From one “crafty” person to another, here are a bunch of ideas to undertake out while you’re crafting or sewing to make your life a bit easier, and to save a bit of cash and time in the process.

1. Use inexpensive index cards to staple on fabric swatches or ribbon; very handy to take with you to your fabric or craft shop.

2. Old pillowcases make handy cover-ups for children! Cut out a big hole for the head and two littler holes for the arms and just slip over their heads. They may even embellish them with tie-dye, fabric paint or iron-ons.

3. If you use rubber stamps for your projects, clean them with a mild detergent after each use, making sure you keep the wood constituents dry. Use a paper towel to arid the stamp and then store them with the stamp side down, away from direct sunlight.

4. Large bottle caps make handy disposable containers for paints or glue.

5. Use a toothpick to apply glue to a little part; less “glue-y” fingers!

6. A damp Q-tip may pick up little items such as seed beads or rhinestones.

7. Keep a magnet handy in case you drop needles or pins on the floor.

8. A coffee may is great for storing balls of yarn when crocheting or knitting. Simply punch a hole in the coffee may lid and poke the yarn up through and out; then close the lid.

9. Use cardboard emery boards as sandpaper for little parts or areas where regular sanders or files will not reach.

10. Shred your leftover wrapping paper to make beauteous “stuffing” for gift baskets and bags.

11. Use your lint roller around your sewing table to pick up bits of thread.

12. Don’t toss out that old plastic tablecloth when you buy a new one. Use the old one as a table protector when crafting.

13. For more prominent projects, use an old plastic shower curtain as a drop cloth or cut it into littler table protectors.

14. Tweezers make outstanding holders for those little parts you’re attempting to glue or paint. Less glue and paint on fingers.

15. Lubricate the tip of your needle before sewing by pushing it into a sliver of soap.

16. Keep a roll of paper towels on your worktable to clean up spills, wipe your hands and even to use for creating texture in your paintings.

17. Use an old coffee may sitting in a pot or pan of hot water on the burner to melt leftover pieces of candles. Make sure you handle the hot coffee may with oven mitts. Add an old candle, the long, tapered kind, to a cardboard milk carton. Add ice and then the melted wax. After the candle is set, tear away the carton over your sink to drain the water and you’ll have a distinguishable “Swiss cheese” candle to use. You may toss out the coffee may after it is use. No worrying when it comes to cleaning a pot with wax residue.

18. Use an old (or new!) fishing case, with all it is a good deal of compartments, for your little craft parts.

19. Hate throwing away the last sliver of soap? Break it up into pieces and place in a rubber baking mold. Melt more soap, either left over or purchased inexpensive soap, cool somewhat so it won’t melt your soap bits and pour into mold, let harden and pop your new soap out of the mold!

20. Tape a little plastic grocery bag or a little paper bag to your sewing table so it hangs over the side. Handy for tossing out bits of cut thread and fabric scraps.

21. A little metal parts cabinet (the kind for bolts, nails and screws, etc.) is great for storing little crafts elements and sewing items. I even have two of them housing all my earrings and necklaces – one or more drawers for each color!

These were just some of the handy hints I’ve applied over the years. There are TONS more out there which may result in “Handy Craft Tips Two” – hey, you never know…stay tuned! Oh, by the way, if YOU have any great tips to share, please email me at info@whimsies-online.com.

Plastic Container Small Peacock 9

Use besides wastebasket. Keep recyclables divided from other refuse.Includes one recycling container.

Most helpful customer reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Perfect trash can for my needs!
By J.L.
I was looking for a small wastebasket for my room. The one that arrived was blue and had the recycling logo on it (as described). It is perfect for what I needed! It holds the plastic grocery bags as a liner very nicely..

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Happy
By C. F. Neri
I am satisfied with this product. They are durable plastic recycling containers. They do their job and hold my recycling.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
does not say “WE RECYCLE”
By SwaggernautMomma
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3LGVOCFZHAKSX I bought this bin thinking it would say “WE RECYCLE”. In fact, it’s the only reason I bought it. I wanted to teach my son that recycling is important and this one was the one to do it. But when it came, it was just a normal bin with the recycling logo. It’s a dollar or so more than the other plain bins so I’m kinda upset about it.

See all 8 customer reviews…

Plastic Container Small Peacock 9 Image

Plastic Container Small Peacock 9 Image

Plastic Container Small Peacock 9 Picture

Plastic Container Small Peacock 9 Photo

Plastic Container Small Peacock 9 Picture

Plastic Container Small Peacock 9 Picture

From one “crafty” person to another, here are a bunch of ideas to undertake out while you’re crafting or sewing to make your life a bit easier, and to save a bit of cash and time in the process.

1. Use inexpensive index cards to staple on fabric swatches or ribbon; very handy to take with you to your fabric or craft shop.

2. Old pillowcases make handy cover-ups for children! Cut out a huge hole for the head and two littler holes for the arms and just slip over their heads. They may even decorate them with tie-dye, fabric paint or iron-ons.

3. If you use rubber stamps for your projects, clean them with a mild detergent after each use, making sure you keep the wood constituents dry. Use a paper towel to arid the stamp and then store them with the stamp side down, away from direct sunlight.

4. Large bottle caps make handy disposable containers for paints or glue.

5. Use a toothpick to employ glue to a little part; less “glue-y” fingers!

6. A damp Q-tip may pick up little items such as seed beads or rhinestones.

7. Keep a magnet handy in case you drop needles or pins on the floor.

8. A coffee may is outstanding for storing balls of yarn when crocheting or knitting. Simply punch a hole in the coffee may lid and poke the yarn up through and out; then close the lid.

9. Use cardboard emery boards as sandpaper for little parts or areas where regular sanders or files will not reach.

10. Shred your leftover wrapping paper to make gorgeous “stuffing” for gift baskets and bags.

11. Use your lint roller around your sewing table to pick up bits of thread.

12. Don’t toss out that old plastic tablecloth when you buy a new one. Use the old one as a table protector when crafting.

13. For larger projects, use an old plastic shower curtain as a drop cloth or cut it into littler table protectors.

14. Tweezers make great holders for those little constituents you’re attempting to glue or paint. Less glue and paint on fingers.

15. Lubricate the tip of your needle before sewing by pushing it into a sliver of soap.

16. Keep a roll of paper towels on your worktable to clean up spills, wipe your hands and even to use for creating texture in your paintings.

17. Use an old coffee may sitting in a pot or pan of hot water on the burner to melt leftover pieces of candles. Make sure you handle the hot coffee may with oven mitts. Add an old candle, the long, tapered kind, to a cardboard milk carton. Add ice and then the melted wax. After the candle is set, tear away the carton over your sink to drain the water and you’ll have a distinguishable “Swiss cheese” candle to use. You may toss out the coffee may after it is use. No worrying with regards to cleaning a pot with wax residue.

18. Use an old (or new!) fishing case, with all it is galore compartments, for your little craft parts.

19. Hate throwing away the last sliver of soap? Break it up into pieces and place in a rubber baking mold. Melt more soap, either left over or purchased inexpensive soap, cool more or less so it won’t melt your soap bits and pour into mold, let harden and pop your new soap out of the mold!

20. Tape a little plastic grocery bag or a little paper bag to your sewing table so it hangs over the side. Handy for tossing out bits of cut thread and fabric scraps.

21. A little metal parts cabinet (the kind for bolts, nails and screws, etc.) is outstanding for storing little crafts constituents and sewing items. I even have two of them housing all my earrings and necklaces – one or more drawers for each color!

These were just a good deal of of the handy hints I’ve applied over the years. There are TONS more out there which may result in “Handy Craft Tips Two” – hey, you never know…stay tuned! Oh, by the way, if YOU have any outstanding tips to share, please email me at info@whimsies-online.com.

Martha Stewart Craft Punch 3 In 1 Classic 2

Martha Stewart Classic Butterfly Medium Craft Punch. This fun and easy craft punch gives rise to crisp, utterly shaped cutouts that are outstanding for embellishing cards, scrapbook pages, party favors, or habit gift tags.

Most helpful customer reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Easy to use, great for crafts
By S. Horan
Compared to other punches this one is pretty big. It is a little had to punch through card stock – kids may need help – It does make some beautiful punches and they are great for confetti

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Great for crafts
By C. Wood
I used this to punch butterfly shapes out of my baby shower cards for a project. It works as described and is great for crafts!

