What are your hobbies?

[tinkertam]

Hi all! I'm a wandering Tagger who has returned home and oh so glad to be here.

Now that I am staying home more, due to gas prices, LOL, I've been able to get back to enjoying my hobbies more. It has been so nice to spend time doing that. I never realized how much time I wasted away from home and how much happier I am when I have a project at hand.

I know scrapping is a very big thing here and I've been working hard to re-orgnize my own scrapping area. I have dabbled in it for years but never really got as "fancy" as real scrappers. I am hoping to work on that now! I want to be a REAL scrapper.

Anyway, I was wondering what other hobbies Taggers enjoy.

My other hobbies are sewing (just about anything except mending! LOL), reading, gardening, cooking/baking and home decorating. I am addictd to HGTV and the Food Network. Thank heaven for TIVO so I can watch my shows when I have the time! LOL

So, what are your hobbies? Inquiring minds want to know!

[SusanL]

My hobbies are Disney, reading, Disney, traveling, Disney, going to the movies, Disney, scrapbooking. :cool:

[roguepony]

Writing - I love writing; actually I embody the quote "I love having written". :D I write fiction, plays, and have done a first draft of a novel. I did an article on Walt Disney here on tagrel, and I started the notes for an article about being a Good Guest, based on CM interviews. I want to do a spin-off of the Goofus and Gallant concept from Highlights magazine that we saw as kids to go along with it for fun. So I created "Mal and Mick" characters that will do this over-the-top version of G&G as a hook and entertaining way to get the points across. But with everything else going on, I just haven't had time to do writing. Plus, I did a large fanfic novel that didn't get the response I had hoped for and originally had; other stories didn't get the response and/or got rejection notices from magazines. So my muse has gone away and isn't showing signs of coming back. We'll see.

Reading - love reading! I'm currently devouring The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes.

Theater -- although I haven't done any since February. It's nice to take a break, and with especially gas prices so high, it gets hard to justify the expense. But the hubby and I actually met doing Scrooge. He tore off my dress and won my heart. :lol:

Web sites - although this is what I do for a living, I don't get to do things that interest me at the job. So on my own time, I work on sites that I love or donate my time to charity sites. Like animal shelters. I also enjoy doing graphic work, such as the logos, sig graphics, and pin design for the Fort Wilderness Tour at MouseFest. I also made that Main Street USA theme for iGoogle.

Camping - we have a small RV and I love going somewhere to relax with it. Especially Fort Wilderness! :woot:

And any time getting to do something with the hubby and the dogs is great, like a trip to the shore.

I like other things too, like photography, but with other things I'm doing, I don't get time to explore those.

[roguepony]

My hobbies are Disney, reading, Disney, traveling, Disney, going to the movies, Disney, scrapbooking. :cool:

Excellent! LOL!

[Carrie]

My hobbies are Disney, reading, Disney, traveling, Disney, going to the movies, Disney, scrapbooking. :cool:

I think Susan summed it up quite nicely. That's basically my list.

[AndyL]

My hobbies include my dog, pottery making, Disney Fan Sites, jewelry making (occasionally lately), HO Model Railroading (Dormant until I can find a local club), and collecting books (mostly pottery & jewelry making).

[MissBianca]

Hey Tammy, great to see you here again!

I'm a digital scrapbooker--so much less expensive and no mess. I do graphics and am starting to do web sites and belong to 4 internet communities which is too many for good participation. With Bernard, I enjoy travel especially road trips and we sail in our boat. I read and play computer games--love board games too but so few great ones can be played with only two. Oh and two demanding cats. MWF 52 not HWP NS/LD looking for friends and fun!

[DizzneeMomma]

I love to grow and preserve my own fruits, vegetables and herbs. I've been working on sweet cherries for three days and just finished this morning. I freeze, can and dry numerous foods that I've grown. Salsa is probably my favorite!! I love to bake and to cook and I also enjoy landscaping.

My love of Disney shows up in my book collection. I love anything about Walt and/or the parks. My love for the parks and the Tagrel website got me involved in photography and I'm involved with it almost daily. Now photograpy is leading me into bird-watching...and other wildlife as well.

During the cold months, I make patchwork blankets, things for the house and clothes for my doll collection. I also like to decorate my home but am limited due to financial restrictions.

