The best autographs to buy depend on whether you are purchasing them to make you money or whether you require them for a personal collection. There is a different criteria to follow depending on where you want this to lead.

If you require autographs for your personal collection then price is not really important. The main criteria to investigate are whether the autographs are real and not fake. You also need to try to get autographs that are not dedicated to someone. Dedications decrease the value of an autograph in a collection or for sale. The best autographs to buy will be the ones that are genuine and not dedicated. Price is not essentially important as you may be happy to pay large sums of money for an autograph for a personal collection that will give you great pleasure and ultimately grow in value in the future. I have autographs I have paid lots of money for because I really wanted them for my collection. The main thing is that you like it and want it.

The best autographs to buy for investment are when you either have a chance to buy something rare that it will grow in value over the years or buy something of an up an coming celebrity on the chance of them becoming very collectible in the future. It is more risky gambling on this but if you get in early on the career of someone who becomes very successful the profit can be extremely high. It also follows that as well as a celebrity becoming successful autograph prices also rocket in the event of the sad death of a much loved celebrity.

Finally the best autographs to buy for profit making are ones that are at a very low price, sometimes from a collection, if you buy the entire collection and split it down or getting a good deal by researching what sells well. If you are buying for profit you have to make sure that the item is at a price that you can resell for profit or that it is such a rare autograph that you know it will definitely sell for good return. Read More

If you want to start collecting autographs for profit or pleasure the first thing you will need are up to date autograph addresses. This is a cheap and easy way to get free autographs. There are many places to get these autograph addresses from on the internet but beware that the information you find is valid and up to date. Some web sites are not maintained and updated whereas others are regularly checked and validated.

I have seen eBooks with out of date addresses and there are many web sites that also have autograph addresses that are years old. If you risk using these sites you also risk losing money on postage and stationery costs. If the person is no longer at that address the chances of the mail being forwarded on are pretty slim. If you have sent anything other than a letter - for example a photograph or programme then these will be lost forever.

There are lots of good places to get up to date autograph addresses. They are available in magazines, on the internet or from groups and forums. The best one I have used is on a paying site where you pay a yearly fee, it may cost money but it is worth it as all the addresses are up to date and the owner will even find addresses for you if they are not on his list. You can then be virtually guaranteed that for the price of a couple of stamps and a well written letter you will get a response and hopefully an autograph or two.

There are a couple of other good sites as well as they have forums (online meeting places) and people can report how successful addresses have been for them. It is always good to hear other peoples results as this will give you a good idea as to whether it is worth trying a certain address or not. It can also help save time and effort if someone reports that an addressee has "gone away" or maybe even refused to reply.

If you want to start collecting autographs for profit or pleasure the first thing you will need are up to date autograph addresses. This is a cheap and easy way to get free autographs. There are many places to get these autograph addresses from on the internet but beware that the information you find is valid and up to date. Some web sites are not maintained and updated whereas others are regularly checked and validated.

I have seen eBooks with out of date addresses and there are many web sites that also have autograph addresses that are years old. If you risk using these sites you also risk losing money on postage and stationery costs. If the person is no longer at that address the chances of the mail being forwarded on are pretty slim. If you have sent anything other than a letter - for example a photograph or programme then these will be lost forever.

There are lots of good places to get up to date autograph addresses. They are available in magazines, on the internet or from groups and forums. The best one I have used is on a paying site where you pay a yearly fee, it may cost money but it is worth it as all the addresses are up to date and the owner will even find addresses for you if they are not on his list. You can then be virtually guaranteed that for the price of a couple of stamps and a well written letter you will get a response and hopefully an autograph or two.

There are a couple of other good sites as well as they have forums (online meeting places) and people can report how successful addresses have been for them. It is always good to hear other peoples results as this will give you a good idea as to whether it is worth trying a certain address or not. It can also help save time and effort if someone reports that an addressee has "gone away" or maybe even refused to reply.

Many hobbies involve building, carving, or wood burning which require speciality woods. These hobby and craft woods are available for just about any purpose. Hobbyists may choose from balsa, basswood, plywood, walnut, cherry, maple, among others for their project needs. Sheets or strips of these fine woods are available in thicknesses from 1/32 " to one inch, and in widths from 1/16 through six inches. You may purchase either sheets or strips.

Balsa is the most versatile of the hobby woods. Native to South America, these sixty foot trees are grown on large plantations. The wood is lightweight and strong. South Americans have been using balsa for boat and raft building since antiquity. Anyone who can recall Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki adventures will know of his successful attempt to reach the Polynesian Islands from South America on a balsa raft.

Balsa's fine grain combined with its strength and light weight have made it valuable for a great number of uses. Its heat retention ability has made it useful for insulating refrigerator and ship holds. It is used in aircraft to reduce vibration. Surfboards and life preservers have also been manufactured from balsa wood.

Crafters and hobbyists will find balsa very easy to cut and carve, making it ideal for a multitude of projects. It can also be painted or stained any color the hobbyist desires. Its greatest value for hobbyists is undoubtedly in the construction of model airplanes. Free flight , control line, and radio control aircraft are all made primarily from balsa wood. Other uses for this versatile wood include model boat building and dollhouse construction, as well as many other craft projects. Model railroaders can use balsa for scratch-building houses and other structures, bridges, and structural support for scenery.

Basswood, or linden, is another wood crafters and hobbyists find very useful. This North American wood is grown primarily in northern Michigan and Wisconsin. Heavier than balsa, it shares many of it's characteristics - close-grained, strong, and lightweight. Basswood's hobby uses mirror those of balsa, but its heavier weight limits its use in building model airplanes. Because it carves easily, it is the premier choice for both beginning and advanced woodcarvers. Novice wood burners will also find basswood friendly, as it burns well. Like balsa, it is available in strips and sheets. Additionally, specialty shapes for dollhouse building include molding, siding, and roof shingles.

Special project needs may require the use of hobby plywood. This extremely high quality plywood ranges in thickness from paper thin 1/32 of an inch to 1/4 inch. Birch is the wood used, so it can take any stain desired. It is very durable and suitable for many uses.

Other woods are available for specialized hobby projects, including walnut, maple, cherry, and mahogany. Twenty four inch lengths include both strips and sheets. The maximum width for sheets is four inches.

Basswood and balsa are the most commonly available hobby/craft woods. Other types may need to be special ordered from your local craft or hobby shop. Check out the selection today for all your project needs.

Religious arts & crafts allow artisans and crafters the opportunity to showcase the symbols of their faith, and the opportunity to craft an expression of their faith into tangible form. In this manner, religious arts & crafts provide a way for the faithful to proudly acknowledge their beliefs, and profess their love for their god or gods. Religious arts & crafts usually do this by referring to their religion's main textual tenants or predominant symbols.

Which religions use arts & crafts to express belief?

Religious arts & crafts, as commonly thought of in western society, is concerned primarily with Christianity. For this reason, the common symbols of Christianity - the cross, fish and loaves, angels, Jesus Christ, etc. - are commonly incorporated into American arts & crafts. Another popular theme is to incorporate scripture quotations. Of course, Christianity does not have a monopoly on religious arts & crafts; arts & crafts are well known within the Jewish tradition, for instance. Jewish arts & crafts typically focus on the most widespread symbols of Judaism, and include the Star of David, menorahs, and other icons of the belief. Jewish sayings are also frequently featured on Jewish arts & crafts.

Ideas for religious arts & crafts

Religious arts & crafts are designed to serve as decoration for one's home, office, vehicle, or church. Although religious features could be showcased in virtually any type of arts & crafts, these are some popular ideas for religious arts & crafts used for decoration:

1. Beaded Crafts: With a set of beads and string, pipe cleaners or safety pins, the devotee can create cute, creative religious arts & crafts. The possibilities for these crafts are almost endless, and are great for the whole family. These beaded crafts can be designed as jewelry, decorations, and other adornments. Virtually any religious symbol is possible with this versatile craft idea, from the Star of David to the Shroud of Turin.

2. Paint Your Own: Try to let your creative side out and paint your religious items for decoration and display or even for use in a religious service. Special ceramic paints are great to use for painting, decorating, and personalizing ceramic crosses, angels, and even scenes from the Bible. Personalize these paintings with names, birthdays, and scripture to make wonderful personalized gifts.

3. Cross Stitch & Embroidery: While it may take more skill and expertise, with a bit of practice most devotees can become experts and creating needlework arts & crafts. Religious needlework is especially noteworthy as it can combine both graphical images of crosses, angels, doves, and Bible scenes, as well as scripture, Bible verses, and other words of inspiration. Some more popular options for religious arts & crafts using cross stitch and embroidery include religious pillows and Bible covers.

4. Stained Glass Arts & Suncatchers: Stained glass art is popular for religious arts & crafts since stained glass is usually associated with churches and places of worship. This does not mean that you need to be a church to afford stained glass art. Far from it, inexpensive stained glass kits are readily available in most hobby and craft stores, and can be used by those without any previous experience.

5. Ornaments & Window Hangers: Ornaments and window hangers are often quite simple to create - in the absence of specialized skills, all you need is some imagination and a dash of creativity. Ornaments may be designed specifically for the Christmas season, or may be year-round crafts that can be hung anywhere, even from your rearview mirror. Look on the Internet for some fun ideas for religious ornaments, hangers, and other crafts.

