Do Temporary Displays In Museology

The goal of every museum exhibit, large and small, is to educate an audience while providing an enjoyable excursion. However, effective exhibits need not be high budget affairs. Many small museums do very well with limited funding. Use the following steps and you will be able to put together a quality exhibit at little cost.

Instructions

1. Identify your audience. Just as in the corporate advertising world, museums have target audiences. This includes specific age ranges, professions, backgrounds and family units.

2. Pick out a theme for the exhibit. This should be an overarching idea that your exhibit will explore. Work it into an exhibit title.

3. Create a list of individual messages for the exhibit. These are sub-themes, specific points that you want to convey to your target audience.

4. Choose the artifacts to put in the exhibit. The artifacts should always support the major theme and the individual messages.

5. Write out the text blurbs for your exhibit. Center each one around an educational point from your list of messages. Write each blurb so that it fits with your target audience. Use a large font with lots of space between each line and have line breaks between each paragraph.

6. Create a drawing of your exhibit space. Use it to plan the layout of your exhibit. Be sure that each blurb you place in it flows organically into the next point. Studies show that when entering an exhibit space people usually turn right, so make that area the beginning of your exhibit.

7. Print your blurbs onto sticky-backed printer paper, which can be found at office supply stores. Peel the stickers off of the backing and put them on poster board cut to fit the blurbs. Attach the blurbs to your displays using museum wax.

8. Wearing cotton gloves, place the artifacts in the displays. Stick them down with museum wax. If you have two-dimensional pieces for the displays, prop them up with photo holders or hang them on the wall. Be sure that the surface on which you stick the artifacts is safe for them. Do not leave metal in contact with wood or vice versa.

Things To Search For When Purchasing An Instrument

Buying a guitar is a major investment for most players. If the right purchase is made, the guitar may last for decades. Most buyers have made the decision between an electric and acoustic before starting the search for an instrument. There are many factors to consider when buying a guitar, but the major decision should be based on playing the instrument.

Favorable Print Reviews

"Guitar Player," "Guitar World," "Vintage Guitar," "Flatpicking" and "Acoustic Guitar" magazines have a wealth of information about models and makers. These publications feature reviews of popular guitars and also include models not typically available for examination in local stores. They also provide information charts and design specifications. The articles are an easy way to quickly determine if the guitar meets your overall needs and should be sought out to be examined as a possible candidate for purchase. Professional reviewers are aware of the major pitfalls in guitar construction.

Favorable Online Reviews

Players provide the best information about the aspects of a particular model. Guitar reviews are posted on instrument sales websites. The most reliable reviews qualify the comments according to the type of player (novice, intermediate, advanced and professional) and the years of experience. Match your guitar playing skills with the reviewer's qualifications. A comment claiming the guitar was "easy to play" from a reviewer with a dozen years of gigging may not be applicable for a new player.

Body Match

The guitar should comfortably fit the body of the player. The three main acoustic guitar body types are classical, dreadnought and jumbo. Electric shapes are more eclectic and difficult to categorize, but the general shapes include a cutaway (part of the design includes cutting into the body), exotics (such as the "Flying V"), solid body and the SG (designed with a point). Both electric and acoustic guitars are available in smaller models, such as the 1/2 and 3/4 Taylor, Yamaha and Martin acoustics, and 3/4 electric models, including the junior model Fender Les Paul. Do not assume that these guitars are for children. Some models offer smaller bodies and shortened necks, but otherwise have the features of a quality guitar. Tiny players do own large, oversized jumbo guitars, but as a rule, playing is more comfortable when the guitar is matched to the size of the guitarist.

Price

You may dream of owning a luthier-built rosewood guitar, but more practical shopping questions include "What do I want to pay?" Price should not be the main factor, since entry-level guitars are difficult to play; hard to keep in tune; and possibly discouraging to new players after a session on a set of substandard frets that injure the fingers. Used guitar stores, pawnshops and newspaper sales are all places to find quality guitars at reduced prices. Be sure to physically inspect and play the guitar before the purchase. Consider having the guitar examined by a local expert, even if a fee is involved, for defects and potential problems.

Durability

The guitar should match the use. If you'll be transporting the guitar between different climates, the best choice may be a solid body electric or solid wood top with composite or high-pressure laminate (known as HPL) sides and back acoustic model, such as the C.F. Martin HPL line. This wood choice minimizes the expansion and contraction that leads to warping and cracks in the body. Most companies offer "backpacking" acoustic model guitars for outdoor and travel use.

Make Wooden Sign Words For Wall Decor

Make Wooden Sign Sayings for Wall Decor

Artwork does not need to be purchased from a pricey gallery in order to hang prominently on your wall. Using scrap wood and a reverse stenciling technique, allows you to make wooden sign sayings for wall decor. Reverse stenciling is done by placing an image on your paint surface, painting over it and then removing it to reveal the image shape on your sign. Expensive stencils are not needed to create inspirational or whimsical sayings for your walls.

Instructions

1. Choose the saying you would like printed on your wooden sign. Using card stock, cut out each letter using a die-cut machine or enlarge a font on your computer, print and cut out.

2. Lay out the letters, spacing the words as you desire. Measure around the laid out saying and add an inch to each side. Cut a piece of scrap wood with a jig saw using these dimensions.

3. Paint the front, sides and back of the sign with acrylic paint and allow to dry. This is your base color. It will be the color of your finished letters and will also show through in various places after distressing.

4. Place your cut letters upside down on newspaper. Lightly spray the letters with temporary adhesive. Position the letters on the front of your painted sign with the glue side down. Roll over the letters with a rolling pin to firmly stick the letters in place.

5. Paint the front, sides and back of the sign with a coordinating acrylic paint. You will also be painting over the paper letters. Allow the paint to dry for 30 minutes.

6. Score around the edge of the letters with a straight pin. Insert the straight pin under the letters to lift the edge. Grasp the edge and peel away from the sign to reveal your saying. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly.

7. Sand the surface of the sign to distress. Allow the base color to show through in random areas to make the sign look weathered and old.

8. Turn the sign over and attach your desired hanging hardware. Hang the sign on your wall.

Photoresist Versus Hands Created Stencil

Silkscreen designs can be made in many ways and used to print multiple images.

Photo resist and hand-cut stencil are two well-used methods of creating a screen image than can then than be transferred to a variety of materials that includes cotton, paper, metal, wood or plastic. The photo resist method reproduces a photographic image, while a hand stencil is generally used to hand cut a design or logo. Each technique creates an image on a screen, where multiple prints are possible.

Durability

Hand-cut stencils are more durable than a photo resist image and, as a consequence, will produce a larger number of prints for each screen. However, this is not a big problem when using the photo resist method because after you have created an image on the screen through the photo emulsion process, you can remove the worn emulsion layer from the screen and make a second screen through the photo resist process that will be almost identical to the first.

Complexity

Photo resist deals with complex designs in a straight forward manner; therefore, when transferring an intricate design or any amount of text to a silkscreen, you will want to use the photo resist method. With this technique, the text is transferred to the screen and printed in an accurate manner.

Technical Simplicity

The hand stencil works with a smaller requirement of technologically advanced equipment. In other words, all you need is a knife to cut the stencil, and some lacquer thinner to adhere the stencil to the screen. This is a simple technique that is most effective in yielding childlike, imaginative drawings.

Multiple Colors

Hand stencils can deal better with multicolor prints, especially if you keep the design simple. Hand stencils can yield some colorful designs accompanied with original hand-cut letters. The overall effect can be quite intriguing or powerful, but if you desire a few lines of New Roman Times captions, you will need the photo emulsion method.

Street Images

Photo resist can quickly reproduce complex designs and even transfer photographic images made with a camera. If you want a silhouette or frontal view of a landmark, building or even the whole city skyline, the photo resist can give you an image that is both photographic and graphic at the same time. In fact, there are many kinds of images you can photograph and then incorporate in the final silk screen image.

Try Both

You can even use both types of screens in one design that involves at least two different color inks. First, make a primitive-style drawing with a hand-carved stencil and then transfer it to the printing surface with the screen and squeegee. Next, take advantage of the photo resist method to lay down all your text on top or around the rough drawing. The combination could make for an attractive and popular poster.

Make Women Laugh

Do you feel uncomfortable talking to women? Laughter is a tension breaker and can help increase the desire for women to spend more time with you. Laughter can also be a way for you to make more women friends. Here are some helpful tips on make women laugh.

Instructions

1. Tell a joke. Jokes often result in laughter by both the listener and joke-teller. Be careful about what jokes you tell women. Don't tell jokes that may offend or sicken them. If the jokes turn into a negative experience for the women, they may not want to spend any more time with you. If you don't know very many good jokes, check out some books on jokes, such as "Pretty Good Joke Book 4th Edition" or "777 Great Clean Jokes." You can also find some good, clean jokes online at www.cleanjoke.com or www.ahajokes.com.

2. Talk about funny things that have happened to you. Don't be afraid to share embarrassing moments you've had. Embarrassing moments can be both genuine and funny. The women you are talking with might even share some embarrassing moments they've had and you can all laugh together.

