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If, like me, you love needlepoint canvases by a particular designer, eBay can be a marvelous tool for finding canvases, even ones which haven抰 been made for many years!

The key is to use the 揊avorite Search?tool to find the types of canvases you want.

You say,擨抳e done this and found nothing.? But there might not be any of the canvases you want on that particular day. You can save your searches and get emails whenever new items matching those terms appear.

So how do you create an effective search?

1. Find the category which most closely matches the items you want and search in that category. This cuts down the number of kits dramatically.

We抣l use an example of needlepoint canvases by Petei. So we want 搉eedlepoint canvas?as our category.

2. Identify the designer. If you have a canvas by the designer, look at how it is signed. In Petei抯 case, this is 揚etei? But it could also be some initials, or a company name. Write all these down, they become the starting points of your search.

3 Are there particular kinds of canvases by this designer you want? Write down the terms which describe these kinds of canvases. For example, I might want Petei Santas and not anything else.

4. Now start your searching. Make the broadest search first. This is going to be on the designer抯 name.

5. You get a long list of items both on auction and from stores (we hope). Use this list to find terms of items you DO NOT want. Write these down.

6. Go to the advanced search tool (at the top of the search results and use that to refine your search. If I have a very specific type of item I want, like the Santas, I would add 搒anta?to 損etei?in my search. If I wanted something less specific, I would use my list of things I did not want to exclude words.

The 揹oes not include?box can hold lots of words, but it can be tricky to use. It excludes EXACTLY what you tell it. So if you put in 搒antas? it will not exclude 搒anta?You many need to enter several close terms.

7. Continue to refine your search, doing a search, looking at the results and then adding words. Do this until you think you抳e defined what you want, run out of space, or have a manageable number of items meeting the terms.

8. Once you are happy add this search to your favorite searches (you need to be an eBay member to have this). Give it a short, recognizable (by you) name. I like to get email notices for the things of interest to me and since I started doing this I抳e found many items I want and won.

9. Email notices go out once a day, whenever there are items meeting the criteria. The first email you get will have the search you just did. Don抰 despair, future ones will just have new items.

The notice always tells you how many items have been found matching your search. There is a link to the complete search. I click on this link whenever there are lots of items (more than 9 or 10) or whenever several of the items look interesting.

If you like the description of an item you see in your email, click on the link. It takes you to the item抯 page.

Once you抳e found an item you like, bid on it as you normally would.

Collecting baseball or football cards has been a longtime hobby for a lot collectors in the past. Although many kids enjoyed buying these cards every once in a while the real collectors of these sports cards tend to be adults because they have the means to support that hobby. New trends of collecting cards came from these sports cards and have hit the new profitable market of gearing towards kids. This article will touch on some of these card collecting hobbies that are geared to the younger generations and how they have been very profitable.

The first game that emerged were cards that featured different characters from a thing called Pokemon. This cartoon looking characters that had a mystical and anime type of style were being sold in small packs of 5-6 cards. They only sold certain characters and some were harder to find than others. Soon, kids were begging their parents for more packs of cards to see if they could get the more rare characters. They made huge binders to store their cards in and often spent time playing with their friends in which they would trade cards back and forth. This phenomenon took off as a popular craze and has now evolved in more things than just trading cards.

Pokemon has entered the digital and technological age to continue to stay popular with the kids. They have a website full of information about everything Pokemon as well as video games and even cartoon shows that bring the stories and characters from the trading cards to life. Although the trading cards phenomenon has died down a bit, they continue to be popular in the various videos, games and TV shows that they have now. You will probably still see children dressed up as Pokemon creatures this Halloween as you have for the past decade or so as it remains popular.

Another children’s trading card game that emerged from the same principal as collecting sports cards is the game and cards of a thing called YUGIOH. This was a similar idea to Pokemon with different characters featured on the trading cards but the cards were actually used to play a game as well, not just to collect. Certain characters could overtake other characters and this would result in the better card winning the other card. So a new competitive game became the new way to acquire cards, not just by trading them but by actually winning them from others in a game that mimics a type of war. YUGIOH has also extended into the digital age with a TV show, video games and other toys using the theme of the characters on the cards.

