Thursday, August 23, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Making Bead Jewelry - Your New Hobby
Making Bead Jewelry - Your New Hobby
by: Pamela Bruce
Making your own bead jewelry is a creative hobby that allows you to produce unique pieces for yourself, family and friends. Here is how you can get started.
If you ever asked yourself "couldn't I do that myself?" as you looked through rows of bead bracelets, necklaces or earrings at a trendy boutique, the answer is yes. Beading is a creative and entertaining hobby that not only will have you produce unique, handmade items of jewelry, but will also be a source of amazing gift ideas for family and friends.
The first step would be to find a good local bead shop. While there are wonderful mail order catalogs and websites that will sell you all the supplies, nothing substitutes for the support and advice of experienced sales personnel. Ideally, this store would also offer a number of beginning classes that would help you learn basic techniques (if there is no bead shop in your town, some introductory books such as "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beading" or "The Beader's Companion" will have to do).
Start with a simple project, such as a bracelet or basic necklace, and do not go overboard with expensive beads and findings (clasps etc.). I know you are probably itching to use Swarovski crystal, sterling silver and semi-precious beads, but you can work up to that later. Many stores will even offer packaged starter kits that may include a beading board (which helps you with project layout and measurements), some basic tools, beads, wire, findings and a how-to-book.
You should then set up your "beading space" – preferably an uncluttered, well-lit area. You might have to invest in a good lamp, maybe one combined with a magnifying lens. Remember, you will be stringing some rather tiny objects. Make sure you have enough containers to keep different types and colors of beads separate – nothing will spoil your joy of beading like having to hunt for a single bead in a jumbled pile. Beading stores will sell you various storage systems (including beading bags for the beader-on-the-go), but you can also experiment with plastic containers meant to hold small hardware or fishing tackle.
Well, there you are ready for your first bead jewelry project. Don't forget to protect your beading space from curious cats and toddlers. Happy beading!
by: Pamela Bruce
Making your own bead jewelry is a creative hobby that allows you to produce unique pieces for yourself, family and friends. Here is how you can get started.
If you ever asked yourself "couldn't I do that myself?" as you looked through rows of bead bracelets, necklaces or earrings at a trendy boutique, the answer is yes. Beading is a creative and entertaining hobby that not only will have you produce unique, handmade items of jewelry, but will also be a source of amazing gift ideas for family and friends.
The first step would be to find a good local bead shop. While there are wonderful mail order catalogs and websites that will sell you all the supplies, nothing substitutes for the support and advice of experienced sales personnel. Ideally, this store would also offer a number of beginning classes that would help you learn basic techniques (if there is no bead shop in your town, some introductory books such as "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beading" or "The Beader's Companion" will have to do).
Start with a simple project, such as a bracelet or basic necklace, and do not go overboard with expensive beads and findings (clasps etc.). I know you are probably itching to use Swarovski crystal, sterling silver and semi-precious beads, but you can work up to that later. Many stores will even offer packaged starter kits that may include a beading board (which helps you with project layout and measurements), some basic tools, beads, wire, findings and a how-to-book.
You should then set up your "beading space" – preferably an uncluttered, well-lit area. You might have to invest in a good lamp, maybe one combined with a magnifying lens. Remember, you will be stringing some rather tiny objects. Make sure you have enough containers to keep different types and colors of beads separate – nothing will spoil your joy of beading like having to hunt for a single bead in a jumbled pile. Beading stores will sell you various storage systems (including beading bags for the beader-on-the-go), but you can also experiment with plastic containers meant to hold small hardware or fishing tackle.
Well, there you are ready for your first bead jewelry project. Don't forget to protect your beading space from curious cats and toddlers. Happy beading!
How To Manage Digital Photography Lighting
How To Manage Digital Photography Lighting
by: Connie Fillmore
Photography blends science with art. The photographer is the artist who engraves his creation with light and shade. Science has gifted the artist a technically advanced digital camera for him to captivate life with it. But he must know to decipher the codes of light
And, Let There Be Light...
Natural light sources like the sun and the moon are considered the best light sources. These lights often invade indoors and make natural shots come alive. Men have created artificial lights like the ordinary bulb, the tungsten halogen lamp or the bright photoflood.
There are various types of lighting, the photographer can employ. The most common is the Directional lighting provided by flash, tungsten or several sources and can be used from the front, back or side.
Front lighting is the most in vogue but it reveals every detail. The light is at the back of the photographer beaming at the face of the subject highlighting every detail. This often results in an unexciting and flat look of your subjects. Another technique is to mystify your subject by lighting up from side. The main illumination from side adds interest and vigor with presence of dark shadows.
In Back lighting the source light remains in the rear of the subject shining in the face of the camera. So, you must be very careful while using this mode otherwise the subject will appear like a silhouette. The main advantage here is, you will be able to capture the natural expressions of your subject in an outdoor shoot, as he will not squint facing bright light.
You can employ Cross lighting where strong directional light comes from both sides. But this method is only suitable for studios with bright flash or tungsten lights.
Lighting For Digital Photography
Digital cameras may offer a wide range of easy lighting modes but there are challenges for the artist in his path to perfection. You must adopt the trial and error method and acquire the knowledge of lighting.
Most digital cameras have preset digital photography lighting modes or 'scenes' for different lighting situation. There is the indoor mode to click without flash, which is particularly useful in art galleries or museums, the night and portrait mode allows you to take pictures of your subject with a gleaming backdrop at night using a slower shutter speed.
The digital cameras provide an automatic setting for white balancing .You can determine the baseline white in your image against which, other colors will be rendered. Your camera may have a histogram to evaluate exposure in different digital photography conditions. Most cameras have various options like daylight, cloudy, tungsten and more.
What Is Auxillary Lighting?
If you want to create art using light and shadow, the Flash unit alone is not enough. Here, auxiliary lighting comes in. If you decide to shoot portraits or product shots in a studio then auxiliary lighting is not optional but necessary.
For great results use head and kicker lights. Flashlights do not generate heat like floods and spots, so are more suited for portraits. Make sure the flash suits your digital camera. If you want to shoot still shots or product shots, continuous tungsten light is the cheapest and best. A range of wattage bulbs and reflectors will help you control the intensity and direction of light too.
If you don't have money you can rent lights. Top studios have various assortments of flash units, flood and spotlights.
How to use light
Light is made up of all colors. If seen through a prism it bursts into different colors. You are free to experiment with the rainbow. Artificial lights have their own characteristics. The photographer can utilize different light sources. You can alter white setting for a different effect. Most digital cameras have color setting modes to achieve accuracy of the colors.
Direction of light is important in digital photography. People look best in diffused sidelights and backlight produces a halo effect while overhead lighting produces sharp contrast of light and shadows. Strength of light is also an essential factor. You can have placid effect from diffused lighting and sharpness from strong light.
Indoor lighting gives you ample scope to shoot nice pictures. You can assemble light as per your choice and can even harness sunlight when it enters your house to soften your image.
Outdoor shots are more challenging. It leaves you at the mercy of Mother Nature. While landscape looks good in soft light, the wildlife is captivating with fine details in bright light. So photographers try to capture wildlife just before dusk or before dawn.
In digital cameras, you do not need to worry about ISO film speed. Most digital cameras have preset ISO setting. However, experimentation is the perfect way to curb imperfection. So inflame your imagination and hone your skill. You are ready to enter the luminous empire of photography.
by: Connie Fillmore
Photography blends science with art. The photographer is the artist who engraves his creation with light and shade. Science has gifted the artist a technically advanced digital camera for him to captivate life with it. But he must know to decipher the codes of light
And, Let There Be Light...
Natural light sources like the sun and the moon are considered the best light sources. These lights often invade indoors and make natural shots come alive. Men have created artificial lights like the ordinary bulb, the tungsten halogen lamp or the bright photoflood.
There are various types of lighting, the photographer can employ. The most common is the Directional lighting provided by flash, tungsten or several sources and can be used from the front, back or side.
Front lighting is the most in vogue but it reveals every detail. The light is at the back of the photographer beaming at the face of the subject highlighting every detail. This often results in an unexciting and flat look of your subjects. Another technique is to mystify your subject by lighting up from side. The main illumination from side adds interest and vigor with presence of dark shadows.
In Back lighting the source light remains in the rear of the subject shining in the face of the camera. So, you must be very careful while using this mode otherwise the subject will appear like a silhouette. The main advantage here is, you will be able to capture the natural expressions of your subject in an outdoor shoot, as he will not squint facing bright light.
You can employ Cross lighting where strong directional light comes from both sides. But this method is only suitable for studios with bright flash or tungsten lights.
Lighting For Digital Photography
Digital cameras may offer a wide range of easy lighting modes but there are challenges for the artist in his path to perfection. You must adopt the trial and error method and acquire the knowledge of lighting.
Most digital cameras have preset digital photography lighting modes or 'scenes' for different lighting situation. There is the indoor mode to click without flash, which is particularly useful in art galleries or museums, the night and portrait mode allows you to take pictures of your subject with a gleaming backdrop at night using a slower shutter speed.
The digital cameras provide an automatic setting for white balancing .You can determine the baseline white in your image against which, other colors will be rendered. Your camera may have a histogram to evaluate exposure in different digital photography conditions. Most cameras have various options like daylight, cloudy, tungsten and more.
What Is Auxillary Lighting?
If you want to create art using light and shadow, the Flash unit alone is not enough. Here, auxiliary lighting comes in. If you decide to shoot portraits or product shots in a studio then auxiliary lighting is not optional but necessary.
For great results use head and kicker lights. Flashlights do not generate heat like floods and spots, so are more suited for portraits. Make sure the flash suits your digital camera. If you want to shoot still shots or product shots, continuous tungsten light is the cheapest and best. A range of wattage bulbs and reflectors will help you control the intensity and direction of light too.
If you don't have money you can rent lights. Top studios have various assortments of flash units, flood and spotlights.
How to use light
Light is made up of all colors. If seen through a prism it bursts into different colors. You are free to experiment with the rainbow. Artificial lights have their own characteristics. The photographer can utilize different light sources. You can alter white setting for a different effect. Most digital cameras have color setting modes to achieve accuracy of the colors.
Direction of light is important in digital photography. People look best in diffused sidelights and backlight produces a halo effect while overhead lighting produces sharp contrast of light and shadows. Strength of light is also an essential factor. You can have placid effect from diffused lighting and sharpness from strong light.
Indoor lighting gives you ample scope to shoot nice pictures. You can assemble light as per your choice and can even harness sunlight when it enters your house to soften your image.
Outdoor shots are more challenging. It leaves you at the mercy of Mother Nature. While landscape looks good in soft light, the wildlife is captivating with fine details in bright light. So photographers try to capture wildlife just before dusk or before dawn.
In digital cameras, you do not need to worry about ISO film speed. Most digital cameras have preset ISO setting. However, experimentation is the perfect way to curb imperfection. So inflame your imagination and hone your skill. You are ready to enter the luminous empire of photography.
What Are Scoobies
What Are Scoobies
by: Niall Mehaffey
Scooby strings, scoubidou laces, scoobies or any other name you may have heard for them. Scoobies are basically just pieces of string that can be made into certain shapes and forms. These scoobies seem to be the latest craze that is sweeping through schools with children all over. The best thing about scoobies is that they are so easy to make.
If you would like to get started with scoobie, you will first need to go and buy some sboubidous. You can get these in many shops and also over the internet. You will only need a small pack to get started. You should start by learning the basics of making scoobies and then you can move on to the more advanced ones.
Some shapes that you can make with scoobies are:
Small animals
Keyrings
Hearts
Patterns
Bracelets
And many, many more. Scoobies can be used to make a variety of different shapes and forms in order to entertain children. Children can make scoobies as craft projects, playing, hobbies, ornaments or whatever they wish to use them for.
There are even scooby making competitions and children can compete to make the biggest/best scooby and be known for it. This is excellent as it not only stimulates the mind but also will give children something to work for, keep content and learn how to stick at something to succeed.
There are many different types of scooby stitches that one can learn and master. Some of these include the brick stitch, tornado stitch, corkscrew stitch and the cobra stitch. You can also take it a little further and make scoobies based around your favourite shapes, animals, signs and many more interesting ideas. Basically, you can use scoobies to make nearly anything you wish, within reason.
Scoobies are goign to get even bigger and children all over the world may be enjoying this fun new idea very soon. Get started today and start learning how to make some great scoobies.
You may be the next scoobie master.
by: Niall Mehaffey
Scooby strings, scoubidou laces, scoobies or any other name you may have heard for them. Scoobies are basically just pieces of string that can be made into certain shapes and forms. These scoobies seem to be the latest craze that is sweeping through schools with children all over. The best thing about scoobies is that they are so easy to make.
If you would like to get started with scoobie, you will first need to go and buy some sboubidous. You can get these in many shops and also over the internet. You will only need a small pack to get started. You should start by learning the basics of making scoobies and then you can move on to the more advanced ones.
Some shapes that you can make with scoobies are:
Small animals
Keyrings
Hearts
Patterns
Bracelets
And many, many more. Scoobies can be used to make a variety of different shapes and forms in order to entertain children. Children can make scoobies as craft projects, playing, hobbies, ornaments or whatever they wish to use them for.
There are even scooby making competitions and children can compete to make the biggest/best scooby and be known for it. This is excellent as it not only stimulates the mind but also will give children something to work for, keep content and learn how to stick at something to succeed.
There are many different types of scooby stitches that one can learn and master. Some of these include the brick stitch, tornado stitch, corkscrew stitch and the cobra stitch. You can also take it a little further and make scoobies based around your favourite shapes, animals, signs and many more interesting ideas. Basically, you can use scoobies to make nearly anything you wish, within reason.
Scoobies are goign to get even bigger and children all over the world may be enjoying this fun new idea very soon. Get started today and start learning how to make some great scoobies.
You may be the next scoobie master.
How to make a Christingle Orange
How to make a Christingle Orange
by: S. Roberts
What do you know about the Christingle?
Christingle means 'Christ-Light'. The Christingle celebrates the light of Christ and puts Christ back into Christmas.
The first Christingle service was in Germany around 1747. The service encouraged children to keep a candle burning in the window of their home so that people who passed by would see the light of Christ.
The Christingle service teaches children about Jesus. Of course Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, but the Christingle celebrates the meaning of Jesus' life, with each part of the Christingle orange having it's own symbolic meaning.
The orange itself represents the world.
The red ribbon around the orange symbolises the blood of Christ that Jesus shed to save us from our sin.
The four cocktail sticks are the four seasons of the year.
The dried fruit or sweets represent the fruits of the earth and the earth's riches God has blessed the world with.
The white candle, which is place in the top of the orange, represents Jesus, the light of the world that shines over everything.
The Christingle service usually takes place on the last Sunday before Christmas or on Christmas Eve. You could contact your local church for more details about visiting the Christingle service.
Of course you don't have to go to church, you could make your own Christingle range. All you need is...
An orange, 4 cocktail sticks, red ribbon, dried fruit or small soft sweets such as jellies pins and a white candle.
Cut a hole in the top of the orange so that the candle will sit snugly in place.
Wrap a length of red ribbon around the middle of the orange. Hold the ribbon in place with pins, push the pins into the orange.
Carefully push dried fruit or soft sweets onto each cocktail stick, so that the cocktail stick is half covered Carefully push the cocktail stick into the orange above the red ribbon. Evenly space the cocktail sticks out to the Four Corners of the world.
Finally add the white candle to the top of the orange. Light the candle and leave it in a window for passers by to see the light of Christ. Do be careful not to burn the curtains, do not leave the candle unattended. Remember to enjoy the fruits of the earth.
by: S. Roberts
What do you know about the Christingle?
Christingle means 'Christ-Light'. The Christingle celebrates the light of Christ and puts Christ back into Christmas.
