Saving Family Keepsakes for Scrapbooking

I'm new to scrapbooking, and I still can't believe all the possibilities there are for scrapbook layouts.

When I first began I pulled out and organized a lot of my daughter's childhood photos. Also collecting dust on my closet shelf was a box of other family keepsakes I'd kept throughout the years.

For example, when we went to Disney World, in addition to all the pictures we had taken, I kept the plane tickets, the cards you get to open your hotel door, meal vouchers, luggage tags, post cards, and theme park passes. These will make a fun addition to our Disney World-themed scrapbook pages.

For school, there are a number of things you can keep. Certificates, award ribbons, and report cards are just a couple of ideas. You can also break this category down into smaller ones, like school sports, plays, band, etc. I've kept all of the programs from my daughter's school plays, which will make a great addition to the pictures I have of her "in character."

Other keepsakes might include handmade cards or little notes your child might have left you from time to time. These memories are priceless, and could never be re-created even if you tried. Keeping these treasures in a family scrapbook will ensure the memories are preserved.

For holiday memories, you might have childhood Christmas wish lists, family letters, holiday cards, party invitations, or favorite family holiday recipes. I even keep thank-you cards I have received.

Looking through my box I also found some other types of family memories that would also make great themed scrapbook pages. Wedding announcements, funeral programs, and graduation announcements are a great complement to your family photographs.

Hopefully these ideas will get you thinking of things you might have tucked away somewhere that would be a great addition to your scrapbooking projects. If not, it's never too late to start.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.crafty-moms.com">http://www.crafty-moms.com</a>

A Beginners Guide to Buying Authentic Swords Online

Looking at all the various swords for sale online can make you feel a bit like a kid in a candy store. But if you are looking to buy authentic replica swords online, it can be a bit harder to get what you really want than it otherwise might first appear?

Sure, if you are just looking for an ornamental sword to hang on the wall ? it's pretty easy. Just look around for a sword that takes your fancy, don't spend much more than US$50 and your chances of getting what you want are good?

But if you are like me when I first started my sword collection, you might not know that there is a world of difference between an ornamental sword that you hang on the wall and a REAL sword that you can actually swing through the air or cut things with!

The reality is that the vast majority of swords for sale on the internet are what experienced sword collectors call &quot;sword like objects&quot;. Even just swinging one of these swords through the air is asking for trouble, and may the gods help you if you try to cut something as simple as a cardboard box! More often than not, the swords handle will break, the blade will shatter or worse still, come flying off like some demented helicopter blade at a speed of just over 40mph (trust me, voice of experience here!).

The fact of the matter is that if you are looking for a REAL sword, you need to start your search looking for what online sword sellers refer to as a &quot;battle ready&quot; or &quot;functional sword.&quot;

Unfortunately though, not all sword sellers are scrupulously honest in their description of a battle ready sword? And quite often, this description is applied to swords that are anything but &quot;functional&quot;.

Essentially, there are three main characteristics that all REAL swords have in common. And those characteristics are:

<ul><li type="disk"> They are made of high carbon steel, NOT stainless steel.</ul> <ul><li type="disk">The swords have been properly heat treated to ensure they are not too brittle and not too soft.</ul> <ul><li type="disk">The sword has what is called a &quot;full tang&quot;. In other words, the metal insert that goes into the swords handle is forged as part of the sword, and not welded on afterwards.</ul> Of course, not all &quot;functional&quot; swords being sold online accurately describe if they have these characteristics. Luckily though, there is a fairly easy way to determine if a sword is REAL or not. And that is by only buying swords made by a well known and respected sword manufacturer.

In my opinion, the best &quot;bang for your buck&quot; swords are all produced by 3 companies ? Windlass Steelcrafts, Generation 2 and Paul Chens Hanwei Forge. All of these manufacturers make good quality REAL swords at prices around the US$150 to $200 mark.

While you might think that this is a lot to pay for a sword, especially when compared to the cheap swords being sold online for $30 or $40 ? the reality is that you are not comparing apples with apples. And believe me, for this price range you can get some very mean, strong swords that you would be proud to show off to your friends.

For more information on how to select a your first real sword, as well as reviews, test cutting results and everything else you need to know about buying swords online, check out my website. <a target="_new" href="http://sword-buyers-guide.com">http://sword-buyers-guide.com</a>

Friendship Albums

My 12-year-old daughter was mad at me when I refused to pay $25 for a school yearbook last year. Who are they trying to kid?

In an attempt to appease my daughter, I suggested buying a little notebook that her friends could write messages in for her. As it turned out, we found a small turquoise spiral-bound notebook for about $3 that she really liked. Her gel pens looked really great on the turquoise paper.

I also agreed to let her take my camera to school on the last day (it's a fairly inexpensive camera). She took a roll of film that was all hers to take pictures of her friends. She had her friend write little notes to her in her notebook, including phone numbers, AOL Instant Messenger screen names, whatever information they wanted to exchange.

