Friday, April 28, 2006

Crafts: Artificial Flowers Are Very Affordable And Can Last A Lifetime

by Carl

Poets for centuries have wondered about their beauty in their imagination .Where as scientists, are still in search of answers about its splendid mix of colour work and its sweet fragrance. In everyday life Flowers are a wonderful part of almost any event, whether it is a festival, special function or a wedding ceremony, people need flowers to make them more memorable. Unfortunately, as nature has a rule for restrictions, the short lives of flowers make them poor mementos. But with science and technology providing a solution for every human need, humanity has got the solution for this too - The Artificial Flowers!

Artificial Flowers are ornaments in the house! Sometimes, even for a gardener, artificial flowers may be better than the real thing. Artificial flowers these days are popularly called "permanent botanicals". They are so realistic that people might need the help of a honeybee to tell the difference between what came from nature and what didn't! Our site carries all the information people need to know about Artificial Flowers!

Types of Artificial Flowers:

There are mind boggling varieties to be had with artificial flower types. Some of the chief types of Artificial Flowers are the paper flowers, silk flowers, tissue flowers and fabric flowers. Artificial paper flowers are simple in their making but present a big gain depending on marketing. These flowers are swift to make and kids get pleasure from making them. A special paper called Pith paper is being used to make artificial paper flowers and decorative crafts since ancient times. The paper is very smooth and bone white in colour. Artificial silk flowers currently have gained a greater drive in this exciting and growing business around the world. In reality, they are the blend of complex chemical composites such as polyurethane, latex, more advanced polymers and synthetic or natural fabrics. Artificial tissue flowers are made with a thin, flat material or paper produced by the density of fibres. These are usually natural and based upon thread. Moreover they are low-priced and its raw material is accessible from all places. Artificial fabric flowers are made with fabric. These fabrics are basically made with threads that are naturally flexible.

Benefits of Artificial Flowers:

The artificial flowers long durability makes it still dependable for people around the world. Their natural finish and a better detailing are its other special properties which makes it the people's choice. In order to make it look more realistic, suppliers are using higher-quality fabrics and special chemical coatings that enable better detailing and a "natural" finish. Furthermore with the advancement in technology sophisticated coating techniques are being employed to give the ultimate top quality artificial flowers with true-to-life colours and genuine real to the touch. New designs have stems made of PVC tubes with a special finish that gives them a fibrous look. Particularly is the special effect given to stem that resembles grains of sand and soil. Besides being simply a flower, artificial flowers nowadays have the thorns and the veins in the leaves. These amazing features even tempt the admirer to go over and touch it to see if it's real! Their manufacturing costs little and their economical market rate makes people feel reasonably on the safer side! Moreover our top recommended artificial flower merchants provide you with all you want when it comes to artificial flowers!

Points to remember about artificial flowers:

Artificial plants and flowers need a little bit of attention too, to make them last. It is always better to check the dyes by dabbing plants with a moist cloth. If the flowers are colourfast, clean the plants by rubbing evenly is enough to maintain their natural look. The rearrangement of the stems and flowers of plants in high-traffic areas is as well required to keep their natural shape. In all these things nature is the standard against which artificial flowers, buds, twigs, seed pods, and foliage are measured. The human mind believes nothing is impossible!!!

About The Author:

Carl is a Freelance Writer For www.ArtificialFlowerz.com. You Can Find Lots Of Useful Information About Artificial Flowers, Buy Artificial Flowers And Fabric Flowers.

http://www.myguidetocrafts.com

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Arts and Crafts Lamps and The History of Art Nouveau

by jim hoyle

The Arts and Crafts era began in England during the late 1800's. Simple clean designs and individual craftsmanship that employed aspects of nature were the main characteristics of this design period. This new movement was in direct contrast to the mass production of products that was made possible by the industrial revolution. This new art, (Art Nouveau in French) was also many ways a relief from the lavishly ornate designs of the Victorian era which preceded.

The industrial revolution had dehumanized the process of manufacturing especially as it relates to home decor products. It broke down the work process into various components by processes called the "division of labor". Workers were able to work on only a portion of a complete product. The Arts and Crafts movement was a rebuttal of this dehumanizing process as it was concerned specifically with the human element of a person creating an entire product from start to finish.

The architect Augustus Pugin (1812-1852) was one of the first outspoken leaders in speaking against the dehumanizing aspect of the industrial revolution. He was followed by other proponents of these ideas: John Ruskin (1819-1900), William Morris (1834-1896) and Phillip Webb. Morris was the most popular name associated with this movement.

This new style of art spread throughout Europe and was named Art Nouveau (new art) by the French. Each country and region had its own styles and variations of this new art movement.

