I'm hand-making all my holiday gifts this year, and to encourage any you who want to do the same, here are:
Ten Things I Make as Gifts
Apple Basket: Organic green Granny Smith and Red Delicious apples piled in a nice basket are my default gift when I'm visiting someone I don't know for the holidays. Even if they don't want to eat the apples, it makes a pretty centerpiece for their table.
Book Loop: back in 2011 I reinvented the book mark by turning it into a necklace you can wear while you're reading; I also created some interesting variations here, here and here.
Character Cards: If you have a writer pal and want to make something really special for them, try creating a set of character cards based on their story crews. If they haven't yet published or finished writing anything, make up a deck of character idea cards.
Crazy Needlebook: For a friend who sews or quilts, make my Victorian-era needle keeper by following my step-by-step directions and photos here on the Disenchanted & Co. blog.
Framed Paper Roses: Watch this DIY video to learn the simplest way to make roses out of paper. Glue a piece of background paper to the backing of your frame. Glue your roses in rows on top of the paper-covered backing. The variations on this are fun, too -- if the gift is for a musician, make the roses out of old sheet music, book pages for a reader, or old handwritten notes for a writer, etc.
Holiday Story: Write a short story exclusively for your recipient, print it out and put it in a nice binder for presentation. If you're a journal maker you can also make it into book form for them.
Index Card Journal: This was probably my most unusual homemade small journal, and all you need to make your own is an inexpensive boxed pack of index cards, some old tea or coffee to stain the cards, some theme words, and some small bits to decorate the box base.
Natural Sachets: Learn about sachets and find out how to make a variety of floral, herb and spice sachets here, including a drawer sachet you can make from two old handkerchiefs.
Recycled Calendar Pocket Journal: Make a keepsake pocket journal from an old wall calendar by following the steps and photos in this post.
Toriana Market Bag: Another step-by-step post of mine here shows you how to make a strapped messenger-style bag in virtually any size.
What have you made for holiday gifts that your recipients loved? Let us know in comments.
Showing posts with label how-to. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how-to. Show all posts
Monday, December 07, 2015
Friday, March 23, 2012
Three Mags
The March/April 2012 issue of Poets & Writers Magazine features a guide to writers retreats, how to choose the best residency, expert application advice, writing adventures and inspirational destinations. If you're lit and into it I imagine it's a great issue; I don't travel so it was wasted on me. I did find a bigger selection of no-fee sub ops (the best of which I posted yesterday) and there is an excellent article by author Maura Kelly on writer envy that should be required reading for anyone who can't kill their green-eyed monsters.
The April 2012 issue of The Writer Magazine had more appeal for the working writer with a section called The Fiction Answer Book that had some good advice, particularly for new writers. I also liked an excellent article featuring twenty ways to get instant writing motivation by Luc Reid; I may try some of these myself the next time I'm feeling like dodging my writing space. I was disappointed to see the Markets section had been devoted to conferences and workshops and offered sub op info for only four food magazine markets. There were also far too many first-person/my writing journey pieces packed in one issue.
I haven't bought an issue of Writer's Digest in fifteen years; this because back when I was unpubbed and clueless I responded to one of their ads that resulted in me nearly being swindled by Edit Ink. Their March/April 2012 issue reassured me that I have not missed much. Charles J. Shields has some decent advice on how to research like a pro, and the tri-authored "Mastering Voice" section was interesting even while I didn't agree with most of it (granted, voice is probably the toughest topic in the writing world to nail down.) I also enjoyed reading the long interview with author Mary Kay Andrews, enough that now I'll probably buy one of her books now. The rest of the content was either shilling Writer's Digest products, promoting Writer's Digest contests, or peddling the same old content dressed up with the same old carnival barker hoopla(Learn from the Pros! Secrets of Success! Transform Your Fiction!) Tiresome, really.
I think I'll look around the internet for some decent low- or no-cost e-zines. Does anyone subscribe to or hang out at any place online that they can recommend as a decent market/info/how-to resource for working writers? Please let us know in comments.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Hold the Apps, Please
Today a nice young man helped me get my daughter a new mobile phone. It's an early 16th birthday present, plus she dropped her old phone during band practice and it now displays everything only in virulent shades of green and pink.
The process of buying the new phone took almost three hours, during which the nice young man did his best to sell me more services and gadgetry. This included something that wirelessly recharges all your gadgets; evidently putting a plug into a wall socket has become too much work.
"Along with your mobile, you can charge your iPod, eReader, game controller, and your [Netbook or laptop. I can't remember which] all at the same time," he assured me.
I politely refused. "I don't own any of those things." I've been thinking about getting my daughter an iPod for Christmas but I'm not crazy about the potential damage it might cause her hearing. If I do, she can certainly plug it into the wall to recharge it.
He gave me the usual weird Huh? look but recovered quickly and moved on to the final phase of the purchasing process, when he explained the features of the new phone. When we got to the apps, of which there were apparently several million that could be downloaded, he asked which ones I happened to use on my own phone.