6. Handmade Jewelry: Most religious people will happily wear the symbols of their faith as a personal reminder of their faith and devotion. Handmade religious jewelry is very popular, and can include anything from resin angel earrings to homemade metal crucifixes. Brooches, necklaces, and bracelets are also very popular, and while they are generally designed for women, men are becoming increasingly comfortable wearing fine handmade crucifix necklaces.

Looking for resources for making religious arts & crafts

Many arts & crafts shows will feature quite a bit of religious crafts and artwork. While there are rarely shows designed specifically for this niche market, a very high percentage of artisans & crafters feature work that includes a religious focus. If you are not able to attend any shows, do not give up hope. When looking for other ideas for religious arts & crafts, head to your local Christian bookstore or specialty shop. These stores will almost always maintain special sections dedicated to arts & crafts supplies of a religious nature. These stores also typically have arts & crafts ready for purchase and gift giving. If you are more adventurous, go to a hobby and arts & crafts store and convert a secular hobby kit into a testament of your faith.

The nickel is not something one gives a great deal of thought. Rarely the stuff of animated conversation, our little noticed five cent coin has lately come under scrutiny of the government bean counters.

The nickel has been found to be UNPROFITABLE.

It costs the mint more than a nickel to make one. And it takes a lot more than one cent to make a penny. But though the penny may well disappear from the US coinage lineup, this is less likely for the nickel. Would the public really allow prices to round up to the next dime?

And besides, the US nickel has had a fascinating history. At minimum, pretty darn interesting, especially if you are a coin collector.

Here are some fine points.

1. The first American nickel was NOT a five cent coin. In fact, it was a penny. First struck in 1856, the nickel one cent coin was actually called a nickel by the public because that was the metal used in its fabrication. The coin was alloyed with copper, but was of a pale whitish color. Sometimes these pennies were called white cents.

2. The first five cent coin was NOT a nickel. It was a tiny silver five cent coin known as a half dime. In fact, the half dime of 1792 was the first US coin authorized by Congress, and reputedly was made from silver from the George Washington household. This last bit is somewhat controversial, but in the mean time the story has become something of a legend.

3. The five cent nickel, and those first nickel alloy pennies, were not the only nickel coins made by the US Mint. There were also a whole series of three cent nickel coins made just after the Civil War to replace the small, tattered fractional currency notes printed and circulated during the hostilities.

4. The Liberty Head Nickel series, struck from 1883 to 1912, was touched by scandal at its beginning and end. The first coins of 1883 did not have the word CENTS anywhere on the coin. The large Roman numeral V (for the number five) was thought to be sufficient to indicate the value of the coin. However, a nickel is almost the same size as a five dollar gold piece, which is also adorned with a Liberty head. Soon unscrupulous opportunists were gold plating the new nickels and passing them off as five dollar gold pieces. Just before the Liberty Head nickel series was replaced in 1913, some enterprising, though less than honest, mint workers ran off five specimens of the Liberty Head nickel dated 1913, now among the most valuable of American coins.

5. And the term Plug Nickel? It is another way of saying worthless. Coins made of silver and gold were sometimes altered by cheaters who installed a lead plug into the center of coin, saving the precious metal removed for themselves. The coin so altered was worth substantially less. As the nickel was not made of valuable material to begin with, to say something was worth not a plugged nickel was to say it was worth not much at all.

To collect coins is not what most people think of as a heart stopping, pulse racing, knuckle biting way to wring out the tensions of the workday. This is a hobby of quiet contemplation.

Right?

OK, so NASCAR it is not. But still, for such a calm activity, there do seem to be more than a few coin collectors, especially in the US. More than you would think, if all these passionately involved individuals are just, uh, filling up holes in an album.

What is going on here? What are all these people thinking about, and why do they so enjoy what this hobby seems to be giving them? What is the connection?

Ask any coin collector about his interest in the hobby and you will see certain patterns of connection emerge.

Collecting Money is Fun

Most of us have a bit of avarice in our personalities. Those photos of gold bars in Fort Knox, and the stacks of twenty dollar gold coins from the S. S. Central America sitting upon on the sea floor at 8,000 feet below the surface are exciting. Would it be fun to have even one gold coin?

Touching History

Suppose you are a middle school teacher of social studies or history, and you want to break through to your class in a tangible way. Coins have existed in one form or another for 2,500 years or so. They are a product of a people, a time, and a place.

There are coins available at reasonable cost, even to student collectors, from many of the significant times in history. Usually they will be well worn rather than pristine. All the better. A well circulated coin has Been There. Who can say if the 1863 Indian Head cent your student brings into class was not in the pocket of a Union artilleryman at Gettysburg?

Kinship

Many young coin collectors get their start from a relative who had some coins left over from a long ago trip overseas. Or, as in my case, from a great grandmother who owned a small dry goods store in the Canton area of Baltimore during the final decades of the nineteenth century.

Receiving coins from long ago that touch your own family history brings a sense of participation, albeit through inheritance, in the life of long ago.

The Hunt

As a new collector delves into the hobby, an awareness of the incredible depth and breadth of coinage takes hold. This is especially true as one enters a large coin show in a major city. Looking over the vast expanse of dealer tables upon entering the room can be like ones first view of the ocean.

What incredible coin awaits my discovery?

About The Author:

David W. Baker has collected coins since age 11 -- so, more than half a century. Coins have been a pleasant distraction for him over the years. Though he's never been a coin dealer, he has have occasionally sold a coin or two at a nice profit, when the market was right. These experiences taught him a bit about coin value in the marketplace. But, he would be the first to say that his greatest pleasure with coins has been the hooks they have to history and other areas of learning. Dave says that he can never quite get beyond the feeling that, if any of his coins could talk, the stories would be priceless!

Most people are results driven. Results are the end of a multitude of actions or processes. That kind of thinking will destroy you. I am not saying that the end results are not important by all means they are. What I am saying is that having attention to just your end results you will miss the entire picture completely and sabotage your success. Let me explain.

Whether you are a solopreneur, part of partnership or any type of organizational structure, measures are important. The fundamentals in any business no matter what its structure has 2 major components to measure. One is Production and the other is Organization. You might think that organization has very little to do with production. I am here to tell you that organization has everything to do with production.

Having been an executive over 7 divisions and 21 department organizational structure, I know how things work. It doesn't even matter whether you're a 1 person company or 100,000 these fundamental don't change. Success can be measured in more ways than one. Do you make money first and then put an ad together? Obviously not, but just this one concept is a good place to begin. There are actually two components here. One is the making money and the other is placing an ad. We know that to measure success we need to have a statistic such as dollars volume of sales made. That is a result statistic. Ask yourself how do I arrive at this statistic?

Let us analyze this for a moment. In order to have a statistic to measure dollar volume of sales, you need to have a process in place to generate such a statistic. What is that process? If I am selling widgets, I would have to know how my dollars volume of sales is being generated. You must ask yourself the 5 questions. This is the who, what, why, where and how of a process. You would need to know who we are selling to. What are they buying? Why are they buying it? Where are they buying it and how are they buying?

These question will lead you to the first level of a process. For each of these questions to be fully answered you will have to drill down to successfully understand more of the process overall. For the sake of time I will only entertain one of these questions. Let me take the who are we selling to question.

We are selling widgets, yes those successful widgets and we find out that we are selling 85% to people in Success Ville, and 15% to Loser Town. What do these two groups have in common? They are all parents of 2 or more children that use widgets everyday. As you can see, we are now looking at these measures and the rest of the questions will naturally follow. What are we doing in Success Ville that we are not doing is Loser Town? We can continue on the what question by asking what outlets do they have in common, is there a difference in population and are ads targeting the right people in Loser Town, are we running similar ads?

Let us say we did our homework and found out that we only advertise in Loser Town once a week, yet in Success Ville we advertise 5 times a week. This would be an excellent way of figuring out what to do next to increase sales. Now we put into place more advertising at Loser town. Wait a minute do you believe that this is the end of it? This is exactly where people leave money on the table and simply forget about the entire process. What about Success Ville? Who created the winning ad? How did they create it? Could we use this elsewhere?

When you really do a full analysis of a result you will find yourself in all parts of an organization. Do these organizational areas have measure? Of course, the advertising department should be measured in many ways. What is there process? You need to go through it and develop measures that lead to the end product of that department.

This is organizational analysis as well. Let us say that this particular Ad was produced from the results of 5 surveyed groups. The department conducts 2 surveys a month. Do you wonder how you can improve the end result of your widget sales? How about increasing the number of surveys conducted? That would bring about more data and fresh information. It would not have a immediate effect on the dollar volume of sales but, the long term effect may rocket you sales statistics.

The process of measuring success in any endeavor begins with the ability to see all the flows of an organization. How they contribute to the overall results that one gets. Analyzing an organization from the top down will give you everything you need to know to supply you with information to not only double your output but exponentially increase your markets and sales.

Applications, like this is a great way to measure success. We know that the small things that we do in our businesses affect the larger results. You might be thinking, John your in the personal development business how is this relevant to personal development? Good question! Just as this is crucial for any business to be successful, it is the same tools for one to be successful in their own personal development.

