Library source of ideas

A sample of library books available with activities and information to peak the interest those looking for new things to do.

Between the heat and the smoke this summer has been one for spending a lot of time indoors. Some think that limits activities down to only boring ones. Children tend to get bored real fast if there is not a variety of activities to do.

First the card models we suggested are a great indoor activity. However several of the websites we suggested may have been hard to find. Here is a more detailed list that might help.

The web sites are: www.fiddlersgreen.net, www.digitalnavy.com, http://www.paperparadise.com/ and http://bellsouthpwp.net/n/8/n8hfi/card-faq/.

Another place to find all sorts of interesting activities is the local library. We visited the one here in Red Bluff and found many interesting books with varying craft ideas to books with many pictures and information on a variety of subjects.

While we were at the library there were many children taking advantage of the children’s reading books. But there is much more in the library that could be interesting to children. Parents or even the library workers can help children find other types of books that might interest them.

For those interested in origami there are many to choose from. Three by John Montrol include: “Bringing Origami to Life,” “Bugs and Birds in Origami” and “Dollar Bill Animals in Origami.” These have projects suitable for all ages.

Paper airplanes are fun to fly indoors. At the library is a book by Richard Kline titled “The Ultimate Paper Airplane.” After making the models hold a contest to see whose model flies the farthest.

Another book about something to fly is “Kiteworks” by Maxwell Eden. It is about the explorations in kite building and flying. Now is a good time to build a kite so it will be ready to fly on a nice clear windy day.

Those who want to see some great pictures of real airplanes and their cockpits there is a book for you. “At the Controls” the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum book of cockpits by Alison and Dana Bell is the one to check out.

For those who like staying on the ground but going fast race cars might be just the thing. The “History of The Racing Car: Man and Machine” by Giovanni Lurani is a good read.

Maybe something bigger might fit the bill. How about “Big Rigs” by Stan Holtzman? This is a complete history of the American semi truck. Lots of pictures are in this book also.

Want more history on vehicles. Try “Powered Vehicles” by Reginald Carpenter, Peter Kalla-Bishop, Kenneth Munson and Robert Wyatt. They give a historical review of many vehicles.

Then there are tractors. “The Big Book of John Deere Tractors” by Don Macmillan is a complete model-by-model encyclopedia.

For those in junior high and up who want more crafting choices there is “It’s all about the beads!” by Barbara Case. There are many suggesting for making jewelry from beads in this book. Another craft book is “Wirework” by Ellen Wieske. This book shows how to shape wire into all sorts of great looking projects.

If none of the above have peaked an interest there are many more at the library. Just browsing through the stacks of books should turn up something of interest for everyone. No more excuses for being bored.

Card models

The card models pictured are from top left: English style stone house, Gee Bee racer; bottom left: MiG 15 and Piper Cub.

One of the activities we like to do is to construct models. Our favorites are airplanes. In the past, that usually meant building models from plastic kits, but recently we have began to build some from paper kits. These are usually called card models.

Recently we did a Google Internet search for a card model of the Wall.e robot and sure enough, there was one out there and for free. This goes with the current Disney movie that is out in the theaters now. It is one that will catch the interest of many children, young and old.

There are card model kits to suit every skill level and every imaginable subject. Various kits are available for any number of famous buildings, ships, castles, monuments, robots – you name it. We even saw the web page of an artist that is making full size, 3-D paper likenesses of famous people!

Ships are a popular subject for card modeling. Often they are some of the more difficult kits because of the large number of small parts that require cutting out and assembling. A big advantage card model kits have over other types of model kits, such as plastic, is that a card model can be designed and printed for a fraction of the cost of a similar plastic kit. Therefore, less common and more unusual subjects can be published in a card model kit than can be found in other media.

There are a huge number of card model kits available on the Internet, many of them free. Most Internet sites that have card models offer kits for sale, usually fairly inexpensively. Many of the larger kits are the ships, which are usually offered on a CD. They cost a little more, but a large ship would keep a person busy quite awhile.

Card models can also be purchased from some larger hobby and craft stores, catalogues or online as preprinted kits, ready to be cut out and assembled. We have seen some of the preprinted card model kits that also come pre-cut. That could be a huge time saver if a person wanted to get right to the assembly stage.

To make the kit, all we have to do is to download the files, usually several pages of Adobe or other graphics files. Then we print them out on 110 pound card stock. After that we cut the parts out, fold and glue them to make the model. Kits with more details require the use of various compound curves to make a convincing replica. But there are techniques to accomplish that and we find it’s mostly a matter of practice.

The great part about making these kinds of kits is that if something does not turn out right, it is very easy to print out another one and redo it. Since color and detail are already on the paper, painting is not required. Edges can be touched up with markers for professional looking results.

Compared to plastic models or even wood kits, only very basic tools are needed for card models. They are things that nearly everyone probably already has, such as white glue, scissors and a craft knife.

Here are some Internet sites that have paper models. All of these sites offer items for sale but also have some free downloads as well. The web sites are: www.fiddlersgreen.net, www.digitalnavy.com, http://www.paperparadise.com/ and http://bellsouthpwp.net/n/8/n8hfi/card-faq/.

If your children are bored and say they have nothing to do, go online and download a simple model. They can choose from things like dinosaurs, cars, trucks, robots and more. Get out the scissors and glue and let them have fun. Then choose one of your own and have fun with them. We have spent many enjoyable hours crafting paper models.

