Bruce The Chef.

Arts & Crafts for Fun & Profit

By: John Savage

Arts and Crafts are about making things with your own hands and using your own skills. An individual generally starts enjoying arts and crafts out of interest. Arts and Crafts projects can be used for decoration and help our environment by recycling of household items and extras. You can also make money by selling these items, both online and offline. This helps our world be a better place and helps earn money, also!

Crafts activities entail a combination of skill and talent that almost anyone can learn! Many community centers, schools and churches offer classes and workshops teaching basic craft skills. Most of these classes do not take long, are offered day and evening or weekends and can be fun.

Some of the basic techniques that can help in utilizing your skills in the area of arts and crafts will be detailed in my blog. The tips and tricks mentioned in the blog may help you to deploy household recyclables successfully and you can satisfy your creative quest without spending much money.

Start a Craft Group and Share Skills

In order to start the craftwork, you can join a community centre group or a workshop in your area or carry out the work collectively at some predefined place. In this way you will not only save the cost of commercial craft lessons but you will also benefit from each others talents. There are usually one or two members who can teach something new or are really good at a particular craft and can help those who are struggling with a concept or who simply cant do a certain aspect of the craft. You will find that the people who are interested are already enjoying some form of craft. There is a treasure trove of ideas and helpers available at workshops.

Various workshops provide free of cost training, free tea/coffee, cakes etc. along with all the material for the workshop. You can join them on an individual basis or you can make a craft group with a few interested people. You can have a wonderful day together and learn new skills.

Sources for Great Ideas:
I. If you find yourself short for the great ideas during craft work or for pursuing the art of craft, you may employ the Internet. You can use the Internet to get free card making, scrap booking and other craft ideas and templates.

II. Friends: turn out to be of great help and fun source of information sharing. If you happen to find that some materials are not needed on your project, you can exchange and share them among your peer group, you can also share your views and material with other people pursuing the same work by exchanging message boards on Internet scrapping sites. Its a great way to get some new tools without spending much money.

III. You can join a local crafts group for getting or sharing his or her ideas its indeed a great way to improve your skills. You can also make your own group, start by inviting three four people from your community and make new friends along the way! Making crafts can fascinate anyone with some amount of creativity.

IV. On weekends have a crop day or card making day; everyone can bring his or her gear and share.

V. Inexpensive craft equipment can be easily found on the various Internet auction sites. These types of sites are an excellent source for a wide range of inexpensive crafts accessories.

VI. There are many market places on the Internet, where you can sell your products. Using a search engine is a great way to find a place to sell your crafts.
VII. Operate a crafts consignment shop.

VIII. A sales agent for handicrafts could be a way to excel.
IX. Sell handicrafts at fairs and flea markets.

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About the Author:

 

john savage has a Blog where you can read about 101 Easy Craft Projects. Click Here to visit

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Method of Construction for Carving Wood

By: Mitch Johnson

When we do the wood carving to make the ornaments, there are some guidance which we need to know or learn so we can get the shape which we want. In this article we will learn the method on how to carve for a better result.

Ornament carvers, when making delicate carvings such as wall-light brackets, sometimes laminate sections with the grain of each piece running in the opposite direction to that of its neighbor. When glued up, these pieces support and strengthen each other.

A method of making toys in eight sections for the sake of strength, the grain in every case running the length of the thinner parts of the horse, the ears, legs, tail and body are all in separate parts. This type of toy is usually cut out on a fret saw, glued up and then carved by a knife in the hand. I have used a similar method of construction in making a carved horse in mahogany for a restaurant sign. The pattern of the pieces will vary according to the design.

In many woods, such as jarrah, which grow under very dry conditions, the grain is often wavy but straight in direction. This type of grain in no way impedes carving. Woods such as lignum vitae, have an interlocking grain and turn well on a lathe but can be difficult for an inexperienced carver. In carving lime wood, apple, beech, cherry, sycamore, pine, oak, and mahogany, you will not find any serious difficulty as far as grain is concerned, provided you remember the strength and the weakness of wood described in this chapter.

Carving a log In the previous article I have discussed the seasoning of wood and the desirability of using dry timber. There is a great risk of splitting if this latter rule is not observed.

However, I do not overlook the fact that you may have a log of wood in your garden just asking to be carved. If you are willing to take a chance on its opening up then by all means go ahead. Cracks are not necessarily disastrous and can be filled.

I have heard of carvings splitting completely in half but you may not be so unlucky. First bring the log under cover and jack it up on wood blocks in a cool dry place. If you can leave it for some months, do so. Many say that a log should be given a year's seasoning for every inch of its diameter.

I have heard a timber merchant say that the center of a large log is never seasoned. It is not easy to make rules about this as so much depends on the type of wood and the humidity of the atmosphere. In any case you should not hasten the process of drying by exposing the log to direct heat. If you paint the cut ends it will help to prevent splitting. If a log is kept in the dark, in for instance the cellar, and then suddenly exposed to the light, splitting will often take place. I know this from painful experience.

In medieval times wood carvings were often made from the trunks of trees that had been hollowed out from the back. This enabled the wood to contract and expand. If, therefore, you hollow out the center of the log it will help. This is not easy but you can bore a few holes up through the center with the auger. This may prevent the star shakes. In the oak carving by W. Soukop (PLATE XVI, page 56 ff.), the figure is built in sections and the center of the wood removed.

A carving in a large log of wood, such as elm, may develop cracks, but the wood is very tough and the whole mass holds together. When carving just to please your self experiment with any wood available, remembering that most of the fruit woods are excellent for carving. Do not, therefore, turn your apple or cherry tree into logs for the fire.

We need to know how to handle the logs so they still can be use for carving. From this article we learned that never dry the woods under the heat if it was stored in a dark room for quite long time.

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About the Author:

 

Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for www.kitchen-plans-n-designs.com/ , www.mycollectablesresource.info/ , www.goodbudgetholiday.info/

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Choosing the Best Wood for Carving

By: Mitch Johnson

Wood like any others materials has come up in so many types. But we need to know their characteristic so we know how to use them for the wood carving. As each of the woods has different texture and color, we will need some guidance on which woods that we have to use for our purpose. In this article we will learn some tips of woods which we can use.

Wild Cherry (40 lb.) Like other American fruit woods, wild cherry is a very good carving wood. It needs slow seasoning and tends to split if dried quickly. The sapwood is light and the heart-wood a reddish brown. The texture is fine and even and it takes a smooth polish. It is used also in cabinet work, frames and other decorative work.

Sweet Chestnut (42 lb.)
This wood can be mistaken for oak but it is about twenty-five per cent lighter when seasoned. The silver grain present in oak is absent, however. It is easy to work and has been widely used for timber work in churches.

Ebony (63 lb.)
Ebony, not easily obtained, is black with a fine grain. The tools tend to blunt because of the rather gritty nature of the wood. It will take fine detail and a high polish.

Elm (36-37 lb.)
Elm, like ash, is a wood familiar in everyday life. We see it in wheelbarrows, furniture and garden seats, and like ash it is tough and strong and suitable for large wood carvings.

Douglas Fir (31 lb.)
This is a very strong wood and quite hard. It does, however, have a great tendency to check, split, shrink, and swell.

Holly (36 lb.)
This wood fine grained and heavy, is pure white in color. As the holly is of shrub-like proportions, its wood can be used, like boxwood, only for small objects and carvings, musical instruments, and inlay. Holly is fairly easy to work and will take detail without breaking or splitting.

Curly Jarrah (55 lb.)
This wood is rich red in color and is probably the most important tree found in Western Australia. It can grow to as much as six feet in diameter. Jarrah carves well and takes a very high natural polish. It is extremely durable. The grain is straight but with a wavy or rippling character.

Iroko
This is the West African carver's favorite wood Exposure to air turns the wood from straw color to red and the surface hardens. Finally, however, it becomes hard all through and it is resistant to termites.

Kingwood (70 lb.)
This timber, not easily obtained, is found in Brazil and is similar to Indian Rosewood. Sizes are small, the maximum being 18 inch in diameter. The color of the wood is remarkable, almost violet with narrow, regular black stripes interspersed with wide, lighter bands. The grain is uniform and the wood will burnish to a fine natural polish.

Lignum Vitae (80-90 lb.)
This is one of the heaviest of all woods and is therefore widely used for mallets and tools where weight and toughness is required. The heartwood is dark greenish brown and the sapwood a contrasting yellow. The fibres of the wood are interlocked and it is impossible to split, though it can be carved with sharp tools.

lime (33 lb.)
This is a favorite wood for sculpture. It is firm and pleasant to carve. The color is whitish to yellowish pink. Lime takes stain or bleach readily, the latter turning the timber pure white. It is moderately hard and takes a very good polish. Lime is also used for drawing boards, hat blocks and cabinetwork.

