Monday, November 05, 2007
Increasing Income
| By Lynn Forgy My earlier post today was mostly a vent - if you read it, thanks. I've been obsessing on Murphy all day, and rather than continuing to mope and whine, I need to take action. I've started a list of things (it's small now, and in the beginning stages, but I hope to add to it as time goes on) that I can do from home to make some extra money, working around my full time and part time jobs, family, and home.  1) Writing - this can include writing and submitting various articles to paying sites (blogs, etc.). Over the past several weeks, I've seen several sites that pay anywhere from $5 to $100 per article, on numerous topics. Another media outlet that warrants further research would be local newspapers. Selling an ebook, either online through your own site, ebay, etc., is an option as well. 2) Ebay - I keep coming back to this because I love the idea of being able to find anything and everything in one place. I have two books to list (similar books have sold for $20 and up - I paid $2), and I also bought a vintage Christmas decoration last weekend at a local thrift store that I would like to list. 3) Transcription - this could include data entry, any kind of typing, etc. My career as a legal assistant/paralegal has enabled me to do research (online, from home) for people. A good place to advertise for free is craigslist. Perhaps you can build your own website (there are many free websites that will do this for you, and will also host your site for free - the only catch is the advertising bar across the top). Sending emails to business owners in the field in which you want to work may also be a good way to get the word out about your new service. Referrals are very important as well. Be creative with the marketing! 4) Holidays - Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching. Many people will be shopping for presents or food, having their houses cleaned, and doing things to get ready for the holidays. Maybe you have a craft or some type of homemade item that you can sell - this is a great time to do it! 5) Hobby - Do you have a hobby that you can turn into cash? I love antiques, so finding an old treasure and selling it for a profit would be my way of turning a hobby into cash (although it's not always easy parting with an item). Maybe you love writing - try selling a story or article online. Something that you're passionate about, and by your enthusiasm can make others passionate about, is a great place to start. TO BE CONTINUED... Labels: ebay, hobby, holidays, homemade craft, increase income, writing |
Friday, October 12, 2007
Scary Spider Pumpkins for Halloween
| By Agatha Curtis Make your own scary little spider this Halloween from a mini pumpkin and a few other inexpensive items, easily found. Spiders are easy and fun to make and can be used for decorating or for gifts. Mini pumpkins range around 4” in diameter, 3” in height including stem, and are found in the produce section of your grocery store. I have seen them priced at two or three pumpkins for $1. You will need the following items: mini pumpkin, black pipe cleaners, clear acrylic spray, black acrylic paint (craft paint), white or red or yellow acrylic craft paint, paintbrush. You can find the clear acrylic spray in the spray paint section of your store. Acrylic paints such as those used in crafts are my choice for the body of the spider, but you could substitute black spray paint if you plan to mass produce or if you have some on hand. Cover your work surface with newspapers and, if using spray paint, ventilate well. First, spray a light coat of clear acrylic spray on your pumpkin and let it dry. This will help seal the surface, the paint will adhere better and your painted pumpkin will last a little longer. Then, coat your entire pumpkin with black paint. Acrylics dry fast, so this won’t take too long. Paint the stem or leave it natural. Using the white or red or yellow acrylic paint, make circles for the spider’s eyes and let dry. Paint small black pupils in the eyes. When all paint is dry, spray another light coat (or two) of clear acrylic spray over the entire surface of your pumpkin. Let dry between coats. You have a choice on the spider’s legs. For long legs, take one pipe cleaner (these measure about 10 or so inches) and bend it into a vee in the middle of the pipe cleaner. About one-half inch from one end, bend the pipe cleaner end up. This gives you one leg for your spider, with the last little bend being the “foot.” If you would prefer short legs, cut your pipe cleaner in half, then bend the same way (or leave off the “foot” bend and just make one vee bend, if you prefer.) Take a pencil point and make small indentation holes in the top half section of your pumpkin. Four holes for legs beginning on the left from the spider’s eyes and four on the right side. Hold your pipe cleaner close to the end opposite the foot bend, and gently insert it about one-half inch into an indent. The legs can be adjusted up or down, close in or flare out, after you have all eight inserted. Scary Spider Pumpkins would be a great craft for kids or adults, but remember that they are not toys. Keep out of the reach of babies and young children due to the paint and pipe cleaners. Happy Scary Halloween!! Labels: Halloween, homemade craft, pumpkins, scary |
Thursday, October 11, 2007
The Lost Art of Paper Doll Making
| By Agatha Curtis When I was about 10 years old, one of my favorite things to do was draw and cut out paper dolls. My friends and my little sister loved to draw dolls with plain little bathing suits and funny little vee-pointed feet. Arms would be bent at the elbow and tucked in front of or behind the body. We would color the dolls in with our crayons. In those days, we received regular issues of big and small catalogs, Sears, Penneys and Montgomery Ward, mainly. These were the sources for our outfits and accessories. You could always find a model wearing items that (with a little snip here and there) would fit your made-to-order paper doll. Her wardrobe was limited only by your imagination. We very seldom backed our creations with cardboard, choosing instead to make more dolls when those wore out from handling. I can still recognize a paper doll drawn by my little sister, Sandy, because she had a distinctive way of detailing her dolls. They always had a movie star quality and were very feminine. Mine, unfortunately, were not quite as glamorous, but geared instead to the more tomboyish pursuits, their wardrobes containing jeans and boots suitable for horseback riding. You don’t see a lot of paper dolls for sale in the stores, nowadays. They’ve been replaced by animated computer programs and our daughters and granddaughters choose the perfect outfit and shoes online for their virtual dolls. There’s a lot to be said for being able to open a catalog or a magazine and choose the outfit you think looks best for your doll, then cut it out (always making sure to clip the little tabs that will hold the clothing on your paper doll figure, of course). Being of the generation that was raised on Captain Kangeroo, we also proudly decorated and embellished shoe boxes to hold our precious dolls and wardrobes. (Captain Kangeroo was a children’s television program, forerunner to Sesame Street.) The Captain could take an ordinary shoe box, some construction paper, scissors and glue and create more wonderful things than you could possibly imagine. If you decide to make a paper doll for or with your young lady, I would recommend backing it with cardboard (used file folders are great for this) and giving her a helping hand with cutting out the “tabs” on her outfits until she gets the hang of it. If you don’t have catalogs around the house, try the magazine rack. Leftover bits of gift wrap paper make wonderful outfits. We designed, colored and cut out clothes from plain paper, too, which gave us the option to make evening gowns as fancy as any princess might wish. Don’t confine yourself to paper dolls, though. Little boys like to collect things, too. How about cutting out horses and their various accessories from magazines or catalogs? Dogs, racecars, or jungle animals are just a few suggestions. Whatever your child’s passion may be, chances are you can find a source of pictures from which to choose. Your kids will have hours of fun using their imaginations to create their own collections and, once you get them started, you will have hours of quiet time. Labels: art, homemade craft, paper doll |
