The Easy Way to Make a Special PresentWe all know someone who is difficult to buy a present for. Someone who has everything they need and would not appreciate 'normal' gifts. Often this will be your parent or an older relative or neighbor, and they can be a problem to buy something for. Well, this is a simple way to make a unique gift that they will be happy to accept. When you take the time to produce something that relates only to them and their interests it will always be happily received. The idea is to make a picture that includes something that they are especially interested in. This could be a hobby or any other interest they have. This is a quick and easy technique. You simply choose your theme (their hobby or interest), paint a silhouette of it onto a colored background and frame it. You could paint a colored background onto a canvas panel or use already colored paper. I noticed my local art store had colored card that had a range of colors merging into each other, this would be ideal for this technique. The theme of your silhouette is really the creative part. The easiest thing would be to use their hobby as the theme. Look through some copyright free clip art until you find an image that you could use for the outline of the silhouette. If they like fishing it could be a fisherman/fish/fishing fly. For a golfer it could be a set of clubs/golf hole with flag. For someone who likes to cook it could be related to cooking. If they are keen church-goers a silhouette of their church may be appreciated. A lot of people like to receive a silhouette of their home. For car enthusiast a silhouette of their car is a good idea. In which case you could use a digital camera and take a picture of their church, home or whatever you have decided to include in the picture. You really can use your imagination for this. When using clip art you have a huge range of options (probably too many!) to choose from. You don't have to be great at drawing! Also, you can use a computer graphics package to blend together two or three images for your final silhouette shape. Be sure to adjust the size of the final image to make it the correct size for the painting surface you have chosen, and print it out. As this is a gift you can make it whatever size you choose. Once you have painted or found a suitable background, then trace around the outside edge of the image for your silhouette shape. Use carbon paper for this. The silhouette shape can be painted in using acrylic paints - don't make the paint too thin though! Another alternative is to use a permanent marker, not a normal marker as it will fade over time, and that would be disappointing for the person receiving the gift. Silhouettes look very effective and traditional in black. However you could use a darker shade of one of the colors in the background for an alternative look. For example if the background was a pale green the silhouette could be in a dark green. This all adds to the uniqueness of your gift. If you are using a colored card it will be better to use a permanent marker as the water in the paint may cause the card surface to buckle. Fill in the silhouette shape and leave to dry. Then frame the silhouette picture. **A distinctive gift for a special person.** This type of personalized gift is always appreciated and shows that you have put some thought, time and effort into the present. Another major benefit is that no one else will be giving exactly the same gift! This is an excellent technique if you can't find a suitable card. You can make your own special card. It is most effective if you choose a very simple shape for the silhouette when using this method in card making. Cards are generally a lot smaller and look best when you use less detailed shapes. Use this system and say goodbye to gift buying problems for that hard to please someone. Catherine Calder is the author of the Acrylic Painting Course. This step-by-step course teaches you how to paint using acrylic paints. All stages of each of the 12 painting are illustrated. Ideal for beginners or anyone new to using acrylic paints. For a free preview of the course visit http://www.learnanddo.com/acrylic.asp Sign up for the free report on 'How to Paint Abstract Pictures for Pleasure and Profit' at http://www.AcrylicPaintingCourse.info Known for their delicious, custom-made treats, Shelley's Cookies are great for any occasion. Every frosted cookie is made from our own family recipe and elaborately decorated by hand. Any customer can create their own design to be applied. We do company logos for corporate events and supply cookies for special events such as wedding showers, baby showers, birthdays, holidays, and whatever occasion is important to our customers. The best part about our cookies is the delectable taste! http://www.shelleyscookies.com/
