Crafting Secrets

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The holidays always bring to mind family, fun, festive decorations and food. We want our homes to look nice, but we don’t want to spend a small fortune on things we only use once a year. With a little creativity, and bargain shopping, you can have a nice setting for your family celebration.

Fall place mats – An old stand-by; use the leaves from your own yard. Gather some that have a nice shape and color, clean them and press them flat under heavy books. Instead of the waxed paper that we used in grade school, get a roll of clear contact paper. Lay one of your placemats on the paper for a pattern, cutting it out twice as wide, so it can be folded over to

seal in the leaves. Crease the contact paper in the middle, open it, and pull only half the paper backing away, arrange the leaves anyway you like (the kids would love to help). If you want more color, place a piece of construction paper under the leaves. After you have the leaves in place, pull back a little of the paper at a time, smoothing the top piece of contact paper as you go, removing air bubbles and sealing around the leaves. For an extra touch, get some ribbon and glue some around the edges, like a frame.

Wooden decorations – Most craft stores have simple wood cutouts of all sorts of holiday items. Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, there are simple paint techniques, using sponges, rubber stamps or stencils, which will produce a nice look with very little work. The store staff can probably even suggest some easy projects. Make it a family project; the

kids will enjoy it as well. You may be surprised at how well they will do.

Dishes – if you don’t care about using the good china, there are always pretty paper plates and napkins that can add a touch of color to the meal. Many of them are fairly sturdy and can hold up to the amounts of food we tend to eat over the holidays. The best part? No dishes to wash, except some utensils and the pots and pans, so you have more time to enjoy relaxing after dinner.

Other decorations – Check your local party supply store, many times there are discount ones around. They may have nice wall decorations you can buy, and they sometimes have things you can rent as well. They may have garlands of fake leaves, or center pieces.

Wreaths – Making a fall wreath is fairly easy. Get some floral foam from the local craft store (they usually have precut pieces ready to be used for wreaths). Look through their silk flowers and leaves. Gather some in fall colors (quite often you can get a bargain on these, if you shop around a bit). You don’t have to be an expert in floral arranging to get a nice look. Follow a simple pattern, placing the largest flower every so many inches around (depending on the sizes), then move to the next smaller item, once you are down to the “filler” pieces, like leaves or greenery, just fill in the empty places. Put a bow at the bottom, and you’re done.

Adriana Copaceanu
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/frugal-thanksgiving-decorating-74269.html

You feel like you’re a square peg in a round hole at the office. You see yourself as a fashion icon or someone who knows the latest trends in clothing, make up and accessories and who dresses and acts in like manner. You have used your knowledge to help out your fashion-challenged friends and family members, turning them from dowdy ducks into graceful swans through the right clothes, the correct make-up and a few lessons in proper bearing, walk and projection.

However, you’re working in an office where the majority dress as if they were stuck in the fifties.

You decide it’s time to look for more suitable employment, perhaps in a company where the dress code is much more suited to your style. You can also be more adventurous by eschewing your boring office job for a career in image consulting.

The Up-and-Coming World of Image Consulting

There is a multitude of fashion- and image-challenged people and companies out there. “Power suits” may be in vogue, but most people do not even know what it means. Watching shows like Extreme Makeover, Project Runway or Queer Eye for the Straight Guy does not automatically make one a good dresser.

This is the reason why image consulting is fast becoming a major business in the country today. Image, in today’s visually-conscious environment, is everything. Those who are out of step quickly find themselves left behind and unsure of how to catch up.

At the same time, people (and companies) realize that image isn’t a matter of fashion or physical appearance alone. People form impressions on how someone looks and behaves – vocal communications (how a person speaks, his grammar, vocabulary, diction), non-verbal cues (handshakes, posture, eye contact), and etiquette – from how a person dines to how he handles a cell phone during meetings.

There are a lot of people who need help in crafting an image: women who want a new look, job-seekers who want to create a favorable first impression, corporate executives and their spouses, lawyers and their clients, cancer survivors, singles seeking a partner, and so on.

The field is wide open, and if you have the skills and abilities, you may just be in a position to establish your own image consulting business.

Skills, Abilities and First Steps

If you’re someone with a strong visual sense and excellent communications skills plus a large dose of diplomacy and tact in your genetic make-up, you have the basic tools that you need.

Diplomacy and tact are a definite requirement. Bear in mind that you are only ‘advising’ someone on what to wear, say or do. Most people resist change; you must be able to guide your clients onto the proper path without antagonizing them.

Fashion sense is of course important. You need to be able to advise your clients on what to wear, what not to wear, what make-up and accessories go with what for a wide range of occasions: corporate meetings, casual Fridays, dinner with the boss, conventions and the like.

Start small and gain experience as you go. Offer free makeovers to friends, family members and office mates. Learn how to deal with people and, at the same time, start making contacts – hair stylists, makeup artists, nutritionists and personal trainers, voice coaches and the like. Not only can they advise you on the current trends; you can refer clients to them for things that you are not capable of handling. They can reciprocate the favor by referring people to you.

Bear in mind the need to establish your reputation and abilities. Take ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots of your initial clients (friends, family members, office mates) so you’ll have an image consulting portfolio to show off to prospective clients who may soon become your paying clients.

Most importantly, bear in mind that your first client is yourself. You cannot become a credible image consultant unless you project that image yourself. Start with yourself, gain experience through friends and family, get your name and reputation out there and soon enough, you’ll be run off your feet dealing with paying clients.

Steven French
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/getting-into-the-business-of-image-consulting-119477.html

Are you planning to host or attend a family get-together this year? I’m sure you probably are. It may consist of a dinner and some gift exchanging. That is an ideal way to end the night, sure! What about earlier that day? Ok, Realistically, this may not happen, but wouldn’t it be nice to plan a game or something that could involve everyone?, or maybe just the children while the adults look on?

