Your Hobbies > Reviews (9)

My Hobby Habits.
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I must confess as long as I can remember I have enjoyed all most all arts and craft. It started many years ago, more than I care to mention though in junior school and we were making a collage of our mothers. All that clue, wool, fabric, straw and twigs it was great. All I had to do was open my mind and out it would flow like water. It was from then on it really began to progress and to be honest driving my parents mad. Every time I had a chance, I would rummage through the empty boxes and rubbish to see what I could use for my latest creation. At the same time I became a mad horder and I am today still I have to confess. I enjoyed drawing many pictures and found it very rewarding spiritually which was just what I needed, but nothing beat getting messed up with rubbish and glue on my latest mad creation.

Blue Peter made matters worse when the showed how you could make a Barbie Salon from egg boxes and yogurt pots, no prizes for guessing the next invention Sam wanted to make. It took the Cast of Blue Peter three show segments to make there Salon and it took me six weeks to make mine. By time I saved all the rubbish I needed, my Salon was bigger than there's and I always had to try to go that one-step further putting pictures of plug sockets on walls and string on things as electrical cables. All that hard work and effort gave me many weeks of entertainment I can tell you and not just making it but playing with it as well. Sadly, a sibling fight led to the departure of my work of art to the rubbish bin and I was devastated, but that was not enough to stop my creative streak.

The next craze came and was making greeting cards, gift tags and calendars. My poor mother would have them all over the house pictures, cards, everything had a gift tag and all the walls contained at least two calendars on each. I made so many in the end she must have been just throwing loads away as there was just no stopping me. The creative streak did subside for quite a while during some difficult times in my life but came bursting back through about ten years later about four months before my daughter was born. Suddenly it was attack of the knitting needles and mass production of cardigans, booties, hats, pram blankets, cot blankets and knitted toys, I was like a woman possessed and it did not stop there, when next on the list was dusting off the sewing machine. Next on my production list was sheets, pram and cot bumpers, fabric mobiles, towelling robes and more.

I really was enjoying myself and saving a fortune at the same time, but I still craved more so of I wobbled to the Library and got myself out a book on learning to Crochet. I sat there night after night with the book, wool and a crochet needle until finally I cracked it and mass production of Crochet items started. The crazy was slowed down again after my Daughters birth as I was far to busy to do craft and soon becoming a single mum made it even more difficult. I did not really start up again until my daughter started nursery and I found myself with time on my hands.

Attack of the wool began again as did the fabric attack and soon I was just really enjoying myself.

It was about then that the country was hit by the Teletubbies craze hit our nation and you could not buy them in the shops for love nor money. Sam had a brainwave and with a few minor adjustments to a knitted doll pattern I had, out popped Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Poo in two different sizes. I put an advert in my local newsagent just to try my luck and that year I actually ended up knitting 48 sets of four teletubbies for people. I was over the moon and all this work knitting paid for my daughter to have an extra special Christmas that year, although by time I finished knitting them I was a bit fed up of knitting so decided it was time to move on to the next hobby.

In steps cross-stitch, something I had tried many years ago but found to time consuming and sadly, at the time I lacked concentration. This time it was different though I was in and out of hospital during the pregnancy of my son, spending more time in hospital than out. I started small cross-stitches to begin with but I soon went on to a larger project which when I finished I mounted and it was hung on my wall for several years. I was very proud of that achievement but I eventually parted with the framed cross-stitch about 12 months ago and sold it on EBay for £95, which I was pleased about.

Again, this hobby was just passing fad although I do still do it know and again but only in miniature for decorating purposes of my Dolls Houses. This is my latest hobby and I must confess I am addicted to it. All the detail required and the joy of decorating the houses as well as making the miniature furniture, fixtures, fittings, carpets, lights, curtains and more. I really get great pleasure from them and recently donated my second Doll House creation to my Mother local Church for there Auction Fund Raising Event. The Church raised a brilliant £205.00 from the auction, which I was very pleased about for them. I am just about finishing wiring the electrics in on the current House I am Creating which is a seven bed roomed mansion house with Cellar, Garden and Shed, all build to look Victorian I style.

I take great pleasure in hand creating as much as I possible can for the Doll Houses I create even down to sewing the Curtains for the Windows, Bedding for the Beds and much more. I have just finished building the large Victorian Fireplace from Lollypop sticks, Matches and Balsa Wood. I will be totally honest, once you get started it becomes very addictive and I enjoy making individual unique items, which I then sell on EBay.

In all honesty, it all stems back to many years ago, it was always a dream of mine to make Doll Houses, and now I do. I had a small wooden Doll House when I was a young girl and I still remember it now. Sadly, it lacked any of the quality and details as you find today but it still fascinated me and I adored it. I think that is what started this obsession off for me and you would be amazed at some of the things that you can turn into Doll House features, I know I have.

If you are looking for an interesting hobby that has endless ideas and keeps you occupied without costing you the earth then this could well be the one for you. Yes, you need a certain amount of hobby tools as well as a good imagination, but then the rest is up to you and you can just let your imagination run wild. This I will say is not a hobby for those who like to see there creation finished within a day or two though and it can sometimes be a little expensive, but in my opinion it is worth the patience all the time when you see the finished product.

Welshwickedone © November 2006.