For the last ten years or so I have had two major fears. Spiders and looking down over the edge of things.

So . . . the other day I was driving along and the road suddenly became a bridge transition. That sinking feeling in my stomach started and I felt the tension building up. All of the sudden my brain kicked in and I thought, "why does this bother me". Immediately I was flooded with thoughts "there might be an earthquake", "I might go over the edge". Suddenly I realized what the problem was! I didn't trust myself NOT to go over the edge. When I realized that I realized how dumb that was. I'm a great driver. There is no reason I would drive off the side of the road for no reason!

When I got home I walked to my front door and about an inch from the keyhole was a spider roughly the size of God. Normally I would have shrieked back in fear, then gone to the car and opened the garage door and gone into the house that way - as far as possible from gigantor the spider! Instead, I put my hand out and put the key into the lock. The spider didn't move, I opened the door and came in.

About an hour later my husband Ken and I came out to go to dinner. I pointed out my new friend but didn't issue any death warrants. Ken said, "aren't you going to demand that I kill it so that it doesn't get into the house and eat the cats?" Nope. I was free.

Now, I'm not going to claim that my heart doesn't still make that little jump when I see a spider - but now that I understand that the problem was that I didn't trust myself to be able to handle the situation if there was a problem - I was no longer afraid. Of course I can kill a spider if it is necessary. I've done it many times!

You may be wondering what this has to do with creativity . . .

For the first time in my creative life I was blocked. I had been asked by a publication to paint a series of pieces and since the moment that I got the request I had been avoiding painting. I couldn't even get myself to sit down and paint from a pattern.

I avoided. I cleaned. I rearranged. I kvetched. I did not paint.

Matters escalated when the pieces I'd been asked to design for arrived. I didn't open the box for two days. After I opened the box, I put everything carefully back in.

My husband, Ken, came in and took everything out to look at it and then left it out - right where I could see it!

I rearranged. I alphabetized. I looked into new lighting for my studio. I did not paint.

Ken, being the helpful type, pointed out that I had not yet drawn the designs for the new pieces. Did I have a plan, he asked? Was it going to be a theme? Did I need to bring our assistant in for a few extra hours so I could have time to paint?

I hemmed. I hawed. I reluctantly mentioned an idea. I pointed out that I had never done anything like it. I pointed out that I wasn't sure they would like it. I looked at the ceiling. I did not meet his eyes. I did not draw any illustrations. I did not paint.

About two in the morning a few weeks later I woke up from a dream. I rarely remember my dreams, but when I do it turns out that I am a quite literal dreamer. I was driving over that bridge but when I looked over the side down below were hundreds and hundreds of the blank pieces I had not yet painted. When I got over the bridge, I was back on it again. I looked over the side. Yep, still there. The bridge started again and again until I woke from the frustration of being unable to get away from it.

Then it hit me. I didn't start painting the pieces because I did not trust myself. If you think about it, creativity is the ultimate act of self-trust. When you start to design or write, you have to do it from a place inside yourself that says, "I can do this!"

This was the first time in my life that I had been "commissioned" to paint something. In the past, I had painted or written what I liked and then submitted it - take it or leave it. I was terrified.

When we start to do something new, we do it because we have an internal belief that we have something to say or something new to present. Something all our own. Steinbeck referred to the artistic process as a blend of faith and arrogance. In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott talks about giving yourself permission to create "shitty first drafts".

Creativity has nothing to do with selling or approval or commercial success. Creativity is taking a risk, trusting yourself to stay on the road. Knowing that if it isn't perfect the first time, you have the skills to correct it - even if it takes a lifetime. Creativity is about the process, the journey.

You can enjoy the freshness of a flower garden throughout the year by cutting and drying your favorite flowers. The two easiest and least expensive methods are sand-drying and air-drying.

Sand-drying can be used to dry a wide variety of flowers, such as roses, tulips, dahlias, marigolds and snapdragons. Flowers which last only one day, like day lilies, do not dry well. Do not dry asters, azaleas, chrysanthemums, geraniums, petunias, phlox, pinks, poppies or violets. But feel free to do your own experimentation.

To prepare for sand-drying, cut the flowers at the peak of their show as any imperfections will be exaggerated by drying. Pick the flowers after the dew has fully evaporated. Make sure the stems are dry.

Prepare the flowers by reinforcing the stems and blossoms with florist’s wire or with white glue. For daisy-type flowers and flowering shrubs, push a 6' piece of wire through the stem and right through the flower head; bend the end of the wire into a hook over the flower head and then pull it down, thus securing the head to the stem.

For flowers such as roses and tulips which are dried face-up, cut off most of the stem except an inch or so and insert the wire as above.

For many-petaled flowers, use glue instead of wire. Diluting the white glue with a drip of water and using a toothpick, dab a thin coat of glue at the base of each petal, working the glue into the base of each flower to attach each petal to the base. Dry completely.

To dry the flowers, slowly cover them with white sand in deep, open boxes. Cup-shaped or rose-shaped flowers should be dried face-up. Make the sand deep enough to hold the flowers in an upright position, position the flower carefully and slowly pour the sand around the base of the flower, then around the sides and under and over the petals. Pour the sand evenly and slowly in order to preserve the natural shape of the blossom.

Daisy-type flowers should be dried face down. Make an even base of sand in the box and make a little dip in the sand the same shape as the flower. Hold the flower steady and carefully build up the sand around the blossom until it is fully covered.

Snapdragons, lilac, elongated flowers and flowering branches should be positioned horizontally in the sand, flowering branches face up. Carefully pour the sand around and between the flowers and into individual blooms. A soft artists’ brush will help you in lifting the blossoms slightly as you pour the sand so that they won’t be flattened by its weight.