[Ursulinda]

My hobbies are Disney, reading, Disney, traveling, Disney, going to the movies, Disney, scrapbooking. :cool:

Substitute photography for movies, and that would be me!

[tinkertam]

SusanL - LOL Disney is a given...that's what brought us all here, but, definitely worth declaring! LOL Is that actually reading about Disney, traveling to Disney, watching Disney movies and scrapping Disney photos?

RoguePony - Now writing is something I never think of as a hobby! That's great though. I used to write all the time in my single days about a million years ago. I am "costume mistress" for our middle school and high school theater departments. My kids are very involved in performing, but, alas, my talents lie behind the scenes. I'm the person the hook was invented for! Isn't there some law that says once a gentleman rips off a ladies dress, they must be wed?

Carrie - What kind of books do you like to read? I am always on the lookout for a good read. I read everything, even cereal boxes and food labels!

AndyL - I guess you could say I collect books, I've always just called it "amassing." My addiction is cookbooks, gardening, and Disney books. I am currently "weeding" my cookbooks but never the Disney books. Do you have a specific kind of book you collect?

DizneeMomma - I think you and I could be great friends. I could have written your post! Except for the canning part. LOL I used to try to can and freeze like that, but I've gotten over that now. I do love to shop my farmer's market and prepare things in huge amounts for freezing. I have always loved to cook and bake from scratch though. I also take photos of the critters around my home....I have 2 garter snacks living in my front flower bed and just yesterday took photos of them sunning themselves atop my yew bushes. Silly things! And, my newest sewing addiction is reconstruction. Born out of a need to cut corners and it's fun. I have a few AG dolls and my daughter's My Twinn doll that I love to sew for. Since my girls have long outgrown their dolls, they now are mine to play with at will and reside in my sewing room to keep me company.

There you are MissyB - It's good to be back! I know what you mean about spreading yourself around the Disney boards. I can't seem to manage that at all and so, stick with one. Now I am calling Tagrel home. There is just so much going on here all the time. And, it was good to see the folks I first met way back when still here! You are a whiz with digital work! I am so computer illiterate, that I am very appreciative of your talents. I still love my Tink. Thanks again for her! Oh, and I LOVE road trips. The husband and I say that the minute our youngest goes to college (she's 14 now) we are packing the car and hitting the road. Our first major plan is to travel the old Route 66 route. And, of course end up at Disneyland!

Ursulinda - By the way, LOVE that name. I am so unclever when it comes to screen names and passwords. :p One of the many things that reeled me back in to Tagrel are all the photographers here. The husband bought me a super duper Olympus digital SLR a few years back and it is far smarter than me. I've never learned to use it to it's potential and hope to give it more attention.

Okay, so who was it that confessed to be long winded in another thread? I think you may have met your match! ;)

[SusanL]

SusanL - LOL Disney is a given...that's what brought us all here, but, definitely worth declaring! LOL Is that actually reading about Disney, traveling to Disney, watching Disney movies and scrapping Disney photos?

Actually all of those apply to my disney addiction! But I also read(mysteries, romance, biographies), watch movies(comedies, drama):cool:

[Stinkerbelle]

Other than feeding my Disney addiction these are the things I like to do.

Tied for first place would be reading and cooking. I love them both. If I am awake there's about a 90% chance the TV is tuned into Food TV even if its just background noise. I cook at least five days a week if not all seven. I love to feed people! What I don't enjoy is baking. Too much precision and measuring and timing for me. If there's baked goods in my house chances are they came from a mix. I will toot my own horn and say I do make the best bread pudding on earth which any chef will tel you is a cooks dessert, not a bakers dessert. I spend a fair bit of time on the bulletin boards at www.cookinglight.com (http://www.cookinglight.com). I am still known by my orginal Tagrel name over there, ramson.

I read alot. I average about 115 - 120 books a year. I always have a book with me no matter where I go. Being a reader I spend alot of time at www.bookcrossing.com (http://www.bookcrossing.com), www.bookobsessed.com (http://www.bookobsessed.com) and www.paperbackswap.com (http://www.paperbackswap.com). I am ramson on these sites too. I primarily read cozy mysteries, chicklit and an occassional memoir as well as anything I can about Walt Disney, Disney parks, Disney movies and Disney collectables. I also have a strange fixation on the Amish so I read alot about them too as well as Louisiana and US History and Imperial Russian History. Oh, I will also read cookbooks like they are novels.

