Crafting and Hobbies

This forum is for serious discussions of any kind.

Moderator: Hall of Speakers Moderators

Post Reply
TxCat
MagiStream Donor
Member of The Dark Brotherhood
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 3860
Joined: October 7th, 2010, 2:44:38 pm
Gender: Female
Location: FoxHeart Acres, FL
Contact:

Crafting and Hobbies

Post by TxCat »

ETA: Yes, we can post photos of our projects! Please do so!

A very few guidelines:

- this is not a sales or advertising thread.

- I'll double-check with the mods, but I think that pictures of such projects have to go in the Hall of Arts. If not, we can change this at a later date.

What do my fellow MagiStream members do in their spare time outside the 'net and off the computer? Are there any particular projects or hobbies in which you engage?

About a year ago, I received an advertisement for a jewelry making club, the kind which sends you designs each month to put together complete with supplies. I'd been making little bracelets and necklaces --- just stringing beads, really --- so I considered this a good way to pick up techniques and improve my methods of jewelry making.

Today I make all sorts of jewelry, earrings, necklaces, rings, key chains, and bracelets. I tend to work with gemstones and natural materials rather than acrylics or plastics but sometimes I will work with glass as well. My favorite materials are Indian jasper, tiger's eye, fresh water pearls of various colors, wood or horn, bone, and aventurine. I tend toward warmer colors or clear and deep cooler colors. For metals, I use copper or a kind of tarnished silver or brass. Since it's expensive, I don't use sterling silver, gold, or platinum unless a customer requests it.

My favorite things to work on are the pony bead key chain critters. These are easy to do and can be cranked out in about fifteen minutes while watching television or doing something else. I also make some flower bracelets out of the pony beads and the smaller E beads which little girls and older girls love.

Of late, I've begun attending a monthly Craft Market sponsored by one of the local church charities. I didn't sell much the first time, didn't even make back the cost of the table, but it was fun and led to making further business connections and good exposure.

One of my other hobbies is building personal shrines and tableaux out of found objects. Depending on the project, I might use anything from an Altoids tin to an old cigar box. The insides are tailored to a theme, some of the objects physical and literal and some of them more surreal. I use a lot of scrapbook paper and sometimes paint and counter samples as well as small bones, feathers, rocks, pieces of wood, dried flowers, and other ephemera. If I need to order something specific (and I can't find it in a junk shop or a yard sale) I go to Silver Crow Creations. They have absolutely everything a crafter could ever possibly want for anything! My current shrine projects involve making one for each household member. I've done Dee's, his Ma's, his brother Callistus', and his younger sister Lix's. I am currently working on Dorie's and will start on his Pa's and my husband's next.

Needless to say, what real estate isn't taken over by books is generally occupied by crafting stuff. We have two big craft totes full of wallpapers and other doodads traditionally used in scrapbooking, about ten boxes of beads, a jewelry tray full of odds and ends, and box upon box of ephemera --- old letters, cookie fortunes, Chinese New Year envelopes, stamps, old slides and photographs, bits of lace or costume jewelry, even milagros and King Cake babies!

Of course, we keep trying to organize it all so we don't duplicate what we have and so we can find what we need when we need it. Thus far, it's been a colossal failure. I never could resist a craft store sale and, as Dorie says, we don't know where the shinies are any more because they're covered by our sparklies.

In the winter, I crochet. Nothing fancy, just granny squares for blankets and scarves. I'm trying to teach myself new stitches and blanket techniques from an old book which shows both left handed and right handed ways of doing things but I always lose count of my stitches, they're uneven, and anything but the basics currently looks bad.

My other passion is quilting. I've saved up garments from my deceased relatives, scraps from around the house, and various other sentimental things with which to make a nine patch. I don't quite have enough yet, but I'm working at it. This will be done by hand, no quilting machine or stitch on the sewing machine for me (in part because I ran the needle through my thumb once and I've been afraid of them ever since).

What about you guys? What do you do when you're not on MagiStream that's crafty or hobby-ish?
You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant. Harlan Ellison

Image
Image

DC: ImageImageImageImageImageImage Nyoka: ImageImageImage Flowergame: ImageImage
User avatar
Phoenixwildfire
MagiStream Donor
Member of The Dark Brotherhood
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 18594
Joined: May 20th, 2009, 11:53:08 pm
Gender: Female
Location: The pot hole of the USA
Contact:

Re: Crafting and Hobbies

Post by Phoenixwildfire »

Oh goodness, I think the better question is what do I NOT do?

I've always had an urge to make things- I have to be making some sort of project or I fear I may go mad :lol:

Lately I've been sewing stuffed animals with fleece, faux fur and felt, but I do a few sock creatures as well (mostly bunnies kitties and strange little monsters)
I make my own patterns for these which is a tedious process- it essentially consists of making a prototype, trying it, either scraping it or modifying it and making another version ect. until it looks good

I find the best way to do sock creatures is to go to your local dollar store, get $1 pairs of colorful socks, and just go to town with them XD it's fun and they always turn out super cute.

