Unexpected hobbies

[Iggy]

When I was still in grade school, Mom taught me how to embroider. All of the un-embellished white cotton dish towels ended up embellished by my embroidery. I took pictures from the coloring books, outlined them with black crayons, then ironed the pattern on the towels. She taught me the four basic stitches and from there I *invented* more stitches.

I embroidered on my blouses and on a few of my skirts and pants. Then when I was traveling with my S.O. through the 8 states of the west coast and bored to tears, I bought a dozen blue chambray shirts (6 men's & 6 women's) put iron on designs on the back shoulder and across the front (sometimes). The threads I used were the silky threads that were wrapped around the telephone wires. S.O. worked for Stromberg-Carlson installing telephone communication systems for: business's, telephone companies, hotel chains (think Ritz Carlton), etc. As we drove from job to job (sometimes going from Portland, OR to Kalispell, MT, or from Bremerton WA to Elk Grove CA) about every two weeks, I would embroider on the shirts.

S.O. sold the shirts. Oh, I also embroidered on the birthday, christmas and anniversary gifts for family and friends.

I also color. Found some adult coloring books at a shop in Rochester NY back in the early 70's. Clean adult coloring books. Bought the largest box of crayola crayons AND crayola colored pencils I could find. S.O. and I would watch TV and color together. On christmas 1973 S.O. bought me a set of Cray-Pas. http://www.walmart.com/ip/24419308?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227017589124&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40941939752&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78879313592&veh=sem

Prior to the coloring books I have always colored. Since as far back as I can remember I have created my own pictures and colored them in using crayons. Then my older brother left out his navaigation & drafting tools. I found his drafting compass and discovered the world of circles. I still have that same compass - never gave it back to him. ;>}

All during my Jr. High and High school years, I created pictures with the drafting compass, colored them in, then sent them along with letters to my Great Uncle & Great Aunt who lived in Tucson AZ, to my cousins who lived in various cities/towns in South Dakota.

When S.O. was sent to Manila, Philippines on a job for Stromberg-Carlson, I stayed with my Mom in SD. That is where I learned how to make cards. Using plain stationary, matching envelopes, kleenex brand tissues, Rite-Aid brand wax paper, Elmer's liquid school glue, sparkles, tiny pictures cut from old cards, tiny pieces of artificial plants-flowers. When I got tired of cutting tiny things out and up - I would do a swipe of color from water colors or hand draw an abstract design with my crayons/ cray-pas, colored pencils, etc. Then follow up with the tissues, glue and sometimes glitter. Later I used rubber stamps.

Years and years later my older sister introduced me to making my own custom envelopes. I bought the envelope templates and a new obsession was born! Instead of buying paper (scrapbook paper is what they call it now), I went to carpet/wallpaper stores and got the outdated wallpaper sample books. My first score netted me 22 outdated books! The only wallpaper that doesn't make into envelopes is the vinyl textured paper. Got 4 books of those. Used them to patchwork wall paper a wall. Turned out fantastically!!

When you use a wall paper envelope, you will need to use labels for the address's unless the wall paper is really pastel and not *busy*.

After the first three years of envelope making, I got into rubber stamping. Well so did my older sister - and yes, again she introduced me to it. ONLY she was doing the more elaborate stuff - embossing. Not for me.

Now that the Adult (clean) Coloring craze is upon us again - I have bought 6 to 8 books and two gel pen kits (48). Still have all of my colored pencils (three different brands) and only one box of 48 crayons.

Husband doesn't like it when I embroider or color because I need to have my work light http://www.walmart.com/ip/Trademark-Fine-Art-72-0890-Trademark-Global-5-Sunlight-Floor-Lamp/21346033?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=21346033&placement_id=irs-2-m3&strategy=PWVUB&visitor_id&category=&client_guid=3e4d6bb0-b1c1-48d3-86e3-81b07ffe6dc1&customer_id_enc&config_id=2&parent_item_id=41221397&parent_anchor_item_id=41221397&guid=fbda30f5-5bfe-48eb-a7d3-c6e8f1f3428f&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

on, and it bothers his eyes. Yet when I sit farther away in my work area, he thinks I am not interested in the programs he is watching.

Even when I embroider I need the work light - I taught the Activity Day Girls how to embroider. Simple stitches (created a book-let on the stitches for them), lined a basket and made matching Sunbonnet Sue needle/pin holders for each girl. She got her basket, needle holder, embroidery hoop and she got to pick out one of three flower patterns. The finished product was framed (another sister & I framed them) and given to their mothers on Mother's Day. Most were pretty good. One was fantastic and the girl has continued to embroider.

So to sum up a rather long post: I embroider, color, rubber stamp, make my own cards & envelopes, create my own designs to color for fun and to put on cards.

 

[unixknight]

On 4/2/2016 at 3:02 AM, mirkwood said:

Let us not discuss just how much money I have invested in figures and terrain.