I am a very avid couponer spending time each week on clipping, filing and sending out coupons to my coupon train and finding "deals." Feels great to score a "free" anything. I spend some time each day on the message boards at www.grocerygame.com (http://www.grocerygame.com) where I am also stinkerbelle.

I love to vegetable garden. I am not so big on flower gardening. I had a knee injury a few years back that makes digging a garden and then all the squatting and stooping etc. hard so I do most of my gardening in containers these days. I am very interested in the square foot gardening concept and am considering getting some of the pre-fab boxes to give it a try. (Even though Ken has lots of carpentry skills I am like the cobbler's kids who have no shoes... if I wait for him to build them they'd get started!)

I like to play games at www.pogo.com (http://www.pogo.com), particularly Sweet Tooth 2, Tumblebees and Word Jong.

Other misc. things are jigsaw puzzles, playing on the Wii, and Scrabble.

I was orignally a fine arts major in college. I changed majors junior year and have pretty much never picked up a pencil to draw or a brush to paint with since. All that learnin' beat the desire out of me. I have done a bit of decorative painting on furniture or pottery from time to time but that's about it. However, lately I am finding that I have been thinking about painting more and more. Maybe I'll find some old piece of furniture that needs new life and do something creative with that.

Finally, I do calligraphy. I don't do much of it anymore other than invitations for family weddings and graduations but I had a nice little side business doing calligraphy in college and wouldn't be oppossed to doing it again. Most folks seem to just use a printer at home these days but whenever someone asks me to do it the old fashioned way I am happy to oblidge.

Good thing I have insomnia, otherwise I'd never get all this done!

[sjh801]

Well, as we all can see, there are a lot of busy people around here. It goes without saying that Disney is our hobby. As for my other hobbies, both reading and writing are right up there. I do admit that I go through times when writing flows more easily than other times. Right now, the writing is taking a break. I always have a couple of books that I am reading. With this being summer and my being a teacher, I have a great stack calling my name. My main hobbies right now are knitting and crocheting. I also sew and scrap from time to time. And being a Longaberger Home Consultant, I love my baskets!

Next!

[ChrisR]

Scrapbooking both paper and digital are obsessions for me. I also enjoy genealogy. My file currently has a little over 1600 names from both my family and my husbands. I have been able to trace back 4 branches to the early 1700s. I haven't been able to make much headway in the last couple of years though. There is only so much new stuff coming online. I would need to go to a Mormon library to really get anything new. That would involve going through spools of unindexed microfilm. Since I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, I barely have time to do laundry so my research is on a back burner for now.

[mena292]

Jewelry making! Check out avatar for a new creation! Also scrapbooking, sewing, outdoors, reading, music and riding on my friends motorcycle! Anything crafty though really.

[Jennifer]

Other than Disney? hmmmm

I love to camp whether it is in a camper/trailer, or even tent camping with no facilities in site. (I can only do that for a couple days)

My Pit Bulls. I can get passionate about them and Breed Specific Legislation, and stupid people who listen to the media hype about them, and...ok I am getting off my soap box. :oops:

The Ocean. If I only lived closer, I would be down on the beach every day. Walking the shore, looking for shells and pretty rocks and just drinking in the sounds and smells. Can you tell I miss it so bad? :?

[mickeefan]

Of course anything Disney including collectibles.
Taking pictures, mainly of Disney.
Collecting Christmas ornaments, many which are Disney characters.
Other than that amateur radio, but not real active right now.
I have been a ham (no comments please. LOL ) since 1964

[Photographer]

Let's see, I collect anything and everything having to do with the movie "Grease" The next 2 items on my current want list are the Frenchy and Rizzo Barbie dolls followed by the Greased Lightning model car.

I also collect everything from the group Menudo (not the new reincarnation) and ALL of it's 32 former members. I'm still looking for the first few albums, some 7" singles, the radio, imports, etc..

Add to that a collection of original movie posters: Grease, Xanadu, Pirates of Penzance, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Salsa, and so forth.

I'm addicted to The Travel Channel and want to see most of the world. I'm hoping to see some place new each year and/or revisit those I haven't been to in a long time like London.

I write a photography blog for AllEars.net. I've been working on an auto biography off and on for a few years now. Since I was a teenager I've written song lyrics but haven't done anything with them. One day, one day, I'll send them to my cousins to write music for them.

