The use of applique embroidery in modern world

We the human beings have been running after the fashion from time immemorial. In course of time the people became aware of culture as well as social advancement. There are many sorts of apparels prevalent in the world. As a rule the dress code differs from country to country with same intention to cover the body as well as to make one beautiful. Most people believe in wearing ethnic dresses. Especially Indian people are more traditional in wearing the indigenous clothing.

Now we are going to give a little focus on applique embroidery which is now has been order of the day. The meaning of applique application is still in the dark for the common people but this art is such a beautiful application that if once a person started using this service we are very sure that nobody can not but use regularly. This application is used onto your attire. This makes the apparel not only beautiful but also it makes a good impression among the crowd. There is a strong possibility that you will be centre of attention ubiquitously with the application of embroidery.

Where to use applique embroidery

The art of applique embroidery can be applied almost in all kinds of dresses. But I advise to use in party wear as the application can not be used in the workplace unless you have a complete independence to wear the dress with the application of embroidery. Different office has different criteria and we have to follow suit. We are of opinion that you should use the dress designed with applique embroidery in a party as well as in your domestic surrounding however some company do provide uniform with the beautiful application of application of embroidery.

The use of applique embroidery in T-shirts

By and large we have an experience that almost all the t-shirts have their own logo of embroidery. That belongs to the brand name of the company but we can also use the t-shirts using our own applications. T-shirts are now a days selling in huge quantity and particularly it is a fetish for the teenyboppers everywhere in the world. A pair of jeans with t-shirts makes the youngsters beautiful and smarter.

The application of applique embroidery in polo shirts

The polo shirts are being used by the people world wide. The applique embroidery is applied in two ways. One is manually and another is with the help of machine. But the machine works on polo shirts looks more beautiful than manual applications of applique embroidery. Polo shirts are being used by both boys and girls. It can be used everywhere i.e. in workplace as well as in your own home but little work with embroidery makes your apparel more beautiful and attractive which bring the attention of people.

Dpsembroidery.co.uk is very popular in both midlands as well as London for the application of applique embroidery.

Brent Lowe provides appealing articles for applique embroidery. About more information please visit www.dpsembroidery.co.uk.

Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing

Kentucky Lake is known as one of the top crappie fishing lakes in the country. This lake produces a lot of crappie and plenty of trophy-sized crappie year in and year out. I was able to go down to Kentucky Lake last spring to experience the crappie fishing. I ended up staying at the King Creek Resort and there were many good fishing spots within a short boat ride from the resort.

When I arrived at the resort, the weather was nice and I was excited to catch some of the spawning crappie. I ended up getting there about a week too early, but I figured that with some nice weather, we would catch some fish deeper and some fish shallower at the end of our week stay. We were expecting 3 or 4 days in the low 70s at the back end of our trip. A cold front ended up coming in during our first night there and it stayed cooler than expected during our stay. The last day I was there, the air temperature warmed up to 77 degrees and the water was up to the mid to high 50s.

Basically, we timed the crappie spawn wrong and had to fish deep the entire week. It is a lot harder to find crappie in 16 to 20 feet of water than in 2 to 5 feet of water along any type of wooded cover. We ended up finding a bunch of brush piles and if we were on the brush piles we caught fish. If we would cast 10 to 15 feet away from the brush piles we couldn't get a bite. The key to our success was moving from brush pile to brush pile catching one or two off of each spot. We ended up catching plenty of crappie, although the bite was a tough one, and 5 crappie were in between 13 and 15 inches. Most anglers vertically jig for crappie in deeper water, but we were swimming small crappie tubes on a tiny jig. The key to get a strike was to wind extremely slowly, just barely turning the reel. As our baits would slowly swim over the brush piles, the fish would bite.

I won't be going down to Kentucky Lake this year, but next year, I might head down there for the crappie spawn. I am going to wait until the spawn starts and I will plan the trip last minute. If you can get to Kentucky Lake when the crappie spawn is in full swing, you have a chance of catching your limit, especially if you hire a guide.

To find more information about the lake, fishing guides and fishing resorts, take a look at our Kentucky Lake fishing page.

Article provided by Kevin Sewell at Ultimate Fishing Site

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Carp Fishing - Corn and Vanilla Extract Will Work Wonders

Carp fishing has not caught on in the United States like it has overseas in Europe, but there are still many people that fish for carp over here. Although, I do not fish for carp regularly, I fished for carp when I was younger because the pond that was in my neighborhood was loaded with carp and catfish, but no bass. I learned a lot about fishing for carp and I even entered a local carp fishing tournament when I was a kid. The yearly carp fishing tournament was fun and I either won or finished second 4 years in a row.

All I used was sweet corn out of a can mixed with a little bit of vanilla extract. One teaspoon or tablespoon will work when mixed with a can of corn. You can also use frozen corn that comes in a bag. I didn't use the frozen corn in tournaments, but it will work just fine and you can mix the corn in the bag that the corn comes with. If you use the canned corn, pour the vanilla extract into a sandwich bag with the corn and shake it up.

Use a small to medium sized hook, and fill the hook with corn. A short-shanked hook is preferred and 4 to 6 kernels should fill up your hook. Add enough weight to get your bait out there, set your rod down and wait. Carp love corn and they will hold onto the corn a little longer when it has a touch of vanilla added to it. This will result in more hookups. Carp can blow out your bait instantly, but it happens less often when you add the vanilla extract to the corn. If you add too much vanilla extract, you will not catch as many fish. Just use a teaspoon to a tablespoon and see how it works for you.

If you want more information on carp, take a look at our carp fishing page.

Article provided by Kevin Sewell at Ultimate Fishing Site

Take a look at our most popular pages on our website. You will find everything you need from these pages.

Largemouth Bass - Sight Fishing for Spring Success

During the spring, bass fishermen can have a blast fishing in shallow water. Not only can you catch some big bass in water less than 5 feet deep, but you can actually see these fish in the shallows. Two of the most important things that you can do to increase your odds of catching bass while sight fishing is to get a good pair of polarized sunglasses and a good trolling motor. No matter how well you think you can see through the water without glasses, you will see more fish and more importantly, you will spot them faster with polarized sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses help to block the light that is reflected by the light's surface, which allows you to see through the water better. Make sure you have a trolling motor to help you cruise along the shallows quietly. In some fishing tournaments, there have been some bass fishermen that have started using long poles like you would see among saltwater flats fishermen. These poles aren't necessary, but they will help you move along the shallows making less noise. For most circumstances, a trolling motor will work just fine.

Let's take a look at some of the other factors that will affect your sight fishing. In clear water, you will be able to see almost everything in the shallows, however, bass will able to see you as well. In very clear water, there are times that I will see some bass cruising along the shoreline or sitting on a bed. If I can't get a fish to bite, I will mark these spots with my gps and come back to them later. Sometimes 10 to 20 minutes is long enough. I have also come back in an hour or so, later in the evening, next morning or even at night. During this pre-spawn to spawning period, the fish that you spot throughout the day should be holding on these spots for a while. If you come back to them later in the day or over the next couple of days, you should have a better chance of catching them. When you come back to these spots, don't try to spot the fish. Stay farther away and cast to where you think the fish are. This will increase your hookups because they can no longer see your boat.

In darker water, it becomes very tough to find fish. I have found that you can get a lot closer to the fish in darker water, but it is going to take a lot longer to see the fish. Under these conditions, you are going to need some sunlight to help you see some fish. In darker water, I will cruise along the shoreline and try to watch for the wake of a bass chasing a bluegill out of the bed. You may not see the actual fish, but you can see the wake and this gives you an idea of where the bed is located.

As far as lures go, plastic worms, jigs, salmanders, plastic snakes and even top water lures will work. There are so many options, but it is tough to beat a live nightcrawler or live leech in the spring.

To find more information, take a look at our bass fishing page.

Article provided by Kevin Sewell at Ultimate Fishing Site

Take a look at our most popular pages on our website. You will find everything you need from these pages.

Plastic Worms - How To Fish Them

Plastic worms are probably the most popular fishing lure on the market today. Soft plastic worms are so popular because they work great for bass and most fishermen enjoy fishing for bass. Let's talk about some of the different styles as well as some tips on how to use them.

Some of my favorite plastic worms are 7 to 11 inch worms with a long curly-tail at the end. There are many different types of worms, but the worms with a long tail at the end are the easiest to use, especially for beginner anglers. You can use these worms with no weight, a small split shot, Carolina rigged or Texas rigged style. Just cast it out and retrieve it slowly with a lift and fall retrieve.

Most bass will bite on the fall so pay attention. I will use 7 inch worms early in the year and 11 inch worms during the summer. 11 inch worms will work well for bass in the 2 to 3 pound range and big bass love them. Go big in the summer. Use the bigger worms in the summer and you will catch more fish and lots of big fish.

