Growing your own crystals is great fun and amuses the kids on hot summer days.

Whether you grow your own as decoration, jewelry, or for some other use — would you believe as a deodorant, it’s really very simple.

So let’s start with the deodorant. You may have seen “safe” forms of deodorant in healthy living shops. Often they come in the form of large crystals of Potassium Aluminium Sulphate, or Alum.

They have the advantage of being free of Aluminium Chlorohydrate, which has been implicated in ill health. Natural deodorant crystals are suitable for the most sensitive skin, are hypoallergenic and last a long time. Furthermore, they won’t stain your clothes or discolour your skin.

If you prefer the decorative side of crystal making, just add some food coloring to the mix.

You can grow these crystals quite easily with a little bit of knowledge. You will need :

* An ounce of Alum from a local store or online at Pans Pantry.
* A glass jar.
* A clean stick.
* Warm water.
* Thread.
* Small, sharp stones, cleaned well.

Method
1. Pour enough warm water into the jar to cover the stones — but don’t put the stones in yet.

2. Add the Alum and stir well until it stops dissolving. A small residue will be left.

3. Add food colouring if desired.

4. Tie a small stone to the thread and the other end to the stick. Place the stick across the top of the jar so that the stone dangles in the liquid.

5. Put the jar in a warm place to aid evaporation.

The first crystals will appear in a few days. You can add more Alum to make them bigger.

The biggest crystals can be rubbed under arms as a “safe” home-made deodorant.

In these busy times, it’s difficult to find time for essential exercise. If you’re a crafter, it may even be worse. But how about combining the two? If you’re a keen photographer, it’s a piece of cake.

The Quay, Exeter, England

I’ve noticed that a number of people are scheduling lengthy walks for taking photos of their town or city. It’s called “Photowalking”, on the principle maybe that everything should have a name.

A new generation of small, but powerful, digital cameras makes the whole process a pleasure rather than a chore.

I’ve been Photowalking — combining taking pictures with my morning five-mile walk — ever since I bought a digital camera last year. It’s a great way to add value to mere exercise. My project is to photograph the region I live in through this summer, trying to capture the faces and atmosphere of it when it’s at its best. You can see the results so far by clicking the Flickr logo at the top of the sidebar.

It’s really a great extension to walking for exercise because it keeps the interest up on what might be dreary rambles across familiar ground. As I walk, I find myself noticing things, large and small, that might otherwise have passed unseen. I also take many detours I’ve never explored before — maybe an 18th-century street straight out of a Dickens novel. The fact is, Photowalking insists you walk farther, if not faster, than you otherwise would.

As someone who used to run marathons, I know that interest is crucual to exercise. Photowalking beats even personal ambition as a spur to distance travelled. It also drags in different parts of the brain. If exercise utilizes the left-brain — all those time calculations and forecasts along the way — then Photowalking adds curiosity, perspective, artistic appreciation of views and architecture, and delving into historical information. Classic right-brain stuff.

As with any good idea, lots of folk are climbing aboard. Take a look at photowalking.org, where you’ll find lots of ideas for Photowalking around the world, but especially in the U.S.

There’s also an informative post on setting up a Photowalking group. The article covers :

* Accept right away that it is going to take some time.
* Evaluate your available options.
* Find a method to communicate with all participants, current and new.
* How to keep them coming back.

Photowalking is such a simple idea that many people seem to have thought it up simultaneously. The original idea, though, was probably from pro shooter, Thomas Hawk, who has a few videos on the ScobleShow.

Check it out for some real professional advice.