After we got the film developed, my daughter cut the faces of friends she wanted out of the photos and glued them into her notebook. Next she added notes next to each photo, including the person's name and something about that person. The neat thing about those photos was the fact that they were all so candid. She got group photos of her friends, shots of all the boys she had crushes on throughout the year--everything she wanted to remember in years to come.

The total cost of her little friendship album was about $10. The memories it contains are priceless. When I last asked her where her album was, she said a friend had borrowed it so she could scan all the pictures for herself!

Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.crafty-moms.com">http://www.crafty-moms.com</a>

Marking Tools and Laser Marking Machines for Marking on Metals

Marking tools are used for marking metals and non-metal surfaces. Mark can be a company logo designed with alphabets, numeric pattern or any graphical shape. It distinguishes one company from others. Marking also keeps you ahead of your competitors. Customers usually recognize companies with their logo or mark. Marking is the quick and easy way of identification among other products.

Marking is made easy with marking tools like marking stamps, blocks, punches and dies. The marking tool like stencil, engraving tool, stamping tool and embossing tool creates permanent neat, clear and precise marking. Marking tools have a capability of giving high definition graphically and permanent marking on metals like zinc, steel as well as non-metals like plastics, that are hard to fade out and eye pleasing at the same time. We have a wide variety of machine tools and hand tools. Tools can be made as per your requirment.

Laser marking system is a new form of marking systems. Laser systems are now used worldwide for many industrial applications including cutting, marking, stamping, embossing and engraving. Through laser marking very precise marks can be made. Computer aided laser marking system uses special system software. Its quite sofisticated. Results are far more better than conventional marking. Marking through latest marking machines is now made simple.

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Read More about Marking Tools and Machines at <a target="_new" href="http://www.reliantmarkingtools.co.uk/marking_tools.htm">Marking Tools and Marking Machines</a>

Leather Care

Leather Care

When buying leather, the best thing you can do is ask the people who you buy it from, what the manufacturer recommends for leather care and cleaning. Don't forget to ask what other products may work well for leather care too, as there may be something you're more comfortable using. Also ask what the product does to and for the leather.

While still alive, leather on the animal, fish, or fowl is maintained in situ. (It's their skin) The oils that keep leather conditioned and help remove dirt and grime from the skin of the animal are produced naturally by their body.

Once leather is processed, these &quot;living&quot; components cease to exist although they do retain many of their physical characteristics such as leather's porous nature and chemical reactivity. Leather is naturally acidic so anything alkaline is bad. For proper leather care, you want to mimic some of these natural processes. If you sift through all of the mythology, home recipes, and good ol' folk lore about leather care, you are left with the two basic tasks that all those natural processes accomplished: cleaning and conditioning.

Any leather care enthusiast will tell you that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and if you want to protect your investment keep it in top form. Leather care is relatively easy but you need to be consistent. Leather can be restored, but regular maintenance is highly recommended. If cared for properly, your leather will last and stay in good shape for years.

You want to know the type of leather you have, as well as the way it was processed during tanning. For example, were any anti-mold finishes applied or was a sealant used, and how was it colored, if it was. Keep in mind that aniline, suede, and nubuck are not as robust as pigmented leather because they do not usually have a protective surface coating.

Pigmented leather is the most durable, full grain pigmented leather has intact grain, and corrected grain pigmented leather refers to whether or not the leather has been sanded to remove imperfections.

Aniline

This top-grain or full-top grain leather is not pigmented, just dyed whereas semi-aniline treatments combine pigment with dye, usually to even out the grain because the leather has some imperfections. The result is that the leather has a more consistent color and some stain resistance qualities.

If you lightly scratch the surface of aniline, it will turn a lighter color. Some nubuck leather will do the same thing. To correct the problem, wet your finger lightly and rub it into the leather. It should darken slightly, but dry the same color.

Antiqued / Marbled / Two-Tone

A second pigment may be rubbed over the original pigment to give the leather an aged or antique appearance.

Nubuck

This is aniline leather that has been brushed to give it the texture of velvet. In fact, nubuck is often mistaken for suede. Nubuck is stronger because it is brushed on the grain side, which is the side where the animal's hair was, where suede is made from the flesh side. If you apply the wet finger test to nubuck, it will darken slightly and dry darker so be sure if you do this that it is done in an inconspicuous area.

Pull-Up

Pull-up, also referred to as waxy or oil pull-up is leather that lightens in color when stretched during wearing, creating a broken-in appearance.

Suede

Suede leather is made from the fleshy side of hide. For leather care of suede, it is important you make sure any product you use won't damage it. Find out as much as you can about the active ingredients in the products you buy and the action involved. You might want to bring your jacket with you or a swatch if you can, and ask what would work best for it.

