Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Unique Wholesale Wedding Gifts

As more couples live together before walking down the aisle, outfitting an entire home is becoming something of the past for wedding guests. Many couples don't need the blenders, knives, bedding, or other home gifts. The opportunity to give a unique wedding gift has never been more welcome, and most can be found at a local wholesale retailer. For a true deviation from the registry list, try these unique wholesale wedding gifts this wedding season.

Sporting Equipment

The war on obesity is on! Dietitians and nutrition experts recommend couples engage in exercise activity together. Wholesale sporting equipment is a wedding gift that not only encourages more quality time as a couple, but is also an investment into the happy couple's health. Both indoor and outdoor wholesale sporting equipment fit the bill. The best wedding gifts will consist of wholesale sporting equipment the bride and groom are interested in, or have expressed a previous interest in attempting.

Home Security

Wholesale home security products can give a newly wedded couple peace of mind. Home security products are wide and varied, from wholesale keypad door locks to overstock outdoor flood lights. Another aspect of home security frequently overlooked is the emergency preparedness kit. Items like wholesale batteries, liquidated flashlights, and shelf-pulled dry goods are true lifesavers during inclement weather or a home accident such as fire.

Wall Art

One area new couples struggle with is setting aside resources for decor. Nothing makes a house feel like a home than inviting images and artwork on the bare walls. Wholesale artwork and liquidated prints are perfect ways to provide impressive wall art without the impressive wall art price. If selecting a specific print or wholesale artwork, opt for a liquidated wall mirror instead. Smaller apartments and rooms are opened up by the strategic use of wholesale mirrors, and can operate as a window imitator.

As with any wedding gift, intimate knowledge of the couple increase the likelihood the gift will be well received. Unique wholesale wedding gifts allow a guest's gift to stand out, and also bring a new dimension to the newly wedded life of the bride and groom. Wholesale sporting equipment will keep the happy couple active long after the honeymoon. If the home is a fortress, help the new husband and wife keep it protected with wholesale home security products. Finally, bring an aspect of warmth to even the smallest of homes with a wholesale piece of wall art or a liquidated wall mirror.

All things considered, close friends of the new family should really take some time before choosing a present for their happily married friends because a gift is a very intimate gesture that expresses feelings in a subtle manner so it is highly advisable to pick the right one because there is only one chance of getting it right, you know what they say, better safe than sorry. Many wholesale wedding gifts companies have a site on the Internet so it is recommended to start looking there first. Good luck !

Unique Luxury Gifts

Luxury Gifts were designed with class, elegance and comfort in mind. You don't have to be a millionaire to enjoy luxury gifts.

Most people assume that luxury gifts require a large financial investment. Not so. Luxury is truly in the eye of the beholder. For one person a luxury gift might consist of some bath and body oils; for others only diamonds will please.

The idea of pampering a person as a sign of adoration and respect has been around for centuries. The idea of gift giving has been popularized throughout history. In ancient Rome gifts were given to celebrate the New Year. These first celebrations however, often did not entail the giving and receiving of luxury gifts. In Roman times, gifts such as food and vegetables were not uncommon. Alcohol might also be considered a traditional offering, though liquor is a popular choice even in contemporary societies.

Christmas time universally has been documented as an occasion worthy of gift sharing, though traditionally this holiday was celebrated in absentia of any gift giving. Rather people gathered together to celebrate and share food, drink and good company. In contemporary society, almost any occasion is an event worthy of gift exchange.

During Victorian times, Christmas gift giving became very popular. There were an unlimited number of popular gift items shared among young ladies; these included books, flowers, bonbons, silver, letter clips and tea cups. Cigar cutters were popular items for men during this period.

Gift giving has also become a popular 'game' during the holidays. Games such as a White Elephant Gift Exchange allow all the excitement and good humor traditionally associated with gift giving with an added aspect of comedy. White Elephant Exchanges are perhaps the polar opposite of luxury gifts. In a White Elephant Exchange a group exchanges gifts that might be anything from a can opener to a used jar of applesauce. The point is to have some gifts that are valuable and that might be prized in a game setting that everyone tries to end up with, while everyone else participates in a mad exchange of 'gag' gifts. The 'gag' gift aspect is not a requirement but it can certainly fill a room with lots of laughter and good humor.

Luxury has been defined as "anything which pleases the senses", that is difficult to obtain, or has a quality of expensive rarity. This can translate however, into almost anything. Chaucer described luxury as "wine and drunkenness." Others have described it as lust, voluptuousness, lasciviousness, gratification and even exuberance. No matter how you define luxury, there are boundless luxury gifts available that please the senses, soul, mind and spirit. By nature this type of gift symbolizes something that is not necessarily a necessity, but something that obviously adds pleasure, comfort and frills.

Types of painting book available

All of us like to express our feelings to other some of them express in writing, singing, poetry and some of them in painting. Painting is an art of expressing your views and feeling in your painting.

Some of us are very good in painting and some of them do just for fun. A painter does not always need handsome and attractive subjects. Often an ordinary subject is transformed through artistry. Thing is that in what way you put your views in front of others to show your talent.

You can find different types of paintings some of them are face painting, oil painting, Tole painting and acrylic painting. Every painting has there own specialty and importance. You can find many painting books in the market on different types of painting in which you find all the guidance step by step. For the beginner can start their painting with this painting book.

Painting book is not only famous in between beginner but also the professional painters love to refer it to show their more creativity in their profession. Painting book are easily available in markets and one can get it anywhere. It’s more convenient to get in from online site just sitting at home.

Painting book has got all the guideline in regarding to the style of painting and using brush. Different type of painting book has got different guidance step by step. Which not only help the elder but also kids love to refer it to start their painting hobbies. So today only get your different types of painting book for your love one.

Anna Josephs is a freelance journalist having experience of many years writing articles and news releases on various topics such as pet health, automobile and social issues. She also has great interest in poetry and paintings, hence she likes to write on these subjects as well. Currently writing for this website Painting Book . For more details please contact at annajosephs@gmail.com

Types Of Magic Tricks

Magic is one form of entertainment enjoyed by many people from all walks of life. It is something that will never cease to amaze people both young and old.

If one wishes to become a good magician, it would be a great help to know the various types of magic tricks before performing any.

Magic tricks are done in a wide variety of ways and fall into different types;

1. The first one is called close up magic. It's the type that requires the least skill and many can do it with just a little practice. It usually involves the use of simple things such as a deck of cards, some small balls or a coin. It entails making people believe in one thing but doing something else. This kind of trick proves that the hand is faster than the eye.

2. The next type is called platform magic. This is done in a much larger scale than the first. Some tricks of this type that are well-known include cutting a person that is inside a box in half or making a person who's lying down levitate in the air after the table below has been removed.

3. The third type, which is very tricky, is called stage magic. Such performances are done quite rarely but when performed, they can become one great magic extravaganza. Such type includes making the statue of liberty disappear or walking through the Great Wall of China.

Innumerable magic tricks and trick lessons make it possible for a lot of people to learn how to become one good magician. This can be accomplished by buying a magic set or reading a book. Many of these people started while at home, watching how other people do it.

Other people who have some experience have talked with others and learned a trick or two. One can start with a small audience then have a larger one later on. To those who want to do more extreme magic, one should invest more into the trade, learn from others then make a mark to be truly called a magician.

One trick of the trade is to remember that no magician, either a beginner or an expert, should ever reveal the secrets of doing a trick to his or her spectator. Also, no magician has ever become successful overnight. Practice and reinvention can help a lot in getting near that coveted status of a magician -- the famous and most loved one.

Types of Decorating Book

Decorating Book is one of the best guides that help you to decorate your favorite places and things. In simple words with the help of decorating book you can decorate your house, garden, office, cakes, cookies, etc. It has the best collection in most of the topics that a decorator seeks for. With decorating book you can make a well-decorated output. It doesn't matters whether you are a good decorator or not but with an appropriate decorating book you can decorate easily and quickly. Some examples of decorating books are

Cake decorating Book

Cake Decorating Book is a perfect choice to decorate the cake. This book provides you essential tips, together with illustrated pictures to decorate your birthday cakes, Christmas cake, wedding cake and party cake. If you want to decorate the cake for any special occasion then you need to purchase a cake decorating book.

Interior Decorating Book

Interior Decorating Book is one of the best references for decorating the interior in your house. With the help of this book anyone can decorate the interior of his house. If you are intending decorating your children's room, your kitchen, garden or your drawing room, this book provides you with different techniques of decorating. It is a well-informed book that contains some of the best tips for interior decorating.
Cookie decorating Book

Cook decorating book provides you essential tips and guidelines that can help you in decorating cookies. With the help of this book you can give an attractive look to your cookies. Purchase cookie decorating book to decorate cookies for Christmas celebration, birthday party or a picnic trip.

Craft Book for Kids


Kids of all ages like to work on different craft projects. Craft projects can be an ideal way to enhance skills of kids especially during summer vacations. However, not all parents and teachers have the time, energy or creativity to come up with ideas on their own. To overcome this problem today one can find different type’s of kids craft book. Kids craft book provides different project ideas for kids to make at home. Craft books can provide a break for parents from their kids to do their work.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Types of Actors

All humans are actors to some extent. This sounds Shakespearean
but it is very true. Many times we have done what we do not like
and many times we begin to like what we are doing. We represent
those very feelings on stage or before the camera in the form of
characters. The person's who enact those characters are actors.