The first Christingle service was in Germany around 1747. The service encouraged children to keep a candle burning in the window of their home so that people who passed by would see the light of Christ.
The Christingle service teaches children about Jesus. Of course Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, but the Christingle celebrates the meaning of Jesus' life, with each part of the Christingle orange having it's own symbolic meaning.
The orange itself represents the world.
The red ribbon around the orange symbolises the blood of Christ that Jesus shed to save us from our sin.
The four cocktail sticks are the four seasons of the year.
The dried fruit or sweets represent the fruits of the earth and the earth's riches God has blessed the world with.
The white candle, which is place in the top of the orange, represents Jesus, the light of the world that shines over everything.
The Christingle service usually takes place on the last Sunday before Christmas or on Christmas Eve. You could contact your local church for more details about visiting the Christingle service.
Of course you don't have to go to church, you could make your own Christingle range. All you need is...
An orange, 4 cocktail sticks, red ribbon, dried fruit or small soft sweets such as jellies pins and a white candle.
Cut a hole in the top of the orange so that the candle will sit snugly in place.
Wrap a length of red ribbon around the middle of the orange. Hold the ribbon in place with pins, push the pins into the orange.
Carefully push dried fruit or soft sweets onto each cocktail stick, so that the cocktail stick is half covered Carefully push the cocktail stick into the orange above the red ribbon. Evenly space the cocktail sticks out to the Four Corners of the world.
Finally add the white candle to the top of the orange. Light the candle and leave it in a window for passers by to see the light of Christ. Do be careful not to burn the curtains, do not leave the candle unattended. Remember to enjoy the fruits of the earth.
Victorian Christmas Trimming Ideas to Make
Victorian Christmas Trimming Ideas to Make
by: S. Roberts
The Victorians were really into Christmas, which isn’t really surprising because the Victorians were very religious, and Christmas is a religious festival. However, most Victorians didn’t have lots of money to spend on Christmas trimmings like people do today, instead they found inexpensive ways to decorate their homes. They would make garlands and wreaths from evergreens such as ivy and yew; sprigs of holly would be used because their bright scarlet berries would to add a splash of colour.
The Victorians also made Christmas decorations such as popcorn tinsel, which was popcorn threaded on to a piece of thread, in much the same way that children thread up pasta today.
Re-cycling bits of paper and card was common practise when making Christmas trimmings. Victorian homes would have been decorated with paper chains and paper lanterns, which were quick, cheap and easy to make.
How to make paper chains…
First you need to cut strips of paper. The longer and wider the strips, the chunkier your paper chain will be. To make paper chains to hang from the ceiling, use A4 sized paper, and cut the strips width ways across the paper. Make each strip about 4 cm wide.
Using different coloured sheets of paper you can make a lovely multicoloured chain. If you do not have coloured paper you could use white paper that you have scribbled on. The scribble will give it colour and make it more interesting.
Take one of the strips and curl it round so that the two ends meet and slightly overlap. Staple or selotape the ends together to hold the link shape you have created.
With the second strip of paper, push it through the first link and then curl the strip around so that the two ends of the strip slightly overlap. The first link should hang from the second link. Again staple or selotape into position.
Continue adding links to the last link created in this way until your paper chain is of a desired length.
They make great trimmings for hanging from ceilings and for decorating hallways.
Of course, you can use any type of paper to make a paper chain. Metallic paper is really festive. You could use old Christmas cards. Cut thin strips width ways across the picture of the Christmas card to create delicate paper chains to drape on the branches of a Christmas tree.
How to make paper lanterns…
You will need a rectangle of thin card or stiff paper. A4 size makes a nice sized lantern to hang from a ceiling or to sit on a mantelpiece.
Cut a thin strip, about 1.5cm wide across the paper width ways. Keep this strip to one side for later, it will become the lanterns handle.
With the rest of the sheet laying landscape, fold the top to meet the bottom edge, press the fold firmly. With scissors, make cuts along the folded edge. Open out the card and curve it round so that the two short sides meet and slightly overlap. Staple or selotape these two edges together.
Give your lantern a little squeeze so that it creates ‘’ shape.
Now take a piece of brightly coloured contrasting paper. It needs to be about the same height as the slightly squashed lantern. Roll up the paper into a tube and insert into the lantern. Allow the roll of paper to unravel to fit snugly inside the lantern, glue or staple into place. The slits cut into the lantern let some of the coloured paper peep through, it gives the lantern the appearance of being lit.
Using the thin strip of card that was cut from the lantern at the beginning, make a handle by stapling or selotaping either end of the strip to the top of the lantern on opposite sides.
Paper lanterns can be made to any size. You can make small ones to hang from the Christmas tree or to hang from the paper chains. You could make them from old Christmas cards.
Why not have a go at making some Victorian style Christmas decorations, you could make your house or your classroom look like it had gone back in time.
by: S. Roberts
The Victorians were really into Christmas, which isn’t really surprising because the Victorians were very religious, and Christmas is a religious festival. However, most Victorians didn’t have lots of money to spend on Christmas trimmings like people do today, instead they found inexpensive ways to decorate their homes. They would make garlands and wreaths from evergreens such as ivy and yew; sprigs of holly would be used because their bright scarlet berries would to add a splash of colour.
The Victorians also made Christmas decorations such as popcorn tinsel, which was popcorn threaded on to a piece of thread, in much the same way that children thread up pasta today.
Re-cycling bits of paper and card was common practise when making Christmas trimmings. Victorian homes would have been decorated with paper chains and paper lanterns, which were quick, cheap and easy to make.
How to make paper chains…
First you need to cut strips of paper. The longer and wider the strips, the chunkier your paper chain will be. To make paper chains to hang from the ceiling, use A4 sized paper, and cut the strips width ways across the paper. Make each strip about 4 cm wide.
Using different coloured sheets of paper you can make a lovely multicoloured chain. If you do not have coloured paper you could use white paper that you have scribbled on. The scribble will give it colour and make it more interesting.
Take one of the strips and curl it round so that the two ends meet and slightly overlap. Staple or selotape the ends together to hold the link shape you have created.
With the second strip of paper, push it through the first link and then curl the strip around so that the two ends of the strip slightly overlap. The first link should hang from the second link. Again staple or selotape into position.
Continue adding links to the last link created in this way until your paper chain is of a desired length.
They make great trimmings for hanging from ceilings and for decorating hallways.
Of course, you can use any type of paper to make a paper chain. Metallic paper is really festive. You could use old Christmas cards. Cut thin strips width ways across the picture of the Christmas card to create delicate paper chains to drape on the branches of a Christmas tree.
How to make paper lanterns…
You will need a rectangle of thin card or stiff paper. A4 size makes a nice sized lantern to hang from a ceiling or to sit on a mantelpiece.
Cut a thin strip, about 1.5cm wide across the paper width ways. Keep this strip to one side for later, it will become the lanterns handle.
With the rest of the sheet laying landscape, fold the top to meet the bottom edge, press the fold firmly. With scissors, make cuts along the folded edge. Open out the card and curve it round so that the two short sides meet and slightly overlap. Staple or selotape these two edges together.
Give your lantern a little squeeze so that it creates ‘’ shape.
Now take a piece of brightly coloured contrasting paper. It needs to be about the same height as the slightly squashed lantern. Roll up the paper into a tube and insert into the lantern. Allow the roll of paper to unravel to fit snugly inside the lantern, glue or staple into place. The slits cut into the lantern let some of the coloured paper peep through, it gives the lantern the appearance of being lit.
Using the thin strip of card that was cut from the lantern at the beginning, make a handle by stapling or selotaping either end of the strip to the top of the lantern on opposite sides.
Paper lanterns can be made to any size. You can make small ones to hang from the Christmas tree or to hang from the paper chains. You could make them from old Christmas cards.
Why not have a go at making some Victorian style Christmas decorations, you could make your house or your classroom look like it had gone back in time.
The Art of Embroidery
The Art of Embroidery
by: Pearl Mertens
The Art of Embroidery
Embroidery has survived history in different forms. It has existed in one form or the other for many years. Embroidery is a fulfilling art form which has become an interesting pass time for people from all segments of society. In the recent past, this has made advancements in a lot of aspects, and many of those who are not fully involved with embroidery are unaware of the immense developments.
Embroidery is basically adding colorful threads to fabric in order to create a design. If you purchase an item of clothing embellished with embroidery it was probably done by a machine, as embroidery can take a very long time to do by hand. Most embroidery is done with the help of a pattern, although there are many people who can do it without.
Most embroidery patters are quite inexpensive, as is the thread and needles. This allows anyone to be able to create beautiful designs on clothing, tablecloths, napkins, blankets, and any other type of fabric without having to spend hundreds on all of the equipment. Finding embroidery patterns is also quite easy
by: Pearl Mertens
The Art of Embroidery
Embroidery has survived history in different forms. It has existed in one form or the other for many years. Embroidery is a fulfilling art form which has become an interesting pass time for people from all segments of society. In the recent past, this has made advancements in a lot of aspects, and many of those who are not fully involved with embroidery are unaware of the immense developments.
Embroidery is basically adding colorful threads to fabric in order to create a design. If you purchase an item of clothing embellished with embroidery it was probably done by a machine, as embroidery can take a very long time to do by hand. Most embroidery is done with the help of a pattern, although there are many people who can do it without.
Most embroidery patters are quite inexpensive, as is the thread and needles. This allows anyone to be able to create beautiful designs on clothing, tablecloths, napkins, blankets, and any other type of fabric without having to spend hundreds on all of the equipment. Finding embroidery patterns is also quite easy
Understanding Astrological Predictions
Understanding Astrological Predictions
by: David E. Bolton
Opinions about astrological prediction are generally divided: “Mysterious! Magical!”, say some; “Nonsense!”, reply others. In fact, both views are based on a misunderstanding of the nature of how astrology really “works”. In this article, I will use a story to show both the true value of astrological prediction, as well as its limits.
Let's imagine that a girl named Ellen goes to an astrologer, who, after studying Ellen's natal chart in relation to this month's planetary positions, tells her that next weekend she will meet a fine young man with whom she will begin a relationship. And that's exactly what happens. Ellen exclaims to Sue, a friend of hers: “It’s magic! Everything happened just like my astrologer predicted!” Sue, impressed by this, makes an appointment with the same astrologer. In her session, she is told that yes, she will indeed find that job she's been looking for, and will have it by May. Sue, delighted, goes home and waits for a response from the company to which she had applied, yet May comes and goes, and she doesn’t receive a call from them. “What a fool I was!”, she remarks when she sees Ellen, “I should have known: astrology is nonsense!”
Which one of the two girls is correct in her opinion? One might say that they both are, since after all, astrology seems to have “worked” for Ellen, yet not for Sue. Yet I think it would be more correct to say, on the contrary, that neither girl was correct in her conclusion, since in each case, that conclusion was based on the acceptance of a faulty idea of astrology, that idea being one which many people, both “believers” as well as “sceptics” share: namely, that astrology indeed purports to be able to reliably predict what will happen in the future.
At this point, many readers, both the believers and the sceptics, will be disagreeing with me: “Well, astrology DOES INDEED claim to predict the future, doesn’t it?”, you may say. And you are right in a way: many astrologers do say that they can tell you what is awaiting you in the future. This is a claim which no “true believer” would ever dispute, and one that no self-respecting sceptic would fail to criticize, or even ridicule. Opinions on the subject thus would seem to be hopelessly polarized. The solution lies in distinguishing what many astrologers CLAIM from that which in fact astrology can really DO.
More than twenty-five years of experience as an astrologer has convinced me that
- astrology cannot make precise predictions about your future
- astrology can indeed reveal the tendencies of your future
And what is the difference? Well, if an astrologer tells you that next Tuesday you will be walking down the street, and will accidently trip and fall, breaking your left wrist as it cracks against a fire hydrant, that would be a pretty precise prediction, wouldn’t it? But no astrologer I’ve ever known makes predictions of such a nature. More likely, an astrologer would say: “There is danger of an accident next Tuesday; try to be more careful than usual!” This is not a precise prediction, but a statement, based on astrological techniques, about an increased probability of a certain type of event occurring. This is the real strength of astrology: not to tell you what is going to happen (since that is beyond its capabilities), but to inform you about the probabilities of certain types of events happening.
Those of you who may be seeking to know just what's going to happen in the future might be disappointed by that last sentence, though you shouldn’t be. After all, if the future were totally predetermined, and if it were possible to predict future events exactly, what would be the point? If something unpleasant were predicted for you, you’d have to be living in constant dread, and if a positive event were foretold, you might just sit back smugly and wait for it to happen, and would thus be robbed of that sudden, wonderful sense of amazement that you would have felt if you hadn’t known it was going to happen!
The true value of predictive astrology is to show you the probabilities so that you may take full advantage of the fortunate times in order to fully prosper, and take special care during the more unfortunate periods, and thus have a better chance of avoiding mishaps, overcoming negative thoughts, making the best out of unpleasant situations, etc.
Using astrology to find out when to expect the “ups and downs” of life will not only give you concrete advantages in many situations, but above all, it can help you achieve a greater understanding of the intimate relationship which exists between our lives and the cosmic forces which are continually shaping them.
by: David E. Bolton
Opinions about astrological prediction are generally divided: “Mysterious! Magical!”, say some; “Nonsense!”, reply others. In fact, both views are based on a misunderstanding of the nature of how astrology really “works”. In this article, I will use a story to show both the true value of astrological prediction, as well as its limits.
Let's imagine that a girl named Ellen goes to an astrologer, who, after studying Ellen's natal chart in relation to this month's planetary positions, tells her that next weekend she will meet a fine young man with whom she will begin a relationship. And that's exactly what happens. Ellen exclaims to Sue, a friend of hers: “It’s magic! Everything happened just like my astrologer predicted!” Sue, impressed by this, makes an appointment with the same astrologer. In her session, she is told that yes, she will indeed find that job she's been looking for, and will have it by May. Sue, delighted, goes home and waits for a response from the company to which she had applied, yet May comes and goes, and she doesn’t receive a call from them. “What a fool I was!”, she remarks when she sees Ellen, “I should have known: astrology is nonsense!”
Which one of the two girls is correct in her opinion? One might say that they both are, since after all, astrology seems to have “worked” for Ellen, yet not for Sue. Yet I think it would be more correct to say, on the contrary, that neither girl was correct in her conclusion, since in each case, that conclusion was based on the acceptance of a faulty idea of astrology, that idea being one which many people, both “believers” as well as “sceptics” share: namely, that astrology indeed purports to be able to reliably predict what will happen in the future.
At this point, many readers, both the believers and the sceptics, will be disagreeing with me: “Well, astrology DOES INDEED claim to predict the future, doesn’t it?”, you may say. And you are right in a way: many astrologers do say that they can tell you what is awaiting you in the future. This is a claim which no “true believer” would ever dispute, and one that no self-respecting sceptic would fail to criticize, or even ridicule. Opinions on the subject thus would seem to be hopelessly polarized. The solution lies in distinguishing what many astrologers CLAIM from that which in fact astrology can really DO.
More than twenty-five years of experience as an astrologer has convinced me that
- astrology cannot make precise predictions about your future
- astrology can indeed reveal the tendencies of your future
And what is the difference? Well, if an astrologer tells you that next Tuesday you will be walking down the street, and will accidently trip and fall, breaking your left wrist as it cracks against a fire hydrant, that would be a pretty precise prediction, wouldn’t it? But no astrologer I’ve ever known makes predictions of such a nature. More likely, an astrologer would say: “There is danger of an accident next Tuesday; try to be more careful than usual!” This is not a precise prediction, but a statement, based on astrological techniques, about an increased probability of a certain type of event occurring. This is the real strength of astrology: not to tell you what is going to happen (since that is beyond its capabilities), but to inform you about the probabilities of certain types of events happening.