3. When telling jokes or sharing embarrassing moments, avoiding talking about other people. Women want to get to know you, not what you know about somebody else. You also don't want to appear as a gossip or backstabber if you slip and share something that was meant to be kept private.

4. Don't be afraid to laugh. If you heard a joke or read something that is funny, don't be afraid to laugh about it out loud. When they hear you laugh, they'll be more inclined to laugh as well. Then you will have an opener for telling them what you were laughing at and you can laugh at it together.

5. Be yourself. Smile and relax. A smile shows you are friendly and inviting. Women who think you are funny will want to spend more time with you. Don't try too hard to make them laugh. If you can't make women laugh now, relax and know that it will happen eventually.

6. Practice making women laugh. You can practice on friends or family you already know. When you feel comfortable, try getting women to laugh at your local coffee shop, school, church, or work. The more you practice being funny and telling jokes, the easier it will become to make women laugh.

Things To Check Out When Putting on three dimensional Glasses

3D glasses make more than just movies come to life.

Three-dimensional or "3D" glasses are stereoscopic lenses that allow people to view composite images made in red and blue or another contrasting color placed next to each other so the resultant image appears to pop-out off the page or screen and towards the viewer wearing the glasses. Take a pair of 3D glasses off and what you are looking at will appear like a multi-colored, blurry and out-of-focus flat image. 3D glasses are becoming mainstream, cheap and easy to use to view 3D content on multiple platforms.

3D Films and TV

Movie studios have been producing three-dimensional films for decades but the trend has become commonplace as an increasing number of theaters across America are equipped with digital movie projectors capable of delivering films in three dimensions. Theaters provide viewers with 3D glasses to wear during the film; viewers can expect to see moving images come out of the screen and move towards them in the theater. When combined with surround sound and a dark room, it's easy for viewers to feel like they are immersed in the world of the movie they're watching. Movies made in 3D generally cost more to see and require special glasses to view correctly. When a video gaming system is connected to a 3D TV set and a 3D video game disc is inserted into the system, a player wearing 3D glasses can play the game in three dimensions, providing an engaging and entertaining experience.

3D TV and Video Games

Television makers and video game producers like Nintendo and Sony have started making three-dimensional television sets and video games. When customers purchase a 3D TV set, 3D DVD player or subscribe to 3D-content programming and wear a pair of 3D glasses, they can enjoy this content in three dimensions in their own home. Modern 3D glasses have sturdy plastic frames, are designed to endure repeated use and come in a few different styles for comfort and fashion.

3D Websites

There are a variety of websites including swell3d.com and 3dmanifesto.com that allow users wearing 3D glasses to view photos, blog posts, cartoons and more in vivid three-dimensional color. Everything from puzzles, paintings and photos to user-submitted art is available for viewing. With a pair of 3D glasses, all of the content can be enjoyed in vivid three-dimensional color; without the glasses, the websites appear like any 3D content -- out of focus, superimposed red-and-blue images that strain the eyes and make it hard to focus.

3D Posters and Pictures

Three-dimensional glasses enable viewers to unlock three-dimensional puzzles and can transform replicas of traditional two-dimensional paintings into three-dimensional renderings. Viewing classic as well as new works of art made in 3D adds, literally, another dimension of enjoyment to your appreciation of art.

Make Wire Seafood Sculptures

Wire fish sculptures can be made with a variety of personalities.

Fish are fun and they can be even more fun if you fashion them out of wire. Since their bodies are streamlined and fairly straightforward, you can make wire fish sculptures as simple or complicated as you like. A few simple steps and easy to get ingredients will help you make wire fish sculptures.

Instructions

1. Lay the chicken wire flat and cut a rectangular piece to the size your fish will be. Wire cutters work best for this process but you can improvise with pruning shears or scissors you don’t care if you ruin.

2. Decide where his tail will be and create it accordingly. Snip an area of the wire as far up from the bottom as wide as you want the tail to be. Do not snip the wire all the way across, but several inches on each side leading up to the middle. You should end up with a rectangle with a flap at the bottom, still secured in the center. Bend the top sides of the tail down into a triangular shape. Secure by twisting the snipped ends of wire around each other or with small pieces of other wire.

3. Roll the chicken wire into a cone shape, with the thinnest area at the base of the tail and the fattest area where the fish’s head will be. Secure the cone shape by twisting the snipped ends of the wire around the base or with other wire.

4. Roll the wire inwards at the top of the cone shape to create the fish’s top and bottom jaw. You can roll them into a smooth shape for a benign fish or leave it jagged for a nasty fish. Again, secure your rolled jaw by twisting the snipped ends of wire around the base or with other small pieces of wire.

5. Paint if desired. Since chicken wire is kind of boring, you may want to spray paint your fish a jazzy aqua, really red or deep forest green. You can use several colors, making it darker around the mouth to emphasize it. You can also sponge on paint or use a brush for thicker paint distribution.

6. Add the eyeballs. Eyeballs can be made out of clay by rolling four balls of clay and affixing two for each eyeball, one ball inside the wire fish sculpture and one on the outside. Press together and allow to dry then draw a pupil. Eyeballs can also be made out any roundish object you feel like gluing to the outside of the fish’s head.

Make Homemade Graffiti Markers

Homemade graffiti marker

Graffiti has been around since man has had the capability to draw. In fact, the Alexamenos graffito is a piece of graffiti that is believed to be the earliest known representation or drawing of Jesus Christ. Graffiti has evolved with the evolution of art and new painting techniques. If you've ever wanted to take part in the graffiti subculture, but never knew how, making a graffiti marker could be the step you need to take. Using a few common materials around your house, you can have a homemade graffiti maker in just a few minutes.

Instructions

1. Open the glue stick. Use something to dig all of the glue out of it. You can use the sharp knife for this if you aren't worried about getting glue on it. Make sure you get all of the glue out. Rub around the inside with a popcicle stick if necessary, and rinse thoroughly until all the glue is removed.

2. Use the knife to remove the middle stick after all the glue is removed. Be very careful while removing the stick so you do not destroy the bottle. If you can get it cut almost all the way through, you could use pliers to twist it the rest of the way out.

3. Use your sharp knife (or a razor blade) to remove a long piece of the dry erase board eraser. The piece should still be as long as the eraser, but only about 1/8 to ¼ inch thick once you remove it. Roll this piece up tightly to see if it will fit in the top of the glue stick tube. You should have to struggle a bit to get it in, as this will ensure no ink comes through any air holes. If the material needs to be thicker, add another layer and try again. If the material appears to be too thick, try rolling it a little more tighter, and if this doesn't work, cut off a small amount (either from the length or thickness). Once you are certain the dry erase eraser material fits snugly, set it aside.

4. Pour a small amount of hot glue into the bottom of the glue stick. Do not overdo this step. You only need enough to completely cover the bottom inside of the glue stick. This will prevent leaks from the inside of the marker. Once you have covered the bottom of the inside of the tube, set it aside and allow it to dry.

5. Put on rubber gloves. Add a small amount of paint thinner into the tube after the hot glue has completely dried. The amount of paint thinner you use will vary depending on personal preference and tube size. Ideally, you should fill the tube no more than a quarter of the way full. If you want the ink in the marker to be runnier, add more paint thinner. For less runny ink, use less paint thinner.

6. Add ink to the paint thinner in the tube. You shouldn't fill the ink all the way to the top of the tube. The amount of ink you use will vary depending on how much paint thinner you use. Fill the ink to about one-eighth to a quarter from the top of the glue tube.

7. Roll the dry erase board eraser material tightly again. Push the material into the top of the glue stick tube. It should once again require some effort to get the material in the top. If possible, ball up the material and force it in. Leave some of the material sticking out of the tube, as this is the point of your graffiti marker.

8. Shake the tube back and forth with the point of the marker pointing down. Continue doing this while testing to see if the marker writes on your rubber gloves. Adding a bit of water to the point of your marker may speed up this process. It could take a few minutes for the ink to come through. Make sure to use the marker often so it doesn't dry. Placing the top of the glue stick tube back onto the stick may slow or prevent the drying out process.

Top Art Programs Within The U . s . States

The U.S. has a number of quality art programs.

Those wishing to pursue a life or career in the arts have many choices of where and receive their training. Because art is such an individual process, determining where the best school or program is can be a challenge. A handful of U.S. art programs are regarded as the best in the country and have a history of producing talented artists.

Rhode Island School of Design

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence is ranked at the top of the list of fine art programs by U.S. News & World Report in 2008. The art school is competitive, accepting only 19 percent of applicants. The Ivy League setting makes RISD unique. The campus joins Brown University, a partner college that shares educational and academic resources with the art school.

RISD offers 16 undergraduate and 17 graduate-level degree programs in the arts and in design. The student body is made up of around 2,000 students, most of which are pursuing bachelor's degrees. High school students may be admitted into RISD's "pre-college" program to prepare them for a future in art school.

Rhode Island School of Design

2 College Street

Providence, RI 02903

401-454-6100

risd.edu

The Cooper Union

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, usually just referred to as Cooper Union, is a school located in lower Manhattan in the East Village. The fine arts program at Cooper Union is highly selective with only 5 percent acceptance, and is considered one of the most versatile programs in America. Students are not expected to fulfill the requirements of a particular major en route to their bachelor's in fine arts. Instead, students merely choose a particular number of courses that interest them and will help them grow as an artist.