The hero-actor in a play or a film is not always the protagonist
though usually he is so. The plot of a story or a play takes the hero
through a number of coincides or circumstantial changes to show
that he can adjust in any space and time and yet remains a leader
or a savoir.



Well! A tragic hero on the other hand distorts his own good
circumstance and he also worsens in his temperament in such a
way that the spectators sympathizes with wraths than looking
down on him. In both the above cases the actors who portray
these characters must be very skilled in showing their feelings by
their eyes, the face and of course the body. Sometimes they may
have to overact.



The comedians have to keep improvising methods to portray the
force in the society and the foolishness of the rich who haven't
experienced the world around and take it for granted that all
happiness can be commodities. Many times a comedian performs
serious roles yet he makes us laugh-he is an actor.



The lady on the other hand whether a heroine or a vamp usually
shows excess feminine energy either she is a sacrificing friend, a
mother or a seductor. To portray these feelings the lady actors
need very good supporting actors.



The dancers or singers are also actors who are usually speaking of
the hero, the heroine or the villain who would like to confess, or it
could be about love, hate, or jealousy. Many times mindsets are
condemned through a singer who also dances.



Basically the actors are also informal teachers.

TV Blogger

I suppose it's a good thing when it's damn near impossible to choose the DVD of the month. Both Extras and Weeds are so brilliant shows you couldn't go wrong with either. I chose Weeds for the simple fact that it's comprised of 12 episodes as opposed to Extras' six.

DVD of the Month - Weeds: Season 2

The second season of Weeds took it to another level. Mary Louise Parker is absolutely amazing (although she refuses to marry me) as Nancy Botwin, the matriarchal drug dealer. Parker manages a comedic touch in the face of dramatic obstacles with an understated elegance. Meanwhile, Doug (Kevin Nealon), Nancy's business associate and accountant, proves himself one of the funniest characters in comedy today (He's Dwight Shrewt funny folks). The rest of the cast is wickedly funny

Runner Up
Extras: The Complete Second Season

Don't take this as a knock on Extras in anyway. It's as much a masterpiece and deserves all the credit in the world. In fact, I already gave it some love.

Turn Your Favourite Bloom Into A Flower Painting

Most of us have a favourite flower. We plant them in our gardens, we buy them at the florist, we are given them as bouquets to celebrate a a birthday, anniversary or to wish us a speedy recovery. Unfortunately, most blooms have a short life. I adore flowers and as an artist, I have learned to preserve something of their essence in a flower painting forever. If you have ever wished you could do this with a favourite bloom, then read on.

Flower painting has a wonderful history. Botanical art has been used to document numerous species of flowers and plants. There is something very satisfying and magical about painting a flower and preserving just what it was like forever. Of course, flower photographs can do the same but when you paint you have the added pleasure of carefully examining the curves and colours of each petal, stamen, stem and leaf. You have to observe the way the light catches the flower and use this information to give it a 3D presence on your paper. By painting flowers, you get to know them intimately.

I would advise anyone wanting to start painting to begin with their favourite flower, no matter how complex it might seem. By choosing your favourite, you will be motivated to try again to render it well. Your feelings have a better chance of being transferred into your flower painting too. When a flower painting makes you gasp, it is because it initially did the same for the artist and they have found a way of sharing that with you. It doesn't matter if your attempts aren't perfect. Each time you try you will become more familiar with it's shape. It will seem easier to paint and you will notice more about the nuances of colour and the way light can affect it.

Of course, there are some useful techniques which might help you learn flower painting. Many excellent art books have been written about this topic and your bookstore will certainly have several. But be wary of simply copying another artists' techniques. You may be surprised to find that you are less satisfied with the results than you are with simply observing your favourite flower and perfecting your vision of it with each attempt.

Try drawing with different materials, have fun and keep all your attempts. You will be encouraged to see how your vision and skill improves simply by practise. I use pastels, both the soft powdery ones and the deliciously oily variety. I love them because of their beautiful range of colours, from very pale to vibrant hues. I can extend this even further by overlaying thin veils of colour, allowing the underneath ones to sing through. Or perhaps you could try watercolour? This has long been a favourite of flower painters and botanical artists and for good reason. The way you can allow one luscious colour to randomly bleed into another, just as it does in nature, is very mouth-watering!

As you can tell, I am fanatical about flower painting but I do hope I have managed to awaken a little curiosity in you. Have a go! What have you to lose?

Top Shareware Categories

Top 10 sale best shareware categories shareware is downloaded popular, some shareware is saled popular, some category has no one sale best shareware in top 200, but some category has tens of software that sale best.

Top1: Multimedia & Design:Video

Top2: Desktop Enhancements:Screensavers

Top3: Utilities:System Utilities

Top4: Utilities:Security & Encryption

Top5: Utilities:File & Disk Management

Top6: Internet:Email

Top7: Games:Puzzles

Top8: Games

Top9: Audio:Rippers & Encoders

Top10: Games:Strategy & War

From above, we know that more shareware about Multimedia & Design:Video and Audio:Rippers & Encoders sale more; second is the shareware related to Desktop Enhancements: Screensavers; next is utilities shareware including System Utilities, Security & Encryption and File & Disk Management; email software also sale more, the game software special Puzzles and Strategy & War sale best.

Top Sculpture Exhibitions

Do you really love and appreciate the art of sculptures? If so, you may wish to see them and appreciate them as piece of art. Where can you get to see the top in the line sculptures? Off course, in the sculptures exhibitions!

The sculpture exhibitions host sculptures for all the lovers of art. You can get to see all sorts of different sculptures at the top sculpture exhibitions. There are all sorts of them. Some host the works of old and famous artists and sculptors– the masters being Rodin and Picasso. While, in some other sculpture exhibitions you can see the more contemporary work. You can choose among them as per your tastes and likings.

Different sculpture exhibitions offer different type of sculptures

There are many different types of sculptures. The Relief sculpture is like a painting. It can be viewed from the front direction. You cannot call it to be a three dimensional. The exhibitions hosting these types of sculptures use walls to install them. The sunken relief is made by carving the surface of stone. The surrounding surface is kept untouched. It is higher than sunken relief. The other types of relief sculptures are bas-relief, half relief and raised relief.

Other exhibitions keep a full rounded sculpture. You can view it from almost all sides. The work on the back is as much as is its front. Exhibitions keep these sculptures installed in free stand.

There are many exhibitions in town that are opened and closed after their due time. Several museums organize sculptures exhibitions. As they keep getting on and off, one has to know their time period and venue. You can take this information from various newspapers and magazines related to the sculptures art.

In this Internet age, one can also take the information from the websites. The museums that offer sculptures exhibitions do provide their time-schedule on their websites. All you need to know is the Internet address of their website.

Or, just type in the keyword, “top sculpture exhibitions” on the major search engines such as Google and Yahoo. As a result, you will get the complete list of all the museums that hold sculpture exhibitions. To select them as per your convenience is your job.

You can visit the sculpture exhibitions of your favourite ancient sculptors. Auguste Rodin is the one who is the favorite of many sculptor lovers. He is recognized as an important sculptor belonging to the nineteenth century. He is called as “the father of modern sculpture”. Watching the exhibition of Rodin is a real treat. You can see many of his excellent works that are perfect examples of some of the most skilled sculptors, among all his contemporaries. His works include universally famous figures like The Kiss, The Thinker and The Age of Bronze Eve.

Interested in sculptors exhibitions? Are you ready to make your visit already?

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Top Picks For Best Home Theater Movies

If you’ve invested in all the bells and whistles of a complete home theater system; the widescreen high-definition television, surround sound speakers and the latest in DVD technology, the last thing you want to do is watch movies that don’t give your system the workout it deserves. Here are some of the best DVD movies to give you the ultimate home theater experience.

Without questions, action and adventure films were made for the home theater screen as well as the “big screen”. There is nothing that gives a home theater owner a better experience than a film where the action is intricate, graphic, and frequent. Unfortunately, a lot of action films made today are seriously lacking when it comes to being worth the time to watch on home theater. There are a few gems, however.

At the top of the list is the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The three movies blew audiences away in the theaters with their stunning graphics and uncompromising sound, and the experience is not lost on the special edition DVDs. Programmed with the gold standard in surround sound (Dolby) the shriek of the Nazgul will have you looking towards your ceiling in fear. No one can bring an epic adventure to the screen like Peter Jackson; and his King Kong is true to the original screenplay as well as the incredible scenery, special effects and sound quality of his Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Batman Begins is a must-have in the collection of the true home theater junkie. Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, this enhanced-for-widescreen transfer is mighty impressive, to say the least. Colors were refined – slightly subdued and somewhat cool looking no doubt due to use of various filters. Saturation levels are never an issue. Flesh tones also looked real and spot on. Black levels were as deep as imaginable allowing shadow detail to be shown off nicely and never becoming murky or ill-defined – especially considering how dark some of the film can be. On top of the dark appearance, there’s plenty of smoke and fog throughout the film’s entirety. Sky Captain, World of Tomorrow is another highly stylized visual treat with amazing sound throughout.

Another genre that is great on the home theater system is the computer animated movie. You don’t want to make your little one’s ears bleed every time they watch A Bug’s Life, but the visual qualities of these films when viewed close up on the home theater screen is amazing in its detail and quality. A high water mark is the incredible underwater animation of Finding Nemo. Dazzling colors and realistic water tones will have you thinking you are on the Great Barrier Reef yourself.

