Specialized Styles of Photography
March 15, 2008
Outlined below is a list of genres that call for specialized treatment in the process of creating outstanding photographs. These thematic approaches will be discussed in detail here, though there are few more categories and sub-categories in thematic photography like ad messages, corporate brochures, under-water photography and so on.
–Wildlife photography –Landscape photography –Sports events –Photo-journalism –Fashion photography –Black & White treatment –Shooting Celebrities
Choosing The Correct Comic Book Storage Box
March 14, 2008
Most Comic Book Storage Boxes are super strong and come with sturdy well-fitting lids and handle holes that can be left in the closed position for storing or pushed open for carrying. They are properly sized to hold a comic in a bag with a backing board. Comic Book divider cards (used for categorizing) fit in most comic book boxes with the lid on. Comic Book Storage boxes ship flat which takes up less storage room and they fold together when you are ready to use them without glue or tape.
Storing your comics in a properly sized box helps protect your comics from corner and edge damage. Putting your comics in a comic box also protects the comic from being exposed to ultra-violet light and Ultra-violet light causes inks to fade. Most comic book boxes are made form either Corrugated Plastic or Corrugated Cardboard and come in several different lengths for your various storage and display needs.
Easter Flowers
March 13, 2008
Easter is Sunday, March 27th! Don’t forget the flowers! Your spring celebration is the perfect setting for beautiful flowers! You can also have a lovely floral gift delivered to your loved ones for Easter!
A popular choice for Easter is the Easter lily. The Easter lily’s true name is Bermuda lily. For many, the beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers symbolize purity, hope and life-the spiritual essence of Easter. Your local florist can even add a festive basket & bow to your Potted Easter Lily. They are great as floral gifts for mom or grandma, or to decorate your home or office. They are grown from bulbs, and can be transplanted into your home garden after the blooms have died off. Then, they will bloom in your flower garden every spring!
As a sign of Spring, Tulips are in full bloom, making this a perfect time to send a beautiful vase of fresh colorful tulips as a gift! Many spring flowers are at their peak in the Spring. Your local florist can recommend the many colorful options available.
A Few Tips About Comic Book Backing Boards
March 12, 2008
Comic Book Backing Boards come in different thicknesses and acid-free properties. The basic purpose for using a backing board is to give the comic some stiffness, which helps keep the comic pages from bending, creasing or wrinkling. When a backing is placed in the center of the comic it protects the comic book spine from crushing. The second purpose for using a backing board in a comic is its potential to neutralize acid in the comic book paper.
Acid in the paper that the comic is printed can cause the deterioration of the comic. Using an acid-free backing in your comic can potentially trap and neautralize acid in the paper. The three types of comic backing boards we offer are: Economy comic book backings, Standard acid-free comic book backings and Archival comic backings.
The economy comic backing should be used for short-term storage and stiffening purposes only. It does contain acid and can contribute to the breakdown of the comic. People generally use this board for quick sale items. The standard acid-free comic backing material is acid-free and can be used for long-term storage (over 100 years). The archival comic backing material is acid-free and buffered with calcium carbonate, which means that it will remain archival for 100’s of years. Our comic backing boards are sized to properly fit into our comic bags. Brought To You Courtesy AAA-Collectables
Eds Poem
March 11, 2008
Ed Gallagher Dec. 11, 1907 - Sept. 5, 2004
This poem was written for Ed Gallagher, a good friend and neighbour on the day his wife called me to let me know that he was in the hospital and wasn’t expected to live. I was asked by the family to read this at the gathering after the funeral service and copies were given to all his family members.
It is important to recognize that we will miss our loved ones, despite the fact that they have lived to a good age, and especially when they die young.
People will say That you lived a good life You had many years With your kids and your wife.
You lived a good life Yes, it is true But that doesn’t mean We won’t miss you.
The sound of your voice The pace of your step, These are things We won’t forget.
Your years on the farm Were not spent in vain You raised quite a crew Through your toil and strain.
Though your sight and your hearing Had begun to dim Your mind was as sharp As a tack or a pin.
Jeweled Shamrock Pendant
March 10, 2008
March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day and according to tradition if you are not wearing at least a little something green you just might get pinched and why put yourself through that? Let’s face it most of us do not look very good in green attire but, there are ways around this.
A pretty green pendant to wear on your lapel for the occasion would be fun and festive especially if you make it yourself.
I chose the Shamrock or Four Leaf Clover because, According to Irish tradition it represents blessings and who doesn’t like getting blessed?
This St. Patrick’s Day craft project is geared for adults, it is not easy enough for children to do unless an adult is right there helping the child through each step.
