Preserve your Photographs with a Photo Scanner

We all have good intentions of creating some kind of project with all of those old photos we have stuck in drawers or boxes sitting in the closet. But when do we really get around to it? We don't. They continue to sit and age. Photos become washed out, faded and damaged. We can save our photos and restore them with a photo negative scanner and believe it or not it's easy.

Your photos tell a story of your lifetime. A time capsule if you will of your early childhood continuing on to your most memorable moments like graduation, marriage and first child. We don't want to lose these precious momentos of our past. We want to keep them safe. Digitizing your photos with a photo negative scanner will protect your photos for a lifetime.

Not only will digitizing your photos save them, it will also allow you to organize them for easy access. It's so much easier to work on that special project when all of your photos are organized and easily accessable.

New photo scanners are easy to use with one touch scanning and auto color restoration. Some even remove dust and background scratches on photos. The things you can do with these new scannes is quite impressive. Not only can you scan and save your old photos but you can also save images from 35mm negatives and create .pdf files and other documents.

If you're into crafts you'll love having all of your photos scanned and digitized. You can use them to make scrapbook templates and backgrounds. Transferring photos to T-shirts and canvas bags for personalized gifts is a great idea. How about making a personalized quilt with all the photos of the grandchildren? The possibilites are endless.

Creating great projects from your old photos start with a good scan of your photos. Make sure you follow the directions for your scanner. You'll have better negative scans if you take the time to clean your negatives of smudges and fingerprints with a soft cloth before scanning.

Get out that old box of photos and start scanning. You'll never know what you'll be inpired to create.

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An easy guide to stretching your own canvas

For a great many artists, including those who specialise in pet portraits, stretching their own canvas not just saves money on commercially prepared canvases, but also provides them with a better result. On the whole, commercially prepared canvases tend to be quite light weight with just the minimal number of primer layers needed. When we set up our own canvases we can choice the quality of canvas, stretcher bars and primer that suits our painting style, so creating something that will work perfectly with our finished painting and so have a much improved chance of standing the test of time.

Step one
The most cost effective means to purchase good quality canvas is in bulk on a roll. Assuming this is what will be used, the first step is to cut off the quantity of cloth required. Do this by assembling the stretcher bars, place the assembled frame on the canvas and draw a straight line approximately 40 mm wider than the frame on each side. This is based on using a standard stretcher bar that is about 15 mm deep, and gives sufficient canvas to fold over the stretcher bars but not so much that you have to cope with great folds of material at the corners. Cut the cloth about 5 mm outside the line (it will be trimmed down more carefully after the first application of primer).

Step two
Using your preferred primer (a universal primer is sufficient, providing a good key with good flexibility for both acrylics and oils), apply a single coat firstly to one side then, when that's dry, the other side of the canvas. Make certain you go to right to the edge, covering the line previously drawn. Once both sides are dry, trim the canvas to the line, this will all help stop the edges fraying. I also prefer to use pinking sheers for the final cut to help with this.

Step three
Canvas has a front and a back, check you have the front (the side on which you will paint) face down on a flat clean surface and place the assembled stretcher in it's centre, so that there is 40 mm additional canvas on each side. Make sure that the reverse or 'flat' side of the stretcher frame faces up, with the 'lipped' side on the canvas. Starting with one of the longer sides, fold the canvas over onto the back of the stretcher as tightly as possible, but making sure that the opposite side keeps it's 40 mm excess. Pin or staple the canvas at the centre then, whilst holding the canvas taught, approximately 40 mm from each end, leaving the corner free. When that is completed, fix the canvas in between, so that there is a pin or staple more or less every 30 - 50 mm.

Step four
Begining at the centre of the opposite side, use specialist canvas stretchers to pull the canvas over the bar. Whilst keeping this as tight as possible, pin or staple the centre point of the canvas, then 40 mm from either end, and then at points every 30-40 mm between. Now the canvas is attached across the longest sides, the same can be done to the shorter sides, pulling as out as many wrinkles as possible.

Step five
At this point, all sides are fixed, the canvas is tight over the frame, with the corners still free. To fix the corners, pull the centre point of the canvas corner over onto the back of the frame, so that it is in line with the join (the point of the corner should face inward inline with the centre of the joint). Now turn up over one of the loose sides onto the corner, followed by the other side on top of that. As all these are held in position, apply a single pin or staple to hold the folds in place (see attached photograph). This then is repeated on each corner. When finished, insert the corner wedges to tighten the canvas further and remove any minor wrinkles.