I also have a lot of success using worms that don't have a tail. Basically, these worms are thin and pencil-like with no curly tail at the end. While these worms will not work as well as the curly tail worms with a basic lift and fall retrieve, they usually have better action with a quick more aggressive jerk then fall retrieve. The body will usually form a u-shape, which is similar to an actual worm falling through the water column. I definitely get more reaction strikes with these worms when I use an aggressive retrieve. These are also the worms that I prefer when I use a drop shot rig.

Drop shot rigs are set up with the hook above the weight. When you tie your knot to the hook, leave some extra line so you can attach a weight to it. With this set up, your weight will hit the bottom and the worm will sit about a foot to a foot and a half above the bottom. Drop shotting plastic worms can work wonders when fish are deep. An aggressive retrieve with a quick jerk and then a fall will produce many strikes.

Over the past year or so, I have had a lot of fun rigging worms wacky style. (This also works well with live worms.) The wacky style rig is where you hook the worm in the middle. For me, this rig works better when bass are more active in warmer water. I'm talking about late spring through the summer. I use a fairly aggressive jerk and fall retrieve with pencil-style worms when I fish wacky style. I have fished with many anglers that do well with a slow lift and fall retrieve as well, so try a few different retrieves with the wacky style and see what works best for you.

For more information on plastic worms or other fishing lures, take a look at our fishing equipment page.

Article provided by Kevin Sewell at Ultimate Fishing Site

From Photo Albums to Scrapbooks

If you've ever wondered how scrapbooks began you're not alone. Most people are familiar with the photo album and understand that once the camera enabled people to have their own photos, these photos were stored and organized in a sensible manner. However, scrapbooks are a bit more detailed than photo albums. Scrapbooks also contain other information, documents, text, and images than mere photographs. In fact, the art of scrapbooking includes using other items that are appropriate for the subject and displaying them in a creative and beautiful manner. Scrapbooks are much more than photo albums. They have the ability to tell a story, and are comparable to journals with photos. They are true memory books and are very sentimental. I'm sure you've heard the saying, "Every picture tells a story," well, scrapbooks provide the room to "tell the story" alongside the photo.

The inherent wonder and beauty of scrapbooks is found in the fact that generations may not only view the photos as they would in a family photo album, but have a theme, style, and journalized information to help explain the photos as well. Since scrapbooks are often customized and designed according to a theme, it makes it much simpler and more organized for readers to understand what was taking place in each photo.

However, what may be interesting to realize, is that scrapbooking is in fact older than photo albums. Before there were cameras and family photos, there were news clippings, magazine stories, drawings, notes, and memorabilia. These items were often arranged and displayed in books and the art of scrapbooking was formed. It is said that both Mark Twain, the writer, and Thomas Jefferson, the politician, were both avid scrapbookers. They kept close journals, records, and details of their lives by creating scrapbooks that displayed personal memorabilia.

Not only is scrapbooking a step above the traditional family photo album, scrapbooks are also very popular for those who are involved in genealogy. In the past, these scrapbooks were referred to as memory books, and they were used to document family journeys across generations. It was only logical that these books would contain personal information to help explain the nature of each memorabilia that was included.

Scrapbooks offer many more advantages than traditional photo albums. The way scrapbooks are displayed, the ability to create books with themes, and the ability to pour out your own creativity, heart, and soul into your scrapbook is a benefit not provided with photo albums.

Another important aspect of scrapbooking is that old photos that are in traditional photo albums are often displayed in paper that contains acid. Over a period of years, this paper deteriorates and leaves the photos to become damaged. It is imperative that old photos are removed from these albums and displayed in safe, acid free binders or papers. Many people are choosing to replace photo albums with scrapbooks to not only protect their sentimental photos, but to combine them with journaling and other important memorabilia. The popularity of scrapbooking continues to rise as more people discover the benefits and advantages of using scrapbooks as compared to photo albums.

Visit http://www.funscrapbookshop.com to read more articles about the worlds best hobby. Articles are written by S.Gallo, an avid Scrapbooker for many years.

Advanced Scrapbooking Techniques

When it comes to scrapbooking, you'll find that you'll become bored with beginning practices quickly. It won't take long before you'll start experiencing with advanced techniques to enhance your scrapbooking projects. The best way to gain experience with different scrapbooking techniques is to simply implement them into your projects. The more you use them, the easier they'll become. Here are some advanced scrapbooking techniques to get you started.

First, you may want to begin saving all of your leftover scrapbooking scraps. These extra bits of materials may be used together to create their own mosaic style. Simply take all of your scrap pieces and cut them into small pieces. Now, you can glue all of the small pieces into a mosaic. If you glue them onto a sheet of paper that is a contrasting color, you'll get a great effect. By continually saving all of your scaps, you'll find that you will have an endless supply of mosaics to work with.

Another advanced technique that delivers great results is the Matchbook Scrapbook. This technique creates a small scrapbook that resembles a matchbook. When the matchbook is opened it displays a small picture and any little details that you decided to add. These are miniature-sized scrapbooks and provide wonderful results. With a computer printer, you can easily shrink your photos to matchbook size to ensure that they fit perfectly within their tiny borders.

A simple but advanced technique is to use decorative scissors for cutting your papers. The added embellishment will enhance your pages and save time as well. You can choose from a number of different scrapbooking scissors that are available on the market. Bu using decorative scissors creatively and cutting images close to the lines, you can create realistic images that pop out of the scrapbook. Try experimenting with different backgrounds, scissors, and images until you get a 3-D effect that brings your scrapbooks to life.

Likewise, you can use creative punching techniques to add pizzazz to your projects as well. Combine cuts and punches to make a unique one of a kind effect. A great technique is to use your punch and then weave ribbon, cords, silk threads, embroidery floss, or decorative yarns through the holes. This will create a distinctive border and looks magnificent when finished.

Many people think only about the cut outs and the embellishments that they are going to use when scrapbooking. However, it is also important to pay close consideration to the background that you will be using as well. You don't have to use a plain color background. You can lay a foundation by sponging, stamping, gluing, and decorating the background paper before you begin the actual scrapbooking process. This is a great way to add spice to your project and jazz it up.

You'll find that there are so many creative options to choose when scrapbooking that you'll have no difficulty coming up with new ideas. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, using advanced scrapbooking techniques will strengthen your skill, enhance your projects, and provide a rich creative outlet for your scrapbooking ideas.

Visit http://www.funscrapbookshop.com to read more articles about the worlds best hobby. Articles are written by S.Gallo, an avid Scrapbooker for many years.

Love Albums - An Old Concept With A New Twist

One hundred years ago, women would save the petals of flowers they received from lovers and press them in a book. Other mementos such as cloth with perfume and keepsake items were preserved as a reminder of love. Today, you can still adhere to this timeless custom, only with a computerized twist.

Making a custom love album for either yourself or a loved one is easy when you know how to use computer technology. There are software programs that allow you to do this right on your own computer. You can scan objects and upload them into your computer as well as incorporate photographs and graphics into your custom love album. This is not only a fun thing for you to do for yourself, but it also makes a great gift.

When a loved one dies, some people make a memory album. This is a good way to remember someone who has passed on and preserve their memory for all times. A custom memory album is a thoughtful gift to give to someone who has lost a loved one because it insures that their loved one will not be forgotten. When people lose a loved one, a major fear is that others will forget the person. A custom memory album can assure a grieving person that their loved one is not, nor will be, forgotten.

No matter who you want to remember or why, a custom album is the ideal way to preserve your memories. Creating a custom love album can be very easy as well as a fun, creative project, especially if you have extensive knowledge of software such as Photoshop. The custom album can be designed to look like a coffee table book, if designed by a professional.

If you decide to have someone professionally design and print your custom album, be sure that you get someone who will create the album using techniques used in software such as Photoshop instead of someone who will simply use templates. This way, your custom album will look as though it has been professionally created.

You will be surprised to discover how inexpensive a custom album can be. Even if you hire a professional to create a custom album design, you will find that the item is affordable. As the design of the album takes most of the time, you can have the designer print more than one album. This can be especially nice if you are making a memorial album to honor a loved one who has passed on.

One thing that has never changed throughout time is the fact that we all wish to preserve memories of love for as long as we can. Since the beginning of time, we have been looking for ways to do this, either with poetry, music or even scrapbooks. Today, thanks to computer technology, you can preserve your memories easily in a custom love album. Whether you choose to create the album yourself or hire a professional, this is something that you will keep for the rest of your life.

www.bestdesignsolutions.com

The Art of Fly Fishing

Fly fishing I believe is the best form of fishing, an art it has been described. Well when you really get into the sport, the casting of the line, presentation of the fly, playing the fish when it is hooked, maybe an art form it is.