I've also dabbled with glass pendant making- getting small squares of clear glass from a local glass-making shop, and using diamond glaze to fuse images to the back so you can see them through the glass, and then fusing the finding into the back so you can use it on most any necklace.

I also sculpt, mainly using super sculpey and acrylic paints- but I do love painting blank sculptures as well (such as what they have at Clay Art Studios) I find it relaxing, and I can make it into whatever I want and have a custom figurine at the end.

I also do beadwork, but I mainly focus on weaving seed beads- this is a long and tedious process, but the result is always fantastic- you can always tell the time invested into a piece, and people always ask where I get them in stores- with these I love answering 'nope, I made it' and watching people boggle. lol

Of course you guys all know I write and draw- those are two hobbies of mine I've always loved.

I've always been into creative stuff- I'm one of those people that half the things in their house are things that they've made or modified :lol:

I have boxes and boxes of fleece and wild colored furs- all of my works are colorful and wild looking. I suppose the reason I create things is so that other people can enjoy it too, besides me releasing creativity into a physical form :yarly:


OH!

I also crochet- mainly little stuffed animals called 'amigurumi'. They're fun to make, and little kids love them (and they're child safe!)
Image
User avatar
PossessedFae
MagiStream Donor
Member of The Dark Brotherhood
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 10352
Joined: October 18th, 2009, 12:21:53 pm
Location: Where all the butterflies are. Duh.

Re: Crafting and Hobbies

Post by PossessedFae »

Well, the only I can really say I do in the way of hobbies and crafting is drawing.

I generally do humaniods (like humans, fairies, elves, anthros, etc) and equines, finding myself inadequate with pretty much anything else. >.> And even then I am not really good at it. I don't care what people say - I can always find a flaw somewhere that bugs me about my stuff. xD I occasionally attempt scenes or other creatures, but having little time to practice on them due to schoolwork, I don't usually draw those.

I have recently taken up to drawing with pens. I did this to 'force' myself into planning ahead a little bit more when drawing, as well as forcing me to get my proportions and such as correct as possible the first time around. I think I have done fairly well so far, and I think there is marked improvement since I haven't given up on a pencil drawing I started. I would post pictures in the hall of the arts, but I don't think they are really appropriate for magistream's younger audience (and I am talking about the people there who I think are younger people and would probably not appreciate my scary pictures xD), and I don't really like to rip stuff out of my sketchbooks when I plan on redrawing them later.

I have dabbled in other mediums as well, such as watercoloring, pastels, and acrylics. I adore watercoloring, but I am not really good at it, and I lack the few brush sizes I really need, since when I do watercolor, I usually do smaller pieces. I didn't like painting with acrylics - too difficult to paint with, but I have a feeling that it was mostly because paper isn't a good material to use with such a thick paint (and my glaring lack of knowledge with the medium probably didn't help matters either). I like drawing with pastels when doing scenery since they smudge and blend well, but I don't really use them for anything else since they are too 'blunt' for the smaller, "finer" detailed stuff I prefer to do.

I also do a little bit of digital art, but I usually just do that to color in pieces I drew by hand, since for some reason stuff lined on the computer doesn't look right.

Also, markers. They are awesome. They are another unforgiving medium that I use (like the pens), but I am using them to 'teach' me about color placement and choice. Markers tend to color very deeply though, so they are kind of hard to work with because pale colors are actually very vibrant. However, I still think they are awesome, especially since when you color something in, it is very bold and colorful, which is something I look for when looking at pictures. Also, if you do it right, you don't even need to do shading in some places because the markers texture such spots when you use them.

I want to take up sculpting, beading, and crocheting. I find working with my hands relaxing and fun, and they're things that give my hands something to do. (My hands get bored. xD) I don't really do any of those because I only have oil-based clay, which doesn't dry, I don't have any beads (they disappear), and my needle-thing and yarn is gone. xD

And wow my post sounds like it belongs somewhere else. XD
I have a lot of butterflies. :derp:
ImageImageImageImageImageImage
TxCat
MagiStream Donor
Member of The Dark Brotherhood
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 3860
Joined: October 7th, 2010, 2:44:38 pm
Gender: Female
Location: FoxHeart Acres, FL
Contact:

Re: Crafting and Hobbies

Post by TxCat »

I'm trying to get back into drawing. After I had my stroke, I stopped being able to see things in proper proportions and dimensions. When added to the fact that most of the people who saw my drawings wanted creatures who were naked, fornicating, or in other ways acting in a depreciating manner I just quit. I don't mind tasteful nudes and have drawn them but some of what was demanded (not requested) in order to acknowledge me as a 'real' artist was just over the top.

