Scroll Saw Village

Posts Tagged ‘Toys and Games’

Puzzle Contest at SSV

January 12, 2010 - No Comments

Brown BearDid you survive the Holiday season?  Well, don’t relax too much, because  we’re throwing another contest at Scroll Saw Village! This time we’re focusing a bit on puzzles.  Puzzles are a lot of fun to cut and always a welcomed gift. This contest is open to everybody on Earth (however, special arrangements can be made for those outside our galaxy). This contest is sponsored by Dale’s Puzzles. He was kind enough to donate patterns for 1st (10 patterns), 2nd (5 patterns) and 3rd (2 patterns) place winners.

Entry is easy. All you have to do is cut a puzzle, take a pic, and post it in your User Gallery at Scroll Saw Village.  Be sure to post a link to your puzzle in the contest thread to be eligible.  Entries can be anything, as long as its a puzzle; a free standing puzzle, a jigsaw puzzle, tray puzzle, brain teaser puzzle, or (if you’re really ambitious) a Japanese puzzle box!

If you’d like another shot at winning one of these sweet prizes, you can also design a puzzle for the rapidly growing Pattern Library at SSV.  Design a free standing puzzle, tray puzzle, or template.

Winners will be drawn at random on February 4th, 2010 at 7pm MST in the Scroll Saw Chat Room.  Details can be found in the contest thread at SSV.  This should be a lot of fun.  I hope you take time to enter this fun little challenge.  Who knows, you just might win!

Special thanks to Dale for sponsoring this contest. He has a ton of really cool puzzle patterns on his website, so be sure to check him out. If you decide to make a purchase, please thank Dale for sponsoring this contest. Without him, this contest would not be possible.

Rubber Band Guns

March 31, 2009 - No Comments

rubberbandgunsOne of my favorite things to do as a kid as the weather warmed up is getting together with my friends and playing Cowboys  or War.  We’d pull out our rubber band guns and shoot each other with our elastic ammo and feign our grisly demise.  While it may not be PC any more, but there is something to be said for a simple toy like a good old fashioned rubber band gun.  Easy Scroll Patterns has opened up their entire collection of scroll saw patterns to the public.  Among these great designs are some wonderful rubber band guns.  They include a traditional pistol, machine gun, shot gun, Winchester, and an M16.  Check it out.  And while you’re there, check out some of their other free patterns!

Scroll Saw Made From A Toy

March 27, 2009 - No Comments

scrollsaw_toyRemember those old Erector sets you had as a kid?  You would take bits of pseudo angle iron and aluminum strips and  bolt them together to create some really cool structures.  I built mostly robots and airplanes.  Well, here’s a scroll saw created using a Czech product similar to the Erector Set called Merkur. The builder,  Tobias, writes he made the majority of the scroll saw using Merkur and added a motor to power the saw.  Looks pretty good to me!  So if your scroll saw ever breaks down, dig out your old Erector set and build your own!

Toymakers: Sign of Relief

February 4, 2009 - No Comments

photo by ehsan namavar

photo by Ehsan Namavar

I’m not a political person in general. But there was one issue that was close to my heart. I’ve written several articles (Good News For Handmade Toys, Save Hand Made Toys, and No More Handmade Toys) about the CPSIA and their new rule to require expensive 3rd party testing on products intended for children. This ruling would force thousands of crafters and cottage industries out of business. But we can now breath a sigh of relief, at least for the time being. The CPSIA has issued a 1 year suspension of the rule so they can further explore concerns  and look for possible options. Etsy.com has a great article about the 1 year suspension that you can read here.   You can continue to keep up to date and see what you can do to help by visiting the Hand Made Toy Alliance.

Good News For Handmade Toys

January 21, 2009 - No Comments

handmadetoyallianceAwhile back, I wrote a couple articles (No More Handmade Toys, Save Hand Made Toys) about how handcrafted toys and products for children will be a thing of the past due to the new law that takes effect on Feb. 10, 2009.  Well, I’m happy to report a little good news.  The Handmade Toy Alliance was successful in raising enough votes with Change.org to be included in the discussion with the Obama administration.  On January 16, 2009, they expressed their concern and offered solutions to President Obama’s transition team.  Change.org and the Handmade Toy Alliance will be working together to find assistance with an appropriate non-profit group to help further their cause.  They have also opened a forum where you can discuss, offer solutions and help further this cause to save handcrafted toys and children’s products.  You can find more information at www.handmadetoyalliance.org or join in the discussion at Change.org.

Save Hand Made Toys

January 8, 2009 - No Comments

Last month, I wrote an article about how hand-made toys will soon become a thing of the past. Why? Because selling or donating handcrafted toys will be illegal without expensive certification. Thousands of small businesses will be closing their doors as of Feb. 10, 2009 simply because they cannot afford the 3rd party certification the ‘big boys’ do. From stay-at-home moms making dolls to sell at craft shows, to small cottage industries who sell online and to boutiques. Charities will be affected too. You can no longer donate handcrafted toys, a practice many crafting organizations take part in every Christmas.