"None," I told him. "I don't use any."
Now he stared at me. "You don't have any apps on your phone?" In the same tone someone might ask, "You don't have any panties on?"
To show him I wasn't lying, I took out the disposable cell phone I've been lugging around for the last four years. It still has nearly all of the 1300 minutes I got for free when the disposable phone company forced me to give up the original phone I bought (seven years ago) because their equipment no longer supported the clunky old thing (they also gave me a newer, slimmer phone for free.) P.S., it also has another 1200 free minutes I've collected over the last four years when I renew my airtime.
The nice young man examined it with the awe of an Egyptologist discovering a lost king's tomb. "What does it do?"
"It sends and receives phone calls." I thought for a minute. "And it rings. That's pretty much it." Before he could launch into the "But don't you want a phone that can take pictures, check the internet, play music, access Twitter and Facebook, realign the Hubble" speech I added, "That's all I need it to do."
He wasn't giving up. "I could transfer this line over to your existing plan with us for $9.99 a month."
"Sorry," I said. "It's thirty bucks cheaper to buy a year of airtime from them in advance. Plus every time I do, they give me another 400 free minutes I'll never use."
He was speechless.
"It's okay. It's a great phone, and it does exactly what I need to it to do: it sits in my purse in case of an emergency while I'm on the road. Plus it costs me less to use for a whole year than I will pay you guys for my daughter to use her phone for a month." I smiled. "Isn't technology wonderful?"
I think he was still muttering to himself when I left the store.
When you pursue publication, you can be persuaded to invest a lot of money in a whole pile of gadgets and special software, all designed to make storytelling easier. I'm sure they even have how-to phone apps for writers now. You can also pay to attend conferences, workshops and seminars; you can join writer's organizations and guilds and subscribe to indy rags and what have you. For every bell and whistle out there, there is someone to convince you of how much you need it. This is because their priority is to get you to buy it.
I won't tell you what to do with your hard-earned cash; what writing stuff we buy is something we have to decide for ourselves. If it weren't for the Dragon, I know I couldn't write my novels, so there's one example. Another is the AlphaSmart Neo, which other writers tell me is as helpful as it is durable. It's only logical that some other products out there are equally worthwhile.
But before you whip out that credit card or write a check, just ask yourself: Do I need this, or am I being sold this?
The process of buying the new phone took almost three hours, during which the nice young man did his best to sell me more services and gadgetry. This included something that wirelessly recharges all your gadgets; evidently putting a plug into a wall socket has become too much work.
"Along with your mobile, you can charge your iPod, eReader, game controller, and your [Netbook or laptop. I can't remember which] all at the same time," he assured me.
I politely refused. "I don't own any of those things." I've been thinking about getting my daughter an iPod for Christmas but I'm not crazy about the potential damage it might cause her hearing. If I do, she can certainly plug it into the wall to recharge it.
He gave me the usual weird Huh? look but recovered quickly and moved on to the final phase of the purchasing process, when he explained the features of the new phone. When we got to the apps, of which there were apparently several million that could be downloaded, he asked which ones I happened to use on my own phone.
"None," I told him. "I don't use any."
Now he stared at me. "You don't have any apps on your phone?" In the same tone someone might ask, "You don't have any panties on?"
To show him I wasn't lying, I took out the disposable cell phone I've been lugging around for the last four years. It still has nearly all of the 1300 minutes I got for free when the disposable phone company forced me to give up the original phone I bought (seven years ago) because their equipment no longer supported the clunky old thing (they also gave me a newer, slimmer phone for free.) P.S., it also has another 1200 free minutes I've collected over the last four years when I renew my airtime.
The nice young man examined it with the awe of an Egyptologist discovering a lost king's tomb. "What does it do?"
"It sends and receives phone calls." I thought for a minute. "And it rings. That's pretty much it." Before he could launch into the "But don't you want a phone that can take pictures, check the internet, play music, access Twitter and Facebook, realign the Hubble" speech I added, "That's all I need it to do."
He wasn't giving up. "I could transfer this line over to your existing plan with us for $9.99 a month."
"Sorry," I said. "It's thirty bucks cheaper to buy a year of airtime from them in advance. Plus every time I do, they give me another 400 free minutes I'll never use."
He was speechless.
"It's okay. It's a great phone, and it does exactly what I need to it to do: it sits in my purse in case of an emergency while I'm on the road. Plus it costs me less to use for a whole year than I will pay you guys for my daughter to use her phone for a month." I smiled. "Isn't technology wonderful?"
I think he was still muttering to himself when I left the store.
When you pursue publication, you can be persuaded to invest a lot of money in a whole pile of gadgets and special software, all designed to make storytelling easier. I'm sure they even have how-to phone apps for writers now. You can also pay to attend conferences, workshops and seminars; you can join writer's organizations and guilds and subscribe to indy rags and what have you. For every bell and whistle out there, there is someone to convince you of how much you need it. This is because their priority is to get you to buy it.
