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Crafts Hobbies Articles |
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Expert Author: Kanaga Siva | Summary Most people have a lot of free time available but seldom use it gainfully. They would rather gossip with their friends instead of making use of the inherent talent they have and start a hobby. There are numerous hobbies from which you can pick and choose one that suits your talents and creative abilities. Hobbies can bring you so much of fun and entertainment that you will begin to regret for not having thought of it much earlier. In fact some hobbies can be fun not only to you but to the whole family too. Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary Ever wonder what glass actually is? Do we cut it or break it (is there a difference)? Why and how does scoring a line allow us to control the way glass breaks? To fully understand why we cut glass the way we do, we should first understand a bit about glass itself. There are two types of solids: amorphous and crystalline. (Huh? Amorphous? Wasn't he a character in the movie series The Matrix? No, that was Morpheus.) Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary The amount of grout for your mosaic project depends on two basic variables: 1) the size of your piece, and 2) the width of your joints. Obviously, smaller joints require less grout. It's important to mix more than you think you'll need to ensure you don't run out. This is especially true when using colored grout to ensure color consistency unless you intend for your piece to have varying shades of grout. Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary Andamento (Italian for "flow") is the visual movement of your mosaic created by placing tesserae in specific patterns to achieve the desired image (a.k.a. "coursing" your tesserae). Opus (Latin for "work of art or literary work") is any work in any creative field, such as literature, architecture, music, and fine art. In our world of mosaic art, opus refers to how we arrange our tesserae. Different opera (the plural of opus) result in different flows. Understanding the various opera allows you to properly plan your work to ensure you achieve the desired look. Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary You're so anxious to hang your first masterpiece that it seems like the frame store is taking forever finish the frame. Finally, they call to tell you it's ready for pickup. Wow, they did a great job and the frame makes your mosaic look even better. You can't wait to hang it on the wall and show it off. It weighs a ton and you're nervous wondering whether a 10-penny nail in flimsy drywall can hold all that weight. Now what? Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary Which type of adhesive is best for mosaics? It depends on your base material, mosaic method, whether you're working horizontally on a table or vertically on a wall, whether your mosaic is exposed to moisture, and personal preference. Many websites and articles say Weldbond is the best adhesive for indoor mosaics and that it's the preferred glue of professional mosaic artists worldwide. Is it really better than plain Elmer's White Glue? Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary Wheeled glass cutters are essential for creating glass mosaics. I use it to cut and shape vitreous glass and stained glass. It can also be used to cut smalti. The wheeled cutters make cleaner cuts than tile nippers. The two carbide wheels (or steel, if you buy cheap cutters) are fixed in position. Instead of scoring and breaking, the wheels apply even pressure to the top and bottom sides of the glass, causing it to fracture along the line of the wheels. Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary The purpose of sealing grout is to make it water and mildew resistant, and to help keep out dirt. Many mosaic articles and books say you must always seal grout. I don't always agree. In my opinion, indoor wall-hanging mosaics displayed in dry environments don't need sealing. I simply don't bother because my indoor wall hangings don't get wet or dirty. However, indoor mosaics exposed to dirt and moisture (e.g., tabletops and backsplashes) should, indeed, be sealed. Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary Ever wonder what grout actually is? As a mosaic artist who frequently uses it, you should. Yes, grout is cement. But what's cement? Even if you couldn't care less, as a mosaic artist, you should understand the materials used in your work. Portland cement is the most common type of cement. So, let's discover just exactly what cement is. Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary Always shop around before buying mosaic tools and materials. Many glass vendors now sell on the Internet. Some are great, some not so great. Some have a huge selection, but lousy prices and service. Some have a lousy selection, but great prices. Shop around before buying and you'll eventually find a vendor you like. Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary Working with color in mosaics is much more challenging than most other art media, such as paint and colored pencils. The painter's color palette is limited only by the painter's imagination in mixing any number of colors until the desired hue is achieved. In contrast, the mosaic artist's color palette is constrained by the limited colors that glass manufacturers decide to produce, which are typically determined by what sells best. Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary Where you don't put tesserae determines your grout lines because grout fills in everything on your base material left uncovered by tesserae. Strive for consistent grout spacing over the entire mosaic. If you use mismatched shapes (e.g., broken pieces of miscellaneous crockery), this is virtually impossible, but do your best to maintain consistency. Big gaps left between tesserae because you were in too much of a hurry look messy. Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary Always plan your mosaic project before buying, cutting, or gluing the first piece of tessera. Don't try to be spontaneous (your mosaic will suffer if you do). Start by answering a few general questions: Why am I creating this particular piece, what's its purpose? Is there ample room to display it and can the wall safely support a heavy mosaic? What kind of light will shine on it? Expert Author: Bill Enslen | Summary Using broken pieces of crockery or china in mosaics is typically called "picasiette" or "pique assiette." The literal French translation is "sponger" or "scrounger." Therefore, the term pique assiette in mosaics means salvaging pieces of china or crockery. Learn to properly and safely break crockery for use as tesserae in your mosaic art. It might seem like an oxymoron-being one of the nation's premier handcrafters of wooden jewelry boxes, as well as an online entrepreneur who e-tails the majority of my products. The evolution of the handcrafting world and its migration to online marketing may sound like a strange juxtaposition, but in fact, has become a significant contributing factor to the sustainability of the craft industry in the US. I should know; my business wouldn't be here today if I had not made the transition. If you are in the craft business and have not created an online presence, read on. Expert Author: Wayne Giese | Summary How to Value Your Australian Coin Collection Accurately and All By Yourself?
If you've got some Australian coins or notes, and are looking to find out what they're worth, I suggest that you read this. There are four variables that affect the value of a coin or note - Age is not included as very ancient coins can sometimes be quite inexpensive. Expert Author: Catherine West | Summary The first time I heard people talking about their "cricut," I thought they were discussing an insect and did not understand what it had to do with scrap booking. The day I first saw a Cricut Expression working, I knew that I should have one. The method the machine and cuts the proper fonts and patterns had me enthralled. I have found that there are many uses for my Cricut beyond just scrapbooking. My Cricut helped me prepare for Girls' Camp, projects, parades, creating cards, and vinyl lettering projects. Expert Author: Douglas M. Parks | Summary When sending out a holiday card it pays to know a bit more about how you can make this card more unique as well as different from the run-of-the-mill holiday cards that most people send. At the very least, a properly chosen holiday card can serve as a great marketing tool for your business as it will help to keep in touch with your repeat clients and it also allows you to develop new customers as well. Expert Author: Jenny Styles | Summary Collecting stamps is a great hobby that people from all over the world enjoy. It doesn't matter if you are young or old. This hobby is not only fun, interesting but you can also learn a lot. There is a whole wide world collecting stamp community for you to be part of. The key for collecting stamps is the variety you can collect. In this case you can certainly say more is better. If you are new to this hobby you have must realize that you have to have stamp collecting supplies ready before you start your collection of stamps. Expert Author: Jenny Styles | Summary The first thing you need to know about making a scrapbook is that it isn't a complicated process at all. Scrapbooking isn't just for the 'crafty' person among us either. In fact, you don't need to have any 'crafting' skills at all, in order to create a scrapbook of memories that will last for generations to come.
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