The equipment used today for fly fishing is very technologically advanced, gone are the days of heavy rods and reels. Today's kit is light and strong, carbon-fibre rods and highly engineered reels and slick fly lines. The cost of gear can be high but there is some very reasonably priced stuff around if someone is just starting out.

Ive been fly fishing for about 18years now and I still get a great buzz when I go. I mostly fish for rainbow trout on private lakes which are stocked regularly with fresh fish. They are what are called put and take fisheries where whatever fish are caught and kept by the angler they are replaced with fresh ones the following week. Some fisheries also allow catch and release where fish are caught and returned to fight another day by the angler. This is what I prefer.

There has been some argument and dispute whether catch and release should be allowed,that is up to the fishery. If the fish is landed, unhooked in the net in the water and given enough time to recover there would be no damage to the fish. Do not take it out of the water and man handle it, if you have to make sure your hands are wet so as not to remove the protective slime on the fish. If the fish happens to swallow the hook and if there is bleeding then the fish should be dispatched immediately, there is no sense in releasing it for it to die slowly.

There is a method that is used in fly fishing now where a bite detector or indicator is used. It is a small round colored polystyrene ball or cylindrical shape which is attached to the fly leader so far up from the fly. The line is casted out and the indicator is fished mostly static or maybe twitched now and again to cause some movement of the fly.This can be a very productive method of fishing but personally I'm not in favor of it as I feel its float fishing with fly fishing equipment.

My personal favorite form of fly fishing is using the dry fly where the fish takes the fly off the surface or just in the surface film. This can be really exciting and spectacular if you can match the hatch,that is your artificial fly resembles what the fish are feeding on.

http://www.nichemarketingworld.net/flyfishing

Photoshop Tips That Will Really Help

Can't get rid of that nasty shine that you get taking pictures? Well now you can, follow these easy steps: Let's start with a great, overlooked trick. After opening the image, open the same image again in a new window. In Photoshop, choose Window ->Arrange -> New Window. In Elements choose View->New Window. This allows you to view one window zoomed in for detail work and the other window at 100% so you can judge the effects.

Using the magnifying glass tool draw a box around the area of shine. Make the box big enough to also show a fair amount of un-shiny skin. Select the Clone tool. At the top of the page select Mode: Darken and use the slider to set Opacity at 50%.Using the Clone Tool, select an area of un-shiny skin by putting the circle over the area and holding down the Alt button while left-clicking the mouse. To best match skin tone try to select the area of skin closest to the shine. Quick tip, to easily resize the Clone Tool circle simply use the bracket keys, [and] - much easier than moving your cursor back and forth between the photo and the Size slider. Now simply click on the shiny area and watch the magic happen. You'll have to experiment a little for best effect, and for larger areas be sure to resample the un-shiny skin frequently. In the zoomed-in image the effect might look too obvious, so you'll need to keep an eye on the 100% image to track your progress. Notice the difference on the tip of the nose, the cheek, and above his eye.

Photo retouching is sometimes quite important to your photo. You can change your photo to black and white, take out some unwanted acne, fix a blurry line. Well, here are some instructions on how to sharpen your image. Start by opening your image Duplicate the background layer by pressing control+j. Press shift+control+u to desaturate the layer. Go to filter> others> high pass and give these values, Radius of 0.4 pixels. Press control+l to open levels. Finally, change this layer's mode from normal to overlay. If you find excessive sharpening then reduce the opacity of this layer. You now have more sharp image and it works on almost any image.

Gradient maps can help your coloring on Photo manipulations a lot. They can be used to help blend things in and to make the colors in things the same. So you should have the same picture from the section Textures open. Okay now looking at you textures picture. You might think. My textures don't really blend in well with my face. So I am going to show you how to blend those in better using gradient maps. So I want you to decide what you want your face to look like (mainly color wise). So to make my textures blend in more I start off by going to Image> Adjustments> Gradient Map. Since I want a green picture I am going to pick a green/yellow gradient map. Then I am going to set it on soft light. After I put the opacity down a bit. Then I added a black and white gradient map. I did this because I wanted to make the picture a bit darker. I left the black and white gradient map on normal and set it on around 50% opacity. It will get rid of a bit of the color but thats what the green and yellow gradient maps were for (they were to add color so it didnt look really bland when we added the black and white one). Here is my picture after adding gradient maps.

Open the JavaScript Reference Guide and click the ArtLayer bookmark to the left in Adobe Reader, now you can first se all properties available for ordinary layers and after that is all the methods available for it. Hello world, Now it's time to try your wings by creating and running your first script for Photoshop. As always the first program you create in a new programming language should always output the Hello world sentence. To install a script you simply copy it to Photoshop's scripts folder which in windows is located in: c:Program FilesAdobePhotoshop CS2PresetsScripts Before you can use it from Photoshop you have to quit Photoshop and restart it. Once you have done this the script is available under File > Scripts

From the murky depths of the deepest forests to the frosty desolation of the Siberian wilderness, camouflage is invaluable for breaking up the human silhouette, allowing stealthy approaches towards your prey. It is, however, also deceptively simple to make in Photoshop using only a couple of filters and a basic sense of style. Create a blank document of any size with a single active layer (this can be filled with anything you desire). Using the colour swatches, select #D0C577 as the foreground colour, and #BAAD4A as the background colour. Then choose Edit > Fill from the main menu and fill the background layer with the new BG colour. Now create that camouflage by selecting Filter > Artistic > Sponge, and running it with the following settings: Brush Size - 8; Definition - 25; Smoothness - 15; Repeat the filter a second time with exactly the same settings to bring out highlights. To smooth out the result, go to Filter > Noise > Median and enter a value of 3. And that's it! See, I said it was easy! Of course, at this point you can brighten things up a little with the Image > Adjust > Brightness / Contrast tools, and/or add a little cloth texture with Filter > Texture > Texturizer, but I'll leave that up to you... Of course, these colours wont work for every environment, so feel free to play around a little. Take a look below to see a few quick colour variations. Have fun experimenting.

As with many applications, working in Photoshop can be made far easier and more efficient by using keyboard shortcuts.Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N New layer Ctrl/Cmd + J Duplicate current layer. Here are a few useful shortcuts: Ctrl/Cmd + [ Move layer downwards Ctrl/Cmd + ] Move layer upwards Ctrl/Cmd + E Merge linked layers Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + E Merge visible layers Ctrl/Cmd + A Select all Ctrl/Cmd + D Deselect Ctrl/Cmd + L Levels Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + L Auto levels Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Alt + L Auto contrast Ctrl/Cmd + M Curves Ctrl/Cmd + I Invert colours Ctrl/Cmd + Z Undo Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + Z Step back in history Ctrl/Cmd + F Apply last used filter Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + X Liquify tool Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + Shift + X Pattern tool

A way to make a whole pallette from the three colors is not extremely difficult. Open a new canvas, does not really matter the size, but keep it no smaller than 468x60. Click on the gradiant tool on the left tool bar. Go into the Gradient Editor, by clicking on the colored gradient on the top toolbar. Place the darkest of the three colors on one side, the lightest on the other, and the midtone in the middle. Keep the opacity at 100%. Press Ok, then click-drag a horizontal line across the canvas. You can use the eyedrop tool to take the color from this canvas and color the skin of your project. Now that we have a pallete of color, we have to understand the effects of lighting on skin. It's a very simple concept, but understanding it is necessart to shading skin. As any matter, the brighter the light, the lighter the highlight and the darker the shadow. The dimmer the light, the difference between the light and the shadow decreases. The shadow cast by it is also affected by the light and darkness. The color of light affects it in the same way. If the light is green, it will have a green tint to the skin. If it is a small light, such as a lamp, a smaller portion of the skin will be that color, instead of affecting the whole skin. As stated before, most matter is affected the same way as this.

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Antique Coin Collectors: Not A Rare Species

People sport different kinds of hobbies and interests. These hobbies can be subtle, sober, loud and as outlandish as you can ever imagine. You must be aware of hobbies like philately (stamp collection) and bee keeping. I used to fly model planes, that was a great deal of fun, and my brother used to shoot model rockets. These are all common hobbies, but there is one more that we will discuss here, and that is coin collection. This is a popular hobby, as a matter of fact, and is being sported by many people all across the world.

People like to collect coins coming from different times in history from different parts of the world. In a private collection, many coins cannot be used directly as currency, but oftentimes can be auctioned off to other collectors for a profit. Usually, these coins depict unique characteristics in terms of material, size, shape, contour or theme. Also, coins expressing typical aesthetics and historical significance, as well as those exhibiting some type of errors and also those which were in circulation for a very brief period of time, are generally regarded as antique coins and as such are collected very eagerly and passionately by collectors.