The old basic concept of a sports trading card helped to bring on a whole new type of cards geared towards kids today. If you ask any kid about trading cards they most likely will say Pokemon or YUGIOH instead of a sports player like they used to. It a shame that fantasy characters are replacing real life people.

If you are a scrapbooker, then you know how all those supplies add up quickly. All those papers, embellishments, and albums can take up a lot of space and need appropriate organizational methods for safe storage. Many scrapbook enthusiasts are turning to scrapbooking rooms as a way to organize their scrapbooks as well as having a place to enjoy their scrapbooking hobby.

An entire room can be transformed into a special scrapbook room. Many people convert a guest room or an unused bedroom into a custom place for creating scrapbooks. If space is limited, you can convert a small corner into your scrapbooking space with the use of specialize scrapbook furniture.

As with all projects, it is best to start with a plan. Decide where your scrapbooking room will be and then take careful measurements. This will help when you are choosing scrapbook furniture and other organizational components. Make sure there is ample lighting in the room and that you will have adequate space to work. Draft a sketch of how you would like things to be arranged when your room is completed. Taking this step now will prevent unforeseen space planning issues later on.

Some items that you can include in your scrapbooking room include a work surface which may be a large desk area, organizational units for storing scrapbook paper, embellishments, and ribbons. You can find a wonderful assortment of 12 x 12 stacking paper trays, file drawers, small bins, and other organizational tools for your scrapbooking supplies at your local arts and crafts store. I抳e even found a modular crafting desk and storage system at my local discount store, which allows complete customization.

Creating a scrapbooking room can be almost as much fun as making a fabulous scrapbooking album. Mix and match until you achieve the desired functionality and look that you desire.

Easter time! A time to celebrate new life and new beginnings. Here are some cute Easter craft ideas your kids will enjoy made from common items found around the house.

Pop bottle Easter Basket

Here is an Easter basket idea that uses the bottom of a plastic soda bottle.

Supplies Needed:

1 or 2 Litre soda bottle

Scissors

Paper punch or stapler

Glue

Tissue paper or other decorating material

Parent to cut off the bottom of a soda bottle. This will be your basket. Trim the edges cleanly. Parent to cut a ?to 1 inch ring from the soda bottle, cut in half and use one half as the handle. To attach the handle, use a paper punch to put a hole in the basket where the handle should be attached. Punch a hole at each end of the handle. Use yarn or ribbon to attach the handle to the basket. Decorate as desired.

Easter Egg Collage

Give your child a large egg shape cut-out from construction paper. Have your child decorate with sequins, scrap fapric, foil, buttons crayons, markers, etc.

Easter Lambs

Have your child trace their hands on black construction paper. Cut handprints out. Place handprints upside down so that the four fingers are the legs and the thumb is the head. Have your child glue cotton balls to the body. Add wiggly eyes for the eyes.

Juice can Easter Bunny

Supplies Needed:

Frozen juice cans (glue white paper around)

Construction paper ears (white outer and pink inner)

Nose (pink)

Wiggly eyes

Feet (white)

Cotton balls for tails

Black construction paper strips for whiskers

Glue

Have your child assemble rabbits by gluing rabbit parts onto juice can.

Palm Branch Easter Craft

Supplies Needed:

Green construction paper

Green pipe cleaner

Glue
Cut out a leaf shape from green construction paper. Glue a green pipe cleaner to the middle of the leaf. Let your child cut slits in the leaf.

No, I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty of building a stretcher frame, mitering the corners, and discussing what sort of pliers or automatic stretching and stapling machine you should use. I want to talk about stretching from the aesthetic point of view and explain the three basic options in stretching your canvas.

