Archive for the 'Arts' Category

Online Art Gallery - An Aspiring Artist’s Lifeline

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
by Kathy Austin

For a upcoming artist, finding an Art Gallery to show his creations was a pipe dream unless he or she was familiar in the art circles, had a rich patron who could give him a fillip or was a genius. But even geniuses in the field of the fine arts are not discovered overnight and come into their own rights after a relatively very long spell, and some after their times. To become familiar, the budding artist should have started somewhere and there lies many a woeful tale of a vicious circle.

This was compounded by the fact that art is a matter of personal likes and dislikes. The beauty of a piece of art is only in the eyes of the beholder. As such an upcoming artist needed someone to push him along, a Godfather, so to say. Or he had to be a genius, but the history of art has a long list of those geniuses for whom recognition came late. So, even if the new artist did find a small gallery, in some Godforsaken alley or bye lane, it was not his to decide whether it was worth hanging on above ones’ mantelpiece.

This scenario underwent a drastic transformation with the arrival of computers and the advanced programs that ran them and ran on them. Almost anything was possible on the computer and it came to the aid of the budding artist in the form of the “Online Art Gallery”. Not only did the computer change the way art was displayed and sold, it even changed the concept of art. Digital art was added to the existing forms and Abstract art became more abstract and less understandable except to the enlightened few. Computers also spawned more artists.

The Online Art Gallery set about making changes in the fortunes of these artists. These galleries could feature just about any aspect of the fine arts. All an upcoming artist had to do was to create a portfolio of his works and upload the same to one of these galleries. Even the traditional galleries now put up information on their paintings, sculpting and other works on online art galleries. Paintings of old masters, paintings of aspiring artists, sculpting, digital art, photographs and videos - all of them can be displayed in an online art gallery.

An aspiring artist can use the Internet to display his wares. He can create his own web site and put on show all of his creations. Being his own web, site he has total control over it and it is left to his whims and fancies as to what he wants to exhibit and what he does not want to. But this will involve either building the web site himself, provided he has the technical know how to do it or getting a professional web designer to build one for him to his requirements. An initial investment of some sort is essentially required.

An alternative arrangement would be to subscribe and join any one of the many online galleries that offer their services on the Internet. There are galleries that host ones paintings or other such works free of charge. These free sites have limited facilities and offer space for a limited period of time. Others charge a fee depending on the nature of the services offered and the popularity of the site, ranging from a few dollars to a few hundreds. Once uploaded, they are there for the world to view.

An Online Art Gallery permits the addition and deletion of paintings, a statement from the artist, details of the artist and his other works and contact details. Some of these galleries even handle the sale of an artist’s painting and take a commission on the proceeds of the deal.

An online art gallery is thus a boon to an aspiring artist. He gets the required exposure, in fact world wide exposure, and the opportunity to sell them online. All he has to do is paint the next Mona Lisa.

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The Secrets to Hanging A Picture

Monday, April 28th, 2008
by Kurt Schefken

Home decorating consists of putting up drywall, redecorating, painting, hanging wallpaper or putting in new flooring. One part of home decorating that we tend to overlook is hanging a picture. This may seem like a very simple project, but if it’s not done correctly, you can have problems. Before you begin hanging a picture, you need to consider the weight of the picture and the type of wall you will be hanging it on.

You’ll need to purchase the correct fasteners to hang your picture on the wall. These fasteners may be nails, hooks or new adhesive stickers that are now becoming widely used. While these are the most common fasteners, they may not be appropriate on all wall types. If the wall in question is made of brick, stucco or concrete, you won’t want to use a regular nail. You’ll need to use a concrete screw to ensure that the picture is hung securely and you haven’t damaged the wall. Using a nail may only result in chipping the concrete by the nail.

If the picture of object is heavy, you can use a plastic anchor or a molly bolt. Either of these will work great and will not damage your wall. The local hardware or home improvement store will give you free tips on what kind of fasteners will work best for your picture or object to be hung.

Next on your list is deciding where to put the picture. How high or how low is usually a debatable question. The rule of thumb is to hang the picture so it is at eye level. Take a tape measure and measure from the floor to where eye level is on the wall. This is where the center of the picture will be hung. The next step will be to measure the actual picture. Measure from the bottom of the picture to the highest part of the hanging wire. To determine where you will hang it, subtract half of the picture’s height and adding this to where you determined eye level was. You can then make a mark on the wall where it will be. Next, you need to make sure the picture is centered vertically and horizontally, making sure there is a stud behind the drywall.