A good rule of thumb when looking for a DVD addition that will be great for your home theater system is that if it wowed you in the theater, it will probably blow you away at home. DVD programmers are well aware that in today’s market, quality of sound is just as important (and sometimes trumps) the quality of the actual film. Many films that would never be sold for personal collections ten years ago become best sellers, simply because of the technology invested in them.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Try Your Hand At Illustration

My creative side has been blossoming in the past few months for some reason I cannot understand. Nothing in particular brought on my desire to explore my creative capabilities, I just simply started desiring to add a little spice and variety to my days. One of my first attempts at furthering my abilities in the arts was to sign up for a introductory illustration class at a local college.

I have always wanted to try my hand at illustration and I finally decided that it was my time. It was my time to see what my hand could create. I have always been fascinated by the illustration in various books and stories, particularly in children's stories. I love the way that illustration can bring stories alive in ways that words alone cannot. I love the way that seeing a text with an accompanied illustration can bring laughter or tears within an instant.

My illustration class started off much harder than I imagined it would. I quickly learned that illustration is both a talent and a developed skill. I learned that someone could have all the illustration talent in the world and yet be lacking in elements that can only be developed by training and refining a skill. I started the illustration class with a huge need for learning new skills and practicing them. I wanted to walk into that class and be a natural at illustration and I realized that it just wasn't possible.

If you are interested in illustration I would suggest you sign up for a class at a local college or art school. There will be days or weeks of frustration, but if you work hard at illustration you will see great improvements in your ability. Any natural talent you have (which most people have at least some of) will increase by leaps and bounds when it is coupled with some hard work on developing illustration skills.

If you are a little intimidated about entering the world of art and illustration, don't be. Remember that even the best illustrators of the most famous books started out in much the same place you are at. A place with nothing but a little bit of talent (perhaps) and a lot of desire to do great illustration. You cannot let the talent of others discourage or intimidate you, instead you must choose to let it inspire you on. Illustration can be a beautiful way of bringing stories to life and of getting the stories that play in your head out onto paper for the world to see.

Truth - Just How Does One Know?

It breaks my heart to see people seeking the truth in man and not having that one on one relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, bless His heart and soul. The great thing about receiving the truth from the Blessed Trinity is that you experience it and see it. With man, all you might gain is some knowledge provided whom you are receiving it from knows truth. How can one discern what's truth and what's untruth? John 14:15-17 tells us that Jesus will ask God on our behalf to give us the spirit of truth provided we are ready. We can only be ready when we can keep those two commandments.

It's not an overnight trip with Jesus Christ, it's a long and narrow road and a very laborous one also. 1John and the writtings of Paul have an account of this journey. You'll never learn what this journey is all about unless you travel that road which Jesus has mapped out especially for you. The hard part is getting started. It's all up to you, your desire, your willingness and how much suffering are you willing to go through to take this journey. One is going to need to be fearless, which means no doubts or worries, just 100% faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Most people want to take the easy way, the highway to perdition.

Most people think they know truth because they went to church, bible studies, read books and received information from sources other than straight from Jesus Christ. To know Jesus is to have walked with Him. To know God's word is to know Jesus Christ and to have suffered as He has suffered. People have this crazy idea that when Jesus died for the sins of the world that, we don't have to do anything but accept the fact that He is our Savior and He died on the cross and was resurrected. We have to work for our salvation, it's not free.

You read and study the scriptures but by not working them is nothing more than vain knowledge. How can you prove the word of God is the truth without works? Let me give you an example: If I were to take an auto repair manual and read it, does that qualify me enough to go work on that car? Unless I have someone show me what tools and parts I need and shows me how to fix it properly, I shouldn't work on that car because I don't know what I'm doing. Now if someone who knows what they're doing shows me the right way to do it then I will be working what it says to do in the manual. Would you have a plumber teach you how to work on a air conditioner? Do they have stock brokers teach medicine? So why don't we have Jesus teach us how to make it home to God?

Many people book vacations with travel agents because they trust them enough to give them a care-free vacation. But sometimes they don't get what they expected, they wind up at a dump for a hotel or it's located in a bad part of town, etc., etc. Same thing happens when man trust man with their spiritual guidance, only problem is thougC:\Program Files\Article Submitter\temp_article.htmh when you go on this trip there's no coming back. Who's your travel agent? May God BlessYou Dearly.

I received the following in an e-mail. I hope you find it enlightening. Please pass it on.

DID YOU KNOW THESE FACTS?

Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death! Make a personal reflection about this. Very interesting, read until the end.....

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7): "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sow, that shall he also reap.

Here are some men and women who mocked God : John Lennon (Singer): Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said:"Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain.

Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we are more famous than Him" (1966)... Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.

Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil ): During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet): During A show in Canecio ( Rio de Janeiro ), while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: "God, that's for you."
He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.

The man who built the Titanic: After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: "Not even God can sink it". The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic.

Marilyn Monroe (Actress): She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: "I don't need your Jesus". A week later, she was found dead in her apartment.

Bon Scott (Singer): The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: "Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell".

On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

Campinas (IN 2005): In Campinas , Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend..... The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: "My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You." She responded: "Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause Inside Here.....It's Already Full ". Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken.

Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer): said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus. Many have died, but only Jesusdied and rose again, and he is still alive. "Jesus"

Jesus said, "If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassedabout you before my father."

"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen."

Trade Show Graphics - The Inside Scoop

Display graphics are graphic images used for illustration or "display" purposes. Display Graphics are usually printed on paper, vinyl or fabric using a "large format" printing device. Normally display graphics are over-sized graphics printed on paper or some other material, and then mounted or hung on a graphic display unit of some sort in a conspicuous place.

One-off display graphics are used in vinyl banners, trade show displays, or as backdrops for a convention, press conference, or special event such as an athletic event or tournament.

Multiple units of display graphic items are often required when a company has numerous sales outlets or franchises. In that case the producer of display graphics will produce a number of units such as posters, mounted displays, banner stands or vinyl banners so the company can mount a consistent promotional campaign.

**Indoor vs. Outdoor Applications

One of the most important distinction is between display graphics used for indoor displays and display graphics used for outdoor display purposes.

Indoor products are usually set up in trade shows, retail stores, malls, and conferences. Outdoor items are things such as vinyl banners, signage, adhesive vinyl used for vehicles or window graphics, large outdoor posters (usually printed on vinyl or fabric), and streetscape banners.

Outdoor items are exposed to the elements and require special inks in order to be UV resistant and waterproof. The usual procedure is to use special solvent inks that do not fade nearly as quickly in bright sunlight, and are also water resistant. Some suppliers attempt to "cheat" by laminating items printed with water-based inks, but this is not a satisfactory solution.

It is often desirable to use solvent based printing for some indoor items as well. For instance, banners that you expect to use a number of times will have to be rolled and unrolled, and water-based inks are much more likely to scratch and break down with this kind of handling. Or if you want to hang a banner across the front of your display table at a trade show it is likely to be bumped and have coffee spilled on it. The more durable you make it, the better.

**Artwork Considerations

Most experienced suppliers of display graphics will know exactly what kind of images and illustrations you should or should not use in your designs. Digital printing devices can print from photographs and illustrations, so you can include logos, maps, text or anything normally printable from a program like Quarkxpress, Illustrator, or Coreldraw.

One major consideration is the resolution of your original images. Offset printing (brochures and magazines) requires a resolution of up to 300 ppi (pixels per inch), but display graphics can be printed with resolutions as low as 50 ppi (pixels per inch). Keep this in mind when shooting your original photos. Make them as large as possible and you should not have any problem blowing them up for a banner, popup display or roadside sign.

Find a display graphics supplier who can advise you in simple, straightforward terms. If you have a bit of experience dealing with images and layouts, you will find that creating display graphics is relatively easy. One important thing when designing your display item is to keep your design simple, and focus on one or two main elements. Many suppliers, such as Canada Display Graphics will even make minor adjustments to your files for no extra charge.

Top Shareware Categories

Top 10 sale best shareware categories shareware is downloaded popular, some shareware is saled popular, some category has no one sale best shareware in top 200, but some category has tens of software that sale best.

Top1: Multimedia & Design:Video

Top2: Desktop Enhancements:Screensavers

Top3: Utilities:System Utilities

Top4: Utilities:Security & Encryption

Top5: Utilities:File & Disk Management

Top6: Internet:Email

Top7: Games:Puzzles

Top8: Games

Top9: Audio:Rippers & Encoders

Top10: Games:Strategy & War

From above, we know that more shareware about Multimedia & Design:Video and Audio:Rippers & Encoders sale more; second is the shareware related to Desktop Enhancements: Screensavers; next is utilities shareware including System Utilities, Security & Encryption and File & Disk Management; email software also sale more, the game software special Puzzles and Strategy & War sale best.

Top Sculpture Exhibitions

Do you really love and appreciate the art of sculptures? If so, you may wish to see them and appreciate them as piece of art. Where can you get to see the top in the line sculptures? Off course, in the sculptures exhibitions!

The sculpture exhibitions host sculptures for all the lovers of art. You can get to see all sorts of different sculptures at the top sculpture exhibitions. There are all sorts of them. Some host the works of old and famous artists and sculptors– the masters being Rodin and Picasso. While, in some other sculpture exhibitions you can see the more contemporary work. You can choose among them as per your tastes and likings.