Generally the rarity of a coin is determined not in terms of its age, but in terms of its availability. The more antique the coin, the higher is the value. Thus, there are antique coin collectors who invest money in antique coins, intending to sell them again later for a profit. Sometimes coin collectors inherit rare coins from forefathers, etc.

An antique coin itself can be a depiction of the history of mankind. Archaeologists will sometimes study old coins to discover clues relating to history, culture and tradition of a society or group. An antique coin of a particular state (place) can sometimes depict one or more of the following: the history, geography, culture, tradition, economy, politics, system, customs, resources, people as well as the livestock and the characteristics of the place. There is a lot to learn from old coins.

Often there are specially organized events (auctions) which act as a platform where antique coins can be sold through competitive bidding. Antique coin collectors are seen bidding at exorbitant amounts. This can be seen in Europe, America and the Middle East, as well as South East Asia. As a matter of fact, for a large number of antique coin collectors, antique coin collection is not just a hobby; it is a full scale profession.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for pottery, antiques, and figurines. When shopping for pottery, antiques and figurines, we recommend only the best online stores for pottery, antique coins , and figurines.

The Benefits of Having a Hobby

Some people look at a hobby as a waste of time. They might think a hobby has no purpose or it's simply something to do to pass the time. For hobbyists, a hobby is much more than just a pastime. A hobby has many benefits and advantages for each individual. For some, a hobby is an emotional outlet, for others a way of gaining knowledge. Hobbies keep our minds - and our hands - active. Whatever your reasons are, if you've been thinking about starting a hobby or getting a new one, consider the following advantages to help guide your decision.

Time for Ourselves

One of the biggest advantages of a hobby is it allows for quiet time. People tend to think more clearly when enjoying their favorite hobby, without the distractions of the outside world to bother them. The mind wanders and hobbyists often come up with some of their best ideas while enjoying their favorite time-passing activity.

Reveals a Talent or Passion

Hobbyists often find a talent or passion they may not have known they had before. Some people have sat down at the piano to learn how to play, only to find out they've always had a hidden talent for playing it anyway. Others might find they have a niche for or some other craft after only one attempt. But the only way you'll ever discover this hidden talent is to try. The first step is to find something that you're interested in. From there, you might find that you're better at it than you ever could have guessed.

Use a Hobby as a Networking Tool

The only time you should list your hobby on a resume or job application is when your hobbies pertain to the type of job that you are applying for. On the other hand, mentioning a hobby during a job interview might be an endearing quality the potential employer will remember. Mentioning your hobby in an interview can also be a great conversation starter and reflect a small part of your individual personality. Hobbies have a way of implying you enjoy working with others because most hobbies are not individual activities. You'll find hundreds of message boards, forums and clubs that are specifically designated for many particular hobbies.

Hobbies Offer a Time of Relaxation

Most hobbies are an ideal way to relax. Coming home from work and sitting down to enjoy your favorite pastime helps to take your mind off of the stresses of the day. Hobbies also help you unwind before bed so you can get a better night's sleep.

With all of the benefits that a hobby can provide, it's no wonder why the hobby store industry is such a successful market. There are literally hundreds of hobbies to choose from and the only limits a person has are the ones they place on themselves. The ideal hobby for each individual is one that involves something he or she enjoys and would love to do on a regular basis.

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Digital Photography Tips - 3 Solid Lighting Tips

I've been taking photos since I was old enough to own my first Polaroid camera about 40 years ago. I remember how horrible the quality was. Well, we have come a long way since those days. Technology has taken the world of photography, especially digital photography, to a whole new level. However, as great as the technology is, nothing can make up for poor lighting, no matter how great the camera. I, and many others, have learned this the hard way. This article is going to give you a few solid tips on lighting that will help make your digital photography experience one that won't be one of frustration and disappointment.

The first thing you need to understand about lighting is where to place it, if you're using artificial lighting. Never place the lighting in back of the subject. This is going to result in terrible glare in your photos. You want the lighting to be in back of the photographer or off to the sides of the subject, slightly in front. The more lighting the better. A couple of 500 watt halogen lamps should be more than enough to do the trick.

You need to be careful of shadows. Too much lighting can produce too much shadow...not enough and your subject could end up in the dark. This is going to be a trial and error sort of thing. Unfortunately, with digital cameras, what you often see in the view finder is usually brighter than the finished product that you end up with. So you will have to take a couple of test photos to make sure the lighting is just the way you want it. The good thing about digital cameras is that there is no film to waste. Just delete your test shots after they are finished.

If you are using backdrops, try to choose one that is a light color. Black is definitely out of the question as it will absorb too much of the light. A plain white backdrop is best. These are not expensive. However, if you can't afford to purchase one, simply roll up some plain white material and scotch tape it to the wall behind the subject. It may seem tacky, but nobody is going to care or notice. The bottom line is that you want a photo that is clear and sharp.

These are just a few of the many things you can do when it comes to lighting and your digital photos. If you'd like a really great guide to digital photography, check out the review at my blog that you can find in my signature. It has hands down the best resource available, especially if you're not a professional photographer.

To YOUR Photographic Success,

Steven Wagenheim

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Minimum Requirements For Purple Martin Bird Houses

Purple Martin Bird House Minimum Requirements Native Americans were the first humans to attract breeding pairs of Purple Martins using Purple Martin bird houses. They would use hollowed out gourds hanging from trees to promote nesting. No one truly knows when this practice started, but it is thought that it was done to help the Native Americans control flying pests.

Mating pairs of birds would protect their houses from predators like crows and hawks, which in turn protected the Native Americans' food crops. They soon found an added advantage to having Purple Martins around was that they consumed large quantities of flying insects. The Native Americans quickly learned that hanging more gourds meant fewer flying insects. Purple Martins started to rely on the artificial bird houses provided by humans and today, the Purple Martins in the eastern area of North America are wholly dependent on martin bird houses for breeding.

Purple Martin bird houses are made from wood, plastic and metal. There are also natural and plastic gourds used as Purple Martin houses. Regrettably, not all commercially made martin bird houses are properly designed to protect a colony of Purple Martins. Since Purple Martins are completely dependent on nesting sights supplied by humans, it is crucial that the housing provided for nesting satisfy a few minimum requirements.

Minimum Requirements for Purple Martin Bird Houses:

Martin houses should be easily accessible for inspecting nests and performing general maintenance. Climbing up tall ladders is dangerous and tipping houses does not work well. A system that permits the house to be lowered and raised vertically works the best.

The size of the nesting compartment is crucial. Each compartment should be at least 6 inches wide x 5 ½ inches high and 9 inches deep. A larger size is alright, but any thing smaller will not work. A nesting compartment at least 9 inches deep will provide enough room for the family of Purple Martins to escape the reach of flying predators like owls.

White martin bird houses (including gourds) are better than dark colored ones. Research has indicated that white houses are 10 to 15 degrees cooler than dark ones. Houses that get too hot could cause fledglings to jump out of the nest before they are ready.

Nesting compartments should be accessible through hinged or removable panels. As a landlord you'll have to clean out old nests, perform nest checks, control insect pests, get rid of unwanted pest birds and perform general maintenance.

Proper ventilation is crucial. Several ½" diameter holes at the top of the nesting compartments will allow for ample air flow. This feature is much more important in the southern breeding areas. Controlling heat in the nesting compartments will actually increase the survival chances of young birds.

Starling Resistant Entrance Holes (SREH's) are very important to the survival of the Purple Martin colony. Many martin houses are fitted with SREH's, but if your martin bird house is not, adapters can be bought or made. There are many styles of SREH's but the height must be precisely 1 3/16 inches high. This is crucial since anything larger and European Starlings will be capable of getting inside and anything smaller will stop the Purple Martins from getting in.

New research has shown that porches inside and outside the compartment are very beneficial. The porches should be at least 3 inches x 3 inches. They should be located no more than 1/8 inches beneath the bottom of the crescent shaped opening. These porches help the Purple Martins negotiate the tighter openings while making it more difficult for European Starlings to get inside.

Purple Martins have several predators but the European Starlings clearly do the most damage. European Starlings were introduced into the U.S. in the 1800's. The trouble is that the starlings take over the nests of Purple Martins. They are very hostile nesters to the point that they will kill nesting Purple Martins to take over the nest. Since martins only produce one brood per year this is devastating to population levels. If you have starlings nesting in your martin bird houses they must be eliminated. House sparrows are another problem bird that is not native to the U.S. They likewise must to be removed when detected in martin bird houses.

Once you are ready to establish a Purple Martin colony you need to decide on the best location. Purple Martin bird houses should be as far away from trees as possible. A good practice is to keep your martin bird house as far away from trees as possible. If a tree is 50 feet tall the house should be at least 50 feet away from that tree. Tall trees conceal predators that prey on Purple Martins like hawks and owls. Martins are sensitive of this risk and will not nest in a place where they don't feel safe. The more open the area is around the martin bird house the greater your chances are for attracting a colony of Purple Martins.