I love to give examples. Let us say you want to increase your social activities. Start at what social activities are you currently engaged in? Let us say you go to seminars, you like the interaction. You have time during the week or weekends. How did you find out about the seminars that you do go to? What are their subjects? Are their any other similar subjects with events you like to attend? Is there something in the local papers of an up coming event that interest you? Where is it? Can I place it on my schedule?

Let us make it a goal to attend 2 seminars or social events per month. Start to look around and find events in your area or outside your area when your are free and book it. This is a process and the flow of it; look for an event, select the ones you want to attend, register for them, post them to your calendar, attend the event and check it off. You can measure your overall success with a graph of the goal "# of events successfully attended." You can set up a graph for every step of this process. This is how you can measure success in anything that you want in life.

This simple little example will open your eyes. You may find out there are more events in a neighboring town then your own. You may also find out that there are more events in the first part of the year than in the second. Another piece of information may be that there are more events to schedule for tele-seminars than there are for physical attendance. This is a wealth of information for you.

Yes, You Inc. can measure success. That measure takes into account not just the end result but starts from the very beginning of the process toward that result. You don't have to be a Harvard Graduate or MBA to analyze any business or individual result's, you simply must keep an open mind and understand the process. To your success!

The future of the world is left to highly educated people who alone can handle the scientific apparatus necessary for prominence in peace or survival in war.

Most people have the view that education stops when you graduate from High School, College or university. You are now qualified in your profession, you don't need to study anymore, right? Unless you are a doctor or computer expert who needs to keep up with changes in technology and research. That was the case in 20thcentury but the when world in slow motion or at war thee wasn't many options available to the masses just a privileged few. The society has always set its standards by which we all live. Those standards are resulted in luck of self believes and self worth. A person could not stand out of the crows what an earth would mates or family say?

From research papers on Alzheimer's disease we learn that people who continue their education and keep their minds sharp by learning, have less chance of suffering from Alzheimer's and related mental disorders. The illness which creates huge burden in families, community facilities and money it takes to mange the those suffering from not only Alzheimer's disease but many poor health that result or are created by just plain luck of inactivity.

Apart from using your mind to keep it sharp, there is also a second and more important reason to keep studying: Personal development. People, who keep reading books on subjects they are interested in or to learn new things, develop their personalities. The self development of knowledge, skills is an industry as you can put those skills into great use, by promoting learning in way of writing, articles, books, and promoting books, selling books. Which in turn creates spin of effect in manr other areas?

Also, the world keeps changing around us: When the baby boomers were young, we were taught by our parents to work hard at school, get good grades, go to college or university and get a qualification so you can get a good job with a good salary and pension plan so you can be secure.

Those who continue reading and learning know that it is no longer enough to get good grades and qualifications. Entire industries become obsolete overnight, for example the record industry. This industry required specialist training, and was obsolete overnight when CD's became available. An entire industry - all workers were made redundant. This is an important reason why we need to learn other ways of making an income. Ways of becoming self sufficient. Our jobs and income, our retirement, is no longer safe or secure. To this end we need to learn ways to create income so that we don't need to depend on a job.

Some adults go back to college, others learn by reading books or doing home study programs by listening to CD's or watching DVD's. Most adults learn from both books and home study courses. There is a lot of information online, and e-books and online audio and video programs are available too. Today the whole new industry has been created entirely based on personal development. In form of seminars, conferences, work shops, mentoring, coaching, books, CD's DVD's, live calls, on line universities, and list could go on and on. The other part of this new wonderful industry is affiliate marketing to sell those wonderful products.

In advents of modern technology such as internet and information technology, the opportunity to learn and be a champion has never been easier. The internet is such a wonderful toll you can find books information that will take your knowledge and your skills to new heights. Our parents, our grand parents and our great grand parents did not have the same opportunities and access to information as we do today.

Internet has created new industry point being that it created opportunities for people to learn new skills and at the same time promote for example a home study course which they can use to learn and sell or promote for residual income.

The embellishment of your financial situation, your mind and soul is entirely in your hands..........

Life is what you make of it!

By Vladimir Blagonic

The link below will leads you to many examples to find yourself a learning tool which you can promote.

Website http://www.abellchampion.com

Vladimir Blagonic was born in Croatia. He was one of six children, raised in a fairly large village. His family made a living on a small family farm of some 30 hectares, containing beautiful landscape. His education in Croatia consisted of three stages: first a small village School, then a larger school in town, and finally a Trade School. Upon arriving in Australia he continued education at TAFE completing his High school certificate.

The last chapter in his education is still continuing in the form of self-development: Now he attends seminars, listens to tapes and CD's, watches DVS, listens to many personal development calls, as well as receiving and giving coaching and mentoring.

From an early age life was challenging in an environment which hardly compares to being raised in the 21st century in Australia, USA, or the rest of the Western World. This challenge he met by dedicating his life to helping others: firstly his grandmother, growing produce on the beautiful and productive farm. Life was simple, and food was plentiful, even if simple in its preparation and presentation

I know for a fact that there are many readers of the Hot Metal ezine who are eager to learn how to get started in this fascinating metal craft. For those who don't know, the hot metal ezine is a free ezine published by: www.myhomefoundry.com. Readers need to absorb all they can about the craft before they become involved with metal casting.

To be successful, it is advantageous to possess basic workshop & metal fabrication skills. You will be building your own equipment and some of the many tools & skills required to fabricate this equipment will include: arc welding - lathe operation - thermal cutting, and the ability to use many other workshop power tools.

Without these skills, the establishment of your hobby foundry will not happen as quickly. But of course you can always use the skills of other people to get the things you need, but there is nothing quite like doing it yourself.

There are many ways you can get around the lack of workshop equipment & skills, one of the best is doing a joint project with a mate or buddy. By combining the different skill sets and talents of two people is one of the best ways to get something like a hobby foundry up and running.

A joint venture will enable you to share: - The skills & the project equipment & building fun-The experimentation-The total learning experience-The spoils of the metal castings when you have your foundry fully operational.

With two people to bounce ideas around, you will quickly find that things will start to happen. By going it alone, the learning will be long & at times quite frustrating because there is no one to turn to for help when you need to.

There is much to learn about metal casting, not to mention the trial and error period, but as they say, experience is a great teacher.

You wont ever learn all there is to know from a single course or book, but the ebooks available from our web site are designed and written to help people make the start, without the huge expense, you will learn how to be resourceful, and to call on many skills to build your own equipment and tools etc.

People who are unfamiliar with metal casting think it is an odd hobby, but they are also very interested to find out more about the hobby, others tend to think it's just to hot and dirty to get involved in, and that's fine... no one is going to force anyone to do anything they don't feel comfortable with.

But metal casting is not that difficult to do once you understand the basic methods & principles, then with a little practice, everything just seems to fall into place. Being able to cast metal opens up a whole new world for any one into restoring old engines, old cars & motorcycles, antique iron or old machines.

The ability to remake worn or broken parts will save a bucket of money, and will quite likely save a lot of time & money over the course of rebuilding & restoring a project. Hobby metal casting as an absorbing and personally rewarding metal craft hobby.

Metal is wonderful stuff isn't it, you can bend & twist it into all kinds of shapes, you can draw it with dies, cut, drill, and mill & turn it, weld it, and off course melt it and pour the molten metal into moulds of all kinds.

There are few other materials where you can do all of the above, and I've probably omitted some of the metal forming/shaping operations.

Have you had a life long passion with metal?

I know many people who have, generally the passion for metal can start from a very young age, especially if you once had a father or grandfather who introduced you to the blacksmith forge, this simple piece of equipment is always a total source of fascination, especially the way it could build so much heat using a simple fuel such as charcoal and air blast created with the hand operated bellows.

My guess is that many people must feel this way about metal, otherwise you wouldn't be doing what you're doing right now in your workshop. Just the other day I exchanged a few emails on an Australian based hobby foundry group: http://groups.google.com.au/group/The-hobby-foundry with a young fellow whose name is Ryan.

Ryan lives in Queensland Australia. He is only about 17 years old and still attending school, but has discovered metal casting. He creates some amazing ceremonial swords. It is great to see someone so young involved in a metal craft hobby such as metal casting, I'm sure Ryan wont ever have time to get bored with life while being involved with an interesting metal craft hobby.

Many other young fellows could take a leaf out of Ryan's book and get involved with practical hobbies like metal casting or some other form of metal craft. It is not hard to do once you have a little guidance and instruction and the hobby provides immense personal satisfaction and reward.

Boredom is a general malaise with so many young people these days, and there is really no need for it when there are so many great practical hobbies to do in your spare time. Too many people take the easy option to veg out in front of the T.V. idiot box.. what a terrible waste of time that is.

Ryan will never be bored, he just doesn't have time for boredom, he is such an adventurous, energetic young fellow. It reminds me of my young days when I would wander down to the old farm blacksmith on a wet miserable winters day to light the old forge then heat up a few bits of metal and just generally tinker around, that's where my passion for metal started, it has never really stopped. I hope you don't let your passion for metal ever wane.

The word boredom just doesn't exist in the metal workers vocabulary. Honest.

