Making Beaded Jewelry Is Easy to Do
May 14, 2008
Making beaded jewelry is an inexpensive and fun hobby that nearly anyone can do. The materials needed are readily accessible and cost very little money. Aside from the requisite thread, needle and the beads, there are also some other materials that the hobbyist can use in making beaded jewelry. Hobbyists can also experiment with various beading techniques to make interesting and unique creations.
There are several techniques involved in making beaded jewelry. Stringing is one, and wire-working with beads is another. Various types of string are available: cords, plastic, twine. Additionally, silk and nylon threads can also be utilized in making beaded jewelry. Using hemp fiber in beaded jewelry making is a nice touch ? it makes for an unusual product and would also be a great topic for conversation. Wire of various thicknesses is another popular option. Additionally, wire is used to make beaded jewelry items such as necklaces, hairpins and earrings, and to attach clasps.
Elephants in the Sky and Four Poems
May 14, 2008
Elephants in the Sky
[1980s, Lee Evens in Mali, Timbuktu/Africa]
Advance: Lee was discharged from the Army in 1980, whereupon, he traveled the world, one of those locations was in Mali, by the legendary city of Timbuktu; whereupon he found himself in the middle of a plague, a plague of locust.
[Diary-review]
There were swarms of locust over the top of my car, in front of me, swarms, a dark shadow covering the sky, descending, descending onto the road-in front of me, behind me, it was locusts, locusts, locusts-locusts everywhere: so thick, thick as layers that my car was slipping and sliding as if on ice. My radiator was being blocked, plugged by these finger-sized carcasses. I had to pull over to the side of the road. It was but a moment thereafter when I saw some adolescents down the road a bit, not too far, just a little ways, three of them trying to beat them off with their belts, pants belts. Then one resorted to a stick, a stick I say, would you use a stick? To be honest, I’d run I think; anyhow, he took a stick to beating them off, while the other used their hats, hands; they were dropping down like hail onto them from all sides; down and sideways: bombarding them like creatures from outer space, like in the bible, where it mentions such things happening back in the days Moses: the plagues God bequeath upon the pharaoh. This was like that; they were in their hair, noses, ears, climbing up their pants legs, flying straight for their mouths.
Secrets to a Stress Free Holiday
May 13, 2008
December and all the excitement that comes with it can either be one of the most pleasant times of year or one of the most stressful. Even though the holidays are a couple of months away, there are things you can do to make it an extremely pleasant season.
For the ten plus years I have owned and operated Just Bears and Stuff, I have been witness to those people who plan ahead when it comes to buying gifts. Then there are those who wait until the last minute. Although we love both types of customers, experience tells me those who plan ahead are the ones who seem to most enjoy the festivities that await them.
If you are planning on buying gifts this year, start with making a list of everyone you will be giving something to. You can write the list for both personal gift giving and those people who are more of a professional type relationship.
Once you write the list, organize it into two groups. One would be the easiest to buy for and the other the most difficult. Some people prefer to search out the most difficult gifts first in order to reduce the pressure associated with finding things.
Diet and Fitness ? Help from Your Hobbies
May 12, 2008
Everybody battles with their weight from time to time. It’s either too much junk food or not enough exercise. In many cases it is a poor diet and no exercise. We go to work and sit behind a computer or a counter, and we sit. Then we get up for coffee, and then we sit. On and on, day after day. It’s the ritual that many people get used to. They are creatures of habit. But the trend can be broken.
In many cases, folks just need to get out and about to enjoy life a little. As funny as it might sound, there are many hobbies that keep some people from being stagnant and growing fat. True fitness doesn’t have to come from the gym, there are plenty of fit people who simply watch their diet and do something everyday.
Golfing and Fitness
This is the one I struggled explaining to my wife. Then she bought some clubs and started coming along. It’s great exercise. Buy the backpack style straps for your bag or get a pull cart. Take the initiative to walk the course. If the weather is ninety five degrees and humid, ride a cart. On the nice days, walk it. It’s not only good for your body, it’s also good for your mind. The great outdoors has a lot to do with your happiness. And it doesn’t hurt if you make a couple nice birdie putts.
Rocks
May 11, 2008
Take some time to stop and look at nature. Pick up a rock or two and think about where it might have started out and what it might have gone through to end up where you found it.
Rocks
The smoothest rock is the one that was in the roughest part of the stream, where it was tossed to and fro, bouncing from rock to rock or tree branch, losing a little of its roughness with each bang, until gradually it comes to rest in the calm, quiet sand at the edge of the stream. When you pick it up and feel its smoothness you can feel the vibrations of its tumultuous journey and know that despite the troubles you now face, you too will come to a calm and quiet place, your rough edges smoothed, and you will grant peace to those who hold you close. The energy you contain will speak to their hearts and minds and calm them, and they will realize that they too can have this peace, if only they will trust that God has their best interests at heart. We seek out the smooth stones because we know that they can easily skip across the surface of the water for a great distance. Those with rough edges quickly sink to the bottom - they have no longevity. A good “skipping stone” is a great find indeed. For it is in the heart of the stone that the strength is found. The outside edges are weak and break off easily, but the centre becomes purer and more durable as the roughness is ground away. So too our inner core becomes more durable as our rough edges are smoothed.