The school strives to instill social awareness in students so they will create art that visually communicates what they understand about history and culture.

The Cooper Union


30 Cooper Square

New York, NY 10003

212-353-4100

cooper.edu/art

Art Institute of Chicago

Next door to Chicago's Grant Park, the Art Institute of Chicago is a cutting-edge art school offering a wide variety of options for art education to its students. Those attending this highly prestigious art school can take part in unique programs not offered in other art schools. Art and technology, arts administration, theory and criticism, art education, art therapy, fashion design, filmmaking and visual communications are some of the many courses of study available to students in this program.

The Art Institute of Chicago moved into its current home in 1976, where it joins the institute's museum. The campus-museum is the largest of its kind in the U.S. Prior to its relocation near Grant Park, the school's history dates back to 1866, when it was known as the Chicago Academy of Design.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

37 South Wabash Ave.

Chicago, IL 60603

312-629-6100

saic.edu

The Very Best Frames To Show Children'S Artwork

Encourage children to be creative by proudly displaying their artwork.

Displaying a child's artwork increases his self-esteem and helps organize and eliminate clutter. There are several methods for displaying artwork ranging from personal and creative to neat and organized.

Art Cabinets

Art cabinets and other collective displays are incredibly useful especially while children are young and beginning school. Art cabinets can hold about 50 pictures, one on top of the other, depending on the manufacturer and type of cabinet. They hang on the wall and feature a framed glass door that opens to a cabinet space. Every time your child brings a new picture home, just open the door and place the picture inside on top of the last. Not only will it help you display the most recent works, it will give you a place to save every treasured creation.

Digital Frames

Find ways to take advantage of digital storage. Take a picture of or scan your child's artwork and save it to a USB drive. Use the drive to load the images into the frame and watch the slide show of your child's drawings.

Homemade Frames

Have your child create his own frame. Take a trip to your local craft store to get project sheets for creating a personalized frame. You can also buy a blank, wooden, unfinished frame and paint it yourself. Decorate the frame further by gluing on jewels or other embellishments.

Shadow Boxes

Shadow boxes are great for larger items. For instance, if your child is in a ceramics class, has made something out of modeling dough or created any other three-dimensional piece of art, a shadow box is the perfect place to store it. Craft stores have a variety of shadow boxes available in different sizes, shapes and colors.

What's Darkroom Photography

Darkroom photography had its origins in the mid-1850s.

Darkroom photography is a photographic process that allows the photographer to process photos in a darkened room nearly devoid of all light. The process originated in the mid-19th century. From the late 19th century to the late 20th century, photographers saw technology evolve from photographers developing photos using silvered copper plates or papers to advanced digital technology. For many professional photographers and darkroom hobbyists, the sacrifice of darkroom photographic quality for digital speed and convenience was worth it.

History of Darkroom Photography Process

The actual use of a darkroom for the purpose of processing photos did not occur until innovators in photography developed the wet-plate process in the 1850s. The wet-plate process carried on into the 1870s and, "made a darkroom essential for professionals and desirable for amateurs," according to the website Pinhole Photography. By the turn of the 20th Century as more amateurs took up photography, commercial companies made darkroom development of negatives a booming business, which lasted until the easy availability of scanners, computers, and ink jet and laser printers.

Benefits of Darkroom Photography

While speed and easy quick accessibility to photos have made the use of darkroom photography seemingly nonessential, the quality and creativity offered by darkroom processing is important. In many ways, darkroom processing can exist side-by-side with digital photography in the pursuit of creative art photography, according to the website Enjin. Matter-of-fact, serious and very passionate photographers as well as educators in the field of photography still use darkroom processing as a means to pursue the feeling that complete freedom of expression and creativity darkroom use offers.

Locating Darkroom Space

If you want to get involved in the world of darkroom photography, then of course you will need to find just the right place to locate it. Whether you have limited space or no limitation, the darkroom will still need to meet some very basic requirements. If you have a corner of your basement where there are no windows or a spare bathroom that is on the interior of your home, it is essential that you make the space light-tight. Make certain the location has available running water and counter space, which you can create if necessary from plywood, according to the website Photo.net.

Future of Darkroom Use

While many amateurs and professionals have become attached to digital photography and have walked away from darkroom processing use, the future of this technology is still relevant. For instance, there are many museums as well as collectors who are still much more comfortable with silver prints, which is, "the most common type of B/W print made from film," according to the website Photography Uncapped. For these darkroom photography connoisseurs it is the aesthetic qualities and archival characteristics that this medium presents, which makes its future possible.

Making Children'S Book Illustrations

Decades later, people still remember a few sensational picture books from childhood. For children, illustrations can really make a story come to life. Whether you are painting funny little animals for a first reader or sketching dramatic scenes for an adventure novel, you will never have a more appreciative audience than when you illustrate children's books.

Instructions

1. Decide on your medium. Some children's book illustrators like the soft look of watercolors. Others like something sharper like acrylic paints. Art markers are also a popular choice, because they are easy to use and adaptable to different drawing styles.

2. Read through the children's book several times. Write down any descriptions of the characters the author put in it. also make notes or quick sketches of any images that occur to you.

3. Divide the children's book up into sections to illustrate. if you are writing a book for very young children, you should have a page of illustrations for pretty much every sentence. For older children, you might want to illustrate a few key passages every chapter.

4. Lightly sketch the first illustration in pencil. Block out where the main shapes are, and draw in basic perspective if necessary. Keep in mind the descriptions the author wrote and any ideas you had along the way.

5. Draw or paint in the main shapes. Going from light to dark, block in big areas of color and sketch in boundaries.

6. Finish the illustration. Add details and correct minor mistakes. Take a step back and let the illustration sit for a bit.

7. Look at the illustration again. If you are happy with it, go on to the next one. If you don't like it, figure out what you don't like and try again.

Fun Games & Things You Can Do In A Teen Party

Teen parties can be a lot of fun with a few planned activities.

Teen birthdays and celebrations are a relaxing way for kids to socialize outside the restrictive school setting. Teens may be too old for games like pin the tail on the donkey and bobbing for apples, but that does not mean they are too old for all games. With a little planning, you can provide activities, games, and some fun extras to make a teen's party uniquely fun.

Impersonation Game

Spark some laughter and conversation by getting the teens started with an impersonation game. Divide the teens in two teams. Each member selects a person to impersonate. Teens can select anyone to impersonate--teachers, friends, parents, even other kids in the family--as long as everyone knows him. Team 1 starts. The first person to impersonate writes down the name of the person she will impersonate and puts it in her pocket. She begins impersonating her person to her team as quickly as she can until the team gueses correctly. After the team guesses it, the impersonator takes her paper out to confirm who she was impersonating.Timing is very important because Team 2 is timing how long it takes Team 1 to get the answer. Play turns to Team 2 and Team 1 takes over the timing. Teams take turns impersonating people until everyone has had a chance to impersonate someone.The team that guesses all the impersonations in the lease amount of time wins the game. Once play is done, let the kids vote on the best impersonator and give the winner a small prize, such as gift certificates to movies, Internet music, or music stores.

Friendly Poker

Arrange a poker game or tournament. Make the stakes small, like betting for candy. If the kids want to play more like "real poker", use poker chips. Once the game is over, allow the kids to "cash in" their poker chips for small prizes teens would enjoy, such as a popular CD or posters. Provide lots of food, sodas, and music to keep the party festive.

Theme Costumes

Plan a costume party with a theme that teens would enjoy. Request that the teens wear a costume that fits the theme. For example, if your teens love a certain movie or tv show, center the party around the characters in the movie or show. If your teens are really into music, have them dress up like their favorite bands or music celebrity. Make the food and decorations match your theme. If you have a movie theme party, play the soundtrack, find old movie posters, make lots of popcorn, and provide big boxes of candy. Have a costume contest at the party and allow everyone to vote for the best costumes.

Cooking Party

Invite teens over for a Chef party. Select recipes that are both easy and fun, such as tacos, pizza, brownies, and even homemade ice cream. Plan ahead so you have all the supplies you need available beforehand. Delegate responsibilities to each person to get the meal finished. Give them a little supervised cooking freedom, allowing them to use the ingredients to cook their own creations. Follow dinner by making a cake and decorating it.

Report Phone Slamming

Slamming is illegal in the United States.

When someone switches his land line phone and illegally taps into yours to make local or long-distance phone calls, it's called slamming. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), this is illegal and can be prosecuted by the FCC's Enforcement Bureau. By law, phone companies are required to fix any claims of slamming free of charge for the first 30 days. Once you look over your telephone bill and notice you've been slammed, you should file a complaint as soon as possible. There is no charge for filing a report online, by mail or by fax.

Instructions

1. Make a copy of your telephone bill that shows you are a victim of slamming by using either a scanner for online complaints or copier for faxed or mailed complaints.

2. Download and print the FCC Form 501 at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgb/Form501/fcc501.cfm. Fill out the form with your name, address, phone number, name of your local and long-distance telephone service providers and then briefly explain what happened. Be sure you list the dates of when you've been slammed in the form.