When all the flowers are completely covered with sand put the drying box in your drying area and leave undisturbed for one to three weeks. Rapid drying in a very warm, dry and brightly-lit place will produce bright blossoms; slower drying in a more humid spot will produce more muted colors.

Removing the sand should be done very carefully, tipping the container slightly, allowing the sand to flow slowly from one corner of the box. As each flower is released from the sand, lift it gently out.

If you wish to store your dried flowers for later use, seal them in airtight containers such as tins or plastic boxes sealed with masking tape, or in sealed cardboard boxes enclosed in airtight plastic bags.

Air-drying can be very successful with herbs, everlastings and ornamental grasses. Choose perfect plants with long stems, removing the lower leaves. Put the flowers in small bunches, fastening them together with an elastic band; then open each bunch into a fan shape. Hang the flowers head down from nails in a dry, dark place for one to three weeks until they are completely dry. The colors will usually be muted. Display your flowers in the house or store them as above.

You may want to experiment with waxing fresh flowers. This too is simple; just melt some paraffin wax and plunge each individual flower into the wax. Remove and shake the excess wax off each flower. Put it into the refrigerator to set and harden.

Having dried, preserved flowers in your home year-round can really brighten it up. You may want to give dried flower arrangements as Christmas gifts. It is a wonderful, satisfying hobby to preserve your own flowers. You can also make lovely cards by pressing your flowers and covering them with clear mac-tac on a piece of construction paper. It’s easy to do and looks lovely.

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BUILDING DOLL HOUSES AND DOLL FURNITURE

1993 by Home Business Publications

Well built and tastefully appointed hand made doll houses often sell for $400 or more, especially if they are to scale, realistic looking, well-decorated and nicely furnished.

Materials used to build and furnish high quality doll houses are not necessarily expensive. The real expenses is in the apparent hours of labor and high degree expertise required for their construction.

However, many 'expert' doll house craftsmen have no more training or background than a normal wood-workers or wood hobbyists. If you have ever built a model airplane or car, you can probably produce doll houses that will command a good prices. All it tales is a little attention to detail, practice and a few tricks of the trade.

Basically, building doll houses involves selecting and cutting out (according to plans 1/8' to 1/4' paneling for walls, a little stronger plywood for the bottom floor, and thin paneling with a simulated overlay for the roof.

Cut out the required windows, doors and spaces for stairways. For efficiency, you will probably cut out several parts from the same basic plan at a time.

Check these parts often to make sure they fit properly. Most walls and floors should be decorated before they are permanently installed or you may not be able to get them to apply the desired coatings or linings.

Although you will develop your own procedures, it’s wise to follow the plan instructions explicitly for the first few models. remember that although you can substitute materials freely, some substitutions may require different applications from the plans so be careful!

If you want to try without a plan (a commercial plan is recommended, at least for the first effort), you’ll need a sheet of plywood (or plain 3/8' paneling), some ice cream sticks or tongue depressors, glue, nails (brads), a few pins and screw eyes, a coping or jig saw, plus other normal shop tools. Get wallpaper and linoleum (or contact shelf paper )remnants from the hardware store and fabric scraps from an upholstery shop or yard goods store.

Much of the fun building doll houses is the ingenious and often, Unique methods craftsmen come up with to create really amazing effects for door, windows, roofs, outside and inside decor. Your total material cost could be as low as $200 including furniture. Of course, the cost can be much higher with veneer walks, silk rugs and fancy furnishing.

Doll house patterns are available from many sources--your public library probably has several books on the subject; discount book sellers offer a wide selection of books, plans and suggestions.

Decorations and furnishings can also be obtained from a variety of sources (several are listed under BUSINESS SOURCES). Subscribe to one or more trade magazines to learn and stay abreast of additional sources for materials, building and marketing techniques.

The first 'trick' is to build your doll houses to the scale of the furniture that you intend to use! This is much easier (and smarter) than building one haphazardly or to a standard which the furniture is hard to get or even unavailable.

This would mean trying to cut little pieces of furniture down or enlarge them to fit a non-standard scale doll house.

Unless you are equipped to build doll house furniture from scratch to the described scale, stay with the standard scales!

To find the scale of the furniture, measure the height of a table and compare that a similar table in your own home.

If the doll house table is 2 1/2' tall and it equates to yours that is 30 inches (2 feet), that’s a one inch to one foot (or twelve to one) scale. An inch or difference ON YOUR TABLE is not bad. The same procedure works on hour house scale. If your doorway opening is 32 by 80 inches ( 2 2/3 by 6 1/2 feet), then the same size opening in the doll house would be 2 2/3 by 6 1/2 inches. The one foot equals one inch is a widely accepted scale. You can use any scale you want, however, even metric.

A good tip for furniture is to buy imported doll house furniture cheap and refinish it even though it’s new (SMC has a nice selection of inexpensive 'imported furniture' see BUSINESS SOURCES). Buy a $1.30 chair, and sand and give it a coat of good polyurethane to make it into a $6.95 (retail) chair instead of the suggested retail of $3.95.

Much imported doll house furniture is mass produced by children or untrained workers. It is poorly sanded and lightly coated with varnish or other inexpensive finish (even shoe polish!). Their materials and tools are often poor quality and the finishes usually look and feel rough. Their wood, however, is usually excellent (good wood is cheap overseas.

With some fine sandpaper and sell wool, smooth the finish until looks and feels hand crafted. If the stain and finish is really bad, remove it with BIX (at your hardware store), re-stain and refinish it.

