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Will Someone Get This for Me for Christmas? Please?

January 6th, 2012 admin

I really, really, really want this.
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Scrapbooking

December 31st, 2011 admin

What is Scrapbooking and Where Did it Come From?
Here’s a little history from wikipedia – In ancient Greece, hypomnemata were a form of notebook for recording one’s own copies of what one had heard, read, or thought that might be worth remembering. There is little evidence in the archaeological and historical record that this sort of method was undertaken anywhere else before. That one had to make one’s own hand-written copies of what someone else had written reflected the expense of hiring a scribe to do so.

With the advent of affordable paper, precursors to modern scrapbooks became available to a wider array of people. Beginning in the 15th century, commonplace books, popular in England, emerged as a way to compile information that included recipes, quotes, letters, poems and more. Each commonplace book was unique to its creator’s particular interests. Friendship albums became popular in the 16th century. These albums were used much like modern day yearbooks, where friends or patrons would enter their names, titles and short texts or illustrations at the request of the album’s owner. These albums were often created as souvenirs of European tours and would contain local memorabilia including coats of arms or works of art commissioned by local artisans. Starting in 1570, it became fashionable to incorporate colored plates depicting popular scenes such as Venetian costumes or Carnival scenes. These provided affordable options as compared to original works and, as such, these plates were not sold to commemorate or document a specific event but specifically as embellishments for albums. In 1775, James Granger published a history of England with several blank pages at the end of the book. The pages were designed to allow the book’s owner to personalize the book with his own memorabilia. The practice of leaving pages to personalize at the end of books became known as Grangerizing. Additionally, friendship albums and school yearbooks afforded girls in the 18th and 19th centuries an outlet through which to share their literary skills, and allowed girls an opportunity to document their own personalized historical record previously not readily available to them.

The advent of modern photography began with the first permanent photograph created by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826. Photography became available to an ever-widening population with the invention of George Eastman’s paper photographs in the late 1880s and the mass production of the Kodak Brownie, a camera designed to be simple (and inexpensive) enough for a child, in 1900. This allowed the average person to begin to incorporate photographs into their scrapbooks.

Old scrapbooks tended to have photos mounted with photomount corners and perhaps notations of who was in a photo or where and when it was taken. They often included bits of memorabilia like newspaper clippings, letters, etc. With the availability of printed material it is likely that the content of scrapbooks shifted away from one’s own hand-writing or drawings or those of one’s family members toward commercially available printed mat ephemera, memorabilia collections and journaling. Modern scrapbooking has evolved into creating attractive displays of photos, text, journaling and memorabilia.

Modern Day Scrapbooking

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Posted in Do it yourself - DIY - Home made, baby / babies, family, fun, gifts, hobbies, kids, parents, practical, relaxing, scrapbooking, spare time | No Comments »

Gift Ideas: The Best Books of 2008

December 30th, 2011 admin

From amazon:

“Out of the thousands of new releases that came into our cubicles this year, we’ve chosen our 100 favorites, from an elegant pop-up alphabet and a deliciously dishy guide to fragance to an enthralling biography of an iconic leader and an encyclopedic history of a sport and the world that plays it. Here they are, so click below.”

Best Books of 2008

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Gift Ideas: A Very Expensive Tool Set

December 29th, 2011 admin

If you’re looking for a gift for a spouse or a friend that’s into building things and can use it for their business or is simply a fanatic that likes the best tools available, you can not go wrong with this new tool set for him or her.

And if you are of the mindset, “the sky is the limit,” then this is the gift you ‘d purchase. It’s the top of the line set, the Mercedes of tools, if you will.

What’s the big deal, you ask? It includes the following tools: Chisel and Punches, 27 Clamps, 2 Electrical Crimping Pliers, 5 Files, 12 Gear Pullers, 41 Hammers, 16 Hand Sockets, 417 Hex Keys, 85 Holesaw Set, 17 Impact Drive Tools, 24 Impact Sockets, 187 Knives, 2 Miscellaneous Tools, 23 Pliers, 63 Pry Bars, 6 Ratchets, Drive Tools, and Accessories, 58 Saws and Saw Blades, 36 Scrapers, 7 Screwdrivers, 36 Snips, 5 Tool Boxes, 6 Torque Wrenches, 3 Wrenches, 312 Features! It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it – and with this tool set, you’re almost certain to have what you need. This set contains the tools to handle practically any if not all jobs your shop is likely to see, in both fractional and metric sizes. It includes a comprehensive assortment of sockets, ratchets, and accessories in 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, and 3/4″ drive, for both hand and impact use. A full complement of wrenches in a number of styles helps you tackle increasingly complex maintenance tasks. A comprehensive assortment of screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, punches and chisels, is there when you need them, and specialty items such as gear pullers, saws, scrapers, and other tools for industrial maintenance mechanics and tradesmen round out this truly Mammoth tool set.

Youll want to keep your tools safe and secure, and our industry-leading Mammoth Tool Set includes the storage cabinets necessary to do that. Two top-chest / roll-cabinet combinations are included, as well as a side cabinet and rolling three-drawer tool cart. A total of 35 drawers and over 75,000 cubic inches of storage capacity will help you organize your tools effectively. And the mobile tool cart helps bring your tools to the job, where you need them. Whatever the industry, this set will help you keep your equipment and assets working, helping you compete more effectively. Get your work done faster and more efficiently, easier, and safer with the Mammoth Tool Set from the J.H. Williams Tool Group. All other tool sets are simply too ordinary.

If not for seeing the price alone, you absolutely must check out this item:

Williams Snap On Master Set 1,390 Piece Mammoth Tool Set WSC-1390TB

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Gift Ideas: A Flute for an Aspiring Musician

December 28th, 2011 admin

This LJ Hutchen flute is significantly different from other brands. This instrument allows young musicians to learn without the frustration that comes with playing a poorly designed product. The materials used throughout the LJ Hutchen flute are simply the best that money can buy. Every instrument is double-bench tested and meets the most stringent level of quality before leaving our facility. LJ Hutchen instruments are an outstanding option for student musicians. Pricing and warranty terms are the best value offered in todays instrument market. Because LJ Hutchen instruments are predominantly used by students, we believe that high quality is not only necessary, but is imperative for successful music education.

LJ Hutchen Silver C Flute with Case – 2 Year Warranty

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