Different sculpture exhibitions offer different type of sculptures

There are many different types of sculptures. The Relief sculpture is like a painting. It can be viewed from the front direction. You cannot call it to be a three dimensional. The exhibitions hosting these types of sculptures use walls to install them. The sunken relief is made by carving the surface of stone. The surrounding surface is kept untouched. It is higher than sunken relief. The other types of relief sculptures are bas-relief, half relief and raised relief.

Other exhibitions keep a full rounded sculpture. You can view it from almost all sides. The work on the back is as much as is its front. Exhibitions keep these sculptures installed in free stand.

There are many exhibitions in town that are opened and closed after their due time. Several museums organize sculptures exhibitions. As they keep getting on and off, one has to know their time period and venue. You can take this information from various newspapers and magazines related to the sculptures art.

In this Internet age, one can also take the information from the websites. The museums that offer sculptures exhibitions do provide their time-schedule on their websites. All you need to know is the Internet address of their website.

Or, just type in the keyword, “top sculpture exhibitions” on the major search engines such as Google and Yahoo. As a result, you will get the complete list of all the museums that hold sculpture exhibitions. To select them as per your convenience is your job.

You can visit the sculpture exhibitions of your favourite ancient sculptors. Auguste Rodin is the one who is the favorite of many sculptor lovers. He is recognized as an important sculptor belonging to the nineteenth century. He is called as “the father of modern sculpture”. Watching the exhibition of Rodin is a real treat. You can see many of his excellent works that are perfect examples of some of the most skilled sculptors, among all his contemporaries. His works include universally famous figures like The Kiss, The Thinker and The Age of Bronze Eve.

Interested in sculptors exhibitions? Are you ready to make your visit already?

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Top money making web site

How do you design a top money making website. It's very simple really. There are a few basic rules of these websites which you have to understand in order to generate revenue through your own top money making website.

The site owner earns because of the traffic generated on the site and the clicks done on the site. These business models maybe based on earning through clicks, ads etc.

There are a few websites on the internet. Not all of these can qualify to be top money making websites. Different sites run different promotion packages.

As a part of such packages, these websites often lay out a certain form of electronic currency which can be used on the site only. Often this currency is also known as web money.

There are other forms of web money too. There are reward programs being run by these websites. This is just another form of web money. These sites have a decent earning model which has helped them stay in business.

These maybe in the form of sound or only graphics. Whatever be the type of the ad on this site, the basic earning model of the site remains the same ads on the sites are often pay per click ads. . Whenever a person clicks on a particular ad, he or she is led to a different page wherein he gets to see the ad in fullest.

There are also others ads which are present on the website. A person who wants to earn through top money making websites has to consider the following things before he actually gets on to the work.

Web sites are good money making tools. These sites are often the best money making tools available to the users. Sites help you not only to create your site but also to get the work done and the money earning on your site. These are called design web sites also.

You can make money through the help of these sites. You can take the help of these sites for the purpose of setting up your own site or you can make a web design site yourself ad give your services to the people.

There are sites which also help you get your articles posted therein. You can always look forward to such sites for the purpose of turning you site into a top money making site. So when you start your own top money making site, take care of these things mentioned above.

Tole Painting Book – Learn the art of decorating

Most of us like to draw and paint. Some of us are born artist while some of us are just fun painters. Now days one can find different types of painting books in the market. These painting books provide you with steps by steps guidelines to improve your drawing and painting skills. One of such types of painting book is Tole painting book.

Initially one needed to have natural skills to learn the art of Tole painting. But today even a fresher can learn the skill of painting, considering the number of painting books in the market.

Tole painting is an art of decorative painting of metallic objects like tins, coffeepots, and other similar household items. This folk art began in the 18th century in New England. The paintings are a wonderful artwork done on the surfaces of many metal objects.

Today one can find number of online stores that provide such painting books. These painting books consist of many decorative and elegant paintings. The painting book also contains many beautiful displays of art for art lovers.

One can learn the art of original paintings, decorative paintings, patterns, pattern packets, and many more things like instructions, tutorials, artistic ideas and inspirations, through this book. This book comes with many delicate designs of soft and pretty color. What else, there are step by step instructions of every illustration, pattern, color mixing recipes, etc. in this book. The book will provide you with many unique ideas for Christmas painting.

These books also contain number of attractive painting patterns. For instance, there are patterns available for different designs and moods. Also, there are many country tole patterns, holidays' patterns and many folk art patterns. You will be introduced to the important techniques, tools and equipment required for the painting.

To Be Or Not To Be A Professional Or An Amateur Magician

An amateur magician is anyone who has a minimum amount of talent, skill and knowledge when it comes to performing magic tricks. He or she may be anyone who knows one magic trick or at least three magic tricks.

But basically, a more technical definition of an amateur magician is anyone who does not in any way practice magic as their trade, even if he or she knows four, five, six or more than a number of magic tricks. This is regardless of how good, better or excellent he or she may be in performing flourishes, sleight of hand or optical illusions.

However, there are those amateur magicians who try their very best to expand their current knowledge as well as repertoire and still practice magic as their primary source of income. People who do this are usually called hedge magicians. This is in order to differentiate them from authentic professional magicians who make practicing and performing magic as a trade and make an actual living doing so.

Meanwhile a professional magician is anyone who has a little bit more knowledge and talent compared to an amateur magician. These professional magicians know sufficient magic that makes it enough for them to use it as their primary source of trade and income, as well as not using magic to assist them in a trade other than magic.

So technically, even if a barber performs his job using magic and no matter how many tricks he or she knows and is capable of, that barber is still not considered as a professional magician because his primary trade is cutting hairs and not necessarily being a magician.
Another way to differentiate a professional magician from an amateur is by the way he or she does flourishes.

According to the Online Encylopedia of Magic, a flourish is any sleight that is performed for the purpose of entertaining an audience and does not in any way contain any moves that are hidden. Most sleights that are performed are done so in order to deceive a captive audience and to do something that can not be detected. Meanwhile, a flourish is any trick that is done to draw the audience’s attention away from where an actual sleight is simultaneously being performed.

There are some magicians who consider the performance of a flourish as simply a finger exercise and not really actual pieces of performance. But those magicians who do put in and include flourishes in their act are considered by some of their fellow magicians as a seriously skilled performer.

If a performance consists of a card trick wherein the cards are spread out on the table and when a performer does a pressure card fan, the image that that performer projects is one of professionalism and experience. But a performer of magic who simply holds the cards and then spreads them slightly, may then be considered more as an amateur. Although this may or may not be true or this may not be considered as a hard fact, this is the perception and the impression that a performing magician usually gives to an audience.

Flourishes are done not just as a form of show-off to the audience, a flourish is also done for the purpose of presenting just how a performer is truly dedicated to the magic act. It also shows the degree of professionalism one has for the performance.

When a flourish is done, it makes it easier to know the difference between a magic trick performed by an expert magician and your friendly neighborhood Jim who is doing a card trick.

A skilled performer comes off as a natural and will ultimately receive more credit for his or her performance as well as recognition, not to mention that good old respect for the skills he or she has.

When a spectator is looking at a magic trick where the occasional flourish is done, that performer is also seen as more than a magician but a person who is passionate at what he or she is doing. It is therefore so much easier to hire a magician who has more skills and experience than one who needs to practice his or her craft more.

Tips on successful land lording

Are you planning on investing in real estate in Maryland? Read on if you want some tips on being a successful landlord in Maryland.

The land lord is an owner of a property. He leases that property to a tenant under a lease agreement and is obliged to perform certain duties and enjoys some rights too. A landlord is also bound to repair the premises before he leases it. A successful landlord takes time to pick the best tenants and keeps the rental property in good condition. Following are a few tips to be a successful landlord—

1. Always check references: Before handing over the property for rent always check out on the tenants. Ask for references and take time to follow up on them.
2. Get it in writing: Get all the agreements done in writing in order to protect your interests and the interest of your tenants. That means if a tenant needs to have something fixed in the property, ask them to provide the request in writing.
3. Provide a clean and secure residence: To make your rental property look the best, keep the grounds of the property clean and free of debris as it will help you with the property liability. Lower your insurance premiums by keeping your tenants safe and adopt some security measures.
4. Select your managers carefully: If you are busy and are unable to give personal attention to your rental properties then better hire a manager.
5. Get insured: Ensure that you have ample amount of rental insurance, property liability insurance, and any other type of insurance that may be required in your state which will help protect you from devastating losses.
6. Make repairs promptly: Make all the necessary repairs on the property you are planning to give on rent as your tenants deserve to have decent living conditions.
7. Give due respect the privacy of your tenants: Stick to your state’s guidelines for entry into a rented property. Usually most states require at least a 24 hour notice before a tenant allows their landlord to enter their rented property.
8. Avoid discriminate: While screening the prospective tenants follow the Fair Housing Administration Act. An equal chance to rent your property should be given to everyone regardless of their race, religion, or beliefs.
9. Have a well-drafted lease: It becomes necessary that the form of lease you use with tenants be well-drafted and pro-landlord-oriented.
10. Never be unfair with the tenants: Treat all of your tenants fair. Understand their position and keep in mind how they may perceive your actions. Once you get along with them you will find that there will be no vacancy problem.

Remember to keep the above tips in mind before investing in real estate in Maryland.