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Oversized Wall Clock themed in unique motifs

Oversized wall clock is common for outdoor decoration. These clocks, depending on your preference, can be used for indoor decoration as well. Keeping accurate time is a great feature and coupled with some great designs, the clocks are fast becoming much sought after by home owners coast to coast.
It can also offer a fresh style and d©cor to your home interior. Guests and visitors would admire them if they are prominently displayed in your home. And decorative oversized wall clocks can also blend with the wall, the color tone and the furnishings of the room. There are plenty of styles to suit your taste as well as blend with your house interior. They are also themed in different motifs offering you an excellent choice to add grace, style and beauty to your room.
It could be a country theme, a hunting theme or you could bring in loads of nature simply by picking the right clock with the right design. It brings an embracing look to your interior as the decoration and design ideas are myriad.
The oversized clock originated from ancient times and they have been prominant features in large homes. In old times, there were no wrist watches; large wall clocks are used to display time in streets. Prominent display is the hallmark of the oversized wall clock.
If you already have an oversized wall clock before designing your home interior, you can fine tune the d©cor to blend it with the classical showpiece. You can also mix and match the clock with other accessories. It can also be a central feature in your home and other objects or furniture can be set accordingly to make the area attractive.
The clock is mainly made of ceramic, plastic, wood, resins or metal. The features can be seen easily and understood.
Even people with perception problems can easily check out the timings from the oversized wall clock. Staying in large places may warrant a clock that is big in size and easy to spot from a distance. Hand crafted and designed exquisitely, the clocks are available in a multitude of design and themes. They also make fashion statements and you never cease to be the center of curiosity.
If you are given to spending more time in patios and courtyards, the unique and popular decoration can keep you in great mood continuously. They can easily attract attention and while selecting one from the different models, you may want to factor in the mood of the place. Adorning your wall or outdoors, the oversized wall clock can be a great feature for your home.

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Furniture In The House

It does seem like a bit of a strange question but the chair is a very important part of the home and each room usually has a different style unless of course you are in your mid 90's and have the same chairs across the house to match both your carpet and your old fashioned wallpaper.

Is there a way you can tell what furniture is right for each room? Well the first thing you may want to think about doing is getting in an interior designer in as the will know the best thing to do with your home. Believe it or not they can actually help you to decide on what furniture to get in the home no matter what you think about them and they will always advise you on the best options to take whether that is the cheapest or the best looking, you tell them the budget and they will bring in what they think is going to look good in the home.

Of course you could just take a trip to the furniture online as this way you get to choose everything yourself. However the one disadvantage you have for shopping in store is that you always get that irritating sales guy badgering on about how you should get this and how you should get that.

On the other hand there are disadvantages of shopping online and the main one is that you do not get to properly have a look at the furniture you are going to buy.

So it is really up to you what kind of furniture you buy whether it is Contemporary furniture or not you will know what kind to get once you really start to inspect the room.
One of the best ideas to take is to take a good look around the house to see the best route to go down first, always try to do one room at a time.

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Mattress and Bed Sizes Guide

When purchasing a bed and adjoining mattress it is vital to look at the size to ensure it will fit in your bedroom and that you are getting the correct mattress size for your bed.
Below are the standard sizes for mattresses to fit all types of beds from a small single to a super king size bed, including width and height in imperial and metric measurements. Please note that although these are the exact measurements for standard mattresses, this is an approximate measurement for beds as their design may mean they are slightly bigger.
Compact single bed or mattress
Width 75cm / 2'6" / 2ft6
Height 190cm / 6'3" / 6ft3
Single bed or mattress
Width 90cm / 3' / 3ft
Height 190cm / 6'3" / 6ft3
Compact double bed or mattress
Width 120cm / 4' / 4ft
Height 190cm / 6'3" / 6ft3
Double bed or mattress
Width 135cm / 4'6" / 4ft6
Height 190cm / 6'3" / 6ft3
Queen / King sized bed or mattress
Width 150cm / 5' / 5ft
Height 200cm / 6'6" / 6ft6
Super king sized bed or mattress
Width 180cm / 6' / 6ft
Height 200cm / 6'6" / 6ft6
Click 4 Beds sells a great range of compact single, single, compact double, double, king size and super king size beds and mattresses from well known brands in a variety of types, styles, finishes and budgets to suit all tastes and preferences.