Hold the fastener in place and nail or screw the fastener in the wall. When the nail or screw is securely in the wall, gently hang the picture. You want to hang it gently in case you missed the stud. If you did miss the stud the weight of the picture may put pressure on the nail if you’re nailing into drywall. If you find that the picture is not quite as high or low as you want, first try adjusting the hanging wire. This is much easier than putting another hole in your wall.

If you have to hang more than one picture on the wall, you’ll need to figure and measure for each picture. Measure for the first, then hang it, then measure for the second and so forth.

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Hot Full Sleeve Tattoo Designs And Information

Saturday, April 26th, 2008
by Chris Smith

What the heck is a sleeve tattoo and why would I care you ask yourself? Well, sleeve tattoo are hot and a lot of people are curious about them. For example not only what are they but how much do they cost, where can I get one? or How much time will it take to get a tattoo done. This article contains a ton of useful information to get your started with sleeve tattoos.

So let’s get started and down to the basic level to explain all of this. First of all you are probably wondering what the heck a sleeve tattoo is anyway. A sleeve tattoo is a any tattoo design that full covers an area of the arm. For example a full sleeve tattoo is like wearing a long sleeve shirt. It is a tattoo or group of tattoos that full cover the skin from the shoulder down to the wrist. A half sleeve covers the area from the shoulder down to the top of the forearm and a quarter sleeve covers the area of the upper arm.

The Two Paths Of A Sleeve Tattoo There are really many different ways to go about getting a sleeve tattoo. However, most of the ways fall into two common categories or steps for getting the work done. The first way is through individual tattoos and the second way is through one complete project. Which one you choose to have done will really be up to you and what you like. Also you will have to take into consideration any existing tattoos you already have in the area.

Individual Tattoos: One way to get a full sleeve or any size sleeve tattoo is to simple connect up a series of tattoos that one already has done. For example the person might have a beautiful lotus flower tattoo design on their should and some waves down on their forearm. These two separate tattoos can then be connected together with a unifying design.

Complete Project: Another method that is pretty easy to understand and exactly as the title states is done by getting one complete tattoo design for the entire sleeve. Instead of connecting individual random tattoos the person starts with a blank slate and designs the entire sleeve at one time. This can make for a beautiful and unified looking tattoo and is often a nice way to go.

Sleeve Tattoo Inspiration Ideas and Designs: Once you have chosen the method for getting your tattoo done then it is time to think about what design and tattoo you want for your full sleeve. This can be a hard and sometimes frustrating process. However, if you learn to enjoy the journey along the way the process will flow much more smoothly. Take your time in getting a full sleeve tattoo since this is a big commitment and something that you will live with for the rest of your life. Therefore you don’t want to rush into anything. Instead take some time and think about what tattoo designs inspire you and what themes speak to you. Look at a lot of other pictures, flash and tattoo designs other people have done for their full sleeves. You don’t want to just flat out copy but rather gather ideas and resources from other people’s inspiration and then see if their is a unifying theme that you can use in your tattoo. Speak with a professional tattoo artist about doing a custom design and let him know the things you like and don’t like and see what he or she can come up with.

What Is Popular? Of course your tattoo design will be something that you live with for the rest of your life and you do not want to decide or choose a design just because it is popular. However below there are some ideas of common full sleeve tattoos. Look through and see if any spark an interest for you.

Sleeve Tattoo Designs: Flames - Flames are a very popular item or design idea for people getting full sleeve tattoos. These designs work great and look awesome if they start down at the wrist and the flames go up towards the shoulder. One can then add in other tattoos as the flames spread upwards.

Tribal Sleeve Tattoo - Tribal designs work well and really lend themselves to sleeve tattoos. They are often comprised of strong and bold black lines that will stand out very well on the arm and make a big bold statement. They are not overly delicate or too intricate and therefore will look better over time. You do not have to get stuck with the standard almost over done tribal tattoo either. There are tribal tattoo designs from many of the ancient cultures including Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan and Pacific Islander just to name a few. So be creative and find a patten that you really like.

Celtic Knot work Sleeve - Another popular option is the Celtic knot work sleeve. These can come in a variety of designs and also are bold and make beautiful designs. Things like intertwined animals, illuminated letters, step patterns and spirals all make great tattoo sleeves.