I think that's pretty much it. Oh, I LOVE music and have a vast collection of CDs in English and Spanish. Sometimes when no one's home, I crank up the stereo and sing into my microphone or if I need a mic stand...the broom handle. :clap:

[lynner5996]

Hi Kids -

This is a nice thread!

I love to scrapbook, and am a Creative Memories consultant, that is how passionate I am about it. I do mostly paper scrapbooking, but am moving into digital and having a fun time discovering all the cool things I can do with my digital scrapbooking program.

I also love to read, and read a LOT. I have finally decided that I have too many books in my house and need to get to the library more often.

I have a nice doggy, and a great family - they aren't my hobbies, they're my life, but it sure is nice to be able to do some fun stuff with them. My favorite scrapping subject besides Disney is my niece!

Disney collectibles is also a hobby, but I've decided that I probably don't need to pursue that one quite so diligently as the shelves, cupboards and walls are just about full!

[tinkertam]

Other than that amateur radio, but not real active right now. I have been a ham (no comments please. LOL ) since 1964
Well, now Jim, I knew you were a ham but not literally! That's cool. I have always thought that would be so fun, but, never knew anyone that actually used a ham radio. I never knew that about you!

There are so many talented people here! I'm loving this! And, now, I'll know exactly whose brain to pick when I need help in any area of "craftiness!" I think Tagrel's got them all covered! LOL Thanks for sharing.

[mickeefan]

Tammy,
Yes, I had to tone it down a little. It was one thing with wires running all over the back yard, but they were too high to use for a cloths line, so I took most of them down.
I agree, there are many very talented people here. I am always impressed so much with some of the photos displayed and of course all these tags.
I bet very few know you are the best with your sewing. I know you have made costumes for many of your daughters stage shows all through their school years.

[tinkertam]

Tammy,
Yes, I had to tone it down a little. It was one thing with wires running all over the back yard, but they were too high to use for a cloths line, so I took most of them down.
I agree, there are many very talented people here. I am always impressed so much with some of the photos displayed and of course all these tags.
I bet very few know you are the best with your sewing. I know you have made costumes for many of your daughters stage shows all through their school years.

Aw thanks Jim! My sewing is a labor of love for me. Lindsay and I are designing her homecoming dress already! LOL (It's not until the end of Sept.)

That's a good idea to use those ham wires for laundry. You're always so clever! Maybe you could build a platform for Fran to stand on!

I have only begun to check out the photography threads. I think there is much for me to learn there! I'll have to make more time to visit those threads. As always, LOVE your pics and all the rest of them here at Tagrel!

[LisaG]

My hobbies are Disney, reading, Disney, traveling, Disney, going to the movies, Disney, scrapbooking. :cool:

I think Susan summed it up quite nicely. That's basically my list.

Me too - but I need to add tv- especially reality and shows like CSI and L&O

[Disneyfan9771]

Hi all, for me my passions are baking and more baking. I love to bake cakes and I am learning how to decorate them for sale. I guess you could say I have a cookbook collection of about 20 or so and it seems like it is always increasing. I love cooking but ironically my kids are very picky eaters so for them very basic things. I would love to learn how to sew my hubby knows how and has tried to teach me to use our sewing machine but that is something that just doesn't come naturally. I do like latch-hooking. The only thing is when I am done I can never figure out what I want to do with my creation. I would love to make them into pillows but my sewing abilities aren't that good. I have started to try to cross stich and that is fun. My project is a angelbear that is giving out hugs. The design is printed in muslin and not aida so you just stitch over the x's. Gotta work on stitch length and spacing. Other than that I love to sing but don't get to as often as I did when I was active in my synagogue. As far as our Disney obsession I can say that I have something Disney related in EVERY room in my house including all bathrooms, and the laundry room.

[ddoll]

I would have to say singing is my number one thing. We go out with friends to sing karaoke whenever we get the chance. We also sing with our own cabaret troupe.

But I also love to paint, garden, sew, do crafts, and garden.

I also design and sew costumes Tammy. I used to make them for my youngest DS who dressed up as something every single day when he was little. He had pretty much every costume you could think of for a boy. Now that big box of costumes is there for my grandson. If I'd had a girl, there would be no room in my house! :lol:

[roodad]

Most of my hobbies are related to sports - hiking, biking, kayaking, photography, reading, writing, cooking and remodeling. I'd like to learn to knit and sew, so I can make my own outdoor gear.