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The new generation of silk flowers

Artificial flower orchid

If about the terms "silk plants" you just think of a plastic sunflower in a corner taking dust , today you will have to completely change your mind .
Now artificial flowers do look like real , thanks to the effort of a team of floral masters who completely reivented the concept of artificial flower .
And this is dued to two upgrades in the concept of producing artificial flowers
1) Now designers use CG in the creative step
2) A new material has replaced both silk and satin , being a fusion of latex and satin.
This new generations of artificial flowers finds its focus on the feeling given in nature by the flower , and emotionally gives a perfect replica of that feeling to finallyshow silk flowers that really give you emotions .
This is expecially clear when you watch the models of artificial orchids of this collections . Being one of the flower more difficult to make with silk , the new material allows the designers to create natural flower which gives the same feelings of fresh orchids.
Another improvement of this new generation is that every artificial flower made with this new material is suitable for use both in indoors and outdoors floral arrangements. Now rain won't be able to ruin the colours of your loved silk flower.
So these artificial flowers now can be used as silk wedding flowers. Now a bouquet made with artificial flowers will look as a natural bouquet made with fresh cut flowers .
White Eagle sillk flowers are available form every artificial flower wholesale of Western Europe and USA in february 2010 .

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How to properly store your belongings

It's surprising how much stuff we can find ourselves owning after just a few years. When you need self-storage, a little bit of organization will go a long way in making the most of your space.Step one is find a local storage facility which fits your budget requirements.A storage unit's rental cost is determined by its size - so you need to figure out just what you are going to store so you can know how much space you require.In order to adequately plan how much space you need, and how you should distribute your belongings in that space, make a full list of everything you plan to store.

Place your heavier boxes on the bottom of stacks and the fragile items on top; leave items you will access frequently near the front.It's worth your while to be sure that your company is reputable; investigate a little to see if there have been any break-ins, flooding, or anything else that could damage your belongings.The facility should have perimeter fencing with a keypad entry, security cameras, and adequate lighting. If you are storing irreplaceable photos, you will want to be sure to choose a storage facility that offers temperature-controlled units.

Take special precaution when storing photos; these should have a sheet of archival quality paper placed between each one, and then be stacked tightly together.Take copies of any irreplaceable documents before placing them in storage.When storing electronic files or materials, it's important to protect everything with a secure password.Once you are sure you have the right amount of space, you will need to get your storage materials together.You don't want your boxes sitting directly on the floor, so the first step is to get some heavy plastic or wooden shelving or pallets. Since you are storing for the medium- to long-term, it is worth the time and expense to get standard, quality, sturdy cardboard boxes.

This makes them easier to stack, organize, label, etc., particularly if you take care not to pick overly large boxes.If your budget means that you need to get boxes or cartons from the supermarket, be sure they are intact (no tears) and have lids or closable tops so your items won't get dusty.With your boxes ready, you now need to focus on getting the right packing materials.Although it's true that your boxes won't be moved around once they are placed in storage, you want to avoid the potential for accidental damage.When choosing packing material, avoid using newspaper, which can stain - instead, try foam, bubble wrap, or even wads of regular paper.

Be careful not to overstuff your boxes, because this can cause your items to get crushed, even more so if you stack boxes.One way to prevent your objects from becoming impacted is by using cardboard dividers to separate each item from each other. Finally, reinforce all the corners with tape to increase the boxs durability.Be sure to clearly label your boxes with what is inside, as well as the word "fragile" (when applicable), on all sides.As you place and stack your boxes, keep in mind the distribution plan you created when you started this process.You should purchase a special cover for certain items like a recreational vehicle, couch, or mattress.Mildew can grow under an ordinary plastic cover, which can ruin your property; that is why you should use a specially-designed cover, or find some canvas.

Thanks for reading our article, here is some more useful information on Houston Texas Storage, Storage North Houston and storage southwest houston Take care and have a wonderful and have a great day!

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WE HAVE MOVED OUR BLOG to Our DSG FREE COMMUNITY

Dear Design Style Guide Members and Readers,

Our Valentine Giveaway was the last post on our blog here.We are moving our blog to a new URL.

Please Join Our Community here http://designstyleguide.net/community/
It is free for everyone and we will send you an email directly to your Inbox with each new post. You can keep up to date with all of our Giveaways and more.

Once your sign up, you can also follow our artists up close or talk to them directly.

Our Recent articles you may like:
Interior Design STYLE
Get this look for less...

Register your free account today!

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10 Valentine Winners!

The Design Style Guide Valentine giveaway has ended and our ten winners have been picked using RandomGenerator.org. A big CONGRATULATIONS to our 10 Winners!