Choose the wood according to their type. From this article we have learned that each of the wood have their own characteristics and typical. Before you start the wood carving, recognize the wood which you have so you will know how to carve it in the proper way for a better result.

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About the Author:

 

Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for www.kitchen-plans-n-designs.com/ , www.interactivecollectables.info/ , www.goodbudgetholiday.info/

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Getting Started With Plaster Bats

By: Mitch Johnson

Plaster bats are easy to make yourself. This is a valuable project for the beginner because it provides a background of experience for casting and mold-making. Bats can be made in any size, and a variety of sizes are needed. In this article you will find the important steps to make a bat.

Although oilcloth is a satisfactory work surface for the beginner, a plaster bat is much more desirable. It not only provides a sturdier support, but it also keeps objects moist while you are working on them. Unglazed biscuit tiles, 4x4 and 6x6 inches, are adequate for most projects. They may be purchased from a ceramics supply house for a few cents apiece.

A 12-inch pie plate makes an ideal mold for a round plaster bat. The first step in making such a bat is to fill a container with the amount of water that the pie plate will hold. Add powdered plaster of Paris and stir to a molasses consistency. The liquid plaster is now poured into the pie-plate mold. Agitate the plate gently to free the plaster of air bubbles. At least 24 hours will be required for the plaster to set and dry properly.

You follow the same instructions for making a square bat, but instead of using a pie plate you use a square form, perhaps a medium-size cardboard box. The plaster bat is a porous platform on which you can work. By sprinkling it with water as you work, you can keep the piece on which you're working in a moist, plastic state for a long period of time. By the same token, a bat can be used for the reverse purpose to dry a piece of clay which is too moist for immediate work. The porous surface will extract excess moisture from the clay.

Other Materials
A whirler or banding wheel is also a sound investment for the ceramist who has advanced far enough to furnish his own studio. Primarily such a wheel is used for decorating pottery. The top turns freely and so makes it possible for you to rotate your work constantly. By holding a paintbrush against the surface as it spins, you can paint straight and even bands of color on such things as vases and mugs. A whirler can also double as a small potter's wheel for forming pottery pieces and small ceramic figures.

After you have reached the stage where you have made or acquired your own molds, you will need an assortment of heavy rubber bands to hold together multi pieced molds while casting green ware. Cutting cross-sections out of old, discarded inner tubes should supply you with more than enough.

Your studio should also have the aforementioned crocks or large glass jars for holding moist clay and slip. The one-gallon jars used for packing pickles can be utilized for this purpose.

A sieve is also among the much-used workshop implements. The obvious use of the sieve is to strain partially hardened lumps and impurities from slip before pouring it into a mold.

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About the Author:

 

Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for www.curtains-n-drapes.com/ , www.myceramicstips.info/ , www.ezceramicshub.info/

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Best Practices For Beginning Knifemakers

By: Aaron Trubic

If you're a knife making beginner, you should probably start with a simple round-tanged Bowie knife. This consists of a blade with a round tang to insert into the handle; a pommel and a guard; a handle; and whatever fixative you use to hold it together. You really can't go wrong with this combination.

The first thing a novice needs to learn is safety. Wrap your sharp blade in masking tape. Beginners are more likely to cut themselves than old pros, so you should take every precaution not to do this. Remember that a knife is a dangerous weapon, and you want to live into old pro status.

Be certain to always wear safety glasses or goggles when working with a knife, whether you're sharpening it, drilling it, or sliding it into the handle. Knives do shatter. You should be aware that some carbon steel alloys have dust that is hazardous to your health when you sharpen the blade. You should have a breathing filter available for the times you must work with these.

Never force the tang into the handle; if it won't go, you're not removing the burs properly. Beginning knifemakers often make the mistake of not filing off the little spiky protrusions left on the tang end of a knife blade before sliding it into the handle. If your handle is pre-made (which is appropriate) and the tang is not going in, it's almost certainly the burs.

Purchase starter kits rather than trying to match the different components of a knife themselves. There are plenty of starter kits, from the simplest Bowie knife kits to more complex folding knives. By using a starter kit, you'll learn how knives are supposed to go together, and later your own custom knives will be more solidly designed.

There are several tools you should have. A soldering iron will make a much more solid join between your blade and the guard than epoxy, but it does require some finesse. You should have some sort of vise; you only have two hands, and some of the procedures you will be performing require an extra hand. Your vise is your extra hand. Always have files on hand, a whetstone, and sandpaper of differing grains.

Prepare a workspace just for knife making. People often try to work on the kitchen table or another inappropriate place; but since you're going to be clamping things down, generating dust, and otherwise polluting and damaging your workspace, in the interests of continuing on good terms with your wife or parents you should work somewhere it's safe to damage and/or pollute. Start with a sturdy table, preferably with a strip of steel bolted down or clamped to it; if the steel strip is thick and extends over the edge of the table, use this to clamp knives to while they use both hands to work with the blade, handle, or tang.

You have access to a vast variety of resources online. From online stores selling prefabricated knife making kits to books, videos, and internet how-to instructions on making knives, novices should be able to easily locate information they need. Read widely. Don't just read the how-to websites, either. Go to the different supply websites, and look at the different materials available, and the different knives people have designed. You will learn as much from reading about knife making equipment and materials as you will from a book, and maybe more.

Don't limit yourself to just reading about modern knives, either. You are participating in a long and venerable tradition, dating back to pre-human times, of tool making. As a beginning knifemaker, you should read about the history of knives, learn about important knives like the Damascus steel blades of the Crusades-era Saracens, and the Jim Bowie knife that helped tame the American West. These ancient and historical knives can teach you a lot about design. Keep an open mind about what kinds of knives you're going to make.

Knife making is a great hobby, and eventually, if you master the skills, you could even make money doing it. But as a knife making beginner, start small and slow. Learn your basics. Later, when you are a respected pro, you can try the really fancy stuff.

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About the Author:

 

Aaron Trubic offers knife making advice, tips and information for knifemakers of all skill levels at his website, Knife Making Supplies.

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

A Gift Made of Scraps

By: Tom Ambrozewicz

Perhaps the most rewarding type of scrapbook you can make is one that you intend to give as a gift. Scrapbooks make special gifts for almost every occasion, because there handmade touches show that you care about the person. When someone receives your scrapbook as a gift, he or she may be inspired to create a scrapbook as well, and in this way you can spread the scrapbooking bug to friends and family members.

There are many different types of scrapbooks you can make for the recipient. One of my favorite types of themes makes a good gift for a graduate or someone moving away-use pictures from throughout the years of the person growing up and end with a recent picture and some blank pages so the album an be continued. Pages made as a continuation make good future gifts as well. This is also a good idea for couples celebrating their wedding or anniversary. Instead of just having a traditional wedding album, include pictures of both people from before they met and then create pages of their life together.

Gathering pictures for these albums might call for you to be a bit sneaky. Talk to friends and family members. Remember, never scrapbook using a person's original photographs without asking first. Instead, make high-quality color copies at your local photocopy center. If you use the machine correctly, you shouldn't be able to tell the different between the originals and the copies. By careful to replace the photographs exactly as you found them, not only to prevent the recipient from finding out the surprise, but also as a common courtesy. Even some people who do not do scrapbooking have very precise systems for keeping their photographs in order.

If you don't have access to photographs or want to give a gift to someone who likes to do the scrapbooking on their own, try making a layout album for the person. This is an empty album of sorts-you do all the page designing and let the person crop and add their own photographs. They can use the album as given or remove the pages in groups or singularly to add to an album they are currently creating. Perhaps your best bet for an avid scrapbooker is not an album, however, but a box full of supplies or a gift certificate to a local craft supply store. You can still personalize this gift by choosing papers to coincide with specific events in a person's life-for example, buy beach-themed paper for someone who recently bought a beach house, or buy letter stamps that spell out specific names. With a little creativity, you can use your love of the craft to give a perfect gift to anyone.

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About the Author:

 

Tom Ambrozewicz is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read, you can listen to professional narrator reading to you or having MP3 files ready to download if you hate to keep printed files. You can check all scrapbooking tips at Ask-How.info now.

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

History of the Man-Made Ceramic

By: Mitch Johnson

Ceramics has existed for a long period of time. In this article we will learn about the history of ceramic.

Archeologists have uncovered the pottery remains of societies which antedate recorded history by hundreds of centuries. Some of these primitive jugs and bowls were made when man still did his hunting with stone axes. The ravages of time have not marred their utilitarian beauty, for when a ceramic article is fired properly it is converted into one of the most indestructible of ordinary things. When it is shaped with imagination and skill, it can become a work of exquisite beauty.