On the upside, you can make a killing on eBay if you ever liquidate even a portion of it.  This is how I paid for a diamond ring for my wife for Christmas a couple years ago... and that was just selling my leftovers.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

I'm trying to learn to paint with water color (emphasis on TRYing). So today I came home with my latest creation and I asked my 10 yr old what he thought. He's my art critic because he's brutally honest...maybe too brutal?

He said very seriously, "Well, if you were going for a tornado, good job. But if you wanted an elephant, you failed." 

I told him he's fired! LOL.

 

Edited April 12, 2016 by LiterateParakeet

[unixknight]

Well I see an elephant...

[anatess2]

I see a sheep pretending to be an elephant.

[zil]

5 hours ago, LiterateParakeet said:

I'm trying to learn to paint with water color (emphasis on TRYing). So today I came home with my latest creation and I asked my 10 yr old what he thought. He's my art critic because he's brutally honest...maybe too brutal?

He said very seriously, "Well, if you were going for a tornado, good job. But if you wanted an elephant, you failed." 

I told him he's fired! LOL.

I saw an elephant before I ever read the text, so I say: Great elephant, LP!  But you might need a new 10 yr old...

[Vort]

Nah. Keep the ten-year-old. Just teach him to appreciate art. It's a very nice elephant.

[Sunday21]

On April 12, 2016 at 1:05 PM, LiterateParakeet said:

I'm trying to learn to paint with water color (emphasis on TRYing). So today I came home with my latest creation and I asked my 10 yr old what he thought. He's my art critic because he's brutally honest...maybe too brutal?

He said very seriously, "Well, if you were going for a tornado, good job. But if you wanted an elephant, you failed." 

I told him he's fired! LOL.

 

That is a downright lovely elephant! We are very proud of you. Pay no attention!

[unixknight]

Speaking of painting...

 

[NeuroTypical]

Ok, fine.  I drew this.  If it gets me beat up in the parking lot by all the real men, so be it.  Better bring more than one of ya, because I ain't going down easy.

 

[Iggy]

I really don't draw anymore. What I do is photocopy the embroidery pattern I like, color it, then embroider it to match.

[zil]

1 hour ago, NeuroTypical said:

Ok, fine.  I drew this.  If it gets me beat up in the parking lot by all the real men, so be it.  Better bring more than one of ya, because I ain't going down easy.

@pam, apparently we need a new forum named "parking lot"...

[Aish HaTorah]

On Friday, March 25, 2016 at 0:27 PM, MormonGator said:

Does anyone else have hobbies that people wouldn't assume you to have?

I have quite a few.  Then again, I just joined this site today, so you don't know me, and you therefore would not have any assumptions to make about my hobbies.    Now I am just rambling, forgive me.

I have a great fondness for old clocks and watches.  I have been fascinated with them since before my Bar Mitzvah.  I love the cogs and springs and gears.  It gives me great pleasure to find an old and forgotten pocket watch and make it work again.

Great thread, by the way.  And Shalom to you.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Aish HaTorah

[Guest MormonGator]

9 minutes ago, Aish HaTorah said:

I have quite a few.  Then again, I just joined this site today, so you don't know me, and you therefore would not have any assumptions to make about my hobbies.    Now I am just rambling, forgive me.

I have a great fondness for old clocks and watches.  I have been fascinated with them since before my Bar Mitzvah.  I love the cogs and springs and gears.  It gives me great pleasure to find an old and forgotten pocket watch and make it work again.

Great thread, by the way.  And Shalom to you.

Shalom right back to you my friend! May G-D bess you and welcome to the forums!!!!

[Aish HaTorah]

13 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

Shalom right back to you my friend! May G-D bess you and welcome to the forums!!!!

Thank you!

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

@unixknight, wonderful.  I love all the detail in those.  You painted them yourself?  That must have taken a lot of time.  Good work!

@NeuroTypical, LOL, that's great.  Self-portrait?

@Iggy Beautiful work.  I did a little cross-stitch (ages ago) but I was never as good as you are.

@Aish HaTorah I love clocks and watches too!  I don't fix them; I just admire them.  But I appreciate people like you that can fix them.  Welcome to the forums!

[unixknight]

3 hours ago, LiterateParakeet said:

@unixknight, wonderful.  I love all the detail in those.  You painted them yourself?  That must have taken a lot of time.  Good work!

Thanks!  Yes I did, and I have literally hundreds more, but this is just a sampling. 

[Iggy]

5 hours ago, LiterateParakeet said:

 

@Iggy Beautiful work.  I did a little cross-stitch (ages ago) but I was never as good as you are.

 

Thanks LiterateParakeet, I have been embroidering since I was 7 years old. I quit for about 20 years - then in 2005 I got this maniacal urge to start up again. I did the top piece to show the activity day girls some of the basic stitches. That pattern wasn't available for the girls, it is too hard for first timers.

Right now I am not embroidering as my natural light drives Hubby to distraction. Sitting at my computer is not a good place for embroidering either. Eventually I will get my living room flipped and can sit at my portable work table with my natural light on and color and embroider away and not bother Hubby.

I tried cross-stitch, I just don't like it. It is pretty to look at, I just don't like doing it.