By Amber Skye
How many times have you wasted hours on searching for that perfect gift, only to decide on something entirely overpriced after an excruciating five hours of finding nothing that felt right for the occasion?
How many dollars have you wasted paying way too much for an item that was worth only half of what you were paying, simply out of desperation?
How many times have you wished you had a skill to hand design a gift for giving, for any occasion?
Well perhaps beading is just what you need. With handmade beaded jewelry you can personally design the perfect gift for any occasion, be it a birthday, Christmas, baby shower, or even a wedding, specific to the receivers' tastes.
The prime advantage of handmade jewelry as a gift, is that it is cost effective. Conduct a test. Find a beaded necklace at one of your local retailers, say one made from turquoise, noting the materials used and of course, the price. Then visit your local hobby shop to price out the turquoise beads needed to make the same thing. Better yet, price them out online as you will get a much better price than locally. You will find that you will be able to create the same piece for a third of the cost. That alone is reason enough to consider hand making your own beaded jewelry to give as gifts.
Need more incentive? Then consider the personal touch that makes a handmade gift so much more special than one that is store bought. By giving the gift of something you laboriously made by hand shows the recipient that you cared enough to take the time to find just the right items needed for your gift; you took the time to find just the right colors that you knew where their favorites. And you poured love into designing the finished products. I for one can honestly say I have always been more touched by presents from the heart than presents from an assembly line.
And finally there is the appeal of your handmade gift becoming a treasured keepsake to be passed down over generations. I myself have a rosary that was given to my grandmother by my great grandmother on her wedding day. The rosary was handmade by my great grandmother from soybeans of all things, but it is beautiful and full of character and unspoken stories, and it means more to me than the strand I have of cultured pearls. That above all else should be incentive enough for making your own handmade beaded jewelry for gift giving.
So the next time you are faced with a blank wall of what to give your niece on her graduation day, or your sister at her bridal shower, or even your granddaughter for being accepted onto the softball team, remember how beautiful handmade beaded jewelry can be, and how easy and fun it is to make.
Handmade beaded jewelry is a gift of joy for both the giver and the receiver to be treasured for a lifetime.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amber_Skye
Handmade Beaded Jewelry Makes Great Gifts For Any Occasion
China and Pottery Collecting is Fun
By Peter Tagg
You probably have a diverse selection of pottery and china collected because you like it, which is as good of a reason as any. However, as one becomes more serious and discerning about what these figurines and trinkets are, the more one needs to understand how and with what they are made. The subject of ceramic production is huge and if you need in depth knowledge then you should consult your local library or consult the online booksellers.
Pottery and china are words bandied about without really being aware of what they mean; for the collector it is necessary to understand the basics so he can know what he has or is buying. All ceramics are based on some form of clay found locally or imported. Earthenware is the basic clay based product fired at 1000°C to 1150ºC and is usually porous e.g. simple pots like flower pots. Stoneware is the basic clay fired at 1150ºC to 1400ºC and tends to be non-porous e.g. Royal Doulton jugs and pots Porcelain is make from kaolin clay (white in colour) or similar and fired at 1300ºC. This tends to be hard and brittle. There are soft paste and hard paste variants on this as well. Other variants include bone, hence bone china and porcelain and should not be confused with modern materials which are much more sophisticated.
All the potters worldwide made variations on these basic processes and there are hundreds of additives which changed the characteristics of the clay, Wedgwood developed Jasperware in the 18th century which is a stoneware with properties of porcelain still in production today. There are any number of glazes used to seal the body or decorate it. It is a very complex subject because every potter was trying to outdo his competitor and still is. Suffice it to say there are variations in these production methods, whether it is the huge mass producers or the small studio potter. All are collectible.
Deciding on what to collect may at first appear daunting, but if you consider your interests it is easy to narrow the field down to a few or even one area.
The first thing to do is to decide old or new? Then which century 18th, 19th, 20th or even 21st. Prior to the 18th century takes us into medieval, roman and earlier. Many will be classified as antiquities and is a fascinating subject in its own right. You must consult specialist books on this subject. There are many fakes.