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
triple butterfly punch
By Jeannie
Very hard to punch through card stock. Very heavy, which I guess to some is a plus, but for kids, no. The butterflies are very, very small, smaller than expected. But I purchased it at 50% off, so its a keeper… seldom used, but a keeper. I probably will be very hesitant buying Martha Stewart again unless I can find one that can be used on card stock. In the meantime, I have other brands that do a great job and will probably go back to the “other” brand.

See all 5 customer reviews…

Martha Stewart Craft Punch 3 In 1 Classic 2 Picture

Martha Stewart Craft Punch 3 In 1 Classic 2 Picture

Martha Stewart Craft Punch 3 In 1 Classic 2 Photo

Martha Stewart Craft Punch 3 In 1 Classic 2 Photo

Martha Stewart Craft Punch 3 In 1 Classic 2 Pic

Martha Stewart Craft Punch 3 In 1 Classic 2 Image

Good lighting is a main ingredient of a successful trade-show booth. Just the right lighting scheme may help an artisan develop the atmosphere of a fine-craft gallery. This will lure gallery owners off the isles and into your booth – the initial step toward making a sale.

Lighting is a comparatively highpriced investment. So how does the budget-conscious artisan find the right solution?

When it comes to choosing a lighting system, artists new to the trade show circuit ofttimes become overwhelmed. Prices vary wildly, and each convention center may have it is own lighting rules. Lighting engineering science is altering rapidly, making the selections harder still.

This article details what I learned while tackling the challenge of lighting my 10’X10’ booth at the American Craft Retailers Expo (ACRE), a huge wholesale show for American and Canadian craft artists. As I am new to trade shows, this selective information is meant only as a pointer for artists in the procedure of choosing lighting, and perhaps also for more seasoned artists looking to update their systems.

In examining galore dissimilar lighting options, my goal to be attained was to illumine my glass jewelry beautifully but inexpensively. I wanted the lights to be lightweight and modular, to fit in boxes for shipping to the show. I was looking for contemporary styling, in silver or black. And I wanted to have at least one special lighting effect – not too flashy – to give my booth a distinctive element.

In his CD on booth design, art business advisor Bruce Baker proposes 1,000 watts will light up a 10’X10’ booth very effectively. I decisive to stay at or beneath 500 watts, however, because the ACRE show includes 500 watts with the booth price, and the halogen lighting I at last decisive upon illuminates my displays very well. Since I purchased the lights at a “big-box” store with web sites in almost each city in the U.S., I may add more lights once I’m at the trade show if necessary.

The Battle of the Bulb

Contractors Choice Lighting (www.ccl-light.com) says a light fixture is plainly a “bulb holder.” The bulb, therefore, must drive one’s choice of a fixture. This is more or less true for trade-show lighting, altho the fixtures may dictate the types of bulbs, depending on the selections available at the store where one shops for the lights. The CCL web site offers a “Bulb Photometrics” page ([http://ccl-light.com/photometrics.html]), whose graphical representation is a freshening departure from the complex descriptions of lighting choices that have proliferated on the web.

Halogen is the bulb of choice for a lot of trade show exhibitors. It offers a crisp, white light. Although people normally refer to halogen as non-incandescent, it is in fact a kind of incandescent lamp. It generates light by using a thin filament wire made of tungsten, heated to white by passing an electric current through it. According to General Electric, the introductory halogen lamp was produced in 1959 – not too long ago for a good deal of of us!

Halogen bulbs differ significantly from the established type of incandescents we grew up with. The halogen bulb’s filament is surrounded by halogen gases (iodine or bromine, specifically). These gases let the filaments operate at higher temperatures. The end result is a higher light output per watt.

The gases also do something rather miraculous: Tungsten have a tendancy to evaporate off the filament over time, and the gases genuinely support re-deposit the tungsten onto the filament. This extends the bulb’s life way beyond that of the traditionalisti incandescent bulb, whose evaporated tungsten clings to the walls of the bulb like a smoky apparition and in the long run the uncoated filament snaps. Who hasn’t rattled a burnt-out light bulb and enjoyed the jazzy cymbal sound of the broken filament inside?

In addition to giving off more light than conventional incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs emit a whiter light that provides better color rendition. “For highlighting and bringing out unfeigned colors, use halogen lamps,” proposes USA Light and Electric’s internetlocation (www.usalight.com). “Nothing looks better than the drama brought in with halogen lamps.”

Baker also proposes halogen lights – floodlights in peculiar – for a contemporary look, peculiarly for jewelry and glass. It’s essential to consider that other fine craft materials such as ceramics and wood might be better heightened with halogen spotlights, or even with a lot of of the more conventional incandescent lights that emit a warmer color.

Having decisive upon halogen lighting, my next task would be to choose bulbs. The ACRE show takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which has instituted a rigorous halogen lighting policy. Each light can not exceed 75 watts, and all halogen bulbs must be factory sealed in glass (not in a removable lens or linear shape).

Thankfully, there is a great deal of factory-sealed halogen lighting, in the form of PAR halogen bulbs. PAR is an acronym for “parabolic aluminized reflector.” PAR bulbs have a built-in reflecting surface made of pressed glass. The glass provides both an internal reflector and prisms in the lens for control of the light beam.

PAR bulbs are numbered, as in PAR 16, PAR 20, PAR 56. The PAR number refers to the bulb shape. Bulbs.com has a halogen section of the internetlocation where you may speedily compare the respective PAR bulbs visually. Within a given category of PAR bulbs there are respective wattages, wide and narrow spotlights and floodlights, dissimilar base sizes, and even dissimilar colors.

Fortunately I was competent to skip the procedure of settling on a PAR bulb by resolving introductory where to shop for my lights (more on that below).

Power Issues

When you go to shop for track lights, you’ll detect there’s a choice among 12-volt and 120-volt fixtures. 120 is the general voltage that comes directly into most homes and offices – and convention centers.

For a lamp using 120 volts, no further and added parts are necessary beyond a regular socket. 120-volt fixtures in general are lighter than 12-volt fixtures because they don’t need a transformer. They likewise cost less and may use halogen or regular incandescent bulbs.

I stopped short of investigating 12-volt fixtures, except to find out that they step down the amount of energy being employed to a lower voltage, and thence are more energy efficient. They require a transformer to convert the 120-volt household current to 12 volts, and they may require hardwiring (although one artisan I recognise found a 12-volt fixture with a built-in transformer which she was competent to plug into a 120-volt outlet. A 12-volt fixture accommodates very effective bulbs that offer a assortment of wattages and beam spreads, including the 50-watt MR-16, which is frequent in galleries.

I decisive on 120-volt lighting for the trade show, because I wouldn’t have to worry in regards to transformers and could just plug it in.

Choosing a Store and Track Lighting

I read the ACRE online forum for clues in regards to where to buy lighting. What one artisan said struck me as eminently sensible: He buys all his lighting at Home Depot, because if anything goes defective at the show, he may find a store nearby for substitute parts.

This was something to consider: Tempting as the pretty designs might be, special-order lighting of any kind introduces the danger of having a malfunctioning light for the duration of a show.

Another artisan on the ACRE online forum said he buys his lights from Lowes. It in all likelihood doesn’t matter which big-box store one chooses, as long as there’s one in each city.

Since I was new to trade shows and this was to be my original lighting kit, I resisted choosing from the a good deal of good suppliers on the web. I settled on the fixed but beautiful selection at Lowes. A side gain of this was that my selections were comfortably narrowed.

Within the category of halogen lighting, you may get either track lights or stem-mounted lights (with arms extending outward). I went with track lights. This was partly because the stem lights I found on the web were comparatively highpriced and Lowe’s didn’t offer them, and partly because with track lights I could have one cord rather of assorted hanging down.

The Lowes lighting salesperson was helpful in putting together a full package from the track lighting on display and in stock. I decisive on four, two-foot tracks to keep the size of my shipping boxes down. Here’s a rundown of what I bought:

· 4 two-foot track sections, Portfolio brand, black finish, Item #225678. Each section holds 2 lights, for a total of 8. Total: $23.12

· 8 Flared Gimbal Track Lights, Portfolio brand, Item #120673, with a satin chrome finish for a contemporary look. They are easy to attach to the track by following the directions. Total: $80.76

· 8 halogen bulbs, Par 20, 50-watt, for bright, crisp light. I purchased various floodlights and a couple of spotlights. The bulbs are very packable, at a little over 3” long and 2.5” in diameter. Total: $60.00

· 2 Miniature Straight Connectors by Portfolio, Item #120716, for joining two of the track divisions end to end. The idea is to have only one cord to plug in from a row of four lights. Total: $5.92.

