The Glass Menagerie NY

Amigurumi – The Japanese Art of Knitting

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:03:10 +0000

Some people like to buy cosmetics – with special emphasis on women, but there are of course a lot of men who are also looking to look better and who are not afraid to use face creams and lotions as well. I am personally a huge fan of crafts and collectibles a lot more than buying expensive cosmetics, even though I am a girl as well. This is what turns my engine on every day and this is what I plan on holding on to for a really long time. So I stroll along the streets and I constantly keep a close eye on all forms of art that peak at me behind small craft stores. Even though I am the one doing all the walking, it somehow seems that all of these forms of art somehow manage to find me first.

So please allow me to tell you a bit about Amigurumi, which are knitted stuffed toys that are actually a form of knitting art that comes from Japan and which recently “found” me during one of my incursions. Kintting small stuffed animals and funny-looking anthropomorphic creatures or inanimate objects are part of the beautiful Japanese culture. And while these knitted stuffed animals might not have a clear practical use, they are definitely crafted with the biggest amount of love and attention and they can make for the perfect collectibles. Aesthetic reasons are therefore the primary arguments that are making me recommend you to at least dig into this matter and see if you are an Amigurumi master or if you can become one.

The cuteness that characterizes the Amigurumi dolls with their huge spherical heads, cylindrical bodies and oversized hands and legs are making them look as funny as they could be. Children can very well benefit from your newly knitting-related activities in terms of getting some brand new toys to carry around the house. But the truth is these dolls are so much more than plain toys. They represent some wonderful pieces that could complete any collection and the fact that in 2006 they were considered to be the most popular item on Etsy, an important online craft market, makes them quite valuable even today.

To craft Amigurumi, you are going to have to use a yarn for knitting, plus a single crochet stitch or a double crochet; you might also want to use some smaller knitting needles in order to achieve some tighter gauge effects. Use cotton or polyester to stuff the Amigurumis and craft them in different sections and then join them.

I’m a knitwit!

admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:03:04 +0000

I have a confession to make. And it might shock some of you, this being a craft blog! Brace yourselves: I can’t knit. There, I said it. I have tried and tried, but I am not a natural knitter. My frustration at my lack of skill, however, has led me to discover another yarn based craft. Crochet.

At first I was worried that my inability to knit would repeat itself in the world of crochet. What if all yarn-based crafts were just beyond me? Was I some kind of yarn-repelling super villain?

Luckily not. Though I do quite like idea of being “Unravelling Girl”, flying around the planet unwinding knitting projects as I travel on my evil way!

Understandably, my first attempt at crochet was quite fraught. Since I was looking for a relaxing craft to distract me from the stresses of everyday life, one that could make me forget about road tax and bill payments and Caravan insurance, this was not ideal. But my first go with the crochet hook reassured me. Unlike knitting, crochet involves only one metal, pointy stick: the crochet hook. It’s less unwieldy to a beginner than using two knitting needles. It’s also a much easier craft to grasp as a novice.

Crochet has an unwarrented reputation for being a little bit useless. People tend to think of 1970s wall hangings or hippy style bikinis when they think of it! But, like knitting, crochet can be used to create all sorts of things. You can crochet in small rounds or squares that can then be sewn together to make a larger piece, or you can crochet on a large scale to start with. You can indeed make wall hangings of owls or Bond Girl style swimwear if you so wish, but there’s a lot more than that to create! You can crochet blankets, soft toys, hats, scarves, shrugs, wraps, babywear, cardigans… The possibilities are endless. I’ve finally got my craft to relax to. And my next project? I think my Unravelling Girl leotard might be the one…!

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Hand craft- an attempt at self exploration

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:03:22 +0000

Do you want to understand how difficult it is to create something using manual labor? Well, make use of a deduplication software application and then proceed to edit other files and try to get rid of redundant data manually. You will automatically realize that a lot of time is wasted in tasks that can be handled by an automated machine. In such a scenario, the idea of creating something without any assistance from machines may seem daunting at first. It may also seem like a waste of time.