You may decide to collect "Blue and White", popular and expensive, Carlton Ware still available at a reasonable price, Art Deco pieces or Staffordshire Figures which can be expensive, fairings - originally given away at fairs, animals by many manufacturers which vary in price depending on quality, advertising pieces, commemorative ware, crested china, decorative plates of which there are thousands (you can collect by theme or manufacturer) and any number of studio pottery pieces. There are many studio potters, some famous, others not so, some of which are easy to collect today since they have not entered the realm of desirable antiques.
Consult any book on collectibles and you will find many names new to you. Whatever you collect make sure you are well read on the subject. Only collect perfect or expertly restored pieces because damaged pieces are worth a fraction of the price of a perfect piece. This way you can avoid the many pitfalls in the collecting market.
http://petertagg.ws
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Tagg
You probably have a diverse selection of pottery and china collected because you like it, which is as good of a reason as any. However, as one becomes more serious and discerning about what these figurines and trinkets are, the more one needs to understand how and with what they are made. The subject of ceramic production is huge and if you need in depth knowledge then you should consult your local library or consult the online booksellers.
Pottery and china are words bandied about without really being aware of what they mean; for the collector it is necessary to understand the basics so he can know what he has or is buying. All ceramics are based on some form of clay found locally or imported. Earthenware is the basic clay based product fired at 1000°C to 1150ºC and is usually porous e.g. simple pots like flower pots. Stoneware is the basic clay fired at 1150ºC to 1400ºC and tends to be non-porous e.g. Royal Doulton jugs and pots Porcelain is make from kaolin clay (white in colour) or similar and fired at 1300ºC. This tends to be hard and brittle. There are soft paste and hard paste variants on this as well. Other variants include bone, hence bone china and porcelain and should not be confused with modern materials which are much more sophisticated.
All the potters worldwide made variations on these basic processes and there are hundreds of additives which changed the characteristics of the clay, Wedgwood developed Jasperware in the 18th century which is a stoneware with properties of porcelain still in production today. There are any number of glazes used to seal the body or decorate it. It is a very complex subject because every potter was trying to outdo his competitor and still is. Suffice it to say there are variations in these production methods, whether it is the huge mass producers or the small studio potter. All are collectible.
Deciding on what to collect may at first appear daunting, but if you consider your interests it is easy to narrow the field down to a few or even one area.
The first thing to do is to decide old or new? Then which century 18th, 19th, 20th or even 21st. Prior to the 18th century takes us into medieval, roman and earlier. Many will be classified as antiquities and is a fascinating subject in its own right. You must consult specialist books on this subject. There are many fakes.
You may decide to collect "Blue and White", popular and expensive, Carlton Ware still available at a reasonable price, Art Deco pieces or Staffordshire Figures which can be expensive, fairings - originally given away at fairs, animals by many manufacturers which vary in price depending on quality, advertising pieces, commemorative ware, crested china, decorative plates of which there are thousands (you can collect by theme or manufacturer) and any number of studio pottery pieces. There are many studio potters, some famous, others not so, some of which are easy to collect today since they have not entered the realm of desirable antiques.
Consult any book on collectibles and you will find many names new to you. Whatever you collect make sure you are well read on the subject. Only collect perfect or expertly restored pieces because damaged pieces are worth a fraction of the price of a perfect piece. This way you can avoid the many pitfalls in the collecting market.
http://petertagg.ws
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Tagg
The Fun of Making Dollhouse Furniture
By Tim Lee
Remember the days when you were a kid and how you used to enjoy playing with dolls. Well things have not changed much nowadays and despite the fact that we have hi-fi games and other interesting toys, there is nothing that can replace the value of a doll, in the heart of kids, especially girls. Young girls spend so much time in their make-believe world, attending to their dolls, washing them, feeling them, telling lullabies to them and finally... at bedtime... putting them to sleep. A dollhouse is where they put their dear dolls to sleep.