· 2 Cord and Plug Sets, Portfolio brand, Item #120827, to power track from a ordinary AC wall outlet. I connected these to the end of the two of the track sections by unscrewing the covering on one side of the track. Total: $17.06

· Various Multi-Purpose Ties (cable ties), by Catamount, for attaching tracks to booth pipes. Total: $5.00

· 2 heavy-duty extension cord/power strips – 14-gauge, 15-feet, with three outlets each, Woods brand, from Lowe’s, Item #170224, model 82965. Total: $22.00

Grand total: $213.86

The Gimbal lights I chose only receive a 50-watt, PAR 20 bulb, which made it easy to pick out the bulbs. So in this case, the fixture drove the choice of bulb, not the other way around.

According to the Bulb Photometrics page at Contractors Choice Lighting, a PAR 20, 50-watt halogen flood bulb will emit a beam of light with a 5’4” diameter when it reaches 10 feet away. It offers with regards to 12 foot-candles worth of light at 10 feet away from the bulb (a foot-candle is the level of illumination on a surface one foot away from a popular candle.)

For the sake of comparison, a PAR 30 beam offers a diameter of more than 8’ at 10 feet away, and you still get in regards to 14 foot-candles at that distance. What happens if you notch it up to a 75-watt bulb? You get a lot more foot-candles (38) at 10 feet away. This proposes that more spectacular trade-show booths might want to take vantage of higher PAR and higher watt bulbs.

All together, the track lighting scheme I chose uses 400 watts of electricity. This left me another 100 watts to add special line of work or accent lighting to my booth, while still remaining at the 500-watt limit.

Cords, Plugs and Hanging Lights

The Las Vegas Convention Center has very rigorous rules for cords, plugs, and hanging lights.

The two-pronged, 18-gauge cords that the manufacturer has attached to your lights are adequate for the purpose (leave the UL tags and labels intact). These lighting cords cannot be plugged into the convention center outlet, however. Instead, you must plug them into a three-pronged, heavy duty, 14-gauge extension cord – or a breaker strip with a 14-gauge cord. You may then plug that 14-gauge extension cord into the convention center outlet.

A 14-gauge extension cord is competent of handling 1,825 watts. It’s helpful to read the brief extension-cord sizing and safety data on the web pages of the Underwriters Laboratories (www.ul.com/consumers/cords.html) and the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service ([http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY800]) before purchasing a cord.

Bruce Baker proposes the cord be 20 feet with six outlets, and that it include a cord reel. I couldn’t find this type of cord at Lowe’s, so I decisive on two 15-foot, heavy-duty, 14-gauge extension cord/power strips, each supplying three outlets. If you have a more spectacular booth, you may find a 25-foot cord with three outlets at Lowe’s.

There are so a good deal of dissimilar approaches to hanging lights, and so a heap of variables to consider, that it could be a topic for another article. In general, you may hang or clip lights onto a cross bar or onto the “hard walls” of your display if you have them. Depending on the rules of a queer trade show and the size your lighting system, you may be permitted to attach the lights to the booth’s existent pipe and drape.

Since my booth design does not include my own walls, my lights will attach either to the existent pipe or to a cross bar. Cable ties (commonly called “zip ties”) appear to be tool of choice for attaching tracks to the pipes or bars, and even for attaching further and added cross bars to existent pipe and drape. One artisan I know uses Velcro strips, followed by cable ties to secure the attachments. There are a few entire websites for cable ties. One of them is http://www.cabletiesplus.com .

I purchased Multi-Purpose Ties from Home Depot. They may bundle 4 inches in diameter, withstand temperatures up to 185 degrees Fahrenheit, and hold up to 50 lbs.

Accent Lighting: LEDs

There are some ideas for accent lighting – though a reasonable treatment of the topic is beyond the scope of this article. Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting is one engineering science that is experiencing breakthroughs and growing fast. It takes a lot of LEDs to equivalent the light output of a 50-watt bulb, and LEDs are somewhat expensive, so LEDs aren’t ready for prime time when it comes to lighting a whole booth.

There are various close-up apps for LEDs, however, that are worth looking into now. An example is the in-counter light bar sold by MK Digital Direct at http://www.mkdigitaldirect.com (at a whopping $175 per foot). The more lowpriced MK Sparkle Light Pocket ($30) is a portable device that has extra long-life of over 100,000 continuous hours and promises to give jewelry “maximum sparkle and scintillation.”

The Nexus mini LED light system (www.ccl-light.com), meanwhile, offers a lot of illumination for it is size – a puck shape not much larger than a quarter. The company says it is for direct display lighting of crystal and glass, and it may even be submerged in water. The light is attached to a 12’ cable that ends in a plug, and has “mode switch” with seven dissimilar color choices. Unfortunately, white is not one of the color choices, and at $25 it’s a bit expensive. Still, a few of these lights combined with room lighting could draw viewers into your booth and toward your most dramatic displays.

LEDS also include tube lights, flexible lights, linear lights, and bulbs. Superbright LEDs (www.superbrightleds.com/edison.html ) has a collection of 120-volt screw-in LED bulbs for accent and other low-lighting applications, as well as a host of other arousing and attention holding merchandise such as “plant up-light fixtures.”

At this writing, the search was still on for accent lighting to give my booth an extra special glow. Stay tuned for a future article on the results.

Online Resources

The following list is not an endorsement, but rather a starting point for exploration on lighting systems, cable ties, and accent lighting.

http://www.ccl-light.com – inexpensive and a heap of choices, has “Bulb Photometrics” page to help determine how much light and what kind you want from a bulb

http://www.direct-lighting.com – stem-mounted and track lights

http://www.usalight.com – huge selection of lighting and bulbs

http://www.bulbs.com – quick visual comparison of PAR bulbs (in halogen section)

http://www.cabletiesplus.com – Cable (zip) ties for securing track lights to pipe

http://www.mkdigitaldirect.com – LED lights for jewelry cases

http://www.american-image.com/products/lights/lights.html – a nice selection and visual layout of stem-mounted and other lighting (but not cheap)

http://www.brightmandesign.com/products/wash-super.html – good technical selective information and images of lights set-ups for trade shows; assorted stem-mounted clip-on designs

http://www.superbrightleds.com – LED accent lighting, including screw-in bulbs and light bars

Artistic Wire 22 Gauge Black Wire 15 Yards

Artistic Wire is the most extensive line of permanently colored copper wire for jewelry and crafts. The wire has an exclusive enamel coating that is available with a shiny metallic finish, or in a matte finish. The coating is engineered to protest tarnishing, chipping, and peeling and to stand up to coiling, spiral making, twisting, wrapping, and other wire working techniques.

Most helpful customer reviews

See all customer reviews…

Artistic Wire 22 Gauge Black Wire 15 Yards Photo

Artistic Wire 22 Gauge Black Wire 15 Yards Photo

Artistic Wire 22 Gauge Black Wire 15 Yards Picture

Artistic Wire 22 Gauge Black Wire 15 Yards Image

Artistic Wire 22 Gauge Black Wire 15 Yards Image

Artistic Wire 22 Gauge Black Wire 15 Yards Picture

From one “crafty” person to another, here are a bunch of ideas to try out while you’re crafting or sewing to make your life a bit easier, and to save a bit of cash and time in the process.

1. Use inexpensive index cards to staple on fabric swatches or ribbon; very handy to take with you to your fabric or craft shop.

2. Old pillowcases make handy cover-ups for children! Cut out a big hole for the head and two littler holes for the arms and just slip over their heads. They may even decorate them with tie-dye, fabric paint or iron-ons.

3. If you use rubber stamps for your projects, clean them with a mild detergent after each use, making sure you keep the wood constituents dry. Use a paper towel to arid the stamp and then store them with the stamp side down, away from direct sunlight.

4. Large bottle caps make handy disposable containers for paints or glue.

5. Use a toothpick to utilize glue to a little part; less “glue-y” fingers!

6. A damp Q-tip may pick up little items such as seed beads or rhinestones.

7. Keep a magnet handy in case you drop needles or pins on the floor.

8. A coffee may is great for storing balls of yarn when crocheting or knitting. Simply punch a hole in the coffee may lid and poke the yarn up through and out; then close the lid.

9. Use cardboard emery boards as sandpaper for little parts or areas where regular sanders or files will not reach.

10. Shred your leftover wrapping paper to make finelooking “stuffing” for gift baskets and bags.

11. Use your lint roller around your sewing table to pick up bits of thread.

12. Don’t toss out that old plastic tablecloth when you buy a new one. Use the old one as a table protector when crafting.