There are typically three different methods to stretch your canvas. These methods would be applicable to either a print on canvas, a canvas transfer or an original oil on canvas.

The first is the “Standard Wrap” method. This is where the canvas is stretched with 100% of the image on the front. None of the image is on the sides, and the staples are showing on the sides. This method definitely yells out, “Frame me”. Otherwise, those nasty staples and possibly the ragged edges of the canvas will show on the sides.

The second method is the “Museum Wrapped”. In a “Museum Wrap” 100% of the image is showing on the front with the image going right up to the edges, and the plain white canvas is showing on the sides.

In this method the staples are on the back and do not show. The sides are then treated to the owner’s specifications. In many cases the sides are painted black. In others the sides are painted some color that is complimentary to the colors in the artwork itself. This should be the stretching method of choice where important elements of the image are run right up to the sides and truncating them by wrapping the image on the sides would compromise the image and the artist’s intentions.

The third method is the “Gallery Wrap”. Here is where the image is stretched around the sides of the stretcher frame and the staples are on the back. The image is taken right up to the back edge of the sides and shows on the sides.

Both the “Gallery” and the “Museum Wrap” lend themselves to be hung with or without a frame. However, if you use the Gallery Wrap and a frame, the image on the sides is lost.

In artwork like the new Rodney White prints on canvas, the different stretching methods become important issues. Rodney White is probably the hottest artist in America right now. His prints are full bleeds, where the image is all the way to the edge of the paper. He also paints words that are already truncated right up to the edge of the image. If you use the Gallery Wrap method, you are going to lose even more of the words that are an important part of his images. Go to [http://www.RodneyWhiteeBay.com] to view his work, and you will easily see what I mean. The “Museum Wrap” should be the stretching method of choice on these prints. It leaves you with the option of framing or hanging it without a frame. Either would work and would not interfere with the image.

In considering seascapes or landscapes, where the image is merely a continuation all the way to the edges, the “Gallery Wrap” is very effective. There are also many images where there is plenty of negative space or an abundance of sky and/or grass where this method is also effective and aesthetically pleasing.

Finally, here’s a little tip on hanging your “Museum or Gallery Wrapped” canvas. You may want to consider hanging it from the stretcher frame itself with no hanger hardware. I like my unframed canvases to hang flush against the wall. I achieve this by putting two nails in the wall about 6 inches apart, making sure I get them level. You can use small a carpenter’s level for this. Then I merely hang the piece on the nails. Use the proper size picture hangers if weight is of a concern. But most unframed canvases are fairly light. Make sure you use two nails so that it will stay level. That also works when hanging artwork with wire hangers on the back.

At www.FrameHouseGalleryeBay.com [http://www.FrameHouseGalleryeBay.com] you can see many examples of different canvas prints and paintings, and you will readily see where each method of stretching will and will not apply. Just look for the “Canvas” category.
No permission is needed to reprint an unedited copy of this story as long as the writers bio and the links are left in tact and included.

Candles nowadays are not an essential product in our daily life. But in recent times demand for candles has increased substantially. Candles are nowadays considered as works of art, to be proudly displayed in the house. Varieties of candles are pouring into the market such as colored candles, scented candles, shells, bubbles, shaped candles, candle embellishments with beads and many more. With new techniques and innovative ideas candle making is really blossoming.

Candle making is an age-old art. Candles are manufactured in multiple ways. It can be produced through dipped, rolled, molded, layered or sculptured process. It is a time consuming process but the manufacturing costs are low. The ingredients and equipments that are required to manufacture candles are given below:

Paraffin Wax: This is the main constituent of candles. Melting System: The wax is melted in this system.Thermometer: Thermometer measures the temperature of the wax. A special thermometer, which has a covering scale of 38C-177C, called Candy Thermometer, is used to measure the temperature of wax. Scales: Scales measure the amount of water and wax.Ladle and Spoons: These are used for stirring and pouring wax.Wick: In the market there are a variety of wicks available for different sizes and types of candles. Nowadays wicks are manufactured after a chemical treatment. It helps wicks to burn longer and brighter.Color Dyes and Stearic Acid: Wax is naturally soft. So stearic acid is used to provide solidity to the candle. It also helps the candle to shrink so that candles can release from their molds easily. Color dyes are used to provide colors in the candle.Molds: Molds come in different shapes and sizes. The manufacturer can choose the one they want.