This process needn’t take long, especially if you do several at once. Give your wooden furniture one or more coats of quality vanish, polyurethane or liquid resin. Spray is fine a dust free area (some overseas furniture markers spray out in the open with cars going by).

Check the upholstery for fit and quality. Replace if it doesn’t look nice or go with your 'decor' or treat it. Trim loose threads and glue any loose corners. A few moments with piece of doll house furniture can triple it’s value. It can also make the difference between a $40 and a $400 doll house!

Market your doll houses wholesale through craft shops (usually on consignment), toy or department stores, and/or do your own advertising and sell from your 'factory.'

If you retail, two things will help immensely: a catalog and a nice display. Take a good (professional quality) color pictures of each of your creations from several angles. Use professional backgrounds and lighting to present them in their best possible light.

If you can’t afford to have a catalog printed make up a scrapbook of your work to show both the quality and the variety that your produce. Add comments and prices to make it into your catalog. List various options and prices for each. For example, modifying the layout, adding a room or porch, changing the type of roof.

Next, make arrangements to display your doll houses. This can be a corner of a room in your house or shop or rented display window (check with real estate agents for windows in unoccupied stores). Pictures and advertisements are nice, but you just can’t beat the real thing. The closer your doll house display is where little girls can see them, the better!

You can sometimes arrange with local businesses to feature a display (the bank, bowling alley) for a week at a time. As a local craftsman of note, these businesses will often cooperate especially if you’re good. You get exposure; they have an added attraction for their customers at no cost.

Unless you live in a big city it would probably not pay to advertise continually in newspaper except around Christmas. Of course, if you could get the names and addresses of parents with little girls in the 3 to 10 age brackets, you could mail out brochures with pictures to their parents.

One way to obtain such a list is to offer a doll house as a prize. Contestants fill out coupons with their name and address to enter (which becomes your mailing list). Take part in community affairs to meet potential buyers. Operate a booth at the county fair, give out free balloons at the parade and come up with doll house variations that the local paper will cover (perhaps a model of a prominent local house).

Be sure to have several completed models on hand or at least ready to finish in time for Christmas. This should be your best season. Don’t over look the possibly of building (or finishing) custom doll houses.

For example, a shape something like the family home, painted and decorated to match (these would start at $00!). With 4 or 5 different basic patterns, you could make minor adjustments to come up with quite a few totally different models.

One of your secrets that you keep all patterns, jigs, molds and simply change outer materials to get different effects.

For example, all of your roofs will be similar, but some can be finished in painted sandpaper or cut out thin panel wood 'for asphalt shingles and tile. You can probably imprint some wood paneling with brick design, spray it a light color, then roll it with a reddish brown to look like brick. Similar designs inscribed on light wood would look like patio and walkway tile.

There is simply no end to interesting effects that can be realized from your imagination and a little experimenting.

The best advice from this point is to remember that the more patience and care you take in building each doll house, the more enjoyment some little girl will receive.

If this is your motivation, you will undoubtedly be a successful doll house and doll furniture builder. Even so,, keep accurate records and always try to work out procedures to enable you to produce sections of the doll houses assembly line fashion. This helps avoid mistakes, speeds construction and increase your profits.

BUSINESS SOURCES

SPECIALTY MERCHANDISE CO.,9401 De Soto Ave.,Chatsworth, CA 91311, 818-998-2712. Nice selection of imported, inexpensive doll furniture, 1' : 1' scale, plus other imported merchandise. Membership required (costs about $500, but can be paid in installments).

COLLECTOR COMMUNICATIONS CORP.,170 5th Ave.,New York, NY 10010, 212/989-8700. Publishes DOLLS, bi-monthly magazine for doll collectors, plus MINIATURE COLLECTOR, magazine about furnishings and decor for doll houses.

JACQUELIENE’S, Box 23464, Oakland, CA 94263-0464. Doll house plans and furnishings. 70 page color catalog - $2.

DOLL HOUSE FACTORY OUTLET, 325 Division St.,Boonton, NJ 07005, 201/335-5501. Doll houses, kits and accessories.

INTERNATIONAL DOLL MAKERS ASSOCIATION, 3364 Pine Creek Dr.,San Jose, CA 95132. Association of doll makers and collectors.

HOBBY HOUSE PRESS, INC.,900 Frederick St.,Cumberland, MN 21502. Publishes DOLL READER, trade magazine for doll dealers.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN DOLL ARTISTS, 5630 Clarksville Highway, Joelton, IN 37080. Association of doll makers and collectors.

DOVER PUBLICATIONS, 31 East 2nd St.,Mineloa, NY 11051. Discount books, stencils, patterns; excellent source for, ideas and decor accessories. recommend this one highly!

QUILL CORPORATION, 100 Schelter Rd.,Lincolnshire, IL 60917-4700, 312/634-4800. Office supplies.

NEBS, 100 Main St.,Groton, MA 04171, 800/225-6380. Office supplies.

IVEY PRINTING, Box 761, Meridan, TX 76665. Low-cost printing.. Write for price list.

ZPS, Box 581, Libertyville, IL 60048-2556. Business cards (raise print _ $11.50 per K) and letterhead stationery. Will print your copy ready logo or design, even whole card.

WALTER DRAKE & SONS, INC.,4119 Drake Bldg.,Colorado Springs, CO 80940. Short run business cards, stationery, etc. Good quality but little choice of style or color. Can be difficult to deal with (they are a 'short-order' mail order house).

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 EGG WRITING

Dissolve 1/2 ounce of alum into 1/2 pint of vinegar. Dip a fine tipped brush into the solution and write your message on the shell of an egg. Let dry completely; then boil for 15 minutes.