13. For more spectacular projects, use an old plastic shower curtain as a drop cloth or cut it into littler table protectors.

14. Tweezers make great holders for those little elements you’re attempting to glue or paint. Less glue and paint on fingers.

15. Lubricate the tip of your needle before sewing by pushing it into a sliver of soap.

16. Keep a roll of paper towels on your worktable to clean up spills, wipe your hands and even to use for creating texture in your paintings.

17. Use an old coffee may sitting in a pot or pan of hot water on the burner to melt leftover pieces of candles. Make sure you handle the hot coffee may with oven mitts. Add an old candle, the long, tapered kind, to a cardboard milk carton. Add ice and then the melted wax. After the candle is set, tear away the carton over your sink to drain the water and you’ll have a distinctive “Swiss cheese” candle to use. You may toss out the coffee may after it is use. No worrying in regards to cleaning a pot with wax residue.

18. Use an old (or new!) fishing case, with all it is galore compartments, for your little craft parts.

19. Hate throwing away the last sliver of soap? Break it up into pieces and place in a rubber baking mold. Melt more soap, either left over or purchased inexpensive soap, cool more or less so it won’t melt your soap bits and pour into mold, let harden and pop your new soap out of the mold!

20. Tape a little plastic grocery bag or a little paper bag to your sewing table so it hangs over the side. Handy for tossing out bits of cut thread and fabric scraps.

21. A little metal constituents cabinet (the kind for bolts, nails and screws, etc.) is outstanding for storing little crafts parts and sewing items. I even have two of them housing all my earrings and necklaces – one or more drawers for each color!

These were just a heap of of the handy hints I’ve applied over the years. There are TONS more out there which may result in “Handy Craft Tips Two” – hey, you never know…stay tuned! Oh, by the way, if YOU have any great tips to share, please email me at info@whimsies-online.com.

Martha Stewart Crafts Large Double Punch 2 Pic

Martha Stewart Crafts Large Double Punch 2 Pic

Martha Stewart Crafts Large Double Punch 2 Picture

Martha Stewart Crafts Large Double Punch 2 Picture

Martha Stewart Crafts Large Double Punch 2 Photo

Martha Stewart Crafts Large Double Punch 2 Pic

Good lighting is a main ingredient of a successful trade-show booth. Just the right lighting system may aid an artisan develop the atmosphere of a fine-craft gallery. This will lure gallery owners off the isles and into your booth – the primary step toward making a sale.

Lighting is a comparatively highpriced investment. So how does the budget-conscious artisan find the right solution?

When it comes to choosing a lighting system, artists new to the trade show circuit often become overwhelmed. Prices vary wildly, and each convention center may have it is own lighting rules. Lighting technology is altering rapidly, making the selections harder still.

This article details what I learned while tackling the challenge of lighting my 10’X10’ booth at the American Craft Retailers Expo (ACRE), a big wholesale show for American and Canadian craft artists. As I am new to trade shows, this info is meant only as a pointer for artists in the routine of choosing lighting, and perhaps likewise for more seasoned artists looking to update their systems.

In examining a heap of dissimilar lighting options, my goal to be attained was to illumine my glass jewelry beautifully but inexpensively. I wanted the lights to be lightweight and modular, to fit in boxes for shipping to the show. I was looking for contemporary styling, in silver or black. And I wanted to have at least one special lighting effect – not too flashy – to give my booth a distinctive element.

In his CD on booth design, art business advisor Bruce Baker proposes 1,000 watts will light up a 10’X10’ booth very effectively. I decisive to stay at or underneath 500 watts, however, because the ACRE show includes 500 watts with the booth price, and the halogen lighting I at long last decisive upon illuminates my displays very well. Since I purchased the lights at a “big-box” store with internet sites in almost each city in the U.S., I may add more lights once I’m at the trade show if necessary.

The Battle of the Bulb

Contractors Choice Lighting (www.ccl-light.com) says a light fixture is merely a “bulb holder.” The bulb, therefore, must drive one’s choice of a fixture. This is more or less unfeigned for trade-show lighting, though the fixtures may dictate the types of bulbs, depending on the selections available at the store where one shops for the lights. The CCL web site offers a “Bulb Photometrics” page ([http://ccl-light.com/photometrics.html]), whose graphical representation is a freshening departure from the complex descriptions of lighting choices that have proliferated on the web.

Halogen is the bulb of choice for some trade show exhibitors. It offers a crisp, white light. Although humans ordinarily refer to halogen as non-incandescent, it is in fact a kind of incandescent lamp. It generates light by using a thin filament wire made of tungsten, heated to white by passing an electric current through it. According to General Electric, the primary halogen lamp was produced in 1959 – not too long ago for a good deal of of us!

Halogen bulbs differ significantly from the established type of incandescents we grew up with. The halogen bulb’s filament is surrounded by halogen gases (iodine or bromine, specifically). These gases let the filaments operate at higher temperatures. The end result is a higher light output per watt.

The gases also do something rather miraculous: Tungsten have a tendancy to evaporate off the filament over time, and the gases genuinely support re-deposit the tungsten onto the filament. This extends the bulb’s life way beyond that of the traditionalisti incandescent bulb, whose evaporated tungsten clings to the walls of the bulb like a smoky apparition and at last the uncoated filament snaps. Who hasn’t rattled a burnt-out light bulb and enjoyed the jazzy cymbal sound of the broken filament inside?

In addition to giving off more light than traditionalisti incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs emit a whiter light that provides better color rendition. “For highlighting and bringing out unfeigned colors, use halogen lamps,” proposes USA Light and Electric’s internet site (www.usalight.com). “Nothing looks better than the drama brought in with halogen lamps.”

Baker also proposes halogen lights – floodlights in peculiar – for a contemporary look, peculiarly for jewelry and glass. It’s essential to consider that other fine craft materials such as ceramics and wood might be better intensified with halogen spotlights, or even with a lot of of the more traditionalisti incandescent lights that emit a warmer color.

Having decisive upon halogen lighting, my next task would be to choose bulbs. The ACRE show takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which has instituted a rigorous halogen lighting policy. Each light cannot exceed 75 watts, and all halogen bulbs ought to be factory sealed in glass (not in a removable lens or linear shape).

Thankfully, there is a great deal of factory-sealed halogen lighting, in the form of PAR halogen bulbs. PAR is an acronym for “parabolic aluminized reflector.” PAR bulbs have a built-in reflecting surface made of pressed glass. The glass provides both an internal reflector and prisms in the lens for control of the light beam.

PAR bulbs are numbered, as in PAR 16, PAR 20, PAR 56. The PAR number refers to the bulb shape. Bulbs.com has a halogen division of the website where you may quickly compare the respective PAR bulbs visually. Within a given category of PAR bulbs there are respective wattages, wide and narrow spotlights and floodlights, dissimilar base sizes, and even dissimilar colors.

Fortunately I was competent to skip the routine of settling on a PAR bulb by resolving firstborn where to shop for my lights (more on that below).

Power Issues

When you go to shop for track lights, you’ll observe there’s a choice amid 12-volt and 120-volt fixtures. 120 is the ordinary voltage that comes directly into most homes and offices – and convention centers.

For a lamp using 120 volts, no further and added parts are necessary beyond a regular socket. 120-volt fixtures in general are lighter than 12-volt fixtures because they don’t need a transformer. They also cost less and may use halogen or regular incandescent bulbs.

I stopped short of investigating 12-volt fixtures, except to find out that they step down the amount of energy being employed to a lower voltage, and therefore are more energy efficient. They require a transformer to convert the 120-volt household current to 12 volts, and they may require hardwiring (although one artisan I recognise found a 12-volt fixture with a built-in transformer which she was capable to plug into a 120-volt outlet. A 12-volt fixture accommodates very effective bulbs that offer a potpourri of wattages and beam spreads, including the 50-watt MR-16, which is general in galleries.

I decisive on 120-volt lighting for the trade show, because I wouldn’t have to worry regarding transformers and could just plug it in.

Choosing a Store and Track Lighting

I read the ACRE online forum for clues in regards to where to buy lighting. What one artisan said struck me as eminently sensible: He buys all his lighting at Home Depot, because if anything goes wrong at the show, he may find a store nearby for substitute parts.

This was something to consider: Tempting as the pretty designs might be, special-order lighting of any kind introduces the risk of having a malfunctioning light for the duration of a show.