Discover the Truth about Comic Book Collection; Nerdy Geeks or Shrewd Investors?
May 10, 2008
It is unbelievable when one says, yeah, I collect comic books, what the general public response might be? Oh no, a slightly off the wall geek. Here is someone who has lost touch with reality. Or someone that is in his or her own little world. I think not. Yes, comic book collectors may sometimes march to the beat of a different drummer, but who says we all have to be cut from the same mold. Comic books are big business.
Back in the days of my youth (what, several millennia ago?), I loved reading comic books. And so did a lot of my friends. Whenever we had an extra dime or sometimes a quarter, we could run up to the local small town grocery and spend some very happy times at the comic book rack.
Gift Giving During Thanksgiving Adds That Special Touch
May 9, 2008
Many of us believe Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays, right? Actually, one of the most notable occasions is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is surprisingly a widely celebrated holiday that crosses over many nationalities and religions.
Actually, harvest festivals were celebrated by ancient Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Chinese and the Egyptians. In America, it wasn’t until 1621 when the Pilgrims had their first successful harvest, did they celebrate their first annual thanksgiving celebration. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving and since then, each new president issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation.
So for hundreds of years, Thanksgiving has held a special meaning across many cultures in many corners of the world. Although giving gifts at Thanksgiving is not as popular as Christmas, gift giving at this time could actually be appreciated more since it is more likely to be unexpected. Since Thanksgiving is traditionally a family celebration, gift giving to friends and business associates could offer a very special meaning of thanks. A card, gift or thank you note has a more personal touch at Thanksgiving than it might at other times of the year.
Plastic, Zinc, Brass, Embossing and Marking Stencils
May 9, 2008
Marking Stencils
Stencil is a cut-out form for an alphabets, numbers, symbols and illustrations. Embossing and Marking Stencils provide quality of work and save plenty of time. Stencils are available in a wide variety of materials and fabrication methods. Stainless steel and plastic are the most commonly used materials. Thickness ranges from a few millimeters to 0.040 depending on the components to be placed.
Marking Stencil Material
Stencil material can be a critical variable in the stencil printing process. The dynamics of deposition and release are quite different between metal and plastic stencils.
Plastic Stencils
Plastic stencils have several advantages over metal stencils. Plastic stencils are easy to clean and store. There is no rust problem with plastic. Plastic stencil weighs less than metal stencils. Typically plastic stencils are much thicker than metal stencils and small apertures may require more aggressive cleaning such as high pressure spray or ultrasonic methods. Plastic is more durable and flexible material. Mylar is a special type of plastic usually used in making plastic stencils. It has one side shinning and other side dull to create difference between stenciling side and underside.
The Mysterious Powerful Element of a Picture That Sells
May 8, 2008
A photo buyer calls for a picture of pigs. It could be about anything. A hundred responses go online and one lucky so-and-so gets the sale. That’s 99 pictures deemed to be second, and that’s no good in any race.
So, what is it about that winning picture that produced a sale? It may good lighting, it may be striking content… but hey, all the pictures submitted were about the same topic, so eliminate that one. Let’s face it, there could be a million reasons for the selection of that winner, but there isn’t!!
The winning shot is unusual. It’s different from the rest. It’s got something the others just don’t have. It’s got oomph. It’s got pizzazz. Call it what you will’ it’s got that winning streak that just knocks spots of the competition. It has? Well what the heck is it? Tell me, and we’ll bottle it.
It might be stunning exposure. Well it might. That certainly helps. In fact, exposure IS a factor, it must be spot on. However, that’s not the killer factor. Picture researchers, editors and publishers don’t set out to look for stunning exposures. No. That’s not it. There is something else, an elusive factor that underpins every sellable photo. It’s not something you can find by playing blind man’s bluff either. If you want to sell photos You have to recognize it, pursue it, capture it, master it and make it work for you.
Birthday Gift Baskets ? The Ideal Gift For Everyone!
May 7, 2008
No matter how old we are, we enjoy being remembered on that special day of the year that celebrates the day we were born! Birthdays are a time to recognize special people in our lives with joyous celebration. It is a time-honored tradition to pay tribute the birthday gal or guy with a mouth-watering cake decorated with sugar-laden frosting sculptures and a candle representing every year of their life on earth! We bestow on them gifts and cards filled with birthday verses and best wishes for many more birthdays to come. Birthdays are just plain fun!
Typically, the most difficult part of the birthday celebration is deciding what to buy the recipient. After all, what do you buy for someone who has it all? Admit it ? every year it becomes more difficult to find the "perfect" gift for your mom, dad, sibling, husband, and even the kids in your family. How much time do you spend thinking about it and ultimately browsing through department stores without a clue?