3. Email, fax or mail a copy of your telephone bill, 501 form and welcome letter from the phone company that lists your name on the account to the FCC. The email address is slamming@fcc.gov, the fax number is 202-418-0035 or the mailing address is:

Federal Communications Commission

Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

ATTN: SLAM TEAM, Room CY-A257

445 12th St., SW

Washington, DC 20554

Use Lighting In The Photography Studio

Lighting and perspective partner to create eye-catching photographs.

Photography studio lighting is used to produce an image that looks three-dimensional. Specifically placed lights manipulate shadows to give the subject roundness. Studio lights may be set up using a floor method or a ceiling method. A floor method mounts lights on stands and places them strategically around the subject. A ceiling method creates a rail system on the ceiling, allowing the lights to be moved around and manipulated to properly light the subject. Backgrounds are mounted on the wall or hanged from background rollers. A floor method using three lights makes a very effective lighting set-up.

Instructions

1. Analog clocks are based upon a 12-hour time-keeping system.

Imagine a clock with the 12 o'clock position as the studio background. Lights, camera and subject are placed in positions corresponding to numbers on an analog clock, a clock with numbers on the dial face and hands.

2. Hair lighting separates subject from background.

Place the subject approximately 5 to 6 feet in front of the background, located midway of the background. The subject is now in the position of the center of the clock from which the clock hands pivot.

3. Locate the camera at the 6 o'clock position. Distance from the subject is usually approximately 5 feet. However, move the camera closer or farther away to obtain the desired results for depth of field or perspective.

4. Place the main light, the strongest light, between the 7 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. This light is closer to the subject than the camera.

5. Locate the second light, called the fill light, at 5 o'clock. This light is generally at half the power of the main light. The purpose of the fill light is to prevent harsh shadows. Adjust the power of the light to accomplish the desired effect. A reflector may be used instead of a fill light.

6. Put the third light, called a hair light, at 1 o'clock. Keep the light out of view of the camera, but as close as desirable to the subject. The strength of the light depends upon the desired effect and characteristics of the model. This light may face the subject or the background. Experiment to achieve the desired results.

Setup Studio Lighting

Setting up studio lighting is a process of approximation and adjustment. Four basic light sources are involved: the main light, fill light, side light and background light. You can use these lights in combination with standard light diffusers, light reflectors and other light modifiers to create just the right effect and bring out the best in your subject. It depends on how far you want to go with it. Let's start with the basics. Read on to learn set up studio lighting.

Instructions

1. Position the main light. For the classic short lighting method, position the main light behind and above the camera, just above the level of your subject's face. From there, move the light left or right until it is set off about 45 degrees from the subject. The light should shine on the side of the face, not the front. There are other basic accepted positions for the main light, depending on your purpose. Broad lighting, for example, is where you place the main light directly in front of the subject. This flattens the face and washes blemishes out. Butterfly or glamor lighting is the use of two main lights, one lower and one higher, positioned directly in front of the subject. Look for the subtle butterfly shape appearing just under the subject's nose. Rembrandt lighting is just like short lighting but placed much higher over the subject, for an artistic, starkly shadowed effect. Finally, there is split lighting, in which the main light is placed directly to the left or right of the subject, set off 90 degrees from the subject-camera axis. This is another way to create stark, dramatic contrast. Try all these different methods with varying subjects.

2. Position the fill light. This is a soft light used for washing the entire scene in light so that all details can be seen. Position the fill light so that its light falls directly into the shadows created by the main light. Then you can move the light forward or back on the axis, and adjust the brightness, so that the right amount of contrast is created between the pools of light and the shadows. If necessary, you can also move the fill light around the studio to experiment with the relationship between main light and fill light.

3. Place a background light on the floor between the subject and the backdrop. Aim the light upwards and at the backdrop to liven it up a bit.

4. Place a hair light so that its pool of light falls on the top of the head of the subject. Make sure the light does not fall into the face. This creates extra depth and dimension, and separates the subject from the background. Many studio photographers swear by the hair light for creating three-dimensionality.

5. Understand that a back light can be used by advanced photographers to create a subtle outline around the subject--a silver lining, if you will. This one is challenging. Experiment with it.

6. Use light reflectors and diffusers to manipulate existing studio light and adjust the overall light palette in the scene. Place a reflector to the side of the scene to reflect light from the main light back into the scene. Place a diffuser over the main light, or between the main light and the scene, to soften the quality of light.

7. Keep in mind that barn doors, grids, snoots, gobos, filters and gels are all accessories you can place over light sources to adjust the shape, size, intensity or quality of the light coming into the scene. Once you have mastered the four basic lights along with diffusers and reflectors, you can start adding these gadgets to your studio photography arsenal.

Make Street Art At Kinkos

Create street art at Kinko's.

Street art, also known as poster art, is art developed for public spaces. It is used for activism and to raise awareness about certain social and political issues. Street art can include traditional graffiti art in addition to sticker art and stencil graffiti. According to Faith Campos, a Kinko's employee, customers should have an idea of the kind of street art they want before they come to Kinko's. In order to make street art at Kinko's, it is best to create art on paper before proceeding.

Instructions

1. Determine what kind of image you want to incorporate into your street art. Your image can contain graffiti-styled letters, bubble letters, shapes, etc. Use a pencil to sketch your image on your paper or poster board and use a marker to darken your outline.

2. Finalize your outline and color your street art image with colored pencils, markers, paint or chalk.

3. Take your finished, colored street art image to Kinko's and give it to an employee. The employee will then scan your image and create a digital PDF file. He will then transfer the digital file to a large poster board. This simply involves printing the digital file on a poster board of your choice. You can have multiple poster boards created so that you can hang them in several places.

Make Sticky Tape In Illustrator

Photoshop is a fun and productive image editing software that given that right amount of imagination can transform any ordinary image into something special. One fun tool in Photoshop is the sticky tape effect. This tool allows a user to make it appear that any image is being held up by sticky tape.

Instructions

1. Open the image to be sticky taped. Increase the canvas size to expose edges around the image. The increase can be any size but needs to be large enough to show the tape. To accomplish this, select image from the main menu, choose the canvas size and press the OK button. Experiment with the changes until the desired size is accomplished.

2. Select the rectangle tool from the left side menu panel. Hold down the left mouse button and draw the rectangle until it resembles a strip of tape in size.

3. Rasterize the rectangle. Choose the layer option from the main menu. Locate the rasterizing option from the layer menu and select rasterize layer.

4. Change the opaqueness of the rectangle. Locate the layers tab on the bottom right-hand side of the Photoshop editing software. Change the opaqueness of the sticky tape from 100 percent to 49 percent by right clicking on the arrow icon and moving the slide button until it displays 49 percent.

5. Alter the color fill of the sticky tape. Again locate the layers tab and choose the fill option. Select the arrow to the right hand side of the fill box. Move the slide button until the fill option displays 35 percent.

6. Use the polygonal lasso tool from the left side panel to create the jagged edge that gives the appearance of torn edges. Make a straight edge with the tool on the side away from the sticky tape. On the other side make the jagged lines that resemble the edges of tape. Make sure that the jagged edges overlap the sticky tape on the end boundaries. Select the cut option from the edit menu.

7. Move the sticky tape to the corner of the image to give the appearance that the image is taped to the canvas.

8. Duplicate the sticky tape on each of the other three corners of the image. Select the layer option from the main menu and choose the duplicate option. After each duplication move the sticky to each corner and select free transform from the edit menu. Rotate each sticky tape until the desired effect is accomplished. Repeat until all four corners have the sticky tape effect.

Draw An Unpleasant Duck

An ugly duck usually refers to the 19th century fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Anderson, in which a family of ducks accidentally raises a swan. Young swans have short necks and big feet and are covered in down. They have mottled gray or brown coloring for the first few years before turning white. Keep this in mind when drawing an ugly duck.

Instructions

1. Draw simple shapes. Use circles for the head and front of the duck. Sketch a large oval for the body, small ovals for the wings, rectangles for the legs and triangles for the beak. For an ugly duck, make the beak a little bit large and put a crook in it.

2. Connect the shapes with lines. Curved lines connect the head to the body and form the neck. You should have the general outline of a duck. If it is not an ugly enough duck, exaggerate the proportions to make it more ungainly.

3. Add shading to create dimension and blend until smooth. If using a pencil, smudge with a tortillon and go in with a kneaded eraser to create lighter areas. Follow the shape of the duck.

4. Fill in with fine lines and details. Use curved lines for the feathers. Put dark oval pupils into the eyes keeping a white dot in the pupil for realism. Add some dark to the end of the beak.

5. Create texture with fine marks. To draw an ugly duck, make the feathers ragged and uneven on the wings. For the body, give it a messy appearance by varying the direction of the pencil lines.

Famous Civil War Works of art

Although a horrific event, the civil war produced some lovely oil paintings that we still cherish.

Fought between the years 1861 and 1865, the American Civil War cost the lives of 620,000 people. Out of the bloodshed and mourning came some beautiful works of art. Some paintings were painted while the Civil War was happening and some were painted just a few years after.

"The Last Meeting"

Painted in 1869 by artist Everett B. D. Julio, this oil painting depicts Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson sitting on their horses and discussing strategy on the eve of the Battle of Chancellorsville, May 1, 1863. The painting was originally titled "Heroes of Chancellorsville."