Another artisan on the ACRE online forum said he buys his lights from Lowes. It probably doesn’t matter which big-box store one chooses, as long as there’s one in each city.

Since I was new to trade shows and this was to be my original lighting kit, I resisted choosing from the galore good suppliers on the web. I settled on the fixed but beautiful selection at Lowes. A side gain of this was that my selections were comfortably narrowed.

Within the category of halogen lighting, you may get either track lights or stem-mounted lights (with arms extending outward). I went with track lights. This was partly because the stem lights I found on the web were comparatively pricey and Lowe’s didn’t offer them, and partly because with track lights I could have one cord rather of various hanging down.

The Lowes lighting salesperson was helpful in putting together a full package from the track lighting on display and in stock. I decisive on four, two-foot tracks to keep the size of my shipping boxes down. Here’s a rundown of what I bought:

· 4 two-foot track sections, Portfolio brand, black finish, Item #225678. Each section holds 2 lights, for a total of 8. Total: $23.12

· 8 Flared Gimbal Track Lights, Portfolio brand, Item #120673, with a satin chrome finish for a contemporary look. They are easy to attach to the track by following the directions. Total: $80.76

· 8 halogen bulbs, Par 20, 50-watt, for bright, crisp light. I purchased assorted floodlights and a couple of spotlights. The bulbs are very packable, at a little over 3” long and 2.5” in diameter. Total: $60.00

· 2 Miniature Straight Connectors by Portfolio, Item #120716, for joining two of the track subdivisions end to end. The idea is to have only one cord to plug in from a row of four lights. Total: $5.92.

· 2 Cord and Plug Sets, Portfolio brand, Item #120827, to power track from a frequent AC wall outlet. I connected these to the end of the two of the track sectionalizations by unscrewing the covering on one side of the track. Total: $17.06

· Various Multi-Purpose Ties (cable ties), by Catamount, for attaching tracks to booth pipes. Total: $5.00

· 2 heavy-duty extension cord/power strips – 14-gauge, 15-feet, with three outlets each, Woods brand, from Lowe’s, Item #170224, model 82965. Total: $22.00

Grand total: $213.86

The Gimbal lights I chose only receive a 50-watt, PAR 20 bulb, which made it easy to pick out the bulbs. So in this case, the fixture drove the choice of bulb, not the other way around.

According to the Bulb Photometrics page at Contractors Choice Lighting, a PAR 20, 50-watt halogen flood bulb will emit a beam of light with a 5’4” diameter when it reaches 10 feet away. It offers when it comes to 12 foot-candles worth of light at 10 feet away from the bulb (a foot-candle is the level of illumination on a surface one foot away from a usual candle.)

For the sake of comparison, a PAR 30 beam offers a diameter of more than 8’ at 10 feet away, and you still get regarding 14 foot-candles at that distance. What happens if you notch it up to a 75-watt bulb? You get a lot more foot-candles (38) at 10 feet away. This proposes that more spectacular trade-show booths might want to take vantage of higher PAR and higher watt bulbs.

All together, the track lighting scheme I chose uses 400 watts of electricity. This left me another 100 watts to add special line of work or accent lighting to my booth, while still remaining at the 500-watt limit.

Cords, Plugs and Hanging Lights

The Las Vegas Convention Center has very rigorous rules for cords, plugs, and hanging lights.

The two-pronged, 18-gauge cords that the manufacturer has attached to your lights are satisfactory (leave the UL tags and labels intact). These lighting cords cannot be plugged into the convention center outlet, however. Instead, you will have to plug them into a three-pronged, heavy duty, 14-gauge extension cord – or a breaker strip with a 14-gauge cord. You may then plug that 14-gauge extension cord into the convention center outlet.

A 14-gauge extension cord is competent of handling 1,825 watts. It’s helpful to read the brief extension-cord sizing and safety selective information on the web pages of the Underwriters Laboratories (www.ul.com/consumers/cords.html) and the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service ([http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY800]) before purchasing a cord.

Bruce Baker proposes the cord be 20 feet with six outlets, and that it include a cord reel. I couldn’t find this type of cord at Lowe’s, so I decisive on two 15-foot, heavy-duty, 14-gauge extension cord/power strips, each supplying three outlets. If you have a more spectacular booth, you may find a 25-foot cord with three outlets at Lowe’s.

There are so a great deal of dissimilar approaches to hanging lights, and so a lot of variables to consider, that it could be a topic for another article. In general, you may hang or clip lights onto a cross bar or onto the “hard walls” of your display if you have them. Depending on the rules of a queer trade show and the size your lighting system, you may be permitted to attach the lights to the booth’s existent pipe and drape.

Since my booth design does not include my own walls, my lights will attach either to the existent pipe or to a cross bar. Cable ties (commonly called “zip ties”) appear to be tool of choice for attaching tracks to the pipes or bars, and even for attaching further and added cross bars to existent pipe and drape. One artisan I know uses Velcro strips, followed by cable ties to secure the attachments. There are a few entire internet sites for cable ties. One of them is http://www.cabletiesplus.com .

I purchased Multi-Purpose Ties from Home Depot. They may bundle 4 inches in diameter, withstand temperatures up to 185 degrees Fahrenheit, and hold up to 50 lbs.

Accent Lighting: LEDs

There are a lot of ideas for accent lighting – even though a reasonable treatment of the topic is beyond the scope of this article. Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting is one engineering that is experiencing breakthroughs and growing fast. It takes some LEDs to equivalent the light output of a 50-watt bulb, and LEDs are somewhat expensive, so LEDs aren’t ready for prime time when it comes to lighting a whole booth.

There are various close-up apps for LEDs, however, that are worth looking into now. An example is the in-counter light bar sold by MK Digital Direct at http://www.mkdigitaldirect.com (at a whopping $175 per foot). The more lowpriced MK Sparkle Light Pocket ($30) is a portable device that has extra long-life of over 100,000 continuous hours and promises to give jewelry “maximum sparkle and scintillation.”

The Nexus mini LED light scheme (www.ccl-light.com), meanwhile, offers a lot of illumination for it is size – a puck shape not much larger than a quarter. The company says it is for direct display lighting of crystal and glass, and it may even be submerged in water. The light is attached to a 12’ cable that ends in a plug, and has “mode switch” with seven dissimilar color choices. Unfortunately, white is not one of the color choices, and at $25 it’s a bit expensive. Still, a few of these lights combined with room lighting could draw viewers into your booth and toward your most dramatic displays.

LEDS likewise include tube lights, flexible lights, linear lights, and bulbs. Superbright LEDs (www.superbrightleds.com/edison.html ) has a collection of 120-volt screw-in LED bulbs for accent and other low-lighting applications, as well as a host of other arousing and attention holding merchandise such as “plant up-light fixtures.”

At this writing, the search was still on for accent lighting to give my booth an extra particular glow. Stay tuned for a future article on the results.

Online Resources

The following list is not an endorsement, but rather a starting point for exploration on lighting systems, cable ties, and accent lighting.

http://www.ccl-light.com – inexpensive and some choices, has “Bulb Photometrics” page to help determine how much light and what kind you want from a bulb

http://www.direct-lighting.com – stem-mounted and track lights

http://www.usalight.com – huge selection of lighting and bulbs

http://www.bulbs.com – quick visual comparison of PAR bulbs (in halogen section)

http://www.cabletiesplus.com – Cable (zip) ties for securing track lights to pipe

http://www.mkdigitaldirect.com – LED lights for jewelry cases

http://www.american-image.com/products/lights/lights.html – a nice selection and visual layout of stem-mounted and other lighting (but not cheap)

http://www.brightmandesign.com/products/wash-super.html – good technical info and images of lights set-ups for trade shows; assorted stem-mounted clip-on designs

http://www.superbrightleds.com – LED accent lighting, including screw-in bulbs and light bars

Portable Wooden Artist Easel With Carry Case

Portable Wooden Artist’s Easel with Carry Case…A solid wood folding easel in a hard wearing carry case for easy portability. Easel features: Adjustable shoulder strap on carrying case. Rapid adjust main locking bolt. Comfortable adjusting mechanisms.Callibrated legs for exact and easy set up.Use for oil acrylic watercolor pastel- any medium!Will hold canvases/drawing surfaces up to 45″ high; or horizontal surfaces (tilted down flat) that are up to 26″ high. Weight is only 5-1/2 pounds!