Writing cannot be seen on the shell, but is on the inside of the egg.

DO NOT EAT THIS EGG . . . .

Get Free Content - http://ContentMart.com FLEXIBLE MOLD COMPOUND

This is new mold material is much superior to ordinary gelatin (mold glue) and is very easily made. It does not shrink or dry out like ordinary casting gelatins. If made according to directions it will retain all its original qualities indefinitely, and can be remelted when necessary.

FORMULA:

Flake Gelatin . . . . . . . 4 1/2 pounds Water . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1/2 pints Glycerin . . . . . .. . . . 9 pounds Glucose . . . . . . . . . . 1 pound Denatured Alcohol . . . . . 1 ounce

PROCESS: Place the gelatin in a large container and pour the water over same; then cover container with damp cloth to prevent evaporation. Mix up thoroughly with the hands every ten minutes to keep water evenly distributed, otherwise the bottom will absorb too much water and the top portion will dry out and harden. Replace cloth after each mixing. After gelatin is thoroughly softened, squeeze out all surplus water (if any), and place in double boiler and melt. A few minutes after it begins to melt start stirring and keep stirring until the gelatin is all melted and free from lumps. Then add the glycerin (which should have previously been heated) and stir until blended. Continue to stir until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and remove from fire. Now add the alcohol and stir until thoroughly blended with the rest of the mixture. The compound is now ready for use. Do not add water when remelting.

A double boiler can easily be made by using two metal buckets or pans, one larger than the other. Put a few stones in the bottom of the larger container and partly fill with water. Then put mold compound into smaller container and place it in large container. There should be enough water in large container to come up at least half way on outside of small container. The stones are to prevent the small container from touching the bottom and thereby burning the mixture. Leave unused material in container in which it was melted.

HOW TO GET THE ABOVE COMPOUND TO MAKE MOLDS: First select the article you desire to duplicate. Almost all articles can be duplicated, such as celluloid novelties, metal toys, dolls, etc. Articles cast in compositions, book-ends, emblems, etc.

If the article to be cast is very simple, with one entire side flat like a book-end, emblem, or plaque, it is only necessary to lay it on some flat, smooth surface, like glass or marble, face up. Place a frame of wood or metal bars around it, having oiled the object and other parts well; then pour the pliable mold composition over it. However, for more complicated things such as door stops and novelties in forms of dogs, cats, dolls, etc., you will have to make a mold in two pieces.

To make two piece molds, plaster should be used to reinforce the mold. To make good molds you must bear in mind that both this compound and rubber gives under the weight of the casting material. Therefore, some means must be used to hold molds made from these materials in shape. It must be made so that the mold can easily be removed from the reinforcing shell so that the mold may then be removed from the casting without damaging it.

After you have applied the molding composition or last coat of rubber and compound starts to set - spread about 1/2 inch thickness of plaster mortar over it with a trowel, let set and then remove it. For full body molds in two parts - make one half, let it stand until set, cut notches in the plaster shell around the edge that will be spliced to the other half and then apply rubber and plaster to the other half. To prevent the plaster sticking, coat the splice edge of the first half with two coats of ordinary rubber cement.

RUBBER MOLDS

GUTTA-PURSHA MOLDS:

Purchase a sheet of GUTTA-PERCHA, about one-fourth of an inch thick. Cut it about size desired. Soak it in NAPTHA (which causes it to swell), then soak it in hot water. This makes the sheet of Gutta-Percha soft and mushy in appearance, somewhat like a wet rag. Then in this condition, press it against your model, slowly but firmly.

When there are small cavities such as the mouth or eyes of a figure, be sure that you get the rubber all the way in . . . the better you press it, the sharper the mold will be.

Try it on a plaque first, for that can be made in one piece mold. When it is sufficiently pressed, have some plaster mixed and pour it over the mold. This will harden quickly and so hold your rubber mold (Gutta-Percha), in place until it gradually dries out. It will then retain its shape. This plaster shell should always be used to hold mold rigid while casts are being made.

To make a mold of a figure in the round (showing both sides) the mold must be made in two pieces, with shell of plaster to hold them in place, same a described previously.

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HOW TO MAKE LAMPS AND VASES FORM BOTTLES HOW TO CUT GLASS WITHOUT A DIAMOND CUTTER

Dip a piece of common string in alcohol and squeeze dry, or as dry as it will get without dripping. This string should then be placed on the already marked glass and tied tight. Light the string and let it burn off. Immediately, while the glass is still hot, plunge it into cold water. Be sure the container of water is large enough to let the glass to completely submerge, as well your arm up to the elbow, so as to deaden the vibration when you strike the glass.

Strike the glass with your other hand above the line using a wooden stick and hitting a sharp stroke. This quick, sharp stroke will break the glass where it has been weakened by the burning string, as if done by a regular glass cutter. This meth§od may be used to cut bottles in any shape, and to make vases. You can perform many such cuttings on glass.

METHOD 2 - This method rarely fails to break the glass cleanly, in the exact place you want it broken. First, scratch the glass with the corner of a file or a sharp engraving tool. Have a piece of wire bent to the desired shape you want to cut the glass. Heat the wire until it is red hot and lay it upon the scratch.Immerse the glass in cold water just deep enough to come to a level with the wire, but not quite covering it. The glass will break cleanly. HOW TO CUT GLASS WITH SCISSORS: To do this you must place the glass under water completely, then with a pair of ordinary scissors, proceed to cut the glass as you would paper or cloth. This method is, or course, not as smooth a job as the methods described above. The edges will not be as smooth, but for getting a piece of glass down to a size and where the edges are not needed to be smooth, this method is satisfactory.

