Has anyone taken up something new?

What a lot of very talented ladies we have on here. I agree with mollie, please show us some of your photos!

heleena, how fab that you have made your hobby into a business, well done, it must be really fulfilling to be able to do something that you enjoy as your work.

I usually dip in and out of various hobbies, I've got knitting and cross stitch on the go at the moment. I also got my glass painting kit out the other day and had a go with those, but alas I've had them so long, I think they are past their sell by date (so to speak), and they have gone a bit 'thick' in the jars. Maybe someone has a tip on how to rejuvenate them before I consign them to the bin.

I've also just bought some patchwork books from a car boot sale and I'd like to have a go at that too. I'm very lucky as I now have a 'crafty room' that I can use to not only store all my bits and pieces, but where I can leave projects out and go back to them when needed. My hubby decorated and kitted out, one of our smaller spare bedrooms as a dedicated 'craft room'. Bless him xx

Hi Maggie

I recently took up cardmaking but found no clubs or discussion groups in my area so I started one of my own. I began by hiring a church hall and advertised the club in my local papers' free commiunity page. We are a small group and chanrge £5 annual fee and £2 perbi-monthly meeeting to cover tea and biscuits, admin and rent. We slowly found that the outlay was more than our income in so we looked for a cheaper place.
Forunately an hotelier has offered us a room for free, provided everyone buys tea and biscuits. He doesn't care if there are two or twenty at a meeting, he just wants the hotel to be used. We now hold meetings every Wednesday for 1pm to 5 pm

We hold demonstrations from 1.30 to 3.30, and anyone new to the craft is allowed to use the tools and materials on hand for two metings to "have a go", after which they bring their own. Our local craft shop "Craftlandudno" displays our posters and passes out our leaflets and in return we encoriage our members to buy their materials etc.from there..

It doesn't take much to run a club, working with a small committee of Chairman/organiser and secretary, and an address book to keep in contact with members. At the moment we are small and non profitmaking so a bank account isn't needed. If numbers do grow then we will take this step further.

One way of raising money for your club is to locate an accessible table top sale, and encourage your members to make or donate cards to sell.

Another idea is to hold a raffle among your members, with members contributing towards the prize each week ie.a packet made up of backing papers and embellishments they no longer need, or rubber stamps they no longer use. But for heavens sake don't start your club with formal committee meetings, that's enough to put anyone off.

Boy, you have been busy, MaggieJ...and so many people ask the same question: how did I ever find the time to work!!!

Hello all.
Since 'retiring' - by which I mean giving up paid work 3 years ago - I've:
- taken on an allotment and become a member of the management group,
- been learning fine embroidery from an excellent 80 year old teacher who was trained at the Royal School of Needlework
- bought a new digital camera
- taken a course to learn how to use Photoshop
- become a church warden of a 13th century grade 1 listed church
- started a craft club with a friend (where we find ourselves teaching younger people some of the basics of knitting and crochet!,
- continued to maintain the church website
- started using Facebook and set up a church Facebook page
- fundraised and grant hunted to get a new ring of bells installed in the church (first ringing on Easter Day!)
- become a 'lady who lunches' so catching up with old friends
- took a class in 'chocolate modelling' so now make my own favourites of filled chocolates
- took up jewellery making which I sell for charity
- learnt to make jams and marmalades which I sell for charity
I too wonder how I ever had time to go to work! Life is never dull but I believe it is what you make it !

Hello I'm new. Since I retired I have taken up aquarobics and stained glass. I have made some lovely things, albeit small at the moment.
But I'm really enjoying it.

I enroles at college and did fashion textiles. This inspired me to make machine embroidered pictures and felt items I have since moved into making fleece clothing for children and ladies and have opened a shop selling my wares - and wears!

Hi everyone I'm new on this site but looks like fun. I have been retired for 3 years and started scrapbooking at that time but have now gone into digital scrapbooking which is great fun. Have 4 grandchildren aged from 17 to 6 and the 6 yr old has cystic fibrosis which keeps us busy and I dog walk.

I would love to have a go at a number of things but would certainly appreciate 'taster' opportunities before shelling out for materials and equipment...my local area isn't great for arty stuff but I live in hope!