Today it is possible for anyone, in his spare time, to produce eye-pleasing ceramic objects for the home from simple ash trays to complete sets of dinnerware. With the advantages of modern technology, the do-it-yourself hobbyist can make ceramic pieces which until recently could only be turned out by the full-time professional. Best of all, perhaps, is that ceramics as a hobby is satisfying and exciting fun.

Despite the many innovations easy-to-apply colors and glazes, electric kilns, prepared clays enjoyed by hobbyists today, the basic methods of ceramic manufacture have not changed since the days of prehistoric man. They have been improved, embellished upon, but not essentially changed.

Of course, there is no precise history of how or when man added pottery-making to his repertoire of skills. For millions of years he used what he found lying about him, such things as seashells and gourds, to transport his precious water supply. Thus, it is not surprising that the earliest examples of earthenware are modeled after these naturally formed vessels.

In all probability, man stumbled across this revolutionary discovery as the result of some fortunate accident. Perhaps some cave children were playing by a river bank, making mud pies as youngsters still do. Maybe one inventive child shaped his mud pie after a gourd shell and left his handiwork in the sun for a few days, where it was baked into the first man-made ceramic bowl capable of holding water.

In virtually every known primitive culture the secret of making clay pottery was known. It was learned either by word of mouth or discovered independently. The tribes-people took such clay as they could find on the surface of the ground, or by some river bed, and spread it out on stone slabs. Then they picked out the rocky fragments and beat it with the hands or sticks to fashion it into the shapes they needed or fancy dictated. For ages, the tools and techniques were of the simplest: the fingers for shaping or building up vessels and a piece of mat or basketwork on which to work.

Then some original genius of the tribe found that by turning his support he could bring every part under his hand in succession. The potter's wheel was born.

It was so amazing to know, how the ceramic was made in the beginning of time. But whatever the process are, it has created a beautiful pieces to decorate our living room.

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About the Author:

 

Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for www.curtains-n-drapes.com/ , www.ceramicsforu.info/ , www.goodbudgetholiday.info/

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

How to Master Knitting Instructions the Easy Way

By: Louise Nova

I wanted to set out some basic knitting instructions as a refresher so here it is. All knitting instructions use basically two stitches, the knit stitch and the purl stitch. Once you know these two knitting essentials you will be able to follow most knitting instructions which are just combinations or variations of these two stitches.

Knitting Instructions for the Knit Stitch

Once you have cast on, hold the knitting needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand. Push the point of the right knitting needle in between the front of the first and second stitches, pointing the knitting needle to the right to feed the point through the first stitch keeping it under the left needle. The knitting yarn should be at the back of the work. Loop the knitting yarn around the right knitting needle from back to front, letting the knitting yarn rest between the needles. Catch the knitting yarn on the end on the right knitting needle and pull it through the first stitch to the front of the work. Slip the old stitch off the left needle. The new stitch is now on the right needle. Now you are getting the hang of the knitting instructions. It is a good idea to keep the knitting yarn draped over the right forefinger, this keeps it to the back of the work too. Repeat this process until all stitches are on the right knitting needle. Now count the stitches, if they are all there, turn the right knitting needle around and put it in the left hand. This is the first row from your knitting instructions. The knitting yarn will look like it is at the front and you will now take it to the back and start the second row of transferring stitches to the empty right needle.

Knitting Instructions for the Purl Stitch

The Purl stitch will also be in any knitting instructions. Start with the knitting needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand. Your knitting yarn will be hanging in front. Push point of right knitting needle into the front of the first stitch from right to left. Wrap the knitting yarn around the tip of the right knitting needle, crossing over the two needles and hanging once again in front. Slide the right knitting needle down and back taking the new loop of knitting yarn from front to back, through the old stitch. Slip the old stitch off the left knitting needle. If you have followed the knitting instructions you now have a stitch in purl on the right knitting needle and the yarn is hanging, once again, in the front. Repeat this process until all stitches are on the right knitting needle. Now count the stitches to make sure you haven't dropped any and turn the work around putting the knitting needle with the stitches on in your left hand to start the next row.

I hope you could follow my basic knitting instructions. I have a lot more information about knitting on my Knitting Instructions blog so please join me there to learn more.

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About the Author:

 

Louise Nova loves knitting and teaching people how to knit. She also loves to blog. Knitting for 30 years,she has taught many young family members how knitting is fun and easy. You can find more information on her blog at Knitting Instructions

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

How to Give a Finishing Touch to Your Ceramic

By: Mitch Johnson

Once you finish modeling the clay in your desired shape, the last and important job is to give a finishing touch. This will give your model it actual looks. So it is very important to know how and what tools are to be used. This article will guide you in solving your problems and giving your model perfect shape.

For decorating purposes, you will need several soft-hair brushes with which to apply colors and glazes. These can also be used for applying liquid clay (or slip), for mending and general modeling or shaping purposes. The brushes can be of average quality, such as imitation camel's-hair watercolor brushes. Both pointed and flat-tipped brushes should be in supply. Numbers 3, 5, 8 and 10 will serve almost all requirements.

Wooden modeling tools also simplify the shaping and decorating of a clay object. It is easier to push the clay into rough form with a mallet or a block of wood than with the fist or the heel of the hand. After the roughing-out has been completed and the large masses are shaped, more detailed modeling begins. This calls for a few wooden modeling sticks about 6 to 8 inches long, with thin, flat blades. The blade ends are used for cutting, smoothing and shaping surfaces and for welding fine lines. The round ends are used for welding coils together and for all-around modeling and shaping.

A scratch-point is helpful in etching designs in a clay body. Almost anything with a sharp point can be used effectively an orange stick or any piece of doweling which has been sharpened to a point. You can, if you wish, buy metal scratch-points in most stationery stores. These will fit into any penholder. If you want to do graffiti work decorations formed by cutting or scratching through an outer coating of slip to show the clay underneath a scratch-point is a handy implement.

As you progress and want to try new decorating methods, you'll probably attempt slip-trailing, a method by which you achieve designs in relief. Slip-trailing is much like decorating a cake with the words "happy birthday". A hand irrigating syringe with a hard-rubber nozzle and a bulb can be used for this technique. Cost is less than a dollar in the local drugstore.

Wire-loop tools always find their way into the ceramist's workshop because of the varied uses to which they can be put. Again, they are valuable tools for carving sgraffito designs. Also they are used for smoothing the surface of pottery and sculpture, especially for cutting down high places and for hollowing out hand-shaped figurines before firing. Select three or more loop tools of sizes varying from 8 to 10 inches long, and with different shaped loops.

When working with molded green ware, you will need a fettling knife and or an elephant sponge to sand off the mold marks and to smooth surfaces and edges Cellulose sponges or fine sandpaper car also be utilized.

Now you can save a huge amount of money by creating you own made decorative items, shaping and designing by you as per your taste.

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About the Author:

 

Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for www.curtains-n-drapes.com/ , www.ezceramicsguide.info/ , www.myceramicstips.info/

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Biggest Blunders - How to Avoid and Fix Mistakes in Your Scrapbook

By: Tom Ambrozewicz

Most people who enjoy the art of scrapbooking spend a lot of time and money creating each page, so it's a real letdown when you're almost finished with a page and you make a mistake. Goofs happen; it's part of life, and no matter how careful you are, you will make a few in every album. However, there are steps you can take to prevent accidents from happening and ways in which you can fix your album so that nobody knows the difference.

The most common way to ruin a page, as with a shirt or a rug, is by spilling something on it. It's not something you think about a lot of the time, but protect your work by keeping food and drink separate from your crafting station. Make sure your family knows that rule as well, or your child may set a cup near your things, right where you're bound to not notice it and knock it over, potentially destroying hours of work. Also, immediately put your pages into page protectors when they are finished. Most albums come with these plastic protectors, but in case you run out, have a back up plan. I like to keep extra page protectors in a binder, and use them to store pages until I can buy a refill pack that will fit my album. This will help keep your pages safe from spills and messy hands.

Other mistakes come from human error when creating the pages. Always check your spelling before you begin journaling. It's a good idea to write it out on a piece of scrap paper before you write it on your scrapbooking paper. Write your words on the paper before gluing it to the page if possible; that way, if you make a mistake you can start over without having to ruin the whole page. If it is necessary to glue the paper down first, before you do so, cut another piece of the same paper the exact same size, using the first as a template. If you make a spelling error, you can easily glue the second piece of paper over the first and no one will be able to tell. Other mistakes made when journaling, such as stray marks, can be covered with stickers or die cuts.

Be open to reworking your design. It is easy to mistakenly lay a picture or embellishment in the wrong place, off center, or crooked. Make the most of the goof-often times you will be surprised that the new look is actually better than the original. If all else fails carefully cut each element from the background sheet and start again. At least this way you only ruined one piece of paper instead of multiple pictures and embellishments. If you find that your hands are unsteady and you often mislay elements, you might want to invest in removable tape or glue. You can easily reposition these kinds of adhesives, so you'll make fewer mistakes.

