Crafting Secrets

The Giclee prints, cards, and prints of children’s book author Kimberly Wickham, the creative mind behind the Angels and Horses children’s book series, are not your typical young adult fare. Rather than the glossy photographs of too-skinny, makeup-wearing girls portrayed on the covers of the latest brand offerings from Alloy Entertainment (of the “A List” and “Gossip Girl” fame), Wickham’s work seems to be in touch with what it means to be a child perched on the cusp of adolescence: at once whimsical and imaginative, full of fantasy and heart. In “The Comforting Horse,” for example, a horse sits upright in order to hug a distressed little girl in her hooves, while “Chair Collapsing into its Wave Potential” sees the quantum potential for magic in the most seemingly mundane of objects. Like her children’s books, Wickham’s art seeks to capture the wonder of childhood.

Wickham’s books in the Angels and Horses series – among them Angels and Horses, Summer of Magic Horses, and Angels, Horses and Other Worldly Lessons – all explore the adventures of a young girl called Tina, who learns to overcome real-world challenges like a parent’s illness and schoolyard bullies with “other worldly” solutions as she learns more about the powers of the “law of attraction.” This law, made famous by the self-help phenomenon “The Secret,” suggests that positive thinking can actually change the world at a quantum level, and that philosophical and creative thought – which  Tina learns to exercise with the help of her guardian angel Marguerite and beloved pet horse Dancer – can be a step towards improving one’s own life.

Wickham’s art reflects this notion, with mystical paintings and drawings like those depicting a series of riders crossing the “Cosmic Lattice” into the unknown. Wickham’s art has always had a mystical bent – she created a stained glass panorama for the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Margaretville, NY, at the young age of 20 – and through twenty years of experience and four degrees, including those in Art and Art History, along with Teaching and Humanities, has developed her craft into an inspiration for children, parents, and educators alike.

More information about Kimberly Wickham and her artwork can be found at http://www.kimberlywickham.com

Creating a book as a school project gives students a chance to practice writing, editing, art, and organizational skills.  Producing a book is also an excellent way to generate interest in reading.  It is similar to the effect of having children help you cook.  They are more likely to eat what they have helped to cook.  Children become engaged by the process and interested in the result.  Use any of these ideas to generate motivation for honing reading and writing skills.

Ideas for book projects.  Each idea listed below could be assigned to an individual student.  Some of the ideas also work well for small groups of students.  Encourage students to invent clever, engaging titles to headline their books about one of these suggested topics.

            a. The “Green” Book.  Have students create a book documenting the school’s effort to use less energy, improve the environment, or create a green space.  Alternatively, each student could document similar efforts in their home or town.

            b. The “How To” Book.  Have each student pick something they are interested in doing and write and illustrate a book on the topic.  Everything from stamp collecting, sports, animal care, crafting, carpentry, car care, and so on is fair game.

            c. The “Grandpa” Book.  Have students interview their grandparents or folks in a senior center about their life as a teenager.  You may wish to provide a list of questions, but have your students generate at least 10 or so questions of their own.  The book should include a short background of the person interviewed, three to five memories of what it was like to be a teenager when they grew up, and any wisdom they felt they learned along the way.

            d. The “Poetry Collection” Book.  Have each student contribute a poem and an illustration for the book.  You can set a theme for the poetry or let students write about what is on their minds.  The illustrations could be hand-drawn, painted, computer graphics, collages, or photographs.

            e. The “Comic” Book.  Have students create a six-part series of four-box comic strips like the ones that run in the daily papers.  Each series should tell a complete story.  Illustrations can be hand- or computer-drawn.

            f. The “You Name It Cookbook”.  Have your students collect recipes of their favorite dishes.  Several different approaches might be used – recipes from different ethnic backgrounds of the student population, teachers’ recipes, favorite potluck recipes from the students’ families, best dessert recipes, favorite tailgate recipes for the high school football games, and so on.  Recipe accuracy can be tested in the home economics kitchen, if available. 

            g. The “Nature” Book.  If part of the curriculum is exploring the natural world, have students take photographs of the flora or fauna involved and write up short fact sheet presentations about it.  The write-up might include: common name, scientific name, where it is found, how big it grows, interesting details about the plant or animal.  A trip to a zoo might be helpful for studying exotic animals or a botanical garden is a good choice if plants are the subject.

            h. The “Why Photo” Book.  Take twenty pictures and explain why each photograph was selected.

The resulting books can be hand-bound.  For “how-to” information, check out my article titled “Book Binding by Hand”.  Alternatively, the book can be sent to a commercial printer and be professionally bound.  Some printers offer special printing programs for students.  One example is the “Aspiring Authors” program by lulu.com.  In either case, your students will have a lasting keepsake of a fun, perhaps even zany, project where they let their creative juices flow.  And they were learning all the time – who could ask for more than that?