Most helpful customer reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful.
Art worthy!
By New Englander 5
This is a well built easel with a great carrying case with pockets for brushes and paints. For the money it is a great buy.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful.
fantastic easel
By Artsy Studio
I love it, it got me some thinking to figure it out, but it’s fantastic, very light weight and sturdy, I can take it everywhere, and doesn’t occupy much space.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
Portable easel
By Cynthia M. Thomas
Great easel, easy to set up and tear down. Sturdy enough for large canvas.

See all 4 customer reviews…

Portable Wooden Artist Easel With Carry Case Picture

Portable Wooden Artist Easel With Carry Case Pic

Portable Wooden Artist Easel With Carry Case Image

Portable Wooden Artist Easel With Carry Case Picture

Portable Wooden Artist Easel With Carry Case Image

Portable Wooden Artist Easel With Carry Case Picture

One technique that I love to use my craft punches for is making flowers. As an idea you could punch out two or three flowers in one size and then get a littler flower punch and punch on or two of these out also. You would then assemble them all together making sure to offset them when placing them on top of each other, with the more spectacular flowers at the bottom and the littler flowers at the top. You could distress the edge of the flowers and ink them to give them a dissimilar look. Or you could roll and ink the edges of the flowers which is another nice effect. Once you have gathered the flowers put a brad through the middle and there you have a simple ornamentation to put on your card. Combined with a great deal of bling and ribbons you would have a simple and quick card. Or you could repeat the flower design over and over and place a few on one card or scrapbooking page.

Another technique that I peculiarly like is to stamp an effigy such as a butterfly and cut it out. Then using your craft punches, punch out a huge square and a littler square and place the littler square on top of the more prominent square. You could then add the butterfly to the top with a lot of magic mount. This could likewise be repeated down the side or middle of the card or you could place one in the middle of the card. Add a bit of kind glitz or ink and galore ribbon and you have another easy card.

Another frequent idea is to use a scallop border punch to invent an interesting affect on the side of the card or on a piece of scrapbooking paper that you place on top of the card. You could then punch out numerous scallops of dissimilar sizes and place them together for another embellishment.

There are so galore craft punches on the market the sky is in truth the limit on what you may create, they are a real ought to to any scrapper’s stash.

A quick tip on keeping your craft punches cutting clean is to punch them through a great deal of aluminium foil each now and then. This will make sure that they are sharp and make a clean cut through your cardstock each time.

There are a good deal of tutorials and classes available online which may show you ways in which to make the most of your craft punches.

Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch 2

Of all the conclusions that go into planning a wedding, choosing the cake may be the sweetest. Much more than dessert, this beloved wedding symbol ought to be as particular as the bride and groom themselves. Whether you imagine a majestic cake blooming with fresh flowers, a pristine fondant-covered masterpiece, or a homespun take on strawberry shortcake- or even if you don’t know where to begin- Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes will provide you with more than 100 delicious and inspiring ideas for timeless and beauteous confections that are perfective for each style of wedding.

Not just visually inspiring, these pages are filled with info you won’t find anyplace else. Martha Stewart and Wendy Kromer, the master baker and decorator who has been creating cakes for Martha Stewart Weddings for more than a decade, guide you through everything you need to consider when selecting a cake- and even how to bake and decorate one yourself. Novice and experienced bakers similar will find recipes and insiders’ proficiencies to fabricate genuinely unforgettable wedding cakes.

You will learn:
Where to begin- how to determine what style and flavors are right for you, taking into account the season, location, and theme of the event

Buttercream or fondant? Ganache or meringue? Useful charts explain the delicious materials bakers use, so you may choose the ones that suit your taste and style

Creative ways to display your cake so it takes center stage at the reception

How to find and hire a baker, including questions to ask and contract considerations

Ideas for cutting costs without sacrificing quality or beauty

How to comprise traditions from around the world

Everything you need to know with regards to baking a cake yourself, with finish recipes as well as how-to embellishing proficiencies with color photographs and reference charts

A treasury of inspiration, Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes will ascertain that your cake, whether homemade or in a professional manner baked, triple-tiered or a tower of cupcakes, embellished with fresh fruit or elaborated sugar roses, is each bit as magical as your huge day.

About the AuthorMARTHA STEWART is the author of a lot of best-selling books on weddings, cooking, decorating, gardening, and other domestic arts, and is the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. She lives in Bedford, New York.

WENDY KROMER’S cakes steadily grace the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, where she is a contributing editor, and have likewise been featured in numerous other publications and on television. In 2004, Wendy returned to her hometown of Sandusky, Ohio, and opened Wendy Kromer Confections, where she formulates wedding and special-event cakes, prettified cookies, and custom-made sugar decorations.

Most helpful customer reviews

92 of 100 people found the following review helpful.
Spectacular!
By Toni
I just couldn’t wait to get this book! If you love to create cakes, and not just bake them, this will feed your appetite for cake baking and decorating, and you will place this alongside your other prized tomes of cake education. It’s a wonderful journey of the wedding cake, aka “a good thing”. If you purchased Martha’s “WEDDINGS” book, this is the expanded and transformed chapter on cakes into this book.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
A Decorating Resource
By Cookbook Gal
I cannot add much to Toni “the bookworm’s review.” The book is gorgeous -coffee table quality. It is loaded with full color photographs, including numerous examples of different piping patterns. The decorating style is very Martha Stewart: classically elegant. The book does not provide pictures of whimsical cakes – there are other books on the market for that.

While I did not buy the book for cake recipes (so I can’t judge the quality and flavor of the ones provided), I did buy the book to complement a wedding cake decorating class that I am taking. If you are a baker who is very interested in cake decorating, or need instruction on how to prepare large, multi-layered cakes, “Wedding Cakes” is very helpful. If you are willing to put the considerable amount of time needed to perfect these techniques, (and believe me, it takes a lot of practice), this book is a wonderful resource. You will, however, have to be patient; your cakes will not look like Martha’s the first dozen times you try!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Great creative guide
By Happy & Retired
As a caterer, I found this book to be a good guide for those who create cakes for special occasions. Many of the cakes in this book are ones that have previously been in “Martha Stewart’s Weddings” magazine, and I have made several of them over the years, but it is nice to have the collection all in one source. For the inexperienced, some of the instructions may seem a bit vague, but that is the martha Stewart way, as mostly she assumes that everyone knows how to do the basics. If you’ve never done this type of baking/creating before, this book is not for you. I do recommend it for those who do this professionally or as an advanced hobby.

See all 39 customer reviews…

Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch 2 Pic

Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch 2 Pic

Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch 2 Photo

Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch 2 Image

Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch 2 Picture

Martha Stewart Hydrangea Punch 2 Picture

Today we experience some as seen on TV products. These items are frequent for a great deal of reasons. I will briefly go over a good deal of of the more standard as seen on TV products. Let’s get to it.

The Bennoti espresso maker is the fast, easy way to make perfective coffee, espresso or cappuccino for just pennies a cup! No grinding, no measuring, no filters and no mess. Experience the performance of a professional quality Italian coffee maker in your own kitchen. Get the Windstorm Steamer an $80 value, FREE with your order! Shapely Secrets is a 7 minute a day motionless exercise program using Greer Childers’ revolutionary Diametric Resistance proficiencies that firm and shape your body fast. Learn Greer’s 7 mysteries to being thin and shapely. No matter your current size or fitness level, Shapely Secrets delivers results quickly while permitting you to live a normal life.

The Giovanni Piano Kit is a roll out portable piano keyboard to construct music on the go! The kit includes everything you need to learn and play piano. It’s fun, compact and convenient, perfective for kids and adults who get enjoyment from music.

PUSH.tv is a PROGRESSIVE full-body personal training system that gets delivered on a monthly basis to your door on DVD. A revolution in the industry, PUSH.tv collaborators the freedom and affordability of in-home workouts with the lavishness and individualized attention of your very own world-renowned personal trainer.

JumpSnap awful new exercise product. It’s the most recent evolution of a classis exercise. The ropeless jumprope.

The NuWave Oven Pro combines the cooking power of conduction, convection and infrared to cook nutritious meals up to 50% faster. Now you may broil, roast, grill, bake, barbecue, steam, dehydrate and even fry without all the fats and oils. It’s easy to use & dishwasher safe. Cut your family’s fat intake and receive pleasure from more salubrious meals in minutes! The Instant Fisherman(TM) is a compact and portable fishing kit that you may take anywhere! It is easy to use and carry. The collapsible, folding pole fits right in your backpack or pocket. Go fishing anytime with the instant fishing rod! Plus get a second Instant Fisherman Kit Free.

