Rubber Stamps : 10 Great Tips For Making Multiple Cards
May 23, 2008
You know the feeling. The kids have tons of demands, vacation is just around the corner, that big project at work is eating all of your free time. How will you ever make those handmade cards for the big party, or mail the invitations for the guests at the big wedding? What started out as a great idea for some very special cards has turned into a stressful project. These ten simple steps will maximize your time and free up your creativity when making multiple cards for any size project.
1. Determine and plan your cardmaking schedule. Do you want to set aside a few hours or just 30 minutes at a time? Pick a design suitable for the available time. Make a simple “assembly line” schedule to maximize the time you have to spend on the project.
2. Work on individual elements, individually. It may sound silly, but working on one element of the cards will retain the “look” of the cards while creating a “unity” among them. Start by stamping all of the impressions, then work on cutting out all of the backgrounds, folding all of the paper, tearing all of the sheets simultaneously. You don’t want to spend too much time on any one card.
Fourth of July Quotes
May 22, 2008
MADRID ? For millions of Americans, this Fourth of July will be a time of celebration and remembrance of those passed or distanced by war. The annual commemoration of Independence Day has always been a bittersweet time for Americans who evoke the thoughts of Cordell Hull, “I am certain that, however great the hardships and the trials which loom ahead, our America will endure and the cause of human freedom will triumph.”
First celebrated in 1776 and declared a legal holiday in 1941, the Fourth of July is truly the most American of all holidays. A time for families and friends to gather, the Fourth of July has become a benchmark between the blooms of spring and Indian summer.
Our national holiday is described best in the words of our most prominent leaders, past and present.
“Where liberty is, there is my country.” - Benjamin Franklin
“Only our individual faith in freedom can keep us free." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
“The experience of democracy is like the experience of life itself-always changing, infinite in its variety, sometimes turbulent and all the more valuable for having been tested by adversity.” - Jimmy Carter
Remember When You Were Taught How To Make Things From Metal With Your Bare Hands?
May 21, 2008
How would you like the chance to use the skills you learnt decades ago… if you could find the right kind of practical challenge? You can you know. Not all that many years ago, just about every home had a backyard shed or workshop; the shed was a special place which the practical man about the house could call his own.
The shed was a place where special projects could be built, & much tinkering was done. Heck, even some great inventions were born in the humble backyard shed.
The back shed was also a place where father & son relationships can be cemented into a true lifelong bond. Show me a father that wouldn’t like to spend a few hours together with his teenage son on a Saturday afternoon building and working together on a special project.
In this day of over sanitised lifestyles, men are searching for interesting hobbies that are challenging & rewarding. An absorbing hobby can help you to relax, & provide immense personal achievement, and help to divert your thoughts from the pressures of day-to-day work.
Rekindling those old practical skills learnt years ago just takes a bit of revision and practice… and before you know it, it all comes flowing back to you.
Eggs-travagant Eggs
May 20, 2008
Wonderfully simple to do and oh so impressive!
You don’t need a $40 Easter egg decorating kit with pages of instructions to impress your family and guests this Easter ? achieve sophisticated elegance with colors taken directly from nature. Simply decorated from a myriad of plants and flowers, you can create a beautiful range of natural colors and textures. Try this technique ? it’s simple enough to do with young children.
Ingredients
Gather together eggs, an enamel or stainless steel pot, vinegar, cheesecloth, a rubber band, and plant materials such as onionskins, blueberries, pecan hulls, parsley, beets or dandelions.
Directions
1. To prepare the dye bath, fill a pot with two or three cups of plant material. Barely cover it with water (more plant material produces stronger colors.) Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add water and stir as needed. The dyes can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Strain and heat the dye before using it.
2. Use hard-boiled or blown out eggs. Carefully wash the eggs with soap and water. Allow them to dry. Wipe the eggs with vinegar.
Scrapbooking Ideas for Kids
May 19, 2008
Many times at auctions, or estate sales, a box of books will turn up a real treasure, like a scrapbook that was kept by someone in their youth and sometimes through their adulthood. The book could be 50 or 60 years old, and a source of great fun to look at the pictures, news clippings, and personal mementoes.
The hobby of keeping such collections is enjoying a resurgence of popularity, with people of all ages finding new and inventive ways to record special events or occasions in their lives. Scrapbooking ideas for kids can be very basic to start with, because once they catch on to the fun, they’ll start developing their own sense of style and preference for decorating.
A scrapbook with reasonable quality paper makes a great special occasion gift for a child, along with glue, scissors, and perhaps a simple book on creating your own special treasure trove of memories.