This is not an easy feat nowadays, especially if you have family who would live far away. If you could though, you would more than likely find this is a joyful way to bring the family closer, while making a few good memories at the same time. It could be a board game, maybe a “treasure hunt”, it may even be a competition style event. (Carefully planned not to have any losers!)

Whatever the activity, It seems like it would be more sincere if it was created by you, or everyone helping. Using a little imagination can ensure that this is something that belongs to you and your family. No one else can take it from you, so it brings you closer. This is what it should be exactlly. It’s doesn’t have be so involved that it would sell on the market. No, actually the simpler it is to craft or come up with, the more fun you will have when it’s set in to action!

Remember what the season makes you remember about “the old days”, and share it with the “new” gathering. There is a country song that says, “Let’s make some good old days tonight”. That is what I’m writing about, in a nutshell. -Stephanie

Copywright, October 2006

You can find other great projects by going to Stephanie’s web-site http://stephshomeprojects.com
Stephanie is a stay-at-home mom who experiments with arts and craft projects quite often. She likes to say that “What you can come up with is only limited by your imagination, but sometimes you need a little assistance.”

Stephanie Peeden
http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/crafting-games-72384.html

Spring has sprung, Easter is just around the corner. One of the most celebrated holidays is Easter and part of the reason why this holiday is loved is the food associated with it. If you are hosting an Easter dinner with your friends or family this year, here are some good tips for some delicious Easter recipes.

Maple Syrup Ham and Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

One of the most requested types of food to eat at Easter is ham and you can sweeten up the taste of it by adding some tasty maple syrup. While your store bought maple syrup should work, try to purchase maple syrup that is 100% pure and not made from corn syrup. Adding pure maple syrup will add a sweet, delicious taste that your friends and family will love.

You can easily accompany your maple syrup ham with some tasty sweet potatoes smothered in miniature marshmallows. Sweet potatoes will be your maple syrup ham’s best friend. For an extra treat, add miniature marshmallows and you will definetly get some smiles from children and adults alike.

Easter Bunny Cookies

Even though chocolate bunnies are pivotal to Easter, cookies can also be an excellent treat. Just like Christmas cookies are fun to make and yummy to eat, so are Easter Bunny cookies. Most grocery stores, discount stores, and craft stores sell Easter Bunny cookie cutters to make your favorite chocolate chip or sugar cookie into some fantastic Easter Bunny shapes.

Easter Egg Cup Cakes

Easter Egg cup cakes are an awesome way to add enthusiasm to the holidays for your children. Easter Egg Cupcakes are an easy and fun way to bring color to any Easter dinner dessert. Instead of using cup cake holders, try to use small waffle cones to hold your cup cake mixture. Once baked, add coloring, sprinkles, candy, etc. to your creation.

Easter Bunny Carrot Cake

Easter Bunny carrot cake is an awesome way to add color and excitement for the whole family. What goes better with bunny rabbits than carrots and a yummy carrot cake goes with any Easter dinner. You can easily purchase a carrot cake and decorate the top by hand. Many people create their own frosting adding food coloring to color the carrot cake to look like an Easter egg.

Easter Cocktails

For those adults that like to top off their dinner with a delicious alcoholic beverage, there are many colorful cocktails that compliment the mood of any Easter dinner. For example, certain liquors come in various colors such as grenadine for rose, blue Curacao for cerulean and mixing clear liquor with assorted fruit juices for multicolored Easter drinks. For those that prefer a cocktail sans the alcohol, it’s easy to add color to your event with a host of fresh fruit smoothies, just by adding fresh fruit with cream or milk. Some people even add some yogurt to the mix.

If you are looking for a great way to enjoy your Easter this year, follow the above Easter recipes.

Christine Steendahl
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/great-ideas-for-easter-meals-126511.html

i co run a home child care. we have children ranging from ages 2 to 7. this week we are working on colors Orange and Brown. The idea is to do crafts for the fall. does anynody have some fun ideas for a craft or a good website? thanks a bunch. Have a good day!

do some leaf rubbings

Running a strip of tape along the seam leaves a crack visible under the tape. Any filler? Or any tricks or tips?

I've used "Foam Core" board for many years in both theatrical set designing and architectural modeling. Answer number one has a valid notion, though certainly you should apply the "practice" to as much as you need to "waste" before attempting a seamless "Exterior" corner.

The most obvious/best way this will work is on angles such as what one might find in a box, or walls in a house (90) but can with enough planning work for "crafting" as well. AND for Exterior views of any project piece

It will be similar to "scoring/mat making/ or even looking at a cardboard box and it's assembly.

Without knowing at all "what" the projects are, it sounds like you used a clear tape (Scotch tape???) Or didn't pre finish the butted joints of any two pieces of board. Tape edges would be obvious in any case. Even using Gaffers tape, (Which takes paint well enough) would allow some finish underneath to possibly show.

Foam core is pretty durable, but the "Paper" face is subject to effects of moisture. and to add anything such as Mud or other fillers to a butted joint. might mean sanding would have to be done, which would degrade the smotth face of the paper. Painting foam core, especially the thinner 1/4 or 3/16th thick board will also cause some warping, which is often counter balanced by painting the opposite side as well.

I'd try the scoring/ (V CUT) on the interior face of any design you have, but multiple angles, odd angles that must meet will be a challenge and depend on your ability and skill level also using Geometry principles. Actually if you had a mat cutting appliance/tool you might find better results, than using a Utility or X-Acto knife, a ruler/straight edge/ and the often UN constant pressure one applies by hand in such cases.

In all cases have a Large supply of any blades you choose in your cutting, as they dull quickly at the POINT of any material cut.

Steven Wolf