Sleeve Tattoo Ideas: Floral Patterns - Flower tattoos can also make a great looking full sleeve tattoo. More typically used by women, but in no way only for women, flower or floral tattoos can offer a wonderful look and feel about them. They are often very delicate and can look almost tribal depending on the design. Flowers are also great design subjects because they offer a variety of symbolism behind them.

The Time and Cost Factor: You should consider carefully the costs and time commitment involved in getting a full or even half sleeve tattoo. They can be rather costly and time consuming and so you want to plan ahead and ensure that you can complete the project before you get started designing it. Typically it can take 25 hours of time to complete just the tattoo part of the work and this number can go up drastically depending on the design and the shop. As far as cost it can be hard to project again it depends on the shop. the experience of the tattoo artist and the amount of work they currently have. Of course when they are super busy they are good but you will have to pay more. Very rough guidelines in terms of price would be anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 dollars.

While the time, commitment and choosing the perfect design can all be a challenge if you are really dead set on getting a full or half sleeve tattoo then go for it. Just learn that it will take time and there is no use in rushing things along. Especially take your time to choose a design that you are happy with and you will end up with a wonderful piece of body art.

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How To Use Digital Cameras To Take Great Photos

Saturday, April 26th, 2008
by Mike G Grey

You have taken up the hobby of photography and you now need to know how to take good pictures. Its time to start learning this new hobby of picture taking, it will be wonderful. It will be an idea hobby to blend in with your family and friends.

What you will need to do is learn a basic understanding of this digital camera. You may be asking yourself how in the world you are going to do this. I will start you on the journey to learn what you need with this article.

We will start this digital photography lesson with some basic facts. Mega pixels is the first topic, a pixel is a unit of measurement in an digital image, also the smallest one. Thus an image has over one million pixels. The more mega pixels an image has the better it will look and the bigger picture printed out. My opinion is to pick a camera that is at least 5 mega pixels in size.

The next topic is storage of the picture taken. The picture taken with your camera will be needed to be stored in the camera until you can get to your pc to download it. All memory cards have the same physical size, but inside the memory card is different. Often the sizes are different like 32MB, 64MB, 1GIG or even 2 GIG. The size of the card is what determines the amount of photos you can store in the camera.

Well just about every digital camera is run on batteries these days. Some cameras are more power hungry than others, so invest into a battery charger with rechargeable batteries. Also extra sets of batteries help a great deal.

Turning on a digital camera works in either two ways. One way is a simple power on button. The other is when the lens cover is opened, the camera turns on. Just check out your manual that came with your camera, if you have questions.

Auto focus on this digital camera is almost always included. It is used by depressing the shutter button half way and holding it there until auto focus has happened then continue pressing to take photo. Also there is a indicator lamp that will be lighten when it is ready to take pictures.

The one thing I like most about a digital camera is viewing your picture after taking them. All you have to do is look into the view finder to check out the photo you just took. If you should not like the photo just delete it and start over.

Important to remember that always install the software that came with your digital camera. It will help a great way to get you acquainted with your camera. Also these cameras are equipped with a USB port in order to load your images into your PC.

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The Benefits Of Online Coloring Websites

Thursday, April 24th, 2008
by Chris Channing

Kids are always looking to be entertained- whether online or offline. One of the best pastimes that kids get into is coloring. Coloring teaches kids about discipline, the result of hard work, and overall how to be creative. But for many consumers, coloring books are too pricey to keep children entertained at all times. For such people, an interesting alternative has been created via the Internet.

It’s hard to pass up a free offer that accomplishes everything a paid offer does and more. In this case, online Internet resources offer free online coloring books to children. In comparison to the crayons and coloring books that parents must pay for each week, the online alternative is a very spendthrift alternative indeed- possibly saving parents hundreds over the years.

Another big advantage to online coloring is that there is no mess involved. Crayons, paint, and other types of coloring tools will usually leave stains on clothing, carpet, and tables. Since the Internet only requires the usage of the mouse, there is no mess to clean up afterwards. It’s a nice change from the norm for parents who don’t have time to clean up after every crayon or paint incident that occurs.

The only downfall of online coloring books is that they can’t be taken everywhere a physical coloring book can. Parents would logically think, in this case, that a physical coloring book is necessary. But in reality, online coloring books can be printed out for traveling use- so parents can still save money from buying expensive coloring books, yet still keep children entertained on trips.