I solved the problem in a unique manner. If I have tracing paper, I can place it over a pose and then and only then can I see the shapes which make up the various parts of the body. I trace the shapes I see, not the picture itself, and then transfer that into a sketchbook by retracing it. From there, I fill in all the details: what the person or creature is wearing, sometimes an elementary background. I do so by comparing the pose and picture I chose (I take a lot of them myself) with the rough shapes I've sketched and then adding texture and depth to them as I can. Most of it is simple ink cross hatching and outlining.

If I want to color something, I have to have help. While not technically color blind, I don't perceive colors in quite the same way as normal folk do. Left to my own devices, browns get mistaken for maroons or blacks, yellows for greens or blues, and the whole thing ends up with a weird coloration, like those contrasted paintings or photos you sometimes see in galleries.
You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant. Harlan Ellison

Image
Image

DC: ImageImageImageImageImageImage Nyoka: ImageImageImage Flowergame: ImageImage
User avatar
Cassowary
Member of The Herbalist's Guild
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 25055
Joined: March 10th, 2011, 12:27:31 pm

Re: Crafting and Hobbies

Post by Cassowary »

Phoenixwildfire wrote:Oh goodness, I think the better question is what do I NOT do?
Bwahaha, this. So far in my life I've knitted, crocheted, carved (chalk, wood), painted, made candles, sown, drawn (digital + traditional, various mediums), "tattoo'd" (drawing on people, really), sculpted, beaded, the list goes on. I tend to pick up and drop things fairly quickly, so now I have a bunch of half-finished projects lying around. So really, my variety is due to a lack of interest rather than a lot of interest. The effort and cleanup also factor in to what things I tend to do most.

My grandmother taught me how to knit; I've since forgotten, though I've been hoping to pick it up again. Like many things, it sits on the back burner. The same with crocheting. Carving tends to be a summertime hobby because of the waste it produces and the space I need (my chalk carving setup takes up most of my desk since I need to catch all the dust). Painting I've done a little bit of, though I'm more partial to watercolors than anything else because they're easy to clean up. i haven't made candles for years (messy), same with beads. I tattoo people when I can get them to let me draw on them.

Most consistently I draw, mostly in pencil though I have used colored pencils and at times sharpies. I'm interested in trying out markers, but I haven't gotten around to getting any. I tend to draw organic things that don't require a lot of knowledge of anatomy, ex. eldritch horrors and dragons. I've been trying to expand to other subjects, though it seems I'll never get the hang of a few things. Specifically, humans and cloth. I draw a bit digitally as well, though less now since I feel so disheartened when looking at the sorts of things other people can do and knowing how much my stuff sucks. I picked up spriting about a year ago and it's worked out fairly well for me.
~ G I V E A W A Y ~
(once trades work...)
ImageImageImageImageImage
User avatar
PossessedFae
MagiStream Donor
Member of The Dark Brotherhood
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 10352
Joined: October 18th, 2009, 12:21:53 pm
Location: Where all the butterflies are. Duh.

Re: Crafting and Hobbies

Post by PossessedFae »

@TxCat -

Mrr, I only draw mermaid and fairies naked. XD And only because I personally believe that mermaids shouldn't be wearing clothes, and I figure fairies don't really care either way. (Besides, I really, really dislike drawing clothes anyways.) And I never draw them doing 'naughty' things (mostly because people tend to sneak up on me when drawing). I don't mind nudes either, since I just see naked things as just something natural. xD I interpret/see things differently than other people.

Ah, tracing. <3 I think it's one of the best learning/reference tools ever. I traced a horse head the other day and I learned a few things about horsey head shape and anatomy. I shall have to try just tracing the general shapes of a picture myself though - usually when I trace, I trace everything, since that leaves little room for what we artists think something has or looks like. I just have to find magazines and books with pictures to trace. xD When I color though, I use the original image to show me how the shading and such shows up on the shape of the critter and use that to help me color. I've never considered just tracing something for the general shape though.

I think tracing paper is awesome. Because it's somewhat transparent, something that's been inked in well shows up really good on a scanner and makes tracing the tracing paper so much easier since you don't have as much translucent white to contend with.

And TxCat, you might be able to deal with that color problem a little bit if you can get someone to organize your coloring utensils by color for you. I do that with all of my stuff (almost obsessively XD) and it helps a lot with picking out colors. Like, sorting colors by what family they belong to (warm group for reds, yellows, oranges, cool group for blues, greens, purples, neutral for browns, etc) or having a separate box for colors you tend to use a lot might help you pick out colors more easily.