Those of you who may be seeking to know just what's going to happen in the future might be disappointed by that last sentence, though you shouldn’t be. After all, if the future were totally predetermined, and if it were possible to predict future events exactly, what would be the point? If something unpleasant were predicted for you, you’d have to be living in constant dread, and if a positive event were foretold, you might just sit back smugly and wait for it to happen, and would thus be robbed of that sudden, wonderful sense of amazement that you would have felt if you hadn’t known it was going to happen!
The true value of predictive astrology is to show you the probabilities so that you may take full advantage of the fortunate times in order to fully prosper, and take special care during the more unfortunate periods, and thus have a better chance of avoiding mishaps, overcoming negative thoughts, making the best out of unpleasant situations, etc.
Using astrology to find out when to expect the “ups and downs” of life will not only give you concrete advantages in many situations, but above all, it can help you achieve a greater understanding of the intimate relationship which exists between our lives and the cosmic forces which are continually shaping them.
Backgammon Strategies
Backgammon Strategies
by: David Ashiri
Overall Board Game Strategy
As you develop your backgammon skills and begin to test out different tactics during money play, your overall planned objective is always finding a way to get your checkers around the board and off before your opponent does. There are a variety of strategies available to do that. The strategy you choose is often dictated by the dice rolls early in the game and the strategy chosen by your opponent. If your first two rolls are 65 and 65, you will often move your back checkers forward and get into a race. If you are hit early and have checkers sent back, you will choose a holding game or a back game.
The Five Basic Backgammon Strategies
There are 5 basic strategies that you can use when you play backgammon online for fun or gambling on money.
* The Running Game Strategy
* The Holding Game Strategy
* The Priming Game Strategy
* The Backgammon Blitz
* The Back Game Strategy
* Practice Your Strategies
The Running Game
The objective of the Running Game is to bring all your men into your inner board and bear them off as quickly as possible, similar to a competitive race. You should choose a running game when you have fewer pips remaining to get all your checkers off than your opponent, and you already have gotten all your checkers past your opponent or it appears likely that you can do so. Before engaging in a Running Game, it is important to evaluate the position of your men and decide whether it is at your advantage to do so. If your opponent has fewer pips remaining than you, then aiming for a running game is a poor strategy, and has little chance of success.
The Holding Game
The central idea of the Holding Game is to plan on keeping a point in your control that is located highly in your opponent’s board, usually a point in his inner board or the bar point. This is often the best strategy when trailing in the pipcount race. Playing this kind of positional advantage is more of a style than a backgammon strategy. The 20 point or bar points are the best holding game anchors, as they provide maximum chances to hit your opponent as he brings his checkers closer to home. Points further back get much weaker. It is also crucial to understand the right times to offer the doubling cube, and to accept or drop a double when playing or defending a holding game. Another key strategical element to the holding game is the distribution of the opponent’s checkers. If he has only the 8 and 13 points made (as in the starting position), he will often have to leave a shot as he brings his checkers around. If he has made additional landing points in his outer board, your hitting chances go down significantly.
The Priming Game
The Priming Game is a particular type of holding game and involves building a prime – a long wall of your pieces, ideally 6 points in a row – in order to block the movement of your opponent’s pieces that are behind the wall. These pieces will remain trapped as long as you can maintain the prime, and can result in an interesting struggle for your opponent to move pieces around the backgammon board. Hitting an opponent’s blot to trap it behind your blockade is the main aim of playing a Priming Game when gambling on backgammon. The prime can be constructed anywhere between point 2 and point 11 in your board, then you can shuffle it into your inner table as you approach the bearing-off game phase.
The Prime vs. Prime Game
When your opponent has a prime, it is very important to get your checkers to where they can escape with a single number. For example, if his prime is 5 points long, it is very important to get to the front so you can escape with a 6. If his prime is 6 long, you cannot escape.
A variation of the priming game is the prime versus prime, when both sides have strong blockade. The key features are the number of points in the prime for each side, the number of checkers behind the prime, and whether the stranded checkers are at the front of the prime. The most unusual thing about a prime versus prime game is that, all else being equal, strategically the player behind in the pip count is favored to win the game. This is because if neither side escapes their checkers, the one leading in the race will have to give up his prime first.
The Backgammon Blitz
The Backgammon Blitz is essentially an attack on your opponent’s pieces, with the aim of keeping your opponent on the bar while moving your pieces into your inner table as quickly as possible. The ultimate goal of the blitz is to close out one or more of your opponent’s pieces by occupying all 6 of the points in your inner table, making it impossible for these pieces to return to the game until a point becomes available when you are bearing off.
Blitzes are very committal – once you begin to attack, you have to continue to hit and take risks and changes to make additional points. If the attack fails, either because the opponent makes an anchor or because you get too many checkers hit and sent back, you can easily reach a point where you are losing the game.
The key strategy to starting a blitz is usually an early roll where you hit an opponent’s checker and he stays on the bar, or perhaps you hit two and he doesn’t enter both. A blitz is a much weaker plan when your opponent has as many (or nearly as many) points made in his board as you do in yours. Since you are taking risks to make points, you cannot afford to be hit and dance on the bar. It is also crucial to double at the right time. Blitzes, when they succeed, often result in gammons, and you can easily become too good to double if things go well. This is especially true in money gambling games or tournaments with the Jacoby Rule in effect. It is foolish to take risks to win a gammon and not get the full value of them by doubling at the right time. The Blitz gives you a great tactical advantage.
The Two-Way Forward Game
The two-way forward game is not listed as a basic plan, because it is a hybrid of the blitz and prime games. In the two-way forward game, you normally have built a mini-prime of 3 or 4 points, and then have the opportunity to attack your opponent. If your opponent anchors, you hope to have extended your prime in the process and to win from a priming game. Two-way forward games are extremely strong when they come up, because if the dice go badly for one plan, they often go well for the other.
The Back Game
The Back Game is achieved by controlling two (or more) points in your opponent’s inner table. The main game objective is to hit a blot late in the game and contain it. It is a difficult strategy to play in backgammon because the chance of a successful Back Game is influenced by the luck of the dice roll.
A successful Back game requires that you establish two anchors, have at least 10 of your checkers advanced to contain the opponent if you hit, and have enough timing (i.e. are far enough behind in the race) to wait until he rolls awkwardly and leaves a single or double shot. Back games that are unsuccessful often result in gammon or backgammon losses. If your timing is marginal (if you are only down 50 to 70 pips in the race), a backgame involving higher points (like the 2 and 4 or 3 and 4) is much stronger than those involving the ace point. The back games involving the 1 and 2 points is not that strong; the best backgames are usually considered the 1-3, 2-3, and 2-4.
While a weak opponent can often be seduced into overrating his position when you play a back game, it is rarely a good strategy to seek a back game from the start. It will often arise on its own if you attempt a blitz and have many checkers hit. Even then, you would usually prefer to hit an opposing checker early and try to trap it. You should only go all-out for a backgame once you have two back points made and are at least 70 pips or so behind in the race.
Important to note that this tactic is not a strategy to play from the outset of a game , and should only be adopted when you are significantly behind. It is a losing strategy caused by the circumstances of the game and is simply intended to hinder your opponent’s options in order to improve your chances of winning.
by: David Ashiri
Overall Board Game Strategy
As you develop your backgammon skills and begin to test out different tactics during money play, your overall planned objective is always finding a way to get your checkers around the board and off before your opponent does. There are a variety of strategies available to do that. The strategy you choose is often dictated by the dice rolls early in the game and the strategy chosen by your opponent. If your first two rolls are 65 and 65, you will often move your back checkers forward and get into a race. If you are hit early and have checkers sent back, you will choose a holding game or a back game.
The Five Basic Backgammon Strategies
There are 5 basic strategies that you can use when you play backgammon online for fun or gambling on money.
* The Running Game Strategy
* The Holding Game Strategy
* The Priming Game Strategy
* The Backgammon Blitz
* The Back Game Strategy
* Practice Your Strategies
The Running Game
The objective of the Running Game is to bring all your men into your inner board and bear them off as quickly as possible, similar to a competitive race. You should choose a running game when you have fewer pips remaining to get all your checkers off than your opponent, and you already have gotten all your checkers past your opponent or it appears likely that you can do so. Before engaging in a Running Game, it is important to evaluate the position of your men and decide whether it is at your advantage to do so. If your opponent has fewer pips remaining than you, then aiming for a running game is a poor strategy, and has little chance of success.
The Holding Game
The central idea of the Holding Game is to plan on keeping a point in your control that is located highly in your opponent’s board, usually a point in his inner board or the bar point. This is often the best strategy when trailing in the pipcount race. Playing this kind of positional advantage is more of a style than a backgammon strategy. The 20 point or bar points are the best holding game anchors, as they provide maximum chances to hit your opponent as he brings his checkers closer to home. Points further back get much weaker. It is also crucial to understand the right times to offer the doubling cube, and to accept or drop a double when playing or defending a holding game. Another key strategical element to the holding game is the distribution of the opponent’s checkers. If he has only the 8 and 13 points made (as in the starting position), he will often have to leave a shot as he brings his checkers around. If he has made additional landing points in his outer board, your hitting chances go down significantly.
The Priming Game
The Priming Game is a particular type of holding game and involves building a prime – a long wall of your pieces, ideally 6 points in a row – in order to block the movement of your opponent’s pieces that are behind the wall. These pieces will remain trapped as long as you can maintain the prime, and can result in an interesting struggle for your opponent to move pieces around the backgammon board. Hitting an opponent’s blot to trap it behind your blockade is the main aim of playing a Priming Game when gambling on backgammon. The prime can be constructed anywhere between point 2 and point 11 in your board, then you can shuffle it into your inner table as you approach the bearing-off game phase.
The Prime vs. Prime Game
When your opponent has a prime, it is very important to get your checkers to where they can escape with a single number. For example, if his prime is 5 points long, it is very important to get to the front so you can escape with a 6. If his prime is 6 long, you cannot escape.
A variation of the priming game is the prime versus prime, when both sides have strong blockade. The key features are the number of points in the prime for each side, the number of checkers behind the prime, and whether the stranded checkers are at the front of the prime. The most unusual thing about a prime versus prime game is that, all else being equal, strategically the player behind in the pip count is favored to win the game. This is because if neither side escapes their checkers, the one leading in the race will have to give up his prime first.
The Backgammon Blitz
The Backgammon Blitz is essentially an attack on your opponent’s pieces, with the aim of keeping your opponent on the bar while moving your pieces into your inner table as quickly as possible. The ultimate goal of the blitz is to close out one or more of your opponent’s pieces by occupying all 6 of the points in your inner table, making it impossible for these pieces to return to the game until a point becomes available when you are bearing off.
Blitzes are very committal – once you begin to attack, you have to continue to hit and take risks and changes to make additional points. If the attack fails, either because the opponent makes an anchor or because you get too many checkers hit and sent back, you can easily reach a point where you are losing the game.
The key strategy to starting a blitz is usually an early roll where you hit an opponent’s checker and he stays on the bar, or perhaps you hit two and he doesn’t enter both. A blitz is a much weaker plan when your opponent has as many (or nearly as many) points made in his board as you do in yours. Since you are taking risks to make points, you cannot afford to be hit and dance on the bar. It is also crucial to double at the right time. Blitzes, when they succeed, often result in gammons, and you can easily become too good to double if things go well. This is especially true in money gambling games or tournaments with the Jacoby Rule in effect. It is foolish to take risks to win a gammon and not get the full value of them by doubling at the right time. The Blitz gives you a great tactical advantage.
The Two-Way Forward Game
The two-way forward game is not listed as a basic plan, because it is a hybrid of the blitz and prime games. In the two-way forward game, you normally have built a mini-prime of 3 or 4 points, and then have the opportunity to attack your opponent. If your opponent anchors, you hope to have extended your prime in the process and to win from a priming game. Two-way forward games are extremely strong when they come up, because if the dice go badly for one plan, they often go well for the other.
The Back Game
The Back Game is achieved by controlling two (or more) points in your opponent’s inner table. The main game objective is to hit a blot late in the game and contain it. It is a difficult strategy to play in backgammon because the chance of a successful Back Game is influenced by the luck of the dice roll.
A successful Back game requires that you establish two anchors, have at least 10 of your checkers advanced to contain the opponent if you hit, and have enough timing (i.e. are far enough behind in the race) to wait until he rolls awkwardly and leaves a single or double shot. Back games that are unsuccessful often result in gammon or backgammon losses. If your timing is marginal (if you are only down 50 to 70 pips in the race), a backgame involving higher points (like the 2 and 4 or 3 and 4) is much stronger than those involving the ace point. The back games involving the 1 and 2 points is not that strong; the best backgames are usually considered the 1-3, 2-3, and 2-4.
While a weak opponent can often be seduced into overrating his position when you play a back game, it is rarely a good strategy to seek a back game from the start. It will often arise on its own if you attempt a blitz and have many checkers hit. Even then, you would usually prefer to hit an opposing checker early and try to trap it. You should only go all-out for a backgame once you have two back points made and are at least 70 pips or so behind in the race.
Important to note that this tactic is not a strategy to play from the outset of a game , and should only be adopted when you are significantly behind. It is a losing strategy caused by the circumstances of the game and is simply intended to hinder your opponent’s options in order to improve your chances of winning.
What is "Key", when Collecting Coins?
What is "Key", when Collecting Coins?
by: Robert L Taylor, JD
Key Coin: A coin that is among the toughest and Most Expensive to obtain within a series. In the Lincoln Cent series, for example, the 1909-S VDB would be considered the key, as would the 1914-D and often the 1922-Plain.
A coin somewhat lesser in stature but still among the tougher in a series to collect is called a semi-key; the 1909-S and 1931-S fulfill this role within the Lincoln Cent series for many collectors.
The Concept of “Key” may also apply to the Type or Purpose of the coin collection, rather than the individual coin. For example, if a collector is putting together a collection of Walking Liberty Half Dollars, without regard to the Condition of the coins, then the “keys” are the 1921, 1921-D, and 1916-S.
But, if the Collector is putting together the same set, in Gem BU Condition, the 1919-D and the 1921-S would be considered the “keys” and the 1916-S likely would not, because the 1916-S either not available at all, or is plentiful. Also Key Date may be a replaceable term.
Another example, using Lincoln Cents: The "key dates" for the Lincoln Pennies, from 1909 -1958 (wheat cents) are: 1909s, 1909s VDB, 1914 D, 1922, and the 1931 S.
The “semi-key” dates are: 1910 S, 1911 D, 1911 S, 1912 S, 1913 D, 1913 S, 1914 S, 1915, 1921 S, 1922 D, 1923 S, 1924 D, 1926 S, 1931 D, and 1933 D.
Certain Sellers use the term “Key Date” to generate interest in a coin, whose date may be “Key”, however, the Condition of the coin is usually less than desirable. Pay Attention!
Have fun collecting your Perfect Coins!
-- Robert L Taylor, JD
Copyright © 2006
Key Coin: A coin that is among the toughest and Most Expensive to obtain within a series. In the Lincoln Cent series, for example, the 1909-S VDB would be considered the key, as would the 1914-D and often the 1922-Plain.
A coin somewhat lesser in stature but still among the tougher in a series to collect is called a semi-key; the 1909-S and 1931-S fulfill this role within the Lincoln Cent series for many collectors.
The Concept of “Key” may also apply to the Type or Purpose of the coin collection, rather than the individual coin. For example, if a collector is putting together a collection of Walking Liberty Half Dollars, without regard to the Condition of the coins, then the “keys” are the 1921, 1921-D, and 1916-S.
