For those who wish to knit or crochet, try starting with the larger needles. It makes the item go quickly. Big is anything over a size 15. Some needles are huge, almost broomstick size. I got into knitting a couple years ago, DD wanted a pancho for school. Panchos were just starting to get popular. I made it pretty fast, loose weave was pretty, so garment was light and not overly hot in school. Just a couple rectangles sewn together, so there was a point in front and back, head opening. I crocheted an edging with real fluffy yarn in a nice contrast color. Turned out well, she got lots of compliments on it. If you use synthetices, you can run it thru the washer. Wool FEELS so nice, but does take extra care and summer storage for moth prevention. For kids, synthetics are the way to go, keep clean easily. I also crochet, actually prefer it. But finding a large hook, size S, made it fun crocheting rugs with strips of old cloth. I have made a number of rugs now, and they are fast to do, wash wonderfully. I just hang them on a lawn chair to dry on the porch. I just make the pattern up as I go along. I have squares and ovals, all about 36" x 24". Seems to be a good lap size, bigger is harder to handle and heavy. Sizes will fit well in front of the sink, bathroom shower, back door for the dog to lay on. I might put a piece of no-slip stuff under it, to keep rug still on a vinyl or wood floor. So if you are considering doing knitting or crochet, try just doing some easy squares, in a large size like 36"x36", using a big hook or pair of needles. You might want the needles with a string between the ends, easier to use with wider knit projects. Knitting is just back and forth, so the string/cable needles are very handy with bigger pieces. You only need to know one stitch to start, get good at it, to finish the piece. I did some with knit on one side, purl on the other. Really basic, but pretty with nice yarn. Pieces that size or slightly longer, can make lap robes, baby afghans, or be put together for a larger sized afghan. Really go quickly to finish. I tend to watch TV when working, don't need a lot of attention to project with only one stitch on each side, just keep doing the same thing. Other good, fast projects are hats. They can go quickly, done in a couple days or less. Can be done knitted or crocheted flat, then sew the edges together to be round. I consider myself a beginning knitter and crochet person. Only have a couple stitches in my skill list, but you can do a lot with just basics. Very fun to produce an object, rug, hat, with these basics. I HAVE learned to do cables this winter, so am moving up the skill levels. Cables are surprisingly easy! Now on to learning to do pattern reading! My SIL was making scarves a couple years ago, just one stitch. Now she does FANCY socks, lookes almost embroidered. Needles are so tiny, that she can do pictures on the socks. Huge jump in skill, just trying new stuff. I think she keeps all her socks, wears them to show off! As well she should, they are amazing. The knee socks shown above, are very attractive. I will try some one of these days! I am planning to work on mittens first though. We can always use mittens around here. Have to get the thumb part down. Maybe then I will be ready for sock heels and 4 needles like my mother does them. I do some painting of items used in the gardens. Stepping stone enhancement, coloring some statues, ironwork that I have around. Not really original stuff, not the artist. Painting is a winter thing, too busy in summer. Also do some sewing, with fancy pillowcases being an inspiration this year. LOTS of elaborate lace trim, which is fun to look at on colored cases. Make good gifts at Christmas and other occassions. I am using the few inches left over as trim on a case for the couch pillow. Just many kinds of lace on a piece of material, to be used as an accent piece. Kind of fun doing fancy, after using the sewing to mostly repair work clothing. Made some tank tops for DD, all the kids need a lot of them to layer. I had the material, she chose the colors she wanted. I will be letting her do the next ones, pinning neck and arms takes all the time. Then she can make more when she wants them. About an hour each shirt. Rolling knife is a big time saver there. We used her purchased shirts as patterns, just cut around them, so they were just the right style and sizing. I don't want any clothing to look "homemade" because no one will wear it. My "Arty" skills come out in putting things together, some designing talents, not a pictoral art skill. I did a lot of picture framing over winter to get the art stuff up on the walls. We had gathered quite a lot, not hung it before. Priced getting it professionally matted and framed. ACKK!! The PRICES THEY WANTED!! I checked out mat cutters and got one, bought some frames to do it myself. That was fun, picking matting colors, cutting the mats, double layers or fancy cutting, framing it up. Very satisfying to see them all finished up. Those who have seen the walls of pictures, like it too. Good thing Art can cover a lot of talent and skills!