@Cassowary -

I've never carved chalk before. Is it difficult to work with? *wants to try* xD
I have a lot of butterflies. :derp:
ImageImageImageImageImageImage
User avatar
Cassowary
Member of The Herbalist's Guild
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 25055
Joined: March 10th, 2011, 12:27:31 pm

Re: Crafting and Hobbies

Post by Cassowary »

Not particularly, provided you're patient and can stand whittling at the same spot for up to half an hour to remove a tiny portion of chalk. It's very brittle, which makes working with it difficult. I've heard about a really good crayon-carving artist, and since it strikes me that wax would be easier to carve than chalk, I'm hoping to try that.

Here's some examples. That reminds me, I should take a few pictures of my newer stuff and upload them. The prize of my collection is a heart with a hole through it; strung through the hole is a handmade chain that I'd made out of bent wire.

The tools I use range from toothpicks and paperclips (good for wide lines/large areas) to tacks and wires. Just experiment and see what works best for you.
~ G I V E A W A Y ~
(once trades work...)
ImageImageImageImageImage
User avatar
ShaiNeko
Site Moderator
Member of The Herbalist's Guild Member of Artificer's Association
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 13245
Joined: October 4th, 2009, 5:36:11 am
Gender: Female
Location: Evil Kitty

Re: Crafting and Hobbies

Post by ShaiNeko »

I've always been interested in crochet, knitting and embroidery in general, but until recently never really put much time into seriously learning. I've started learning to crochet on my own, and am slowly working at my own pace. I've made a couple of scarves so far, and am very carefully planning for some blankets and shawls that I would like to make. I tend to have an easy time learning visually, so Youtube videos have worked quite well so far.

Last November, I was bored and poking around a craft site and came across needle felting. Needle felting is taking wool and, using special needles, you poke repeatedly until the wool felts. You can form the wool into basic shapes and make things such as flowers or animals. I was fascinated by the idea of making three dimensional items using wool and needles, and purchased a kit. Flash forward to May, and my needlefelting supplies have gone from a small container on my desk to an entire storage crate, the plastic kind you buy at Wal Mart. It's the smaller of the two crates eating my floor space.

I have another, larger crate that I'm slowly filling with wool roving, batts, and assorted fibers. As a result of needle felting, I came across hand spinning. Hand spinning is using either a drop spindle, of which there are several kinds, or a spinning wheel to spin wool, silk, and many other fibers into yarn. Yes, this means I make my own yarn.

One of the things I've come to love about being able to spin yarn for myself is the control it gives me in projects. If I want yarn that's bright blue with sparkly gold mixed in, I don't have to try to find it in a store or online. I can just pull out some wool and some angelina or firestar and mix them until I get the look I want.
ImageImage :t--.-:
User avatar
Soleil
MagiStream Donor
Member of The Dark Brotherhood
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 15735
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 9:22:18 pm
Gender: Female
Location: Vietnam

Re: Crafting and Hobbies

Post by Soleil »

I do a little jewelry making, though I haven't in a while due to time constraints. I think that will turn into a weekend hobby for me.

I've also done a little candle making (the melt-able tarts for the warmers) which I do like, but it is even more time consuming than making jewelry is.

I used to do a little "graphic design" (quotations because I use the term loosely) in my free time, but who has that anymore?


XD my list is sad and pathetic, but those are about the only three things I do/have done. I never really have been all that crafty. My grandmother crochets, knits, quilts and all sorts of stuff... she's got the crafty gene.
Image
User avatar
KooshyKoKo
MagiStream Donor
Member of The Herbalist's Guild
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 6841
Joined: May 30th, 2009, 11:05:34 pm
Gender: Female
Location: West Virgina

Re: Crafting and Hobbies

Post by KooshyKoKo »

I make dream catchers and assorted bits of jewelry. The dream catchers I make can be of the more traditional Native American style, with the ring wrapped in leather strips, the dangling bits with wooden and more earthy colored beads and the ends as feathers. But I don't really think that style works with many decors, so I usually use various shades and thicknesses of ribbons to wrap the ring, super thin ribbons for the weave (sometimes two different colors), and then just have ribbons cascading off the entire bottom of the ring, no feathers, no beads. I love the color spectrum that using ribbons provides, though I prefer blues and greens myself, I can make any color that my friends/family want. (I've made a bright orange one once for a friend's birthday.) The different types of ribbons as well, satin and smooth, cotton and ridged, lacy, metallic and brittle, they can give all sorts of personality to a dream catcher.

I've also experimented a little bit with double and triple rings, but the results have been . . . questionable.

As for the jewelry making, I did more of that a few years ago. Mostly beaded necklaces with matching earrings and the occasional bracelet.
I have a twitter account.

ImageImageImageImageImage


My Merchant District Thread(s):
|:|none|:|
-->
By Chimera!
Check out her art shop.
Post Reply

Return to “Hall of Speakers”