But, if the Collector is putting together the same set, in Gem BU Condition, the 1919-D and the 1921-S would be considered the “keys” and the 1916-S likely would not, because the 1916-S either not available at all, or is plentiful. Also Key Date may be a replaceable term.
Another example, using Lincoln Cents: The "key dates" for the Lincoln Pennies, from 1909 -1958 (wheat cents) are: 1909s, 1909s VDB, 1914 D, 1922, and the 1931 S.
The “semi-key” dates are: 1910 S, 1911 D, 1911 S, 1912 S, 1913 D, 1913 S, 1914 S, 1915, 1921 S, 1922 D, 1923 S, 1924 D, 1926 S, 1931 D, and 1933 D.
Certain Sellers use the term “Key Date” to generate interest in a coin, whose date may be “Key”, however, the Condition of the coin is usually less than desirable. Pay Attention!
Have fun collecting your Perfect Coins!
-- Robert L Taylor, JD
Copyright © 2006
by: Robert L Taylor, JD
Key Coin: A coin that is among the toughest and Most Expensive to obtain within a series. In the Lincoln Cent series, for example, the 1909-S VDB would be considered the key, as would the 1914-D and often the 1922-Plain.
A coin somewhat lesser in stature but still among the tougher in a series to collect is called a semi-key; the 1909-S and 1931-S fulfill this role within the Lincoln Cent series for many collectors.
The Concept of “Key” may also apply to the Type or Purpose of the coin collection, rather than the individual coin. For example, if a collector is putting together a collection of Walking Liberty Half Dollars, without regard to the Condition of the coins, then the “keys” are the 1921, 1921-D, and 1916-S.
But, if the Collector is putting together the same set, in Gem BU Condition, the 1919-D and the 1921-S would be considered the “keys” and the 1916-S likely would not, because the 1916-S either not available at all, or is plentiful. Also Key Date may be a replaceable term.
Another example, using Lincoln Cents: The "key dates" for the Lincoln Pennies, from 1909 -1958 (wheat cents) are: 1909s, 1909s VDB, 1914 D, 1922, and the 1931 S.
The “semi-key” dates are: 1910 S, 1911 D, 1911 S, 1912 S, 1913 D, 1913 S, 1914 S, 1915, 1921 S, 1922 D, 1923 S, 1924 D, 1926 S, 1931 D, and 1933 D.
Certain Sellers use the term “Key Date” to generate interest in a coin, whose date may be “Key”, however, the Condition of the coin is usually less than desirable. Pay Attention!
Have fun collecting your Perfect Coins!
-- Robert L Taylor, JD
Copyright © 2006
Key Coin: A coin that is among the toughest and Most Expensive to obtain within a series. In the Lincoln Cent series, for example, the 1909-S VDB would be considered the key, as would the 1914-D and often the 1922-Plain.
A coin somewhat lesser in stature but still among the tougher in a series to collect is called a semi-key; the 1909-S and 1931-S fulfill this role within the Lincoln Cent series for many collectors.
The Concept of “Key” may also apply to the Type or Purpose of the coin collection, rather than the individual coin. For example, if a collector is putting together a collection of Walking Liberty Half Dollars, without regard to the Condition of the coins, then the “keys” are the 1921, 1921-D, and 1916-S.
But, if the Collector is putting together the same set, in Gem BU Condition, the 1919-D and the 1921-S would be considered the “keys” and the 1916-S likely would not, because the 1916-S either not available at all, or is plentiful. Also Key Date may be a replaceable term.
Another example, using Lincoln Cents: The "key dates" for the Lincoln Pennies, from 1909 -1958 (wheat cents) are: 1909s, 1909s VDB, 1914 D, 1922, and the 1931 S.
The “semi-key” dates are: 1910 S, 1911 D, 1911 S, 1912 S, 1913 D, 1913 S, 1914 S, 1915, 1921 S, 1922 D, 1923 S, 1924 D, 1926 S, 1931 D, and 1933 D.
Certain Sellers use the term “Key Date” to generate interest in a coin, whose date may be “Key”, however, the Condition of the coin is usually less than desirable. Pay Attention!
Have fun collecting your Perfect Coins!
-- Robert L Taylor, JD
Copyright © 2006
All About Tribal Tattoos
All About Tribal Tattoos
by: Becky McClure
In recent years, Tribal Tattoos have enjoyed a revival. The originals go beyond the intertwined stripes of black shapes that are common today. Many of the ancient tattoo patterns have given away to swirls, spikes, knots, and totems that come from the imagination of the creator rather than any of the ancient tribes.
The tribal style of tattoos comes from the older tribes such as the Celtics (Ireland, Scotland, & Wales), Maori Tribe (indigenous people of New Zealand), The Haida Tribe (indigenous people along the west coast of North America), the Marquesan (Polynesian inhabitants of the Marquises Islands) and the tribes of Borneo. Native Americans also used tattoos to denote rank, wealth, tribe affiliation, family, role in society and deeds of bravery.
Celts
The Celts were a proud, warrior class who inhabited the English Isles before the Roman invasion 55 B.C. under Julius Caesar. The Celts were such a pain in the rear that the Romans built the Hadrian Wall to keep them away. But I digress; the endless knots inside and out of the outlines identify the Tribal tattoos of the Celtics.
Maori
The Maori tribes migrated from Eastern Polynesia around 800 to 1300 AD and were the first settlers in New Zealand. They developed their own language. The Maori were described as a fierce and proud warrior race. Inter-tribal warfare was a way of life, with the conquered being enslaved or in some cases eaten! The British exempted the Maori from conscription in WW2. But over 17,000 Maori Natives volunteered! The traditional Maori tribal tattoos are known as ta moko, and consisted of bold spiral designs covering the face. The tattooing process was a tribal ritual that made the use of bone chisels for tattooing. All I can say is this has got to hurt!
Haida
The Haida are North American Indians who were expert fishermen and seafarers who lived along the coast of British Columbia and Alaska. These people are well known as skilled artisans of wood, metal and design. They were also known as fearsome warriors who kidnapped slaves as far south in California. The Tribal tattoos of the Haida resembled pictures of the Indian astrology, thunderbirds, beavers, bears, and fish. The tattoo style of the Haida is forceful and masculine.
Marquesan
Sea-faring Polynesians from Samoa colonized the Marquises Islands as early as 300 A.D. They were warring tribes who sometimes cannibalized their enemies. The devastation of the native Marquesan occurred with the introduction of diseases from the European explorers. These islanders covered their bodies completely with tattoos. The Marquesan Islanders used their bodies as a living canvas that told picture stories.
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world. The rainforest of the Borneo Island is very rich in biodiversity. The tribes of Borneo used tattoos for protection and proof of their achievements. Needless to say, they were notorious as headhunters. Their tattoos usually took the form of scorpions, flowers, dogs, dragons and spirals.
Celebrities
The ex-professional boxer, Mike Tyson’s facial tattoo was influenced by a combination of the Maori and Borneo Tribal tattoos.
Sandra Bullock has a Tribal tattoo design below her navel.
Pamela Anderson of Bay Watch fame, has a few tattoos, including a Tribal design on her lower back.
Conclusion
The vivid pattern of the Tribal tattoo expresses personal freedom and uniqueness of the wearer. Tribal tattoos have a simple appeal that reinforces a positive feeling about ourselves and connects us to ancient mystery of the tribal rituals, which faded away with history.
by: Becky McClure
In recent years, Tribal Tattoos have enjoyed a revival. The originals go beyond the intertwined stripes of black shapes that are common today. Many of the ancient tattoo patterns have given away to swirls, spikes, knots, and totems that come from the imagination of the creator rather than any of the ancient tribes.
The tribal style of tattoos comes from the older tribes such as the Celtics (Ireland, Scotland, & Wales), Maori Tribe (indigenous people of New Zealand), The Haida Tribe (indigenous people along the west coast of North America), the Marquesan (Polynesian inhabitants of the Marquises Islands) and the tribes of Borneo. Native Americans also used tattoos to denote rank, wealth, tribe affiliation, family, role in society and deeds of bravery.
Celts
The Celts were a proud, warrior class who inhabited the English Isles before the Roman invasion 55 B.C. under Julius Caesar. The Celts were such a pain in the rear that the Romans built the Hadrian Wall to keep them away. But I digress; the endless knots inside and out of the outlines identify the Tribal tattoos of the Celtics.
Maori
The Maori tribes migrated from Eastern Polynesia around 800 to 1300 AD and were the first settlers in New Zealand. They developed their own language. The Maori were described as a fierce and proud warrior race. Inter-tribal warfare was a way of life, with the conquered being enslaved or in some cases eaten! The British exempted the Maori from conscription in WW2. But over 17,000 Maori Natives volunteered! The traditional Maori tribal tattoos are known as ta moko, and consisted of bold spiral designs covering the face. The tattooing process was a tribal ritual that made the use of bone chisels for tattooing. All I can say is this has got to hurt!
Haida
The Haida are North American Indians who were expert fishermen and seafarers who lived along the coast of British Columbia and Alaska. These people are well known as skilled artisans of wood, metal and design. They were also known as fearsome warriors who kidnapped slaves as far south in California. The Tribal tattoos of the Haida resembled pictures of the Indian astrology, thunderbirds, beavers, bears, and fish. The tattoo style of the Haida is forceful and masculine.
Marquesan
Sea-faring Polynesians from Samoa colonized the Marquises Islands as early as 300 A.D. They were warring tribes who sometimes cannibalized their enemies. The devastation of the native Marquesan occurred with the introduction of diseases from the European explorers. These islanders covered their bodies completely with tattoos. The Marquesan Islanders used their bodies as a living canvas that told picture stories.
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world. The rainforest of the Borneo Island is very rich in biodiversity. The tribes of Borneo used tattoos for protection and proof of their achievements. Needless to say, they were notorious as headhunters. Their tattoos usually took the form of scorpions, flowers, dogs, dragons and spirals.
Celebrities
The ex-professional boxer, Mike Tyson’s facial tattoo was influenced by a combination of the Maori and Borneo Tribal tattoos.
Sandra Bullock has a Tribal tattoo design below her navel.
Pamela Anderson of Bay Watch fame, has a few tattoos, including a Tribal design on her lower back.
Conclusion
The vivid pattern of the Tribal tattoo expresses personal freedom and uniqueness of the wearer. Tribal tattoos have a simple appeal that reinforces a positive feeling about ourselves and connects us to ancient mystery of the tribal rituals, which faded away with history.
Wet-On-Wet With Oils?
Wet-On-Wet With Oils?
by: Ronnie Tucker
I first encountered the wet-on-wet technique while watching an old episode of The Joy of Painting starring the late, great, Bob Ross, he of the soft voice and large afro.
The idea behind wet-in-wet is to slick the canvas with an oily substance which will allow the paint to smear and blend much easier than by wet-on-dry which most people use. Ross was taught this technique from another TV artist, Bill Alexander, but it is certainly most associated with Ross.
The only problem was; to make the canvas slick, Bob used his custom made paint which he called 'Liquid White'. It wasn't until later that I realised there was an equivalent to Bob's Liquid White; white oil paint and linseed oil. This mixture makes a slimy, watery, white paint which should be spread very thinly over the primed canvas. It is a bit of trial and error to get the right mix of paint and linseed oil but I use a pea sized amount of paint and roughly double that in linseed oil, once mixed that is enough to easily cover an A4 and if applied thinly enough will cover an A3 sized canvas. The fact that it is oil paint coupled with linseed oil means that initial coat will take a long time to dry so you have plenty of time to mix and smear colours on your canvas.
Through much trial and error (and frustration) I found out the hard way that some of Bob's techniques require his unique thick paint. But it is possible to emulate some of his simple blending and palette knife trickery to make beautiful skies, fluffy clouds and rugged mountains.
I never could get the hang of those 'happy little trees'.
by: Ronnie Tucker
I first encountered the wet-on-wet technique while watching an old episode of The Joy of Painting starring the late, great, Bob Ross, he of the soft voice and large afro.
The idea behind wet-in-wet is to slick the canvas with an oily substance which will allow the paint to smear and blend much easier than by wet-on-dry which most people use. Ross was taught this technique from another TV artist, Bill Alexander, but it is certainly most associated with Ross.
The only problem was; to make the canvas slick, Bob used his custom made paint which he called 'Liquid White'. It wasn't until later that I realised there was an equivalent to Bob's Liquid White; white oil paint and linseed oil. This mixture makes a slimy, watery, white paint which should be spread very thinly over the primed canvas. It is a bit of trial and error to get the right mix of paint and linseed oil but I use a pea sized amount of paint and roughly double that in linseed oil, once mixed that is enough to easily cover an A4 and if applied thinly enough will cover an A3 sized canvas. The fact that it is oil paint coupled with linseed oil means that initial coat will take a long time to dry so you have plenty of time to mix and smear colours on your canvas.
Through much trial and error (and frustration) I found out the hard way that some of Bob's techniques require his unique thick paint. But it is possible to emulate some of his simple blending and palette knife trickery to make beautiful skies, fluffy clouds and rugged mountains.
I never could get the hang of those 'happy little trees'.
What You Need to Know BEFORE You Begin Playing Chess.
What You Need to Know BEFORE You Begin Playing Chess.
by: James Wilson
As a chess player, you lose games from time to time—like all chess players.
Naturally you want to improve your play. Is there something special or unique about your problem? I don't think so. Only a few of us can become masters; yet the rest of us can achieve respectable playing strength with a reasonable amount of application.
The first big step—an enormous step—in improving our play is to become aware of the things we do wrong, the bad moves we make. Many of us could never reach that point without personal lessons because we could not previously find in books the kind of material that would enable us to spot our own weaknesses.
That is a pity, for while chess is a lot of fun, win or lose, it's more fun when you win! In my contacts with thousands of chess players for over twenty years, I have often watched them grope and drift and become discouraged in their efforts to improve their game.
It was from these observations that the notion of concentrating on the Eight Bad Moves took shape. Again and again I have seen, in the course of teaching and playing and discussing, that most players commit certain typical errors.
1 started to think about these errors and how to describe them in such a way that the reader would exclaim, "At last! That's just why my games go wrong! If only I'd realized this sooner!"
This book has been "on my mind" for several years. What held me back somewhat in writing it, was the influence of the teachers and psychologists who have been insisting that a "negative" approach is all wrong. I finally concluded that my emphasis on the Eight Bad Moves was not really negative at all. Before a player can begin to improve, he must clear away the faults that have been spoiling his games and depriving him of well-earned victories.
In your study of these games and ideas you will not only discover the Eight Bad Moves and how to overcome the faults that produce them, you will also encounter a wealth of new ideas and techniques which you will enjoy using in your own games.
To derive the maximum value from this book, there are two features which you will very likely want to review quickly. One is to check up on the relative values of the chessmen. Expressed in points, their values are as follows:
Queen: 9 points
Rook: 5 points
Bishop: 3 points
Knight: 3 points
Pawn: 1 point
It is important to be absolutely certain of these values, for most games are decided by superiority in force.
Bishops (3 points) and Knights (3 points) are equal in value, but experienced players try to capture a Bishop in return for a Knight.
A Bishop or Knight (3 points) is worth about three Pawns (3 points). If you give up a Knight and get three Pawns in return, you may consider it as more or less an even exchange. If you lose a Knight (3 points) for only a Pawn (1 point), you have lost material and should lose the game, if you are playing against an expert.
If you capture a Rook (5 points) for a Bishop or Knight (3 points), you are said to have "won the Exchange." If you lose a Rook (5 points) for a Bishop or Knight (3 points), you have "lost the Exchange." The other important feature in reading a chess book is to be familiar with chess notation. If you can count up to 8, this presents no problem. You may have heard scare stories to the effect that chess notation is inordinately difficult. This difficulty of chess notation is a myth, circulated by people too lazy to discover how simple and logical it really is.