The Time Has Come and Buzzing
May 19, 2008
Most of my poems are written late at night, often, as this one was, after I have turned out the lights to go to sleep. It seems that is the time when I am most creative. I hope you enjoy these two poems that talk a little bit about where my ideas come from.
Buzzing
My mind is buzzing as I try to sleep the words won’t rest all around me they creep. They cry to me with their siren song “just a few more lines, it won’t take long”. And so I succumb I pick up my pen I dash down a few words, I wait and then…. I try to sleep
March 5, 2004 Fran Watson
The Time Has Come
How to Buy a Digital Camera
May 18, 2008
Are you buying your first digital camera? Well, you must be confused by the bewildering range of models out there. How do you know which model will suit your needs? To make things worse, digital cameras do not come cheap. Choosing a bad camera will easily cost you a few hundred dollars.
In fact, buying a digital camera need not be a difficult task. I’ll highlight the key considerations you need to think through before making that purchase decision. Always, always remember to consider these factors when buying a digital camera:
- Battery Life
- Number of Megapixels
- Zoom Lens
- Exposure Control
- User Controls
Battery Life This has got to be one of the most overlooked features in digital cameras. I know many people who go for the latest and greatest digital cameras which are short in the battery life department. If you want to take good photos, your camera needs to powered for extended periods of time. I’ve found that cost and battery life don’t go together - many cheap cameras have good battery life, while some high-end models drain your battery really fast. Make sure you choose a camera that has good battery life.
Why Im Glad Im Not a Minority Writer
May 17, 2008
I’ll admit that I used to be jealous of my compadres who were minorities in my BFA Creative Writing program. The rest of us were just crusty white kids with no rhythm.
So, I used to be a little jealous of the amount of anger material these minority writers had access to. There is a lot of inspiration in one’s cultural identity but if that inspiration doesn’t allow the artist to create works that break past the illusory bonds of time and space to that oneness that unites us all then the art won’t last and won’t have quite the impact the artist hopes it will. In fact, here is a definition of good art you can copy paste into your brilliant quotes file. This one comes from yours’ truly, Uncle Josh:
“Art (with a capital A) is all about using the contemporary forms of time and space (people, objects and their relationships) to blow apart the phenomenal differences that keep us each locked into what appears to be an inescapable prison (our own egos which are composed of our experience and emotional and intellectual reactions to the present moment, from which we project the future).”
Making Hemp Jewelry Is Fun and Easy
May 16, 2008
Making our ideas come to life and creating them with our own hands is a great source of satisfaction for many of us. Handicrafts such as making hemp jewelry have been and continue to be very popular among both hobbyists and would-be entrepreneurs alike. Aside from being a productive way to pass time, making hemp jewelry encourages creativity and is a great and inexpensive way to have fun either by one’s own self or with friends and family.
Growing hemp is illegal in the United States because it comes from a variety of the cannabis plant, from which the drug marijuana is derived. Commercial hemp is the fiber used in making hemp jewelry, and it’s available in numerous arts and crafts stores nationwide. The benefits of wearing and making hemp jewelry are numerous: it is attractive in its uniqueness, it is strong and durable, it can be customized in myriad ways, and it is environmentally friendly. Fashion designers, including Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, are including hemp-made accessories among their offerings. Also, celebrities such as actor Woody Harrelson have been vigorously endorsing fashion accessories made from hemp (and he has had several brushes with the law because of his ardor).
Halloween Safety Tips
May 15, 2008
Halloween is an exciting night for children and a busy time for their parents. With such excitement, it’s easy for children to forget basic safety rules.
When emotions are running high, it’s a good time to remember to "use your head." Plan ahead and plan to have a safe Halloween. Raise safety awareness with your family before the festivities begin. We do the right thing, but we don’t always explain it to children. As you place a saucer under each tea light, or "stop, look and listen" at street corners and in parking lots, tell your child why. They don’t always connect the dots unless you point it out.
Here are some Halloween Safety Tips to keep in mind:
1. Stay sober and alert.
It’s amazing how many family Halloween celebrations involve adults drinking. It’s impossible to monitor children’s safety or your own when you’ve had too much to drink, so don’t.
2. Avoid cuts and burns when decorating.
Carving the pumpkin, placing luminaria in the driveway, and hanging spooky skeletons all present opportunities for injury. If you’re decorating with candles, observe fires safety. Have a good fire extinguisher handy and make sure everyone knows where it is.