After all, what is the fun in creating an embroidery with one’s own hands when there are machines designed to do this task? Well, the biggest advantage of doing things on your own without any assistance of machines is that it helps you explore your self and your personality better. Surprised Bush? What is the connection between manual labor and self-realization? Well, to do something with the knowledge that there are easier ways of doing it but to continue ahead without any second thoughts is a very difficult task.

Nine out of ten people become frustrated and end up making a mess of the job. They then proceed to complain that making stuff without use of machines is a very boring and wasteful task. The truth is that these individuals lack the patience that is necessary to create something out of nothing. Once you realize that the lack of patience is responsible for the complications you are facing today, you will realize that what is required is a change of attitude and approach.

This is the reason why you should try to make stuff on your own. The more you work, faster will you realize that some things take time and there is nothing you can do about it. This will help you develop patience and also develop an eye for details.

Encourage your Child’s Interest in Arts and Crafts

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:03:04 +0000

If your kid shows curiosity in the field of arts and crafts, this is an indication of his creative ability. You can actually help your son or daughter in understanding and learning the intricacies of artwork. The most amazing benefit of teaching your child about art and craft is to let him discover the most interesting part of this world’s artwork and tradition and you never know if this hobby of his can have a significant contribution in crafting his knowledge and earning

The important question here is how would you help your kid’s curiosity in arts and crafts? The first thing is to find out what your child’s real curiosity is? Is it clay, pottery, sketching, painting, bookmaking, or beads? This will make it easier for you to help your child as you can channelize his energy and efforts to the only thing that he loves to do. Of course it does not make sense to teach him about Octopus HR software when he wants to become a writer.

Once you know what your child real interest is, provide him with essential items required to get started in his development. For example, if he is interested in bookmaking provide him with scissors, drawing pads, building paper, glue sticks, etc.

Next, allow your child to demonstrate his craft. Take him to art exhibitions and encourage him to take part in competitions. This will inspire the child to work more towards learning the craft and at the same time showcase his talent in front of the world.

Lastly, don’t spoon-feed your child. Let him make mistakes and learn from his mistakes. Help him create his own resources and use them properly to improvise himself. Supporting the child to develop his hobby in art and craft can serve as a great tool to develop the self worth of the kid at an early age.

Seashell Crafts Are So Unique

admin — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:33:03 +0000

Wandering around this big city looking at and for crafts of all kinds can be fun. When I see and piece that uses seashells in an unusually way I am excited. It is not particularly easy to work with seashells and finding the right one to fit your artwork can be a challenge. Seashells are absolutely beautiful, evoking visions of beach, sun and sea. You can still add this vision and beauty to a variety of crafts easily and inexpensively.

You can adorn pre-made pieces like vases, candleholders and bottles with seashells easily by gluing them on with craft glue. Generally, less is more when decorating with seashells. You don’t want to add too many shells, because the end effect may be too busy and distracting. Use shells sparingly so that each individual shell can stand out on its own especially when displayed on a pop up stand in a store.

If your piece looks bare, rather than add more shells, consider painting or gluing on beads or sea glass in beach colors like blue, green or yellow to add color. Use larger shells (like starfish or conchs) as a center focal point of your piece.

If you have larger shells, like quahogs or large clamshells, you can use them to make a footed dish. Simply glue several small shells on the bottom rounded portion of the shell to make legs, and you have an elegant little dish. You can further embellish the inside or sides of the dish with smaller shells, too. This makes a lovely little soap or potpourri dish. It can also be used as a candleholder for short votives, and it is also a pretty dish for holding small items like jewelry.

As you see sea shells can leave your imagination wide open so do not limit your creativity.

