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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