Try to laugh at your own mistakes when they are unfixable. Scrapbooks are homemade, so they will never be perfect. That is part of the charm of the craft. Blunders are often avoidable or fixable, but those that are not only give your album character.

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About the Author:

 

Tom Ambrozewicz is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read, you can listen to professional narrator reading to you or having MP3 files ready to download if you hate to keep printed files. You can check all scrapbooking tips at Ask-How.info now.

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

The Joys And Benefits Of Hummingbird Houses

By: Keith Londrie

These days bird-watching has escalated as "baby boomers" and other groups are aging and taking to the quiet life. This includes not only reading, contemplation, and thoughtful conversation, but also bird watching. Bird watching is a fastly growing form of entertainment that used to be reserved for a special breed of person.

One of the most curious, fascinating birds to be seen are hummingbirds, and for this, a bird house specifically designed to their species is a perfect way to attract this rare, exceptional creature to one's yard. Hummingbird houses attract these wonderous creatures for your viewing and listening pleasure.

Hummingbirds are the world's smallest birds. For this reason, along with some of their habits and unique flying abilities, they have garnered much attention through the years. It is the dream of many bird watchers to have a small showing of these creatures on a regular basis. The best way to do this is to have some hummingbird houses on site. A well kept hummingbird house will bring much satisfaction to not only the birds themselves, but to the people watching these wonderous creatures.

Hummingbird houses, like their occupants, are small. They can be so small, in fact, that their houses are relatively hidden from view. This is fine for many people as it is the bird itself that they wish to view, and so such houses are sometimes placed at the inner part of a branch, close to the tree trunk.

Of course, one need not place the houses only on a tree as hummingbird houses also go well hanging from the overhangs and gutters of houses, along with off of shrubs, poles, and other such free-standing plants and structures that are tall enough to preclude an incursion by cats.

By their size, hummingbird houses can be made from almost anything that is much larger than an adult human's hand. This includes small boxes, gourds, tin cans, and milk cartons. The basics of such homes are simply an enclosure with a small hole that will allow access for these tiny birds. On that note, the homes can be specific to this species by making the hole only large enough for hummingbirds (though some other small species might be able to also finagle their way in too, such as finches).

To add to the attractive nature of such a home, place the structure near to flowers that are frequented by hummingbirds. Further, by offering a feeder, hummingbirds will be predisposed to make a visit. A word of warning is offered about this, however. The drink that hummingbirds consume is not mere sugar water, and to offer sugar water only can be harmful to hummingbirds as they can acquire a fungus in their beaks that can be a mere nuisance or even deadly. To avoid this problem it is best to purchase hummingbird nectar.

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About the Author:

 

Keith Londrie II is a well known author and bird expert as well as the owner of Bird Houses - a unique collection of information about our fine feathered friends.

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Fun Times Making Beaded Jewelry

By: Owen Walcher

Not only can you look great by making your own beaded jewelry you can also have a blast while you create to your hearts content. The first creation you should consider making is a beaded necklace for its elegance and simplicity. The second creation you should consider making is some beaded earrings.

Before you begin go to a bead or craft store so you can buy some supplies. The only things you really need to start are some thread or wire and some inexpensive beads. Always start with the inexpensive beads to learn with then move onto your favorite gem stones once you have the basics down.

Let's make a beaded necklace first. In the bead or craft store buy some thread or wire, beads, two crimps and a clasp. Next use more thread than you will actually need so you will have enough to attach the clasp with. Layout your beads on the table in the desired pattern you wish to make on the necklace. Now you can string the beads onto the middle of the thread or wire in your desired pattern. Use a piece of tape at the end of each pattern to hold your place. You can also use a spacer bead instead of the tape.

At each end slide one of the crimps onto the thread or wire. Add one half of the clasp, then string the thread back through the crimp and use needle nose pliers and press firmly on the crimp. Now you can remove the tape.

Now you can wear your creation and start all over again to make more. Once you have the knack you will never run out of ideas. So pursue your new found hobby with all the energy you can muster. You'll find it not only fun but also a great way to learn different avenues of self expression.

Next let's make some beaded earrings. First here are the supplies you will need: 2 head pins ( or eye pins as they are sometimes called), 4 spacers, 4 beads, and 2 fishhook ear wires. Next you will begin by putting the beads on in a simple pattern: bead, spacer, bead, spacer, like that. Ok, now follow closely, make a loop right above the top bead: using needle nose pliers, bend the pin at a 90 degree angle. Then using round nose pliers, form a loop. Wrap the wire on the other side of the loop, back around the wire (in between the loop and the bead). Now cut with wire cutters. Next, take the fish hook ear wire, and open the loop. Attach your drop and close the loop. Repeat for the second earring.

Limitless adventures -- that is what you'll have now that you have mastered the first step in creativity. You'll amaze yourself the more you allow yourself to develop and play. Don't put restraints on your designs, instead just let them flow freely. Even if something seems like a long shot take a chance -- what have you got to lose? Never again will you be afraid to walk into a new adventure. Fun and excitement is what you carry inside of you now. Watch it explode and mature as you allow yourself to develop your own style and grace. Remember today is the first day of the rest of your creative life.

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About the Author:

 

Owen Walcher is a freelance writer, writing helpful articles about topics such as Jewelry.  You can find an alternate version of this Making Beaded Jewelry article here.

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

General Bonsai Tree Care

By: Steve Welker

Bonsai trees need care similar to any other plant below is a basic outline of care for a Bonsai tree.

Lighting

Many people do not realize that most bonsai trees should be kept outdoors year round. The few exceptions are the non-traditional tropical trees which need kept inside if you are not in a tropical environment.

Outdoor bonsai should be positioned where they will get six or more hours of light each day.

Indoor bonsai should receive two to four hours of natural or artificial sunlight. For inside bonsai full spectrum flourescents can provide the necessary light levels but the treen needs to be placed close to the light.

Watering

More trees die from a lack of water or low humidity than anything. The soil used to raise bonsai is normally a porous soil that drains well. The type of soil as well as the shape and design of the pot will affect quickly the soil dries out. Different tree types will require different amounts of water to thrive. You will need to research your specific species of tree for a general guideline and then closely monitor how the tree grows to determine if it is being watered correctly. If you take your pot and place it on top of some rocks in a tray full of water this will help increase the humidity around the tree and will aid in it's growth. Along with normal watering about once a week you should fully submerge the bonsai tree pot until no more bubbles escape from the pot or the soil.

Pruning

Pruning serves dual purpos in the care of bonsai trees. Pruning removes branches that clutter and hamper the aestetic design of the tree. Pruning is
also used to direct and control the growth of the tree. You will also have fine pruning sucha s pinching and leaf pruning to help encourage branching. Always remember when you are pruning your bonsai that you can always remove something later but it is very difficult to put it back after you have cut it. So if in doubt leave it for now. You should start with a light pruning then give it two or three weeks and wait for the bounce back to decide if you need to do more. pay special attention to developing the trunk, any where on the trunk that a branch is allowed to grow will thicken. When pruning you need to keep the top and bottom (roots) balanced for optimum results.

Fertilizing

Your average bonsai will need fertilized once or twice a month. You should only ferterlize during the normal growing season. Us a water soluble ferterlizer and apply it when the soil is already wet.

Soil
Proper soil choice is critical optimum bonsai tree care, the soil affects the roots, feeding, and watering of your tree. The size and shape of the pot affects both the appearance as well as growth and health of the bonsai. As a rule of thumb be about 3/4 as wide as the tree is tall and about half as deep. The height of the pot should be roughly the same as the diameter of the trunk. Bonsai soils are designed to optimize drainage. They are usually a mix of coarse sand or gravel with peat or bark added for an organic element. Different trees will need various ratios of grit to humus. Usually dedidious trees need about 70% humus and 30% grit while evergreens will thrive better with 30% humus and 70% grit.

Re-potting

Re-potting is a critical element of bonsai care. It is crucial to help keep the roots and top of the tree in balance. Bonsai trees should be re-potted every two or three years. When you re-pot the bonsai you need to trim the roots. You will normally want to remove about 1/3 of the root ball. You need to trim all away around the ball to keep it in balance.

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About the Author:

 

Everything you need for Bonsai Tree Care.  Be sure to check out our Bonsai Tree Blog at www.bonsai-trees.biz/blog

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

22 Easy Crochet Tips and Tricksc

By: Joan Yankowitz

Here are some helpful and handy tips and tricks that will make crocheting easier and keep you more organized.

1. When the afghan you're crocheting becomes too long and heavy, place quilting rings around the end you've already finished. It will make it easy to just flip it over when crocheting the next row.