The New Plastic Shopping Bag

admin — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:03:04 +0000

From the 1st October 2011 in Wales (United Kingdom) a charge on single-use plastic carrier bags came in to force, with customers now having to pay a minimum of 5p per bag. Businesses who fail to comply with the new levy will face fines of up to £5,000. The charge does not stop at plastic bags but also extends to paper bags, such as those used for bagging clothes bought in high street giant Primark

The charge is of course welcomed by many as it is a huge step in the attempt to protect the environment for generations to come. Some who have been aware of the impending charge for quite some time have taken to creating their own cloth bags to sell on to shoppers, which they can reuse time and time again.

Many stores have of course themselves introduced and alternative to the plastic shopping bag, either a cloth version or more durable plastic bag constructs, such as Tesco’s ‘Bag for Life’. However these store alternatives are generic and are of course blazed with the companies name for marketing purposes.

However, I noticed in the local antique come bric-a-brac store that a lady who runs a stall in there had taken to creating her own cloth bags from seconds material which she is selling for just a couple of pounds. She often uses seconds pillow cases to form the ‘bag'of the bag as such, which cuts sewing time and leaves more time to create unique designs for the front. The ladies hand made cloth shopping bags had all sorts of patterns, from flowers to fairies, to sun symbols and scarecrows, she had even made smaller shoppers for children to use.

I thought the hand made cloth shoppers were such a great craft idea, one which could be introduced to schools and groups, so that people could make their own ‘bags for life'to use whilst shopping and to cut down on plastic bags being purchased unnecessarily. I have started to create shopper bags myself to give to my loved ones this Christmas and if this HR software provider can do it, so can you!

Weave a Pine Needle Basket

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:48:56 +0000

Recently I was walking through some craft stores when I came upon on that had a very uniquely designed pine needle basket. Now I love these kinds of baskets and wanted to do one for myself one day but I have just not found the time to do so just yet. For those of you who are thinking about or want to be able to weave a pine needle basket for yourself, here is a bit of direction to assist you.

Weaving a pine needle basket is a lot easier than you thought. To begin with you need to be able to distinguish the type of pine needles that you will need for making the baskets. For instance, you need to take the needles from the long-leafed pine tree. This is because these needles tend to grow up to 15 inches and is appropriate to create a basket, but the smaller leaf pine tree needles only grow up to six inches. Essentially, just like using a R4i Card, you work with what you are comfortable with or what you can get.

First you need to place the pine needles in a pan with boiling water and then keep it there for approximately thirty minutes. Then drain off the water and then wrap those needles in a towel.

Next remove the caps from the pine needles using your fingers and shaft those needles with the dull edge of a butter knife or your scissors. Refrain from breaking the needles since it is easier to gauge the longer needles.

You should start-off with three pine needles and use a double overhand knot to tie the pieces together.

Next place the bundles of pine needles on top of the nuts and simply continue like this until the whole basket is made.

Lastly simply cut off the outlying threads from the basket and its ready!

Let me introduce you to Pyrography

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:33:04 +0000

I find nothing more satisfying that admiring something I have made myself with my own bare hands, whether it be a bird box I’ve knocked up for the garden, or a card I’ve created for someone’s birthday. I’ve never been one to sit in front of computer games for hours, where the levels saved on my R4 card is my most prized possession, that just screams bore bore bore to me.

I enjoy getting my hands dirty and letting my mind run wild creating something that truly reflects my personality, even if it ends up like the wind chime I made that doesn’t quite chime or the cupcakes that looked like pancakes. The great thing about enjoying hand made crafts is that the world is your oyster; there is no limit to what you can use, what you make or what it looks like. If you are lucky enough to be nimble with your hands and create something worthy of selling you can make your self a pretty penny on the side too! I most recently stumbled upon the world of pyrography at a local craft market, and I was utterly amazed at the gorgeous creations the young man had produced to sell on his stall. Pyrography is a craft that consists of creating art through the burning and decorating of wood through burn marks. It is a controlled method and sometimes referred to as pokerwork due to a poker type heated object usually being used to create the burn marks. Through talking to the young chap who was selling the pieces It became apparent that you could purchase the tools needed at very reasonable prices if you wanted to start creating pieces for yourself check out http://dalescraft.com/shop The young stall holder had created neat little key holders, coasters with animal outlines and name plaques plus the prices were fab too, I managed to nap some great gifts for Christmas! So next time you are looking to try your hand at a new craft, give this some serious consideration, the web is awash with beginners guides – have a whirl!

