Easy Gift Ideas For Dad On Fathers Day
September 30, 2009
Father’s Day is just around the corner. If you’re looking for a gift a little more exciting than the traditional tie, consider making up a men’s pamper gift set. Personal care products, whether you purchase them or make them yourself, make wonderful pampering treats. Here are some ideas for men’s pamper gift sets that you can put together yourself.
The Fragrance Sampler: If Dad likes fragrance, give him a selection of men’s colognes in a gift container.
The Shaving Kit: Give the man who shaves a kit containing a shaving mask, a shaving soap or cream, an aftershave splash, and a fancy razor.
The Foot Care Kit: If Dad is on his feet a lot, his feet could probably use some pampering. Give him a gift basket containing a foot soak, a foot wash, a foot spray, and foot powder. Include a pumice stone, nail clippers, or some comfy slippers.
The Soap Basket: Give Dad a collection of luxury soaps in scents just for men. Include a towel and washcloth personalized with his initials for an extra special touch.
Basic Preparations for Canvas Work
September 29, 2009
Basic Preparations for Canvas Work
by: Jo Kefford
To begin canvas work, you must first prepare a piece of canvas large enough to receive the design. ‘Large enough’ means the finished size of the design plus a margin of at least 5cm along each edge. When you are working with an uncharted design, finish size equals the dimensions of the drawing you will follow.
When a design is charted, finished size depends upon the number of canvas threads called for by the chart in relation to the threads per inch in the canvas. If the canvas is too narrow, lengths can be joined to get the necessary width. Make a pattern of the prepared canvas - it will be need when it is time to block the worked canvas.
Placing the design on canvas - method 1
This design transfer method places both the shapes and the colors of the design on to the canvas. The stitches are then worked right over the painted design. This method is recommended for use with any uncharted design, especially one that uses tent stitches only.
Two Poems with Triggers [and a commentary]
September 28, 2009
So Many Einstein’s
The morning mist, insists there is a God. The earth remains faithful to its orbit. The comet cries out to a hundred planets.
The sun ascends over the horizon. From eight to eighty, so many Einstein’s. The evening dust descends over tired wings.
To those who write music, paint poetry, I say: our goal is to make whole the sum; Wherein, reason can dwell among everyone.
Dennis, some of that figurative verse is great; Perhaps as good as anyone can make.
#736 6/22/05
Just a Drop
In every drop of blood, rages war For existence- Even in-sects !…
#736 6/22/05
Note: these two poems of Dennis Siluk’s reach out towards the world at large, with high spirits, wit and intensity; or so I do believe. What more can I say, except read them for yourself over a few times, see how they fit, or if you can absorb them. I like to read poetry at least three times; once quick to just get the words in my head; then the second time to kind of see how it is put together and check out the substance; and third for pure enjoyment, but sometimes I have to go back and see if I saw what I think I saw; like a painting, poetry can strike each person differently. It can trigger emotions like a movie. Anyhow, I read it a few more times especially if I see lots of images. Rosa Peñaloza
Selecting Your First Digital Camera
September 27, 2009
Purchasing a digital camera is a wise decision, particularly if you take a lot of pictures and you want to control how they are developed. Camera prices continue to plummet and Americans are exchanging their 35mm cameras for digital devices at a record pace. The choices for you can seem endless, but with careful comparison shopping you can bring home a bargain! The following online sites provide visitors with helpful information to make an informed decision:
BizRate.Com ? Visitors to this site will find out all the information they need as the site offers excellent price comparison of the various camera models available. In addition, visitors submit their own product comments which can be a huge help as you decide which model to purchase. Detailed information about the various products available is also online to make your visit rich and informative. Finally, visitors rank the stores too!
PriceGrabber.Com ? What was said of BizRate.Com can be said of Price Grabber. Plenty of site reviews for you to read too!
MySimon.Com ? Another in a series of online comparison stores. You might not find it as user friendly since you may have to dig for some of the information. Still, they offer the same information as Biz Rate and Price Grabber. Certainly, My Simon is worth a closer look!
Nature of Visual Representation
September 26, 2009
Nature is often called “red in tooth and claw”, this means covered in blood, and comes from a fairy tale called Wolfking; it is a story of times past repute with epic adventures, this quote is very much like “survival of the fittest”!
Okay, maybe that was a bit too oblique, however, there was a point to it, perhaps if I add that, an artist named Foucault once created a painting where he wrote the words “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” which is French for “This is not a pipe” under a very conformist graphic of a smoker’s pipe.
It was not a pipe, it was a picture of a pipe. But, then it was also not a picture of a pipe. By writing the words (as part of the graphic) he was questioning the nature of visual representation itself! Here is a better example:
“The lady protests too much, methinks” - Queen Gertrude - Act III, Scene II. Here Queen Gertrude is making a cynical remark about her counterpart (the Player queen) in Hamlets play, a subplot within the main story.
