the table and read a book. Better yet, don’t even pay attention to your potential customers.

2) Eat a large onion laden cheese burger, that is bigger than you mouth, have it loaded with ketchup and mustard, and let everyone know you are eating it!, then try and explain your crafts while people are backing away from you! (why do they always sell cheese burgers at craft shows???)

3) Dress like you just rolled out of a barn, look crusty, and act as if you would rather be somewhere else… anywhere else. Total lack of interest always attracts customers…NOT!

4) Take absolutely no interest in setup… Take your table and jam it right up to the aisle as close as you can, and then lay all your crafts out in a single file. or better yet, pile them in a pile.. or in bins… ignoring all that free space behind you where you could have spent the money on shelves and displayed your products nicely.

5) Do not smile, at all, look totally peeved that you were dragged out of bed for this weekend, and you and your crafts look like it. Show a total lack of interest when a potential customers stops to look or asks a question, better yet, wander off and chit chat with other vendors.

6) Make sure your crafts are put together literally the night before, and are about to fall apart, and then stick a high price tag on them. After all no one will notice right?

7) Thinking this craft business is a great money maker, and pricing your crafts as if people should bless you for making them.. and then look totally crusty by the end of the day when people are not buying.

8) Make sure and have NO small change, or bags, that way you won’t have to get up and complete the sale.

9) Make crafts that you do not like making, or don’t know how to make properly, do not explain them to anyone. Show no passion in your work or display, let everyone know, you are there for the money only.

10) Explain to people that you are on the verge of welfare, and need this money, and produce stick it notes for your business cards..

Don’t laugh… everyone of these things has happened at shows I have visited or shows that I have been in. I was actually set up beside someone who told me she hates crafts, but figured it was easy money… guess what?.. Her sales were non-existent.

Smile, show some passion in your work.. be confident in your work, and the best way to do that is to create a craft you are passionate about. Something you would make, even if you were not selling it. Look proud to be there… after all you worked hard all year for this show!

Find out what your passion is, in the craft world, this makes all the difference, and it shows in your work.

Set up a pretend display at home, I know this sounds like a lot of work, but on setup day, there will be panic all around you, and if you pack your things away in some sort of system, you will then unpack them in a calm manner. You can even do a drawing of your setup that you did at home, and follow it. You will be distracted by other vendors, especially those wanderers who spent 5 minutes setting up…so its best if you are practiced.

Find something you like to do, and do it. There are many ebooks on line now, that you can buy today and be learning the craft tonight, these are written by passionate people. Give that a try or take a class… just find something you like and your craft shows will make you some money.

In a world where size zero is the expected norm… it is nice to see a “plus size model” become successful. Nancy Hayssen, is one of those models, and she is beautiful and is trying to help change the modeling industry, especially after the publication of a very “anorexic” looking model in Europe.

According to statistics, 6 out of every 10 North American women are considered “plus size”. Plus size is considered size 14 and up. This means that more than 1/2 of the female population will be buying the latest fashions and styles in a size 14 and up.

Then why do they insist on displaying size zero models?. Why not show your fashion designs on a “average size” woman and help the self esteem of many young girls.

Young teenage girls want to fit in, and will aspire to become like these models. The problem is, that if your frame is larger, you are never going to be a size zero no matter what diet you try. But there are many young girls damaging their health trying to maintain this image.

In the last few years, stores have sprung up that cater to the plus size girl and women, but they are separate from the main stream stores, which further alienates a young girl. I personally am considered a “plus size”, at size 14-16, and after seeing a style in the window of a popular store, I went in, only to be told “my size is in the back”… like I had a disease or something. The front of the store only had size zero to 8.

Lately though, I have noticed a few more stores catering to all the sizes, and as long as we have beautiful “plus size models”, like Nancy Hayssen, then we should start seeing more styles and fashions for the 6 out of 10 women in North America that fit into the “plus size” label. Who came up with that term anyway?

Nancy Hayssen, is also a great author, and has written a book “You can be sexy at any size”.. she also is in a small film clip where she talks about her modeling career as a plus size model, and she is comfortable enough with her body to pose naked for the camera, (tastefully of course). This is a real plus for us larger girls. The short film gets the point across quite well…

The love of history, and the ever revolving fashion cycle have helped to renew popularity of this 19th century handcraft.

Antique crochet has a lot of character, and so antique patterns are searched for by those looking to recreate classic styles and projects from a time gone by.

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Fortunately for us all, there were a lot of books, magazines and patterns published between 1850 and 1950 that have documented, the crochet creations that are from the peak period of this craft.