Pottery is the oldest art of making clay utensils. It is basically clay (cement-like earth) which is modeled, dried and then fired into a vessel. Pottery may then be decorated with paint and glaze applied to it. There are certain materials used in making pottery. Clay is one of the most important materials used in making pottery and the clay used must be soft and malleable. Again clay is formed when rock decomposes into flat plates and water is trapped between these microscopic plates. Clay consists of 40% aluminum oxide, 14% water and 46% silicon oxide.

There are different types of clay and they can be grouped as primary clay and secondary clay. Primary clay is not mixed with other forms of sediment and it is not transported by water or glacier. Potter's clay is the most commonly used clay in creation of potteries. The secondary clay is mixed up with sediments and is lighter and finer than the previous one. Clay is sometimes given additives.

In the early stages of history, the main machine in making pottery was a potter's wheel. A potter's wheel was a wheel with a connecting wire which was tied to a pedal. The wheel spun as soon as the pedal was pushed and the potter shaped the pot with his hand when the clay was put in the center of the wheel. Clay was the main ingredient. It was made from mud or other kinds of dirt. The design was made using rocks, knives and twigs. Then the clay is placed in a kiln which is a type of oven used for heating the clay until it becomes solid. Glaze and/or paint adds a finishing touch to the pot.

However it must always be kept in mind that pottery is rarely made from raw clay. Clay is almost always mixed with other materials.

A variety of materials are used today in making pottery .The two most widely used materials in pottery are-

1. Ceramics

2. Porcelain.

Porcelain clay is made from white stone by crushing it and it is purified with water by mixing it until it becomes smooth and soft. This porcelain clay is also known as china clay or terracotta. There are different natural raw materials used in making traditional ceramics. The chemical used in the composition should be carefully measured so that no defects occur. The main motive of the chemical is to remove impurities or contamination. There are basically six types of ceramic raw materials - silica sand, clay, feldspar, calcium and magnesium carbonates, sodium and calcium borates and zirconium silicate. In a sample of ceramics the chemical cauterization is done by X-ray fluorescence, potentiometer, coulometer and atomic absorption spectrometry. There are again different ceramics with their own unique compositions used for making electrical goods as well.

These are some of the materials used in making pottery and ceramics. Today lots of research is being carried out for development in the field of pottery making and ceramics. This research aims at making better quality pottery by including different chemical substances and other enhancements.

In making porcelain, ceramic material is treated and heated and clay is included in the form of kaolinite. The temperature is between 200C to 1400C. The porcelain material is blazed at high temperature, so it is very tough, translucent, and high in strength. It is white polished cowry and its name is derived from the old Italian word porcella. Porcelain has the properties of low permeability and flexibility, high strength, solidity, glassiness, permanence, whiteness, fineness, significance, fragility, high resistance to chemical attack and thermal shock.

Tables, kitchen ware, sanitary items, fine art, tiles and decorative things are the items made from porcelain. It has a high resistance to the flow of current and therefore porcelain is a good insulating material. Dentists use porcelain in making false teeth, crowns, caps etc.

One material used in making porcelain ware is clay, but actually clay is used only in small proportions to the whole. The main materials used in preparing porcelain are highly variable, but china clay consisting of the mineral Kaolinite is often the most important ingredient. Other materials added with china clay for producing porcelain clay are steatite, glass, steatite, bone ash, quartz, petuntse, alabaster and ball clay.

According to the degree of plasticity the clays are described as long or short. Long clays are of higher plasticity and are sticky. Short clays are of lower plasticity and thus are not cohesive. Porcelain clays have lower plasticity compared to other clays which are being used in making pottery.

The method used for forming, decorating, finishing, glazing and firing ceramic wares is given below-

Forming: The porcelain pottery is formed by pulling clay upward and downward into the desired shape. It can also be formed on a wheel. The throwing of clay seems to be very easy when it is done by an expert potter. Mishandling of the workpiece can destroy the shape of the item.

Glazing: It has been considered that the initial glazes are unintended, and these are due to the existence in the furnace of lime-rich firewood ash, which proceeds to the exterior as a flux. The iron-containing glazes were designed especially for their prominent sound effects on porcelain.

Decoration: The porcelain wares are decorated with the help of cobalt and copper. In modern wares these are chowder-fired at 1000 Celsius, and then they are sent to glazed-firing at a temperature 1300 Celsius. In Chinese and European method both the process are done in single operation.

Firing: it is the process of heating unfired ceramics at high-temperatures in a furnace to prepare their final shapes. Compared to earthen ware or stone ware porcelain is always fired at a higher temperature to vitrify the clay and make it non porous.

There are basically three categories of western porcelain: hard-paste, soft-paste and bone-china. The divisions are made on the basis of the composition of the material (known as paste) used to form the body of porcelain.

Most metal craft people, i.e. hobbyists, overlook a potential gold mine sitting right in front of them in their own workshop. Have you ever thought of supplementing your income by doing outside jobs repairing metal utensils and articles.

Many of your friends most likely have metal items in desperate need of repair, these articles generally lay idle and not used because most people do not know where to take things made from metal for repair work.

You could start out by doing work on speculation; you might need to do some footwork in developing your "expert" reputation; but a few "freebees" done here and there for the right kind of people will quickly get the word around about your "expert" metal craft skills.

Think about how you could apply the same techniques used to create your own metalware, to set up and repair the metalware that someone else has made. In doing so you could provide a valuable service to your community, and generate a significant income at the same time.

You could even develop the enterprise to a point where full-time metal craft services could be provided, if you are good at your work it won't take long to develop a solid reputation in metalware repair work, as word spreads, people will start to seek out your services.

It would not really matter if you were located in a hard-to-find, out of the way place, word-of-mouth advertising generally will be enough to give you more work than you can handle. You could even build a small web site with examples of your repair work displayed.

Anything made from metal will eventually need care and attention. Metal gets dented, crinkled and cracked. It gets torn, broken and tarnished.

All of those problems, and more need the attention of a skilled metal worker. Many valuable metal work pieces are simply scrapped; because of the lack of people with the skills to effect repairs.

Could you become the local metal repaired expert?

If you work with metal, chances are you already have most of the skills and tools to provide this service, you will be helping to preserve the products of fellow metal workers and make good money doing it.

Your foundry skills and general metal work skills should provide you with the confidence to explore this avenue of being rewarded financially for your skills & efforts.

There is an acute shortage of all kinds of trade's people these days, and this is happening all over the western world... the day may not be too far distant where skilled trades people will have far higher incomes than many so called "elite professions", in fact this is already the case in some countries.

Have you ever watched a metal craftsman in action such as a Blacksmith at a country fair... most people watch in awe as the Blacksmith carefully heats a piece of iron in a charcoal forge before placing it on the anvil and then proceed to hammer it into all kinds of unique shapes, it all looks pretty simple doesn't it...and the Blacksmith would probably tell you that it's not that difficult to hammer & shape things from red hot metal simply because it is quite fluid.

He's right you know, generally all it takes to work with metal is a small amount of knowledge & instruction, and some solid practice, and before too long even a novice will be producing good quality metal craft items.

But there is a lot more to metal craft than just blacksmith work.

While you can't deny that blacksmithing is a lot of fun, and a skilful worker can make many practical and ornamental items. With a little practice you could also produce beautiful iron work, simply by using basic skills & equipment.

In the early days the blacksmith was one of the most sought after "skilled" workers in the village.

But you know, you can take the art of blacksmithing another step. You could use the forge to melt metals.

What if you created a small charcoal fired furnace using your existing forge, it wouldn't take much work to build up a simple circle of bricks on the forge hearth to form a deep bed of charcoal so that you could produce a bed of red-hot glowing coals which will produce a large amount of heat. Enough to heat and melt aluminium... maybe even bronze.

Of course a crucible is required to place the scrap metal or ingots in for melting purposes,and the crucible needs to be buried in the bed of coals so the heat of the charcoal will do its work for you.

All you need to do now is to apply a gentle blast of air from the forge bellows to begin building the heat in the charcoal, and the crucible with the scrap aluminium, or home made ingots will quickly melt in the crucible.

Most hobby workers use a small electric motor attached to a blower to produce the correct amount of air blast, but for the moment, the manual operation of the forge bellows will suffice.

High quality hardwood grade charcoal will produce a high amount of heat, in fact you'll notice with the added heat the alloy ingots will soon start to melt, and once that happens the pool of metal in the bottom of the crucible rapidly promotes the total melt.

Once the metal has all melted, it is ready to pour into a sand mould. The idea is to prepare your sand moulds well before the metal has melted, so that everything is set up and ready to go. Once the methods & techniques are learnt, the whole process is quite easy and straight forward.

Any practical minded person could do it.

For the home engineer, inventor & project builder, hobby metal casting could be just the thing, if you want to create your own special castings at almost zero cost, i.e. once your mini foundry is established.

If you take your time to build all of your equipment properly, it should last you for many years.

To find out more about hobby metal casting and how you can employ the methods & techniques to build & create your unique projects, visit our web site to download a free ebook to begin your understanding of this intriguing metal craft.

Making shaker cards is a great way to make a card that is different to a standard card. This is something that can be done by yourself or a really fun way to get your children involved in crafting.

Step 1 - When making shaker cards begin by folding a piece of card. Here I have used an A4 Piece of card and folded it half.

Step 2 - Open your card so you are looking at the inside and draw the shape you wish to cut out for the 'shaker' section. You can use stencils or draw free hand.