Photos would be good - go on, show us your talents!!! :0

nannyliz, if you stick to abstract pictures then yes its childs play anything else takes time.

grumpyoldwoman, would love to see some of your soldiers, any chance of a picture?

I took up painting about 7 years ago and I love it, I taught myself from books. Some like my stuff and some don`t. As long as I am happy while painting then that is all that counts.

Good luck with finding something that suits you.

Thank you Mollie.
I really enjoy making them as they involve a lot of hand sewing which I love.
Not sure about M&S discount ...but I make the most of their sales and just bought lots of 'camouflage' welly socks to make 'soldier' monkeys.
I gave one to my 6 yr old grandson and he was delighted ....10 ins later he whispered ''but Nana I'll need two so they can fight !!'...can't argue with that !!!!

What a lovely idea, grumpyoldwoman! Good luck to you ... perhaps M&S would be kind enough to give you a discount as it's in a good cause!!! (I know, probably not...)

Last winter during bad weather I made a few ''Sock Monkeys'' for grandkids and daughters...then it ''took off''. I made over 250 last year and had a stall at an Agricultural show.
I spend a lot of time in the house as I have a disabled husband so it is an ideal hobby.......I have booked another stall this year.
Marks & Spencer must wonder what on earth I do with the dozens of pairs of socks I buy at a time online !!
I donate some of the profits to charity.
Don't you wonder how you found time to go to work ???

I saw encaustic art demonstrated on a "crafty" shopping channel yesterday, it looked absolutely amazing. I do wonder whether it's as easy to do as it looks though. I'd love to have a try.

Folks just love that sort of personal gift don't they Lorsfaffy... I gave my son a box of keepsakes I'd gathered through his life when he turned 30 and he was really pleased to be given in ... a scrap book must be a lovely to receive...

I have been scrap booking, using lots of family photo's, I make up books for the family. they are very well received, and the children learn things about themselves about when they were growing up. they make lovely gifts too. I made one for my parents 60th wedding anniversary, started with photo's when they were young right through to the grandchildren.

yes having lots of fun, and the grand children also enjoying it.
It isn't cheap to buy so you need to be sure its for you. I had a practice with a friends first. Also got book from library, and watched a video on line. Last but not least what are you going to do with your finished works of art?

Yes, me too Nannyliz ...

I've been looking at encaustic art as a possibility, nanomo ... how's it going? Having fun?

Hi every body new girl on the block.
I have just started doing encaustic art, go on google it.

I started card making around 4 years ago and absolutely love it. I really didn't realise how creative I was, although I've been crafting (knitting, sewing, embroidery) since was a small child. I'm retiring in just over 4 weeks (not that I'm counting the days or anything!) so hopefully will be able to spend more time on my hobby.

Any other cardmakers out there?

According to David Brooks, in his new book, 'The Social Animal', "joining a club that meets once a month produces the same happiness gain as doubling your salary." My fortnightly Writers group meetings certainly fill me with joy, so eager am I to write my piece and read it out at the next meeting. Being creative, no matter how, is what matters.

Ooh, you've been busy, grannyrosie! My first grandchild arrived in January and I took up the knitting needles for the first time! The end results weren't perfect but they were made with love!

Since retiring two years ago I have attended water and oil painting courses, singing, cookery, sugarcraft and cake decorating courses and have now volunteered to help out at our local NHS hospital - nice to keep busy!

I look after my son and daughter-in-law's dog during the day and am looking forward to helping out with a new grandchild due in November.

My sewing machine has come out of the garage after 10 years and have just made a summer skirt! Am now knitting frantically and oh.....must finish the tapestry I started in 1982!! Never a dull moment.

Bikergran! I am inspired!!! Go girl!!!

Joan: I've looked at our U3A and it does have a huge range of interesting subjects - sadly the ones I might be interested in have a waiting list and I'm hopeless at waiting...

I really fancy doing something like weaving or letterpress printing or splashing the paint on a huge canvas but can't find any courses to fit the bill...but I won't give up!

Yes U3As are a jolly good idea.they have a National Web site that can point you to local groups.