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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Where You Can Find Jewelry Making Patterns

Jewelry making is by far one of the most popular and well known hobbies in the world today, and if you are interested in jewelry making then you should know that there are many different things that you are going to have to take into consideration here.

When you want to begin something like jewelry making, one of the first things that you are going to have to get is jewelry making patterns.

With jewelry making patterns you are going to be able to find different types of jewelry that you can make, and because you have actual jewelry making patterns, you will be able to follow the patterns step by step, making the entire process much easier on you.

More About Jewelry Making Patterns

If you are interested in getting jewelry making patterns then you should know that there are many different places that you can go to in order to get them. One of the first places that you should check out is your local arts and crafts store, where you should be able to find a great selection of jewelry patterns.

However there are many other places that you can go to as well, and for instance, you can go on the Internet, and his is a really great idea because the speed and efficiency of the Internet allows you to be able to quickly and easily find exactly what it is that you are looking for.

Your options are really endless here, and so regardless of what type of jewelry making patterns you are interested in, you are surely going to be able to find something that works perfectly.

Browse through as many different jewelry supply stores as you can, so that you can have the most options, and thus end up being the most satisfied in the end. Just make sure that you set out a budget for yourself beforehand so that you can calculate out how many patterns you can purchase and thus you will not end up going overboard and spending more than you should.

Taking your time is incredibly important here, and so you want to make sure that you do this so that you pick out patterns that you are going to be able to complete without trouble and that you are going to have fun while you are making the jewelry as well.

About the Author

Article written by Ann Marier.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Create Your Own Metal Castings

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Colin_Croucher]Colin Croucher

Have you ever thought about creating your own metal objects by employing the art of metal casting. It is not as difficult to do as you may think.

Right now, there are people all over the globe, learning &
practising the hobby foundry skills required for "Back Yard Metal
Casting". The renaissance has started; do you want to
be a part of it?

The ebooks we have written are recognized as excellent resource
information ebooks for the home foundry metalworker. They have
been written and compiled from real life hobby foundry practice,
and written in a way that you'll truly understand what we are
talking about.

A gentleman called Jim from Utah USA, recently sent us an
email to tell us how much he enjoyed the ebooks.

"Colin, he wrote, Thanks for taking the time to put this collection of very useful foundry information together. I'm sure it will be invaluable in my quest to do some home foundry work. I do Jeep restoration as a Hobby. Some of the models just don't have parts available any more. That is the root of my interest. I have a small machine shop and enjoy doing the work myself.
Regards, James H Simpson (Jim) U.T USA."

Like many people, Jim is very aware of the possibilities and money saving benefits when you are able to produce your own castings.
Even people who race Radio Controlled cars need to build special
replacement parts for small cars, and in doing so greatly
reduce parts replacement costs.

The hobby shop retailers know very well that you'll be back for
spares, and that is the way that they make constant profits from
RC enthusiasts. There's nothing wrong with that, But you can
"beat the system" by making some of the expensive parts your
self.

The costs to build a small furnace are not that great... it is possible to build a furnace from scrap steel found around the home workshop. The largest building expense of the furnace construction will be the refractory or furnace lining.

But there are ways and means to reduce this cost considerably.

It is a known fact that it is possible to save quite a large amount of money by casting and machining products produced in your own workshop, compared to what it would have cost to get special one off items produced at a commercial foundry.

Initially you will spend some money, but in the long term you will recoup the initial cost with the savings you'll get by making and finishing your own special cast parts.

Metal casting completes the picture for metal workers, it provides the means to take an idea, and develop it through to product completion, right in your own workshop. How rewarding would that be for you?

And as Noel from Australia commented recently.

"G'day Col,

All's well with the e-books, but slowly, slowly, just reading and getting ready to build the foundry and start melting. I had fun melting a bit in my forge, just to see if it got hot enough, but I will start the real foundry soon. I love the e-book package, and I feel it gives me enough knowledge to start having fun... safely. Regards, Noel Watson.Australia".

Whether your aim is to cast antique reproductions, vintage, veteran car or motorcycle parts, art castings, your own special projects, or even if you just want to cast for the fun of it.

All you really need, is the basic desire to learn, and the commitment to slowly build your mini foundry to where you want
it to be.

Your metal casting journey can be an exciting adventure, starting
with simple projects, then slowly graduating to more advanced techniques and projects. The ebooks show you in detail "how to construct" all of the equipment & tools required to do metal casting in the home foundry.

If you are handy with general metal workshop tools, then you are more than capable of building the tools & equipment from the detailed instructions. This info will "never be found" at the local bookstore.

A visit to our web site will make you more informed to the endless possibilities you could experience with metal casting.

Metal Casting article Written By:

Col Croucher. Expert Author.

The Home Foundry Publications. http://www.myhomefoundry.com

Australia.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colin_Croucher http://EzineArticles.com/?Create-Your-Own-Metal-Castings&id=82069

Make Your Own Dog Jewelry

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke]Anne Clarke

We live in a country where it is normal to treat our dogs as a members of the family – giving them Christmas presents (and receiving some from them, as well), taking them everywhere with us, dressing them up, giving them gourmet food, etc. As Americans, we just love our dogs! And why shouldn’t we?

One fun way to show our love for dogs is with dog jewelry. It is possible to find many different types of dog jewelry, but why not make your own? Making dog jewelry is a fun craft for kids or a great art project for adults. Make dog jewelry that resembles your own pet, or make jewelry to give away as gifts!

Here are a few ideas for how to make your own dog jewelry:

· Shrinky-Dink. If you have never used shrinky dink, it is about time you did! Be sure to follow the directions on the packaging… basically, though, you can color on the shrinky dink sheets (about the size of a standard piece of paper) – cut out a dog shape, color it in, poke a hole in it, then stick it in the oven (again, be sure to follow the directions on the packaging!) In the oven, your shrinky dink will shrink, leaving you with beautiful and detailed charms. You can add these charms to a charm bracelet, turn them into earrings, or make it into a necklace (to make these things, be sure that you poke a hole through it before you cook it!)

· Bottle Cap Dog Earrings. Take some favorite photos of your dog and cut out pieces that will fit in the underside of a bottle cap. Adhere the photo with Mod Podge (glue-like substance), then coat over the photo a few times with more Mod Podge. You can hot glue onto the back of these some earring studs.

· Doggie Bolo Tie. Pick up a bolo tie clasp (you can likely get one at a local craft store or bead store – if not, try to contact a Western wear store). Find a round and smooth piece of wood (it will be easier to find one at your local craft store). Use a wood burning kit to create a beautiful dog or doggie bone, or paint and then seal a dog on it. Glue the clasp onto the back. You can use a leather cord as your bolo cord.

· Bead Dog. You will need to head to a bead shop for this one. Pick up some wire (preferably sterling silver, at least 22 gauge), and also find a variety of rounded beads. Choose a large, rounded bead to be the body. Weave 3 pieces of wire through the hole – keep them long for now. The three wire ends at the front will be the two front legs and the head, the wire ends at the back will be the hind legs and the tail. For the tail, use lots of little beads, then twist the wire into a ball at the end to keep them on. The little beads allow your dog’s tail to bend however you want it. Use at least two medium size beads for the legs. For the head, use small beads for the neck, and a medium one for the head. You can paint eyes and a mouth on the head.

These are only a few ideas of what you can do to make your own dog jewelry. Be creative. Look around your house and see what you can use. Most of all, have fun!

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on dog jewerly, please visit [http://www.topdogjewelry.com]Top Dog Jewelry.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke http://EzineArticles.com/?Make-Your-Own-Dog-
Jewelry&id=203010