Step 3 - Using a craft knife or a shape cutter cut your shape out.

Step 4 - Turn your card over and decorate.

Step 5 - Once decorated, open up the card again. Place double sided tape around the cut out shape and attach some acetate to cover the hole.

Step 6 - Once the acetate is in place turn the card back over to the front and place peel offs or ribbon around the cut out shape to frame it. At this point you may want to add any extra embellishments such as ' happy birthday' etc.

Step 7 - Open the card again and place 3D foam all around the acetate. Try to place it as close to the edge as possible as this will mean you can use fewer beads in your 'shakers'.

Step 8 - Choose a piece of paper to use for the background of your window.

Step 9 - Place double sided tape around the edges of the inside of the card

Step 10 - Remove the backing from the double sided tape and 3d foam and carefully pour in your beads. You could also use small confetti, or punched out paper shapes.

Step 11 - Carefully place your chosen paper over the top, taking care to press down around the window and the edges of the card. Once secure trim the paper down to fit the size of your card.

Step 12 - Your finished 'shaker card'

When making shaker cards you do not have to use beads, you can also use confetti, sand or anything that is small and fine. Making shaker cards is a really fun way to show off your craft talents.

Making shaker cards is a great way to make a card that is different to a standard card. This is something that can be done by yourself or a really fun way to get your children involved in crafting.

Step 1 - When making shaker cards begin by folding a piece of card. Here I have used an A4 Piece of card and folded it half.

Step 2 - Open your card so you are looking at the inside and draw the shape you wish to cut out for the 'shaker' section. You can use stencils or draw free hand.

Step 3 - Using a craft knife or a shape cutter cut your shape out.

Step 4 - Turn your card over and decorate.

Step 5 - Once decorated, open up the card again. Place double sided tape around the cut out shape and attach some acetate to cover the hole.

Step 6 - Once the acetate is in place turn the card back over to the front and place peel offs or ribbon around the cut out shape to frame it. At this point you may want to add any extra embellishments such as ' happy birthday' etc.

Step 7 - Open the card again and place 3D foam all around the acetate. Try to place it as close to the edge as possible as this will mean you can use fewer beads in your 'shakers'.

Step 8 - Choose a piece of paper to use for the background of your window.

Step 9 - Place double sided tape around the edges of the inside of the card

Step 10 - Remove the backing from the double sided tape and 3d foam and carefully pour in your beads. You could also use small confetti, or punched out paper shapes.

Step 11 - Carefully place your chosen paper over the top, taking care to press down around the window and the edges of the card. Once secure trim the paper down to fit the size of your card.

Step 12 - Your finished 'shaker card'

When making shaker cards you do not have to use beads, you can also use confetti, sand or anything that is small and fine. Making shaker cards is a really fun way to show off your craft talents.

The great period for doll making was from 1840 through 1830. In this era doll makers took great pride in their work and turned out dolls of great fine tuned detail, from the hand painted eyes in the smooth porcelain heads to the steel riveted leather or cloth bodies and porcelain limbs. The clothing on these antique dolls were hand made by accomplished seamstresses who took the same pride in their work as the doll makers did.

Today we can see this pride reflected in the dolls that have survived the past hundred or more years and they are truly a joy to look at. The fine porcelain heads with human hair set in the pates with the fine detailed faces reflect the countenance of the time period in which they were made. The wonder and innocence that seems to emulate from those faces can bring us back in time in our imaginations.

The wonderfully refined and cultured dress of the antique dolls that were made to represent the women of the time are exquisite. From the long underclothing to the many layers above, finished off with the high topped shoes and the sun shading hat.

Armand Marseille, Heinrich Handwerck, Ernst Heubach, JD Kestner, Ernst Kammer, Franz Reinhardt, Pierre Jumeau and Leon Casimir Bru were each in the top of the top doll makers in the time period in which they lived and worked their doll magic. Today any of their dolls are the ones collectors keep an eye open for. Marceille, Handwerck, Heubach, Kestner, Kammer and Reinhardt were all of German descent, Jumeau and Bru of French descent.

When collecting antique dolls, everyone wishes for the best, of course, a doll with no cracks or crazing, which is a "weathering" of the doll shown by lines on the surface, and certainly no missing limbs. However, even those dolls are worthy of having in your collection. They show a loved and well played with history and are valuable just as they are, not all cleaned up and repainted and redressed and given new wigs. More often than not , a " redoing " will diminish the value of a collectible doll.

If you are a doll lover of any kind, beware. Once you begin to really look at these old antique dolls, you will be smitten. They are hard to resist, but.. know that any one of them that makes its way into your home and your heart will never let you down. Their value can only go up as time goes by... and there will always be doll lovers around.

It's always fun to have a hobby in life.

Hobbies can help keep the creative juices flowing for all ages. As you become more proficient in your hobby, there is always the possibility of making a little money too. And what better way to make a few extra bucks than doing something that you absolutely love?

Finding a hobby is not hard. You can always peruse a local bookstore or the Internet to find an area that interests you. Or just make a hobby out of something you have a talent in and enjoy doing. The world of hobbies is an endless array of possibilities just waiting to be explored by you.

One of the most popular hobbies that have stood the test of time has been constructing dollhouses. The dollhouse has been a staple in the lives of children all over the world, and it has emerged from its humble beginnings to be considered a work of art. If you enjoy building and constructing things, dollhouses could be the one for you.

But where do you start?

The answer is easy. For first-time builders, it is best to begin with a dollhouse kit. These can be found at any arts and crafts store and offer a wide array of choices. Dollhouses can be made to resemble period homes, such as Victorian-style buildings, or even your own home. Dollhouses can also be more than just a typical "house." You can make yours into a post office, a hotel, a restaurant, pub and even a hospital.

Once you decide upon a kit, the next thing you need to do is figure out what you want to add to the dollhouse to make it unique. Some builders like to keep things simple, using wood or left-over pieces of material from housing projects. Other individuals like to make their homes elaborate and will use high-end materials like slate or brick. The choice is up to you.

Once the structure is constructed, the real fun can begin. You will need to pick out paint colors, wallpaper prints, and flooring. You will also need furniture to fill out your dollhouse, and depending on the type of detail you want, some dollhouses are outfitted with electricity. This is the point when your hobby acquires your special "signature," making the dollhouse unique and beautiful.

Once the dollhouse is constructed and all the work is completed, you have several options available. You can keep the house for any children you have or you can just display it in your home for others to enjoy. Lots of individuals take pleasure in looking at tiny replicas. You can decide to sell your work of art and make a return on what you invested in it. Or you can donate the house to local charity auctions.

So the next time you are trying to figure what you want to do with your spare time, give the idea of making dollhouses a whirl. You may end up finding a passion you never knew existed!

I know for a fact that there are many readers of the Hot Metal ezine who are eager to learn how to get started in this fascinating metal craft. For those who don't know, the hot metal ezine is a free ezine published by: www.myhomefoundry.com. Readers need to absorb all they can about the craft before they become involved with metal casting.

To be successful, it is advantageous to possess basic workshop & metal fabrication skills. You will be building your own equipment and some of the many tools & skills required to fabricate this equipment will include: arc welding - lathe operation - thermal cutting, and the ability to use many other workshop power tools.

Without these skills, the establishment of your hobby foundry will not happen as quickly. But of course you can always use the skills of other people to get the things you need, but there is nothing quite like doing it yourself.

There are many ways you can get around the lack of workshop equipment & skills, one of the best is doing a joint project with a mate or buddy. By combining the different skill sets and talents of two people is one of the best ways to get something like a hobby foundry up and running.

A joint venture will enable you to share: - The skills & the project equipment & building fun-The experimentation-The total learning experience-The spoils of the metal castings when you have your foundry fully operational.

With two people to bounce ideas around, you will quickly find that things will start to happen. By going it alone, the learning will be long & at times quite frustrating because there is no one to turn to for help when you need to.

There is much to learn about metal casting, not to mention the trial and error period, but as they say, experience is a great teacher.

You wont ever learn all there is to know from a single course or book, but the ebooks available from our web site are designed and written to help people make the start, without the huge expense, you will learn how to be resourceful, and to call on many skills to build your own equipment and tools etc.

People who are unfamiliar with metal casting think it is an odd hobby, but they are also very interested to find out more about the hobby, others tend to think it's just to hot and dirty to get involved in, and that's fine... no one is going to force anyone to do anything they don't feel comfortable with.

But metal casting is not that difficult to do once you understand the basic methods & principles, then with a little practice, everything just seems to fall into place. Being able to cast metal opens up a whole new world for any one into restoring old engines, old cars & motorcycles, antique iron or old machines.

The ability to remake worn or broken parts will save a bucket of money, and will quite likely save a lot of time & money over the course of rebuilding & restoring a project. Hobby metal casting as an absorbing and personally rewarding metal craft hobby.

For many Americans, their favorite hobby is watching television. This may not sound like a hobby to some people, but it is. The definition of a hobby is to do some leisure or recreational activity outside of one’s career. Watching television is probably the most common hobby there is. With the amount of hours that people spend watching television each day, and it is climbing, television watching easily becomes one of the most popular activities for among Americans. I would not say that it is a constructive one, but it is a popular one. What else do people spend their time doing more? They work for eight hours a day, and then the average person watches TV for five to eight hours a day. Nobody spends that much time doing one other particular activity.