I'm not a grandparent, but I am a mom, and that's really nice of you to consider their feelings! Honestly, they'd probably understand if you threw away most of it. :) Keep the few you want and give them back the others and let them do with it what they will. My kids are both little artists and the stuff they come up with is AMAZING! ('course I am a little biased, teehee!) I put their "keepers" in a big art portfolio I purchased at Aaron Brothers. You can also get them at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. The rest, I make a big deal over and then unubtrusively throw it away. :( I try to use some of it to wrap any Christmas gifts as well. Blessings, Haley

We call him "the Green Man" but he isn't really green anymore. He's a woodblock on fabric, done by the Art Professor at the University of Taiwan in the late 60s. DH purchased him at an art gallery on an r and r in Taiwan when he was stationed in Vietnam. It cost him $50. He was only 19. What 19 year old soldier buys a picture like this? Most bring home Elvis on black velvet! It's always hung in our house mostly in the dining room.

CPArtist, care to elaborate? This is the second studio I've designed. The first was in the condo and I wound up learning from my mistakes in that one. I am so looking forward to this one. What specific mistakes did you rectify this time around, or are they already explained above? (You might save others, er...me, some grief.) Happy to oblige. My last studio was the third bedroom in our condo. I had a wonderful closet to keep supplies in, but no place to store boxes or finished artwork, so it all wound up stacked up behind the sleeper sofa. (BTW the sleeper sofa will be on the north wall under the window in my new condo but won't have boxes or artwork stacked behind it.) One new closet has shelves built vertically to store artwork and boxes. And the other closet will actually have pull out drawers so I can store more in it. If you look at the photo, my easel was to the left of my desk chair so I could stand at my easel and reach for a pencil. The problem was the computer screen was lower so if I needed to look at a detail (I work from my own photos and from life combined) in my photo, it meant bending over to see the screen. In the new studio, the desk is 36" high which will put my computer screen at eye level when I'm standing at my easel. My pencils were always in a pile on top of the desk since there was no place to "store them". That meant many times I'd spend time searching for the color I need, even when it was right in front of me. LOL. The new desk has that wonderful drawer with 20 pencil compartments so I can store pencils by color and brand. There was no place to store my paper which was large sheets. so they wound up on top of the bench under the table, with the ends flopping over the edge. In the new studio between the two closets will be a paper storage cabinet. This will also allow me to store mats and finished art that isn't framed. The top was also glass on top of wood so it was always full of fingerprints and pencils had a habit of falling off. Because of the desk drawer, I don't have to worry about pencils falling off and the top is oak wood. The desk was not deep enough. It was if I recall about 25" deep, so I never felt like I had enough room to spread out. The new desk is 36" wide. I had no place but the dining room table to sort paper or frame drawings. Now my desk will allow me the room to do that. In the old setup the printer was on my desk as there was no other space. In the new studio, the printer will be in the closet or on the top of the paper storage bin. I didn't have great lighting so it was impossible to work once the sun went down. In the new studio, I have 8 high hats with LED lighting as well as a ceiling fan with LED lighting so I will have enough light to work at night if I'm trying to finish up a drawing. Additionally, with windows on both the north and south walls, I have bright daylight all day long. And just a personal thing. At times I just would go on the computer and the tv wasn't conducive to watching at my desk. In the new studio, my tv won't be conducive to watching while I'm drawing, but I never watch when drawing. I will listen though. However if I'm at the computer in my new studio, I'll be able to see the computer straight ahead. Lastly, I work standing up, so I designed the desk to be counter height. It will be easy for me to stand up from my chair to start drawing or sit down if I need to. One thing I'd say if you're setting up an art room or a craft room is to really figure out how you work and what you absolutely need. Where do you need to keep your materials while you're working? In front of you? To the left? The right? Where do you keep materials that aren't needed immediately? How do you work? Do you prefer sitting at a desk? Sitting at an easel? Standing up? Do you like listening to music? TV?