Method: Take a suitable wick for the mold. Suspend the wick in the center of the mold. In a pot dissolve stearic acid and color dye. Then heat the wax. When the temperature reaches 130 degrees the paraffin starts to melt. When the temperature reaches 190 degrees combine the stearic mixture with paraffin. Stir and blend them well at the maintained temperature of 190 degrees. Pour the mixture in the mold and let it be cooled. When it cools remove it from the mold. And your candle is ready.

Scenting handmade soaps is a matter of personal preference.

There are two varieties of oils that can be used to scent soap: fragrance oils, and essential oils. Either can be used, according to the preferences of the soap-maker.

Fragrance oils are made from a mixture of aroma chemicals. They are commonly used when there is no essential oil available for a particular fragrance, or when the essential oil is far too costly, or environmentally irresponsible, to use. Unlike essential type oils, fragrance oils can be part natural and part synthetic, or all synthetic.

Fragrance oils are usually thinned with diluents, to help thin out the compounds and create some uniformity of pungency across the spectrum of fragrance oils that are available.

Essential type oils, on the other hand, are all-natural fragrances that are taken from various plants and herbs. The oil can come from any part of a plant, but are most often taken from the flowers and leaves. Many essential type oils are associated with a particular benefit or effect, and they are often used in aromatherapy. It takes many (sometimes thousands) of pounds of a plant to make a pound of essential oil; because of this, pure essential type oils are much more expensive than fragrance oils.

Deciding which one to use is a matter of preference, and can depend on a variety of factors. If cost is an issue, fragrance oils might be a better option than essential oils; as with most things, there are different grades, and the better ones tend to be more expensive.

There are some well-known scents can only be found in fragrance oils, because there are no natural blends to match them. The cons of fragrance oils are that they don’t tend to last as long as essential oils, because they are diluted, and the alcohol in them evaporates quickly.

Pure essential oils are undiluted, so they tend to be stronger, and last longer in soap. There are some scents that can only be found in these oils, and simply cannot be mimicked by synthetic compounds. Essential oils are also easier for amateur soap-makers to use, because the additives in fragrance oils make the soap batter prone to seizing.

Essential oils made from plants that have beneficial effects are known to retain those effects, and pass them on to your soap, as well; however, if you want your essential oils to retain the vitamins and antioxidants they possess before soap-making, it is best to use the cold-process method, and add them at trace – the heat from the hot-process method can break down these nutrients, and destroy their ability to nourish your skin.

Another problem with essential oils is that they are volatile, and while they are long-lasting in soap, they evaporate quickly when exposed to air, so the process of mixing them into the soap must be expeditious.

As previously stated, there are pros and cons to both oils, and which product you use to scent your soap will be a matter of personal preference.

As with all other aspects of the soap-making process, learn as much as you can about the fragrance or essential oils you plan to use, so that you can make an educated decision about which one to utilize for your soap.

Also, regardless of which one you choose, make sure that it has been tested and proven safe for use in soap-making, and if you are making soap for someone you know, you may want to do a test to see if the intended recipient is allergic to the substance.

By throwing away plastic, we are all contributing to the amount of non-biodegradable material in our landfills. While many of us are trying to avoid plastic bags at the supermarket and bottled water, you can also learn how to re-use the plastic that does come into your home. As you look for ways to re-use plastic, you will certainly be more aware of much plastic we encounter in our daily lives. This articles shares eight ways to craft with plastic and thus reduce your household plastic waste. Best of all, crafting with plastic trash provides materials for a fun activity at no cost.

