Published November 20, 2009, 12:01 AM EST

by CLAUDIA W. ESBENSHADE

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - There are so many ways to give of yourself over the holiday season, whether it be volunteering, spending time with others or making your own crafts.Students in Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 classes since October have taken on the challenge of giving of themselves and making the ho......

Published November 10, 2009, 8:18 AM EST

by LARRY ALEXANDER

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - When Charles Armstrong rides his bicycle through a town, people take notice.The 30-year-old homeless artist rides a bike attached to a two-wheel infant carrier attached to a homemade, two-wheel cart holding a cooler. Much of this makeshift three-piece rig is held together with duct tape....

Published November 8, 2009, 12:06 AM EST

by GEOFF BOUCHER, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES - Berkeley Breathed, the creator of the comic strips "Bloom County" and "Opus," lives on a high hilltop in Santa Barbara, Calif. — yes, the money from all those Bill the Cat T-shirts has added up nicely — but on a recent afternoon when he looked down at the churn of the...

Published November 6, 2009, 12:01 AM EST

by CLAUDIA W. ESBENSHADE

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - Some of my favorite ornaments are those that have been made with love and care by the people giving them.A handmade ornament is like two gifts in one. You receive an ornament to add to your holiday decoration collection and you also are given a little piece of the creator, who put time and......

Published November 5, 2009, 8:32 PM EST

by LAURA KNOWLES

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - The autumn leaves may still be on the trees, but with this weekend's exhibit at Living Light Gallery, it will be a White Christmas, with snowy woods and haunting winter tree branches."White Christmas" opens Friday and runs through Dec. 31 at the gallery on North Prince Street......

Published November 5, 2009, 8:27 PM EST

by JANE HOLAHAN

LANCASTER, Pa. - For Fred Rodger, ideas can come from anywhere.A trip to a bookstore. A visit to New York's Greenwich Village. A TV show.In the case of his latest show, opening Friday at Red Raven Art Company, it was going to see a performance of Cirque du Soleil in Tampa with his daughter two y......

Published November 5, 2009, 10:27 AM EST

by CINDY STAUFFER

LANCASTER, Pa. - Most young artists don't get to display a three-story-high sample of their work in Lancaster city.Nikki Ziegler does.The 23-year-old designed two banners that went up last week on the façade of Pennsylvania College of Art & Design at North Prince and West Chestnut str......

Published November 1, 2009, 12:12 AM EST

by MICHAEL LONG, Entertainment Editor

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - Fred Rodger strikes you as the kind of guy you'd like to have a beer with — or maybe a glass of wine. It's hard to tell which suits him better. At 61, Rodger retains the stature of the wrestler he once was. In jeans and a sweatshirt, dug into a comfortable green couch in t......

Published October 30, 2009, 12:01 AM EST

by CLAUDIA W. ESBENSHADE

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - The gift-giving season is around the corner, and I have vowed to buckle down and start my gift crafting now.Stop for a moment and think about it. If you get three to five gifts made a week, which is less than one per day, you can knock off that whole list by Thanksgiving.Give homema......

Published October 16, 2009, 12:01 AM EST

by CLAUDIA W. ESBENSHADE

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - Halloween is around the corner and all things scary are everywhere. Indoor and outdoor decor begin to take on an eerie feel as the day creeps closer.But not everything spooky has to be dark and dreary. Craft a fun, beaded spider pin or magnet by using up those extra beads from jewelry proj......