Crafting with recyclables

Old plastic bags, video and audio cassettes can all be recycled into new useful items.

Audio cassettes and video tapes have seen their day. The tapes are stretched and today there are CDs and DVDs to take their place. While we do have some cassette and video tapes that are still usable most of ours are boxed up and stored in the garage. They were destined for the dump but then we discovered they could be recycled into other useful items.

We recently came across a blog site that was created by a lady who loves to do crafts. She has created many patterns to crochet with the tape from old cassettes and videos. Other crafts she has created are from recycled fabric as well as from plastic grocery bags.

The crochet patterns include many styles of purses, tote bags, gift bags, lunch sack bag, as well as doll clothes, Easter basket, water bottle holder, baby bib, coasters, covered hangers, clothes pin bag, rugs and pot scrubbers. Most of the patterns use “plarn,” a yarn made from plastic grocery bags. After cutting the handles off the bags they are cut in one inch strips and then looped together to make a long chain. The chain is then rolled into a ball just like yarn. It can then be used to crochet with.

One crochet pattern using “plarn” is for a handbag designed after a knockoff pattern of a hobo handbag that was sold by Nordstrom. Other purse patterns are simpler but nice looking as well as useful.

Patterns using the cassette tape to crochet with include doll clothes and purses. Recycled fabric from old denim jeans are used to crochet and sew purses, Christmas stockings and potholders. Another purse pattern uses recycled sheets and curtains. Bread bags are used to crochet a cosmetic bag as well as a handbag.

Some of the items made are embellished with ribbon. Others include cotton yarn, fury yarn and ribbon crocheted right along with the plastic bag “plarn.”

This website is at myrecycledbags.com. The lady who created this site in January 2007 is named Cindy. Most of the site is about patterns and ideas for recycling. All the patterns on the site are free. She also has instructions on making “plarn.” There is also a small section where she offers for sale some of the handbags she has made.

A new section of the site is dedicated to her “pink journey.” She was diagnosed with breast cancer in March of this year. She has described the different steps of her experience from the time of her diagnosis to the present. Those who have experienced cancer can relate to her experiences and send encouragement.

We like using recycled materials whenever we can. Other articles we have written about using recycled materials include: using denim jeans to make gift bags, using junk paper and scrap fabric to make recycled paper, quart size milk cartons to make decorative birdhouses, old lace arm chair and couch arm and head covers to make vests, denim from jeans for a dog bed, old socks to make a dog blanket and beads from old necklaces along with seed beads to make new necklaces. They are all on this blog site.

We are always interested in finding new ideas for recycling old unusable items into new useful ones. Readers who have more ideas on recycling are welcome to list them in the comments.

Marriage maintenance

Books share information on maintenance for marriage. Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs and The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman are two good ones. They are also available as audio books.

To prevent a breakdown regular maintenance is required. No maintenance could result in a blowout, meltdown, slow leak, collapse or a total structural failure. The same is true for marriage.

While dating most couples are generous with complements and kind words. They spend lots of time together. Gifts are given for no reason at all. Plenty of physical affection is shown. Acts of service are done without a request.

Then along comes marriage. Focus shifts to jobs, personal interests, children and the needs of others. All the faults of one’s spouse are suddenly very annoying. Negative traits seem greater than the positive.

It may have started like a slow leak but all of a sudden there was a blowout. The creaks and squeaks were ignored until things suddenly ground to a halt. Then the big “D” word was mentioned.

Even if a marriage has come to a total collapse there can still be hope. Many couples have rebuilt their marriages better and stronger than their first try. But it does require work. The more damage there is the more work it will take to fix.

The first thing that has to happen is for the most mature spouse to make the first move. They need to start acting loving or respectful to their spouse. Women need to be shown love. Men need to be shown respect. This is regardless of whether or not they deserve it. But it must be genuine.

How is love and respect shown some might ask? Think back to what you did for your spouse before you were married. Have you done anything like that lately?

What things did you appreciate about them then? Do they know what you appreciate about them? How was physical affection shown then compared to now?

Now is the time to make improvements. A 90 day trial period can be set. Then at the end of the 90 days look back and see the improvement.

If your spouse likes words of encouragement point out their strengths. Send a card, email or make a phone call in the middle of the day. Let them know what it is you appreciate about them.

When time spent together is what matters most to your spouse go for a walk together. Working in the garden or even doing the grocery shopping together will be appreciated.

If gifts are what your spouse likes look for little things with big meaning. A bookmark or paper weight with an endearing statement would be cherished. Flowers picked from the yard and arranged in a colorful container could brighten their day.

A quick hug and kiss goodbye before you leave for work means a lot to those who like physical touch. Foot massages or shoulder rubs, even quick ones, says they matter to you.

Doing the dishes or taking out the trash without being asked speak volumes to those who like acts of service. Mowing the lawn, sweeping off the sidewalk or washing the car are other ways of showing you care.

When was the last time you went on a date with your spouse? We made suggestion in our March 28 blog for date activities. Ideas to put romance back into marriage are listed in our July 13, 2007 blog.

Marriage maintenance is a lifetime activity. There is never a time to slack off. The more maintenance done the stronger the marriage will be.

The thing to remember is the most mature spouse will do the maintenance work whether their spouse does any or not. Most of the time a spouse will start working on what they should do too. But even if they do not there is no excuse to stop doing your part.