2. When someone asks you to make something for them, write it in a notebook. Write their name, when they will need it by, and the item they want crocheted. Also write down where the pattern can be found. When you finish the crocheted item, take a picture of it and keep it in a photo album so when someone asks what you crochet, you can show them.

3. Threading a large-eyed needle with the loose strings after finishing a project and weaving the loose strings into the project are easier than using the hook. It just takes minutes to do a whole blanket with multiple thread changes.

4. If you are a beginner and frequently lose your place, write the patterns on lined paper, one instruction at a time.

5. When traveling, use an empty plastic coke bottle to keep the hooks from escaping.

6. To keeping blocks clean as you crochet them before putting them together, keep them in a locked plastic bag. Use a small pad of paper and pen to keep track of how many blocks are made.

7. Use a small safety pin to hold a stitch when you put a project away.

8. The fabric store sells yarn cutters to wear around your neck. Keeping cutters on a yarn around your neck will keep you from constantly having to search for them. The fabric store sells them.

9. Keep skeins and balls from getting tangled by cutting a hole in the top of an empty plastic coffee container, then melting the edges of the hole with a lighter or match to keep the wool from snagging. If you have several projects going at the same time, use labels or tape on the tops or sides of each container to write the project name and other important information. Tape a small bit of dryer sheet to the inside of each lid to keep the wool smelling good and prevent static.

10. Use a three-ring binder with clear sheet protectors to organize your patterns. Use a pencil pouch also with three holes for extra hooks, gauge check, and anything else you need to keep handy.

11. When you open a new crochet ball of thread, take the paper and put it inside the center of the ball. Then, when you need new thread, you'll have the color and all the information for your next ball of thread.

12. Use a tooth brush holder to hold your hooks.
It's easy to find and you can drop hooks in your purse and go.

13. To store scrap yarn, buy an inexpensive collapsible hamper, put the same color yarns in plastic grocery bags and store all the bags in the hamper.

14. Take a two-liter plastic bottle and cut the middle to make a door. Then place your large yarn inside and pull the string through the neck .It keeps the 8oz yarn organized.

15. Make your new hook smooth and slick by rubbing it into your hair.

16. To prevent woven-in ends from coming loose, weave on a diagonal line instead of straight up or across.

17. To keep your crochet yarn/cotton ball from rolling across the floor, put it in a small plastic store bag with handles, hang it on your arm and crochet in comfort.

18. Use a bobby pin as a marker for the end of rounds. It slips off and on easily and doesn't fray like scrap yarn markers. You can also use bobby pins to hold the last stitch if you need to take the work off the hook.

19. Store yarn in a zippered comforter bag.

20. Paperclips make great stitch counters. Just pop one on the stitch you want to mark. Safety pins work great too, and are a little easier to put on and take off.

21. Use a wooden wine rack for yarn storage. It works great, looks terrific, and is a nice conversation piece.

22. Empty prescription bottles can be very handy for keeping smaller crochet tools like row counters, beads, and yarn needles.

Now that you're organized, have fun crocheting!

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About the Author:

 

Joan Yankowitz publishes the popular consumer and business Kwik eGuides. Instantly download the How to Crochet Kwik Guide.

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Nautical Star Tattoos the History, Meaning and Symbolism: a Strange Mix

By: Sam Smith

The history, meaning and symbolism of nautical star tattoos is a hotly debated topic. Today many different groups have adopted the Nautical star tattoo as a symbol for their own movement and they have all ascribed their own meaning and history to the symbol. Thus has lead to a wide disagreement as the the meaning of the tattoo.

Historically most everyone agrees that Sailors were the first people to get nautical star tattoos. In fact the very word nautical relates back to sailing. So this connection has been pretty firmly established. Most people would agree the sailors were a pretty superstitious group historically and sailor lore abounds with superstitious and fantastical stories of life and death and being lost at sea. Early on sailors navigated by the stars at night and the north star became the symbol for finding ones way home. Once you know where the north star is you can point your ship in the right direction to get home. So the star became a symbol for finding ones way home or more symbolically even finding ones path in life. Therefore many sailors would tattoo nautical stars on their forearms as a good luck symbol in hopes of returning home.

However their modern day meaning is a more debated topic. Many believe that groups including gay and lesbians, punk rockers and those in the military have adopted the nautical star tattoo as a very important symbol. The diversity of these three groups has lead many to argue the meaning of their tattoos.

For the military the connection is pretty obviously point back to the early sailors and the symbolism and meaning is the same as the early sailors. Many military people get a nautical star tattoo as a symbol for finding ones path home safely. Of course this can also include more symbolically just finding ones way in life.

Here is a quote we found from a member of the armed services and his interpretation of the tattoo:
"I am in the United States Army, an MP who searched towns and villages for Al Quida and insurgents. I was in Iraq for 1 year. I have a red and black nautical star on my wrist. The reason I got it was because when I was out there, I felt it was a guide to guide me home to my family safely. I got it so that it would remind me that I am going to make it to see my son grow up. I am not gay, it doesn't matter what you believe it represents, it means something different for everyone. Out in the desert, I would look up at the stars and think about home. So anyone can think what they want to, that is what it means to me. "

Punk rockers have also adopted this as a popular symbol to have tattooed. The punk movement traces its history and use of the nautical star tattoo back to Sailor Jerry. Sailor Jerry is historically one one of the most famous tattoo artists ever. He was well known for his innovative and "cool" designs. Punks have taken this symbol and it has very much the same meaning of finding one way in life. Being the rugged

individualists type Punks are drawing to the symbolism of true north and finding one own unique way in life. So the Nautical star has become a symbol for this. You see many punk bands that have full sleeve tattoos typically incorporate nautical star tattoos either on their elbows or elsewhere.

The lesbian and gay connection is the one that does not seem so obvious at first. Historically back in the 1940's and 50's when alternative lifestyles were not the norm and often women had to hide their alternative choices they would sport a hidden nautical star. Often they would get the star tattoo done on the inside of their wrist where it could easily be hidden by a watch during the day but shown off in the evening when out on the town. Today many lesbians where the nautical star tattoo to show their connection with their early pioneering sisters. Here is a little evidence to support my points.

"Here's the passage (with some pieces dropped) from "Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community" by Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy and Madeilne D. Davis copyright 1993 p. 189.
(talking about the 1940's and 1950's):
"...During this same time period, the cultural push to be identified as lesbians- or at least different- all the time was so powerful that it generated a new form of identification among the tough bar lesbians: a star tattoo on the top of the wrist, which was usually covered by a watch. This was the first symbol of community identity that did not rely on butch-fem imagery. We can trace this phenomenon back to an evening of revelry in the late 1950's, when a few butches trooped over to "Dirty Dick's" tattoo parlor on Chippewa Street and had the tiny blue five-pointed star put on their wrists. Later, some of the fems of this group also go the idea one night and did it...The community views the tattoo as a definite mark of identification..."the Buffalo police knew [that] the people that had the stars on their wrist were lesbians and they had their names and so forth. That it was an identity thing with the gay community, with the lesbian community". The fact that the star tattoo was created by those who were firmly into roles, in fact by the group that was considered the butchy butches and their fems, suggest that the force to assert lesbian identity was strong enough to break through the existing traditions of boldness based in butch-fem roles. The stars presage the methods of identity created by gay liberation. In fact, the mark has become something of a tradition in local circles and has seen a revival since the 1970s."

This meaning of the symbol has of course created a lot of problems and arguments among the other two groups of bearers of nautical stars. Most puck and military people do not want to have a nautical star that points back to anything from the lesbian movement so many will say that there is no connection there and this is false.

Here is a quote from another armed forces member about the symbolism of the nautical star among the gay community:
"This "gay symbol" is a load of hooey that someone made up VERY recently. The nautical star tattoo has been around nearly as long as tattooing itself. The late Celts (or early Irish, depending on your view of World History) were said to have been the first to have the tattoos, although evidence of it being used on ships in Spain has been found pre-dating the Irish claim.
As a Marine, it's a very commonplace symbol amongst us if we have been part of a Boat Raid company, red for port, green for starboard on varying parts of the body. On ship, I saw about a million different variations on the Sailors I was was serving with, obviously harking back to the sailor roots."

Here is a quote from a punk rocker and his feelings about the symbolism of the tattoo:
"what idiots..even the military boys dont know what it really means....JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW!!!!!it was used by OLD sailors.. and the symbol represents North on a Map ...and it is the North Star the sailors would use it as a baring to get home....you can find it on Really really old maps and old navy vessels... Punk Rock.. well we use it because we can and because Sailor Jerry made the coolest tattoos who started putting them on everyone.. my grandfather even had one thus being used as a traditional icon"

It just goes to show that when the same powerful symbol is used over and over again over decades of time it can taken on very different meanings for different groups. So all of those that you see sporting a nautical star tattoo might not all have the same interpretation of its symbolism.