If you are fond of kids or already have your own children, then venturing into kids’ business is perfect for you. Kid-focused businesses require a lot of creative ideas and good skills in relating with children.

Good marketing and creativity are all you need to have a successful kid-focused business. Die cut business cards produced with offset printing are effective promotional tools for your business. Just hand them to your clients so they can contact you in case they want to avail of your products or services. It is best to start a kid-focused business that is in line with your interests and expertise to make sure that you will have a profitable business.

•    Kids’ Party Business: This business is ideal if you have excellent and creative party planning skills. Provide kids with a wide variety of unique party themes, so they can choose the party theme that suits their personality and preferences.

•    Kids’ Costumes: Kids often wear costume during parties, school play and Halloween, thus making this kid-focused business very in-demand. You can offer ready to wear or custom made costumes for the kids.

•    Kids’ Arts and Crafts Supplies: Children buy arts and crafts supplies for school projects or making artworks as a hobby. Either way, a kids’ arts and crafts business is a popular business for targeting kids.

•    Kids’ Cooking Classes: Parents enroll their kids to cooking classes to practice discipline or to keep them busy during the summer. Offer different options for the kids that suit their interest like baking or food decorating.

•    Kids’ Acting Workshop: Kids enjoy role playing and expressing themselves through art and, acting workshops can help them enhance their acting skills. You can cast the kids in an ad to be aired in your acting workshop facility to promote your business.

•    Kids’ Eco-friendly Apparel: Many people are getting more and more conscious about the environment that is why they purchase eco-friendly clothes for their kids. Eco-friendly apparels are easy to market, because they are safe to wear even for babies.

•    Kids’ Salon: This kid-focused business is a blessing to parents, because the kid-friendly salon environment can motivate kids to have their hair cut minus the fuss.

•    Kids’ Photo Studio: Kids are one of the best subjects for photography, because of their expressive eyes and body language. They will definitely enjoy posing for pictures with fun and creative photo shoot techniques.

Starting a home-based business is a great option for people who are interested in working from home. Trying to decide what type of business you want to start can be a bit challenging, though. Here are some ideas for work at home businesses:

1. Home Day Care

If you are a parent to young children, you may want to consider providing childcare from your home. Be sure to find out about any licensing requirements in your area before you get started, and check with your homeowner’s insurance provider to make sure that you have the right amount of liability insurance. You will also need to set a budget for equipment and toys you will need for your new venture.

2. Direct Sales

Many people launch a work at home business by selling a product. There are many companies that hire independent sales representatives to represent them, and all you need to launch your business is to buy a starter kit. Whether you are interested in selling cosmetics, candles, Tupperware containers, or home decor items, there are companies ready to provide you with training, support, and a business model that works.

Another option if you want to become a retailer is to open your own virtual store online. Yahoo and eBay are two places where you can sell products to customers anywhere there is an Internet connection. When choosing a product, try to cater to a specific niche market that hasn’t already been saturated. You will want to do some market research before choosing a product or a line of products to carry.

3. Professional Organizing

If you are the type of person who dislikes clutter and keeps your own space well organized, you may want to consider using this talent to start a home based business. Your role would be to help people sort their things and throw out the ones they don’t want or need anymore. The client may want help to choose storage containers or rearrange the items in a room, attic, or garage as part of this process.

To get started, place an ad in your local newspaper or on a community bulletin board. If you are comfortable with speaking in front of a group of people, you may want to conduct seminars with some basic information about getting organized. Make sure each person attending has a list of tips (and your business card) to take home with them at the end of the session.

4. Make and Sell Crafts

If you are artistic, you could start a business making and selling craft items. Once you have enough inventories ready for sale, you could rent a table at a weekly flea market to sell your wares. Selling items at a fair is another option, as well as taking orders online through you own web site.

There are many types of businesses you can start and run from your home. If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, why not start by considering your interests to see if there is a way to turn something you enjoy into something profitable?

Is it time to put away the nursery bedding? Is your child growing out of his or her baby theme? Here are some ideas to help you and your child decide how to decorate their bedroom.

 First, get your child involved in decorating their bedroom. By this time you will know their likes and dislikes, such as colors or themes. Your child will want to be surrounded by decor that they enjoy, and you will want to give them a space that is multi-functional as well. Begin by choosing things that they will grow into, such as the bedding and the furniture. This will save money over time so that you won’t have to change the colors and theme for a long time to come.

Here are some ideas for decorating your child’s bedroom;

 Bedding- When it comes to bedding choices, buy something that is good quality that will last for years to come. I recommend finding good quality bedding and buying it when it is on sale. That way you still have something of good quality, and you will save yourself a lot of money. Again, choose something they can grow into. Bedding that has patterns with characters that they like when they are three, may not be something they will still enjoy at age seven or eight. Bedding with patterns such as plaids, stripes, sports, animals, or floral’s are great choices when it comes to having something for years to come. Then you can find other decor to coordinate with the bedding.