It’s fairly common for a child to grow bored with a coloring book. As printing costs remain intact, most coloring books are fairly meager in length. This limits the creativity and overall life of a coloring book to a fairly short session. Compared to the Internet, this is a poor choice, as the online alternative can give children thousands of free designs to color in. With so many designs, it’s liable that children can be entertained for hours on end.

Children also have much to gain from using online resources for coloring books. It is common for a child to get frustrated with only using a few colors to fill in their masterpiece with. If that’s the case- they will be overjoyed in knowing that current technologies commonly allow for thousands of different colors to be displayed on a computer screen without any effort at all.

Final Thoughts On Coloring Pages

Coloring books are a part of everyone’s childhood. It’s hard to imagine a childhood without the joys and creativity that coloring offers. But as technology advances, consumers should likewise make the technological jump so as to save money, time cleaning messes, and effort in attempting to keep children entertained. If it isn’t already apparent, online coloring books are a great benefit to families everywhere- and the fact that they are free only make the matter exponentially more beneficial.

The three laws of buying Cuban Cigars

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
by Trevor Wallace

If you know anything about cigars, you probably know that the very best come from only one place on this entire planet, and that is Cuba. However, knowing just that isn’t enough - especially when you are living in the USA and trying to get Cuban cigars off the internet. Out of all the internet Cuban cigar retailers, 99 percent off them are fake. If you never smoked a Cuban cigar before, obviously you won’t be able to tell the difference. I just hope you never find yourself in the company of someone who did, the embarrassment can be deadly to the soul. Allow me to share some pointers when purchasing a Cuban cigar on the internet, as you can never be to careful.

So you finally find a great looking website with all the fancy pictures and moving images. You look around their website and their Cuban cigars are just a few hundred bucks. That my friend is your first warning sign as Cuban cigars (And usually come in singles or cases of 25 or 50) are not less than $500 bucks a month - that is if they are authentic. What these low lives are doing is they are disguising cheap Dominican cigars for Cubans. This is not only an insult to Cuban cigars smokers all over the world but especially to you. You never want to be in a situation where you think you bought some Cuban cigars, thinking that they were real, only to find the other guy you were smoking with has the real deal. The embarrassment would be something hard to get over. See you can lineup all the Cigars in the world together, but a Cuban stands out even when its not lit. The hand rolled, aged and fermented tobacco has a look that is just out of this world.

The second thing that you should be looking at is if the business is authorized to sell Cuban cigars. If they are not, you might as well just throw your money in the garbage. As the cigars you will be receiving definitely deserve to be demolished. You see, if you are not authorized by Habanos, you are not selling real authentic Cuban cigars. It is simple as that. Habanos is the place where the first Cuban Cigar was cultivated hundreds of years ago and if you ever get a chance to go there, prepare yourself for a trip back in time. Upon being discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Habanos area hasn’t changed at all, it’s still beautiful. Even the process of making Cuban cigars,

So finally, the last step would be to make sure your online retailer of Cuban cigars actually knows how to get the product to you. I don’t know if you know this but having Cuban Cigars in the States is a pretty big deal. In fact, it can cost you fifty grand or jail time in your local prison. So when it comes to buying Cuban cigars on the internet, make sure the company has at least 7 years or more under their belt. Especially when it comes to shipping to the United States. This way you always get real authentic Cuban cigars and you will never get in trouble.

Next time when you decide to purchase Cuban cigars, make sure you run that online Cuban cigar retailer through the three points I just mentioned. You will not only have your cigars but a trusted Cuban cigar distributor that you can rely on for years to come. Enjoy your smokes!

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If You Wonder How Do I Become an Elementary School Art Teacher…

Saturday, April 19th, 2008
by Sandra Wilson

How do I become an elementary school art teacher could be the question you are asking if you have decided that your love for art and children is enough for you to pursue this career. You should already know that the basic foundations an elementary education teacher lays within her students lie in the social and academic areas. As you want to add art to the mix, there will be more you need to do to prepare yourself best.

In this article we will explain to you what you need to do in order to teach elementary school children everything they need to know about art. Initially in order for you to become an elementary school teacher you will need to have some kind of formal education.

Indeed, more and more are wanting a master’s degree. Beyond this formal education you will need to obtain whatever licenses and/or certificates are needed within the state where you will teach.

So as well as having an elementary teacher’s qualifications, those who want to teach art as well would be sensible to get one of the following qualifications in addition to the above. You can either choose to gain your Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree or Bachelor of Visual Arts Degree or you may choose to obtain your Bachelor of Studio Arts Degree.