[cinderella61983]

I'll ditto Sid on writing and reading. Both are top on my list. I also love to scrapbook when I get the time. My Disney scrapbook is outrageously huge and pretty heavy. :p I love going to the movies, and watching them at home, too. Would one consider napping to be a hobby, because that's pretty high up there, too. :lol: Other than that, I love being outdoors, near the water somewhere, enjoying scenery, taking pictures. I love traveling, too, to new places. Experiencing new cultures, foods, drinks, everything that a new place has to offer me.

And I guess we can't forget a big hobby... Disney girl. :girlears:

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

Well, as we all can see, there are a lot of busy people around here. It goes without saying that Disney is our hobby. As for my other hobbies, both reading and writing are right up there. I do admit that I go through times when writing flows more easily than other times. Right now, the writing is taking a break. I always have a couple of books that I am reading. With this being summer and my being a teacher, I have a great stack calling my name. My main hobbies right now are knitting and crocheting. I also sew and scrap from time to time. And being a Longaberger Home Consultant, I love my baskets!

Next!

I was a Longaberger consultant, for a short time from 1992-1994. Toured to Longaberger factory in Dresden too and even made a spring basket. So fun. Went to the "Bee" met Dave Longaberger and Tami, (he passed away shortly after that ) I found it difficult to hold the parties though ( I seemed to be my best customer :o :oops:) so I quit. :lol:

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

I used to sew quite a bit when my kids were younger, but now I plan to sew something and then never find the time to get the project done!

Painting is my passion, I love to paint murals all over the house. :yes:
I love photography, and of course cooking and baking. :)

[Frogman]

I feel like the person with no hobbies, and yet I always seem busy. :blink:

My hobbies are for the most part a huge "waste" of time in that they don't net me any money or "stuff"- but I have fun. I like to chat online, watch TV, design graphics, write (things like trip reports/funny emails- not into fiction), and collect music. Usually all at once. I also like to clean. I may need to get checked out for that. :lol:

[ddoll]

Painting is my passion, I love to paint murals all over the house. :yes:



Are you kidding?? :woot: That's what I do too! My kid's bedrooms are all different places: rainforest, underwater and southwest canyons.

[Timon]

Hobbies? You mean other than this place? I never really had one until I got my camera for my birthday/Christmas last year. Now I'd have to say that photography has become my hobby, but I've got a lot to learn. I feel like a baby I've got so much to learn. If a baby has to crawl before it walks and walks before it runs, I'm still learning to sit-up.

[AndyL]

Hobbies? You mean other than this place? I never really had one until I got my camera for my birthday/Christmas last year. Now I'd have to say that photography has become my hobby, but I've got a lot to learn. I feel like a baby I've got so much to learn. If a baby has to crawl before it walks and walks before it runs, I'm still learning to sit-up.

Boy you brought back a memory for me. Even now every once in a while I bring out my Grandfather's Ancient Ciroflex TLR and I remember his photography lesson using it. "Keep your back to the sun. Set it for 5.6 and pray a little". : Good luck with your photography Mark.

[tinkertam]

I feel like the person with no hobbies, and yet I always seem busy. :blink:

My hobbies are for the most part a huge "waste" of time in that they don't net me any money or "stuff"- but I have fun. I like to chat online, watch TV, design graphics, write (things like trip reports/funny emails- not into fiction), and collect music. Usually all at once. I also like to clean. I may need to get checked out for that. :lol: Ah Froggy! The beauty of a hobby is that it's something you do because you love it! Not that it earns you money or "stuff." That is just a bonus. Believe me, anything I have ever done as hobby has cost me far more than it's earned me! LOL Of course, as they say in the Mastercard commercials, the satisfaction and pleasure of simply doing something you love, "Priceless!"

Now about that cleaning...how far from the Detroit area are you?.......;)

[tinkertam]

If I'd had a girl, there would be no room in my house! :lol: I have 3 daughters. I must have made every Disney Princess costume over the years! I loved it and miss making those. My youngest is going in to 10th grade this year. We divvyed (sp?) the princessses out amongst my 5 much younger neices. (When I have grands I'll make new ones! :D LOL) Over the past 6 years it's been mostly formals and special occasions. There is a very expensive "vintage" boutique near us. My youngest and I LOVE the clothes there. Every so often, we go in, check it out and then redesign our favorites for me to sew. We're working on her homecoming design these days. :mickey:

[DizzneeMomma]

Painting is my passion, I love to paint murals all over the house. :yes:


Are you kidding?? :woot: That's what I do too! My kid's bedrooms are all different places: rainforest, underwater and southwest canyons.