The lesson we learn from this is that not all hobbies are created equal. Some hobbies can be more constructive and enhance your lifestyle or quality of life more than others. There are an infinite number of things that you could do, which would be more constructive than watching television. Read a book, go out and do something with some friends, go do some sort of physical exercise. Find a hobby at the nearest hobby shop, that is constructive, that helps you in some way and improves your life in some way. Find something that gives you a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, something that can give you the sense of feeling like you have accomplished something.

Most people I have talked to, who watch an enormous amount of television, admit themselves that television is boring and a waste of time. So why do they spend so much time doing it? Some people, I think, are just unaware of how much time they are actually spending. If you sit down and show them how much of their life is being spend in front of the TV, they would be surprised. Others watch television for lack of something better to do. They cannot think of things to do, or do not want to take the effort to think of better things to do. The TV has already warped their minds of creativity. They have become slaves to it, unable to act any longer on their own or think of their own things to do. Others might watch it from laziness. They just want to sit around, so why not turn on the TV while they are just sitting there. Others might watch just for a break from anything. It is kind of nice sometimes to relax your brain after using it at work or school all day. Watching TV is very relaxing to the brain. You do not even have to think; you can just sit there and stare blankly at the screen. It is great! Well, these are just things I have thought of for people spending so much time watching TV. There are probably numerous other excuses, but none of them justify the time and talent wasted on such an endeavor, talents that could be developed in other areas.

One of my favorite quotes is “money is only as good as the good that you can do with it.” I think we could say the same thing about our time. “Time is only as good as the good that we can do with,” so lets make our time useful and do something good, something constructive. Plan out your days and your weeks; plan good uplifting activities; plan something that will help you and others. TV is often just a fallback for people who do not plan other, more constructive things.

Reading is one of the most constructive hobbies a person can have. The difference between ignorance and knowledge is only a book away. Reading stimulates your mind. It makes you think. You can learn to do many other hobbies by reading. It will generate in you new ideas and a more sound of understanding of the world and those around you. All great men and women have had a love of reading and a passion for learning.

Reading can be a relaxing hobby as well. It is something you can just sit around in your house and do. You can go to the park and read. You can go up into the mountains or out in field to read alone if you would like. You can get completely lost in reading and forget where you are or what time it is, or how much time has passed while you have been reading. If you do not like reading, do it anyway, until you learn to love it. Read different types of books to see which genre of books are most interesting to you.

Reading can fit all personality types, whether you like fiction or non-fiction, action, adventure, drama, humor, whatever it may be, there are books that will fit your tastes. I try to read books as often as I can. I have a personal website now, where I created a book club and can make comments or reviews of the books I read. I think I enjoy every book that I read. Every single one has something to offer, something to learn from it.

The more you put into a book, the more you get out of it. You can read a very boring book, but if you read between the lines you can find surprising things that interest you. Think of the deeper meanings of the stories and the lessons the authors are trying to teach, whether you agree with them or not. If you do not agree with them, think to yourself why. Look at the stories of the lives of the people in the books and what you can learn from them; analyze and critique them. I enjoy reading nonfiction books, but I can enjoy any book that is well written and has deep and insightful truths.

Books can make you see the world differently; they can make you understand things more fully and wholly. They can change your paradigm. They will increase your vocabulary, your understanding of life and people, and with this understanding, you will gain more confidence in your social interactions. You will be able to argue your opinions more thoroughly and logically. You will understand the current issues to a greater extent. When you learn to understand others better, you can become more tolerant and respectful of differing opinions. Your opinions will become more logical and solidified; they may change and be molded as they are solidifying from your increase in knowledge.

It does not matter what your interests and hobbies are, reading is a good way to start. Reading will enhance your quality of life in every area and facet of your life. Escape the world and get into a book. Live the lives of thousands of others in the books you read. Share their adventures. Learn what they have learned. Find out answers to life’s most deep and troubling questions. In books you may find things you were never looking for. You may find yourself. You may find that you have much in common with the characters you are reading about. They can inspire you to overcome obstacles and challenges as they have done. They can assure you that if you fight on you can overcome seemingly impossible challenges. So start your hobby today of reading, or start your hobby by reading. Find hobbies and books at your nearest hobby shop or library.

For many generations quilts have kept us warm and in more recent times, quilting has become a very popular hobby and craft. Quilts have been made from many different fabrics, but have you considered making a quilt from neckties? Read on for the top 4 reasons you have to make one!

1. Eye-catching

Remember the last time you walked past a rack of neckties at a store? You just had to stop to look at all the different colors and patterns displayed together. Imagine creating a beautiful necktie quilt that is truly a unique and eye-catching work of art!

2. Fun

Besides the quilting itself, half of the fun is collecting the ties themselves! Raid your husband's closet, visit thrift stores, friends, family, garage sales, and consignment shops. Be careful about asking for donations from family and friends that live nearby. You may end up with lots of ties dropped off over several weeks and end up with enough ties for a big fat wedding!

3. Exercise your creativity

Since men's neckties offer less material to work with, you may have to get a little creative in the type of pattern you use. Many have found success using a Dresden plate pattern, or sewing ties onto a regular block pattern. Others have created a sun-like pattern with the neckties reaching out like rays! Playing with all the color schemes may at first seem daunting, but after a few minutes, you will find it most rewarding as you discover colors and patterns that seem to work well together.

4. Memorable

Choosing to work with neckties from a spouse, a close friend, or someone who has passed away can help you create a more personal quilt with much more meaning. Like photographs, each tie remnant could tell stories of where they were worn, special events they attended, or even what they might have carried home from a restaurant or two. For someone who has passed away, this type of quilt can serve as a remembrance and cherished for many years to come.

I was involved in a devastating car accident that left me bed ridden with nothing to do for months. Realizing that I was never going to be able to do the physical labor that I once did, I realized that I needed to use my mind instead of my muscles and learning how to make paper flowers was of great benefit to me. The benefits of making them was extremely therapeutic and is a passion that has remained with me until this day.

Making origami flowers, for example, can be an inexpensive hobby and extremely rewarding. Even if you don't have a lot of money, making them can still be done by just using common everyday items found in the kitchen cabinets. A person needs to use their imagination in creating some of these marvelous pieces of art. This is a fun activity for the whole family to do together and show their unique individuality. Different shapes, sizes, and colors can be used in making them and it is a creative way to express yourself.

Besides the obvious personal satisfaction, is knowing how to make paper flowers also a convenient skill to have?

Just imagine that you're having people over your house for a family members birthday party, or a holiday party and you forgot to buy flowers and you may be unable to get any either because the nearest florist is too far or you don't have access to the family car. If you know how to make paper flowers, and if you have a helping hand from someone else if time is limited, you can relatively quickly and easily make your own, which can often be more alluring than the real thing.

While that scenario may seem somewhat silly, what's funnier is that this actually happened to me once and that is what I did for my mother's birthday. Since I am unable to drive a car my newfound hobby came in very conveniently.

Young children love making paper flowers because it challenges their minds and their abilities to follow directions. There is no boundary to what a young child can think or imagine and making them is fun for them, educational, and extremely challenging. As for adults, it is really relaxing and very therapeutic and is even used in most nursing homes and hospice housing for the elderly. It is used as a recreational activity and therapy for wrist and finger ailments.

A person can stand back and look at their creation and have a great feeling of accomplishment in knowing that they created something beautiful. They add charm and color to any dull room in the house, or as a centerpiece on the dining room table. It can also be a topic of conversation at any party or gathering.

Creating artificial flowers is an old and fascinating hobby. Our great grandmothers and their mothers made them from scraps of cloth and other materials. It took the invention of colored cardboard or crepe paper to turn flower making into the inexpensive hobby it is today.

Paper flowers can be so real looking with all the spectacular colors that we take a second look at them to decipher it they are real or not and leave us in awe of their beauty and craftsmanship.

Children really enjoy the holiday season and they love to be creative. You can get the whole family involved in making various types of Christmas crafts. The time you spend together making them will offer a quality time for you all to bond. Children will also take plenty of pride in the Christmas crafts they have completed to decorate the home and to share with others.

You can find a variety of different items to make Christmas crafts at your local hobby store. If you have particular Christmas crafts in mind to complete you will have a list of the supplies you need to purchase. However, children are very creative so you may want to just purchase some basic supplies including glue, colored paper, and scissors. You will be amazed that the wonderful Christmas crafts they are able to design with these common items.

It can be fun to allow the children to go shopping with you for the supplies to make Christmas crafts. They may want to get some ribbon, glitter, stickers, and markers to make the Christmas crafts. Some of the items they will select may be messy to work with so make sure you take that into consideration.

Find a central location at home where the children can work on their Christmas crafts. You will want to provide a large table so they have plenty of room to work. In order to protect your tables and the floors though you should spread out an old tablecloth or even some old newspapers on them. This will also help you to clean up the work area quickly after they have completed their Christmas crafts.

Common Christmas Crafts for Children to Make

Children of all ages will enjoy making Christmas crafts and there are some really basic ones that you can help them with. Paper snowflakes are very fun to make and each one will be different from the next. You can hang them from the ceiling with a light colored thread or tape them to the inside of the window in the front of your home.