Plastic Bag Tags

Bread Tag Jewelry- Yes, even bread tags can be saved and used for a craft project. Paint the bread tags with black acrylic paint, let dry and decorate with metallic dimensional paint. These can be turned into a long necklace, earrings or a charm bracelet. Kids will also love this craft.

Plastic Jewel Cases (CD/Computer Software/Etc.)

Jewel Case Picture Frame- Turn jewel cases into picture frames. Pull a jewel case apart into two pieces and use ribbon to create a frame around the outside edges. Ribbon fits conveniently into the inside tabs and can be held with a small amount of glue at the corners. Decorate with buttons, flowers and/or other embellishments. You can also make a 2-part hanging picture frame with both pieces of a jewel case.

Plastic Bags

Crochet- Crochet a plastic bag door mat. Cut the bags into 2 inch strips and tie them together, leaving about a 2-3 inch tail. Use a J hook and chain the width, then double crochet in each chain, chain three and turn. Crochet each row the same until an acceptable length. Pull all the tails to one side of the mat, so that the rug has a shag look to it and the other side is flat. When it gets dirty, you can wash it by just spraying it with water.

Fusing- Fuse plastic bags into a sturdy sewing material. Select three to four plastic bags. Turn the plastic bags inside out and layer one on top of the layer. Sandwich plastic layers between pieces of parchment paper. Run a hot over the top, moving the iron constantly. Quickly iron one side, including the edges, flip over and iron the other side. Carefully feel back the parchment to make sure the plastic has fused into one layer. You can use this sturdy material in sewing projects, including reusable tote bags for shopping.

Flowers- Lids or adults can create flowers by cutting circles out of plastic bags, for decorating art or accessories.

Plastic Bottles

Birdfeeder- Cut out a 2-inch circle 3 inches from the bottom of 2-liter bottle. Fill bottom of bottle with birdseed and hang outside.

Luminaries- Cut off the tops of plastic bottles, paint them and add sand and a candle to the bottom to create luminaries. Light up your walkway on Halloween with orange and yellow pumpkin luminaries. Painting around contact paper allows you to add a jack-o-lantern face to the Halloween plastic bottles, but you can use the same technique to add stars and other designs to the luminaries the rest of the year.

Ornaments- Kids can use the lids of plastic bottles to create cute little Christmas ornaments. Kids can first paint the bottle lids in red or green and secure a ribbon or yarn around the lid to hang. Then they can rub glue over the inside of the bottle lid and sprinkle the inside with glitter or sequins. To secure the sequins, cut out one bubble from large-size bubble wrap. Rub glue over the inside sides of the bottle lip and slide the bubble into the cap over the sequins.

The holidays can be a stressful time for parents, and that can mean spending less time with your kids. A simple way to restore some old fashion fun to the season is to get out the art supplies and do a holiday art project together. The activity can be as simple as representing meaningful people, symbols, or even colors that correspond to your holiday season.

Here’s a fun holiday art project that’s easy to do and looks great around the house.

What You’ll Need:

-8.5″ x 11″ green construction paper
-white and red tempera or kids’ washable paint
-a plastic bin
-2 marbles
- glue (that dries clear)
- silver glitter

What to Do:

Step 1. Use green construction paper to cut out a simple Christmas tree. (Hint: fold a sheet of paper in half to cut out your first Christmas tree the easy way. Now use that first tree as a template: place template over green construction paper. Trace the outline. Now cut out the outline. Repeat for additional trees.)

Step 2. Now place the cut-out in a plastic bin. Add a thin line of red tempera paint in the bin (but not on the cut-out). Place two marbles in the bin. Now let your child tilt the bin back and forth. This will cause the marbles to roll through the paint and make decorative lines over the Christmas tree. (If you do not have paint use colored markers instead. Skip to step 8.)

Step 3. If you are making more than one Christmas tree, add more paint and repeat Step 2.

Step 4. Wipe out the bin. Allow paint to dry–approximately thirty minutes.