The PedEgg foot file gently removes calluses and dead skin to leave your feet silky smooth. It’s peculiarly constructed to gather all of the shavings for no mess. Order now and get a second BONUS Ped Egg and a tube of Miracle Foot Repair Lotion, Free.

Liquid Diamond is the revolutionary spray polish that will restore your car’s showroom shine. The motorized power sprayer does all the work for you. Just point and pull the trigger. Liquid Diamond’s non-stick formula is safe for all of today’s finishes and will give your car the most lasting shine. Plus Free Bonus gift.

OneTouchJar – Opens any jar, speedily and easily. No more mess, No more tapping, No more twisting. Opens any size Jar – As Seen On TV The Bender Ball is a pliable “mini stability ball” that allows the exerciser to work the core muscles. It was produced by Master Fitness Trainer Leslee Bender. The mystery to great results with the BenderBall is the Bender Method of Core Training which uses her Selective Stabilization method to fetch regarding the best possible results.

Roll N Grow fetch the beauty of real flowers to your home speedily and without apparent effort with Roll N Grow. Just roll, water, and let nature do the rest! Each RollNGrow holds all the seeds and nutrients necessitated to grow pretty flowers without all the hassle! Cut it to fit flower pots and boxes. It’s environmentally friendly, retains water, and suppresses weeds. Get 2,000 blossoms.

PediPaws(TM) gently and painlessly files your Pet’s nails to leave them trim, rounded, and smooth. Say goodbye to scratched furniture and floors forever! Don’t make your pet suffer with injuries from conventional clippers. Get PediPaws for fast & easy nail trimming. This stylish authenti leather bag from Buxton without any delay organizes all of your personal belongings so you may find what you need speedily and easily. It’s an magnificent organizational tool that allows you to carry your cell phone, credit cards, wallet, eyeglasses and much more! It has sufficient pockets and compartments to carry everything you need!

Simoniz Fix it, Fix It is a fast-acting formula that uses millions of microscopic polishing agents to penetrate the scratch and restore your car’s basi shine and finish in just seconds! Fix It works on any car, in any color.

The ShamWow is a revolutionary, multi-use cleaning cloth that holds over 20 times its’ weight in liquids. It’s like a towel, chamois and a sponge all in one! Use it to clean up spills fast. It will not scratch or harm any surfaces. Machine wash. The Sham Wow is guaranteed to last for 10 years. Order now and we’ll double your order, free! ShamWow (Canada) ShamWow (Canada) The ShamWow is a revolutionary, multi-use cleaning cloth that holds over 20 times its’ weight in liquids. It’s like a towel, chamois and a sponge all in one! Use it to clean up spills fast. It will not scratch or harm any surfaces. Machine wash. The Sham Wow is guaranteed to last for 10 years. Order now and we’ll double your order, free!

I Know Key(tm) is an easy to use USB key for internet monitoring. This tracking tool allows you to monitor what your kids, spouse or workers are doing online. Simply plug the key into any PC you own, and it mechanically installs without a trace. When you return plug it in to see screen pictures of what was viewed. Protect your family by monitoring their internet use! Mighty Putty, Mighty Putty is a super powered epoxy that does it all. Fix, fill, seal and repair fast and make it last! Mold to any shape and employ to any surface for an everlasting bond.

Zorbeez is an ultra absorbent cloth. Buy 1 set and get 1 set Free. PLUS, bonus duster with each order. Use it wet or arid with any cleaner and machine wash.

Handy Switch looks like an frequent light switch, but it’s wireless, so you may put one anywhere. Handy Switch may wirelessly control any lamp or other device. Just peel and press, then plug the lamp into the remote receiver.

Thin Lizzy Professional Powder combines 6 dissimilar make-up merchandise into one single commodious compact. You may use it as a foundation, blusher, eye shadow, contour, bronzer, a lip color, and an all over body bronzer. ThinLizzy works with all skin tones. Get gorgeous, even coverage, in just minutes! With Free s/h. Buy 1 Get 1 Free, Plus Free Applicator Brush.

The Pancake Puffs Pan is a revolutionary appliance. Just pour, flip and fill to make an endless assortment of puffs to jazz up your meals. Great for agreeably diverting & finger foods. Easy to clean. Plus recipe book and flipping sticks! Mighty Mendit, this Great As Seen On TV product. Mighty Mendit(TM) is not a glue, but a flexible bonding agent, that grabs, adheres and interlocks the fibers of almost any fabric for a permanent repair.

Aqua Globes will water your houseplants for you! Simply fill the globes with water, and as the soil becomes dry, the Aqua Globe releases the precise amount of water your plant needs. Great for automatic watering while on vacation. Your plants stay perfectly watered for up to 2 weeks! Set of 4.

Melt It Off with Mitch is a fun and effective workout program produced by U.S. Olympic Gold Medal gymnast Mitch Gaylord. The finish program includes the two pound G-Ball, the full color Melt It Off Guide, the 3 Day Melt Off Program, 4 workouts, a tape measure, and even a free bonus CD! You get all this. Lose pounds, inches & size with Melt It Off!

The Plasma Cool PC-14E Portable Air Conditioner is the most powerful portable air conditioner on a household outlet. It is perfective for room or zone cooling. Plug it into any household outlet to transform any room into a “cool zone.” Plasma Cool has 40-50% more cooling power and may cool rooms up to 500 sq ft.

Simoniz Instant Spray

Simoniz Fix It! for WoodFix-it! Wood is the quickest action scratch remover from Simoniz. Remove scratches for good. Repair scratched wood and furniture instantly. Now the wood scratch has met it is match. Just spray on any wood and the scratch goes away. Surface scratches, even long, ugly scratches. Fix-it! Wood fixes them all. Spray directly onto scratch or a clean cotton towel, buff lightly.For use on any wood, any color. Just spray and the scratch is gone!Features:Fast action wood scratch remover Removes surface scratches, multiple scratches, even long ugly scratches Works on any wood type and any color of woodIncludes: 1 x 2 oz Bottle Scratch Remover for Light Wood 1 x 2 oz Bottle Scratch Remover for Dark Wood

Most helpful customer reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Not worth the money
By Felicia A. Hawkins
We bought this spray after our lab jumped up on our table and scratched it. We followed directions to put it on and you could still see the scratches from the side. The only time they “fade” is when you are directly above it. Not worth the money.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Trust Me, It’s a MESS
By ImABeliever
I bought this product without reading any reviews unfortunately. I agree with everything that was submitted but feel compelled to add my own horrible experience with this product. My biggest complaint is the huge mess created by the spray bottle. It leaks all over the outside of the bottle and sprays out onto the surface in a messy splatter. It is impossible to contain and doesn’t work to spray on the cloth and then rub onto the wood either. I now have Fix It on my walls and floor when I just wanted to fix my woodwork. I also tried to touch up an area on my desk that has the finish worn off due to wear and it didn’t work there either. The colors are misleading- the Light color is not for light oak that’s for sure. It is dark &reddish and doesn’t match.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Help! This stained my dining room table
By Mike
Used this today and it has stained my dinig room table. It looks 10X worse now than it did before I used this product. Does anyone know how to get this product off of your furniture?!?

See all 11 customer reviews…

Simoniz Instant Spray Photo

Simoniz Instant Spray Photo

Simoniz Instant Spray Pic

Simoniz Instant Spray Photo

Simoniz Instant Spray Picture

Simoniz Instant Spray Image

In my last article we finished reviewing Blue Ribbon Afghans and did a review of galore of the patterns in The Best Of Maggie Weldon’s Crochet Afghans. I sincerely hope my reviews have helped you determine if you would like to tackle a pattern that perchance you would commonly pass up. In this article we will review assorted more books. We will commence with:  50 Sensational Crochet Afghans & Throws – The Needlecraft Shop. This book is sooooo worth buying! It has afghans like you have never seen before and will want to try the patterns all at one time! Let’s commence with:

Joyous Squares on page 8 - This is an intermediate pattern that comprises of squares like you have never seen before! The colors in the photo are Fuchsia, Leaf Green, Teal and Lavender. What a color combo, huh? The center of the square is a green X that looks like a chain made into the X. That is rimmed with lavender then fuchsia. Then a square around all that in teal and ultimately assorted rounds of green rimmed with fuchsia to tie it all together. Hard to explain this one but take my word for it – it is a beauty!

Arbor Rose on page 12 -  A simple and plain off white afghan done in rows of clusters. At each end is a mesh section that has a crocheted trail of stems, leaves and flowers throughout it all in the same off white. Stunning afghan. This one is ranked intermediate also.