"Lee's Surrender to Grant at Appomattox"

L. R. Guillaume is the creative mind behind the famous painting of Generals Lee and Grant sitting down at a table at Appomattox Courthouse to discuss Lee's terms of surrender. In the background you will see other Union generals looking on as the two military leaders talk. Most notable is Eli Parker, who can be seen standing directly behind Grant. Lieutenant Colonel Parker was the Native American officer who drafted the conditions of surrender that Lee signed.

"Abraham Lincoln"

Painted in 1869 by artist George Peter Alexander Healy, this famous oil painting depicts a contemplative President Abraham Lincoln sitting in a chair. Healy's paintings were known for their lack of background detail. He much preferred to place the focus on the object of his work.

"Robert E. Lee"

Artist John Adams Elder not only painted the Civil War, he fought in it. Elder was in Fredericksburg on December 11, 1862, when Federal troops began their assault on the small Virginia town. The next day he enlisted into the Confederate army. After the war, he painted many portraits from memory. He is best known for his eight paintings of General Robert E. Lee and his work was commissioned by both Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia.

Make Affordable Matting For Mirrors

Picture frame mats are a staple in the art world. Not only do they provide decoration but they also help protect the picture from the glass. It's difficult to make the mat material yourself, but getting it cheap at a store and doing the handy work on it yourself is very doable. This will teach you make the matting for a picture frame.

Instructions

1. First, we need to determine how large of a picture we have and how much of a border we'd like to add to it. Typically, borders are about 3 inches all the way around the picture.

2. The art's size will determine how large of a picture frame and matting we'll need. There are several ways you could window a picture but typically people either crop it using the matting or leave an additional small border with where nothing but the back of the picture frame exists.

3. First cut a piece of matting that will fit the picture frame. Use a straight edge or cutting board, along with a knife to cut the material.

4. On the back of the mat, measure the window that you're art will appear in. With the outline made, go ahead and place a straight edge along the lines and cut across the matting using your cutters. If you wish to bevel the frame matting do it pointing towards the outside of the frame so it can be visible to on lookers.

Take Digital Studio Portraits

Take Digital Studio Portraits

Create your own studio quality digital portraits at home with your digital camera quickly and easily. Digital cameras have so many options that almost anyone can be a professional photographer. With a little knowledge and imagination, you will no longer need to pay high priced professionals to take portraits for you, or pick from a selection of poses you are not in love with. Follow these steps and be your own family photographer.

Instructions

1. Set up your studio. Pick a space in your home that has controllable natural light, and plenty of outlets. Hang a length of rope across your studio space, and drape the drop cloth over it. Hang enough drop cloth that it loosely covers the floor. Secure the corners along the rope with clothes pins. Secure the edges on the ground with weights.

2. Use the various surfaces of your room to place your clamp lights on. Natural light is always best, but not always possible. Hanging many clamp lights will allow you to control the intensity of the light.

Place reflector boards strategically throughout the room. Harsh lighting will cast shadows behind your subject and create an undesirable portrait. Mylar windshield shades for cars make great reflectors, and have more placement options.

3. Gather props. A simple black stool is perfect for a classic seated portrait. Batting used for quilting creates clouds when placed beneath your subject. If you are photographing infants, you will need to purchase foam wedges to keep the baby from falling over. Always have an adult nearby in case baby decides to roll.

4. Set your digital camera on the fastest shutter speed possible. You'll need to take rapid fire shots to get the perfect one. According to photographer Wayne Abrahams, a photographer gets only one perfect shot for every 100 frames.

5. Natural portraits are best. Create a relaxing atmosphere in your studio. For adults, use music of their era, and get them talking about the past. This will cause them to produce a genuine smile, or a melancholy expression. For babies and children, allow them to play with the props to get a natural smile. Encourage the parents to be present, but to not push their children into a contrived posed. Children are naturally photogenic and beautiful.

6. Save your photos to a CD, and have them printed. Unless you have a professional printer that is capable of producing poster sized photos, you will not be satisfied with the self-printed portrait. You can print high quality digital portraits online for reasonable prices.

Calligraphy Lettering Styles

Calligraphy is an ancient art of beautiful writing.

The word calligraphy comes from Greek and means "beautiful" and "writing." An ancient art of beautiful writing, its origins can be traced back 4000 years to China; however, calligraphy is found all over the world and some of the best known calligraphy styles include Japanese, Islamic and Western European. Calligraphy is a highly skilled art form and is used in anything from invitations to book covers to writing letters. There are many lettering styles to choose from but the popular ones in use today are from the Western European calligraphy fonts.

Roman

Roman style calligraphy font has thin and thick lettering styles. Roman style script divides into two distinct categories, the Antique Roman and Capital Roman fonts. Antique Roman style font has capital letters much larger than the lower case letters. Capital Roman, as the title suggests, uses all capital letters. Roman calligraphy fonts use clear and traditional lettering styles.

Gothic

Gothic calligraphy style has two other names; Blackhand and Old English. This type of writing featured heavily during the Renaissance and stems from as far back as the Middle Ages. Typically the writing has highly decorative features and uses a narrow writing style.

Spencerian

As a famous example of the font style, the Coca-Cola company logo uses Spencerian Script. A writing style popular in America between 1850-1925, it has wide spaces between letters and is commonly referred to as a graceful lettering style. Spencerian calligraphy was widely replaced in popular use from 1900 by a more modern lettering style developed by N.A. Palmer.

Uncial

Uncial comes from the French word "oncial" and got its start in Europe during the Middle Ages. It has a broad style with disconnected letters. Later Uncial evolved into a script called La Ronde which France used widely until the mid-1940s in its official documentation.

Copperplate

The Declaration of Independence uses Copperplate script. It derives its name from copper plates on which to etch the script for reproduction. An elegant and cursive writing style, it has become a particularly popular font for wedding invitations today. Commonly, 18th and 19th century writing styles used Copperplate script.

Italic

Italic script derives its name from its Italian origins. A popular font in modern use, it has a clear lettering style used to especially emphasize words and sentences in text. In Italic font the letters slant to the right. Lucinda Calligraphy Italic, the more cursive of the Italic fonts, mimics an ornamental handwriting style. It belongs to the Chancery category of scripts of the Renaissance era.

Make Shadow Tones With Acrylic Fresh paint

Shadows are the dark tones created by an obstruction of light.

The introduction of acrylic paints revolutionized the visual arts world. According to

Rachel Mustalish of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, acrylic paints developed in the mid-20th century were highly pigmented and first used by artists, such as Andy Warhol and Helen Frankenthaler. Acrylic paints are fast drying and able to be thinned by water, rather than turpentine. To make shadow tones with acrylic paint, observe whether the tone is warm or cool and mix the appropriate paint color to the chosen background or scenery color. Paint the object first and then add its shadow.

Instructions

1. Consider the tone of the shadow you are planning on painting. Most shadows are cool tones, which have blue in them, rather than warm tones, which contain reds and oranges. Cool tones move back into space, while warm tones are popped forward on paintings.

2. Paint your object and the area where your object's shadow should go. For example, if it is a vase on a wooden table, apply paint for the vase. Squeeze a walnut-sized amount of brown paint onto your palette for the first thin layer of the wooden table. Dip your medium-sized brush into the brown paint and paint the table.

3. Squeeze an almond-sized amount of blue paint onto your palette. Mix it with a small amount of the brown with the same brush. Paint the part of the shadow closest to the object. If you are adding a shadow to a vase on a wooden table, paint the bottom edge of the vase where the shadow should go with this color. The shadow should be added opposite to the light source in the painting.

4. Mix a small amount of brown to the first mixture of blue and brown for the lighter area of the shadow, which should move away from the object, or vase in this case. Add more brown to the mixture as you move away from the object; the shadow should be lighter as it is farther away from the object.

5. Dip the paintbrush into the blue again. Paint the shadow area closest to the vase and the edges of the shadow. Step back from your painting and mix more brown and blue to any other areas of the shadow tone that needs more paint.

Create A Stage Ground Plan

Stage ground plans work as a master plan to grips and stage to set up scenery and equipment.

A stage ground plan is scaled down map of a stage. It is drawn from an aerial view, directly above the stage area. The ground plan includes the dimensions of the stage, the location of scene elements, the size of scene elements, overhead construction, doors and their swing, the movement of scenic elements that are mobile, drapery locations and flying elements if there are any like cyclorama. All these elements are sized to a scale and drawn in.

Instructions

1. Set up the stage for the scene. Place all elements being used, including scene pieces and flying elements.

2. Measure and record the dimensions of all elements, the stage and the dimensions of the elements location on the stage. These measurements can be taken down in inches or feet, but keep it consistent.

3. Decide on a scale for your drawing. For example five feet will be represented by one centimeter in your drawing. Convert your measurements to the scale.

4. Draw your map. Using a ruler draw out the dimensions of the stage. Add in the scene elements, do not forget to measure make sure that you place the elements in the appropriate location.

5. Draw the movement of elements using arrows. For items above the stage or flying elements use dashed lines when drawing them.