In your search for the school from which to receive your formal art education, take the following things into consideration. Start with seeing if any of your potential instructors have worked in the same area you are endeavoring to enter - elementary school. This will be a big bonus. If it’s at all possible, get to know these potential instructors and even sit in on some of their classes.

If that works out then the next thing you should do is see what kind of help they will give you after you graduate. Do they have a department or counselor in this potential art school that will help you find a job after you graduate with your degree? They just might charge for this additional service so be sure to find out what the school’s rates are for this job placement service.

If you can, try to find students who have already graduated from the school to give you the inside scoop. Learn what you can about their courses, the teachers and the former student’s experiences with their job placement service if this is provided and was used.

Getting your degree is not just enough, though one would assume you do have an affinity for the subject or you would not have pursued it. You must love art as well so that you are able to lead your elementary school students with enthusiasm as well as knowledge through their art lessons.

Helping to guide elementary school students in learning about art and hopefully even nurturing a life-long love of and interest in art should be your number one point to consider. Then once you obtain your degrees, certifications and licenses, you will be on your way. We hope these above factors in our article have helped you to discover how do I become an elementary school art teacher.

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Holiday Crafts: Thanksgiving Decorations Kids Can Make

Thursday, April 10th, 2008
by Charles and Kim Petty

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday! What a spiritual renewal to take a day to reflect over the past year about just how good God has been to you and your family, to give you harvest and shelter, health and hope. To get the most out of this joyous occasion, make some holiday crafts with your children. These days, Thanksgiving often gets squeezed out by Hallowe’en’s spooky decorations and the lights and gala of Christmas. With the following holiday crafts, your home can be decorated for this quieter but important celebration.

Turkeys are a natural choice for decorations. A familiar project at this time of year is for a child to trace around her hand and make the resulting drawing into a turkey. The thumb is the head and the fingers are the tail feathers all displayed. While many of the turkeys that are raised for food are now the domestic white variety, the turkeys eaten by the Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving were the wild brown ones. The tail feathers on a wild turkey are brown, but they are iridescent. catching light and appearing to be multi-colored. This is why children color the tail feathers in bright colors.

The turkey’s head has a wattle under the beak. This is a vertical flap of loose skin that is red colored. Be sure to draw this in order to make the hand turkey look like a turkey. Add skinny legs and bird feet. When done, the children can cut out the turkeys and hang them on the wall. It’s really cute to make a whole flock of these turkeys in the sizes of all the hands in the family. The little hand shapes are particularly sweet.

Another nice turkey decoration to make when making Thanksgiving holiday crafts is a turkey door decoration. Make a brown construction paper body and head of a turkey. Now make a large number of colored feather shapes. Each family member writes on a feather something he or she is thankful for before attaching as part of the turkey’s tail. Repeat until all the feathers are used, and hang the turkey on the front door to greet visitors with a message of gratitude. Make a sign to accompany the turkey that says “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good!” or simply “Be thankful!” or “We’re thankful for you!” or whatever you like.

Children love making construction paper chains. To further decorate the house for Thanksgiving, let them make a paper chain in fall colors as one of their holiday crafts. Using 9 by 12 inch construction paper, cut the paper in half across the long side and cut the halves into one inch thick six inch long strips. Use a stapler to attach the ends of the strip into a circle. Loop the next strip into the circle and staple it. Continue the process alternating colors of brown, red, yellow, and orange. When the chains are long, you can drap them along the ceiling or stair rail. If you don’t make the door turkey, the children can write something they’re thankful for on each strip of paper before adding it to the chain.

Thanksgiving is too nice a holiday to let the other more commercial holidays crowd it out. By making holiday crafts to decorate the home for Thanksgiving, you can keep this day special, too. The extended family, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc., will be pleased to see the holiday crafts the young ones have made to decorate the house and make it cheerful for their visit.

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Arts and Crafts Idea: Foam Sheet Glasses Case

Thursday, April 10th, 2008
by Charles and Kim Petty

Are you a camp director, teacher, or homeschool mom looking for a new arts and crafts idea for your kids? Or maybe you are a recreation director at a senior center or nursing home and could use a new project. Either way, this arts and crafts idea will be interesting and fun for all. This glass case can be used, given as a gift, or converted into a necklace purse.