Although the compact treatment of games and examples makes only slight demands on your knowledge of chess notation, I should like to advise you to master the notation thoroughly; it will open the gates to a lifetime of reading pleasure.
The following are the chief abbreviations used in the chess notation:
King — K
Queen — Q
Rook — R
Bishop — B
Knight — N
Pawn — P
to — —
check — ch
captures — x
discovered check — dis ch
double check — dbl ch
en passant — e.p.
castles, king-side — 0—0
castles, queen-side — 0—0—0
good move — !
very good move — ! !
outstanding move — ! ! !
bad move — ?
Here are some examples of abbreviation: N—KB3 mean's "Knight moves to King Bishop three." Q x B means "Queen takes Bishop." R—K8 ch means "Rook moves to King eight giving check."
Want tons of proven chess tips, techniques & tactics that you can start using today?...
Grab Your Copy of "Chess Success Secrets" Now - visit www.Chess-Success.com
by: James Wilson
As a chess player, you lose games from time to time—like all chess players.
Naturally you want to improve your play. Is there something special or unique about your problem? I don't think so. Only a few of us can become masters; yet the rest of us can achieve respectable playing strength with a reasonable amount of application.
The first big step—an enormous step—in improving our play is to become aware of the things we do wrong, the bad moves we make. Many of us could never reach that point without personal lessons because we could not previously find in books the kind of material that would enable us to spot our own weaknesses.
That is a pity, for while chess is a lot of fun, win or lose, it's more fun when you win! In my contacts with thousands of chess players for over twenty years, I have often watched them grope and drift and become discouraged in their efforts to improve their game.
It was from these observations that the notion of concentrating on the Eight Bad Moves took shape. Again and again I have seen, in the course of teaching and playing and discussing, that most players commit certain typical errors.
1 started to think about these errors and how to describe them in such a way that the reader would exclaim, "At last! That's just why my games go wrong! If only I'd realized this sooner!"
This book has been "on my mind" for several years. What held me back somewhat in writing it, was the influence of the teachers and psychologists who have been insisting that a "negative" approach is all wrong. I finally concluded that my emphasis on the Eight Bad Moves was not really negative at all. Before a player can begin to improve, he must clear away the faults that have been spoiling his games and depriving him of well-earned victories.
In your study of these games and ideas you will not only discover the Eight Bad Moves and how to overcome the faults that produce them, you will also encounter a wealth of new ideas and techniques which you will enjoy using in your own games.
To derive the maximum value from this book, there are two features which you will very likely want to review quickly. One is to check up on the relative values of the chessmen. Expressed in points, their values are as follows:
Queen: 9 points
Rook: 5 points
Bishop: 3 points
Knight: 3 points
Pawn: 1 point
It is important to be absolutely certain of these values, for most games are decided by superiority in force.
Bishops (3 points) and Knights (3 points) are equal in value, but experienced players try to capture a Bishop in return for a Knight.
A Bishop or Knight (3 points) is worth about three Pawns (3 points). If you give up a Knight and get three Pawns in return, you may consider it as more or less an even exchange. If you lose a Knight (3 points) for only a Pawn (1 point), you have lost material and should lose the game, if you are playing against an expert.
If you capture a Rook (5 points) for a Bishop or Knight (3 points), you are said to have "won the Exchange." If you lose a Rook (5 points) for a Bishop or Knight (3 points), you have "lost the Exchange." The other important feature in reading a chess book is to be familiar with chess notation. If you can count up to 8, this presents no problem. You may have heard scare stories to the effect that chess notation is inordinately difficult. This difficulty of chess notation is a myth, circulated by people too lazy to discover how simple and logical it really is.
Although the compact treatment of games and examples makes only slight demands on your knowledge of chess notation, I should like to advise you to master the notation thoroughly; it will open the gates to a lifetime of reading pleasure.
The following are the chief abbreviations used in the chess notation:
King — K
Queen — Q
Rook — R
Bishop — B
Knight — N
Pawn — P
to — —
check — ch
captures — x
discovered check — dis ch
double check — dbl ch
en passant — e.p.
castles, king-side — 0—0
castles, queen-side — 0—0—0
good move — !
very good move — ! !
outstanding move — ! ! !
bad move — ?
Here are some examples of abbreviation: N—KB3 mean's "Knight moves to King Bishop three." Q x B means "Queen takes Bishop." R—K8 ch means "Rook moves to King eight giving check."
Want tons of proven chess tips, techniques & tactics that you can start using today?...
Grab Your Copy of "Chess Success Secrets" Now - visit www.Chess-Success.com
The Perfect Golf Vacation – Expertly Designed by….You
The Perfect Golf Vacation – Expertly Designed by….You
by: Randall Ulbricht
"What If You Could... Have the perfect group golf vacation, save money and have a sensational time setting it up?”
You’ve waited all year to get together with your friends for your annual golf vacation. It was supposed to be perfect, but you bought “the package” and your outing turns out to be simply adequate.
You all had such high hopes, but you had to take what you got.
Sound familiar? Have you been on the receiving side of a less than perfect golf vacation that you have been waiting for all year? In all fairness, most golf packages are good. Some are great. But they truly are packages designed for the mass market with little flexibility and no individual flair.
A standard golf vacation package provides lodging and one round of golf per day, including a cart. The lodging usually means motel or hotel accommodations with two people per bedroom. In most cases, you can choose from several different courses, and select your advance tee times. They will even throw in a continental breakfast. The prices are fair.
Again, this yields a good or great vacation, but we need to discuss the perfect vacation. Envision:
-A beautiful vacation house with a separate bed or bedroom for each person.
-Gourmet dining each evening.
-As much or as little golf as you want, where you want and when you want.
-Evening entertainment.
-Maximum camaraderie.
I have been setting up this type golf vacation for my old high school and college friends every year since 1988. Over those 18 years, we have refined Our Event to what we think is the perfect annual outing. Our first few years were terrific even though we had to keep the costs down. Despite inflation, the cost has been fairly stable for the last four years. We have settled on a full seven days, Saturday to Saturday.
In general, we plan for 36 holes per day, and modify that in situ to wind up with an average of about 27 holes per day. We buy most of the food and beverages the day of arrival to support breakfast, snacks, sandwiches between rounds, and gourmet evening meals for the week. Our smallest group was five gents one year, and the largest group was sixteen. The perfect size is anywhere from eight to twelve.
The above is our perfect golf vacation, not necessarily yours. For yours, look at the general goals below for the ideal golf outing:
Get the ball rolling early.
Have everyone stay in the same house that has a full kitchen.
Get the shopping list together ahead of time.
Have a general schedule and loose assignments.
Get the ball rolling. Pick out a window of time and get the word out to everyone you think might be interested OR not interested (next year, they may be). I send a fun, whimsical email about five months ahead of a proposed block of time. It is written such that the wives enjoy the comedy as much as the guys. If you are not a writer, there are examples in my upcoming free Ebook. It will take you through setting up and conducting the whole event from scratch.
Follow up emails get commitments and solicit recommendations and special requests. Armed with all this, you will select the ideal house, set up tee times, and arrange rental vehicles. Further emails from you will ask what food, snacks and beverages they will want during the outing. Here is a good timeline:
-5 months: Announce.
-3 months: Receive all commitments and solicited recommendations.
-3 months: Let everyone know when to fly in to coordinate travel.
-2 months: Arrange house, tee times and rental cars.
-1 month: Receive all food, snack, and beverage requests.
-1 month: Confirm house, tee times and rental cars.
-1 week: Finalize food and beverage list.
Zero hour: Have the time of your life.
House with a full kitchen. This allows several things:
Preparing your own evening meal. Every group has at least one “chef”.
Rehashing the day as a group (yes, this includes an appropriate amount of trash talk and begging for strokes on upcoming rounds.)
Having evening entertainment as a group. We watch a sports event on TV, watch videos, play cards, tell tales and get caught up, or all of the above.
Getting sandwiches, snacks and beverages ready for the next day.
You will have almost as much fun setting up this event as you will have during your vacation. I set up a little eight page website with history, photos, schedule, past scores, etc. to hold everyone’s interest and attention throughout the year. I will provide that in my free Ebook.
You can think about bringing a laptop and uploading each day’s results on your website so that the unfortunate people that did not make the trip can live vicariously by following the daily action. An idea that our group has not yet acted on is to have a masseuse come in one evening later in the week to help our aging muscles.
Building your own special vacation not only allows you to really tailor your outing to your group’s taste, but also allows you all to get together as a true group for a great week of camaraderie. As a bonus, it should wind up being less expensive!
by: Randall Ulbricht
"What If You Could... Have the perfect group golf vacation, save money and have a sensational time setting it up?”
You’ve waited all year to get together with your friends for your annual golf vacation. It was supposed to be perfect, but you bought “the package” and your outing turns out to be simply adequate.
You all had such high hopes, but you had to take what you got.
Sound familiar? Have you been on the receiving side of a less than perfect golf vacation that you have been waiting for all year? In all fairness, most golf packages are good. Some are great. But they truly are packages designed for the mass market with little flexibility and no individual flair.
A standard golf vacation package provides lodging and one round of golf per day, including a cart. The lodging usually means motel or hotel accommodations with two people per bedroom. In most cases, you can choose from several different courses, and select your advance tee times. They will even throw in a continental breakfast. The prices are fair.
Again, this yields a good or great vacation, but we need to discuss the perfect vacation. Envision:
-A beautiful vacation house with a separate bed or bedroom for each person.
-Gourmet dining each evening.
-As much or as little golf as you want, where you want and when you want.
-Evening entertainment.
-Maximum camaraderie.
I have been setting up this type golf vacation for my old high school and college friends every year since 1988. Over those 18 years, we have refined Our Event to what we think is the perfect annual outing. Our first few years were terrific even though we had to keep the costs down. Despite inflation, the cost has been fairly stable for the last four years. We have settled on a full seven days, Saturday to Saturday.
In general, we plan for 36 holes per day, and modify that in situ to wind up with an average of about 27 holes per day. We buy most of the food and beverages the day of arrival to support breakfast, snacks, sandwiches between rounds, and gourmet evening meals for the week. Our smallest group was five gents one year, and the largest group was sixteen. The perfect size is anywhere from eight to twelve.
The above is our perfect golf vacation, not necessarily yours. For yours, look at the general goals below for the ideal golf outing:
Get the ball rolling early.
Have everyone stay in the same house that has a full kitchen.
Get the shopping list together ahead of time.
Have a general schedule and loose assignments.
Get the ball rolling. Pick out a window of time and get the word out to everyone you think might be interested OR not interested (next year, they may be). I send a fun, whimsical email about five months ahead of a proposed block of time. It is written such that the wives enjoy the comedy as much as the guys. If you are not a writer, there are examples in my upcoming free Ebook. It will take you through setting up and conducting the whole event from scratch.
Follow up emails get commitments and solicit recommendations and special requests. Armed with all this, you will select the ideal house, set up tee times, and arrange rental vehicles. Further emails from you will ask what food, snacks and beverages they will want during the outing. Here is a good timeline:
-5 months: Announce.
-3 months: Receive all commitments and solicited recommendations.
-3 months: Let everyone know when to fly in to coordinate travel.
-2 months: Arrange house, tee times and rental cars.
-1 month: Receive all food, snack, and beverage requests.
-1 month: Confirm house, tee times and rental cars.
-1 week: Finalize food and beverage list.
Zero hour: Have the time of your life.
House with a full kitchen. This allows several things:
Preparing your own evening meal. Every group has at least one “chef”.
Rehashing the day as a group (yes, this includes an appropriate amount of trash talk and begging for strokes on upcoming rounds.)
Having evening entertainment as a group. We watch a sports event on TV, watch videos, play cards, tell tales and get caught up, or all of the above.
Getting sandwiches, snacks and beverages ready for the next day.
You will have almost as much fun setting up this event as you will have during your vacation. I set up a little eight page website with history, photos, schedule, past scores, etc. to hold everyone’s interest and attention throughout the year. I will provide that in my free Ebook.
You can think about bringing a laptop and uploading each day’s results on your website so that the unfortunate people that did not make the trip can live vicariously by following the daily action. An idea that our group has not yet acted on is to have a masseuse come in one evening later in the week to help our aging muscles.
Building your own special vacation not only allows you to really tailor your outing to your group’s taste, but also allows you all to get together as a true group for a great week of camaraderie. As a bonus, it should wind up being less expensive!
How To Make Sales After the Craft Show
How To Make Sales After the Craft Show
by: Natalie Goyette
There are a number of ways that you can do this – from setting up a website to setting up a weekly garage sale during the summer. We'll take a look at four ways you can continue making a profit when the doors of another craft show close for the weekend.
1.) Set up a website – Studies have shown that more people are becoming comfortable and actually prefer to do their business online. Essentially you could have a craft show that goes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Taking the time to set up a website that showcases your crafts and also provides people an avenue to purchase the crafts can be a huge seller for you in the long run.
2.) Have an e-mail list – What is the next best thing to having a website? Why not set up an e-mail list top contact people that are interested in your crafts? These could be people that were at a craft show where your products were displayed, and they took a liking to them and wanted to be informed when new and different crafts would be available. You can even take it one step further and inform them of where you are going to be for your next craft show, what new products you have, and other interesting news. All you need to do is set up a sign up list in your booth at any craft show.
3.) Sales list – You will all likely have it happen at one point or another – someone sees something of yours on display at a craft show, and you are all out of that craft. What do you do? This person really wants your craft, and you don't have one. This is where a sales list comes in very handy. You can write down the names and addresses of people that want one of your crafts. Essentially, you have the beginnings of an ordering system on your hands. Soon, your order list becomes a funnel of after-craft show sales that you had never even thought of!
4.) A weekly sale – Who needs a craft show to be set up for them, when they can set up a mini-craft show themselves? Many crafters will spend one weekend day a month in the comfort of their own garage – displaying and selling the crafts they have put together. You don't have to pay for the craft show fee, because you are on your own property and the only thing you might have to splurge for is a pot of coffee and some fresh donuts for potential customers! This is a great time to work on your sales list and e-mail list too!
The craft show profits don't have to end when the craft show is done for another weekend. The enterprising crafter will always find a way to market and sell their craft as much as possible – generating more income for their business!
by: Natalie Goyette
There are a number of ways that you can do this – from setting up a website to setting up a weekly garage sale during the summer. We'll take a look at four ways you can continue making a profit when the doors of another craft show close for the weekend.
1.) Set up a website – Studies have shown that more people are becoming comfortable and actually prefer to do their business online. Essentially you could have a craft show that goes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Taking the time to set up a website that showcases your crafts and also provides people an avenue to purchase the crafts can be a huge seller for you in the long run.
2.) Have an e-mail list – What is the next best thing to having a website? Why not set up an e-mail list top contact people that are interested in your crafts? These could be people that were at a craft show where your products were displayed, and they took a liking to them and wanted to be informed when new and different crafts would be available. You can even take it one step further and inform them of where you are going to be for your next craft show, what new products you have, and other interesting news. All you need to do is set up a sign up list in your booth at any craft show.
3.) Sales list – You will all likely have it happen at one point or another – someone sees something of yours on display at a craft show, and you are all out of that craft. What do you do? This person really wants your craft, and you don't have one. This is where a sales list comes in very handy. You can write down the names and addresses of people that want one of your crafts. Essentially, you have the beginnings of an ordering system on your hands. Soon, your order list becomes a funnel of after-craft show sales that you had never even thought of!
4.) A weekly sale – Who needs a craft show to be set up for them, when they can set up a mini-craft show themselves? Many crafters will spend one weekend day a month in the comfort of their own garage – displaying and selling the crafts they have put together. You don't have to pay for the craft show fee, because you are on your own property and the only thing you might have to splurge for is a pot of coffee and some fresh donuts for potential customers! This is a great time to work on your sales list and e-mail list too!