Some of them feel sad when they notice that there is hardly any furniture in the doll house. There are many means to overcome this problem if you have the will. Check out the net and you will find many sites that specialize in doll dresses and other accessories including doll houses and also furniture for doll houses. Your best bet to get proper furniture for a dollhouse is through these establishments. Some of those dollhouse furniture are amazing in the fact that they are exact replicas of the real stuff, just scaled down in size.
This means that the inflatable pillows can be inflated and the folding chairs and tables can be folded. However, there are certain limits, so do not expect the iron to get warm. You'll never find any power outlet so tiny that it will accommodate the plug of the miniature toy iron. However, the dollhouse furniture does not end at that. The water in the kitchen and the bathroom do have flowing water supplied from a miniature water tank atop the dollhouse. You can also find cute beds of different sizes and shapes in the websites and stores that specialize in dollhouse furniture.
However, these goods come at a premium and you should be prepared to shell out a handsome sum of money for them. If you have the inclination, you can make dollhouse furniture by yourself if you have a creative bent of mind. There are many things lying about in your house that can be used to make dollhouse furniture. Remember the old shoe box? If you cut and paste it properly, you can use that to make a tiny bed for your doll. All it requires is some imagination from your side. You can also decorate the same using old dresses for the upholstery.
The main fun of making the dollhouse furniture by yourself is the personal touch that will be missing if you use furniture purchased from the store. You just require a bottle of glue, some cotton wool for the stuffing and cloth from old clothes and you are ready to prepare the bed. In the same way, you can also make small tables, tools and other furniture that you find in your own room. Some imaginative persons have even built 2 tired beds for their dollhouse. Be careful when you allow kids to work with sharp instruments like scissors. It would be better if you did the cuttings part and left them to do the pasting.
To learn more about dollhouse furniture, visit http://www.dollhousefurniture101.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Lee
Remember the days when you were a kid and how you used to enjoy playing with dolls. Well things have not changed much nowadays and despite the fact that we have hi-fi games and other interesting toys, there is nothing that can replace the value of a doll, in the heart of kids, especially girls. Young girls spend so much time in their make-believe world, attending to their dolls, washing them, feeling them, telling lullabies to them and finally... at bedtime... putting them to sleep. A dollhouse is where they put their dear dolls to sleep.
Some of them feel sad when they notice that there is hardly any furniture in the doll house. There are many means to overcome this problem if you have the will. Check out the net and you will find many sites that specialize in doll dresses and other accessories including doll houses and also furniture for doll houses. Your best bet to get proper furniture for a dollhouse is through these establishments. Some of those dollhouse furniture are amazing in the fact that they are exact replicas of the real stuff, just scaled down in size.
This means that the inflatable pillows can be inflated and the folding chairs and tables can be folded. However, there are certain limits, so do not expect the iron to get warm. You'll never find any power outlet so tiny that it will accommodate the plug of the miniature toy iron. However, the dollhouse furniture does not end at that. The water in the kitchen and the bathroom do have flowing water supplied from a miniature water tank atop the dollhouse. You can also find cute beds of different sizes and shapes in the websites and stores that specialize in dollhouse furniture.
However, these goods come at a premium and you should be prepared to shell out a handsome sum of money for them. If you have the inclination, you can make dollhouse furniture by yourself if you have a creative bent of mind. There are many things lying about in your house that can be used to make dollhouse furniture. Remember the old shoe box? If you cut and paste it properly, you can use that to make a tiny bed for your doll. All it requires is some imagination from your side. You can also decorate the same using old dresses for the upholstery.
The main fun of making the dollhouse furniture by yourself is the personal touch that will be missing if you use furniture purchased from the store. You just require a bottle of glue, some cotton wool for the stuffing and cloth from old clothes and you are ready to prepare the bed. In the same way, you can also make small tables, tools and other furniture that you find in your own room. Some imaginative persons have even built 2 tired beds for their dollhouse. Be careful when you allow kids to work with sharp instruments like scissors. It would be better if you did the cuttings part and left them to do the pasting.
To learn more about dollhouse furniture, visit http://www.dollhousefurniture101.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Lee
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