During the late 1800's, America was basically importing its artistic and home furnishings designs from England and Europe. Colonial and Shaker designs were the only truly American styles at that time. Gustav Stickley's simple and clean furniture designs exemplified the Arts and Crafts style in America.

There were a number of remarkable lamp companies of that period. Their products are very collectible and highly sought after today. Many of these collectible Arts and Crafts Lamps or Art Nouveau Lamps that sold for $ 15 - $ 25 in the 1920's may now sell for many $ 1,000's and much more.

Some of the lamp companies which are representative of the Arts and Crafts or Art Nouveau era are:

Tiffany

Handel

Pairpoint

Duffner & Kimberly

Edward Miller

Bradley and Hubbard

Pittsburg

Moe Bridges

Chicago Mosaic

Cincinnati Iron Works

Classique

Consolidated

DIrk Van Erp

Aladdin

Daum Nancy

Jefferson

Rockwood Pottery

Roycroft

Wilkinson

Lightolier

Jeanette

Phoenix

- Jim Hoyle

About the Author

Biography: Since 1979 Jim Hoyle has owned and operated Lamp Outlet - North Carolina's Most Exclusive Unique Table Lamps, Floor Lamps and Antique Lamps. If you would like to share information about any lamp, lamp company or lighting in general, or if you have any comments or questions, you can contact Jim at: junguljim@bellsouth.net. His company's website is: www.hoylelamps.com.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Artists beware

Artists beware; the hazards in working with all art and craft materials and the precautions every artist and craftperson should take, 3d ed

Artists beware; the hazards in working with all art and craft materials and the precautions every artist and craftperson should take, 3d ed.

McCann, Michael.

The Lyons Press, [c]2005

91 p.

$19.95 (pa)

This practical guide to artists' safety is divided into two sections, the first of which addresses the chemical and physical hazards commonly found in art and craft materials and processes. It begins by explaining the effects of various hazards on each system of the human body, and then discusses the toxicities of individual gases, liquids, dusts, and fumes. It recommends safety precautions, and discusses what to do if you do become ill or get injured. The second part is organized by the particular art and craft technique, such as painting & drawing, printmaking, ceramics, photography, textile arts, and so on, and includes chapters addressing special topics of commercial art, modern technology in art, and children and art materials.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Book News, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Monday, April 10, 2006

Mexican Silver and Rustic Handcrafts that you can resell for Big Profits on Ebay or any where else

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Some of these silver jewelry and hand crafts manufacturers do have a website. But that doesn’t mean you can easily find them on the search engines. As we all know, its very hard to make it to the top of the search engine rankings and it can take more than 6 months to even get listed with them. That and the fact that most Mexican artisans are not as computer savvy as "we all think" are the main reason why you won’t find that many websites at all of Mexican manufacturers listed on Google or Yahoo. In many cases their websites are not even optimized for the search engines to list them.
Don't expect to get the best possible prices from those "mexican products providers" that you can find on the web for free.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Monica Hernandez is an international trade consultant helping entrepreneurs import products from Mexico at http://www.mextrademonitor.com.mx

Fathers Day Crafts

This article provides useful, detailed information about Fathers Day Crafts.

Father\'s Day crafts are a perfect way for kids to show their love to their fathers without spending a huge amount of money. Father\'s Day crafts are articles made out of material available around the house and fashioned into cute gifts by kids. Father\'s Day crafts are especially popular with girls.
The greatest advantage of Father\'s Day crafts is that they can be prepared by children as young as three or four years old, thereby giving them a chance to know the true meaning of the celebration.
There are various examples of items and articles that can be created by children out of materials like glue, cardboard, crayons and other simple materials found commonly in households. Hand-made cards are good examples of simple father\'s day crafts.
The various materials used for making Father\'s Day crafts include cardboard, felt, paper, glue, Popsicle sticks, crayons, markers, scissors, papier-mâché, construction paper, shoe boxes, cereal boxes and juice containers.
Some examples of crafts are given below:
Business Card Holders, using Popsicle sticks, craft paint, glue and various decorations.
Pad Holder, using Post-It Pads, cardboard, markers and crayons, glue, scissors and a magnet if the pad holder has to be magnetic.
Billiards Clock, using felt paper of various colors, black marker, glue, scissors, corrugated cardboard and a set of clockworks.
A Party Pot, which is basically any material of pot painted and then glued with decorative paper.
Cute bookends with personal messages of photos can be created out of cardboard cartons, newspapers, papier-mâché, paste, and painting material.
Door knobs and wall hangings can be made from cardboard, decorations and crayons.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Father's Day provides detailed information on Father's Day, Father's Day Cards, Father's Day Crafts, Father's Day Gift Baskets and more. Father's Day is affiliated with Mother's Day.