Paper Art I have always been fascinated by art work made from Papier-mâché’. It is the art of mixing paper and glue to make a variety of objects. They have lively and intricate work on them, hand paintings actually, which make each one a unique piece

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:33:23 +0000

I have always been fascinated by art work made from Papier-mâché’. It is the art of mixing paper and glue to make a variety of objects. They have lively and intricate work on them, hand paintings actually, which make each one a unique piece. Its beauty offsets its jewelled look. Its use has ranged from small flower vases, lamps, dolls, trays, jewellery boxes and even boats and firearms. It’s amazing to think that it is actually just paper strengthened with some adhesives that form the basis of this unique art.

It is reputed to have originated in ancient Egypt from where it came down to Persia and Kashmir with a recent branch to Europe. With the advent of plastic, its use has now been relegated more towards decorative pieces than functional ones. Its strength is that it is lightweight and extremely strong. Its beauty is in the amount of artwork and painting done on it. It is also very environment friendly.

It is made from paper; newspapers are recycled along with the cardboard foundations and paper. The paper is mixed with glue and when dry, it can be cut, painted or decorated. Any paper can be used – newspapers, egg cartons, old magazines to name a few. There are many art classes that provide training in how to master this art.

Since the base is paper and glue, care should be taken to keep away termites from these objects. Over a period of time they do find these objects and burrow into them. So long as you don’t leave it in one place without dusting or cleaning which actually is an open invitation to these critters, papier-mâché'objects will last a long time.

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Cell Collector

admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:33:05 +0000

Do you keep your old cell phone? I never thought about my old handsets until just recently. A friend of mine who lives in Brooklyn hosted a party last weekend that broadened my view on what is and isn’t a collectible. I would never have thought of old cells as a collector’s item, yet my friend has a whole room devoted to the history of the cell in the past thirty years.

I’m a huge fan of the BBC and my experience in Brooklyn got me browsing on their news website – I would use Fox News, but considering their recent track record in phone hacking it’s harder to trust them then ever. One item caught my eye that was published just last year. In the UK alone 85 million cells have been discarded rather then traded in for cash! I dread to think how many more have been dumped across the US. With so many people just casually trashing their cell when they get a new one, my friend in Brooklyn may be onto something with his collection. What isn’t valuable now may be priceless in 20 years time.

The history of the cell phone is a lot more interesting then I would ever have given it credit for. From the first brick sized cells in the 80s all the way up to the latest Smartphone’s we use today, the cell has become inextricably linked to culture across the globe. I would go so far as to say it is the one thing more then anything else that humanity has in common. Politics, race, religion…none of it comes close to the impact of the cell phone.

My friend in Brooklyn says it was a couple of years ago when he started collecting old cells. When I asked him why, he said it just seemed a shame that not many people were tracking a piece of history that underneath the surface has been one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs. His collection ranges from the first commercial operators and handsets all the way up to the first use of sharing networks from country to country. He has even identified some of the best tariffs available for accessing the internet over your phone when at home and abroad. Websites from www.abroadband.com to www.nokia.com are all arranged neatly in both order of price and date first formed. He even has some of the very first cell ads saved on his computer as part of the collection.

A lot of people who have visited my friend’s apartment have generally viewed his cell collection as a little quirk that they can forgive. Personally I found their comments trite illustrating a lack of understanding. My friend may have his quirks, but so do many of us. Collecting cell phones isn’t as strange as it sounds and in another twenty years all those people who threw out their old phones may come to regret their decision. As always, what seems worthless now may be priceless in the future.

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