Snowmen are a popular type of Christmas craft as well. All you will need to complete this project is construction paper, glue, and cotton balls. A black marker can be used to make a face on the snowman or small pieces of construction paper can be used to complete it.

The internet is a great place to find various types of Christmas crafts for children to engage in. Make sure you attempt to find Christmas crafts that are a good fit for the age and the skills of the children that will be making them. You don't want them to be bored or overwhelmed when they are making Christmas crafts.

Home made Christmas Crafts are great Christmas gift ideas for your loved ones. They will really appreciate the time and effort one has gone into creating something especially for them.

When you look at the vast array and unusual types of clock which are manufactured its somewhat surprising that you will find that digital clocks are hard favorites for many people. These clock styles now come with a variety of options that today's techno fan will feel is necessary for day to day living. One slightly different type of alarm clock that you can purchase these days is that of an alarm clock and mp3 player. This is Basically an alarm clock clock and an mp3 player which works together.

The numerous other types of digital alarm clock are widely available however you will not find these with an mp3 player everywhere. So for this reason when you are looking into the idea of purchasing one of these clocks you may want to see what the Net has in the way of recommendations. The user and purchaser reviews that you can find are a good way of weeding out alarm clock mp3 players which you may find difficult to obtain or ones that have tons of problems to them.

These details are significant as without them you may end up acquiring a make or model on the back of being sucked into media and publicity ballyhoo which leaves out the true value of such a clock. When you are look for this[info you may want to see the choice of stores or online retailers where you can buy these clocks. The other significant information that you should look into is that of the price.

You will find that some of the more well known brands will be developed around certain items that customers look for. These may be the number of songs which can be stored in the memory of the player. The types of player styles that you can opt for while you have the alarm clock clock in mp3 mode may be another way that people look at choosing one of these clocks.

Once you have found out all of these details you to check out finding a shop near you to purchase your chosen model of an alarm clock clock in mp3 player. Certainly depending on the time of year, its probably worth checking stock availability before travelling far to purchase as some may be in high demand. due to the popularity of the product, especially if its been extensively advertised.

Normally its always worthwhile to consider a second option, just in case your desired first choice is tricky to find, out of stock or just not all its cracked up to be The other bonus to planning out your purchase and doing some research is you end up with the right type of alarm clock with mp3 player for your needs and hopefully at an acceptable price.

There are as we know many types of alarm clocks which can be use these days.. These different types will allow you the chance of choosing the style of [alert] you wish your clock to deliver and which best suits your life. Of the many types that you will find one is a computer alarm clock.

When you are looking for the various styles of computer alarm clocks you will see that some are free and others you will need to pay for. While you may have some confusion at first in choosing one of these computer alarm clocks you will soon see the advantages and benefits which are available with this choice.

The best way to go about finding and checking out this type of alarm clock is to see the many online sites which sell therm and allows you to download these products very easily.. In addition its always useful to find as much information about the proposed product you're contemplating purchasing and the Internet is great for this purpose. You should make sure that you look at the other features which are available with these clocks. Whilst considering the cost that you might need to pay .

This simple and so very loud alarm from computer alarm clocks can be heard even when you are in the depths of a deep sleep. This clock has an advantage of being extremely loud and featuring most of the new technology that's available today as well.

After you have looked at several makes and types of computer alarm clocks you will have a better idea of what is being offered in the market. This will allow you the opportunity to see the different brands which are available for all customers like yourself. Its worth reminding you that when you look at these products make sure that you read the installation info which is provided. After all there's nothing worse than getting a purchase home & then finding it very difficult to install.

This info will deal with the functionality and any problem solving techniques that you may need while you are utilising these alarm clock clocks. If the information and instructions appear straight forward then its fair to say you have chosen a good product that you can easily and efficiently use at all hours of the day and night.

With the vast selection of computer alarm clocks that you can get it is always best if you take the time to opt for one that will provide you with the superior service that you want. The only really important factor to keep in mind is when you are choosing one of these computer alarm clocks is that of the ease of being able to set the time and the alarm. You will also find that you have elected for a clock which you can remove at anytime. You can instal a new version whenever you want. This is one of the best aspects of having this up to the minute kind of technology at your fingertips.

HOBBY CRAFTS
Besides the numerous professional products, Punto Accessori also makes it possible for haberdasher's and crafts lovers to create jewelry on their own. In fact, more than 700 items are available in convenient pouches bearing our logo and containing small amounts. Give free reign to your imagination and make your own personal jewelry accessory. You can choose only the best components and metal findings for jewelry or show off your own ethnic jewelry creations which are all the rage. The materials that can be used range from the classic metal components for jewelry to glass, from shell to wood, from semi-precious stones to bone.

You can decide whether to make classic bead jewelry or create jewelry like none that has ever been seen before, perhaps in mother-of-pearl. On the site you will find everything you need, you only add your imagination. Moreover, if you get your friends involved, you could place orders for amounts that let you make the most of the advantages Punto Accessori offers: check out the table of discounts!!

For those who wish to set up a special area for these products in their haberdashery shop, contact us for vertical display cases for the pouches or table stands for the spools of chain. So what are you waiting for? Creating your own jewelry accessories has never been this easy.

GLUES
In any production sector, having the right tools is essential to achieving the best results. Punto Accessori has selected the best glues, produced by the best manufacturers, to offer you only the best. For gluing any type of fabric we recommend Bison Textile; for gluing anything else, whether it be accessories for leather goods, shoes or anything else, you can count on Uhu Plus.

SETTINGS
A fundamental metal finding for jewelry, the setting is the base used to work up the accessory. They come in brass and zamak, with or without prongs, and range from the classical to the most extravagant shapes. They are extremely useful in producing accessories for shoes, leather goods or clothing. Settings are a key element for jewelry making.

CHAINS
The jewelry-making chain is a balance between esthetic beauty, processing technique and production quality. The broad sector for such items ranges from the smallest chains, wires and links to mesh sheets, from brass to steel or aluminum, with beads or with strass. They come in so many shapes that some chains, fit with a normal necklace clasp, can easily become a simple, trendy belt or a complete jewelry accessory.

METAL FINDINGS
One of the largest sections on the entire site, metal findings for jewelry-making are fundamental components for creating jewelry and much more. The numerous sections range from the lynchpins of the trade such as earring wires and backings, necklace clasps and end pieces, brooches, key chains, rods, wires and filigree; in other words the building blocks of jewelry-making materials. If you want to create any accessory for shoes, clothing or leather goods in general, this is your starting point.

PARTS IN PLASTIC AND ABS
This section presents the classical items such as plastic beads, the pioneer of the first bead jewelry, or cameos and plastic cabochons, and other more complex parts that take on a new role in compositions using glass beads or sequins. ABS is a separate chapter. This material is quite in vogue today since it maintains its shape and offers the benefits of plastic but, like metals, it can be given a galvanized color effect.

LACQUERED PARTS
Highly unusual parts, ideal for ethnic jewelry, the Chinese lacquers can be divided into 2 basic categories. The black lacquers set particular ornamental decorations on a dark glossy, refined background; the red lacquers are used in relief, again set on a dark background to create contrasting parts that are of undisputed effect.

RESINS
This section is dedicated to items made completely of resins or which are simply resin-coated. They offer an alternative idea for jewelry accessories that are different from the usual. Creating is easy: all you need is jewelry wire, some resin item, a necklace clasp and voilà.

NATURAL MATERIALS
More than 1100 items of natural origin such as: bone, horn, wood, semi-precious stones, semi natural elements, bark, trimmings and glass. From the materials to the widest range of shapes, a splendid variety to wear nature and create ethnic or semi-precious stone jewelry and have a custom-designed jewelry accessory.

SHELLS
A category specially dedicated to the world of shells. The numerous items start with the simple shapes found in nature and move on to the most complex, sophisticated applications. We propose shells, set on jewelry wire, as natural trim for particular applications such as furniture. Simple items made of other materials are skillfully covered with shell work to become precious parts for jewelry accessories or leather goods and clothing.

Murrina glass:
This is the largest section of the entire site, offering 3000 different items of murrina glass, all of our manufacture. Creating glass jewelry has never been easier. The items range from solid color to the "millefiori" murrina glass, always created on a copper base, and on to the classical transparent, baseless glass "mini-bricks" that impart significant light-color effects.

GLASS
A wide range of parts for creating glass jewelry that ranges from classic beads, whether smooth or cut glass, to multicolor compositions, pendants and sequins. Ideal for decorating and enhancing clothing or leather goods or for creating true and proper jewelry accessories.

HANDBAGS ACCESSORIES
A selection of exclusive items for handbags including, handles, mirrors or metal terminal pieces. The category, destined not only for leather goods suppliers but also others, offers handles in wood, bamboo, bone, covered with shell or enameled, to give the accessory a final design effect or a discrete touch of class.

SEMI-WORKED PARTS
This category covers items that have already been worked and which can be used 'as is' or as components for more complex jewelry accessories. The section with enamels and strass is quite sophisticated, turning common jewelry materials into truly original accessories.