Rapidograph Tips

Technical drawing

Rapidographs are a type of pen used in technical drawing. Since 1953, the Rapidograph pen has been wildly popular among architects, engineers and draftsmen. Rapidographs make lines of even width and consistency.

Most professionals purchase a set of Rapidograph pens, with nibs of varying width. There are pens for thick lines, thin lines and just about every size in between; each size is denoted by a different-colored band. Rapidographs are famous for producing smaller lines, dots and other marks than most pens.

Rapidographs are fountain pens, so those using them must keep them clean and refill the ink periodically.

Picking the Right Ink

Clogging is a frequent problem with Rapidograph pens. If ink clogs the nib, the Rapidograph will not produce marks. Many draftsmen suggest using a different ink than the ink that comes with Rapidograph sets.

India ink is the type of ink most frequently used for drawing. Other popular options are the Rapidograph "Ultradraw 3085-F" and Mars-matic drawing ink.

Cleaning

Careful cleaning is essential to keeping Rapidographs in good working order. There are a number of commercial cleaning solutions available, like Rapido-Eze.

Some people clean their Rapidographs by soaking the pen tips in ultrasonic jewelry cleaners, as the fine vibrations loosen dried ink. Other suggestions involve using vinegar to soak the tips.

Storage

When not using the Rapidograph pen, keep it stored with the tip pointing up. Art supply dealers also suggest storing pens filled with ink in a jar of water that comes about halfway up the pen, with the top off. The water prevents the ink from quickly drying out. This only works for about a week, however.

Drawing

If the pen starts to clog while you're drawing, make a little side swipe on a separate piece of paper. This often removes light clogs and you can begin drawing again.

Avoid a heavy hand while drawing. More pressure will not affect the quality of the line, and may damage the nib or rip bits of paper from the page--which will clog up your nib as well.

Persistent Problems

If problems with your Rapidograph pen persist, consider contacting Koh-i-Noor, the company that manufactures them. Koh-i-Noor tends to stand by the quality of its product, and the company's representatives are often helpful.

Make Scratch Repairs On The Gun Stock

Make Scratch Repairs on a Gun Stock

Even if you're careful, your gun stock can become scratched, making the gun look worn and tired. Owning a gun means taking responsibility for its care, so knowing care for the stock is essential.

Always make sure your gun is not loaded before attempting any repairs or maintenance.

Instructions

1. Wipe the stock several times with a paper towel that has been moistened with vinegar. This removes oils from your hands and built-up dirt. Let the stock dry completely.

2. Moisten a cloth with G96 hi-speed linseed oil and gently rub into the stock in a circular motion. The linseed oil will begin to fill in the scratches in the stock.

3. Repeat Step 2 but with more linseed oil on your cloth. Use more in scratched areas of the gun stock to allow the oil to build up. With each application, you will see the scratches disappear.

4. Wipe off excess after allowing the rifle to sit overnight.

The Very Best European Travel Routes

Europe is a popular destination for travelers from all over the world and from all walks of life. It has something to offer everyone, no matter what your budget, interests or age. When planning a trip to Europe, consider your personal goals for the trip, and choose your travel route accordingly. Some of the best travel routes have been tried and tested for centuries; the best sites in Europe are timeless, and the proximity of the countries makes for convenient, fast travel.

European Art Tour

Europe has some of the world's greatest art. If you are an art buff, start with the Mecca of the art world--the Louvre in Paris, home of the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Then, move on to the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain, where you can check out works by El Greco and Titian. Head to Holland to visit the Van Gogh Museum, and then move on to Italy. In Florence, you can check out Michelangelo's David, Brunelleschi's dome, and the stunning Uffizi Gallery. Move down to Rome to visit the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Pieta, and countless frescoes. If you have the time, fit in trips to the British Museum in London and the Albertina in Vienna.

European Food Tour

Europe is home to some of the best cuisines in the world, which have been developed over the region's long history. Start in Spain and sample the seafood and famous dishes such as paella. Take a train to France, and tour Paris' restaurants to indulge in rich, buttery dishes and distinctive offerings such as escargot (snails). In Provence, you'll delight in the fresh, local wines, herbs and vegetables. Then, head to Switzerland to sample the world-famous chocolate and cheese. As a grand finale, go south to Italy. Stop in Tuscany for the hearty Tuscan cuisine. Enjoy local wine at one of the countless vineyards, and eat as much pasta as your stomach can handle. Be sure to walk and ride bikes as often as possible to work off the calories and see the countryside between meals.

European Backpacker Tour

If you have the time, budget and patience, do the grand tour of Europe that's attempted by thousands of backpackers each year. Book a cheap ticket into a major capital in Europe--Dublin is a good alternative to London--and go without reservations or plans. If you can handle this type of free-flowing travel, it is the best way to see Europe. Pack light and be flexible, and you have the freedom to go as the spirit moves you, spending more time in places you love and less in places you don't. A possible itinerary is to fly into Dublin, explore Ireland, move over into Scotland and England, go through the Chunnel to Paris, and move on to Spain and Portugal. Fly to Italy, take a boat to Greece, and take a combination of trains and flights to Austria, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.

The Route Less Traveled

If you're more adventurous or if you're looking for a one of a kind European travel experience, consider a less-common travel route. Try spending time in Finland, Sweden and Norway for beautiful scenery and beautiful people. Travel on a budget in Eastern Europe, and enjoy fewer tourists in Poland and Romania. If you'd like to spend less time in transit and have a more in-depth experience, consider choosing one country to explore--visit Italy's countless wineries, enjoy Croatia's scenery or bicycle around Ireland.

Copic Markers Tutorial

For a long time, many in the illustration and design fields have regarded Copic markers as the best markers available. They come in over 300 colors, are non-toxic and acid free and mix well with other media, like airbrush or colored pencil. Now that they are becoming more readily available outside of their country of origin, Japan, those wanting to create all kinds of art are taking advantage of their versatility and great appearance.

Purchasing Copic Markers

To start with, you may want to purchase one of Copic's many combo packs. They offer packs containing 12, 36 and 72 basic color combinations. Some 72-color packs have color combinations more specifically geared towards different uses. There is one set for anime/manga, and another for the industrial design field.

Different Types of Copic Markers

Copic markers also come with a variety of tips. The basic Copic markers have two tips, one pen-like, and the other chiseled. All color choices are also available in wide tips for covering large areas. Sketch markers are also available with finer tips and ink that doesn't run out as quickly.

Empty markers are also available. This allows you to take advantage of Copic's unique color-mixing feature. Since Copic markers are refillable, you can mix two colors together to create a new one.

Application

Copic markers can be applied to almost any type of paper. If you are applying markers over pencil lines, make sure the lines are barely visible, as you won't be able to erase them once the marker is applied. Using a hard pencil (like a 5 or 6H) will make lines light enough that they won't show through. Apply color with Copic markers in quick, sweeping motions, not letting the marker tip touch the paper for too long, to prevent bleeding.

When filling in an area, use multiple, overlapping strokes to darken an area of color. If you apply one stroke over another while the first stroke is still wet, the colors will blend seamlessly. If you wait for a layer of color to dry before adding another layer, the layer underneath will show through.

Also, try overlapping colors that are slightly different in value. For example, use dark blue over a lighter blue to create subtle and realistic changes in value that add form to your drawing.

Lastly, if you want to lighten an area that you've colored with Copic markers, use the colorless blender marker that comes with each set. Applying a few strokes with this clear marker will cut the color down a few values.

Mixing with Other Mediums

Colored pencils work well with Copic markers. You can add detail or texture to an image colored with Copic markers simply by applying colored pencil strokes on top.

You can also try using Copic markers to color drawings rendered with India ink for a comic-book look. Because you are using black ink that doesn't get affected by the Copic markers, you don't have to worry about "staying within the lines." Making drawings using this technique can result in a dynamic image.

Acrylic inks can also be used with Copic markers. Highlights painted with white acrylic paint stand out particularly well.

Make Rap Music Free Of Charge

Rap music is a popular genre with many hits and multiplatinum albums. Not only can you make rap music with the proper talent, work ethic and creative drive but you can also make the music for free.

Instructions

1. Log onto soundclick.com and check out the thousands of beats produced by thousands of individuals. You will be surprised at some of the talent and creativity, and best of all, some of the beats are free to use. Make sure you consult the creator first and verify that the beat is free to use for commercial purposes.

2. Download the free Audacity program (see Resources). Import your beat file into Audacity. Use the program to work with the beat until the sound is exactly what you are looking for.

3. Use your computer's built-in microphone, or a plug-in microphone, to record your vocals. You can record the vocals directly into Audacity, so no other recording files are needed. Open up the program, create a new track, and hit the "Record" program.

4. Mix and master the final recording until it fits your musical tastes. Audacity provides a lot of mixing features, such as setting individual track levels and adding sound effects. Also, if you have a keyboard, hook up the keyboard to your computer, create a new track on Audacity, and record them directly into the program. You can then export the file as an MP3, post it online, and share it with the rest of the world.

Info On Dish Latino

Along side of Direct TV is its competitor, DISH Network. DISH has many bundle packages including the DISH Latino Package that will please and provide for its Spanish-speaking customers. Since the level of Spanish-speaking customers is steadily growing in the United States, DISH Latino has emerged and brings the Latino world to the U.S. with its variety of channels.