Color- Choose colors that coordinate well with the bedding, that also give it some contrast. For example, my son has a patchwork quilt with shades of blue, green, and yellow. I painted his room a nice shade of blue to pick up the several shades of blue in his quilt, and his curtains are a green gingham pattern, which also coordinate with the bedding, but contrast well with the color on his wall. Whatever colors you choose, find several colors that coordinate well, so you can have the room nicely decorated, and make it fun for your child!

Wall decor- Remember, this is your child’s space, so have wall decor that is personalized. Using wall letters to spell their name is a great way to start. You can buy them online, or go to your local craft store, and find letters that you can paint yourself. You can also find pictures that can be personalized by the company that sells them, and that keep with the theme of your child’s room. For example, if you choose to have a ladybug theme, you might find prints with that theme online, and they can add a name for a small fee.

Something else to keep in mind when it comes to wall decor, is finding decor that won’t damage the walls. I recommend wall decals. They simply stick to the walls, and if your child gets tired of them, they peel right off the wall and won’t leave any sticky residue. You can find different types of wall decals at stores that sell bedding, or online art or poster stores.

Shelves also provide a nice space to add decor such as photos, trophy’s, or other memorabilia. You can even find shelves that have a place underneath with hooks for hanging hats, baseball bats, or jackets, which hang securely to the wall.

Pictures that keep with the theme are easy to find or do yourself. Sometimes you can find framed art that is part of a collection for a specific theme, or you can do it yourself. For example, if you are going with a jungle theme, you might be able to find a poster with jungle animals on it, and find a frame that will fit, and frame it yourself! Or you can use a good quality paper, and make a picture from your wall decals, or paint one yourself (if you have that talent), and then frame it.

Organization- One thing is certain in a kids room, and that is that it will get messy. That’s just a part of being a kid. But you will want to provide some ways to help them keep it organized. Stand alone bookshelves are a great space for their books, toys, stuffed animals, or their art supplies. Place baskets, totes, or boxes on the shelves to keep these items separate. Having a toy box, or toy bins is a must to keep the space organized as well. You just can’t neatly organize all of their toys, and the toy box will make it easier for clean up with certain toys.

Just remember, your childs bedroom is their very own space which will be used for many purposes, so make it multi-functional. It’s not just a place to sleep, but to play, read, or study. You can provide that space for them, not only for many purposes or conveniences, but by giving them a fun colorful space that they will enjoy and grow into.

Got a PC hooked up on the net? How about a hot drive and a life-long dream to earn big? But you don’t have any technical know-how?

It’s time to earn big, with your computer, with just a partial of your time you will be earning the big bucks you’ve been dreaming of in no time. How? Through eBay!

eBay is the premiere online business portal even newbies can use, with a minimal tech-savvy, who can resist the lure of setting up a business in this popular e-market. Most of us dream of hitting it big time with not much tedious effort.

To make that dream a step closer, if not in-your-face, to reality, here are some top business ideas you could start with the help of eBay.

Selling Business

This is one of the most popular ways to do it big through eBay. Online auctions make this business more than just another ordinary online selling gig. As long as you know and employ the proper advertising techniques, selling on eBay will not be much of a hard task for you to do. Things to sell that often make it big in ebay include the following:

- new or used baby clothes
- arts and crafts supplies
- cleaning products
- sports and designer clothes
- coins
- collectibles
- computer software
- health and beauty supplies
- costumes
- e-books
- jewelry
- pet supplies
- hobby supplies
- accessories
- toys

Consignment Selling Business

With this business you don’t have to risk much since your only investment is just your time. One could sell antiques, books or e-books, collectibles, anything that could be offered through consignment. You can sell other people’s antiques and collectibles on eBay and after you collect the money from the buyers pay the consignors for the items. Of course, the money comes from keeping a percentage of the selling price. This is one easy way to earn from an eBay business if you have the resourcefulness and drive to look for those people who would like to avail your consignment services.

Affliliate Programs

If you have a domain, affiliate programs are applicable to a means to do well with the help of eBay. Some marketers offer advertise their affiliate programs through eBay. What you have to do is attach a code or a link to their site or host a banner and voila! They pay you a percentage for the sales you generated through your site.

eBay forums

Putting up an eBay forum is also one way to do it. However, you need to be an expert when it comes to manning any eBay business before you could successfully put up one. This is because your forum’s member will be looking for genuine information regarding these businesses and if you have none to offer, this will not be one good idea. When you get to attain a solid number of members, you can offer paid membership to access a restricted members-only area. This way you don’t only earn, you also make people learn through your forum.

However, you can’t just jump in the bandwagon of eBay entrepreneurs. Doing your homework well will make you more assured that you will be successful on any of your eBay ventures. Also, acquiring the right tools and knowing how to make use of them proves to be helpful, too. Payment terms should not be overlooked either to ensure the smooth flow of your eBay business.