How to Create A Music Box, Part II
May 31, 2009
How to Create A Music Box, Part II
by: Monique Hawkins
Creating beautiful music boxes such as ballerina music boxes, musical jewelry boxes, carousel music boxes, and others can be a fun activity and hobby. In addition to choosing the title for the music box, considering creative ability, and choosing decorative accessories, one must also look at the type of musical movement to use. Ones to consider are the 18-Note Key -Wind, Double Action, Magnetic Swing Arm, Electronic Miniatures, and Clear Tones.
18-Note Key-Wind
These musical movements are used frequently when music boxes are made. There are numerous song titles to choose from. In addition, to add various kinds of motion, these musical movements can be made with animation accessories.
Double-Action
The double action musical movements come with a turntable. What usually happens is the turntable rotates in one direction while three discs on top of the turntable spin figurines to and fro. This movement would be especially useful for those who love figurines.
Magnetic Swing Arm
Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas
May 30, 2009
Now that the biggest shopping season of the year is in full swing it might be a good time to create a holiday budget. I’m sure there are lots of names on your list, but hopefully you can find gifts that won’t put a big dent in your pocketbook. I’ve come up with a few good ideas that might help.
Make your Own. Everybody loves a homemade gift. It means that you really put some time and thought into it. You can make your own bath salts, bubble bath, brownie mixes and more! Choose an inexpensive jar, add a ribbon and you’ve got a really cool gift that didn’t cost a fortune. You can find the recipes to these homemade gifts here: Pioneerthinking.com And I’ve got some homemade stocking stuffer ideas here: money-saving-tips.blogspot.com
It’s probably too late to start this idea for this holiday season but you can plan ahead for the next. After Christmas is one of the best times to buy gifts. Almost everything is marked down-sometimes as much as 50%. So create a list for next year and hit the shops after Christmas!
Reducing Red Eye In Photos
May 29, 2009
Reducing Red Eye In Photos
by: Sitecritic .Net
How many countless photos have you taken at birthday parties, weddings, or bar mitzvahs that came back from your film developer with annoying red eye? The same thing can happen with animals, however, the result is usually a greenish or silvery glow. One of the most common problems novice photographers encounter when photographing people or animals is red eye. The problem is caused by the flash of the camera illuminating the rentina of the eye. With people the retina is made up of hundreds of tiny blood vessels. When lit by the camera’s flash it reflects the red color of these vessels.
Today many point and shoot cameras offer a red eye reduction feature. A tiny strobe light will pulse from the camera prior to the camera shutter opening and closing. The theory is that the iris of the eye will narrow when exposed to the bright light. This offers a smaller area of the retina, containing the tiny blood vessels, to be exposed while the photo is taken. However, this doesn’t always eliminate the problem. The reason is the proximity of the flash to the camera lens, it’s just too close.
I Wouldnt Change A Thing
May 29, 2009
CHAPTER ONE: From Riches to Rags:
When I look back upon my life in this round of the soulful experience I have enjoyed so much; there are many things that seem almost too good to be true. I have chosen to be a very unusual ‘bird’ or a weird duck to be sure. I was blessed by being taught the Joy of Learning before I went to school at the age of four. It also seems I was always in the last year of getting into courses or schools before one needed to be older or have more education. Thus the only grades I skipped in schools were Kindergarten and my B. A. I would have skipped many others if they allowed this while I was attending school. I could have tested out of Grade Thirteen when I was eleven years old and I probably would have gotten a higher mark than I did. In fact I could have tested out of a B.A. at that juncture and I was usually able to argue against what was being taught as historical fact better than the teachers. This book is a personal biographical account to some degree and I will have to tout my own horn a lot; while explaining what might appear to be insane actions such as giving my all for mankind and life on earth rather than pursuing the materialistic ‘get yours’ paradigm.
To My Friend, With Love
May 28, 2009
All is still; all quiet; The world seems to be at peace. My soul is singing its rhythmic melody And I’m led like in a trance to write its tunes. The lyrics are for you. The essence of friendship.
I have what so many people in this world Yearn so desperately for: a friend. A friend who’s closer to me than skin And worth more than life itself.
You have shared in my pain, as has no other And touched my wounded spirit With tender expressions of compassion. Your heart bled when you felt my grief; Your empathy and sensitivity Transmitted affection no words ever could.
Your unfailing loyalty has been inexhaustible, Regardless of what it may have cost you Personally. You have made great sacrifices On my behalf Unconditionally.
You accepted me as I was and am; Appreciating my strengths, Challenging my weaknesses, Guarding my vulnerabilities, Accepting my imperfections, Valuing my humanity.