DISH Latino

DISH Latino now offers 35 Spanish-language channels including movies, talk shows and sitcoms, sports, novellas, music and game shows for the base package price of $27.99 per month. This base package is the standard bundle package from DISH Latino and does not contain any English-language channels.

DISH Latino Package Plus

A step up from the standard bundle package is the Dish Latino Plus package starting at $32.99 per month. In addition to the 35 Spanish-language channels, it offers nine English-language channels including cable networks such as TBS, USA Network and AMC.

DISH Latino Dos

Dish Latino Dos package is the following step up, and it is listed at $39.99 per month. This package has been compared with the America's Top 200 deal because of the variety of channels. This package includes everything the Plus package has, plus an additional 150 English speaking stations to give customers a total of 195+ stations from DISH Latino Dos. Many of these new stations are audio only.

DISH Latino Max

Hence the name, DISH Latino Max is considered to be the king of all of the Spanish-language packages because it simply has the biggest selection in channels. Dish Latino Max provides its customers with more than 220 channels and is listed at $46.99 per month.

Other Features

Any package from DISH Latino has the ability to add local channels or DVR. Local channels are an addition $5 charge per month (where the local channels are available) and the DISH DVR subscription is an additional $6 per month.

Make Professional R&B Music

In the competitive world of music, it is very important to create polished and professional tracks to separate you from your competitors. If you're just starting out, the following basic tips will help you find your own voice, mostly from your computer chair.

Instructions

1. Buy a music software program that will help you manage your tracks. There are many on the market right now, starting at around $100. Some suggestions for software are Cakewalk Home Studio 9 and Adobe Audition 2. The prices go up from there, and as a new artist, a less complicated software package is fine. Some software programs also provide music beats with software like FL Studio 8. The type of software you're looking for is one that allows you to overdub, or add layers to the track, such as the vocal layer, the main music layer, the background vocals, harmonizing and additional background music.

2. If you don't buy a software program that offers music beats, shop around for producers that sell beats. You should always strive to build relationships with producers. You can also search online forums or find someone locally. You may be able to find free beats, but make sure they are totally free. Many artists have found out the hard way that the tracks purchased were not royalty free after the song became popular.

3. Before promoting your music, first try SliceThePie (see Additional Resources section), which is a British company that features artists from around the world. It gives the artist an audience with powerful feedback (in written form) about what works for the song and what doesn't. As a serious artist, you want to listen to the general gist of comments and improve accordingly. There is an initial investment, but it rewarding to know what people really think before putting yourself out there.

4. Promoting your music to as many people as possible is the goal. Of course, you want to make sure you have a quality product, but it doesn't matter if no one is listening. Fortunately, there are many ways to get your music out there for free or almost free. Many people have used Youtube or Myspace as vehicles for music promotion. Try newer websites like Promote My Song, Pandora or Pure Volume (see Additional Resources, below). You can always go old school and send in CDs to radio stations, but in the digital age, a lot of companies are tuning in to the Internet.

Photo taking Lighting Configurations

Photographic Lighting Setups

A love of photography stems from a desire to capture something in its most beautiful or interesting state. A photographer is an artist using a camera for her brush. However, the desired image is not merely the subject itself but a combination of the subject and light. Lighting is perhaps the most important accessory in photography but also the most variable and malleable. These are some basic steps to finding the best photographic lighting setup for your subject.

Instructions

1. Define your shot style. To begin with, you should have an idea of what you would like to convey with your photo. Are you shooting a cover for an architecture magazine? Are you capturing the ambiance of area nightlife? Would you like your subject to appear mysterious and brooding or carefree and playful? All of these things can be determined with the type of light, the amount of light and most importantly, the placement of the light. Dramatic photos require higher lighting contrasts while bright and colorful shots are created by softer light with fewer shadows.

2. Define your light source. Once you know what you want to say with your photo, you will need to figure out where you will get your light? There are two types of lighting sources, existing and artificial. Existing light is the light that is there at the scene. Examples of existing light would be the moon, a street lamp or a sparkler. Photos taken with existing lights are often called natural shots. These include all types of lights except bright sunlight from directly above. Artificial lights are lights that you provide and set up. These are typically studio lights or a camera flash bulb. Beautiful pictures can be captured with either source.

3. Place your main lighting source. Your main light is called your key light. Your key light defines your object by light and creates shadows based on lack of light. Aesthetic photos can be taken with only a key light depending on what type of light it is and where it is placed. Your key light can be the sun. Sunlight works best when it comes in at an angle; for this reason, sun-lit shots are generally best acquired in the early morning or before sunset. Your key light can also be a flash bulb. Flash lights often provide front lighting, meaning the light is coming from the direction of the camera. If this is your only light source, the image can appear one dimensional. Studio flash bulbs can be set up to light from an angle and controlled remotely.

4. Place your alternate lighting sources. Because the presence of light always creates shadows, in most cases, you will need to offset them. A fill light, a secondary light often placed opposite the key light, can fill in those shadows. The fill light also provides the ratio of light, meaning the difference between the amount of light from the key light and the amount of light from the fill light. A higher ratio, or higher contrast, creates more dramatic shots. A lower ratio, with a lower contrast, also called soft lighting, provides shots that are very evenly lit. Other alternate lighting can come from back lights. These are lights that are placed behind the subject facing toward the camera. Back lights keep a human subject from squinting and can also create silhouettes or a mystical effect.

5. Play with your light. When all is said and done, art is truly objective. Artistic shots can be taken in almost any light, at any angle, depending on the effect you are trying to create. It is very important to experiment with different light sources combined with different angles and distances to your subject. Using these variables along with the exposure settings on your camera, you can create an infinite amount of diverse and stunning photos.

Find Unique Names For The Figures

Coming up with unique names for characters is one of the many decisions writers make when putting together a story. There are various fun and easy solutions to this common writing dilemma. After using some of these techniques, your characters' names can be so unique and wonderful that your readers won't have any problems remembering them.

Instructions

1. Use word play to come up with unique character names. Many authors, such as J.K. Rowling and even Charles Dickens, used anagrams to come up with interesting names. So get a dictionary and look at words as something more than their basic meanings. Think about ways of taking words apart to create names or nicknames from them. For example, you could come up with something like Annie Pasto, from antipasto, or Will E. Beast from wildebeest.

2. Find a baby name book or go online and search through baby name sites to find interesting character names. You can find names based on different cultures and research what the names mean. Then you can play with the spelling of these names and come up with new names of your own.

3. Use name generators to create names. There are literally hundreds of these sites online--everything from pirate names, your name from some character in a movie, to prisoner or Bond girl names. Just playing around on these sites and using various combinations of your name or your friends' and family names can get your creative juices flowing and give you all kinds of ideas for interesting character names. Write down any names you like so that you can easily remember them.

4. Research the history and regions you want to write about to find unique names. This is especially useful since names vary in different eras and places. The more you learn about the history and the regions of your characters, the easier it is to create their names.

Make Porcelain Sculptures

Human shaped porcelain sculpture can be created using molds.

Hand building a porcelain sculpture is an ambitious project, but with some perseverance and patience, you may obtain pleasing results. Without any previous sculpting or pottery experience, you can create some abstract shapes by hand and even human or other shaped figurines using a mold. Porcelain is a type of ceramic material that is fired to higher temperatures than other types of clay and one that, after firing, displays a fine and translucent surface. Porcelain is most frequently glazed.

Instructions

Make a Porcelain Sculpture

1. Decide on the shape you want to create and draw a sketch. Even if you want to make an abstract shape you need to have a basic idea of how you want your sculpture to look. If you want to create a more complex shape, you need a mold.

2. Choose a space in your home, basement or yard. You need a working table and a comfortable chair. Place old newspapers on the table and floor to protect these.

3. Play with the ceramic material prior to starting your project.

Condition the porcelain. This is a procedure that is needed to warm up the material and make it more malleable. Play with the material and form a few coils to get used to the material.

4. If using a mold, press in the material using both your hands. Your mold may be made up of two pieces, so fill both pieces and join these by pressing them together.

If you choose to create your sculpture without molds, form a few clay balls, squares, coils or slabs and combine these following your initial sketch. Insert wire between two distinct pieces to connect them and make your sculpture more stable.

5. Take out the porcelain from the molds after 5 to 10 minutes. Make the surface smoother using a moist sponge or paint brush.

You may decorate your hand built sculpture by carving a few lines or symbols or by applying some clay coils.

6. Allow the porcelain sculpture to dry at least 48 hours (or even more if the atmosphere is humid) before firing. The sculpture needs to be bone dry when placed into the kiln. The sculpture is fired in a kiln between 1,800 and 2,000 degrees F. The initial firing is called bisque firing and is performed at lower temperatures to extract the moisture and harden the porcelain, while still keeping the surface porous to make the glazing process easier.

7. Glaze your sculpture using glazes. Apply the glaze using paint brushes. Skip this step if you prefer to paint your sculpture without glazing it.

8. A second firing is needed to allow the glazes to penetrate the porcelain. Glazes make the porcelain impermeable to liquids and will also imbue the porcelain with colors, so you don't need to paint your sculpture.