HOW TO DRILL GLASS: Get a piece of steel wire and file the wire to the shape of a drill. The wire-drill must be tempered as follows: Heat the end of the wire-drill on a flame until it is dull red, then place it in metallic mercury. The wire-drill, tempered in this manner, will bore through glass as easily as through soft metal. When drilling in glass, always use oil of turpentine with a little camphor to lubricate the wire-drill. As you drill, be careful not to drill all the way through from one side, as you will break the glass this way. Drill part of the way, or almost through, then drill from the opposite side to finish. Or, if you cannot do this, as when you are drilling bottles, etc., fill these bottles with water or place the glass in water.

CAUTION: When you make the drill, do not make the cutting edges so sharp or too acute. The drill will cut slowly, but you will have better holes with less breakage.

BONUS: How to achieve rainbow colors for bottles, vases, etc.: Use floating art colors obtainable from most paint stores. Take a pail and fill it with water and drop a few drops of several different art colors on top of the water. Now, take any article you wish colored and dip it into the colored water, move the item slowly back & forth. You now have a rainbow colored article. You can color bottles, vases, and many other articles this way

Get Free Content - http://ContentMart.com HOW TO TRANSFER PHOTOS TO OTHER OBJECTS!

You can transfer a photo or snapshot from a negative onto wood, cloth, paper, etc. All printing is done from the negative not from the photo. Prepare two simple solutions as follows:

SOLUTION 1:

Dissolve in 6 fluid ounces of distilled water: 1/4 ounce of Silver Nitrate 1/4 ounce of Ferric Ammonium Citrate 1/4 ounce of Citric Acid Stir until dissolved and pour the contents into a dark bottle until ready to use.

SOLUTION 2:

Dissolve 1/4 ounce Sodium Thiosulphate in 10 ounces of water. Bottle until ready to use.

Place the picture exactly where you want it, then mark around it with chalk or something that will easily wash out. Now take a piece of cotton, saturate it in Solution No. 1 and spread the solution evenly over the spot where the picture is to be printed. If you are printing on cloth, it will be a good idea to stretch the cloth over a piece of glass and hold it in place with spring type clothespins.

Now take a piece of heavy wrapping paper and make a frame for the picture, cutting a hole just the size you want the picture to be. Place this frame over the negative and old it all down tight with another piece of glass. If you can clamp the two pieces of glass together with clothespins, so much the better.

When you have it all prepared and held firmly together, expose it to bright sunlight for several minutes, then remove the glass, the frame and the negative. Apply Solution No. 2 to the printed area, and soak it good for about one minute. This application of the second solution 'fixes' the picture and prevents it from fading out later when exposed to light. Rinse the surface in clean water and allow to dry.

When you have familiarized yourself with these simple directions you will have no trouble in producing remarkable results that will amaze your friends, and enable you to prepare many unusual items for gifts, etc.

You should be able to purchase all the above ingredients at any good wholesale drug company or photographic supply house.

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HOW YOU CAN MAKE GLOW-IN-THE-DARK INK WITH 2 SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

Pour into a small bottle 1 oz. oil of cinnamon and 1/4 oz. phosphorous. Close the bottle tightly and place in a hot water bath. Heat until the ingredients have melted together.

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You can preserve the fresh beauty of flowers for years in their natural vivid colors without a great deal of work or expense.

Simply mix a combination of four parts of borax to one part of silica gel. You can make your mixture by hand; the borax should be run through a sieve before mixing with the gel to remove any lumps.

You should treat all of the flowers to be preserved immediately after picking. Cut off the stems close to the base of the flower. In the bottom of a plastic bag or an air-tight jar put down a layer of the preserving powder and lay a blossom face down on the powder. Pour some additional powder over the flower until it is well covered. Then lay another flower face down and cover it, repeating the procedure until the bag or jar is full. Put on your lid, or if using a bag, press down on it lightly to squeeze out all the air. Tie the bag tightly with string as close to the contents as possible to prevent air from coming in.

Now put your flowers and powder mixture away in a dry place for about four weeks without peeking at it. Never store it out of doors.

At the end of the four weeks, open the container very gently and remove the blossoms one at a time, blowing the powder off them. You may make a stem by running a piece of florist’s wire through the lower side of each blossom. Now you have preserved flowers in their garden freshness.

A good method of prolonging the life of cut flowers is to put a small amount of ammonium chloride, potassium nitrate, sodium carbonate or camphor in the water into which the flower stems are inserted. One or more of these drugs will keep the flowers fresh by working to oppose germ growth and stimulate the cells. This method is, however, not permanent like the borax and gel solution.

Preserving flowers can help you save your memories of a wedding corsage or a gift bouquet forever.

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To Preserve Leaves:

Place the leaves in a pan and cover them with dry, hot sand. Allow this to cool. Remove the leaves and smooth them with a hot iron. Dip them in colorless varnish and let them dry.

To Make Novelties from Leaves:

Paint large leaves with aluminum or bronze paint. Dip them into a clear plastic paint to set them firmly.

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 JEWELRY FROM 'ORDINARY' TREASURES

Almost everyone has a box of sparkling old buttons from Grandma’s sewing chest to marvel at, or set of dominoes, checkers or mahjongg pieces rescued from a flea market. Maybe they have a partial Scrabble game and perhaps even a collection of colorful, fifty-one-to-a-deck playing cards purchased at an antique store tucked away in a drawer. Gather your treasures together and start earning extra income now! Strap those buttons on a piece of elastic to create eye-catching bangle bracelets. Glue the dominoes, checkers, and Scrabble pieces onto earrings or pin backs for guys and gals. Whatever the material, mount your artwork on one-of-a-kind playing cards for good money in a rewarding home jewelry business.