For More Details On Real Estate Investment Maryland, Virgina & DC Visit this site http://www.therealestateinvestmentqueen.com , http://www.marylandrealestatesecrets.com/

Tips on How to Buy and Shop for Authentic Native Indian Carvings

Many visitors to the Pacific Northwest will be exposed to Native Indian art while touring the region, especially in British Columbia. Among this aboriginal artwork are the magnificent hand made Pacific Northwest Native Indian wood carvings by the Canadian aboriginal artists in BC. While in some of the major Canadian cities (Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal) or other tourist areas popular with international visitors such as Banff, such carvings will be seen at various retail shops and displayed at some museums as well as some public areas such as parks. Since Pacific Northwest Native Indian art has been getting more international exposure, people may be seeing this aboriginal fine art form at galleries and museums located outside the Northwest too.

As a result, many tourists and art collectors will decide to purchase Native Indian art as nice souvenirs for their homes or as very unique gifts for others. Assuming that the intention is to acquire an authentic piece rather than a cheap tourist imitation, the question arises on how does one tell apart the real thing from the fakes? It would be pretty disappointing to bring home a piece bought in Vancouver only to find out later that it isn’t authentic or even made in Canada. One would have to be careful in tourist areas where all sorts of other souvenirs such as t-shirts, hockey jerseys, postcards, key chains, maple syrup and other Canadian items are sold.

The safest places to shop for Pacific Northwest Native Indian art carvings to ensure authenticity are always the reputable galleries that specialize in Native Indian art. Some of these galleries have advertisements in the city tourist guides found in hotels. Reputable Native Indian art galleries are also listed in magazines which focus on Native art such as American Indian Art and Native Peoples. These galleries will usually be located in the downtown tourist areas of major cities or within Indian reservations. When one walks into these galleries, one will see that there will be only Native Indian art and none of the other usual tourist souvenirs such as t-shirts or postcards. These galleries will have only authentic Native Indian art for sale as they do not deal with imitations or fakes. The carvings are usually signed by the carver.

Some of these galleries also have websites so you could shop and buy authentic Native Indian carvings from home anywhere in the world. In addition to these street retail specialty galleries, there are now reputable online galleries that also specialize in authentic Native Indian art. These online galleries are a good option for buying art since the prices are usually lower than those at street retail galleries due to lower overheads. Of course, like any other shopping on the internet, one must be careful so when dealing with an online gallery, make sure that their pieces have information on the actual artist or carver to ensure authenticity.

Some tourist shops do carry authentic Native Indian art as well as the other touristy souvenirs in order to cater to all types of tourists. When shopping at these types of stores, it is possible to tell apart the real pieces from the reproductions. Authentic Native Indian carvings are carved from wood. Reproductions are made of plastic or resin from a mold will be much lighter in weight. A reproduction will sometimes have a company name on it and will never feature an artist’s signature.

An authentic Native Indian carving is a one of a kind piece of artwork and nothing else on the store shelves will look exactly like it. If there are duplicates of a certain piece with exact details, the piece is not authentic. If a piece looks too perfect in detail with absolute straight bottoms or sides like the fake totem poles shown in the previous chapter, it is probably not real. Of course, if a piece features a sticker indicating that is was made in an Asian country, then it is obviously a fake. There will also be a huge price difference between authentic pieces and the imitations.

Where it becomes more difficult to determine authenticity are with the reproductions that are also made of wood or some type of wood composite. This can be a real gray area to those unfamiliar with authentic Native Indian art. They may even have some type of tag indicating that it was hand made or painted but if there are other pieces on the shelves that look too similar in detail, they are most likely crafts produced in large quantities rather than authentic fine art originals. The authentic pieces will always be the highest priced and are usually kept in a separate shelf or wall within the store.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Tips On Hosting A Party

Here's something to celebrate: A little planning can make your next party more fun and less work-there's even a way to make it profitable. here are a few hints on how:

• Have a creative dress code or make the party black-tie formal.

• Think outside the dining room. Try drinks on the patio or dessert in the garden. The unexpectedness of an unlikely location can add flavor to the meal.

• Make interesting place cards by writing each guest's name on a leaf, a cookie or a lottery ticket.

• Make your centerpiece unique. Use potted plants or a goldfish bowl. Cluster candles around it.

• Background music and ambient lighting help create an inviting setting.

• Keep party favors in the same theme as the rest of the party-such as seed packets for a garden party.

• Take advantage of conve-nience items such as pre-chopped vegetables or rotisserie chickens.

• To inspire conversation, give guests cards labeled with topics, such as "Favorite Vacation" or "Best Childhood Memory."

• Make the house smell festive. I always put a few cups of inexpensive red wine in a pot and simmer with cinnamon, ginger, rosemary and black pepper.

• Appoint party photographers. Use a digital camera and download the pictures while the fun is still going on.

• Have a party that's practical and even profitable. Make it a direct-selling soirée. That is, join the long-standing American tradition of the one-on-one sale of a product or service in someone's home, especially as part of a party.

You and your guests can browse through the latest books, cookware, cosmetics, toys, games, financial services, pet items or scrapbooking supplies, just to name a few products and services. Hosts receive plenty of perks, free merchandise and discounts.

Often, the products are hard to find anywhere else-even on the Internet. Many people appreciate the service aspect. They can shop at their leisure and there's no need to seek a salesperson.

If the idea appeals to you, you can learn more from the associations that many sellers belong to. For example, The Direct Selling Association (DSA) is a major trade industry group. Members adhere to rigorous ethical and professional conduct guidelines.

If you like giving parties and meeting new people, you may even want to make it your career.

Tips For Pet Portraits

Whenever there’s a special occasion that requires the giving of gifts, only a few people usually feel the need to spend more than a few moments on thinking about a gift that would really mean a lot to the recipient. When giving gifts, we should always remember that it’s truly the thought that counts so no matter the price tag attached to the gift, if it strikes the recipient as impersonal, the gift would then be not as special as you want it to be.

Whatever the occasion, as long as the recipient is a pet lover, you might try considering giving him or her a portrait of his favorite pet as a gift. A pet lover often sees their pets not as possessions but as companions in life.

A lot of pets that display almost human intelligence like dogs can serve a lot of purposes in a person’s life and provide not only aid in their daily routines but also friendship and protection. Pets, unfortunately, have a short life span, compared to that of humans, so people can enjoy only a brief relationship with their pets.

Pet lovers would then no doubt appreciate if you bestow upon them a portrait done of their favorite pets. With a portrait of their pets, they’ll be able to remember them and never forget what they look like. When they feel that they miss their favorite pets, they only have to look at the portrait and feel as if their pets are always nearby.

There are artists who specialize in pet portraits. If you’re considering giving pet portraits as a gift, it’s best to spend time researching for artists who truly have expertise in doing pet portraits. Doing pet portraits, after all, is not as ordinary as sketching apples because you need to master a few skills, for instance, when trying to perfect the look and color of an animal’s fur.

Doing a portrait of any animal or pet would also require an infinite amount of patience and expert guidance that not all artists possess. As they’re animals, it’s impossible to expect them to follow your every order.

If you don’t want to base the pet portraits on photos, you may have to offer your pet several incentives to let him obey your wishes. Offer them treats in exchange for staying still for a certain period of time. If it’s okay with you, a sleeping pet is no doubt a better subject than one that's awake.

However hard it may be, everything would be worth it when you see the smile on your friend’s face as you give them their much-awaited gift!

Tips for buying exclusive jewelry

Buying jewelry is something that is liked very much by women all over the world. However, there are quite a few points that have to be remembered while purchasing jewelry. Jewelry is usually made from materials like gold, silver, platinum, glass, and precious gems like pearl, diamond, etc. Again, jewelry is either standard design or custom-made exclusive jewelry. Further, there are various types of ornaments like earrings, nose rings, neckwear, bangles, bracelets, anklewear, rings, etc. Since jewelry is a statement by a woman, it is always better to opt for exclusive jewelry.

Exclusive jewelry should be selected in such a manner that it accentuates the dress and the personality of the woman. The exclusive jewelry should be highly feminine and at the same time be bold, exotic, mysterious, and individualistic. Exclusive jewelry should possess excellent craftsmanship and should also be affordable. Moreover, exclusive jewelry could be either contemporary or represent a period or a culture, like Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian, Belgian, Italian, Asian, Indian, etc.

Gold is the most common jewelry material. For centuries, jewelry lovers and designers had equally preferred the yellow luster and the ease of working of gold into several shapes. Pure gold is normally not used but always mixed with silver or copper to increase the strength of the exclusive jewelry and to make them more durable. Gold is measured in karat. 100% pure gold is termed as 24 carat, while 18 carat is 75% gold and 14 carat is 58% gold. Platinum exclusive jewelry is highly expensive, since it is about thirty-five times rare compared to gold. However, platinum exclusive jewelry does not tarnish or fade.

It would be better to have knowledge of the precious and semi precious gems and stones before buying exclusive jewelry. Amber is formed normally from fossilized sticky resin that comes from ancient pine trees. Emerald is obtained mineral deposits and is a green gemstone. Jade is available in two types, Jadeite and Nephrite. Jade is one the hardest of gems and could be carved into various forms and sizes. Nephrite is normally green, while Jadeite is available in red, blue, green and black. Lapis Lazuli is normally blue, but sometimes could have green or violet tints. The blueness comes from the sulphur that is present in the stone. Onyx is mostly black. Pears are either from freshwater pearl oysters or cultured. Nearly 95% of available pears are of the cultured type.