Many of these books and magazines, are rare and expensive, putting them out of the reach of the average crafter, other than in a library, Libraries in particular are good low cost sources of patterns, however it generally takes a fair bit of time and effort to locate a suitable pattern.

Many projects were simply not documented, and a creation, or sample was passed down to the next generation to work their own magic from this sample they had in front of them. This of course, triggered very original and intricate lace patterns.

Crochet has made a few cycles of popularity, but it has made a comeback big time now!. No longer is it reserved for those afghans, or the afghan vests from the early 70’s, it is seen now being used to make beautiful sweaters, jackets, purses, hats, or even added to fabric creations to add originality. There are so many great wools and threads to choose from, you can make anything you want.

Once you know the basic stitches, you can create your own originals, and this is such a relaxing hobby. It has fast results, and is very portable. Why not learn to crochet?. You can follow books, or you can watch video’s to learn….

One For The Money

Philip Pullman was so inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia that he decided to make his own imitation of Lewis’ fantasy series. Except, where Lewis wrote to inspire people toward healthy spirituality and reconciliation with God, Pullman writes to promote mysticism and discourage people from seeking God. Like C.S. Lewis, Pullman gears his magical tales for younger audiences. Except, where Lewis wrote to expand children’s imaginations and encourage innocence, Pullman wrote to impress his intellectual cynicism on young people.Pullman’s writing ability as well as the cinematography of the Golden Compass are top notch. The movie was designed to make millions, obviously. But the substance of the story is cliché at worst, uninspired at best.

In the Golden Compass, all humans have little spirit friends called “daemons,” personified by animals. This, in a nutshell, demonstrates the unoriginality of man-made spirituality. Pullman can come up with new daemons to whatever extent God invents new animals.

Pullman, an intellectual, couldn’t help deifying intellectualism. The “free-thinking” academics of the story were the only people in town who would step up to the plate and take a swing for free-will and free-thought. This makes sense from Pullman’s perspective, as someone who is a plumber by trade might join a plumber’s union in order to uphold the rights of plumbers everywhere.

Pullman demonstrated this general rule: Godless people’s ability to detect cliché is handicapped by their tainted, self-destructive passions.

I suspect that Pullman has been burned by religion. He uses the Golden Compass to portray an insidious religious establishment, which he calls the “Magisterium.” According to Pullman, this establishment, made up of “the authorities,” is the source of all evil.

The tragedy here is that Pullman’s negative experience with the Catholic church might have driven him toward a healthy, genuine spirituality if he had only asked God for help directly. But, instead of reconciliation, he opted for bitterness and cynicism. This was the weaker thing to do. It is easier to embrace hopelessness and doubt rather than trust God.

By the looks of it, he not only doubts God, he also doubts his choice to doubt God. Why else would he go to such lengths to justify himself? He went as far as writing a series of books that culminate with the death of “god”.

Pullman is distracted by man-made religion. Man-made religion is not of God. That’s why it’s called “man-made.” Pullman figured out that the Catholic church is a fake. Whoopdee doo, he’s not the first one to figure this out. The wisest response to this would have been to seek out the Truth directly. Instead he decided to sit around and pout.

Pullman has been deceived by his own bitterness and regret. He is so thoroughly led astray that he equates sin with goodness. According to his story (this surfaces more in his later books), when people rebelled against god, a supernatural substance called “dust” was introduced into the world. This dust is the source of all good things, free will in particular. The Magisterium doesn’t want anyone to know about this wonderful spiritual substance. So, according to Pullman, the church wants to eliminate sin, but this is bad because sin is actually the best thing that’s ever happened to people. As soon as the people in the Golden Compass story rediscover this dust and embrace its life-giving power, they will be free from the stifling oppression of the Magisterium.

Again, the tragedy here is that Pullman started to discover the truth about man-made religion: It distracts people from genuine spirituality. His disillusion almost drove him to find Life; instead he found death disguised as Life.

Pullman, like any godless person, admires rebelliousness. This is shortsighted and foolish. A rebellious man does not know who he is. He only knows who he is not. God will tell people who they really are. Most people, however, choose to worship anything but God because they want to define themselves. This is imitation freedom.

The Golden Compass is discouraging because it is uninspired. Some works of men were meant to be. Some creations are brought to life by a pure, fiery passion to create. This is not easy, mind you. An inspired vision requires sweat and labor to manifest either on paper, on screen or on stage. But it takes hard-headed coercion to bring uninspired work to fruition. Any task undertaken apart from or deliberately against God must be forced into existence by manly stubbornness. Such work is exhausting to the person working as well as discouraging to anyone who might behold this work.

by Patrick Roberts. Find similar reviews at KoG Media, www.kogmedia.com