dedicated to better living through better shopping
Some of the most exquisite papers in the world are those intended for Origami, the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. The papers themselves are perfect for creative gift wrapping, scrapbooking and all kinds of crafts. Origami papers and an instruction book make for an original and inexpensive gift. Origami can be a fun project with children as many ‘folds’ are quite easy. Origami birds or flowers can also be a elegant and festive holiday table decoration.
Beaded jewelry is everywhere these days. Some of it is so expensive and it doesn’t look that hard to make. I myself am not particularly crafty, but beading is relatively quick and easy which makes it extremely rewarding. Mistakes are low risk here, not like in painting or furniture building (both of which I have attempted). No difficult fix or wasted exotic materials with beading. If you don’t like what you’ve made, just take it apart and make something else. Beading can be a great activity for a night with the girls or a relaxing hobby. Jen loves beading so much that is has become a second business. Sherry, Paula, Deb and Jennifer are frequently spotted around town in her original designs.
Paula and Sherry have been making photo books for their out of town grandsons, writing stories about their visits and all the things they love to do together. The kids love the books as part of their bedtime library. Better yet, the books will be treasured memories in the future, and much more fun than the typical family photo albumn. They’ve each made a couple of books by now and used different approaches with each. Sherry tends to go for the traditional scrapbook approach, buying a blank book and placing the printed photos, text and embellishments on the pages by hand. Paula’s gone electronic – laying out digital photos, texts and graphics on the pages one at a time and then binding them into a book. Both approaches yield terrific results; in my mind the main difference is whether or not you want the ability to make more than one copy of the exact same book. If you want more than one, then digital is definitely the way to go.
Either way, I’ve tracked down an amazing website all about scrapbooking that’s chock full of resources and ideas for both traditional and digital scrapbooking. If you’re a scrapbooker of either ilk, next time you’re surfing check out A Cherry on Top. They’ve got thousands and thousands of products and an enormous gallery to provide inspiration. It’s a complete online community and definitely worth a stop.
I first learned about this site from Becky and some of her fellow teachers. Dick Blick Art Materials, one of the largest suppliers in the nation, has been supplying artists and teachers with high quality art supplies since 1911. The prices are excellent and the selection of products is overwhelming to say the least. They’ve got everything imaginable for kids’ art projects to the highest quality supplies for serious artistes.
This is a great place for children’s gifts – paint, paper and a tabletop easel makes for a much more interesting gift than a video game.