1.Winning $30 credit from HouseofPeltier

 Shrimp Salad Circus said... 33

I tweeted!
http://twitter.com/ShrimpSalad/status/8918183288

2. Winning $25 credit from Zegami

Audrey said... 45

Forgot to add,
I tweeted this awesome give away!
Audrey

3. Winning $20 credit from DianeClancy

Donna said... 59

I folow and tweeted:
http://twitter.com/dsgnet/status/9078599848

4. Winning $20 SusanElkin

Cabootique said... 18

I love this: http://www.designstyleguide.net/listingDetails.php?li=5293
so mod and funky!

5. Winning any jewelry holder of her choice from JudiPaintedIt

Felicia Kramer said... 22

I blogged:
http://feliciakramer.blogspot.com/2010/02/design-style-guide-valentines-day.html
and reposted on Facebook.

6. Winning $20 credit from JansonPottery

buzzd said... 29

I love the Churhill clock
http://www.designstyleguide.net/listingDetails.php?li=5364

7. Winning $30 credit from diningout

sallymandy said... 7

I love many of these. Helen's giclee print is one of my favorites:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=38054359

8. Winning any 8x10 from JavaJanesDesign

Sara said... 42

http://www.designstyleguide.net/listingDetails.php?li=4803
Is pretty cool - I like the use of retro fabric.

9. Winning a Giclee print of “Lovebirds” from hjmart

Montagyoo said... 14

What a fantastic giveaway!! I love this mirror:
http://www.designstyleguide.net/listingDetails.php?li=2303

10. Winning a 5x7 print of “Two Hearts One Love” from smellyrhino

brendathour said... 50

I've tweeted about the giveaway at least 3 times. Just tweeted again today.

All winners will be notified by email or through convo at their Etsy shop today, and each prize donor will be given winner’s contact info. Final arrangements for prizes will take place between donor and winner.

Thank you to all who visited our blog and took part in this Valentine giveaway!

May you have a beautiful day filled with love.

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VALENTINES Design Style Guide GIVEAWAY

The Design Style Guide Valentine Giveaway Event

We have 10 sponsors and that means we will have 1o winners on

Feb 14 – VALENTINES DAY!

(all 10 winners will be announced on the blog on Feb 14!)

Please browse through to see what you might win when you participate.

As with any giveaway the shipping is included with the prize.

Our first Valentine comes from:
Amy Peltier of HouseOfPeltier

She’s giving $30 credit for anything in her shop

Our second Valentine comes from:
Angelica of Zegami

a $25.00 credit for an  8x10 photograph from her shop

Our third Valentine comes from:
Diane of DianeClancy

a $20 credit for anything in her shop

Our fourth Valentine comes from:
Susan of  SusanElkin

a $20 credit for anything in her shop

 

Our fifth Valentine comes from:
Judi of  JudiPaintedIt

Any Jewelry Holder of the winners choice

 

Our sixth Valentine comes from:
Janet of  JansonPottery

a $20 credit for anything from her shop

 

Our seventh Valentine comes from:
Mary of  diningout

a $30 credit for anything from her shop

 

Our eighth Valentine comes from:
Andie of  JavaJanesDesigns

Any 8x10 Photograph from her shop

 

Our ninth Valentine comes from:
Helen of  hjmart

A Giclee Print of “Lovebirds”

 

And our tenth Valentine comes from:
Rebecca of  smellyrhino

A 5x7 Print of “Two Hearts, One Love”

 



How to Enter:

To enter this fantastic giveaway – all you need to do is go to the Design Style Guide website and post the link to one item you liked in your comment here. One post about the listing you chose and you are entered into the drawing!!!

This giveaway will end on February 13th, with winners announced February 14th.

For extra entries: Would you like to increase your chances of winning? Here are a couple of ways to do that!

1: Blog about Design Style Guide website or this giveaway with a link to this post and leave a comment here with the url of your blog post.

2: Follow DSG on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. Leave ONE individual comment here that you have tweeted. (though you can retweet as many times as you want!)

We will announce all 10 of the winners on February 14th, Valentines day!

We will use Random.org to choose the winners, email the winner, and post the winning post numbers here. We will choose a number one at a time for each Valentine giveaway.  So, by entering, you have the opportunity to win any one of these wonderful Valentine Giveaways! (No post number can be chosen twice.)

 This giveaway is only open to US addresses, legal residents of the 50 United States and at least 18 years old at time of entry at this time..

**Note General DSG Giveaway Rules

Thank you for visiting Design Style Guide’s blog. Enjoy visiting our website and participating shops!

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