If you schedule leather care and cleaning you won't end up with a jacket that looks like someones cast off. I suggest scheduling a cleaning at least once a year or so. (Mark it in your daytimer)

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The Wonderful Art of Bonsai

The potential for enjoyment of Bonsai trees is enormous. These are the dwarf-sized trees that have been developed in the Asian countries of China and Japan for many hundreds of years. Most people have to go out to a forest to experience the marvelous plants that we call trees.

But in the hands of a master Bonsai creator, the beautiful trees can be reduced in size to the point where they can be brought indoors to be enjoyed at any time. And the person who learns this age-old art so that he or she learns how to create this small piece of beauty experiences even more of a thrill -- something closely akin to producing a child, but with the added advantage of being able to shape and design it themselves. And these trees grow more beautiful with age. Some renowned trees are as old as five hundred years or more.

Naturally, they need nurturing and care, just as any prized possession does, especially things that are living and developing, in the same way a child develops. But the care that is needed is not difficult, though it may require some time and some special equipment (not overly-expensive). And, of course, these beautiful trees can be purchased at any Bonsai nursery.

Usually it never enters the head of the admirer of Bonsai that they have the potential of creating them on their own. Becoming a member of any local Bonsai Club (they're virtually everywhere) will provide all the support and direction a person might require. It's exciting to sit in front of one of these miniature trees and realize that this tiny tree in its tiny pot might otherwise be growing tall in some forest somewhere. And you can pick it up, turn it, and see all sides of it without leaving your chair.

They truly are a marvel, these Bonsai trees. The word Bonsai itself means "tree in a pot." And there is not just a single species of tree that is adaptable to your particular area. There are hundreds -- even species that would normally not be considered a tree, such as shrubs, bushes and even plants like roses and many herb species. But, no matter what kind of plant you may have in your pot, it's always called a "tree" in Bonsai language.

I was fortunate enough to have been able to study with the great master, John Naka, also addressed as "Sensei" (master teacher). Sadly, Sensei Naka left us a few years ago, and has been greatly missed by all who knew him and knew of him. He wrote the consummate manual on the subject of Bonsai, which was his true passion. He traveled all over the world to teach and judge competitions and he loved every minute of it. He made his home in Southern California, but the world was truly his, gaining enormous respect wherever he traveled.

If you're thinking of creating or buying a Bonsai tree, you must bear one thing in mind at all times -- these are living things, and do require care and even love. You can't go away on vacation for a week or two and expect to find your tree alive when you return -- unless you've wisely made arrangements to have someone take care of your tree for you. And that person must know intimately the requirements of the tree. A trusted neighbor who, upon seeing the tree for the first time, says, "Oh, isn't that cute?" is not the person to entrust your tree with.

The principle tree for a beginner to start with is the Japanese Black Pine (pinus thunbergii), primarily because it's the easiest to grow and work with, and also that it's available in most areas and climates. It can be grown anywhere in the U.S. and most of North America. It's extremely hardy and adaptable to even adverse weather conditions and makes a superb-looking Bonsai tree.

If you're looking for a new adventure and hobby, I believe you'll be happy and contented with your own Bonsai trees. It's an especially good interest for people who are home-bound, and who need something to make them feel vibrant and needed, and to give them continuing joy. Yes, a good Bonsai tree is a tru

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A Brief History of Candles

For centuries man's progress has been lighted by candles. However, people know only very few things about the origin of candles. It has been written that the first candles were made by the Ancient Egyptians. They used rushlights, or torches, made by soaking the pithy core of reeds in molten tallow. Unlike the candles, the rushlights had no wick. The Romans were the ones who it is said to have developed the wick candle. They used it to help travellers at dark, and to light homes and places of worship during the night.

America's first contribution to candle-making was made by colonial women who discovered that if they boiled the grayish green berries of bayberry bushes they got a sweet-smelling wax that burned clean. But it was extremely tedious to extract the wax from the bayberries so their popularity soon diminished. The first important change in candle making since the Middle Ages was bought by the growth of the whaling industry in the late 18th century. Spermaceti, a wax obtained by crystallizing sperm whale oil, was available in large quantities. The spermaceti wax, as well as beeswax, did not smell unpleasantly when burned. Even more importantly, spermaceti wax was harder than tallow and beeswax and it did not soften or bend because of the summer heat. Historians write that the first candles as we know them were made from spermaceti wax.

During the 19th century, people made most of the changes in candle making. In 1834, Joseph Morgan, invented a machine, which allowed continuous production of candles by the use of a cylinder, which had a movable piston that ejected candles as they solidified. Today, they are no longer a major source of light for people, but candles continue to be very popular and useful. Candles mean celebration, romance, ceremony, and can be an object of d?cor, while casting the same warm and enjoyable well-known glow.

This article may be reproduced on websites subject to credit being given to the author, and a link to his website. If you would like more information go to <a target="_new" href="http://www.candlesources.com">http://www.candlesources.com</a>