So do you have a nautical star tattoo or think about getting one in the future? Which meaning of the symbol will you get the nautical star for? As long as you know what the symbolism behind the star is for and you have gotten it for the right reason to either support the lesbian movement or as a symbol to finding your way!

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About the Author:

 

Unique Nautical Star tattoo design done by professional tattoo artists or view other tattoo articles for great ideas on custom tattoo designs

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

A Rainbow of Color Choices for Your Scrapbook

By: Tom Ambrozewicz

When designing pages for your scrapbook, the two most important elements will be design and color. Even if you have great designs, without brilliantly coordinated color schemes, your album will be nothing more than mediocre. Choosing good color combinations does not have to be difficult. By following a few simple steps, you can use color to make a statement in your album.

Black and White

The two most effective colors to use in your album are black and white. Both create a clean slate for your pictures and embellishments. White tends to hide as a background color, while black will give you a bolder look. If you have black and white photographs, these two colors work very well on the page, but your pictures will stand out more if you also add a third and maybe even fourth color to the mix. Beware of using too much color with black and white pictures; you will distract the eye from the photograph.

Contrasting and Complementing Colors

Just as black and white are opposites, every color has its exact opposite, and these two colors usually work well together because they balance one another on the page. To find a color's opposite, you can use a color wheel. The most basic pairs are purple and yellow, orange and blue, and green and red. Another way to group colors is by using complementing colors. Three colors that are next to one another on a color wheel (blue, purple, and red for example) will create a nice effect.

Color Families

Yet another way to think about colors is to chose a single color (brown for instance) and use all the tints and shades of that color family (tan, medium brown, chocolate for instance). This works stunningly well with black and white photography as well, just as black and white do. You may even try using all the colors in a family plus black and white for a modern look.

Choosing Colors

Once you have an initial color to use as a starting point, choosing colors to create your layout is not difficult. However, how do you choose that first color? If your page has a holiday theme, that might be easy, but in all other cases look at your photographs for a cue. If your subject matter has bright blue eyes, for example, use blue papers that will showcase this. Also try to pick colors that will complement the idea behind the pictures-a child's birthday party will probably look better with bright colors than natural browns and greens. In the end, go with your gut and experiment with color and design in your everyday life, and use this as inspiration when creating pages.

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About the Author:

 

Tom Ambrozewicz is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read, you can listen to professional narrator reading to you or having MP3 files ready to download if you hate to keep printed files. You can check all scrapbooking tips at Ask-How.info now.

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

How to Cut Down Your Competition When Selling Your Crafts

By: Jean Bowler

As a crafter and a small businessperson, you can do your own craft marketing or pay someone to do it for you. It’s a balancing act. If you do it yourself, you must go to shows or run your own store or website. The more time you spend doing that the less time you can spend crafting.

Giving up some of the retail price of your craft items, gives you more time to devote to your art and generally a broader market reach for your wares. Gallery and shop owners advertise, promote your work and provide a place with regular hours where your work can be viewed by many more people than you can reach on your own.

However don’t think of these approaches as the only options of craft marketing. They are merely the two ends of the spectrum: from doing all your own craft marketing and as much crafting as time allows; to using all your time crafting and paying your marketers.

Along the spectrum are a myriad of other approaches, some very simple, some quite high tech. If you’re looking for a better way to sell your craft items, try thinking outside the box. Go beyond the traditional methods of craft fairs, galleries and retail shops.

Below are a few craft marketing approaches that have worked for me, as well as some intriguing ones I’ve read about, but haven’t tried personally – yet.

Breaking Away from the Pack

After three years of doing craft fairs and flea markets, I noticed several negative aspects. My work was being copied by other crafters who saw it at the last show.

I had to keep coming up with new ideas to differentiate myself.

I got tired of lining up alongside and competing against very similar products.

Plus I got just plain tired. Craft fairs are a lot of physical labor.

I needed a better venue and couldn’t afford to pay a retail shop or gallery up to 50% of my sales. I needed to think outside the box and break away from the pack.

Leverage Your Relations with Other Crafters

One positive thing I did take away from my years of craft fairs was a lot of new crafting friends who are also struggling with craft marketing. We help each other out as opportunities arise.

One very well established ceramicist participates in a huge annual expo that draws importers from throughout North and South America. He wanted something bright and colorful to dress up his booth and draw people’s attention, so he asked if I would like to display some of my oilcloth bags. We both did well and it was pretty exciting to think of my bags traveling to another continent to be sold.

My crafting buddies and I send each other business. They order business cards and signs from me. I recommend them and sometimes display their work in my little shop (no commission, no charge). When they have their own shops, I know they’ll do the same for me!

Brainstorm Tie-Ins to Local Organizations

Brainstorm how your products can or could tie-in to some organization. If you do any craft that lends itself to personalization, such as embroidery or fabric painting or silk-screening, think about approaching local clubs or businesses and offering items with their logo. With their permission, of course. Logos are copyrighted material.

A tote bag that folds up into a pouch had been a big seller for me at craft fairs. The unusual thing about my design is that the pouch is custom designed. I’ve applied pouch designs using three techniques: screen printing; or printing on fabric using either Bubble Jet Set or Lazertran Silk decals and my computer printer.

I have made these for my local garden guild who needed gifts to give to a visiting group and I have also sold them to a moving company who gives them to customers as a token of appreciation for their business.

Craft Marketing Tie-Ins to Other Products

While other crafters are talking to gift shop owners about placing their gift items alongside all the similar work of other crafters, think about where your products would stand out and, at the same time, enhance what the store primarily sells.

For example, if you do make jewelry or crochet scarves, offer to assist a dress shop with their displays by accessorizing the mannequins. A nicely put together outfit increases the eye appeal of the individual parts.

If you make oilcloth tote bags, make some up with bright tropical fruit and vegetable patterns and see if your local farmers’ market would let you place them for sale near the checkout. Add a sign: “Choose not to pollute - with our sturdy reusable market totes.”

Take your wine gift bags to liquor stores and see if you can work out a similar display deal. Your dried flower arrangements, decoupage trays or hand made candles would give a more attractive and real look to display rooms at a furniture store.

Barter for Space

Once I was approached by the owner of a card and gift shop in a neighborhood mall. She had seen and admired my crafts. She thought they would complement her store’s inventory and that my existing clientele would bring traffic to the store. She offered me a very modest salary and a small corner of the store in which I could display my products.

It seemed like an ideal match; but it was doomed from the start. [This was before I understood the importance of tie-ins and one person’s product enhancing – rather than competing with - the other person’s.]

My products dressed up the store. Traffic increased significantly. I honestly worked as hard to sell her merchandise as my own.

Then one morning, the owner came in and told me to remove myself and my crafts by the end of the day. My sales had been very good while hers had increased only marginally. It just didn’t seem like a good bargain for her. I had most of the benefit.

With 20/20 hindsight, it might have worked out if I had suggested working on commission rather than for salary. That way, there would be less suspicion about where my efforts were placed.

I still thought bartering for space could work and decided that, if I found another opportunity, I would accept no salary. I also wanted to make sure that our products didn’t compete. I came up with an idea but when I asked my friends for their opinions, they looked at me like I was crazy.

There is a small water treatment, garden and pool supply store nearby. Most of the
time, the owner is out on jobs and his wife tends the store. But with young children at home, she frequently needs to leave at a moment’s notice and would simply lock up the store, posting a “Back in 10 minutes sign”. Customers were getting so frustrated that they were going to the competition.

I approached the couple and suggested I could open the store earlier, tend it until the wife arrived and stay until 2:00 so she (actually we both) could leave and run errands as needed. In return they would give me a small corner where I could display and sell my crafts. They loved the idea.

It has worked beautifully. I decorated my little niche like a garden to tie in to their pool and garden products – little wicker table and chair, a trellis on which I can hang some of my things, fake stairs going up along the wall (which I use as display shelves) with a trompe l’oeil door at the top.

OnLine Craft Marketing Co-Ops

This is something I haven’t tried and which I’m a little leery of. The idea is to join other crafters on a website devoted to craft marketing.

Online craft marketing is hard enough without having five or six other crafters' works on the same web page. It’s sort of a minature craft show, without providing you the opportunity to stand out too much.

But more of these craft marketing sites are springing up. I think many crafters simply don’t want to devote their efforts to online craft marketing, but want to see if there’s any money to be made that way.

There are many co-op craft selling sites that you can locate with a web search. One has the improbable name of Stars and Infinite Darkness. Other sites are Wholesale Crafts and eCrafter.

Whether online or off, if there’s a will there’s a way to improve your craft marketing. Be imaginative and think outside the box.