Women should also know the maintenance of exclusive jewelry to avoid it getting dirty. Generally, the oils from our skin and other beauty products like lotions that are applied on the skin tarnish exclusive jewelry. However, you could use warm water containing a little dishwashing liquid to clean most of the exclusive jewelry. Soaking for a considerable time in hot soap solution is also a good practice before cleaning with hand or using a fine brush. Finally, the exclusive jewelry should be rinsed in cold water and dried with a soft cloth. However, pearl and coral should not be soaked. Jewelry of various types should be kept in separate boxes designed specially for each item.

Tips and Techniques For Colored Pencil Artists

Colored pencils have become a very popular medium for budding new artists. Beginner artists using this medium find it much easier to express their creativity; mainly because of the control and convenience colored pencils offer. Other mediums like oil paint for instance, appear to present much bigger challenges for new artists. Working with colored pencil is a great way to get your creative juices flowing.

Let's begin our exploration of the colored pencil medium by explaining some of the popular techniques many artists use.

Hatching: Hatching is basically the drawing of closely spaced parallel lines. You can vary the length, angle and spacing of the lines to produce different effects.

Cross-Hatching: First lay down strokes in a horizontal direction, and then overlap in a vertical direction, followed by a diagonal stroke.

Scumbling: Using a sharp pencil move in a circular motion with light pressure, and begin to overlap the circles as you move along. This technique requires a lot of time and patience but the final result is quite rewarding.

Burnishing: When you place many layers of color over another using a lot of pressure until the "tooth" of the paper is no longer able to hold pigment, resulting in a smooth surface. Do not apply too much pressure as you can break your pencil point or damage your paper. This technique works best when using a paper with a good amount of texture or "tooth".

Shading: Use the side of your pencil and use back and forth sweeping motions to cover the desired area. Vary the amount of pressure to create different effects.

Colored Pencil Tips

The type of paper that you choose for your colored pencil art depends on your style of drawing. Every artist is different so it really is best to experiment. Paper comes in a variety of textures, otherwise known as its "tooth". There are rough surfaces with a lot of texture as well as smooth surfaces with very little texture. Rougher textures are better for applying multiple layers; where as smooth surfaces are excellent for blending. You should purchase a few different types of papers to determine the type of surface you are most comfortable working with. Some good choices to consider for your colored pencil drawings are Rising Stonehenge, Canson Mi Tientes, and Strathmore.

When choosing your pencils, it's best not to go for cheap pencils, because you may be disappointed with the results. Cheaper pencils do not have as much pigment and therefore will not produce the brilliance in color you are after. Many artists find the Prismacolor Colored Pencils to be a great choice. Prismacolor pencils have a soft lead that goes on smooth. When built up in layers they produce an almost paint like appearance.

Wax bloom, a build up of wax on the surface of your paper, is something you will more than likely become aware of as you work with the colored pencil medium. The wax in your colored pencil can rise to the surface and form a white hazy buildup that can dull your finished piece. There are two approaches for dealing with wax bloom. One approach is to try and prevent it from happening in the first place. Spraying a workable fixative over the surface after you have finished your drawing may help. There is some concern however that fixatives may alter the colors in a drawing, so it's best to try this on a practice drawing first. The other method is to actually wait a week or so after you complete the drawing. If you see the wax buildup, grab some soft tissue or cotton balls, and rub the surface to remove the wax. Don't apply too much pressure as you can smear your drawing.

Keep a large soft brush handy for brushing away unwanted scraps from your drawings. Artists use a number of things for this purpose, from horsehair drafting brushes, to 2" household paint brushes.

Experiment with various types of erasers to see what type you are most comfortable with. Artists use a variety of tools for removing pigment or fixing mistakes. Kneaded erasers, plastic erasers, electric erasers, and even tape may work well for you.

For softening hard edges or blending, purchase some blending stumps or a colorless blender at your local art store.

Try and avoid electric sharpeners as they tend to eat away too much of the pencil. Many artists keep a piece of sandpaper handy and use that to sharpen the pencil point.

Never be afraid to try different things with your colored pencil art. Try various papers, pencils, etc.

Look for some local colored pencil workshops in your area. You will be amazed at the amount of great information and tips you will discover from your teacher and classmates.

Thinks you should know when buying a LCD HDTV

Everybody requires quality and low priced LCD HDTV (liquid crystal display high-definition television) and all LCD HDTV producers say that their televisions are both of superiority and low priced. So does that mean every LCD HDTV out there is worth purchasing? How will a buyer select the right LCD HDTV? Well the answer is, it all depends on what you want .Are you going to use it to play video games or an alternative computer monitor or just only to view television programs? When you are eager to purchase your first HDTV take a big breath and loosen up. You will need a cool head to select between all kinds of LCD HDTV that are for sale.

All right, let's begin. A few things to search on an LCD HDTV are it's max resolution, color depth, and refresh rates. The bigger the figures the better. First is the maximum resolution. Modern LCD TV market primarily provides 720p and 1080p resolution. Nevertheless, if you want the maximum definition, that would be 1080p (1920x1080). You will see this resolution more and more being a standard on monitors, but it will come with a larger price tag. You will be able to see the difference in image resolution between a 720p TV and a 1080p TV. So, do not waste your cash to buy cheaper and eventually lower resolution televisions just to become disillusioned with it in a few months and then dig out your wallet again to buy a 1080p HDTV.

The next thing to consider is the color depth and refresh rates. You'll want the greatest conceivable color depth and refresh rates. High color depth intends that the pictures will have unaffected colors. Red looks red, green looks green, black look coal black rather than dark grey and white looks virgin white rather than light yellow color. High refresh rate is particularly detectable when you're viewing fast movements either in motion pictures or video games. The high refresh rate permits the image transition appearing fluent.

And so, now that you have the resolution, color depth and refresh rates done, it is time to consider the other facets for example the loudspeaker. The inbuilt loudspeakers you will notice in a LCD HDTV commonly have acceptable quality. And so if when purchase the TV, it is probably best to go to your local television store and hear to the audio. Ask the salesman or woman to hook up a DVD and play a action movie and listen for yourself. If you are not really certain what a great loudspeaker should sound like then you should read the online reviews about the televisions. Studying from other people experience and thoughts can make your purchasing decision a good deal easier.

Additional things you might prefer to think about before purchasing is the television design (will it fit in the design of the room you are placing the TV?), whether it has a inbuilt Digital Tuner (so you are able to make the best of the brand new Digital broadcast signals), is there a wall mount included (so you will be able to hang it on the bedchamber wall) and other accessories. They might not be all that significant but you certainly want to obtain the biggest bang for your buck right?

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Think You Are An Artist? (You Probably Are)

Most people I know have at least one of the necessary qualities of being an artist, so the chances are strong that you too are an artist. Sound unbelievable? Have you always secretly wanted to be considered an artist but are convinced that you just don't have what it takes?

The most obvious connection that people make to being an artist is the need to be creative. I agree. Anyone who is a true artist must be creative. Sound scary? Keep reading. The great thing, the thing that most people don't take the time to think about, is that being creative can mean a whole lot of things. Most people think of an artist as someone who is able to paint a scene on a canvas or illustrate a children's book. Some artists may be able to do those things, but many more will not. To me, an artist is someone that simply creates new things. Creating new things could mean making something like a piece of pottery or it could mean thinking of a new way to organize a full room in your home.

An artist must be somone who appreciates the detailed things in life. Perhaps you hesitate because you are not a detail oriented person at all, but relax. Being an artist can simply mean noticing the things around you like colors, smells or unique textures. An artist notices everything around them. They are constantly stimulated by visual things around them. An artist not only sees details but they appreciate the beauty around them whether it is the beauty of a newly designed building or the beauty of a leaf as it falls to the ground during autumn.

Still not convinced you are an artist? Look around your home or office. If you have taken the time to decorate your surroundings you are probably an artist. Yes, that's right, you are an artist simply if you decorate and add beauty to the things around you. Do not let yourself get caught up in all of the stigmas or conceptions you have of a true artist. Consider the things you enjoy spending time doing. If you have filled your free time with non-creative things, consider making some time in your schedule for simple things like making a card for a friend or rearranging a room in your house. Once you start looking for ways to be creative I'm convinced that you will never run out.

The question should not really be if you are an artist or not. The more appropriate question to ask is what kind of artist you really are.

The Wonderful World Of The Scottish Sporran

Sporran. It's one of those strange words that everyone's heard but not so many people could positively define. Outside of Scotland that is.
Within its native land, as a key component of the national dress of Scotland, the sporran is revered as much as the haggis or scotch whiskey. But what is it exactly?

A sporran is the pouch worn hanging down at the front of the kilt (The word simply means purse or pouch in Gaelic). It hangs from the sturdy leather belt that secures the kilt in place. As kilts have no pockets, the sporran was developed for the Scotsman to store his belongings.
Other than this pure utilitarian use, the sporran adds a bit of style too, especially if adorned or decorated in clan colours.

Sporrans originated as a doeskin bag which contained ammunition or daily rations for Highland warriors. Records dating back to the 12th century describe them with a small bag hanging at the front of their bodies. The genuine sporran, however, didn't come into being until after the kilt was developed in the 16th century.

Over the centuries, sporrans became more elaborate. Leather was replaced with badger, seal or ermine skins and they were fitted with clasps of brass or silver sometimes with fancy designs. Sometimes tassels made of fox or horse hair were added.

The opening of the sporran, known as the cantle, was attached to the top by leather thongs. A vestige of this design remains in the modern sporran in the form of the leather tassels and chains.