Providing a nesting place for a colony of Purple Martins is a big commitment. It demands you, as the landlord, to get involved. You will have to monitor the martin bird house for unwanted nesting competitors, perform routine nest inspections and clean the nesting compartments. Keeping Purple Martin bird houses in your yard takes some work, but it is worthwhile. These gorgeous wild birds are a joy to watch and beneficial to our environment, but they need our help for survival.

Rob Huff and his family have enjoyed attracting wild birds into their yard for many years. This love of watching wild birds has grown into a hobby that the whole family enjoys together. For more information on Purple Martin bird houses and attracting birds visit http://www.a-home-for-wild-birds.com

Custom Applique Quilts are Simple to Create

To create a unique custom applique quilt, all you need is a simple design.

If the traditional appliques just don't excite you, make your own custom applique design. It's as easy as flipping through a child's coloring book or searching through clip art.

Custom appliqué quilts are perfect gifts for celebrating the birth of a baby. When the mom-to-be picks a less popular nursery theme, it can be hard to find a coordinating gift. That will make your custom appliqué quilt extra special!

One woman chose a "Cat in the Hat" theme for her newborn's room. She wanted something different and knew she'd have to custom sew and accessorize just about everything in the room.

She turned to an old coloring book for inspiration. The lines in children's coloring books are generally simple, especially in coloring books for younger aged children.

For the crib quilt, she enlarged a coloring book page of the cat's hat. Using the enlargement for a pattern, she appliquéd red stripes onto the hat which she had cut from white fabric.

Using iron-on adhesive, she put the large, bright red and white striped hat in the center of her pale teal-colored crib quilt top and stitched around it using a tight satin stitch. She added coordinating prints around the sides for the border and without much effort at all, had a custom appliqué quilt. She used the same techniques to add characters from the famous Dr. Seuss story to bumper pads and to create a wall hanging for the nursery, too.

It's easy to use the same procedure for creating a custom appliqué from clip art. Select your theme, then start your art search. The important thing is to look for simple lines.

Don't forget that you can manipulate some clip art. Once you open a clip art file, see if you can select the image then choose "ungroup" from the edit command. If it will allow you to ungroup, you can make simple changes.

For example, if you want a custom applique of Santa riding a reinderr, but the one you've found has ornaments hanging from the reindeer's antlers, ungroupling will probably let you delete those ornaments from the design. Don't forget to save your art once you've completed your editing!

Many people like to assemble the custom appliqué separately, then finish by stitching it to their quilt top or quilt block. Others, however, like to assemble piece by piece onto the quilt top or block by basting, then finishing the stitches with either an appliqué stitch, zig-zag or satin stitch.

Fonts may also be used for custom applique designs. It's really easy to create a custom appliqué quilt with a name or favorite hobby ("Cheer!" and "Play Ball!" are two that come to mind). Simply type the words and make the letters the size you want. You may have to print the letters individually rather than on one sheet if you want them to be substantially large.

You can even make custom appliqués for your favorite fraternity or sorority member by using a font like Symbols for the custom applique pattern.

Once you've printed the letters, they are your pattern for your custom appliqué design. Play around with the positioning once you get them cut out. Have fun and create interest by overlapping the letters in some places.

You must observe copyright laws when using other media to help you design custom appliqué patterns. Most art is under law in which if used for personal use only, there is no copyright infringement. If you try to sell your custom appliqué projects using the already published art, you are likely in violation of copyright law.

The same goes for fonts. There are many websites that allow viewers to download and use free fonts, but most of those include stipulations that the use of the fonts must be for personal - not commercial - use only.

Penny Halgren http://www.TheQuiltingCoach.com Penny has been a quilter for more than 26 years. She enjoys exploring all aspects of quilting sharing her knowledge with all quilters.

The Macro Button - Get Creative With Your Camera

As a word, "macro" has many meanings but the one most commonly used by photographers describes a lens that produces life size images. That is, there is a 1 to 1 ratio between the size of the subject and the size of the image in the camera. Whilst that definition was useful for film cameras, it's not a great deal of help for digital ones. However, it should give you a good idea of what macro photography is all about.

A better definition of macro photography might be "extreme close-up photography". There is an even more extreme type of close-up photography called micro photography, but that involves taking pictures through a microscope of things that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Macro photographs is always of things that are perfectly visible, it just shows them in a way you have never seen before.

To take a close-up picture, you need to get close. To take an extreme close-up, you need to get extremely close and that is what the macro button lets you do. Normally, if you try to take a picture of something that is too close to the camera, you may get a warning that the camera can't focus or the camera might not even let you take the picture at all. If it does, the subject of your photograph will be out of focus. For most digital cameras, too close means anything less than 4 or 5 feet.

That is where the macro button comes in. When you press the button, it moves the pieces of glass around inside your lens and allows it to focus much closer than normal. In some cases this can be as close as a few inches. At this distance, even the most mundane object is totally transformed into something visually stunning.

Ever been stuck for a subject to photograph? Just switch on the macro function and explore the world that is right at your fingertips. The reason this works is that we just don't look that closely at anything, which is why macro photographs are always full of incredible surprises.

You take macro pictures exactly the same way as any other type and the camera's autofocus works the same way too, it just works at much closer distances. Always remember to switch off the macro when you have finished because, in macro mode, your lens cannot focus at normal distances. There should be an indication on your camera somewhere when the macro function is on.

Macro photography is no more difficult than any other type but there are a few things to bear in mind that will help you avoid the pitfalls that some people experience when trying this for the first time.

Shadows

Because you are very close to your subject, it's very easy for your shadow to be covering it. Unfortunately, some cameras only allow you to use macro at the widest angle of the lens. This means you have to be very close and it may take some careful positioning to make sure that your subject is not in shadow. If you can zoom in, it allows you to be slightly further away for the same size shot and thus reduces this problem.

Many cameras will not allow you to use the built in flash in macro mode. This is because usually the flash can't cover anything so close to the camera and, even if it could, the barrel of the lens would probably cast a shadow over your subject. Even an external flashgun fitted to the camera may have the same problem. You can take macro pictures with flash but for best results you either need off-camera flash or a specialised ring flash unit.

Depth of field

When your camera focuses on an object, depth of field is the distance in front and behind the object that is also in focus. In macro photography, this is a very small distance. You can see this for yourself by taking a macro shot looking along anything with a textured surface, for example, a carpet. You will see the part in the middle of the frame is in focus, but the areas nearer and further away will be soft and out of focus. If you took your shot looking down a ruler, you could actually measure this depth of field and see how small it really is.

This means that, unless your subject is very flat and you are looking square on, it is very likely that only part of your photograph will be in focus. When this is the case, it makes a tremendous difference to the final image depending on what part is in focus. The trouble is that it's quite difficult to focus exactly where you want to when the camera is hand held.

It is much easier to take macro photographs with the camera mounted on a tripod or with some other means of support. Unless the point you want to focus on is dead centre of frame, you will need to pan the camera until it is, half press the shutter 'till the focus "locks", frame up the shot you want then press the shutter button down the rest of the way.

If you are using a tripod or some other means of support and your subject is static, you could try to increase the depth of field by using a small aperture. You would use aperture priority mode and set the largest f/no. available. This will result in a very slow shutter speed. It could be several seconds. However, this doesn't matter if your camera has solid support.

Explore your world

If you have never used the macro button on your camera you are missing out on a whole world of photographic possibilities that you probably didn't even know existed. Just press the button and step through into the wonderful new world that is macro photography.

Colin Aiken is a professional photographer based in the United Kingdom. He has created a website for everyone who loves photography.

It is full of useful information, photographs and the latest news from the world of photography.

Check it out at: http://www.lovethepictures.co.uk

How To Take Care Of Your Fishing Lures

After you have gone to the trouble of making fishing lures, there is still the problem of taking care of and repairing them so that they are always in good condition. This requires some effort and time but is usually easy for the angler who makes his own lures. Since he made them and put them together, he also knows how to take them apart and repair them. He also has the tools and fishing lure parts necessary for such work.

Fishing lures in general do not require much care when storing them in a home or shop. The best idea is to put them into cabinet drawers or individual boxes so that they can be found easily and can be kept dry.

In humid climates or near the seashore it is important not to expose the metal parts to the air; otherwise, hooks will rust and other metals will corrode. Fishing lures which have feathers or hair should be kept in air-tight containers so that moths and other insects or small animals will not get to them. This also applies to new fishing lures which haven't yet been used.