I would love to see photos of your murals if you have any of them handy....and would love to know any helpful hints or tricks you could pass on. I've been thinking of mural ideas for my toyroom and downstairs bathroom, but have never attempted it. I don't really know how to begin and don't want to end up with an embarrassing mess.

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

Are you kidding?? :woot: That's what I do too! My kid's bedrooms are all different places: rainforest, underwater and southwest canyons.

Because of school, I haven't had the chance to get my latest one finished yet, but when I do, I will have to post pics, as it's pretty detailed...I am doing the hallway to the upstairs bedrooms as well as the bonus room and the stasirway that leads to that-all at the same time (Bill says that it must be the ADD I suffer from! :woot:)

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

Hi all, for me my passions are baking and more baking. I love to bake cakes and I am learning how to decorate them for sale. I guess you could say I have a cookbook collection of about 20 or so and it seems like it is always increasing. I love cooking but ironically my kids are very picky eaters so for them very basic things. I would love to learn how to sew my hubby knows how and has tried to teach me to use our sewing machine but that is something that just doesn't come naturally. I do like latch-hooking. The only thing is when I am done I can never figure out what I want to do with my creation. I would love to make them into pillows but my sewing abilities aren't that good. I have started to try to cross stich and that is fun. My project is a angelbear that is giving out hugs. The design is printed in muslin and not aida so you just stitch over the x's. Gotta work on stitch length and spacing. Other than that I love to sing but don't get to as often as I did when I was active in my synagogue. As far as our Disney obsession I can say that I have something Disney related in EVERY room in my house including all bathrooms, and the laundry room.

This is one of the reasons I went back to school and became a chef. I love decorating cakes and making pastries, breads and fancy dessert ideas! :)

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

I feel like the person with no hobbies, and yet I always seem busy. :blink:

My hobbies are for the most part a huge "waste" of time in that they don't net me any money or "stuff"- but I have fun. I like to chat online, watch TV, design graphics, write (things like trip reports/funny emails- not into fiction), and collect music. Usually all at once. I also like to clean. I may need to get checked out for that. :lol:

Hmmmm. I'm thinkin' I have a house you can practice on!!! :woot:

[Snickerdoodlesmommy]

I would love to see photos of your murals if you have any of them handy....and would love to know any helpful hints or tricks you could pass on. I've been thinking of mural ideas for my toyroom and downstairs bathroom, but have never attempted it. I don't really know how to begin and don't want to end up with an embarrassing mess.

I have done everything from French countrysides, Tromp l'oeil, (where the mural "fools the eye" ) Flintstones (personal fave) tons of Disney , (I have done the monorail and all 4 theme parks in one oversized room) The Lion King, 101 dalmations, The Little Mermaid,Rugrats, Space and astronauts, to "bricking" my dining room walls, you name it!

It all starts out with a box of Crayola crayons. I start drawing and then I go back and paint it all in. (oddly enough, my children have never written on any of the walls :razz: just Mommy does that! )
I use latex paints as they blend easily and clean up is just soap and water. I use Behr paint from Home Depot as well as the small bottles of Ceramcoat or Apple Barrel craft paints that you can buy at Michaels craft stores.

Invest in decent paint brushes. They are usually on sale for 25% off at any given time. Get a really good detail brush in assorted sizes for fine lines and small subjects.
For really big backgrounds, (like the streets of Bedrock for example) I have used rollers and regular household paint brushes.
Folk Art makes a floating medium that allows for floating colors easily for things like flower petals and plant leaves.
Sponges in all shapes, sizes and textures are great for doing things like bricks. I use anything from car wash type sponges to the little spongs you use in the kitchen sink. I cut them with scissors to add definition or bigger lines or crevices in the sponges.
Old T shirts work well for daubing color on.
If you want to do a marble look, you can also use feathers for applying the "veining" in the marble. Don't worry if you paint something that you end up not liking. You can always paint over it and start over. :yes:

I will paint anything that stands still--eventually.