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About the Author:

 

By: Eileen Bergen: For more ideas and tips on selling your crafts or starting a craft business, visit my Craft Business Guide

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Adding Pizzazz to Your Scrapbook

By: Tom Ambrozewicz

Simply sticking pictures and memorabilia to colored paper can make a basic and beautiful scrapbook, but if you find that there's a little something missing, try spicing up your pages with some embellishments. The term "embellishments" is catchall for supplies that don't need to be on the page functionally, but are eye pleasing and fun. Next to the paper isle in your local scrapbook supply store, the embellishment isle will have the largest and most diverse section of products.

Stickers are the most popular and abundant kind of embellishment. These aren't like the gold stars you got in grade school-stickers today come in just about any shape and size. One handy type of sticker is the letter sticker. These come in sheets featuring the entire alphabet so you can use them to create titles on your page. This works especially well for scrapbookers who don't like their own handwriting. Stickers also now come in three dimensions. Because your pages are most likely themed, the most common way to buy stickers is by theme as well. Some companies offer kits that have matching papers and stickers to make the process easier, and there are also kits on the market to make your own stickers just in case the store doesn't have exactly what you need.

If you want a look that's a little more simplistic, try die cuts. These paper cutouts look great on the page alone, or can be used for matting or journaling. The most elaborate kinds of die cuts are paper dolls. These are not unlike the paper dolls you may have played with as a child, but are meant to be glued to the page when you are done dressing them. You can buy paper dolls in every race, and with every hair color, so many scrapbookers like to create paper dolls to match their subject matter and then dress them in one of the countless outfits available in stores.

Ribbons and strings are fun embellishments as well, but can be difficult to attach to the paper. You can buy ribbons and strings separately or in a sample kit that includes many colors and varieties. Make sure these products are made for scrapbooking-they should be acid free. This is a rule that holds true for any scrapbooking supply. Almost anything can be stuck to a page as an embellishment as long as it is safe for your photographs. Browse through your local stores to find embellishments and inspiration for you pages, and you may be surprised at the new additions to your scrapbooking inventory.

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About the Author:

 

Tom Ambrozewicz is one of the pioneers in using breakthrough audio technology on his web sites. You can read, you can listen to professional narrator reading to you or having MP3 files ready to download if you hate to keep printed files. You can check all scrapbooking tips at Ask-How.info now.

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Implement a Scrapbook Layout

By: Marcy Larsen

Whether you are new to scrapbooking or a veteran, it is always fun to imagine a new layout idea, and watch it come together on your pages. If you are an avid scrapbooker, then you have come up with ideas that have worked and some that haven't. Trial and error are necessary processes, because there are many ways to display your photos or memorabilia.

Who Will View
When contemplating a layout idea, you should first determine how many pictures you have; how many will fit comfortably on your pages (two pages next to each other); how many pieces of memorabilia you want on the page; how busy the page will be; and who will be viewing the pages. A memory book created for a child's grandmother in another city or state will have different things on her pages than the scrapbook you make for your home, since you have access to different bits and pieces of information that might only be of interest to the immediate family.

Map It Out
A successful layout is one that has been selected from among several others that you've considered. Start with basic colors that will draw out some of the subtler colors in your photos, and then choose a "frame" color to either set your pictures on. If there is not enough room for another picture on the page, is there room for embellishments, journaling, or other detailing? Do a few different selections at a time and really choose the design that best fits the need and feel of those photos. Try laying out the photos to fit across the layouts with half the photo on each page. Add additional journaling in a corner. Put some ribbon our buttons in the corner. Layouts are not just 2 12X12 pieces that site next to each other, try carrying your ideas to cover the full 24" spread.

Pros and Cons of Consistency
A layout that showcases every page in the same way becomes boring to make, as well as boring to look though. After the first or second page, people will stop seeing the pictures. Mixing up the layouts with different photo arrangements, embellishments, decorations, and memorabilia not only adds some excitement to the pages, it keeps the people looking and reading, as there is so much going on within the page. You can use the same color scheme throughout the book, just mix it up with the difference in the layouts and designs.

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About the Author:

 

Marcy Larsen Close To My Heart Consultant. CTMH offers much more than just scrapbook supplies, including opportunities to make money while scrapbooking. Please visit my website - Marcy Larsen.

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

More Equipment for Wood Carving

By: Mitch Johnson

When we have chosen the wood carving as our hobby, we have to select the space for our workshop or studio. Equipment is also as important. In this article you will find some basic requirements which you need to prepare before you start the wood carving.

The wood carver's vise
This is a most useful tool for the amateur as it is easy to fix on any improvised bench. It is attached by a heavy screw that passes down through a hole in the bench. The vise is drawn tight to the bench by a wing nut underneath. In order not to split or damage the bench top, a piece of wood should be drilled and used as a washer before screwing on the wing nut. Both screw and nut are provided with the vise. The jaws are fitted with cork and leather buffs, an added protection, and particularly useful when the wood is very soft or the work delicate.

The bench holdfast
This tool needs no fixing. The shaft is inserted in a hole in the bench and the foot rests on the carving. When the screw is turned the work is held firm by the pressure of the shaft on the side of the hole. The principle of the holdfast seems surprisingly simple but it is nevertheless efficient. It should be used on a bench top not less than 2 inch thick.

The carver's bench screw
To use the carver's bench screw a hole must be drilled in the bench. The pointed end is screwed into the block to be carved and tightened by a wing nut under the bench. As with the carver's vise, a block of wood should be used as a washer varying the size of this block you can lengthen or shorten the screw.

Coach screws
The coach screw can be used for fixing the carving in the same manner as the bench screw. Coach screws are also invaluable for fixing one heavy piece of wood to another. For instance, the large figure illustrated in plate XII is held to the cross by coach screws. A tall block, as shown in figure 7, B, can be firmly held by a 6 inch or 8 inch coach screw. Short screws will work loose with the continual vibration of the mallet. Large hardware dealers will supply them up to 8 inch in length and f inch or J inch thick. Holes must be drilled to take the coach screws and tightening is done by means of a spanner.

C cramps
The'G'cramp is obtainable in many sizes and is useful in all kinds of woodwork, including wood carving. The type with the swivel shoe is best for the carver as it will tighten on surfaces that are not parallel. For secure fixing use them in pairs.

All the above equipments are mostly available in the general shops or carpenter shops. There are some shops specially providing the articles or equipment for the wood carving. But with these guides, you can start the process confidently.

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About the Author:

 

Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for www.kitchen-plans-n-designs.com/ , www.tipsforcollectables.info/ , www.goodbudgetholiday.info/

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Figurine - An Art Form

By: NamSing Then

Figurine refers to the human made statuettes and the dictionaries describe the word as a diminutive form of the word figure. Earliest figurines are said to be made in the Indus Valley Civilization and they were all in stones.

Although it is not exactly known as to why man made figurines, it is sure that in one way it was the graduation from the cave paintings and sketches perhaps out of artistic interests or because of awe and wonder for the supernatural powers that he could perceive. Figurines in the modern day are more a form of art than anything else.

Figurines were used for a variety of purposes. While some were used to serve as deities in religious and ceremonial occasions, some of the figurines depict special purposes. This means that a woman gifted with figurine of "pregnant Venus" implied wishing successful fertility. Since figurines are mainly female figures, so they make great gifts in wedding and other rituals. The figurines are also meant to amuse children who spend their time playing with them. Some of the figurines also serve as jewelry for women.

Different Faces of Modern Figurines
In the present day art form, copper, glass, plastic, wood and even rubber are used in making figurines. In the recent history, figurines are adopted for playing board games such as chess. Players use differently colored figurines while playing the war game as in chess. Each piece in the game is a figurative replica of its live model.

Today, figurines made of plastic and porcelain are popular for their adoptability to molding easily than stone which needs to be carved as the only form of making them and glass, although is best suited for molding, is rather used in making transparent figurines.

Unlike the ancient times you can find figurines of all types and subjects to suit your needs and the ambience of your home and offices. It may not surprise you to find figurines made especially for occasions like for example, the Valentine's Day or the Christmas Day. The most attractive and much in demand figurines belong to wildlife and floral designs.

Figurine Collecting Hobby
Internet has made life simpler for figurine collectors. Locating an interesting figurine over the net has a second advantage that you can purchase online. You can find specialist shops for themed figurines like Hummels, a very popular one whose value has always appreciated.

Normally Curio cabinets made of wood and glass are used for showcasing figurines, otherwise depending on your home's décor and size of the figurines they can be displayed on table tops and corner tables too.

If it was a mixed feeling of awe and respect in addition to artistic inclination that gave birth to figurines but what takes it to a higher plane of merchandising is the awareness created by the Internet era.