The craft show profits don't have to end when the craft show is done for another weekend. The enterprising crafter will always find a way to market and sell their craft as much as possible – generating more income for their business!
Sounding More Art Savvy
Sounding More Art Savvy
by: Corinne Cain
Want to sound like someone who is art savvy? Make sure you don't use the following art "faux pas."
• Using the word "seriagraph" - Actually, there is no such thing as a seriagraph. What you are attempting to reference is a form of printmaking known as a serigraph, screenprint or using past terminology, a silkscreen print.
• Using the word "sketches" - Those who are knowledgeable about art use the term "drawings" instead of sketches.
• Using the word "picture - The word picture suggests an item that is more decorative in nature, while the word "painting" denotes a valuable work of art. The word decorative tends to be used as a put down when commenting on the desirability of a work of art, somewhat akin to the word "interesting".
• Using the words "it's just a print" - There have been prints that have sold for several hundred thousand dollars, for example, works by Mary Cassatt, Pablo Picasso, Hokusai, and Sharaku. Aside from value, some artists did not create paintings, so their entire form of expression used printmaking. Sometimes effects achieved with printmaking cannot be accomplished with painting or drawing directly. If you meant "just a reproduction or a reproductive print", then you are commenting on a photograph of an existing artwork, which does not constitute an original work of art. This is entirely proper.
• Falling into the "art trap" - Whenever you are asked what you think about a painting, check to see if there are similar paintings in the room before responding. A family member or close friend may the proud artist. This is what I call the "art trap." A sharp observer will recognize that each piece is signed with the same name. Find something positive to say. Life in the art lane can be treacherous, but it is just like functioning as an expert witness, Think before you speak.
by: Corinne Cain
Want to sound like someone who is art savvy? Make sure you don't use the following art "faux pas."
• Using the word "seriagraph" - Actually, there is no such thing as a seriagraph. What you are attempting to reference is a form of printmaking known as a serigraph, screenprint or using past terminology, a silkscreen print.
• Using the word "sketches" - Those who are knowledgeable about art use the term "drawings" instead of sketches.
• Using the word "picture - The word picture suggests an item that is more decorative in nature, while the word "painting" denotes a valuable work of art. The word decorative tends to be used as a put down when commenting on the desirability of a work of art, somewhat akin to the word "interesting".
• Using the words "it's just a print" - There have been prints that have sold for several hundred thousand dollars, for example, works by Mary Cassatt, Pablo Picasso, Hokusai, and Sharaku. Aside from value, some artists did not create paintings, so their entire form of expression used printmaking. Sometimes effects achieved with printmaking cannot be accomplished with painting or drawing directly. If you meant "just a reproduction or a reproductive print", then you are commenting on a photograph of an existing artwork, which does not constitute an original work of art. This is entirely proper.
• Falling into the "art trap" - Whenever you are asked what you think about a painting, check to see if there are similar paintings in the room before responding. A family member or close friend may the proud artist. This is what I call the "art trap." A sharp observer will recognize that each piece is signed with the same name. Find something positive to say. Life in the art lane can be treacherous, but it is just like functioning as an expert witness, Think before you speak.
Sew: Key to a Good Sewing Experience
Sew: Key to a Good Sewing Experience
by: Kristi Borchardt
Organization is essential for a good sewing experience!
When you sit down to sew you don't want to have to spend time searching for the stuff you need to complete a project. It can also be frustrating to have some spare time and be out of what you need.
There are some great ways to organize your space. I will share with you what we have done.
We are plastic container crazy!! We use all sizes from small to extra large. I have also chosen clear boxes so that we can easily see the contents. If you prefer to have the contents concealed, use labels on your boxes.
Let's start with the first box most people buy:
SEWING BOXES
Okay, I know those sewing boxes are cute BUT do not waste your money! Of course, when we first started I got both the girls their own sewing box only to see 3 months into sewing that there was never enough room for all of their stuff. We converted to $3-$5 plastic tubs that have worked beautifully. With paint pens you can decorate and personalize the box.
The girls' sewing boxes are a medium size container, which allows them to hold the project that they are working on, all the tools they need, and extra fabric that they have bought in advance from a sale.
Use the money you save, from not buying the cute little sewing box, for the sewing tools and notions, which are much more important.
We use all sizes of individual boxes to help separate and organize our notions.
SMALL BOXES
We have three for:
1. Trims: lace, ribbon, rickrack, fringe...
2. Zippers, bias tape, elastic, and velcro.
3. Interfacing
MEDIUM BOXES
We have two for:
Projects waiting to be sewn. I have the fabric, and a zip lock bag with all the notions that are specifically for each project.
LARGE BOXES
We have three for:
1. Scrap fabric
2. Two for old jeans and garage sale clothes
In addition to our plastic boxes, we have other great containers to organize the little stuff:
We use a tool box that we got at Home Depot to help separate our button, hooks & eye, empty bobbins, machine needles, hand needles.
In our sewing drawer, we use regular drawer organizers to help separate additional things.
CLIPBOARDS
Once you have everything in its correct place, a very helpful addition to your sewing space is a clip board with a blank piece of paper. I use a clipboard because I can hang it on the wall, and that way I always know where it is. I use this clipboard to list the things I need the minute I run out of them. I actually have one of these in my kitchen too.
I also figure out, in advance, what projects we are going to be working on and make my list of supplies. If the projects come from my Idea Notebook, I include the picture of the project on my clip board. This way when I am running to town, I don't have to sit and think about what I need, I just grab my clipboard and go.
Although there is an added expense initially, over time all of these things have saved me a lot of time and money - not to mention frustration!!!!
Another great benefit, is that you will be modeling for your children a wonderful character trait to pass on - organization.
So let's get organized!!
by: Kristi Borchardt
Organization is essential for a good sewing experience!
When you sit down to sew you don't want to have to spend time searching for the stuff you need to complete a project. It can also be frustrating to have some spare time and be out of what you need.
There are some great ways to organize your space. I will share with you what we have done.
We are plastic container crazy!! We use all sizes from small to extra large. I have also chosen clear boxes so that we can easily see the contents. If you prefer to have the contents concealed, use labels on your boxes.
Let's start with the first box most people buy:
SEWING BOXES
Okay, I know those sewing boxes are cute BUT do not waste your money! Of course, when we first started I got both the girls their own sewing box only to see 3 months into sewing that there was never enough room for all of their stuff. We converted to $3-$5 plastic tubs that have worked beautifully. With paint pens you can decorate and personalize the box.
The girls' sewing boxes are a medium size container, which allows them to hold the project that they are working on, all the tools they need, and extra fabric that they have bought in advance from a sale.
Use the money you save, from not buying the cute little sewing box, for the sewing tools and notions, which are much more important.
We use all sizes of individual boxes to help separate and organize our notions.
SMALL BOXES
We have three for:
1. Trims: lace, ribbon, rickrack, fringe...
2. Zippers, bias tape, elastic, and velcro.
3. Interfacing
MEDIUM BOXES
We have two for:
Projects waiting to be sewn. I have the fabric, and a zip lock bag with all the notions that are specifically for each project.
LARGE BOXES
We have three for:
1. Scrap fabric
2. Two for old jeans and garage sale clothes
In addition to our plastic boxes, we have other great containers to organize the little stuff:
We use a tool box that we got at Home Depot to help separate our button, hooks & eye, empty bobbins, machine needles, hand needles.
In our sewing drawer, we use regular drawer organizers to help separate additional things.
CLIPBOARDS
Once you have everything in its correct place, a very helpful addition to your sewing space is a clip board with a blank piece of paper. I use a clipboard because I can hang it on the wall, and that way I always know where it is. I use this clipboard to list the things I need the minute I run out of them. I actually have one of these in my kitchen too.
I also figure out, in advance, what projects we are going to be working on and make my list of supplies. If the projects come from my Idea Notebook, I include the picture of the project on my clip board. This way when I am running to town, I don't have to sit and think about what I need, I just grab my clipboard and go.
Although there is an added expense initially, over time all of these things have saved me a lot of time and money - not to mention frustration!!!!
Another great benefit, is that you will be modeling for your children a wonderful character trait to pass on - organization.
So let's get organized!!
Modern Art and the Compexities Involved
Modern Art and the Compexities Involved
by: Nathan Jelovich
Modern art is typically thought to have started in the late 19th century and was a prominent form of art until the mid to late 20th century, typically understood to have ended around the 1970s. There are many different subgenres within the Modern art style, including Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, Surrealism, Cubism and Pop art, which can make it challenging to create a specific definition of the larger genre. A working definition of the form should include the ideas of the then new approach to art, which focused on emphasizing and representing emotions, themes and various abstractions in more or less nonrealistic ways, as is evident in the various subgenres.
One of the first categories within Modern art is Impressionism, which began to be exhibited publicly in the 1860s and included, most notably, Claude Monet. Some of the most distinct factors within Impressionist paintings were, first, that the artists took their work outdoors, outside of the commonly used studios and into the actual world, finding that they could capture the fleeting and temporary effects of sunlight by painting outdoors. Most artists of that time used their studios not only for portraits and still lifes, but landscape paintings as well. Secondly, one of the main distinguishing aspects of Impressionist paintings from other art forms was what gave the genre its name, that is that artists, instead of physically mixing the paints, such as red and blue to make purple on a pallet. Instead, the artists would leave the paints unmixed and place the colors side by side on the canvas, thus creating the “impression” of purple as the colors blend in the eye of the viewer.
Post-Impressionism was both an extension and rejection of its predecessor in that the artists continued to use vibrant colors, thick applications of paint, distinctive brushstrokes and real-life subject matter, but also rejected some of the more stringent limitations the former genre included. Arguably, the most famous artist within Post-Impressionism is Vincent Van Gogh, who used vivid color and vibrant swirling brush strokes to express his feelings and state of mind. Both Impressionism and Post-Impressionism sought to create realistic paintings of modern life that emphasized vivid overall effects rather than specific, realistic details.
Likewise, the Surrealism, Cubism and Pop art genres within Modern art focus less on representing the actual details and more on the overarching feelings, emotions, subtleties and commonalities between the actual image, and that found in the art. For example, surrealism, which is closely related to the dada movement, relied heavily on Sigmund Freud’s ideas of free association and subsequently liberating the mind and imagination to create in a subconscious manner that abandoned strict form.
Similarly, Pablo Picasso, through Cubism, abandoned the strict realistic representation and broke images down into square blocks, representing the universal forms and commonality of everything. One of the fundamental ideas behind the cube was the ideological understanding of time as a cube. Whereas in most Western understandings of time are linear, with a past, a present event and a future, Cubists believed that an event was in the center of a cube. Two sides were the event's past and future; two more sides were one specific person's past and future as related to that event. The remaining sides connected all of these pasts and futures together, and these connections are what Cubist painters strove to capture in their paintings.
by: Nathan Jelovich
Modern art is typically thought to have started in the late 19th century and was a prominent form of art until the mid to late 20th century, typically understood to have ended around the 1970s. There are many different subgenres within the Modern art style, including Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, Surrealism, Cubism and Pop art, which can make it challenging to create a specific definition of the larger genre. A working definition of the form should include the ideas of the then new approach to art, which focused on emphasizing and representing emotions, themes and various abstractions in more or less nonrealistic ways, as is evident in the various subgenres.
One of the first categories within Modern art is Impressionism, which began to be exhibited publicly in the 1860s and included, most notably, Claude Monet. Some of the most distinct factors within Impressionist paintings were, first, that the artists took their work outdoors, outside of the commonly used studios and into the actual world, finding that they could capture the fleeting and temporary effects of sunlight by painting outdoors. Most artists of that time used their studios not only for portraits and still lifes, but landscape paintings as well. Secondly, one of the main distinguishing aspects of Impressionist paintings from other art forms was what gave the genre its name, that is that artists, instead of physically mixing the paints, such as red and blue to make purple on a pallet. Instead, the artists would leave the paints unmixed and place the colors side by side on the canvas, thus creating the “impression” of purple as the colors blend in the eye of the viewer.
Post-Impressionism was both an extension and rejection of its predecessor in that the artists continued to use vibrant colors, thick applications of paint, distinctive brushstrokes and real-life subject matter, but also rejected some of the more stringent limitations the former genre included. Arguably, the most famous artist within Post-Impressionism is Vincent Van Gogh, who used vivid color and vibrant swirling brush strokes to express his feelings and state of mind. Both Impressionism and Post-Impressionism sought to create realistic paintings of modern life that emphasized vivid overall effects rather than specific, realistic details.
Likewise, the Surrealism, Cubism and Pop art genres within Modern art focus less on representing the actual details and more on the overarching feelings, emotions, subtleties and commonalities between the actual image, and that found in the art. For example, surrealism, which is closely related to the dada movement, relied heavily on Sigmund Freud’s ideas of free association and subsequently liberating the mind and imagination to create in a subconscious manner that abandoned strict form.
Similarly, Pablo Picasso, through Cubism, abandoned the strict realistic representation and broke images down into square blocks, representing the universal forms and commonality of everything. One of the fundamental ideas behind the cube was the ideological understanding of time as a cube. Whereas in most Western understandings of time are linear, with a past, a present event and a future, Cubists believed that an event was in the center of a cube. Two sides were the event's past and future; two more sides were one specific person's past and future as related to that event. The remaining sides connected all of these pasts and futures together, and these connections are what Cubist painters strove to capture in their paintings.
The Seven Best Sources For Basic Guitar Lessons And Learning Techniques
The Seven Best Sources For Basic Guitar Lessons And Learning Techniques
by: J M Jones
The seven best sources for basic guitar lessons and learning techniques
There are two ways of learning anything, and they're not the hard way or the easy way, nor are they my way or the highway. No, they're teach yourself, or get a teacher.
Let's look at teachers first. They come in four guises, and some are more effective than others. The more effective, the more expensive--usually.
The cheapest and possibly least effective teacher you can get is probably a friend. I don't say that to be disrespectful to anyone's playing abilities, but simply to point out that unless that friend plays by the book, and is a qualified teacher, you'll probably pick up any bad habits they have. They're also not likely to be available on a regular enough basis, and may either become impatient with you when you don't pick things up fast enough, or may just let things slide, allowing you to form bad habits of your own. The cost is good, though--usually free.
You may be fortunate enough to be still at school and have guitar lessons available there, either for free or at a greatly subsidised rate. If so, take them. Your teacher will be qualified, lessons will be regular, you'll have fellow pupils you know to swap notes with outside of lessons (and maybe even get together to play with!).
Night school is the next most effective and cheap method. It's almost exactly like school, except you have to make the effort to get there after a day's work. That usually means you'll have other things going on in your life--things that may intrude. Not only that, your classes will probably be larger, so you may have less input about what you want to learn. The cost will be very reasonable, though, when worked out as an hourly rate.
A professional teacher is the most expensive option. A good one will bring out the best in you, but will get frustrated if you don't practice. (Classical guitar teachers will encourage you to take grades, because their reputation grows according to how many people they get to pass). If you have the money, the time, and are prepared to put the work in, this is one of the most effective routes to take, because they'll correct any bad habits, and sessions are one-to-one.
If you can't afford a professional teacher, and you don't have night school lessons or a friend handy, the second option is to teach yourself. There are three possible options,
You can buy guitar tutors fairly cheaply at most guitar shops, or online. They used to come in book form, but increasingly incorporate CDs and DVDs to take you through the basics. There's a one-off cost, non-refundable, and you progress at your own pace.
Once you've got the basics together, you might decide the best way to teach yourself is to learn to play standards by ear. So you get out your favourite songs, listen to them over and over, work out the chords and lead work, then play. The advantage of this method is that it'll give you confidence, and if you mess up, no one will know. It's also cheap--presumably you've already paid for the music.