The bill has already been passed and will go in effect on Feb. 10, 2009. But there’s still some hope. Ideas For Change In America will be presenting the top 10 ideas directly to President Elect Obama just before inauguration day. The Hand Made Toy Alliance has offered their ideas and are currently in 6th place. If you value hand made toys, or are a crafter who may be affected by this bill, please offer your support to the Hand Made Toy Alliance. You can do so by voting to include this bill in the discussion with President Elect Obama. The Vote Now button is in the upper left corner of the page next to the proposal.

You can read more about the Hand Made Toy Alliance on their official website. You can also refer to my previous article “No More Handmade Toys.” Be sure to sign their online petition on their website too. Every bit of support will help.

Automata Dog

December 16, 2008 - 2 Comments

Here’s a fun little automata project that’s perfect for the scroll saw! This project is provided by Lee Valley Tools. They include detailed instructions with plenty of photos. They also provide the pattern in PDF format for easy printing. The project is easy enough for an afternoon in the shop. Check it out! And while you’re there, be sure to take a look through their woodworking catalog. It’s like being a kid in a candy store!

Color & Shapes Puzzle

December 11, 2008 - 4 Comments

Here’s a fun project that would make a perfect gift for the little ones in your life. This Color and Shapes puzzle was designed by relfEZ of Tangible Art Projects. The pattern is provided in JPG format for easy scaling. This quick project can be easily cut from plywood or MDF. Paint the shapes with craft paint, a quick clear coat of acrylic spray and you’re set! Check it out. And while you’re there, check out his other projects. He has a lot of unique scroll saw patterns freely available for download. Very cool.

No More Handmade Toys

December 10, 2008 - No Comments

We all remember the massive toy recalls back in 2007. Toys made in developing countries, namely China, contained dangerous amounts of lead and other chemicals. This brought a lot of fear and concern about regulations regarding toy manufacturing. As a result, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was passed in August 2008. This act requires third party testing and certification of all toys distributed in the US. This testing could cost up to $4,000 per toy. Large manufacturers could easily absorb this cost. Unfortunately, it will kill the handcrafted toy industry. Thousands of home crafters who make toys to supplement their income will have close up shop because they can’t afford to have their toys certified. Parents who want a natural alternative to Mattel products will no longer have that option. Can you imagine a world without handcrafted toys? No more wooden cars and trucks. No more plush teddy bears or dollies.

The Handmade Toy Alliance has a website that explains the details of the CPSIA and how it will affect crafters. I urge you to send a letter to your Senator and Congressperson and request changes to the CPSIA so we can save handcrafted toys. You can find a sample letter and the name and address of your representatives on the Handmade Toy Alliance website.

Addendum:
You can also sign an online petition here.

ep03 – Making A List And Checking It Twice

November 11, 2008 - No Comments

  Who’s on your Christmas list? This episode I brainstorm some ideas for possible handmade gifts for the loved ones in your family. There are a lot of great ideas out there, so this certainly isn’t a comprehensive list. But it should get you on your way.

 

—SHOW NOTES—

Traditional Puzzles

Standing Puzzles

Tray Puzzles

Logic Puzzles

Japanese Puzzle Boxes

General Toys

Chess

Checkers

Tic Tac Toe

Barrel Of Monkeys/Elves

Hair Clips

Earrings

Mirror

Pencil Holder

Note Holder

Clipboard

Name Plate Pattern Generator

Business Card Holder

Letter Opener

Key Chain

Ornaments

Free Standing Word Art

Lichterbogens

Christmas Pyramids

Wildlife portrait

Coasters w/Inlay Team Logos

Sports Number Plaque

Desktop Book Shelf

Book Marks

Trivets

Paper Towel Holder

Napkin Holder

Wine Caddy

Wine Holder

Candle Holders/Luminaries

Shelves

Custom Portraits

Trinket Boxes

Bowls/Baskets

Music Box

Clocks

Inspirational signs

A Few Notes:
First, a little self promotion. Scroll Saw Goodies has a ton of great information and links to free scroll saw patterns. Be sure to check out my “Free Patterns” section as well as the “Toys & Games” section. I have highlighted hundreds of free scroll saw patterns that should keep you busy until next Christmas!

Both Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts and Creative Woodworks & Crafts has a ton of great patterns. It would take me too long to link to each individual issue, so I only linked to the magazine’s main website. Wherever possible, I noted the issue in which the project came from. I encourage you to consider buying a few back issues of these great magazines. I love having access to so many great projects.

Absolutely Free Scroll Saw Patterns has recently merged with Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts forum. I still have linked to the main MSN Group page. But it won’t be long before the patterns will be moved to Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts. If you have trouble finding a project, just post a question in the forum. Everybody there is very helpful and can point you in the right direction.

Steve Good at Scroll Saw Workshop has a lot of great free scroll saw patterns. Again, it would take me too long to link to all of the patterns I’ve discussed in the podcast. So instead I pointed you to his main website. You can dig through the archives to find patterns. Or you can scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and select the “Pattern Catalog”. This is a picture reference of all the projects available.



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