'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'

- James Howell, Proverbs 1659

As you can see from the date of the much used and fondly quoted proverb the idea of getting some kind of harmony in a persons' life has always been a topical issue. Simply put, hobbies give people the chance to play and with this the chance to reduce stress levels. In this article I will discuss some of the way hobbies can improve your life and reduce stress. I will end by mentioning some of the common hobbies that people do that can help to relieve stress.

Firstly a hobby is a break from reality. A hobby provides the person with a chance to focus on building a model airplane, for example, and put all the everyday worries like paying bills, beating the rush hour traffic or finishing a work project on schedule to the back of their mind.

With many hobbies there is an end product that the hobbyist can gain great pleasure and satisfaction from. For instance, the amateur carpenter can create a birdhouse or table that he/she can then give to someone as a present or can install in the back garden and watch birds coming and going. Oftentimes this sense of achievement is in stark contrast to everyday working life where the individual can feel like a small cog in a large and meaningless wheel. This sense of accomplishment can provide a great outlet for stress.

Hobbies have no deadlines, no rules and no pressure to be successful. The hobbyist can potter around for as long or short a time as he/she likes. No boss will tell them to do it differently. This is a great relief and, again, a stark contrast to an everyday job. One can paint a picture as badly as one wants, there is no pressure to sell the painting or even show it to anyone.

Hobbies also allow the individual to expand his/her horizons and learn new skills or develop unknown talents. This can help to relieve the stress of everyday life and often give a person a higher purpose. A person that takes up with the local soccer team can improve his/her physical condition, learn new skills and help the team to win the league title or cup final.

Hobbies provide an outlet to meet new people, develop relationships and socialise to a level that work often cannot provide.

Some popular hobbies include :

Gardening - a chance to create and get out into the fresh air and sunshine Crafts - any kind of craft from knitting to lathe turning is highly creative and satisfying as it produces an end product.

Arts - painting, sculpting, writing, and photography again give a sense of personal achievement Physical pastimes - playing sports, fishing and going to the gym are a chance to develop new relationships and skills

Hobbies can help to give the individual a well rounded life and this is the key to relieving the everyday stresses and strains.

Many hobbies involve building, carving, or wood burning which require speciality woods. These hobby and craft woods are available for just about any purpose. Hobbyists may choose from balsa, basswood, plywood, walnut, cherry, maple, among others for their project needs. Sheets or strips of these fine woods are available in thicknesses from 1/32 " to one inch, and in widths from 1/16 through six inches. You may purchase either sheets or strips.

Balsa is the most versatile of the hobby woods. Native to South America, these sixty foot trees are grown on large plantations. The wood is lightweight and strong. South Americans have been using balsa for boat and raft building since antiquity. Anyone who can recall Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki adventures will know of his successful attempt to reach the Polynesian Islands from South America on a balsa raft.

Balsa's fine grain combined with its strength and light weight have made it valuable for a great number of uses. Its heat retention ability has made it useful for insulating refrigerator and ship holds. It is used in aircraft to reduce vibration. Surfboards and life preservers have also been manufactured from balsa wood.

Crafters and hobbyists will find balsa very easy to cut and carve, making it ideal for a multitude of projects. It can also be painted or stained any color the hobbyist desires. Its greatest value for hobbyists is undoubtedly in the construction of model airplanes. Free flight , control line, and radio control aircraft are all made primarily from balsa wood. Other uses for this versatile wood include model boat building and dollhouse construction, as well as many other craft projects. Model railroaders can use balsa for scratch-building houses and other structures, bridges, and structural support for scenery.

Basswood, or linden, is another wood crafters and hobbyists find very useful. This North American wood is grown primarily in northern Michigan and Wisconsin. Heavier than balsa, it shares many of it's characteristics - close-grained, strong, and lightweight. Basswood's hobby uses mirror those of balsa, but its heavier weight limits its use in building model airplanes. Because it carves easily, it is the premier choice for both beginning and advanced woodcarvers. Novice wood burners will also find basswood friendly, as it burns well. Like balsa, it is available in strips and sheets. Additionally, specialty shapes for dollhouse building include molding, siding, and roof shingles.

Special project needs may require the use of hobby plywood. This extremely high quality plywood ranges in thickness from paper thin 1/32 of an inch to 1/4 inch. Birch is the wood used, so it can take any stain desired. It is very durable and suitable for many uses.

Other woods are available for specialized hobby projects, including walnut, maple, cherry, and mahogany. Twenty four inch lengths include both strips and sheets. The maximum width for sheets is four inches.

Basswood and balsa are the most commonly available hobby/craft woods. Other types may need to be special ordered from your local craft or hobby shop. Check out the selection today for all your project needs.

Have you ever watched a metal craftsman in action such as a Blacksmith at a country fair... most people watch in awe as the Blacksmith carefully heats a piece of iron in a charcoal forge before placing it on the anvil and then proceed to hammer it into all kinds of unique shapes, it all looks pretty simple doesn't it...and the Blacksmith would probably tell you that it's not that difficult to hammer & shape things from red hot metal simply because it is quite fluid.

He's right you know, generally all it takes to work with metal is a small amount of knowledge & instruction, and some solid practice, and before too long even a novice will be producing good quality metal craft items.

But there is a lot more to metal craft than just blacksmith work.

While you can't deny that blacksmithing is a lot of fun, and a skilful worker can make many practical and ornamental items. With a little practice you could also produce beautiful iron work, simply by using basic skills & equipment.

In the early days the blacksmith was one of the most sought after "skilled" workers in the village.

But you know, you can take the art of blacksmithing another step. You could use the forge to melt metals.

What if you created a small charcoal fired furnace using your existing forge, it wouldn't take much work to build up a simple circle of bricks on the forge hearth to form a deep bed of charcoal so that you could produce a bed of red-hot glowing coals which will produce a large amount of heat. Enough to heat and melt aluminium... maybe even bronze.

Of course a crucible is required to place the scrap metal or ingots in for melting purposes,and the crucible needs to be buried in the bed of coals so the heat of the charcoal will do its work for you.

All you need to do now is to apply a gentle blast of air from the forge bellows to begin building the heat in the charcoal, and the crucible with the scrap aluminium, or home made ingots will quickly melt in the crucible.

Most hobby workers use a small electric motor attached to a blower to produce the correct amount of air blast, but for the moment, the manual operation of the forge bellows will suffice.

High quality hardwood grade charcoal will produce a high amount of heat, in fact you'll notice with the added heat the alloy ingots will soon start to melt, and once that happens the pool of metal in the bottom of the crucible rapidly promotes the total melt.

Once the metal has all melted, it is ready to pour into a sand mould. The idea is to prepare your sand moulds well before the metal has melted, so that everything is set up and ready to go. Once the methods & techniques are learnt, the whole process is quite easy and straight forward.

Any practical minded person could do it.

We have many people visit our web site: www.myhomefoundry.com looking for information about metal casting... lots of people around the globe are involved in metal casting, it can become quite addictive which is not surprising, when you realize all of the things that you can make.

For the home engineer, inventor & project builder, hobby metal casting could be just the thing, if you want to create your own special castings at almost zero cost, i.e. once your mini foundry is established.

If you take your time to build all of your equipment properly, it should last you for many years.

To find out more about hobby metal casting and how you can employ the methods & techniques to build & create your unique projects, visit our web site to download a free ebook to begin your understanding of this intriguing metal craft.

Metal is wonderful stuff isn't it, you can bend & twist it into all kinds of shapes, you can draw it with dies, cut, drill, and mill & turn it, weld it, and off course melt it and pour the molten metal into moulds of all kinds.

There are few other materials where you can do all of the above, and I've probably omitted some of the metal forming/shaping operations.

Have you had a life long passion with metal?

I know many people who have, generally the passion for metal can start from a very young age, especially if you once had a father or grandfather who introduced you to the blacksmith forge, this simple piece of equipment is always a total source of fascination, especially the way it could build so much heat using a simple fuel such as charcoal and air blast created with the hand operated bellows.

My guess is that many people must feel this way about metal, otherwise you wouldn't be doing what you're doing right now in your workshop. Just the other day I exchanged a few emails on an Australian based hobby foundry group: http://groups.google.com.au/group/The-hobby-foundry with a young fellow whose name is Ryan.

Ryan lives in Queensland Australia. He is only about 17 years old and still attending school, but has discovered metal casting. He creates some amazing ceremonial swords. It is great to see someone so young involved in a metal craft hobby such as metal casting, I'm sure Ryan wont ever have time to get bored with life while being involved with an interesting metal craft hobby.

Many other young fellows could take a leaf out of Ryan's book and get involved with practical hobbies like metal casting or some other form of metal craft. It is not hard to do once you have a little guidance and instruction and the hobby provides immense personal satisfaction and reward.

Boredom is a general malaise with so many young people these days, and there is really no need for it when there are so many great practical hobbies to do in your spare time. Too many people take the easy option to veg out in front of the T.V. idiot box.. what a terrible waste of time that is.

Ryan will never be bored, he just doesn't have time for boredom, he is such an adventurous, energetic young fellow. It reminds me of my young days when I would wander down to the old farm blacksmith on a wet miserable winters day to light the old forge then heat up a few bits of metal and just generally tinker around, that's where my passion for metal started, it has never really stopped. I hope you don't let your passion for metal ever wane.

The word boredom just doesn't exist in the metal workers vocabulary. Honest.