Step 5. Put Now put your Christmas tree cut-out back into the bin. Add a line of white paint. Add two clean marbles. Again let your child tilt the bin back and forth so that the marbles roll through the paint and over the cut-out.

Step 6. If you are making more than one Christmas tree, add more paint and repeat Step 5.

Step 7. Wipe out the bin. Allow paint to dry–approximately thirty minutes.

Step 8. Put your Christmas tree on a sheet of newspaper. Open bottle of glue. Tilt it upside down and use the tip like a pencil. Help your child make sweeping lines back and forth. Now, allow your child to sprinkle silver glitter onto the Christmas tree. Do not shake off excess glitter until glue has dried (approximately 30 minutes). Make sure your Christmas trees are not sticking to the newspaper.

Step 9. Help your child cut small triangles out of any colored paper (when cutting small shapes, triangles are much easier to cut than circles). Glue the triangles onto your trees for further decoration.

Step 10. Use string and a bit of tape on the back of the Christmas trees to hang them around the house.

This holiday art project can be repeated with circle cut outs to make ornaments for around the house. Simply add a small square to the top of your circle to simulate the look of an actual ornament.

Whether you’re making Christmas trees or ornaments, be sure to display art works around the house so your child gains a sense of accomplishment. It can be very rewarding when a guest or relative says, ‘Who made this lovely Christmas tree decoration?’ And lastly, don’t forget that your child will gain an even stronger sense of reward by giving holiday art as a gift to family and loved ones. Enjoy!

Have you been searching for “The One?”

Like the rest of the female population in the world, you too, are in search of the perfect soap and so far, none of the fancy soap brands in the market have satisfied your discriminating taste. Sure, once or twice you have been swayed by clever advertising. Who wouldn’t buy the soap that Jennifer Aniston would swear to be perfect? But then you find yourself always disappointed with the product; it’s too strong, too mild, too fragrant, and most significantly, it does little to enhance and care for your skin. There never seems to be perfect mix of ingredients that’s just right, just perfect for you. Well, it’s time to take matters into your own hands by making your very own, very perfect soap. If you’re intimidated by the seemingly intricate term of ’soap making,’ I could tell you that it’s really quite easy. I am sure you will agree with me after signing up for soap making classes and delving into your very first lessons.

Rooted in History

Soap making was an essential part of life in early civilizations. Encarta Encyclopedia reveals that as early as the 1st Century, the popular Roman scribe, Pliny the Elder, observed that the use of soaps for cleansing and dyeing the hair. In the Americas, soap making was one of the most significant and the most necessary chores in the early colonies, and the use of rendered animal fat was the main ingredient. The soap industry became so popular at the time that the country heavily exported ashes and fats for soap making.

Gift Yourself with Soap Making Skills

Today, this very same craft is available to the modern woman. There are tons of available ingredients and soap recipes in the market too, and for sure they could meet the demands and needs of any skin type. Classes may span from three days to a month, depending upon the level of the student. There are several companies that offer soap making courses across the country, and prices range from as little as $60 to as much as $500.

Soap making classes start from the most basic step, and that is how to make soap with raw elements. If you are a beginner, it is one great comfort to know that you could go in with absolutely no idea about this amazing craft, and such a blank slate is even expected. The greatest part of making your own soap is the immense freedom in inventing something according to your very own need or whim. Imagine the privilege in picking the color, the fragrance and the oil of your very own soap; fabulous, isn’t it? I bet you already have some great options in mind right now.

On the other hand, if you are the do-it-yourself type and would rather study soap making on your own, there are options available for you. Home study courses, for example, could help you create your first soap in your very own ‘laboratory’ (your neat little dainty kitchen really), as you learn the craft in your own pace and in the comforts of your own home.

Why suffer from soap brands that do not know how to pamper and protect your skin? Take some soap making classes now and forever change the way you bathe with your newfound skill and your newfound gem: your very own, very perfect soap.