Rubber Stamps - Advice To Help Choose The Right Product For You
September 26, 2009
Rubber Stamps - Advice To Help Choose The Right Product For You
by: Nicky Whatmore
Many of you may have used rubber stamps before either while crafting or in the office. Rubber
stamps are pieces of rubber that can be carved and molded into an image or pattern. The rubber
can be mounted onto a stable block and then the ink is coated onto the design and then pressed
onto some sort of fabric or paper so the colored image is transferred.
There are three basic types of stamps. These are listed below;
1) Regular Rubber Stamps
These are the basic kind that are used with a separate ink pad. They are easy to get hold of
and cheap to buy. However they may be messy if not used properly. This type is ideal for
crafters since you can own a variety of designs to decorate almost anything. However, these
stamps are also perfect for office workers. The stamp does not need to be replaced only the
inkpad when it runs out, which is another advantage.
2) Self-inking Stamps
Memorial Day: 3 Ways To Honor American Soldiers
September 25, 2009
The last Monday of May since 1868, has been designated as Memorial Day. Now, during that weekend, beer and picnic supply sales skyrocket. Travelers drive our nation’s highways en masse. And don’t forget the Indy 500.
And while it’s important to have fun and celebrate Memorial Day weekend in your own way, it’s also important to remember why that day exists. It was set aside to salute U.S. troops and pay tribute to the awesome sacrifices these brave men and women have made, and are still making, for our freedoms.
In case you’ve wondered how you could honor those sacrifices, here are 3 inexpensive ways:
1) Donate frequent flyer miles to help our wounded soldiers and their families. You can do this through an organization called Operation First Response. OFR looks after wounded troops from Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Hospital to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to combat support hospitals in Iraq.
They also accept donations, like clothes,socks, underwear, toothbrushes, razors, etc…
You can help out this great organization by simply going to their site and seeing what you can do. http://www.operationfirstresponse.org/
Understanding Canvas Work Charts
September 24, 2009
Understanding Canvas Work Charts
by: Jo Kefford
Some canvas work designs are presented in chart form, that is, the position of each stitch in the design is recorded on graph paper. Graph paper is used for charting because it is structurally similar to canvas. The vertical and horizontal lines correspond to the canvas threads; the squares and intersections made by the crossing lines are like the holes and meshes of the canvas.
Both come in several gauges, related to the number of sub-divisions (squares with graph paper, threads with canvas) to the inch. There are two ways to make use of these similarities, and each produces a different type of chart.
Box Chart
With a box chart, the squares on the graph paper represent the threads and/or meshes of the canvas. For a tent stitch, one square means one mesh. With straight or ornamental stitches, a square means one thread or mesh of the stitch’s total span. The total span is represented by the requisite number of squares, heavily outlined. For example, a straight Gobelin stitch, for threads long, is represented by an outlined row of four squares. A large Algerian eye stitch, which spans four meshes, is represented by a group of four by four squares with a heavy outline.
Gift Shopping Tips for Tight Budgets
September 23, 2009
Have you seen the prices of greeting cards lately? It is hideous! Once you purchase the card and gift-wrap, your overall cost can easily increase by $10 to$15. If you are on a tight budget, this can be difficult as you spend more on the fluff and less on the actual gift. Not only are greeting cards expensive, their sizes often overwhelm small gifts, which make the overall presentation, looking goofy and unbalanced. Basically, you really don’t need to spend on expensive greeting cards to make an impression.
We all have this perception that greeting cards are the perfect match to gift giving. Although true, there are cost effective ways that can help you spend more on gifts and less on greeting cards. For instance, packaged blank cards are the best way to go as you pay less per card then individually. The other advantage of blank cards is that they are not specific to an occasion and can be used for anything. You should always have a pack handy and ready to use, as you never know when you will need to buy someone a last minute gift or card.
Recollections
September 22, 2009
I AM SO GRATEFUL for simpler times. Stores were closed on Sundays, TV shows seemed to make more sense, Family members spent ample time with each other, And people were valued more than things.
I AM SO GRATEFUL for the good old days. Growing up in the era of front porch swings And grandfathers who welcomed, “Fix it, please,” One by one our troubles slipped away As we listened to tall tales told for fun.
I AM SO GRATEFUL for pictures. Videotaping children from their first step, Taking posed snapshots before a high school prom, Candid moments are developed instantly And speak louder than words on a homemade greeting card.
I AM SO GRATEFUL for recalling childhood grins. Chasing ice cream wagons down the street Hooked by the piercing, popular jingle, Welcoming a frenzied greeting from my dog Who licked my face and jumped up and down.
I AM SO GRATEFUL for yesteryear. A mother’s love, a father’s care, A rocking horse, a baby chair, The scent of clean clothes drying on the line, An old rope swing for a child to climb.