In addition to having the satisfaction of creating fun gifts for family and friends out of 'heirloom' materials, once the word is out, relatives will often send along their extra buttons and collectibles. This helps build your inventory, resulting in a minimal investment for supplies. The season for successful jewelry selling is year-round, since the pieces make wonderful birthday and Christmas gifts, as well as fun wardrobe accessories anytime. Men, women, and children can wear these buttons, domino, and checker pins and earrings, so the sky is the limit for profits. And this business can be worked out of your home part or full-time.

Bev Rice is one designer who not only models what she sells, but delights in the pleasure others have in purchasing her sporty art. She and her husband Jim started a home business called 'Sport in Life' ten years ago with one imperfect mahjongg set originally bought as a present for a friend. In the past five years 'Sport in Life' has evolved from marketing craft-fair products to bona fide antique buttons sold at more expensive retail-quality level. With mostly word-of-mouth advertising, their jewelry has captured creative awards, been featured in the Image section of her local Sunday newspaper, displayed for sale in clothing and curio boutiques, and sold at jewelry parties.

GETTING STARTED AND BUSINESS SAVVY

Like most business entrepreneurs, Bev started out 'needing to make a living,' and she wanted to combine her love of going to flea markets with creative, artistic urges. She also had a curiosity about the ability to manufacture interesting game pieces. While she comes up with her signature creations, Jim perfects ever-sturdier ways of fastening pieces together and drills holes in the mahjongg tiles for Bev to thread with elastic to make bracelets or neck amulets. She took her first product, a 'rigger' domino with a tell-tale crack, to her husband, who polished the domino to sheen and bolted it to a pin back.

Earrings and pins can be made without drilling, however. Just purchase an inexpensive glue gun from the neighborhood hardware store, or sturdy 'glue dot' stickers, as well as earring and pin backs, available wholesale. 'What’s more, anyone can do this,' says Bev.

INVESTMENT. Bev estimates start-up costs can be less than $500 because of 'miracles and mitzvahs.' Don’t underestimate the value of trading services or receiving supplies when starting out. 'People were inspired to gift us,' she says. An artist friend created a simple but effective domino logo, and another friend who was teaching a printing class made up 500 business cards as a gift. While Bev did read a couple of start-up books, such as Working From Home, and Small-Time Operator, (similar books can be obtained from the library) she advocates getting a business license from City Hall (if your area requires one) and an invoice book from a stationery store. Then just start-up.

The jewelry maker recommends that once you are in business, get a sales tax resale number from your state’s taxation bureau to make quantity purchases at jewelry supply stores giving wholesale discounts. You will also be able to legitimately write off business expenses at tax time. Initially, Bev spent $100 per month on supplies. That included game pieces, pin and earring backs, and glue. She notes that 'the most interesting pieces can be found at thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales.'

BUYING SUPPLIES. Finding supplies can be time-consuming at first, says Bev, but all supplies can be bought in one’s own neighborhood or ordered from supply catalogs. Her inventory is now built up, but when she first started out she went to stores three or four times a day to be the first person there and check on items arriving during the day. With vigilance and luck, 'finds' can be snapped up as they get put on the shelves. Also, friends who peddle their wares at flea markets might bring her a mahjongg set because they know exactly the kinds of things she uses.

While Bev’s first mahjongg tiles cost 50 cents, and were sold loose in a plastic bag, now sets might run $300 in a big city where the game is popular.

To record money earned and money spent, and to keep track of what pieces are on consignment or out for a jewelry party, Bev recommends keeping an inventory sales book.

FULL OR PART-TIME SALES

The person who wants to make jewelry and sell their wearable art can make a part-time or full-time living at it. Bev Rice reports that generating $10,000 per year part-time is possible, while she estimates $30,000 to $40,000 could be made full-time, depending on effort and expertise. The qualities of integrity, flexibility and enthusiasm are personal attributes that will make for better business, but being an artist is not a requirement. In fact, Bev remarks that a little business sense can really make or break profits. 'I think I would succeed better as less of an artist,' she muses, 'and more of a businessman.'

Anyone who wants to get into this business has an intuitive sense that they can put pieces together uniquely. Or talents can be combined with a partner’s help. Fortunately, Bev has a husband with a natural inclination to use a drill press, which can be purchased for under $100. Meanwhile Bev says she has become a pro with a glue gun. Both are able to fill order for a variety of styles quickly.

BUILDING A NICHE. The designer has built a niche for herself by making pins out of the buttons and old mahjongg betting sticks she loves. She enjoys making pins because 'they are pieces I can do myself-drill holes, find buttons, and put them together.' Bev relates that while she did not enjoy working for other people, she loves her current work, loves the jewelry pieces, and says that it has given her a personal sense of identity. 'It is gratifying to build a business from a broken set of dominoes. Anybody can do it who has a set of buttons.'

Most people have 'secret stashes' of buttons, according to Bev, and should be encouraged to be creative.

She recalls that her mother had a beautiful set of buttons and her grandmother had lovely pieces of mahjongg set. And jewelry making 'is a nice way to keep those collections alive.' But if one is not ready to part with treasures, then items can be purchased at flea markets. Buttons of quality range form a penny to $8 or $10. The old glass and semi-precious stone buttons can be considered a study in texture from a jeweler’s point of view. But ordinary plastic buttons, which comes in all shapes and sizes, make perfectly creative and whimsical materials, too.