The modern sporran is now a highly ornamental accessory worn for formal occasions such as weddings and national days.

Sporrans are of three general types. Daywear sporrans are made of leather and are worn as informal dress. Dress sporrans are more elaborate. They are made from sealskin, rabbit, badger or otter. These are worn purely for formal events. Finally there are semi dress sporrans which are a blend of the two.

And how are sporrans worn? Sporrans are worn over front of the kilt in the centre of the body. The top is positioned a hand's breadth below the waist belt buckle. Certain etiquettes apply to sporran behaviour for formal occasions. For example, while sitting down to dine; the wearer should move his sporran to an unencumbered hip. This allows him to place a napkin and keeps the sporran out of harm's way.
Meanwhile for traditional dancing, the sporran belt should be hiked up a few notches.

With its centuries-old tradition, you'd think the sporran was untouchable. But sporran wearers got a shock recently. New legislation introduced in Scotland this year required wearers to have licenses for their sporrans. The law is meant to protect endangered species such as otters whose fur is sometimes used to make sporrans. The legislation applies to animals killed after 1994. In order to get a licence, applicants need to prove that the animal was killed lawfully.

A famous wearer of the sporran is screen legend Sean Connery. The Scottish actor was presented with a silver sporran on a visit to Edinburgh last year. He donated it to the Edinburgh Film Festival with instructions to set up a new award.

So what of the future of the sporran? Nowadays, even in Scotland herself, traditional dress including the sporran is reserved for weddings, funerals and other special events. But the Scots are very proud of their heritage. And as an item that reinforces the genuine traditions of Highland culture, the sporran is likely to be worn for a long time to come.

The Woman With Angel Art

I love meeting new people. There is nothing I enjoy more than entering into a totally new situation and sitting down for a conversation with a stranger. I find that strangers quickly become friends after a little time spent together and a few good questions asked. So I love it when my job requires me to travel with the sole purpose of meeting someone in an attempt to write a story about them. Recently my job granted me the wonderful privilege of traveling to Italy with the purpose of meeting a special woman, Gretta, and spending four days with her in her villa outside of Florence. The first thing I noticed upon entering Gretta's villa was her love of angel art.

I thought it was strange that Gretta loved angel art. I honestly had never met anyone that chose to decorate their home in such a way. It wasn't that the angel art was tacky in any way, as I half expected angel art to be. Instead, I was surprised that the angel art was actually quite beautiful and quite fitting in that setting. Gretta, being the wonderful Italian woman that she is, insisted that we sit down for a glass of wine before touring her villa.

Over this first glass of wine I became convinced that Gretta and I really would become friends. I was sure of this because I loved her Italian accent making out English words and I loved the simple way she answered my questions and asked me some of her own. When I guessed that we were nearly ready to begin our tour, I began to ask Gretta about her choice of angel art and I wondered why exactly she chose to decorate in that way.

I loved the way Gretta's eyes lit up as I asked her about angel art, as if I had asked her about her first love. She immediately got up from the table and led me around from room to room in her villa, giving me great details about each piece of angel art. It was clear that she had always loved angels and so hence she decorated her home in that way because it seemed natural to do so. She believed that the angel art was symbolic of the fact that real angels were protecting her home and all of the guests that arrived there. I was blessed to be protected by Gretta's special angels.

I had the most lovely four day visit with Gretta. I learned more about angel art than I ever bargained for, but I was grateful. I learned a lot, but more importantly, I made a new friend.

The Wild Man and Wild Woman of Canadian First Nations Art

Two of the more interesting characters from the Northwest coast Canadian First Nations art world include the Wild Man and the Wild Woman of the woods. These two are often portrayed in very dramatic looking masks carved by Northwest coast Canadian First Nations artists.

The Wild Man of the woods from Canadian First Nations art is called Bak’was and is a small human-like creature who lives in the forest. He has deep round eyes that are sunken into his sockets and brows that jut out forward. His cheeks are hollow, his mouth is often grimacing and his nose appears like a hooked beak. It is said that the Wild Man can sometimes be seen early in the morning on the beach collecting cockles which are a type of mollusk as his food. The Wild Man is also considered the chief of ghosts and spirits of people who drowned are often hovering near him. Humans must beware of the Wild Man tempting others to join him for a meal. If one eats some of the Wild Man’s food, one will turn into a being just like him.

In contrast to the Wild Man, the Wild Woman of the woods or Dzunuk’wa as she is known, is a giant powerful and fearsome figure twice the size of humans. From Northwest coast Canadian First Nations art and legend, she is a dark and hairy ogress with supernatural powers. Her almost blind eyes are also large and sunken like those of the Wild Man but sometimes they have a red glow. She is usually portrayed making her wild call (“Uh, huu, uu, uu”) with her open mouth and thick red puckered lips. It is said that if children foolishly wander into the forest, the Wild Woman will capture them and eat them. The Wild Woman carries a basket on her back which contains the children that she caught. Fortunately, she is not considered very bright and usually the children are able to outsmart her in escaping. Interestingly enough, even though the Wild Woman represents the dark and dangerous side of the forests, she is also a bringer of wealth for some Northwest coast Canadian First Nations tribes. A Wild Woman mask can be considered somewhat of a status symbol that only some powerful and rich Northwest coast Canadian First Nations families have.

The Two Faces of Muscle Relaxants

One of the weirdest, most surprising, and very excruciating incidents that a person can experience during sleep is muscle cramps or spasm usually in the leg area. It is so sudden that one can be alarmed from its unexpected occurrence and rendered helpless while painfully waiting for the cramp or spasm to subside. Right after that fleeting experience, the remaining sensation of the leg cramp remains for several days before it completely goes away. Usually, muscle cramps are observed from athletes who are engrossed in their games but suddenly stumbles and falls to the ground holding the body part that was afflicted by the spasm. It is to be expected from them because over-exertion during activities really cause muscle cramps or spasms to occur. The ones that are experienced at night are often called “night cramps” and though the causes of it still remain quiet vague, it is said that the usual contracted state of the leg muscles when lying down may predispose that part of the body to develop further into spasms. Other suggested reasons for night cramps to occur include side-effects of medications, dehydration, and vascular diseases in the leg areas.

Though some night cramps are fleeting and hardly happen again to some people, a few number of individuals have reported experiencing frequent night cramps which become very troubling not only due to its pain but more of the disturbance it causes during sleep. According to some medical professionals, some people are really prone to having cramps and not even just at night. Usually, leg stretching or entire body stretching may be the solution for these situation but in some more serious cases muscle-relaxers are already used as treatment.

Muscle-relaxers are prescription medications that are used to alleviate the pain and discomfort caused by muscle cramps or spasms. Some individuals who have serious muscle problems that have resulted from over-use or over-exertion really need to take muscle-relaxers to at least decrease the difficulty they experience because of their health condition. However, like most medications, muscle-relaxers also require certain precautionary measures before their intake. Moreover, certain side effects are also reported to result from muscle-relaxer use. Because of the slight danger or threat posed by these factors, new medications were developed such as herbal muscle-relaxers. Unlike their more famous counterparts, these muscle-relaxers are said to be purely made from natural components, thus, side effects are highly unlikely. It is said to have the same effectiveness as the ones that are made from chemical substances, however, with the less risk of causing harm. On the other hand, some medical professionals claim that these herbal muscle-relaxers are merely like supplements that, though has a certain level of scientific support, cannot totally profess therapeutic claims. Herbal muscle-relaxants are also said to lack in prior testing which is usually required from most drugs to prove their effectiveness based on scientific evidences. Finally, these herbal counterparts are said to have an indefinite dosage measurement to treat muscle injuries. Like vitamins, a person cannot overdose from these medications, however, their effectiveness are also compromised by their lack of a defined substance dosage.

The final decision actually lies in the hands of the consumers, whether they will choose to make use of the usual muscle-relaxants with its precautionary measures needed and risks of side effects, however, with a guaranteed effectiveness; or they will go with a herbal muscle-relaxant that makes use of all natural components, assures of higher safety, however, with compromised effectiveness. Upon deciding, it is better to seek advice from those who know better, this means those that are professionals in the field of medicine and healthcare. Various concerns should be relayed to them relative to the use of medications so that they can also have a better analysis of the situation. The only one act which should not be done at all is to self-medicate when muscle cramps or spasms are experienced. When this is done, further complications and harm may possibly arise instead of desired treatment and cure.

Monday, March 15, 2010

The Truth About Disneyland And Disabilities

Today, even disabled people can enjoy the wonder of Disneyland! If you are on crutches, you should ponder renting a Disneyland Scooter to get about the estate. The lease fee is $35 per day, with a $20 deposit. A valid driver's license is important, and you should be eighteen years old or older.

You can also choose to lease a wheelchair, which is not electronic. The rental fee for a wheelchair is $8 per day, with a $20 deposit. You do not need to lease your wheelchair or Scooter from Disneyland. You can choose to rent the apparatus from a undisclosed company, and have the wheelchair or scooter delivered to your hotel room. You may discover that it is cheaper to rent from a private company, as contrary to renting from Disneyland.

Cast members and assistance personnel will be happy to help with Visitor wheelchair transfers, and if you should part with a wheelchair or scooter that you've rented from Disneyland, wholly demonstrate the ticket for the wheelchair or scooter, and Disneyland will happily supply you with another one. Even so, if you lose a wheelchair or scooter that was rented from an outsidecompany, Disneyland will not be capable to help you replace it, and you may have to pay the rental company the full price of the chair. This is something to consider when you are attempting to decide whether to rent from Disneyland or a private company.