(Of course, there are fan sites online where you can download lyrics and sheet music to your favourite songs, thus saving you the time of doing it yourself. This can be handy. Beatles songs, in particular, use some rather ingenious chord sequences, and you might have difficulty working them out for yourself.)
Finally, there's the online course. For the cost of a single live lesson with a professional teacher you can get a DVD with a course aimed at various levels of proficiency. The product usually comes with a money-back guarantee, too, which is not true of the other methods. Another advantage is that you can learn whenever is convenient for you--teachers are usually available only at certain times of the day.
So there you have it--the seven basic guitar lessons sources: a friend, school lessons, night school, a professional teacher, a book or course, learning by ear, or an online course.
Which is best?
Depends on how serious you are, how much time you can devote to practice, and what you want to achieve.
If you're just starting out, it might be best to go with the least expensive route. That way, if you don't persevere, you haven't lost much.
If you do, though , and you want to get really good, you'll eventually want to consider a professional teacher.
Wherever you want your journey to take you, I hope you get there and have fun travelling!
by: J M Jones
The seven best sources for basic guitar lessons and learning techniques
There are two ways of learning anything, and they're not the hard way or the easy way, nor are they my way or the highway. No, they're teach yourself, or get a teacher.
Let's look at teachers first. They come in four guises, and some are more effective than others. The more effective, the more expensive--usually.
The cheapest and possibly least effective teacher you can get is probably a friend. I don't say that to be disrespectful to anyone's playing abilities, but simply to point out that unless that friend plays by the book, and is a qualified teacher, you'll probably pick up any bad habits they have. They're also not likely to be available on a regular enough basis, and may either become impatient with you when you don't pick things up fast enough, or may just let things slide, allowing you to form bad habits of your own. The cost is good, though--usually free.
You may be fortunate enough to be still at school and have guitar lessons available there, either for free or at a greatly subsidised rate. If so, take them. Your teacher will be qualified, lessons will be regular, you'll have fellow pupils you know to swap notes with outside of lessons (and maybe even get together to play with!).
Night school is the next most effective and cheap method. It's almost exactly like school, except you have to make the effort to get there after a day's work. That usually means you'll have other things going on in your life--things that may intrude. Not only that, your classes will probably be larger, so you may have less input about what you want to learn. The cost will be very reasonable, though, when worked out as an hourly rate.
A professional teacher is the most expensive option. A good one will bring out the best in you, but will get frustrated if you don't practice. (Classical guitar teachers will encourage you to take grades, because their reputation grows according to how many people they get to pass). If you have the money, the time, and are prepared to put the work in, this is one of the most effective routes to take, because they'll correct any bad habits, and sessions are one-to-one.
If you can't afford a professional teacher, and you don't have night school lessons or a friend handy, the second option is to teach yourself. There are three possible options,
You can buy guitar tutors fairly cheaply at most guitar shops, or online. They used to come in book form, but increasingly incorporate CDs and DVDs to take you through the basics. There's a one-off cost, non-refundable, and you progress at your own pace.
Once you've got the basics together, you might decide the best way to teach yourself is to learn to play standards by ear. So you get out your favourite songs, listen to them over and over, work out the chords and lead work, then play. The advantage of this method is that it'll give you confidence, and if you mess up, no one will know. It's also cheap--presumably you've already paid for the music.
(Of course, there are fan sites online where you can download lyrics and sheet music to your favourite songs, thus saving you the time of doing it yourself. This can be handy. Beatles songs, in particular, use some rather ingenious chord sequences, and you might have difficulty working them out for yourself.)
Finally, there's the online course. For the cost of a single live lesson with a professional teacher you can get a DVD with a course aimed at various levels of proficiency. The product usually comes with a money-back guarantee, too, which is not true of the other methods. Another advantage is that you can learn whenever is convenient for you--teachers are usually available only at certain times of the day.
So there you have it--the seven basic guitar lessons sources: a friend, school lessons, night school, a professional teacher, a book or course, learning by ear, or an online course.
Which is best?
Depends on how serious you are, how much time you can devote to practice, and what you want to achieve.
If you're just starting out, it might be best to go with the least expensive route. That way, if you don't persevere, you haven't lost much.
If you do, though , and you want to get really good, you'll eventually want to consider a professional teacher.
Wherever you want your journey to take you, I hope you get there and have fun travelling!
Post-Holiday Shopping: The Best Time to Buy
Post-Holiday Shopping: The Best Time to Buy
by: Steve Lassoff
Did you know that shopping after the holidays is the best time of year to buy? When retailers set high sales expectations in December they need to maintain momentum even after Christmas to meet their numbers. For consumers this can mean bigger discounts, longer shopping hours, and new merchandise.
Gift cards are partly responsible for giving shoppers the upper hand. Retailers can’t record sales until gift cards are redeemed. With sales of gift cards at an all-time high, retailers must continue to attract shoppers to recognize the revenue on all of the gift cards they’ve sold. They want shoppers to redeem gift cards as soon as possible after the holidays, so the post-holiday season is designed to draw gift card holders.
Devoted bargain-hunters already know that after-holiday sales are phenomenal. Not only is it a great time to buy some post-holiday gifts for yourself, it’s also a good time to think about buying gifts for friends and family for the rest of the year’s birthdays, graduations, holidays, or other special occasions. I needed a new scarf this winter, but instead of paying full price I waited until January and got one for 65% off.
There are deals online as well. I found a Valentine’s Day Garfield the Cat for my wife that was deeply discounted. If you have teenagers or kids in college, think about getting them a life-size standup. Whether it’s a Beanie Baby, Napoleon Dynamite, funny t-shirt or apron it will be the source of many laughs. And if you shop now you’re sure to find a good deal.
So don’t miss out – post-holiday shopping is the ideal time to buy. By planning ahead you can get all of the gifts you’ll need for the year at prices that you won’t find later. Whether it’s novelty gifts, party favors, scarves, or life-size cardboard cutouts that you need, shop now, not later.
AC-001
by: Steve Lassoff
Did you know that shopping after the holidays is the best time of year to buy? When retailers set high sales expectations in December they need to maintain momentum even after Christmas to meet their numbers. For consumers this can mean bigger discounts, longer shopping hours, and new merchandise.
Gift cards are partly responsible for giving shoppers the upper hand. Retailers can’t record sales until gift cards are redeemed. With sales of gift cards at an all-time high, retailers must continue to attract shoppers to recognize the revenue on all of the gift cards they’ve sold. They want shoppers to redeem gift cards as soon as possible after the holidays, so the post-holiday season is designed to draw gift card holders.
Devoted bargain-hunters already know that after-holiday sales are phenomenal. Not only is it a great time to buy some post-holiday gifts for yourself, it’s also a good time to think about buying gifts for friends and family for the rest of the year’s birthdays, graduations, holidays, or other special occasions. I needed a new scarf this winter, but instead of paying full price I waited until January and got one for 65% off.
There are deals online as well. I found a Valentine’s Day Garfield the Cat for my wife that was deeply discounted. If you have teenagers or kids in college, think about getting them a life-size standup. Whether it’s a Beanie Baby, Napoleon Dynamite, funny t-shirt or apron it will be the source of many laughs. And if you shop now you’re sure to find a good deal.
So don’t miss out – post-holiday shopping is the ideal time to buy. By planning ahead you can get all of the gifts you’ll need for the year at prices that you won’t find later. Whether it’s novelty gifts, party favors, scarves, or life-size cardboard cutouts that you need, shop now, not later.
AC-001
Art Deco Furniture: A Leleu Masterpiece
Art Deco Furniture: A Leleu Masterpiece
by: Lewis Baer
This example of a Jules Leleu sideboard encompasses the best of Art Deco inlaid detailing with the forward interpretations of classical forms. Art Deco furniture made toward the end of that period looked at form, which we now see in the classic 1940s furniture design.
Leleu’s recognition as an Art Deco designer was apparent in the early stages of the 1920s. His pieces appeared to have a less graceful form and were not as sophisticated as his later work. The style was heavier and less fluid; however these early designs employed elegant bronze trim with exotic wood veneers. Inlaid motifs were used in a sparing manner; with simple geometric detailing add to give the appearance of the Art Deco form. These elements would be embellished and continued to be a trademark of Leleu’s work, which was important for the firm’s ability to secure commissions that required a refined and chic décor.
This French Art Deco sideboard designed and made by Leleu has all the inherent qualities of a masterpiece by Leleu. The magnificent pearl and ebony inlay against the beautiful palisander wood veneer plays off the stunning Pierre Dunand lacquered top. The inlaid flowers and butterfly designed 2 center doors expands to more delicate and touches of small flowers on the outer 2 doors. With beautiful, delicate bronze trim and sabot feet, the shape of this piece is made to appear simplified, but well defined.
Behind the doors of the cabinet hides a magnificent solid sycamore, fully functioning interior. The detailing of this interior includes a palisander wood veneer to the edge of all the shelves and fully veneered backs to the doors. Also, the original ivory signature plaque is inlaid in the upper corner of the front right door’s interior.
This style was employed by Leleu in may other pieces of furniture for the dining room. Similar inlaid designs can be seen in examples of dining tables and smaller commodes. It could be assumed that this piece was part of a commission for an entire dining room suite.
However, one important aspect of the design of this piece is the extraordinary scale and size of the piece. At a length of 8½’, this makes the sideboard an unusually large and grand dimension. To create such an uncommonly large piece of furniture required special consideration to the proportions of its form. However the design of the room for which the piece was made clearly influenced why this was remarkable size was requisite.
Leleu, as one of the great Art Deco furniture designers was also very successful in the post Art Deco style. As Leleu’s designs evolved in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, he kept with the modernist trends of sleeker forms and use of modern materials such as steel and plastics. However, his designs have always maintained an international aspect of fashion and fashion. The scale and quality of this extraordinary piece of furniture has endowed its singular proportional form as a quintessential example of furniture design in the 20th Century.
You can learn more about this piece by visiting http://www.newel.com/PreviewImage.aspx?ItemID=14041 or visit Newel at http://www.newel.com
by: Lewis Baer
This example of a Jules Leleu sideboard encompasses the best of Art Deco inlaid detailing with the forward interpretations of classical forms. Art Deco furniture made toward the end of that period looked at form, which we now see in the classic 1940s furniture design.
Leleu’s recognition as an Art Deco designer was apparent in the early stages of the 1920s. His pieces appeared to have a less graceful form and were not as sophisticated as his later work. The style was heavier and less fluid; however these early designs employed elegant bronze trim with exotic wood veneers. Inlaid motifs were used in a sparing manner; with simple geometric detailing add to give the appearance of the Art Deco form. These elements would be embellished and continued to be a trademark of Leleu’s work, which was important for the firm’s ability to secure commissions that required a refined and chic décor.
This French Art Deco sideboard designed and made by Leleu has all the inherent qualities of a masterpiece by Leleu. The magnificent pearl and ebony inlay against the beautiful palisander wood veneer plays off the stunning Pierre Dunand lacquered top. The inlaid flowers and butterfly designed 2 center doors expands to more delicate and touches of small flowers on the outer 2 doors. With beautiful, delicate bronze trim and sabot feet, the shape of this piece is made to appear simplified, but well defined.
Behind the doors of the cabinet hides a magnificent solid sycamore, fully functioning interior. The detailing of this interior includes a palisander wood veneer to the edge of all the shelves and fully veneered backs to the doors. Also, the original ivory signature plaque is inlaid in the upper corner of the front right door’s interior.
This style was employed by Leleu in may other pieces of furniture for the dining room. Similar inlaid designs can be seen in examples of dining tables and smaller commodes. It could be assumed that this piece was part of a commission for an entire dining room suite.
However, one important aspect of the design of this piece is the extraordinary scale and size of the piece. At a length of 8½’, this makes the sideboard an unusually large and grand dimension. To create such an uncommonly large piece of furniture required special consideration to the proportions of its form. However the design of the room for which the piece was made clearly influenced why this was remarkable size was requisite.
Leleu, as one of the great Art Deco furniture designers was also very successful in the post Art Deco style. As Leleu’s designs evolved in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, he kept with the modernist trends of sleeker forms and use of modern materials such as steel and plastics. However, his designs have always maintained an international aspect of fashion and fashion. The scale and quality of this extraordinary piece of furniture has endowed its singular proportional form as a quintessential example of furniture design in the 20th Century.
You can learn more about this piece by visiting http://www.newel.com/PreviewImage.aspx?ItemID=14041 or visit Newel at http://www.newel.com
Advanced Scrabble Techniques
Advanced Scrabble Techniques
by: Emma Snow
So you think you are ready to take your Scrabble game to the next level? You are considering membership in a Scrabble club, or entering a local tournament? How do you know if you are ready? You may be the family champion, having mastered the basics, but will your reputation hold up in the competitive arena?
Scrabble experts each have their own styles and opinions about what makes a champion, and this article covers four skills all agree are necessary to survive the cut.
The first advanced skill appearing on every expert's list is rack management. A play is good if it considers first, the points earned, and second, the leave. To play competitively, one must keep a balanced rack. While there is an element of luck in any draw, a player of skill knows when to sacrifice a higher point value for a better leave. In general, one should try to play longer words, in order to keep tile turn-over high, increasing the chance of getting the best letter combinations for bingos. Consonants and vowels should be kept in balance in order to avoid difficult scenarios. Tile tracking is one way players may decide between two good plays. If you know there are still several Os in play, you may opt to keep that I instead. And even after following the guidelines for the best rack management, an expert knows when to trade in tiles.
Second on the list is a player's relationship with two special tiles: the blank and the S. Everything Scrabble authors, Joe Edley and John D. Williams, suggest players remember that "Blanks are for Bingos and S is for Scoring." Although almost worthless at face value, these two tiles are in reality the most valuable tiles you can draw. Nothing is better than a blank for building a bingo. Good players use their blanks and high point tiles to lead them to bingos. (If you can't find a bingo, but have a play that scores at least 20-30 points higher, only then should you play your blank.) As the saying goes, S is for scoring. It pluralizes most nouns, singularizes most verbs, and is invaluable as a letter to add in front of other words, all of which makes the S the best hook in the bag.
The third necessary skill mentioned by experts is vocabulary building. There are a number of ways to do this, from mnemonics, to wacky definitions, to memorizing anagram clusters. After the two letter word list, experts advise taking on the 3 letter words, emphasizing the words created with front and back extensions from the twos. Computers have been used to compile lists of words most likely to occur given the letter frequency in the game, and some players have memorized these lists to their benefit. Other bingo-hungry players memorize the 7-8 letter words, although some criticize this practice since the opportunities to use these words are so limited. Still others focus on words containing high-value tiles, or difficult letter combinations. The best advice when it comes to vocabulary building is to let your natural curiosity guide you, and learn words in small sets that you can master well enough to recognize when you can or cannot anagram a certain combination.
One final note that every Scrabble expert will point out involves using challenges and phony words appropriately. This may have never been a big deal when playing with friends and family, but in the competitive arena a game can hinge on this skill. First of all, get to know your opponent. Some players will put down a phony right at the beginning of the game just to see if you challenge it! There are some good reasons you may even want to play a phony, although you should never risk a win for it. This is a skill that requires good judgment, finesse, and style, and maybe even a poker face!
Working on these skills will certainly improve your game. If these suggestions are old news to you, maybe you are already prepared for the Scrabble circuit. Go ahead, sign up for a match. There is no better practice than the real thing.
Copyright (c) 2006 Emma Snow
by: Emma Snow
So you think you are ready to take your Scrabble game to the next level? You are considering membership in a Scrabble club, or entering a local tournament? How do you know if you are ready? You may be the family champion, having mastered the basics, but will your reputation hold up in the competitive arena?