You have buttressed the arrows People often shot in my direction; Willingly absorbing suffering Meant for me. Adversaries tried to put a wedge between us To no avail; Our friendship too secure, Our commitment too strong
Which Scrapbook Paper? Creative Ideas To Enhance Your Pages
May 27, 2009
Which Scrapbook Paper? Creative Ideas To Enhance Your Pages
by: Caroline Smith
Scrapbook paper can be used in a number of different ways to add creative touches to your pages and enhance your photos. Displaying your photographs in scrapbook albums is a great way to preserve your treasured memories for posterity, and scrapbooks you’ve made yourself make wonderful keepsakes. To make sure your precious photographs are archived safely, it’s important to use special scrapbooking paper and adhesives that are acid-free and lignin free, so they won’t damage your pictures. There’s a huge variety of different types of papers available these days, in all kinds of colors and patterns. Look out for free scrapbooking ideas online and in craft magazines to help inspire your creativity!
Scrapbook paper is most commonly sold in standard sizes of 12 x 12 or 8 x 8. As well as providing an attractive background for your photos, paper can be used to embellish your pages in many ways. For instance, torn or crumpled scraps of paper can be used to add texture and this is a very simple technique to use. Ready made kits of paper piecing patterns give you the option to add all sorts of images and shapes to help add meaning to you pictures and elaborate on the story they tell. Vellum paper has many uses. Because it is translucent, lots of scrappers like to use it to give their pictures a matte appearance. It can also be decorated and used as a stylish background.
Three Steps to Reduce Holiday Stress for Your Kitty
May 26, 2009
The annual holidays can be a very stressful time for your cat. This is the time of the year when that strange tree goes up, bright trinkets are hung (but all your cat hears is "No, no, bad kitty!" when she tries to explore them), delicious food is prepared (cats need not apply to eat it!), and lots of strange people come tramping into the house.
Some cats are in their glory, being in the middle of the tree decoration tradition, while others react to differences in the household by cowering in fear. Plus, if the holidays stress you out (raise your hand if they don’t; the rest of us would like to know your secret), it’ll be communicated to kitty, and she may react in kind. And sometimes that fear and stress manifests itself in your cat urinating outside her litter box.
Here are three steps you can do to reduce holiday stress for your cat.
Nude Art Photography
May 25, 2009
Nude photography is the genre of art photography, whose subject is the representation of the naked (full nude) or partially naked (half nude) human body.
The aesthetic value of nude photography and its boundary to erotic photography can only be determined with difficulty and inter-subjectively and is also affected by its numerous overlaps with pornography. In consequence, nude photography and erotic photography always find themselves branded in multiple ways, and labelled as works of artistic freedom, aesthetics, kitsch, junk or provocation. The boundaries of nude photography, erotic photography and pornography are so undefined and continuously changing that they are always determined and defined by the subjective moral view of the individual and the generally accepted cultural confines of "customs and tradition".
Scrapbook Layouts - Putting Together The Perfect Page
May 24, 2009
Scrapbook Layouts - Putting Together The Perfect Page
by: Caroline Smith
Designing scrapbook layouts plays a key role in the appearance of your pages and it’s worth spending some time organizing your layouts before you start. How you choose to layout your photos on a page is entirely up to you. You can use your imagination and be as creative as you like. But if you’re stuck for inspiration, there are loads of free scrapbooking ideas to be found online. There are also loads of products designed to make creating your pages quicker and simpler, including pre-packaged scrapbook kits and digital scrapbooking software.
There are loads of scrapbooking layout ideas for you to try out. Give some thought to how many photos you want on each page. Do you want one central picture as a focal point, or several photos on each page? Many scrapbookers like to crop their photographs to highlight the main details and so they can use lots of smaller pictures together. It helps to keep your page layouts simple and consistent. For example, try using just two or three colors of paper and stick to using the same style of frames and borders throughout. Journaling can help add to the story the photos tell, so remember to leave space to insert your notes or any scrapbooking quotes you’d like to use.
Important Chinese Festivals
May 24, 2009
Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year (January/February)
It is usually in the winter of a year. The exact date would follow the one in Lunar Calendar. Entering the New Year month, every family would clean and tidy both the inside and the outside of their houses. New Year food would also be prepared. ‘Lin Gao’, the Chinese cake symbolizing the rise of family every year, would be a must. New Year couplets would be displayed around house. All families would be busy until the New Year’s Eve and a big New Year eve’s dinner would be served for the gathering to welcome the beginning of a New Year. Children and unmarried adults would love the occasion because red packets would be given to them from all married couples and older generations. As a tradition, on the first few days of the first lunar month, people would spend their time visiting relatives and friends.
Spring Lantern Festival/ Yuen Siu Festival (January/February)
It is also known as the Chinese Valentine’s Day and it marks the end of the Chinese New Year. Young couples would celebrate on this day. Lanterns of different designs would be hung in different places.