All of the restaurants and shops are wheelchair reachable, as are the entertainment areas. When it comes to wheelchairs, your problem will be accessing some of the rides. Various rides are not suitable for individuals who are in wheelchairs, while others are perfectly apt. For example, you will not be able to appreciate Donald's Boat, Sailing Ship, or Tarzan's Tree house.

However, there are innumerable attractions that you can appreciate, such as The Disney Gallery, Disneyland Monorail, the Disneyland Railroad, the Tiki Room, The Gold Horseshoe, It's A Small World, Mark Twain Riverboat, and Tom Sawyer Island. Some attractions will require you to be transferred from your wheelchair, such as Alice in Wonderland, Indiana Jones, and the King Arthur Carrousel.

Whether or not you can enjoy a ride in your wheelchair, or you must be transferred from your wheelchair to the ride, you can in actuality enjoy most of the rides at Disneyland. Do not allow the fact that you can't walk about the park keep you from planning a Disneyland Vacation. Now there is no more excuse not to go have fun at Disneyland!

The true essence of a woman

“Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life - a kind of destiny. Whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are.” - Princess Diana


Almost ten years ago, a princess died. She was a lady, a loving mother, and a philanthropist. Many believed she was an angel sent to warm the hearts of the feeble and the needy. She was an inspiration for the victims of poverty, the sick, the discriminated, and the homeless. Her name was Diana, Princess of Wales. There is a long, illustrious list of princesses in England and in other parts of the world, yet none of these royal women can surpass what Princess Diana had achieved.

What was it that brought tears to people around the world after her death in 1997? Was it her beauty? Her deeds? Or her legacy?

She left a legacy that will be remembered for a a very long time. She was included in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century because of her charity work. Diana used her influential status to campaign against the use of land mines that were scattered around the world. These mines are found in many developing countries. This cause earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. She also helped decrease the discrimination against the victims of AIDS who experience social anxiety. In fact, she was one the first high-profile celebrities to be photographed with a person infected with HIV.

As a princess, Diana was probably one of the richest, most attractive and socially powerful women in the world. Despite these attributes, she was also a victim. Diana was often the subject nasty of rumors in the tabloid scene. Paparazzis hounded her wherever she went, depriving her of privacy that is so important for people who are always in the limelight. Women in unhappy marriages identified with her because of her much-publicized divorce withPrince Charles in 1996. It was called “The End of the Love Story of the Decade”, or the end of the “Fairy Tale Marriage.”

On August 31, 1997, the world was shocked to hear the news about Princess Diana's death. Reports said that the princess' car was apparently being pursued by photographers in motorbikes when it hit a pillar inside an expressway tunnel. The car she was riding on smashed into a wall, leaving her mortally wounded along with her lover Dodi Al Fayed and driver Henry Paul. She died from the wounds she sustained during that terrible incident.

Princess Diana's death became a realization to many that people, no matter their state of being, people the world over share the same pain and grief...and that all human beings must inevitably face death. She became an inspiration to people of all walks of life. Her story was that of a wealthy and well-loved woman, a princess who also lived a life of stress and anxiety. She was able to have empathy for the poor and lowly even if she was a princess surrounded by luxury and riches. People from all walks of life could also relate to her because she too exhibited the same kind of loneliness and despair felt by ordinary human beings. Her life became a channel through which coping with anxiety became easier. Her compassion and good heart made her more beautiful in the eyes of the world.

Princess Diana is a symbol for a true woman of this century. The essence of a woman will not be measured by the beauty she possesses. Nor by the smile that she carries or the physique she displays. The true essence of a woman is her ability to share her love to others and the society she lives in. Women need not to be conformed to beauty contests or the kitchen. Much more needs to be done and the task has just begun.

The Salmon in Northwest Native Indian Artwork and Culture

There are several species of salmon fish in the Pacific Northwest region. These are the Coho, Sockeye, Pink, Chum, Atlantic and the largest which is the King or Chinook. Salmon are born in the rivers and swim down to the ocean where they live in the saltwater. At spawning time, they return to the river where they were born, lay the eggs, and then die. The young hatch and start the life cycle over again. Salmon fish have always been an important mainstay food source for the Northwest Native Indian people as well as much wildlife in the region including many large birds, bears, and river otters. This is the reason why the salmon is a popular subject in Northwest Native Indian artwork and culture.

According to Northwest Native Indian legend, the salmon were actually people with superhuman abilities and eternal lives. The Salmon people lived in great houses under the ocean but since they knew that humans on land needed food, they offered themselves to the land based tribes as food by turning into salmon fish. Their spirits were returned back to the ocean where they were reborn again. One tribe on land was short of food because the salmon never came to their waters. But they heard about the Salmon people. So the chief sent out an expedition to find these Salmon people in order to ask them to come to their waters. After many days of travel, the expedition arrived in a new land where the Salmon people were. The chief of the Salmon people ordered four of their villagers to go into the sea where they became salmon as soon as the water reached their faces. He ordered others to retrieve these new salmon fish which were then cooked as a welcoming feast for the guests in the expedition.

The chief told the guests to eat as much but the bones of the salmon fish, even the smallest ones, were not to be thrown out. All of the salmon bones were collected by the villagers after the guests were careful enough to lay them into little piles. The Salmon people then threw these bones back into the water. Minutes later, the four individuals who originally turned into the salmon fish reappeared and joined the others.

Over the next few days, the guests watched the Salmon people repeat this process with the salmon bones over and over again. However, during a subsequent feast, one of the guests from the expedition secretly held back some of the salmon bones. This time, when one of the Salmon people came back from out of the water, he was covering his face and said that some of the bones must be missing since his cheeks were gone. Another said that she was missing her chin. Alarmed by what had happened, the guest brought out the missing salmon bones he had previously held back. The two Salmon people with missing body parts then went back into the sea with these bones. Upon their return back to land, both Salmon people had their complete bodies again.

The expedition asked the chief to let some of his Salmon people visit their waters and streams to help supply much needed food. The chief agreed to do so as long as the tribe agreed to throw back all the salmon bones into the water so that the Salmon people could return home intact. If this was not respected, the tribe was told that the Salmon people would refuse to return to the tribe's waters. So the tribe always honored the return of the salmon to their streams every year and respected the rules set by the Salmon people chief. This ensured an adequate food supply for the tribe every year.

One interesting fact is that when White men first arrived to the region, the Northwest Native Indian people did not want to sell salmon to them. It was feared that the salmon not be treated with respect by the White men who were ignorant of the required customs and regulations set by the Salmon people.

The Rooster’s Immortal Perch, Hand Crafted Weathervanes

The weathervane is most often thought of as a metal rooster on the top of a barn that points in the direction of the blowing wind. That is a weathervane point in the direction of the origin of the wind. A compass rose is fixed below the rooster and points in the direction of the eight cardinal points of the earth. North, South, East, West and the four in betweens. Once long ago, it was believed that the winds were gods and in that ancient time, flags were used to tell archers the direction of the going wind. Aiming against the wind in archery and in favor of the wind in sailing are important things for civilizations at their birth.

A genius astronomer and architect from Greece built the oldest weathervane from those myths and legends, to immortalize them in stone and bronze. That was more than 2000 years ago, but just a little over a thousand years ago, the rooster became an immortalized sculpture upon the tops of domes and cupolas in all the world of Christendom, when the pope proclaimed that in honor of the apostle Peter, each church should have a rooster weathervane to remind followers. In Luke 22:34 at the last supper, Christ prophecies that Peter will deny he is a follower or even knows who Jesus is exactly three times before the rooster will crow, and as he denies for the third time that night, the rooster crows. The Holy Roman Empire of the church passed this legacy onward and influenced culture the world over. Even the metal working Vikings would craft weathervanes of roosters, both for spiritual as well as artistic reasons.

Ever since the very first Merman Warrior weathervane known as a Triton. The careful melting down or softening of different metals kept at constant temperatures while mixed with other elements, pounded, sculpted into weapons and crafted. Weathervanes have been made by hand. The hands of a metalworker are usually course and calloused, from the fires and hot coals of the blowing forge. Billows would be used to heat the raw material (bronze, copper, iron, steal, silver, gold…) or any combination of raw materials until such time as the forge was no longer necessary. But till this very day, the forge and anvil are used by blacksmiths to mold and carve the general shape and desired balance of a weathervane.

Sculpting a weathervane however once shaped, can be one of the most detailed and subtly elegant aspects of the art. It takes a lot of time and energy to sculpt a piece of solid metal into a detailed figure, and unless a smith has these skills, she or he will spend great portions of their time on it. Metal sculpting in fine detailed chiseling work is restricted to only a precious few, and those in America that do so are slowly disappearing. One of the greatest metalworking artesian of the 20th century said on many occasions before departing from this world; “Mine is the art of the dinosaur, I will not have my son learn it.” – Grizzly Lee Burton in Portland, Oregon Highland Games, while forging a Scottish sword.

The weathervane for this reason is a prize possession. The weathervane is a possession crafted by the human hand with emotion. Weathervanes are symbolic of a time when things were simpler and far less stressful than they have become in the 21st century. The peaceful life on a farm seems to make life slow down somewhat. Even though time still passes, the sun rises and sets, the rooster is immortalized upon the roof tops of churches, barns and homes as a reminder of peace and harmony, like that of times gone by.