Scrabble experts each have their own styles and opinions about what makes a champion, and this article covers four skills all agree are necessary to survive the cut.
The first advanced skill appearing on every expert's list is rack management. A play is good if it considers first, the points earned, and second, the leave. To play competitively, one must keep a balanced rack. While there is an element of luck in any draw, a player of skill knows when to sacrifice a higher point value for a better leave. In general, one should try to play longer words, in order to keep tile turn-over high, increasing the chance of getting the best letter combinations for bingos. Consonants and vowels should be kept in balance in order to avoid difficult scenarios. Tile tracking is one way players may decide between two good plays. If you know there are still several Os in play, you may opt to keep that I instead. And even after following the guidelines for the best rack management, an expert knows when to trade in tiles.
Second on the list is a player's relationship with two special tiles: the blank and the S. Everything Scrabble authors, Joe Edley and John D. Williams, suggest players remember that "Blanks are for Bingos and S is for Scoring." Although almost worthless at face value, these two tiles are in reality the most valuable tiles you can draw. Nothing is better than a blank for building a bingo. Good players use their blanks and high point tiles to lead them to bingos. (If you can't find a bingo, but have a play that scores at least 20-30 points higher, only then should you play your blank.) As the saying goes, S is for scoring. It pluralizes most nouns, singularizes most verbs, and is invaluable as a letter to add in front of other words, all of which makes the S the best hook in the bag.
The third necessary skill mentioned by experts is vocabulary building. There are a number of ways to do this, from mnemonics, to wacky definitions, to memorizing anagram clusters. After the two letter word list, experts advise taking on the 3 letter words, emphasizing the words created with front and back extensions from the twos. Computers have been used to compile lists of words most likely to occur given the letter frequency in the game, and some players have memorized these lists to their benefit. Other bingo-hungry players memorize the 7-8 letter words, although some criticize this practice since the opportunities to use these words are so limited. Still others focus on words containing high-value tiles, or difficult letter combinations. The best advice when it comes to vocabulary building is to let your natural curiosity guide you, and learn words in small sets that you can master well enough to recognize when you can or cannot anagram a certain combination.
One final note that every Scrabble expert will point out involves using challenges and phony words appropriately. This may have never been a big deal when playing with friends and family, but in the competitive arena a game can hinge on this skill. First of all, get to know your opponent. Some players will put down a phony right at the beginning of the game just to see if you challenge it! There are some good reasons you may even want to play a phony, although you should never risk a win for it. This is a skill that requires good judgment, finesse, and style, and maybe even a poker face!
Working on these skills will certainly improve your game. If these suggestions are old news to you, maybe you are already prepared for the Scrabble circuit. Go ahead, sign up for a match. There is no better practice than the real thing.
Copyright (c) 2006 Emma Snow
Caring for Flower Gifts
Caring for Flower Gifts
by: Clinton Porter
If you’ve been given Flowers as a gift, it’s useful to know how to look after the bouquet or arrangement to help make the present last as long as possible. There are a number of things you can do in order to ensure you get the most out of any gift of Flowers.
Flower Bouquets:
• Cut off of least 3 cms from the bottom of soft stemmed Flowers, e.g. chrysanthemums, before placing them in water.
• Try to cut Flower stems at a sharp angle of 45 degrees based on the fact that cutting stems at such an angle helps stem cells take in water because of increases gained in the stem cell surface area.
• For all Flowers, remove any leaves which will sit below water level – this prevents them rotting and encouraging algae to grow in the vase water.
• Be careful not to damage Flower stems as this will damage cell structure and impair the Flower’s ability to absorb water – it will also destroy some of the structural strength in the Flowers and prevent them from last as long as they otherwise might.
• Use the Flower Food supplied with your gift.
• Avoid putting the Flowers in direct sunlight.
• Cut stems every 3 days to avoid bacteria blocks in the stem and ensure you change Flower water regularly.
Flower Arrangements:
• Make sure those arrangements which sit in wet Floral Foam are fed water on a daily basis.
• Spray the arrangement daily with a light water mist and take off any ageing flowers.
• Avoid putting Flowers in direct sunlight, draughty spots or near heat.
• Do not place Flowers close to ripening fruit as it can release ethylene gas emissions which will prematurely age certain Flowers.
• Strive for temperatures of 21°C for the day and 10° to 13°C for the night.
by: Clinton Porter
If you’ve been given Flowers as a gift, it’s useful to know how to look after the bouquet or arrangement to help make the present last as long as possible. There are a number of things you can do in order to ensure you get the most out of any gift of Flowers.
Flower Bouquets:
• Cut off of least 3 cms from the bottom of soft stemmed Flowers, e.g. chrysanthemums, before placing them in water.
• Try to cut Flower stems at a sharp angle of 45 degrees based on the fact that cutting stems at such an angle helps stem cells take in water because of increases gained in the stem cell surface area.
• For all Flowers, remove any leaves which will sit below water level – this prevents them rotting and encouraging algae to grow in the vase water.
• Be careful not to damage Flower stems as this will damage cell structure and impair the Flower’s ability to absorb water – it will also destroy some of the structural strength in the Flowers and prevent them from last as long as they otherwise might.
• Use the Flower Food supplied with your gift.
• Avoid putting the Flowers in direct sunlight.
• Cut stems every 3 days to avoid bacteria blocks in the stem and ensure you change Flower water regularly.
Flower Arrangements:
• Make sure those arrangements which sit in wet Floral Foam are fed water on a daily basis.
• Spray the arrangement daily with a light water mist and take off any ageing flowers.
• Avoid putting Flowers in direct sunlight, draughty spots or near heat.
• Do not place Flowers close to ripening fruit as it can release ethylene gas emissions which will prematurely age certain Flowers.
• Strive for temperatures of 21°C for the day and 10° to 13°C for the night.
Bonsai Tree Care
Bonsai Tree Care
by: Rob Mellor
If you are considering a Bonsai tree for that special person, there are a few things you should know to ensure that you end up with a nice healthy tree. First and foremost think about the conditions the tree will be in. Indoor Bonsai will generally need to be close to a window or be supplemented with artificial light. A small tray with gravel and a little bit of water under the tree will add humidity around the tree. It may not need to be watered every day but it should be checked daily as the small pots can dry out rather quickly.
Steps in bonsai care
Watering
Watering is the most important part in bonsai care. This is the crux of the art of bonsai. Most Bonsai tree that die are lost due to dehydration, either from lack of watering or from being kept in a low humidity environment (indoors) for too long. How often you should water is a common question people ask about bonsai trees. There is no hard and fast rule prescribed for the same. When the soil begins to dry out water your plant thoroughly until the excess water runs out of the bottom of the pot, signifying you're done. Remember, over-watering is as bad as under-watering, thus all the fuss about getting it just right.
Pots and soil
The soil you use affects rooting, feeding, watering and transpiration, it is where half your tree lives so this is the second biggest consideration in maintaining your bonsai. While the needs of individual species vary greatly a good rule of thumb is 30% grit, 70% humus for deciduous trees, and 70% grit with 30% humus for evergreen-needled plants. Bonsai trees should be fertilized with a water-soluble fertilizer once or twice per month during the growing season. However the choice of fertilizer may vary depending on the species you've chosen to miniaturize. Always apply fertilizer when the soil is wet. Bonsai trees are intentionally allowed to become root-bound in their containers, and the roots too, are pruned.
Pruning
A bonsai plant is pruned in two ways viz. branch pruning and root pruning. Pruning of branches is performed in spring. Much, but not all of the new growth is removed. Branches are selected early on as the only branches to be allowed to prosper, while the excess branches are mercilessly pruned off. The main factor in maintaining bonsai is the removal of all but the most important parts of the plant. Bonsai is all about the reduction of everything just to the essential elements. Also Bonsai trees are intentionally allowed to become root-bound in their containers, and the roots too, are pruned. But root-bound plants won't thrive forever in that condition and, indeed, bonsai trees must be re-potted every two or three years to furnish the roots with fresh soil.
Changing the shape of the tree
Bonsai tree wiring is an advanced skill to grow the bonsai into an art form. Desirable branches are wired to control the direction in which they grow. Wiring can do a great deal to change the shape of the plant, but it can also do a great deal of damage to the plant if done incorrectly.
To sum up
This may seem like a lot to do to just to buy a little tree, but it's no different than any other informed purchase, just as you wouldn't buy a fish without having a special home for it you should have a special home for your Bonsai tree.
by: Rob Mellor
If you are considering a Bonsai tree for that special person, there are a few things you should know to ensure that you end up with a nice healthy tree. First and foremost think about the conditions the tree will be in. Indoor Bonsai will generally need to be close to a window or be supplemented with artificial light. A small tray with gravel and a little bit of water under the tree will add humidity around the tree. It may not need to be watered every day but it should be checked daily as the small pots can dry out rather quickly.
Steps in bonsai care
Watering
Watering is the most important part in bonsai care. This is the crux of the art of bonsai. Most Bonsai tree that die are lost due to dehydration, either from lack of watering or from being kept in a low humidity environment (indoors) for too long. How often you should water is a common question people ask about bonsai trees. There is no hard and fast rule prescribed for the same. When the soil begins to dry out water your plant thoroughly until the excess water runs out of the bottom of the pot, signifying you're done. Remember, over-watering is as bad as under-watering, thus all the fuss about getting it just right.
Pots and soil
The soil you use affects rooting, feeding, watering and transpiration, it is where half your tree lives so this is the second biggest consideration in maintaining your bonsai. While the needs of individual species vary greatly a good rule of thumb is 30% grit, 70% humus for deciduous trees, and 70% grit with 30% humus for evergreen-needled plants. Bonsai trees should be fertilized with a water-soluble fertilizer once or twice per month during the growing season. However the choice of fertilizer may vary depending on the species you've chosen to miniaturize. Always apply fertilizer when the soil is wet. Bonsai trees are intentionally allowed to become root-bound in their containers, and the roots too, are pruned.
Pruning
A bonsai plant is pruned in two ways viz. branch pruning and root pruning. Pruning of branches is performed in spring. Much, but not all of the new growth is removed. Branches are selected early on as the only branches to be allowed to prosper, while the excess branches are mercilessly pruned off. The main factor in maintaining bonsai is the removal of all but the most important parts of the plant. Bonsai is all about the reduction of everything just to the essential elements. Also Bonsai trees are intentionally allowed to become root-bound in their containers, and the roots too, are pruned. But root-bound plants won't thrive forever in that condition and, indeed, bonsai trees must be re-potted every two or three years to furnish the roots with fresh soil.
Changing the shape of the tree
Bonsai tree wiring is an advanced skill to grow the bonsai into an art form. Desirable branches are wired to control the direction in which they grow. Wiring can do a great deal to change the shape of the plant, but it can also do a great deal of damage to the plant if done incorrectly.
To sum up
This may seem like a lot to do to just to buy a little tree, but it's no different than any other informed purchase, just as you wouldn't buy a fish without having a special home for it you should have a special home for your Bonsai tree.
The Piano - Key, Hammer And String - Part 1
The Piano - Key, Hammer And String - Part 1
by: Mike Shaw
The piano, while similar in some of its features too many other kinds of musical instruments, differs materially in several important points from all other kinds. It resembles the Violin, Harp, Guitar, Zither, Dulcimer, in its being stringed. It resembles the Drum, Triangle, Cymbals, Tambourine, Dulcimer, in its being dependent on percussion for the production of its tone; and it resembles the Organ, Clarinet, Concertina, in its being keyed.
But it differs from all of these instruments in the following important points. Firstly, in its being dependent on the player's method of finger push on the key for its quality of tone. Secondly, in its being dependent on rapidity of finger push for its quantity of tone and thirdly, in its being dependent on keys for the means of producing percussion. The actual mechanism of percussion, namely, the hammers, being reachable only through the pressing of the keys.
It is probably from a want of appreciation of this last fact, that the piano has come to be considered rather as a keyed instrument than as a stringed one.
The distinctive feature of the piano is, then, the system of its key mechanism.
As the seat of tone, the wire, is made to sound only by a series of communication, starting with the key, it is therefore necessary to understand the method by which this communication is conducted and kept open.
The piano key is, basically, a lever that's lifts the hammer that strikes the string. It is a lever of the first class, its fulcrum, or prop, lying between the power and the weight. In the case of the piano, this fulcrum, or centre on which the lever works, is placed about halfway between its two ends, the hammer (with some small intermediate mechanism) being the weight, and the finger the power acting on it. The very limited area should be noticed within which the action of the key is confined.
The immediate factor of tone is the hammer. The hammer, by means of intermediate mechanism, being in direct and close contact with the far end of the key, is raised when the near end is depressed by the finger or any weight; and the force with which the hammer is made to strike the string is in proportion to the speed brought to bear on the piano key by the finger at the moment of the push. Quantity of tone is thus the result of the amount of speed used in pushing the key down.
When the string has been struck by the hammer, the hammer falls back immediately, to allow the string to vibrate freely. This fallback of the hammer is, however, not a return to the position occupied by it before the stroke; it does not fall completely back until the key is allowed to rise. When the piano key rises, the hammer returns to its original position, and is ready for the next key push.
It is of great importance for the student to remember that the hammer is always at some distance from the wire. Except during the very short period of time spent in striking; that after having struck the wire it leaves it instantaneously to assume the half position described above; and that it is powerless to do any more work until after the key has been allowed to rise.
by: Mike Shaw
The piano, while similar in some of its features too many other kinds of musical instruments, differs materially in several important points from all other kinds. It resembles the Violin, Harp, Guitar, Zither, Dulcimer, in its being stringed. It resembles the Drum, Triangle, Cymbals, Tambourine, Dulcimer, in its being dependent on percussion for the production of its tone; and it resembles the Organ, Clarinet, Concertina, in its being keyed.
But it differs from all of these instruments in the following important points. Firstly, in its being dependent on the player's method of finger push on the key for its quality of tone. Secondly, in its being dependent on rapidity of finger push for its quantity of tone and thirdly, in its being dependent on keys for the means of producing percussion. The actual mechanism of percussion, namely, the hammers, being reachable only through the pressing of the keys.
It is probably from a want of appreciation of this last fact, that the piano has come to be considered rather as a keyed instrument than as a stringed one.
The distinctive feature of the piano is, then, the system of its key mechanism.
As the seat of tone, the wire, is made to sound only by a series of communication, starting with the key, it is therefore necessary to understand the method by which this communication is conducted and kept open.
The piano key is, basically, a lever that's lifts the hammer that strikes the string. It is a lever of the first class, its fulcrum, or prop, lying between the power and the weight. In the case of the piano, this fulcrum, or centre on which the lever works, is placed about halfway between its two ends, the hammer (with some small intermediate mechanism) being the weight, and the finger the power acting on it. The very limited area should be noticed within which the action of the key is confined.
The immediate factor of tone is the hammer. The hammer, by means of intermediate mechanism, being in direct and close contact with the far end of the key, is raised when the near end is depressed by the finger or any weight; and the force with which the hammer is made to strike the string is in proportion to the speed brought to bear on the piano key by the finger at the moment of the push. Quantity of tone is thus the result of the amount of speed used in pushing the key down.
When the string has been struck by the hammer, the hammer falls back immediately, to allow the string to vibrate freely. This fallback of the hammer is, however, not a return to the position occupied by it before the stroke; it does not fall completely back until the key is allowed to rise. When the piano key rises, the hammer returns to its original position, and is ready for the next key push.
It is of great importance for the student to remember that the hammer is always at some distance from the wire. Except during the very short period of time spent in striking; that after having struck the wire it leaves it instantaneously to assume the half position described above; and that it is powerless to do any more work until after the key has been allowed to rise.
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