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This file includes Arts and Crafts, and Puzzle Pages.
Also see Colors, Games, and Needlework and Quilts.

Only a person who can live with himself can enjoy the gift of leisure. (H. Greber)

Hobby Album

If you or a family member has a hobby like car racing, bicycling, rodeo, fishing, hunting, etc. you might find you have more photos than you want to put in your family albums. A special hobby album is a good solution. My daughter is making a hunting album for her husband. She is not opposed to hunting but didn't really want numerous photos of dead animals and unshaven men in grimy clothes mixed in among photos of family birthdays, Christmas, etc.

Collector's Album

A collector's album can document a special or valuable collection. It can also control clutter. It might be easier for someone to let go of things they are no longer really interested in if they have a photo to remember them by. It is much easier to store one photo album than various boxes of shells, stuffed animals, Barbie dolls, rocks, etc. If the hobby has some items that are flat or small you could include a few of them along with the photos. Be sure to include the child in some of the photos.

There is a fine line – and the hobbyist and their family rarely agree where that line is!

Arts and Crafts

Page Toppers

Quotes

Art Album

You might want to use a Big Book for this or you can make reduced color copies or take photos of the larger items rather than use the original. It is nice to take a photo of the child with some of his current artwork.

Put Something In

(Shel Silverstein--who is greatly missed)

Draw a crazy picture,
Write a nutty poem,
Sing a mumble-gumble song,
Whistle through your comb.
Do a looney-gooney dance
'Cross the kitchen floor,
Put something silly in the world
That ain't been there before.

Songs about Painting

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Puzzles and Puzzle Pages

Page Toppers

Quotes

Puzzle Poem

When it's boring
Because of rainy weather
Nothing's so fun as
Putting a puzzle together.

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|       (_      (_      (_      (_      (_      (_      (_      (_
|        _)      _)      _)      _)      _)      _)      _)      _)
|  _   _(  _   _(  _   _(  _   _(  _   _(  _   _(  _   _(  _   _(
|_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |
|      _)      _)      _)      _)      _)      _)      _)      _)
|     (_      (_      (_      (_      (_      (_      (_      (_
|_______)_______)_______)_______)_______)_______)_______)_______)
         Normand  Veilleux

Cutting Tips for Puzzle Pages

When doing puzzle pages where you are cutting a die-cut or template shape out of pictures. Tape all pictures together on the back at the sides and corners where they meet. Then turn over the pictures (all taped together), make sure they are all right side up, and then trace the shape you want. Works with the circle cutter too.
I also did six pictures (two across, three down) and used the wavy ruler down the center. One page I separated the photos and put paper between and journaled on it. The other I just separated slightly. Great for landscape pictures that I didn't want to crop. (cut the pictures apart right through the splits, separate slightly when you put them on the page)

Puzzle Page Using a Central Die-cut

(These instructions are for a 12 x 12 page)

  1. Choose the photos; six horizontal photographs work well on a 12 x 12 page.
  2. Choose a central die-cut (or use another photo, cut into a shape with a template). Large, simple die-cuts are easiest to work with--such as: airplane, anchor, angel, bow, Christmas tree, dump truck, fish, heart, school bus, trophy, and wedding cake.
  3. Crop photos to fill the page, allowing about 1/8" gap between photos. For six photos on a 12 x 12 page, crop to 5 1/2" x 3 3/4".
  4. Arrange photos on the page, but do not adhere.
  5. Place the die-cut on the photos in desired position and CAREFULLY trace around it with a sharp pencil, making 'score' marks on the photos.
  6. Cut the photos about 1/8" outside the score line. You will discard the piece with the score line on it.
  7. Reassemble the pieces on the page, testing for fit. Trim pieces if necessary.
  8. Carefully adhere photos and die-cut to the page.
  9. The die-cut makes a good space for journaling.
  10. A page protector should be used to protect the small pointed areas from being lifted up.

More Puzzle Page Ideas

Crossword Puzzle Page

Make the whole page look like a giant crossword puzzle. The one I saw was 10 squares across and 11 squares down drawn with a black pen. The black squares were paper. The black squares were on: Row 1 #4; R 2 - #3, 9; R3 - #3, 10; R4 - #2, 10; R5 - # 3, 4, 5, 7; R6 - # 5, 8; R7 - #1, 9, 10; R8 - #2, 6; R9 - #3; R10 - #8; R 11 - #5, 10.
Starting on the 6th square of the first row the word "Friends" was written down. On the 4th row the word forever was written between the two black squares so that it intersected with the 'e' in the word "friends". Here is a sketch to give you a better idea. (Polly G.)
You could use other titles. You could put cropped photos of friends or wallet size photos in the small white squares or photos with dark backgrounds in place of the black squares. You could make the squares bigger and have less squares.

Crossword Puzzle Invention

English journalist, Arthur Wayne is credited with being the inventor of the modern crossword. The diamond-shaped puzzle appeared in the New York World on 21 Dec 1913. In 1924, the New York Times decided that crosswords are a 'sinful waste' and refused to print them. They finally relented in 1942.

Songs about Puzzles

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