Lures which have been used require considerable care if you want to get the maximum use from them. Fresh-water fishing plugs usually require less care and repair than salt-water ones. But any plug which is chipped, cracked, or battered can quickly be made to look almost new.

Plugs which are slightly chipped can be merely touched up with a small brush, using enamels or lacquers. But if a wooden plug is badly cracked or battered, it should be given a complete paint job, using a brush and enamel or a spray gun and lacquer.

If you use a brush and enamel you do not have to remove the hooks unless they are to be replaced too. First sandpaper the plug, then paint it with white enamel. Two or three coats may be necessary to cover it completely. Then add the other colors. If you use a spray gun and lacquer, remove the hooks for best results.

Sandpaper the old paint if the plug is not too badly cracked. If it is badly chipped and cracked you can do a better job if you dip the plug in paint remover and then scrape off the old paint or lacquer. After this, you can proceed to spray the wooden plug body the same way as if it were a new plug just being made. When the paint job is finished, replace the old hooks or add new ones.

The hooks on a plug, especially if it is a salt-water type, should be examined closely. If they are only slightly rusted they can be cleaned with steel wool or emery cloth, then wiped with an oily rag. You can also varnish or paint the hooks with black enamel or lacquer to protect them for longer periods.

Spoons and spinners should be wiped dry after using to prevent them from tarnishing or corroding. If they were used in salt water, it 's a good idea to rinse them in fresh water, then wipe them dry before storing them away. You can also wipe the spoon, hooks, and connections with an oily rag to keep them in good condition. If the spoons or spinners are tarnished they can usually be polished if you rub them with a metal polish.

In general, when examining any fishing lure you have made it 's a wise policy to repair it if you are the least bit doubtful about its condition. If it cannot be repaired, throw it away after salvaging any usable parts. It doesn't pay to take chances with a fishing lure which is weak in any way.

You may hook a record fish and lose it if the lure is not dependable. Many anglers who buy their fishing lures in tackle stores often use them until they fall apart, before buying new ones. But if you make your own fishing lures you can afford to use only those which are in good condition.

With a bit of energy and forethought, your lures can be well looked after, and last a long time. Good fishing!

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"Can't Miss" Pennsylvania Walleye Fishing Techniques

Like other states, Pennsylvania walleye prefer spring for their spawning season. This takes place in shallow waters with sand, rock or gravel as bottom surfaces. Water temperature preferably falls into the 40 to 48 degree range with a slight current coming from either a nearby river or wind created current. Walleye will leave the comforts of rivers and head towards feeder streams to spawn.

Other suitable spawning locations encompass anything with shallow water and clean bottom surfaces. Another great time to strike at walleye is pre spawning periods. This can be a little tough to figure out. Start the search in warm water. As spawning time comes around, walleye will seek out warmer than normal water temperatures.

Inland bodies of water primarily on the northern lakeside are the best place to start. Sun lingers here just a little bit longer than the rest of the lake. This increases water temperatures, which will increase walleye stopping by. As water temperatures rise, plankton start to show, minnow follow the blooming plankton and walleye follow the moving minnow. Thus, the food chain is set in motion.

Once walleye spawn, females requires a few days of rest. After this rest period, they will be looking for that first meal. This results in a stronger than usual bit at anything that moves, including a fishing line. The same theory holds true for that pre-spawn period and actual spawn time. Ideal times of day for fishing walleye are sundown to midnight in the summer months.

Pennsylvania is home to some of the best rivers and lakes to chase walleye. The massive 12,000-acre Allegheny Reservoir holds the state record for a walleye catch. The record walleye weighs an impressive 17 lbs 9 ozs in size. This championship lake sits on the northern border of Pennsylvania in Warren.

Another reservoir location is High Point Reservoir. Here is a smaller, yet equally effective, 350-acre lake at Savage, Pennsylvania that is in the south-west portion of the state. Another equally impressive location is the Blue Marsh Lake. This 1,150-acre lake is in the east-central portion of the state in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania.

Just a tad bigger is the Glendale Lake at 1,600-acres that makes a home in Fallentimber, Pennsylvania. Making up the western Pennsylvania border is Pymatuning Lake. This massive 14,600-acre lake is in Linesville, Pennsylvania. Neighboring this is the 11,000-acre Shenango River Lake in Clark. Rounding out the top walleye lakes in Pennsylvania are Lake Arthur standing 3,200-acres in size at Muddy Creek. Popular Lake Erie consumes 9,910-acres in north-west Pennsylvania.

In the other direction, heading northeast is Lake Wallenpaupack. This 5,600-acre lake makes a home in Paupack, Pennsylvania. Towards the south-west portion of the state lies the 2,800-acre Youghiogheny River Lake at Markleysubrg.

There is no right or wrong way to catch a walleye. These are not picky eaters. Walleye go after virtually anything that dangles right in front of them. Favorites on their menu include small fish, crustaceans, worms and insects. Pennsylvania walleye seem to prefer live baits, crank baits, spoons and spinner baits. Throw in some plastic worms and grub to expand their menu options.

Make every attempt to match bait selection with water conditions. For example, darker waters call for bright colors. Something along the chartreuse color family would work. In lighter water conditions, stick to natural colors or rainbow/silver fleck baits. Bait selection should closely mimic the time of year.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best walleye fishing information possible. Get more information on Pennsylvania walleye fishing here: http://www.askwalleyefishing.com/

Stained Glass: Painting and Workshop Safety

You may have mastered stained glass construction, but stained glass painting seems like a mystery and looks difficult. Most stained glass crafters know little about the process and the materials needed for painting stained glass; but it should be just another step in the whole process of creating beautiful stained glass windows.

You will need several items handy to do stained glass painting. Obviously you will need paint and paintbrushes, if you cannot afford the specialized stained glass type you may be able to improvise with regular artist's paintbrushes. You will also need access to a kiln to set your work. Many professional studios will allow you to use their kiln for an hourly rate. Next, you will need a palette for mixing your paint. A piece of sandblasted glass is the most suitable choice for mixing you stained glass paints. A palette knife is a helpful tool in mixing the paint. The paints are made from a mixture of powdered oxides, gum arabic and water.

You may also wish to enhance the look of your project with silver stain. Silver stain will be applied to the back side of your stained glass project (the opposite side from your painting) and will actually change the color of the glass rather than simply cover it. Silver stain can be corrosive as it contains silver nitrate so use with caution and please use clean brushes for this portion of the project. The effect of silver stain is a lovely yellow to amber-colored hue to the stained glass and provides a lovely background to your stained glass artwork.

Your work area does not have to be large. It could be an area set aside in your stained glass workshop with a good source of natural light from a window. You need plenty of storage including a palette box for storing the color palettes you make. You will need squares and rectangles of scrap clear glass, ground and rounded on the edges to prevent cutting yourself. These scraps will be for practicing your stained glass painting and tracing technique.

Armed with the knowledge you gain from sources and practice, you will find that there really is no mystery to stained glass painting.

Workshop safety tips

When carrying sheets of stained glass, wear gloves that help you have a good grip on the glass. The gloves should protect your hands from cuts from the razor sharp edges of the stained glass. Grip the glass on each side. Carrying it with one hand on top and one on bottom creates a hazard that the glass could snap in two. If you grip from each side and the sheet of stained glass breaks, you have a better chance of letting the glass slip away from you without being cut.

Never use a glass grinder without protecting your eyes. Glass particles can fly up into your eyes and cause terrible pain and may permanently damage your eyes. Most glass grinders are equipped with face shields or face shields can be purchased separately.

Make sure that your area is well ventilated when you are soldering. Fumes from solder and flux contain harmful lead and acid. Solder scraps should be kept in a special container for taking to a recycler.

Make sure to know what you doing when working on stained glass because you don't want unnecessary injuries. So read all you can about safety precautions.

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How To Grow Orchids From Seed

To grow an orchid from seed can be a complicated process, but once mastered can provide a thrilling sense of satisfaction.

The plant to be used as pod parent should be well established with good root growth in fresh medium before seed bearing is risked. To bear a seed pod is hard on the mother plant and often jeopardizes its life. The planned end-result should be worth this risk.

The preferred method of collecting pollen is to use a sharpened glass rod or a platinum wire that can be quickly sterilized and cooled.

After pollination the plant should be dried out a bit and removed to a more sheltered part of the greenhouse.

The seed-bearing plant should be treated moderately, but with particular care in watering to avoid chilling at night

Fertility of the seed may be determined microscopically, although there are other means of determination. Fertile seed, under the microscope, appears browner than infertile seed and reveals dark blurs.

It is best to plant seed immediately. Absolute cleanliness should be the rule in planting. Hands and tools should be washed in a 20 per cent Clorox solution. If possible, seed should also be sterilized, as contamination is invariably easier to prevent than to cure.