I won't tell you what to do with your hard-earned cash; what writing stuff we buy is something we have to decide for ourselves. If it weren't for the Dragon, I know I couldn't write my novels, so there's one example. Another is the AlphaSmart Neo, which other writers tell me is as helpful as it is durable. It's only logical that some other products out there are equally worthwhile.
But before you whip out that credit card or write a check, just ask yourself: Do I need this, or am I being sold this?
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Writing Kits I'd Buy
I spotted another writing kit the last time I was at BAM, and decided to buy it to play with in December after NaNoWriMo (nothing is getting between me and my novel this month.) Naturally I had to open it to see all the bits and pieces, and there were some books and a pack of cards, and it all seemed pretty nice (I'll write up a real post about it after NaNo, when I've had a chance to test-drive it.)
The only problem I saw was that it is basically more of the same thing I've seen before, which boils down to a self-starter kit: "What to write if you're depressed, blocked, or otherwise completely clueless as to what you should write." As those are definitely not my usual problems, it made me think about the sort of kits for writers that I'd like to see put on the market. More realistic, genuinely helpful stuff for writers who don't need a jumpstart would have to cover a lot more ground, I think.
My first pick would have to be this one: 1001 Ways to Describe Your Novel Setting Without Falling Asleep and Drooling All Over Your Keyboard. Then maybe one for unruly characters who don't want to follow my outline: The All-Purpose Make 'Em March to Your Tune Character Repair Tool Box. I wonder if Dremmel could make an attachment for that. I should call them.
I'd absolutely need this one for those days when the pups want to play more than they want me to write: Placating Pet Strategies for Busy Writers (manuscript-shaped chew toys included!). Also one for the high school kid: 200 Pre-recorded Variations of "Those Other Girls Are Just Jealous of You" "Your Nose is Not As Big as a Toyota" and "You Are Wearing That to School Only Over My Dead Body". I think I'd need some bonus ear plugs in that one.
It doesn't have to be a kit per se, either. I'd love to see a lovely Quick Recovery From a Bad Writer Friendship gift basket, or some nice Stop Backtracking and Editing Before You Ruin The Damn Thing velvet-lined blinders and handcuffs. Wouldn't those make terrific holiday gifts for writer friends, too? I think a Ignoring the Indifferent Editor motivational CD would be a hot seller, as would a Getting Even with My Evil Critique Partner planner. A My Agent Doesn't Hate Me, He's Just Not Returning My Calls Because He's Really, Really Busy pacifier might work if it can't be chewed through, but the Surviving Horrible Cover Art wubbie would have to come with a bunch of extras (I'd donate the chocolate-covered Valium). So would the Hatchet Job Review First Aid kit.
All right, it's your turn: what sort of realistic writer kit would you like to see on the market? Tell us in comments.
The only problem I saw was that it is basically more of the same thing I've seen before, which boils down to a self-starter kit: "What to write if you're depressed, blocked, or otherwise completely clueless as to what you should write." As those are definitely not my usual problems, it made me think about the sort of kits for writers that I'd like to see put on the market. More realistic, genuinely helpful stuff for writers who don't need a jumpstart would have to cover a lot more ground, I think.
My first pick would have to be this one: 1001 Ways to Describe Your Novel Setting Without Falling Asleep and Drooling All Over Your Keyboard. Then maybe one for unruly characters who don't want to follow my outline: The All-Purpose Make 'Em March to Your Tune Character Repair Tool Box. I wonder if Dremmel could make an attachment for that. I should call them.
I'd absolutely need this one for those days when the pups want to play more than they want me to write: Placating Pet Strategies for Busy Writers (manuscript-shaped chew toys included!). Also one for the high school kid: 200 Pre-recorded Variations of "Those Other Girls Are Just Jealous of You" "Your Nose is Not As Big as a Toyota" and "You Are Wearing That to School Only Over My Dead Body". I think I'd need some bonus ear plugs in that one.
It doesn't have to be a kit per se, either. I'd love to see a lovely Quick Recovery From a Bad Writer Friendship gift basket, or some nice Stop Backtracking and Editing Before You Ruin The Damn Thing velvet-lined blinders and handcuffs. Wouldn't those make terrific holiday gifts for writer friends, too? I think a Ignoring the Indifferent Editor motivational CD would be a hot seller, as would a Getting Even with My Evil Critique Partner planner. A My Agent Doesn't Hate Me, He's Just Not Returning My Calls Because He's Really, Really Busy pacifier might work if it can't be chewed through, but the Surviving Horrible Cover Art wubbie would have to come with a bunch of extras (I'd donate the chocolate-covered Valium). So would the Hatchet Job Review First Aid kit.
All right, it's your turn: what sort of realistic writer kit would you like to see on the market? Tell us in comments.
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