* * *
Supplies:
1- 18 X 22 piece of green felt. (any shade of green)
1- Acrylic Craft Jewel (any color)
1- Pin Back- 1 1/4″
A small tube of green (any shade of green) glitter fabric paint
Scissors
Craft Tacky Glue
1- Black Sharpie marker
Heart shaped template (provided)
Circle shaped template (provided)
Clover Stem template (provided)
The ABCs of Ceramics
March 10, 2008
Ceramics can be delicate and decorative or unrefined and utilitarian. Bone china, porcelain, stoneware and earthenware - this month we’ll review them all. How Ceramics are Made.
Different kinds of stone are ground into a fine powder, mixed with water resulting in a paste. It is fired in a kiln (an oven) at very high temperatures until the particles of stone melt and fuse together to create a strong substance.
Bone China.
It is shiny and smooth non-porous pottery made with bone ash, china stone and fine kaolin (china clay). Bone china is light weight and thin and fired at a high temperature. Patterns are usually formal. Despite bone china’s delicate appearance, it does not chip easily. It is the finest and most expensive dishware available.
Porcelain.
It is a non-porous pottery made from fine kaolin that is fired above 1250 degrees Celsius. Porcelain is translucent, thin and light weight. Originating in China, this delicate looking dishware is stronger than stoneware. Porcelain is less expensive than bone china and is available in casual and formal patterns.
Stoneware.
History of the Camera
March 9, 2008
Early cameras of the 16th and 17th century were able to project images onto paper or glass but the study of capturing, processing and printing the images took many more years. Up until the 17th century, scientists believed that light was composed basically of the ‘white’ that is perceived by the human eye. It took the research done by famous physicist Isaac Newton to discover that light is actually composed of a spectrum of colors. While he made a big contribution to the study of optics (that is at the core of camera advances) with this discovery, Newton did not actually have anything to do with camera development per se.
The early camera that first became a phenomenon was a little more than a pinhole camera and can be traced back to 1558. It was called the Camera Obscura. The Camera Obscura was seen as a drawing tool for a clearer and realistic portrayal of objects. It was in the early 19th century that an invention named the Camera Lucida was introduced by Cambridge scientist William Hyde Wollaston that consisted of an optical device that could help an artist view a distant scene or person or object on a paper surface that he or she was using to draw. In other words the artist gets to view a superimposed image of a subject on paper and this image could be effectively used to attempt to draw, trace or paint it. Both the Camera Obscura and the Camera Lucida provided an image that was temporary, which could not be lastingly captured on to paper for later reference.
The Nuts and Bolts of Vintage Tin Toys
March 8, 2008
Before Game Boy and Play Station, there were tin toys. During their heyday, these whimsical toys amused children for hours. Today, these toys have great nostalgic appeal. Here’s your guide to tin toys.
The Players.
In England, Wells, Hornby and Chad Valley were dominant players in the tin toy market. During the post-1930 period, these companies were at their peak and any of their work from this period is very desirable. In Germany, Märklin and Bing were the big guns. In France, it was Fernand Martin. Toys by any of these makers are desirable.
How It Started.
Before there were tin toys, children played with wood and paper toys. Tinplating was developed during the Industrial Revolution. Its discovery made the tinplated toy industry possible. Tinplate was fashioned into boats, submarines, cars, planes, horse drawn carriages and more.
Germany dominated the pre-WWI export market. The outbreak of WWI forced the rest of Europe, Japan and the US into the market due to wartime shortages and to counteract the German dominance.
After WWI, Germany refocused their economy and regained market dominance in tin toys.
But once again, war affected commerce when WWII resulted in shortages in raw materials and a battle-focused economy.
A New Look at Labor Day
March 7, 2008
A day to reflect on the accomplishments of working people: That’s been the proud tradition since the first, unofficial, Labor Day back in 1882.
But, one of labor’s greatest accomplishments has gone largely unrecognized. Since the end of World War II, working people have bought up a huge chunk of big business. They now own a piece of just about everything in business, from multinational corporations to small companies that build mini-malls in their neighborhoods.
It may be the greatest economic transformation since the Industrial Revolution; management guru Peter Drucker calls it “The Pension Fund Revolution.”
To get a sense of the transformation, consider this: At the end of 2001, America’s 242 billionaires had assets totalling about $800 billion. That’s a sizable amount, certainly, but working people had assets of $11.8 trillion in pension and mutual funds. That’s almost 15 times as much as the billionaires.
Most working people contribute only modest amounts to their retirement plans, but there are simply so many of us that our collective nest egg grew very quickly. If you’re still not sure, try this on your calculator: Multiply a contribution of $1,000 per year by one million working people. Answer: $1 billion dollars per year. Now note there are hundreds of millions of working people here and in other countries. And we’re contributing new money every year.