Spanish Tiles on page 22 - This afghan is made up of big hexagon and little hexagon motifs and a good deal of triangles to fetch the rows together. Its another very strange and pretty afghan. The pattern is done in carrot, medium thyme, gold and burgundy. Beautiful afghan for a sun porch thrown over the back of a wicker chair! This is an intermediate pattern but doesn’t appear to be very difficult. This is one I am going to try!

Stained Glass Window Afghan on page 41 - This is by far the most stunning afghan I have ever seen! It is done in blocks of blue, turquoise, light mint, gold, carrot, cornmeal and black. The center is blue graduating to turquoise. Then cornmeal blending into gold blending into carrot. At the four corners is a 3 leaflet of turquoise and blue. Its then bordered with various rows of black, then a row of carrot then a row of black. Over the center circle of colors is a web of black that gives it that definitive stained glass look. Only rated intermediate! I genuinely want to undertake this one! I have seen one done and it is exquisite!

Grandma and Grandbabies on page 49 - This afghan is ranked easy and easy it is! I have made this one. Its genuinely a huge granny square done in dark pink for 3 rows, then fern green for 3 rows, then off white for 2 rows, then gold for 4 rows, then pink for 3 rows, then fern green for assorted rows and so on. When you are finished with the huge granny square you make the grandbabies – little squares in dissimilar patterns that you whipstitch to each end of the granny. Then go around the whole thing with various rows of each color. Works up pretty quick. A great teen blanket!

Hot ‘N’ Spicy Afghan on page 58 - Done in panels of orange and red huge clusters then the panels are crocheted together with black. Really pretty and very Hot ‘N’ Spicy! Rated easy

Contemporary Pinwheel on page 66 - Another ranked easy! This is done in squares made up of rows of hdc in 3 colors. Its shown in yellow, tan and gray but this would look good in any combining of colors! Severl rows of primary color, then same amount of rows of second color then same amount of rows of third color. Then the blocks are arranged with the stripes going in dissimilar directions. Kinda like the old rail fence pattern in quilting. Great blanket for the men in your life!

Rose Lattice on page 68 - This afghan is rated as experienced due to the particular stitches called a roll stitch. The afghan is made of squares of leaf green with a bright pink flower in the center. The flower is made of the particular roll stitch.  The roll stitch is as follows (in this pattern anyway) Yo 15 times loosely, insert hook in st indicated, draw up lp, yo and draw through all 17 lps. May take a little exercise but this is a accomplishable pattern. Very beauteous too.

Fantasy Garden on page 73 - Puff stitches done into finelooking flowers bordered by 3 dc rounds. Each square is more or less different. Done with an I and J hook and in dark orchid, dusty teal, cafe, carrot and light fuchsia. For instance a fuchsia flower may have a teal background, a teal flower a carrot background an carrot flower a fuchsia background, etc. Nice afghan for a family room. the colors could without apparent effort be changed in this one.

Amorous on page 90 - Rated easy this afghan is done in one piece, row by row. Its made up of shell stitches and the architect used Red Heart Symphony yarn in Lt Rose. It has a double knot fringe on both ends. This afghan looks soft as a summer breeze!

Dream Time Ripple on page 140 - A beauteous ripple blanket done with cluster stitches. The architect employed Red Heart Baby Light yarn (which is light worsted weight) in powder yellow, lime and a laddie print. Very soft and lacy looking ripple. Rated as easy.

Giggles on page 142 - this is one for the little girl in your life. Done in flamingo pink and snow Bernat Satin yarn (worsted weight) and Bernat Bubbles bulky in baby bubble pink. Its done in rows of dc. First various white rows followed by assorted rows of pink. Then the special stitch row (v-st and cluster) which makes the row look like little flowers. These rows are repeated until the blanket is the size you want it to be. Then it is edged with the baby bubble pink. Adorable and rated easy!

Granny’s Lullaby on page 150 – Beautiful baby blanket made up of big granny squares in dissimilar colors. The architect used TLC Baby Amore medium (worsted) weight yarn in rose, mint, yellow, orchid and white. Rated easy this afghan will go with any nursery!

Blocks Of Fun on page 156 - Plain dc blocks done in dissimilar colors. Whipstitched together in a fun pattern. Colors employed were paddy green, dark orchid, blue, cherry red,black and white. Rated easy you’ll have this one finished in no time!

The next book I am going to talk in regards to is 40 Favorite Ripple Afghans – Leisure Arts

Wine On The Vine on page 5 - a primary prize winner this finelooking ripple is done in a varigated plum and green, dk plum, dk green and tan. The tan ripple rows are spaced amongst the varig and plum rows. Makes a beauteous afghan. There are clusters allround that look like grapes on the vine!

Snowman Ridge on page 7 - The perfective ripple afghan for the winter months!The ripples are done in blue, dk blue and white. There is a row of squares stitched onto the ripple that has these cute little snowmen worked into the squares. Then there are various more rows of ripple. Just adorable!

Romantic Melody on page 15 - Soft and gorgeous with flowing fringe for the edging. This ripple is done in rose and ecru and the front post dc gives defination to this beauty!

Evergreen Forest on page 25 - Done in deep green and white this ripple sports evergreen trees through the ripples of green and white! Great Christmas afghan!

Daisy Border on page 33 - Ripples of ecru, green, brown and a brown varigated make up this afghan. At each end are hexagon motifs with a ecru daisy at the center. Then more rows of ripple and it is all edged in a picot of ecru. Very beauteous blanket!

American Waves on page 45 - Dc rows of ripple in red and white blocks of color. About  five ripple blocks up there is a row of blue squares with star centers Then more red and white ripples, another star row and more red and white ripples. Very gorgeous afghan

Aztec Sun on page 51 - a ripple done in the round! This is just gorgeous when finished! I have seen this done in a heap of color combos and all are stunning! The pattern calls for a round yellow ripple at the center graduating out to orange then red. then the yellow, orange and red are repeated ending with red at when it comes to 60″ in diameter

Rosebud on page 61 - Beautiful ripple done with a K hook in muddy green light green and pink. There are rown of muddy green ripple then a row of pink clusters then more muddy green then another pink cluster row and so on and so on. Beautiful plus warm!

Granny’s Ripple on page 63 - This ripple is made in panels of 7 squares across. Then rows of ripple (one row ecru, 2 rown lilac, three rown med. plum, 4 rows dark plum, then med plum then lilac then one row ecru then another panel of squares. This pattern proceeds until the afghan reaches a length of with regards to 62″.

Azalea Lane on page 77 - Done in ripple rows of ecru, rose, green, lt rose and lt green. A cluster stitch and puff stitch give a lacy feel to this beauteous afghan. Great one for the back of the sofa!

Sailboat Celebration on page 79 - This is one I plan to make for our boat. There are rows of Lt blue graduating to navy ripples. The a row of blocks that are made to look like sailboats (quilt like pattern) then more navy to lt blue ripples then a panel of blocks made with stars in the center (another quilt pattern) then it repeats again. Gorgeous and looks difficult but after reading the instructions various times it seems in truth easy. this pattern is worth purchasing the book for!

Vibrance on page 85 - When I see this ripple I think of my granddaughter, Shannon! She loves these colors. This ripple is made of simple dc in dk blue, lime green and a varigated green and blue. Several of the varigated ripple rows are made of the loop stitch!

Mountain Flowers on page 107 - Simple dc ripples with rows of white petals amidst the dark green ripples. Elegant! Done in lt green, green dk green and ecru.

Well, I think I have given you sufficient to think when it comes to in this article. I have assorted more crochet book to review that I will do in future articles. Until then, happy crocheting!

Lynn

Tlc Baby Amore Yarn Aqua

Red Heart TLC Baby Amore Yarn. This yarn is lusciously soft and so airy light even beginners may make heavenly projects from it. Weight category: 4, 80% acrylic/20% nylon. Solids: 5oz/140g, 279yd/255m. Prints: 4oz/113g, 223yd/204m. Gauge: 16 s x 24 r = 4in(10cm) on size 8/5mm needles, crochet: 12 sc x 14 r = 4in(10cm) on size I9/5.5mm hook. Care: machine wash (max.temp. 104F/40C), tumble dry, do not bleach, do not iron, arid cleanable.

Tlc Baby Amore Yarn Aqua Image

Tlc Baby Amore Yarn Aqua Photo

Tlc Baby Amore Yarn Aqua Image

Tlc Baby Amore Yarn Aqua Image

Tlc Baby Amore Yarn Aqua Image

Tlc Baby Amore Yarn Aqua Image