WHAT TO CHARGE. Jewelry prices depend on time, materials, and what the market will bear. Simple Scrabble pins make great holiday stocking stuffers or children’s birthday party favors and sell for $1.50. Antique button pins that look wonderful on a blazer lapel can start at $25 and well-made button bracelets can retail for between $25 and $50, depending on quality. Domino earrings and pins can run from $16 to $26. Vintage collectible mahjongg and bamboo bracelets may wholesale from $88 to $250.

JEWELRY PARTIES. Although there is a variety of ways to sell jewelry, from craft fairs and festivals, at gift and clothing boutiques, on consignment or by personal referrals, the best methods really depend on individual preferences. There are benefits and pitfalls to each. For those starting out, Bev highly recommends holding jewelry parties as a fun, tried-and-true way to sell. Better yet, ask friends to hold them at their homes, serve a little something to eat and drink, and invite a group of about six to twelve people. In her experience, earnings of approximately $300 to $400 can be made from a home jewelry party.

NETWORKING. Another method is to network with a friend to find trustworthy places that will take a chance on your work. This includes consignment at clothing or gift boutiques and possibly museums or art gallery gift stores, where a percentage of the profits are kept by the store upon sale.

'Most rewarding,' says Bev, 'is when stores buy outright, because it keeps your cash flow going.' She has refined her product line to where she can market it almost exclusively at the high-end retail level. But Bev avoids the large chain stores because, she says, 'it can be heaven or hell.' Mostly it takes a long time to get paid and a big store buyers can cancel on a whim an order that has been rushed into production.

CRAFT FAIRS. Craft fair profits are tied into the costs of entry fees, booth space rental, and transportation to the fair. Some fairs require the artist to be present to sell their work. Depending on regulations, this can pose problems for the jewelry maker who has hired a sales representative. Sales generally depend on the ability of the individual seller and the quality of the neighborhood crafts to help draw customers. Sometimes a percentage of sales goes for a worthy fund-raiser. Also, many artists really enjoy displaying their wares in a festival atmosphere where they get a chance to meet and learn from each other.

FESTIVALS. 'Game pieces make people smile,' says Bev, 'and are made to be touched.' Unique designs, together with the touchables and playful qualities of the jewelry, are the strongest selling points at festivals and craft fairs. Although she now shies away from what she terms 'the stress and the rat race,' a small show may only charge a $50 entry fee and net profit of $200 out of $400 gross sales is possible. 'People like a chance to meet the artist,' says Bev, which can help sales. For the person trying to get established, she notes that this venue - the chance to talk to other artists, trade, and barter back and forth - can be more lucrative than dollars and cents.

FASHION SHOWS. Bev is occasionally invited to display her jewelry as part of vintage fashion shows where a friend is already selling and the artists dress up in appropriate period costumes. Or she might do a weekend show where she is given space to set up in a clothing boutique where a sale has been advertised. The store often sends out postcards notifying customers of the sale and perhaps a flyer noting an artist appearance. Bev says that she enjoys these, but points out that the store claims 30 percent of her sales. Also, selling all weekend can be very demanding.

PERSONAL REFERRALS. Since Bev has been in business ten years and knows her market, she understands how her pieces sell best, and certainly what is cost-effective for her business. Personal referrals now account for 30 to 50 percent of Sport in Life sales, and 30 percent in repeat business. Someone starting out may need to try all avenues to see what kind of customers are attracted to a particular jewelry style.. Besides word-of-mouth referrals by friends, and boosting sales by wearing the jewelry, a jewelry representative can bring up the bottom line of profit. Bev estimates that referrals from a rep who worked for her several years ago added another 10 percent to sales. 'If you can find one who likes you and you like them - they can be a buffer zone between you and the public,' says Bev. 'That individual becomes the Mary Kay of jewelry.'

Because Bev now handles the business herself, she advises taking it 'one step at a time.' She would like to teach people to gain self-esteem from their work and says she feels it is important for people not to underprice or undersell themselves. 'Otherwise,' she says, 'they could just go get a job!' Because people are always buying. Bev remarks that the business is becoming more competitive. But she sees this as a good sign, one that breeds well-made designs, those made using good, non-toxic glues which are made to last. But don’t be afraid to develop a niche, since every bracelet and necklace will be different by virtue of the material. 'This is fun,' enthuse Bev. 'Buttons are really unusual and unique, and it feels good to make these things.'

For example, just four stacked buttons can make an interesting earring Bev explains. 'I was the kind of person who threw out earrings if they were broken and didn’t know how to fix things.' She remarks that making jewelry is wonderfully therapeutic and can be a way to teach children creativity by stringing elastic through buttons as a birthday party game.

In addition to belts, her new product includes a few glitzy patent leather handbags also festooned with buttons. A bag might retail for $50 to $125, according to the buying market. A developing product line is as individual as the person, and the artistic preferences will certainly add distinction. Bev states that she would like to inspire other people to start feeling creative. But working with buttons is not limited to women. Bev says she knows of one man who 'makes fantastic bolo ties out of old buttons and belt buckles.' 'Whatever the material, her best advice is, 'Only do it if it’s fun: Sport in Life!'

Get Free Content - http://ContentMart.com MAKE YOUR HOBBY PAY

It’s great to delve into an interesting hobby such as artwork, photography, or crafting paper jewelry. It’s even more exciting (and financially rewarding) to turn your special talents into a successful home-based business. That’s exactly what Mary Maturi of Cleveland Ohio, Leslie Croyle of Bay Village, Ohio, and Marlene Stephenson of Virginia, Minnesota, did. Each turned her hobby into a cash-generating business complete with paying customers and a bank account.