Seed may be sterilized with a degree of success in 3 per cent solution of hydrogen peroxide. Most growers prefer calcium hypochlorite, 10 gm. to 140 cc. of distilled water, filtered. Seed may be exposed to this solution for fifteen to twenty minutes without harm, but a longer exposure will yellow the seed. Rapid whirling or shaking of the container holding seeds and sterilizing agent will make certain that the solution washes over each seed.

Antiseptic containers should be provided after sterilization is completed. Test tubes are satisfactory in a number of respects. Medium is placed in the tubes and the tubes laid on their side to provide more planting surface.. Erlenmeyer flasks provide generous planting surfaces. Whatever the container, it should have been sterilized in a pressure cooker or autoclave for thirty minutes at fifteen pounds pressure.

There is wide variation in the kinds of planting enclosures used, the choice often being determined by practical considerations. It is still advisable, however, to spray lightly if an ordinary room is used. Fungi spores travel on dust particles floating in the air, and spraying causes them to fall to the floor.

The planting medium must next be provided. A wide choice of media is available. Orchid magazines carry names of firms that sell the necessary chemicals as well as prepared products. Some of the media available, such as Difco Bacto Orchid Agar, require only the addition of water.

The materials are now ready for the final operation of 'planting.' A platinum needle or loop, which may be readily sterilized in flame, is ideal, but a long-handled spoon, a pipette, or an eye-dropper are all satisfactory. Sterilized seed is floated in a vial containing a bit of distilled water. The seeds (so tiny that they have the appearance of powder) are taken up with the tool and scattered over the planting surface in the flask or tube.

A rolled stopper of cotton (flamed to kill fungus) should have been kept in the mouth of the flask, being removed only long enough to permit the seed to be placed inside

After the seed has been introduced, the cotton stopper should again be flamed over a Bunsen burner and the mouth of the flask and the stopper wrapped lightly with paper. The flasks should be kept at an even temperature of not lower than 65 F nor higher than 80 F. A temperature of somewhat above the 65 F minimum is most desirable.

The flasks should be kept by themselves in some kind of an enclosure (a Wardian case in the greenhouse is excellent) where they may be protected from sun and excessive moisture and moved as little as possible. This stage of culture will last from eight months to over a year.

When incipient roots are one quarter of an inch long, the seedlings are ready for repotting.

Congratulations! The orchidist has succeeded in raising an orchid from seed - no easy feat!

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Utility Knife to Artful Weaponry, the Knife Leaves Its Mark in History

As ancient as mankind itself, the knife is the earliest form of weaponry for which there has been no substitute. Essential for survival, the knife was developed out of necessity and has evolved through the ages. From knives made of flint, to copper, to iron, humans have a unique relationship to this tool, creating it out of the strongest material available and adorning them with patterns and decoration. A knife is a personal possession that is valued for its craftsmanship and usefulness.

Perhaps the most recognized knife in the world, the Bowie Knife has an intriguing history. The story begins in 1831 when Jim Bowie brought a whittled wooden model of his ideal knife to blacksmith James Black. Several weeks later, Black had produced two knives. The second was a modified version of Bowie's design. Bowie chose Black's version as it had a double edge. Soon, Black was inundated with requests from customers who wanted a knife like Bowie's. The knife's unique shape and hallmark large blade became popular for its use as both a weapon and as a tool for fishing and hunting.

The knife also gained popularity as a result of a fight Bowie was involved in Texas with three men hired to hill him. Bowie killed his would-be assailants and the reputation of the Bowie knife was established. After Bowie's death five years later at the Battle of the Alamo, both he and his knife became immensely famous.

Over the years, many knives have been referred to as Bowie knives. The term has become a generic one for any large sheath knife. Despite all the variations, it is said that for a knife to be considered a Bowie knife, it must be long enough to use as a sword, sharp enough to use as a razor, wide enough to use as a paddle, and heavy enough to use as a hatchet.

Forged in Japan during the Heian Period when Confucianism and other Chinese influences were at their height, the tanto knife lacked any artistic value and was created purely as a weapon. Later, it developed into an aesthetically pleasing weapon. Yoshimitsu was the greatest tanto maker in Japanese history and during his lifetime the tanto achieved a place of artful design.

A smaller version of the katana, the tanto differs from others as it was designed primarily as a stabbing instrument but possesses an edge that can slash as well. Unlike the katana, tanto are forged in hira-zukuri, meaning they have no ridge-line, unlike the shinogi-zukuri shape of the katana. The classic Japanese tanto shape has the point of the knife in line with the spine of the blade and a graceful belly curve. With a blade length of only 6 to 12 inches, the tanto cuts soft targets very well.

The tanto were most often carried by samurai, the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. Although commoners rarely carried a tanto, women sometimes possessed a small tanto in their obi, or shash, for self defense.

A 12-inch fighting and utility knife, the Ka-Bar was first used by the U.S. Marines in World War II and has been carried into battle by Marines since. Originally designed as a hunting knife in the 1800s, the Ka-Bar reached popularity with soldiers who needed a knife suited to trench warfare. Its final shape was decided by the Marine Corps, who introduced a slightly longer blade, a smaller fuller, or beveled groove, on the flat side of the blade, and the stacked leather handle. From box cutter to can opener to hand-to-hand combat, the Ka-Bar is the preferred piece of equipment with the U.S. Marine Corps and has become a symbol of the Marines.

Safecutters Inc.,provides an online store of utility knife box cutters for opening shipping boxes and shipping packages, as well as safety knives to open moving boxes and packages. For more information about Klever Kutter and other Safecutters products contact us!

Collecting Vintage Costume Jewelry For Profit

Before you begin collecting vintage costume jewelry for profit, you need to know what makes any particular piece valuable. For decades, costume jewelry has been mass-produced with the use of few precious metals or gemstones, essentially creating an affordable alternative to the finer pieces made from gold, silver and diamonds or rubies. None of the fashion pieces sold in department stores today will ever appreciate in value, but this is not the case with most vintage pieces. For anyone who can identify the valuable pieces, collecting vintage jewelry can be a very profitable hobby. One needs to look at five different components to determine value:

• Rarity

• Market Demand

• Originality of Design

• Craftsmanship and Materials

• Condition

Dozens of different-sized manufacturers led to dramatic differences in batch sizes which, ultimately affected the available supply for any given design. Coventry, Coro, and other larger manufacturers often made thousands of pieces for every design. However, Barclays, DeMario, and many of the smaller companies had limited facilities and thus tended to have far smaller batches. When other pricing variables are held constant, signed pieces from the small companies tend to be worth more money. But caution is advised before passing up a piece of jewelry, however, because there are examples of very small production runs by some of the larger manufacturers-- making these specialty pieces highly coveted by collectors due to their rarity.

A piece of jewelry can be rare but command little demand for some reason or another which will greatly affect value. Eisenberg jewelry will likely always be a hot item in the collectibles market, but always keep a lookout for Miriam Haskell pieces as they are the hot tickets right now. Being able to identify the hot items from the pretty imitators is what separates the successful collectors from mere hobbyist. Investors must remember to keep their personal tastes out of the process or they will end up with a collection of beautiful vintage pieces that don't appreciate in value.

You will often find seasoned investors sometimes avoid collecting signed vintage jewelry, because everyone is already looking for them. Instead, they will focus on unsigned, but well-designed pieces that tend to be more profitable than many of the signed necklaces, brooches, etc. Most of the vintage costume jewelry is unsigned so true collectors must be able to recognize quality designs in order to spot the most undervalued acquisitions. Exceptional quality of jewelry designs by companies like Hollycraft and Bergere will rarely be signed, making pieces from these companies both easy to spot and very profitable to collect.

Manufacturers known for their high quality materials and original designs likely to command top dollar for collectors include:

• Boucher

• Bergere

• Weiss

Bogoff

With some pieces of vintage costume jewelry nearing 100 years old, it is quite common to find the rare necklace, bracelet or earrings showing significant signs of wear including scratches, discoloration, or missing stones. Despite having noticeable signs of wear, most vintage jewelry pieces are still worth more today than when they were originally sold. Collecting vintage costume pieces is still a very profitable venture for anyone knowing how to identify the truly profitable pieces.

Jon Kreps is a vintage costume jewelry collector specializing in period sets, Cameos and Authentic Indian jewelry.

Equipment for travel photography

Do your homework well before you leave, particularly for longer trips. Investigate the locations you intend to travel to, by viewing existing photos in travel brochures or the internet, then try to establish what camera gear you MUST have, as opposed to what you might like to have with you. If you happen to have a number of lenses, this can be difficult to decide at times. If you’re going to a location where you expect to see lots of wildlife, then an obvious choice would be to take along your longest lens.

