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and 10 en e eb hm snb merrmanean ‘brmine Maybe it‘s time to give those digits a different kind of workout with some crafts. But before you get up from your chair to exercise your artistic side, check out what you can find on the Internet to help you along. : If you are a craft novice, one place to start is the "how to" instructional site eHow.com. Just look under the "Hobbies & Games Index" for crafts. On eHow you will find a number of step by step pages ranging from carving to macrame, f you‘re an daily computâ€" Ier user like myself, your fingers might get a little cramped clicking on the mouse and tapping on the keyboard all day. The Waterloo man has been in the retail and wholesale business for 20 years, and has developed a good sense of what will sell uâ€" pualdll Ditomasso celebrates the â€" food and store‘s official oneâ€"year _ the store, anniversary on March 26, Origin during which he will be he coulc hosting an open house and days a 1 serving refreshments. Shanne But, he explains, most of his products are new, trendy, found in other stores in the city, and sell for less. "We have quite a bit of trendy stuff, which shocks some people," Ditomasso said, explaining many peoâ€" ple who stop by expect to find products geared more towards seniors. Dave Ditomasso, the owner of Village Shoppe, a store located in the Luther Village seniors developâ€" ment, loves his somewhat unusual location. r l "The owner of an eclectic Waterloo boutique is celebrating his first year in business. RSe Em oo mt e from _ needlepoint 1 ) By Tim MurpHy and what won‘t. PIMG 11 10 DEOWSC HIS WATCG NNN _ ___For The Chronicle Nh n dn cR A culinary celebration of three distinctive Italian regions: Sicily, Romagna & Palermo. A Tour Through &Â¥ * +® v\ Now visiting Romagna! Next stop...Palermo! Ioooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmemmmmesslll22 Getting crafty on the After a bit orfrrs;:arching. I found Craftster.org, a popuâ€" You could do a quick Google search to locate some websites that might cater to your craft. Perhaps you‘ve started with some basic instrucâ€" tions from eHow for a parâ€" ticular type of craft, and now find that you want to learn more. own instructions and tips. With wikiHow, you can leave your own mark orice you‘ve mastered a technique. You can learn how to make playdough for your kids to foster their artistic sides, or make use of broken pottery to jazz up a tabletop. eHow also provides a way for site readers to add their to sewing. Now many outside memâ€" bers of the public are stopâ€" the residents, ;;xd“[.).itomas- so opened his doors on Sunâ€" day. Originally he didn‘t think he could stay open seven days a week, but Village Shoppe proved a hit with NoD Co9f 09 food and other products fill Ditomasso said the store started as a gift shop, which he converted into a women‘s boutique. "We have quite a bit of trendy stuff, which shocks some people." â€"David Ditomasso owner and what won‘t. pi When the bulk of your _ as clientele consists of about _ wt 500 residents, one needs to be in touch with their cusâ€" _ wo tomers. Caw Clothing, jewelry, FEBRUARY 20 â€" APRIL 3 . gifts, tar site with discussion groups (also called forums) where people can post mesâ€" sages or ask questions. There are many forums here dedicated to various craft lar site ine anniversary celebraâ€" tions run March 24, 25 and 26. Refreshments and speâ€" cials will be abundant. "It‘s really nice to help the people like that," he said. The bracelets have helped so much, he said, that some residents have been able to cut back on the amount of painkillers they take. "It‘s done very well," he said, also speaking of study recently released by the Uniâ€" versity of Western Ontario, proving the bracelets do in fact have positive results. BUSINESS Magnetic therapy bracelets are popular with the residents, he said, and many claim they work. Some of the unusual products have been selling well to the seniors. "We carry some funky stuff," he said. ping in to browse his wares, as are guests of residents who drop in for lunch. Ditomasso said young women in their 20s are even stopping by to look at the jewelry and clothes. Maybé'you'll find yourâ€" self integrating your more geeky side into your crafts. I There‘s a rising trend in blogs like this, likely due to the fact that a crafter can carn some revenue by runâ€" ning ads along side the blog, but it is also a personal way to share your love for your art. You could also try the "Blog Finder" tab at the blog search engine website Techâ€" norati.com to find a blog to your liking. 1 Etd You might also want to search for craftâ€"specific blogs where crafters post regular messages about their art, locating materials, crafts shows, patterns and the like. forms, and there‘s even a monthly craft challenge. rhbankit Bd 8t L1 David Ditomasso stands proudly in his one seniors‘ complex. old computer If all gocs‘;m- crafty side, may bine a magnet, battery and LED (light emitting diode). Throwies can be used to add art to any metal surface of your choosing. You might also find yourâ€" self making a craft with your technical talents. For examâ€" ple, a group named the Graffiti Research Lab has introduced the world to "LED throwies" which comâ€" A quick search and I found a scarf that looks like a computer window‘s scroll bar. once stumbled on instrucâ€" tions for making a Tux the penguin scarf (Tux is the mascot for many open source Linux operating sysâ€" tems). . s well with your maybe you will â€"yearâ€"old store A Chance to Win A Vespa located at the Luther Village Throughout Our Italian Festival It provides Uni(il;;; 'ways of researching crafts, finding ideas and sharing your craft While it‘s not a knitting needle, table saw or carving knife, the Internet is a handy tool in the crafter‘s belt. It looks like a great spot to get ideas for your own projects as well. You could turn to and setup a booth at your local craft show, but there are other options online. Ebay.ca is one way, but there is also a craftâ€"specific site called Etsy.com, which is set up specifically for selling handmade items. want to make some cash from your newâ€" hobby. Continued on page 19 ome spare newâ€"found TIM MURPHY ProTo