To make the glasses case, you will need the following simple materials: a square of craft foam, plastic or large blunt needles, lanyard lace or thick yarn. Cut two rectangles from the foam, each 3-1/2 inches (9 cm.) by 6 inches (15 cm.). With a hole punch, make holes on three sides of each rectangle, leaving one short side unpunched. Make the holes 1/2 inch apart and allow at least 1/4 inch between the hole and the edge of the craft foam. The holes need to line up so that the two pieces can be laced together. If you are preparing the craft for small children, you should make the holes yourself. Otherwise, the crafters can do this step if you have enough pairs of hole punches.

At this point the crafters can cut decorative shapes from other colors of craft foam, or you can buy sets of ready-cut foam shapes. If you are doing the craft at a special event, like vacation Bible school, choose shapes that echo the theme of the event. For instance, if the Bible school or camp has a cowboy theme, find shapes that fit well, such as boots, cowboy hats, and stars. Let the kids choose the shapes they like and glue on as desired. You might also like to provide beads or sequins to glue on as well, especially if the crafters are a little older.

The next step in this arts and crafts idea is to thread the plastic needle with the yarn or lanyard lace. Yarn might be a little easier to handle, but lanyard lace is shiny and attractive. In a pinch, some teachers of small children use a bobby pin as a needle. It is certainly a safe alternative. Simply loop the yarn through the opening and use the open end of the bobby pin as if it were the point of the needle. The children can now begin to lace the front and back of the glasses case together.

To turn this arts and crafts idea into a necklace purse, simply attach a piece of lanyard lace to each corner making a long handle. Kids will enjoy using this case as a place to store secret notes and small objects. If they’d rather, they can give the glasses case to a parent, grandparent, or friend who wears glasses. Either way, this arts and crafts idea will be interesting for all.

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Clay Pot Crafts: Make a Bell for the Porch

Thursday, April 10th, 2008
by Charles and Kim Petty

Clay pot crafts are a cute way to make home decorations. In clay pot crafts, clay flower pots can be crafted into a variety of decorative things that appeal to gardeners. Usually, the crafter begins with new pots. The pots are often decorated with paint as well as being tied together with rope or cord to create things.

Pots for clay pot crafts can be purchased in many different sizes, from tiny ones not more than 2 inches in diameter, to huge ones over a foot across. For a beginning project, start with smaller pots. The beginner should also choose clay pot crafts that don’t use too many pots in too elaborate a design.

An example of a good craft for someone new at clay pot crafts is to make a bell from two clay pots. Buy one pot that is about five or six inches in diameter, and another that is very small. You will use the small one as the clapper for the bell. You will also need some decorative cord, two large wooden beads, and paint in desired colors. You may also wish to purchase some glue-on jewels to decorate the bell. The bell makes a nice decoration for a front porch.

Cut the cord two feet (60 cm.) long. Fold the end over 3 inches (8 cm.) and tie in an overhand knot, making a loop. This loop is for hanging the bell from a hook or a nail. Now turn the larger clay pot upside-down. Pass the loose end of the cord down through the hole in the pot. Lay the pot on its side and slide one of the large wooden beads up the cord until it is about 10 inches (25 cm.) from the loose end. Now tie the cord around the bead so that the bead cannot slip from its position on the cord. If you have done this correctly, you can lift the pot by the loop. In clay pot crafts, the beads must be large enough to stop the cord from going through the hole in the bottom of the pot.

On the loose end of the cord, you are going to attach the small pot in the same way. Slide the small pot up the cord to make it easier to tie the other large wooden bead on the end of the cord. Now when you lift the entire arrangement by the loop, the smaller pot should hang freely inside the larger pot, making a pleasant sound when it claps against the larger pot.

Decorate the outside of the larger pot with paint as desired. You may like to paint it in black and white patches for a Holstein cow theme. You may also like to decorate the top of the bell with silk or dried flowers and greenery and a ribbon bow.

For a variation on this craft, make three of the bells and hang them from a horizontal piece of driftwood or other interesting piece of natural wood. When making hanging clay pot crafts, always make sure the beads are large enough and are tied tightly in place, because the clay pots will break if they fall to the ground.

Other clay pot crafts include making a large doll or scarecrow of nested pots strung together and painted. The doll can sit on a chair or a step of the front porch. Paint his face to look like a scarecrow, a jack-o-lantern, a gnome, or a child. Clay pot crafts are especially suited to being displayed outside.

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