MORE RESOURCES updated Wed. October / 09 / 2024 Gallery: AAA Hobbies and Crafts opened in 1984 Courier Post Creative Hobbies Can Really Benefit Your Mental Health U.S. News & World Report Thurston County Fair invites foods, hobbies, arts and crafts enthusiasts to submit their entries The Jolt News The Benefits of Gentler Hobbies Next Avenue The Best Fiber Craft Kits for Adults The New York Times A massive hobby and toy party is happening in South Jersey this weekend The Philadelphia Inquirer 10 Crafty Hobbies to Get Creative with This Summer The Everygirl 11 slow living hobbies that lean into a calmer rhythm Country Living UK Bookish Hobbies to Pick Up This Fall Book Riot A Hobby Lobby store is coming to the Honesdale area Tri-County Independent Hobby Lobby opens new store in Massachusetts Boston 25 News Crafts retailer Joann files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as consumers cut back on pandemic-era hobbies The Macomb Daily What's the secret to this Camden County hobby and craft store's success for 40 years? - Courier Post Experience the magic of Korean crafts in just 1 hour The Korea Herald ‘I rediscovered a long forgotten hobby of mine’ – The simplest way to heal your inner child - Her.ie 6 Craft Hobbies Everyone's Talking About In 2024 Country Living UK New restaurant and new crafts store planned for Bradenton shopping center development Bradenton Herald Q: “How Can I Keep My Many, Many, Many Hobby Supplies Organized?” ADDitude magazine Joann fabric and hobby stores enter bankruptcy; post-pandemic craft decline cited - The Mercury News Metro Library to host Craft Fest at the Downtown OKC Library Jan. 27 Oklahoma City Free Press Halifax hobby shop says it's closing after 78 years in business CTV News Atlantic An A to Z guide of every craft you can try your hand at Country Living UK 12 Stores Like Hobby Lobby for Crafts and Home Decor Apartment Therapy These are the 20 most relaxing hobbies, according to a new study Country Living UK Metal, Fire, ‘Hitting Stuff Hard’: Everybody Wants to Be a Blacksmith Now The New York Times 7 Creative Hobbies to Take Up in the New Year Martha Stewart 30 Old School Life Skills That are Making a Comeback Family Handyman Arts, Hobbies & Interests City of Toronto 16 profitable hobbies that make money Save the Student Six Independent Craft Stores to Visit in and around Boston Boston magazine Rug Tufting: An Old Craft That's New Again Next Avenue Pick up a new hobby in 2024 with these deals on craft kits, Classpass, pickleball sets, and more Mashable Cobblestone Crafts listed for sale after four decades for $679K HollandSentinel.com Best Printer for Crafting 2024: Arts & Crafts Has Never Been Easier PC Guide - For The Latest PC Hardware & Tech News Meet Mike Larisey, owner of Maritime Hobbies & Crafts Ltd Downtown Halifax A crafts fair is happening in Mandaluyong this weekend GMA News Online OPINION: A love letter to arts and crafts Indiana Daily Student Katie McAllister has a multitude of hobbies that all correlate to crafts The Central Trend How Crafting Saved My Life | Sutton Foster Maria Shriver 8 Craft Hobbies Set To Be Popular This Autumn And Winter Country Living UK Craft fairs, Hobby Con in Williams Lake this weekend Williams Lake Tribune Crafts & Hobbies City of Aurora The Kit Method Helped Me Keep My Hobbies Organized — and Actually Finish a New Project Apartment Therapy Movies About People Passionate About Their Craft & Hobby FILM COMPANION 4 craft hobbies surging in popularity this summer Country Living UK Revealed: The most popular Christmas crafts for 2023 Country Living UK 11 places in L.A. to get your creativity flowing. Pottery! Neon bending! Bookbinding! Los Angeles Times Crea Weekend art, craft and hobbies fair Rijswijk IamExpat in the Netherlands Business Intel: Crossroads Hobbies and Crafts Roanoke Times Bored at home? Now’s the perfect time to pick up a new hobby CNN Underscored West Virginia Hobbies & Crafts: A 25-year success story Huntington Herald Dispatch Hobbies and Crafts Theme Cruises Cruise Critic Cobblestone Crafts and Hobbies still for sale in Holland Township HollandSentinel.com Lost trades: The industrial origins of crafts and hobbies National Science and Media Museum
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