These aren’t isolated stories. Men and women across the country are joining the ranks of entrepreneurs converting hobbies into money-paying propositions. It’s important to note that none of these women originally planned to start a business. On the contrary, interest by others in their hobbies convinced them to sell their work.

MARY MATURI’S KILLER WHALES

Mary Maturi markets a line of 'Killer Whale' petroglyph tee-shirts, sweat shirts, and note cards both in Alaskan gift shops and in natural history museums in the lower forty-eight states.

It all started when Mary and her family spent a year living in Wrangell, a small town located on Wrangell Island in southeast Alaska. One day Mary ventured down to Petroglyph Beach on the island. Petroglyphs are ancient rock carvings left by an unknown people. Using rice paper and different colored ferns, Mary 'rubbed' the petroglyphs to capture their images on paper. When other saw her rubbings, they offered to buy them.

'People interest really surprised me, so I thought of other ways to share the uniqueness of the petroglyphs with out having to deal with their awkward size (some were several feet in length). That’s how the 'Killer Whale' notecards were born,' Mary says. Using her rubbings as a guide, she created smaller scale pen and ink drawings which she took to a printer to get price quotes for paper, printing and envelopes.'

The major cost of printing is making the plates. Therefore, it’s wise to get price quotes for different runs of 1,000,' says Mary. For example, a run of 3,000 cards might cost around 10 cents per card while a run of 6,000 note cards could drop that per unit cost below 8 cents per card. That decreases your card cost by more than 20 percent - quite a savings. Mary also recommends getting bids from several suppliers or even splitting up the order.

While printers know how to price their printing competitively, they don’t make their own envelopes. Mary uses the least costly printer that can deliver the quality of paper stock she desires, but buys her envelopes from a warehouse specialist at a savings of nearly 35 percent from prices quoted by printers and other envelope suppliers. It pays to let your fingers do the walking and get competitive quotes.

Once Mary obtained the cost estimates, she visited several gift stores and museums to gather pricing information on competing notecards. She also talked to store owners and museum managers to determine their interest in ordering. After all, it would make no sense to have the notecards printed unless buyers would purchase at prices that can generate a profit.

LESLIE CROYLE’S PHOTO-FINISH

Leslie Croyle converted her love of photography and knack for framing into a full-fledged photo decorating business.

Leslie and two friends offered for sale enlarged photos of popular Cleveland events such as the start of the Revco-Cleveland Marathon & 10K, and a spectacular shot of the United Way Kickoff’s release of thousands of colored balloons in Public Square.

'We hired several photographers to cover the events and used the best photographs of the bunch,' say Leslie. Advertisements for photo promotion proved popular. The trio sold 600 photos at prices ranging from $8 to $10 a piece, gathering a bit less than $5,400 in revenues. Not bad for the first venture. Unfortunately, the combined costs of ads, fees for the photographers ate up the $5,400 and more. 'Although we ended up with a loss, it gave us a lot of market exposure and a proven track record,' says Leslie.

Next, Leslie and her friends put together a portfolio of photographs and contacted local businesses. This marketing move landed them a job of photo decorating PJ McIntyre’s Restaurant in a Cleveland shopping center. 'We tied into nostalgia theme of the restaurant by contacting area historical societies and arranging to have their vintage photographs copied. It’s important to make sure you have the right to reuse the prints. Ask for proper releases and permission to use whatever photos you have copied,' advises Leslie.

She stresses the importance of networking industry contacts. A decorating firm they worked with on one project led to additional work when that firm recommended Leslie and her partners to some of their other clients.

Since 1987, the photo decorating business has progressed well since its initial unprofitable photo event ventures. Major projects include photo decorating the guest rooms and suites for the historic Glidden House, which has been made into a unique bed and breakfast, and an all-sports photo motif for the Grand Slam Bar & Restaurant in the refurbished Cleveland Flats night spot area.

'From our humble beginnings, we’re now getting into some pretty good sized jobs,' says Leslie. 'Just keep bumbling along - don’t give up.'

MARLENE STEPHENSON’S PAPER PROFITS

Marlene Stephenson makes her money tearing paper. Actually, her unique sculptured jewelry draws rave reviews wherever she wears it. In fact, people routinely ask to buy her unique designs right off her dress when she appears at public functions.

Marlene is a medical technician by trade, and her paper profits grew out of a coffee get-together group of friends that met once a week to try their hands at new craft ideas. One day one of the ladies brought a book on making paper jewelry. 'I just fell in love with it and made a pin and some earrings to wear to a business meeting. Lots of the women at the meeting asked me to make some for them also,' says Marlene.

As with any fashion item, Marlene pays attention to color schemes and design. Even though she makes several copies of different design, each is unique in color, shading, size, and even texture. Marlene crafts her one-a-kind jewelry to match her customers special outfits.

'With any small business, it’s important to link up with other small businesses,' stresses Marlene. For example, her local hairdresser lets Marlene display her paper jewelry at her shop. Local gift stores either buy the pins and earrings outright or take them on consignment, which means they pay for they after they sell. Marlene also teamed up with several other artists to display their work at trade shows.

'Try to tailor your product to the particular market. With the loon as the state bird of Minnesota, my loon pins always do well at local craft shows,' she says. Likewise, when Marlene sent samples of her pins to trade show in Anchorage, Alaska, she made some new designs to capture the wilds of Alaska, These pins included a polar bear, Alaska wild flowers, whales, and fish.

What ever your own hobby pursuits, you may be over looking an opportunity to turn personal interests into money-making enterprises. Investigate the possibilities, calculate the costs, analyze the market, and move forward with your plan of action. Take your lead from these three women who have turned hobbies into profits.

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