Make Pop-sicle Stick Puppets

You can make small puppets using printed pictures and popsicle sticks. This is a very simple craft project that children as young as 2 years old can complete with a little help. The puppets can be used to tell stories, put on a puppet show or just engage in a little imaginative play.

Instructions

1. Print out line drawings of animals or people that your child enjoys. There are many pictures available for this purpose on the Internet. Pictures of about 3-inches high by 2-inches wide work best for this purpose.

2. Have your child color the pictures with crayons. This is a good time to talk about the people or animals in the picture, and what your child imagines they would say if they could talk (see Resources below).

3. Cut the pictures out, leaving about an inch margin around each picture. The margin will make it easier to glue the pictures onto the construction paper backing.

4. Using a thin layer of glue spread evenly, glue the pictures onto the construction paper. Depending on the number and size of pictures, this may take multiple sheets of construction paper. Allow the glue to completely dry before continuing.

5. Cut the pictures out with their construction paper backing. This time, cut along the edges rather than leaving a margin.

6. Turn one of the pictures over so that the construction paper is facing out. Be sure that the picture is oriented correctly from top to bottom.

7. Spread a thin layer of glue over the top inch of one side of a popsicle stick. Press the glue-covered part of the popsicle stick firmly against the bottom inch of the construction paper backing.

8. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for each of the puppets you are making. Allow the puppets to dry for about 15 minutes before using.

Make Polymer Clay Babies

Polymer clay is a type of clay that is made of plastic and is convenient for home crafters. It is more flexible and pliable than natural clay. It also has a wider variety of colors. Polymer clay fires at a very low temperature so that you can use your oven to harden it rather than a kiln.

Instructions

1. Lay a piece of wax paper over your workspace. Tape it down. This will create a smooth surface for you to roll out your clay.

2. Hold a piece of flesh-colored clay between in the outstretched palm of your hand and the work surface. The size of the piece of clay will determine how big the baby's head is.

3. Move your hand in a circular motion parallel to the work surface to roll the clay into a ball. Set the head aside.

4. Roll out a piece of clay so that it is 1/8 inch thick. This will be the baby's blanket. Cut the clay into an irregular diamond shape. The blanket should have one long point and another short point opposite the first. Round the edges if the blanket. Use a sharp serrated knife to make a clean cut.

5. Place the head on the short side of the irregular diamond. Roll the sides of the diamond toward each other so that it looks like the blanket is wrapping a baby's body.

6. Roll small pieces of clay to form eyes on the baby. Use a toothpick to depress irises into the eyes and to draw a mouth on the baby.

7. Repeat the process to make more babies.

Make Political Slogans

Political slogans are essential for any campaign. A successful slogan will energize voters and make them want to vote for the candidate. There are numerous things to consider when coming up with the proper slogan. Issues, location and the personality of the candidate should all be pondered while creating that simple line which will hopefully remain in the minds of voters throughout election season. Here is make political slogans.

Instructions

1. Determine a format for your slogan. Political slogans can be anything from an entire sentence to two or three words put together. You could, for example, have your political slogan designed as: “Candidate's Name: Catchphrase.” Figuring out which you prefer will make coming up with the slogan a much easier process.

2. Make the political slogan as concise as possible. The slogan should be, at most, a single sentence. Anything 10 words or more is far too long for a political slogan. You want voters to remember the slogan and automatically place it with your candidate. Remember that you'll also have to place these slogans on signs and bumper stickers.

3. Consider the political reputation of the candidate when creating a slogan. Perhaps the candidate is known for being tough on crime in the region. Create a slogan which emphasizes this point to the voters. “Tough on crime, fair on justice” could be a slogan you could choose for this candidate.

4. Point out a difference between the candidate and her opponent. Perhaps the opponent wants to raise taxes in the district. You could create a slogan which makes it clear that your opponent will not do so. “No new taxes” is still one of the best-known political slogans in American history. Be careful when doing this, though. Any negative advertisement or slogan could backfire, causing the public to think poorly of your candidate.

5. Be original and clever with the political slogan. It's important that your slogan says something that sticks with voters. Simply saying “Vote for me: The best candidate” will not mean anything to a person who hears it on the radio or sees it on the sign. The political slogan can be emphatic, humorous or even rhyme. Something as simple as “A New Beginning” can be a very effective political slogan. It's short, to the point and emphasizes what the campaign is about.

Create A Music Mix Online For Buddies

Sharing music with friends has never been easier. The internet has enabled music lovers to share artists, albums, and playlists in the blink of an eye. Today there are two major formats for sharing music mixes online--podcasts and internet radio playlists.

A podcast is usually a compressed MP3 that contains an entire mix of music. Much like a digital CD, podcasts offer the listener a complete package that is easily downloadable in one file. Creating a podcast requires you to have all the music available before making the mix.

Internet radio is a web service, similar to iTunes, that allows users to build playlists and mixes on the fly and share them with friends. The advantage of using an internet radio service to make a mix for your friends is that they have enormous libraries of music available on demand and for free.

Instructions

Podcasts

1. Gather all the CDs and MP3s that have the songs you want to go into your playlist.

2. Using a multi-track audio program like GarageBand, Ableton Live, Audacity or Cubase, import the songs into an audio channel in the order you want them to play.

3. Lay each song or file back-to-back so that they flow into each other.

4. Once you have all your songs in place, under the file menu choose "Export" and export the entire mix into one audio file.

If your audio program does not export to MP3, find the WAV or AIFF file and convert it into an MP3 using iTunes or any other MP3 encoding music player.

5. To make the mix available to friends online, choose a suitable podcast hosting service like podbean.com.

Internet Radio Playlists

6. To make a mix for your friends using an internet radio service, find a site that has the music you want to mix. Several sites exist that offer a playlist option, like Grooveshark or Songza.

7. Search their on-demand library of music and add each song to your playlist.

8. Once you have completed your mix, find the "share" option on the website and email it to all your friends.

Christmas Jokes

Find jokes suitable for your office Christmas party.

Celebrate the holiday season with Christmas jokes. There are a wide variety of Christmas jokes available, including those for children and adults. Look for jokes by theme, such as jokes about Santa Claus, reindeer and snowmen; as well as broader-topic jokes, such as knock-knock Christmas jokes or jokes for a Christmas party.

Reindeer Jokes

"Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" is perhaps the most famous (and only) humorous Christmas tune involving reindeer, however there are numerous reindeer jokes available. Jokes include "What do reindeer hang on their Christmas trees?" "Horn-aments.;" "What does a reindeer say before telling a joke?" "This one will sleigh you!;" and "How long should a reindeer's legs be?" "Long enough to reach the ground." Other reindeer jokes include "Why did the reindeer wear sunglasses on the beach?" "Because he didn't want to get recognized."

Elf Jokes

Elf jokes include a take on the classic "lightbulb" joke with "How many elves does it take to change a lightbulb?" "Ten; one to change the lightbulb and nine to stand on each others shoulders." Other elf jokes include "What did the elf say was the first step in using a Christmas computer?" "First, YULE LOGon.," "How do elves greet each other?" "Small world, isn't it?" and "One elf said to another elf, "We had Grandma for Christmas dinner. The other elf said, "Really? We had turkey!"

Snowmen/Snow Jokes

Snowmen joke options include "What do snowmen eat for lunch?" "Icebergers" and "What do snowmen wear on their heads?" "Ice caps." Other snowmen jokes include "How do you know when there is a snowman in your bed?" "You wake up wet." and "What do you get if cross a snowman and a shark?" "Frost bite." Snow-related jokes include "What sort of ball doesn't bounce?" "A snowball." and "What do you call an Eskimo cow?" "An eskimoo."

Christmas Eve Jokes

There are a number of jokes about Christmas Eve available, which can be told to humor children that are hyper about Christmas. Such jokes include "What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?" "It's Christmas, Eve.," "What does Father Christmas suffer from if he gets stuck in a chimney?" "Santa Claustrophobia." and "Why does Father Christmas go down the chimney?" "Because it soots him."

Koala Safeguard Itself

Koala Teeth

Koala bears use their sharp teeth as a defense mechanism against predators of all size. As herbivores, the teeth of a koala bear have evolved to be able to shred the leaves that make up their diets. Kangaroos and wombats have the same evolution of teeth. This shredding ability can also come in as a defense mechanism to shred through the skin layer and injure predators. The teeth have a jagged edge to them at the the bottom of the molars that shreds.

Koala Claws

Koala bears have sharp talon-like claws of their front and back paws. These claws are used mainly to quickly climb up trees for food or protection, but the claws can also be used to swipe at predators. Once the koala has its claws out, it can either evade the predator, if it is a ground predator, by going into the trees or defend against the predator by lashing out. The koala bear is very strong, so a blow with bared claws is capable of taking down moderate-size predators.

Koala Coloring

The gray and white coloring of the koala bear is another tool for protection. This color combination allows them to hide in the treetops away from land predators. When predators look into the treetops, the koala's coloring looks like the sky. The leaves of the trees used as the koala habitat also hide the bear from predators.

Koala Sounds

Koala bears are usually silent because they camouflage themselves in the treetops that are their habitats. However, the male koala is capable of making an extremely loud call to warn off predators and attract female mates.