However there might also be the opportunity to take some landscapes as well, in which case you will also require a wider lens. If your carrying capacity is limited, then a compromise might be in order, such as a zoom lens that will give you a reasonably wide angle along with a good length telephoto. For most people carrying large loads of camera gear on a holiday is a handicap, so just take what you feel is comfortable for you, yet will provide the means to capture images that you will be happy with. It really gets down to how important photography is for you.

Make certain you are familiar with all the functions of your camera equipment before you go away on holidays. It is all too often that you hear of people buying a brand-new camera duty free just before they head off on a once in a lifetime trip to some exotic location. Photographically, this is a recipe for disaster. It takes time and good amount of use before people become familiar enough with a camera’s operations so that the operation becomes second nature, without fumbling with controls at a crucial time.

Get to know how your camera, flash and lenses function, and read your camera manual to make sure you fully understand the features that you will use when you are away. Practice taking photos on day trips well before you head off on holidays, and you will be much more relaxed and confident about your photography when you are away.

It is a very good idea to check that all your camera equipment is in good working order at least a few weeks before you intend travelling. This way if there is a problem, you have time to attend to it, without causing any last minute panics. Make sure all batteries are fully charged or new, and have backup batteries and/or a charger to recharge them with. Check that things like remote cable releases work properly, and that your lenses are all clean and working properly.

Ensure that you have sufficient film or memory cards and storage to see you through the holidays, and again don’t rely on a store at the location/s having supplies to get you through. If your camera is an older camera, then it is a good idea to have it serviced before an important trip. They don’t last forever, and things like shutter mechanisms do actually wear out. Basically, where equipment is concerned, be self reliant, and check all your equipment yourself before you go away, and ensure it will work when it counts.

Author Bio:- Steve Grant is webmaster to www.geoffrossphotography.com. Geoff Ross is an acclaimed Australian landscape photographer, specializing in stunning Wildlife Photography . For more stunning landscape photography and related distinct articles feel free to visit www.geoffrossphotography.com or write to webmaster: webmastergrant@gmail.com. Yours comments and suggestions will be highly appreciated.

Nature And Landscape Photography Tips - Foreground Vs. Background

Many people may wonder: What makes a good landscape photo? The answer to this question is not that simple. Personally I believe that simple photos are the best. Still, you don't want them to be so simple that they're boring. On the other hand, you don't want so much going on that the audience has no idea what they're looking at. You have to strike a balance between being too plain and being too complex. I think the main thing to keep in mind is balancing the background vs. the foreground.

A lot of your standard landscape shots are taken with a large depth of field, so you want the aperture to be smaller (using a larger F value). This way, you have objects close to the lens in focus as well as objects far away from the lens. As with any rule, there are exceptions. In case you want to get the blurred effect of some objects in the foreground, but with the background in focus, you wouldn't use a small aperture but a larger one. For example if you're taking a shot of a mountain through a field of flowers, you might want to experiment with how it looks using a large aperture which can be used to blur the flowers in the background and keep the mountains in focus (or vice versa), or you can try keeping the aperture small to keep the entire shot (foreground and background) in focus instead.

Don't Forget about the Foreground

Something many people looking to improve their landscape photos should do is to use a proper foreground. Of course, you can take a beautiful ocean or sunset and I'm sure it looks lovely. Still, it likely looks just any other ocean or landscape photo that millions of other people have taken. You should try being a little more unique. Like a ninja, use the surrounding objects to your advantage. If you're on a beach, see if you can stand near a cool rock formation, jetty or dock and place that in the foreground. Remember, you don't want to overpower the main subject of the ocean or sunset with these foreground objects, but instead you want them to complement the main subject and enhance the way it looks.

You might also consider using trees, flowers or other natural objects in front on your main subject as foregrounds. Additionally, man made structures oftentimes provide a great contrast to beautiful nature landscape shots in the background. If you're shooting from the top of a building, try including other buildings in the shot as well. At sunset, if you place objects directly between the sun and your shot, you can often get hard-line black silhouettes which can have a neat effect at times. To add a personal touch to your photos, add some silhouettes of interesting and anonymous people or objects in the foreground.

I hope this gave you a few more ideas on how you can improve your landscape and nature photography. Keep on shooting!

About The Author-- Ian Spellfield is a professional photographer who specializes in landscape photography. He does his best to help others out by teaching them how to take nature and landscape photos.

Nature and Landscape Photography Tips: Composition

Many people I know have asked me a little more about how they might be able to improve their own photos. By no means do I think I am a complete expert, but as more and more people are taking up photography as a hobby (since digital camera prices, including dSLRs, have been dropping), I figured I might as well try and just offer a few simple tips and advice to keep in mind for budding photographers.

One those occasions when you're lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, you really can admire the beauty of nature. But capturing those picturesque moments is not as easy as it might seem. There are many different aspects to consider when taking landscape and photos, but in this article, I'll just touch on composition.

Composition

In case you aren't already familiar with the Rule of Thirds, it basically states that you should imagine the viewfinder as having lines dividing it into three sections horizontally and three sections vertically. Essentially, it ends up looking like a grid of 9 boxes. The trick is to try and place your subject strategically in the intersections of those lines. Some cameras will actually draw the lines on the LCD screen for you. All you have to really do is just use your imagination and your best judgment. It's really not a hard and fast rule, just a general guideline to try and follow. You don't have to be 100% accurate, and if you're a little off from one third it's not a big deal.

Aim For the Corners

As for myself, I prefer to place the subject in one of the four corners: top left, top right, bottom left, or bottom right. That means I go in from any of the corners diagonally about one third of the way horizontally and one third of the way vertically. I also recommend that when shooting the horizon (which often times you are by definition when taking landscape photos), you place the horizon line along one of those imaginary lines of thirds. That means that the sky should either fill the top 1/3 of the photo, or it should fill the top 2/3 of the photo. Which one to choose? It really depends on the photo and where the main area of interest is. If there's a lot going on in the sky, and not much going on below, then it makes sense to include more sky. On the other hand, if the sky is more of a background then limit it to just 1/3 of the frame and your photo should still turn out looking good.

Hopefully now you have a little bit better of an idea of how you can compose your nature and landscape photos better. Good luck shooting!

About The Author-- Ian Spellfield is a professional photographer who focuses on nature and landscape photography and tries to share his knowledge with others looking for digital photography tips.

Rose Gardening Photography - 6 Tips To Shoot Your Beautiful Rose Garden Like A Pro!

If you are fond of photography as well as rose gardening, there are many exciting creative possibilities for you to explore. Both these hobbies make quite an interesting combination as your roses will often reveal their breathtaking side for you to capture in a timeless photograph. To make that moment count, we are sharing some important tips for you to use. Rose gardening will never remain the same as you will push to do better, just to get that prized look for your roses!

1. Don't Shoot under Sunlight - It is not a good idea to shoot your roses on a sunny day. What works out best is an overcast weather wherein you will have just the right levels of light to click that perfect photograph. If there are no clouds in sight, you can get around this limitation by clicking either early morning or in the evening. However, please be wary of shadows during these hours. Sunlight may be an essential factor for gardening, but for photography it may prove to be a deterrent as too much light fails to bring out the finer details.

2. Shoot Close ups - If you have an eye for detail, you'd better capture your roses with those beautiful close ups. Your gardening abilities, seasons and your photography skills can come together in an incredible way to produce those breath-taking close-ups. What better than seeing the nature in full bloom by cherishing a close-up picture of a rose sprinkled with dew drops.

3. Subject Placement - Although it may be a very tempting proposition, it may not be necessary to have the subject always in the centre. Your rose garden provides you with many avenues to explore it from varying angles and you must make full use of it.

4. Play with Light - Don't hesitate to let your imaginations take charge in this department. You can consider reflecting light back with an aluminum foil to create shadowed areas on your roses or block the light completely to show them up against the black background. Being innovative in such a way can create some very interesting effects in your photographs.

5. Don't shoot the roses alone - It's not the thing that lends significance to a moment, it's the moment that lends significance to things. Capture those moments as they happen when the roses and the people who love them come together. You may achieve some interesting contrasts while you take this approach.

6. Slow Speed film is the choice - Roses come in various colors and if you are shooting ones with deep colors you can achieve excellent color saturation by employing a slower speed film. Try it out and you'll be taken aback by the color difference.

Capturing your roses in a camera lens is a wonderful way to make those special moments of nature last. You must go against the tide and discover different techniques to create the most professional and interesting pictures. Your photography skills and gardening hobby can complement each other very well for you to achieve this objective.

About The Author-- Abhishek is a self-confessed Gardening addict! Visit his website http://www. Gardening-Master.com and download his FREE Gardening Report "Indoor Gardening Secrets" and learn some amazing Gardening tips for FREE! Create the perfect Garden on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available!. http://www. Gardening-Master.com