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About the Author:

 

NamSing Then is a regular article contributor on many topics. Be sure to visit his other websites Figurines, Toys and Information Vault

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Tips for Taking Proper Care of Clays

By: Mitch Johnson

A long process is needed to make you clay perfectly ready for use. If this process are follow properly then a good result can be obtain. In this article you will learn what these processes are and how to follow.

Plain water-and-clay slips can be used as an adhesive material for joining two pieces of plastic or leather-hard clay. In performing such an operation, it is advisable to make your slip of the same material as your ware. Otherwise the juncture may be visible after drying and finishing. If, for example, you use a red slip for mending a white clay body, the repair would mar the beauty of the completed piece.

For decorating, on the other hand, a contrasting slip can be used with winning results. Never slip-decorate a piece that has passed its leather-hard stage of drying, however. If the ware to be so decorated is too moist, the slip will tend to soften it. If the ware is dry-hard, you will have difficulty getting the slip to adhere properly. More than likely, the slip will chip and peel away.

Plastic clay should be kept in a container with a lid. Stoneware jars, garbage cans and laundry tubs are adaptable for this purpose. For hand-shaped pottery, the clay must be kept quite soft, not sticky, and firm, not shapeless. For sculpture, it should be stiffer so that it will not slump or sink or lose its shape.

While working on an object, the unused portion of the wedged clay should be kept under a damp cloth, or it will become too hard. If the clay is too moist, it can be rolled or wedged on a dry table or dry plaster bat until it is of the right consistency. If it is too stiff, it can be rolled or wedged on a damp surface until it is right.

To increase plasticity, you may add one of the following: acetic acid, ball clay, ben-tonite, dextrin, glycerine, tannic acid. To increase the strength of clay, you may use: fire clay, flint, grog, lignin extract. (Note: Grog increases strength in dry form. The other materials weaken clay in the unfired state but increase strength after firing.)

When clay is very stiff it may be reclaimed by leaving it on a moist plaster bat, covered with a damp cloth. Clay that is bone-dry must be broken and mashed and worked like dry powder clay. It is far better to err on the side of keeping clay too wet than too dry.

Slip should always be stored in dust tight containers. Some slips have a tendency to form a skin or crust on the top. This can partly be prevented by covering the slip pail or jar with wax paper and string.

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About the Author:

 

Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for http:// www.curtains-n-drapes.com/ , www.ceramicsmadeeasy.info/ , www.ceramicsmadeez.info/

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Gel Candle Making Step-by-Step

By: Tatyana Turner

Do you love burning beautiful, scented candles? And do you know that you can easily make them yourself? It is exciting and not at all difficult. Here are 12 easy steps to creating unique candles that you can burn at home, give as gifts, or even sell.

Materials for gel candle making

You will need:

- gel
- zinc wicks (cotton wicks can't be used for gel
candles because they absorb too much gel)
- essential oil for fragrance
- liquid color dye
- embeds (optional)

All these materials can be obtained online from candle making suppliers. It is important to use essential oils and colors specially made for gel candles; fragrance oils you can buy in a cosmetic shop are not suitable. Also, you can buy a gel candle making kit. Getting a kit is the best solution for a beginner, because it will include everything you need to make your first few candles.

And of course you will need a container. The best container for a gel candle is glass, so people can see the embeds you put inside the candle, but any non-flammable container would do. You can use any glass, wine glass, or even a small wide vase, but your container should be at least 2 inches in diameter. Garage sales and second hand stores are gold mines, when it comes to candle containers.

For embeds you can use anything non-flammable - colored aquarium gravel, marbles, glitter, sand, sea shells, pebbles, crystals, polished stones, artificial jewels or pearls.

Steps to making a gel candle

1. Place a little bit of hot glue in the center of the container bottom. Stick the wick in it and let the glue set.

2. Cut the gel into small pieces so it melts faster and more evenly. Melt it in a stainless steel pot over a medium heat.

3. The trickiest part is the temperature - you should get it to exactly 200°F, because overheated gel looses its clarity. For that, you will need a suitable thermometer.

4. Maintain the temperature at 200°; all the gel should melt and become smooth, like syrup.

5. Add color dye to the melted gel, a little bit at a time, until you get the desired color - remember, you can always add more dye to make the color stronger, but you can't take dye away. For a candle with embedded objects, you should use only a little color, so the objects remain visible

6. Add the fragrance - 1/3 teaspoon for each glass of melted gel will give it a nice scent. For a stronger scent, add a bit more fragrance.

7. Heat the container in the oven or microwave to about 150-160°F. This will help to reduce the appearance of bubbles

8. If you want to use embeds, dip them in hot gel first and then arrange them in the container as you like. It is better to keep the objects closer to the sides of the container - they will be easier to see, this way.

9. Now it is time to pour your gel into the container. Place your container on a level surface and pour the gel slowly and carefully down the side. If it is your first time, you will probably get a few bubbles; to avoid that, the gel should be still very hot.

10. Pull the wick up. Roll it on a pencil to keep it straight.

11. Let the candle cool. Trim the wick and you are done! You have a beautiful, unique gel candle, made by yourself.

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About the Author:

 

Visit www.BestScentedCandles.info for information about candle making, different types of candles and reviews of best candle retailers

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Tutorial For Creating Your Own Craft Patterns

By: Kelle Arvay

Let's say you've been creating your craft designs and selling them either online or off. Now your interested in creating patterns of your designs and becoming a WAHM to start your own pattern business. What is the first step you need to take to make that happen you ask? Well, first of all you need to understand the make up of a pattern.

The following are the basic components of creating a pattern:

Front Cover
Supply List
Instructions
Templates
Back Cover

Front Cover: This is where your banner, logo, website address, and picture of the design will go.
Supply List: Using MS Word or Works, you'll need to type a list of all the required supplies for making your design. Be sure and include brand names if you used them. Also the supply list can go on the back cover and this makes it easy for the customer to see what is required without taking the pattern out of the bag.

Instructions: The best way to create instructions is to take notes while your making the item. Type them out using MS Word or Works. Be as detailed as possible without writing War and Peace. Also remember to write your instructions as if your instructing a beginner. When your finished it's very important to proof read and use spell check.

Templates: When you make your creation you should make sure you trace out templates on cardstock. So this way you can have them to trace onto paper again for the pattern. If you have shapes like circles or need straight lines, use a small glass, plate and a ruler. Trace your templates out on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Make sure your drawings are accurate in size and don't resemble being drawn by a 3 year old. There's nothing worse than for a customer to get what they think is going to be a great pattern only to find the templates distorted or drawn poorly.

Back Cover: The back cover is the best place for the supply list and any additional information like size of the finished item you think the customer needs to know. As well as your contact information and website address.

Some of the other supplies you'll need to send patterns through the mail is 6 x 9 pattern bags and 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 manila envelopes.

Once you've finished all these steps your ready to scan your templates and save them on your computer or you can take the original templates to a copier and make copies. If your wanting to offer your patterns as e-patterns you'll need to learn how to put all the elements of your patterns into a PDF. There are many tutorials that can be found online for this process or you can hire someone to do them for you. PDF's are opened and read by Acrobat Adobe. E-patterns are a wonderful way to offer your online customers a fast and easy way for your customers to purchase your patterns and get them via e-mail.

Good luck in all your pattern endeavors and keep on crafting and designing.

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About the Author:

 

Kelle Arvay a pattern designer for years and her patterns available through retail, wholesale and her website: www.DirtyCrowInn.com . Also www.PatternMart.com a website where customers can order patterns and Designers can offer their patterns to a large base of customers.

Article Source: http://www.therealarticles.com

Tips to Make Your Own Ceramic Wares

By: Mitch Johnson

Need a new lamp in the living room? Instead of shopping around and hoping that you will find something which only resembles what you desire, make it yourself. It is not hard, really, once you have mastered the basic techniques of making ceramic wares. Once started, you will find no end of things of their children's development. The kindergarten boy or girl brings home drawings made on cheap paper -which in a few years crumble into dust, much to the parent's dismay. However, if these same drawings, so much treasured by parents, were done on tile, they would never fade; the colors would remain vivid and fresh as the day they were made.

Among the most popular do-it-yourself projects today is the tile-topped coffee table. In a fine furniture shop such a table would cost an absolute minimum of $100. Yet, the ceramics hobbyist in his spare time can produce just as fine a table quite simply and at one-fourth the price.

Similarly, when gift-giving time rolls around, you can present your family and friends with things no one else could possibly give them things you have created especially for each of them. Your gifts, though inexpensive to make, will bear the which can be made for the home and your own personal adornment. The most ordinary article can be given real, lasting beauty with a bit of imagination on the ceramist's part.

Take, as an example, a commonplace kitchen knife. Let us say the handle is broken. The blade, however,