I wish that I had a nickel for each time I’ve been asked for
the “exact” colors I used in aan embroidery design or for a conversion chart for specific embroidery thread brands - I would be a very wealthy woman!
Everyone seems to think that someone is going to knock on
their door with a search warrant if they don’t use the exact
colors a designer used in the test sew out or the color numbers
used in the stitch directions.
Not so - if you don’t “think outside the box” and use colors that you enjoy, or just prefer, you are really missing the real fun of machine embroidery! Come to think of it, I don’t believe that I’ve ever used the exact color on any design I’ve ever stitched in 6+ years-some because I didn’t have the exact color & others due to a dislike of the colors used. Not only do you expand your design library, but you make each design a more personal experience & you sure won’t see your embroidery friends wearing the same design!
Following are some tips to help you to “think outside the box”:
1. One misconception is that changing the colors of a design violates a designer’s copyright. I don’t think that any designer has a “color change” clause in their copyright terms.
2. If you like the colors the designer used, don’t fret if you don’t have the exact same color in the thread brand used or the brand you prefer. Colors do not have to be exact-a color shade lighter or darker, or even a different tone will not be noticeable when the design is finished.
3. Learn to adjust colors for different fabric colors! Have you ever finished stitching a design on denim & wondered why it didn’t look like the image shown on white? All colors take on a different look each time they are stitched on a different color background. If you have the background color change feature in your embroidery software, use it to help you determine when you will need to make a color switch to help the design show up better. If you don’t have this feature in your software, keep various colors of felt or fabric on hand to test stitch your designs before putting them on a project. There’s nothing worse than having a disappointing finished project.
4. Try stitching some designs in one color instead of the numerous colors a designer used. There are many designs that would lend themselves to an outstanding tone-on-tone design by just using your imagination! Tone-on-tone motifs make any design more “classy” on any garment or project.
The perfect example is a single pink rose with a green stem & leaves. Test that same rose using thread color/s in either lighter or darker shades of the fabric color. [If the design has shading, substitute darker shades of the same color for the shading.]
5. Look through your entire design library to see where you can change the look of a design by just changing the color! I doubt you have even one design that couldn’t be given a “designer” look by a color change - even fruit or flowers!
Remember, “think outside the box”, or you are missing out on the enjoyment & ability to expand your creativity to optimize the use of your designs! To see what I mean, take a look at the photo of my finished wind jacket post on our web site! I didn’t look at the colors in my own stitch directions to sew these out - I just used the colors that I liked & would show up best on the jacket color.
Sandy Carter is the author of embroidery articles at embroidery designs by Thread Artist. She has an article about embroidery software for digitizing and lettering fonts at
embroidery software. There is free embroidery digitizing Tutorial at this web address - embroidery by Thread Artists
For the music box and antique collector, there is an almost endless array of music boxes to collect. From carousel music boxes to ballerina music boxes, and antique music boxes to children’s jewelry boxes, there is a large variety to choose from. There also is a specialty area for the music box and antique collector to consider. The area is novelty musical mechanisms. Four top novelty items to consider are furniture musical mechanisms, household items, clocks and wallets, and the automata.
Furniture Musical Mechanisms
In the 19th and early 20th century, many leading manufacturers placed musical mechanisms in furniture. Some of the most popular items their mechanisms were placed in were full sized decorative tables with a compartment for stationary or playing cards. Examples of furniture musical mechanisms include a child’s rocking chair, which was made with a musical mechanism, mounted on it, and wooden chairs whose movements, operated by a hinged seat, would play when someone sat down. These types of items are rarely and clearly fitted with a musical mechanism so they can be easily overlooked.
Household Utensils
Candy and serving dished have been made with musical movements. In addition, elegant teapots with designs such as cats, Victorian houses, and cows have also been made. Lazy Susan’s with 18-note movements, and even musical liquor decanters with fancy styles from golf bags to cars are available. These types of novelty items would be fun additions to the collection of the music box and antique collector.
Clocks and Watches
Numerous table clocks have been made with musical movements. However, when the music box and antique collector goes to an antique shop or second hand store, they might miss these special items since the musical mechanisms may not be working. Simple cleaning and oiling can get the table clocks and up and running.
Many of the cylinder music boxes were also placed in pocket watches and their cases. While early examples are rare and highly valuable, modern ones can be found.
Automata
The best automata were made in and around Paris during the last part of the 19th century. The musical movements many times were concealed in the landscape based in the body of the automation.
All kinds of unique automata were made. Among the figures that were manufactured were dolls, monkeys, jesters, and children doing all manner of complicated things. One interesting example is an extraordinary automation manufactured by the French companyRoullet and Decamps. The figure was a Pierrot and the moon. The moon, made from paper paper mache, has a painted face with brown eyes and tongue that moves from side to side. The Pierrot raises a leg, lifts one arm and moves as if playing a guitar. Such a rare piece, despite the expense, would be a highly valuable asset to the collection of the music box and antique collector.
While carousel music boxes, ballerina music boxes, antique music boxes, and children’s jewelry boxes are examples of music boxes some music box and antique collectors may already have, adding novelty music boxes and musical movements such as the ones addressed in this article would make their collector even more unique. Why not begin that search today?
Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins
Established in May of 2005, http://www.My-Music-Box.com is a music box gift store specializing in products such as inlaid ballerina music boxes for ballerina rooms décor, whimsical carousel music boxes, and musical jewelry boxes. The company provides interesting information for music lovers of all ages. Owner Monique Hawkins is also the author of the blog “What You Never Knew About Music” http://whatyouneverknewaboutmusic.blogspot.com , and owner of the eBay store “Monique’s Music Box” at: http://stores.ebay.com/Moniques-Music-Box Monique can be contacted at (540) 858-2885.
Coin collecting, or numismatics is a hobby as old as time. As a hobby, it has been around for more than 2,500 years. This is surprising since the use of coins has been around for pretty much that same amount of time too. Man has always had a fixation for small, round, shiny things. And throughout the ages, coin collectors have always been on the prowl for the oldest, rarest, most attractive coins around.
Numismatics comes from the Greek word nomisma, meaning ‘currency,’ or coin. It is also related to the study of banknotes, tokens, and other early forms of money.
Coins and other forms of money are issued by governments and other monetary agencies. Billions of these flood the market yearly. But as time goes by, the number of these coins go down. Some get lost and some are damaged beyond recognition.
This goes to show that the older the coin, the rarer it must be. And for coin collectors, this is prime stuff.
Coin collectors and hobbyists number millions around the world. This hobby is taken so seriously that there are even professional dealers and investors who ply their trade in this fashion.
The lure of coins lies in its power to draw people into the era it belonged to. These coins show many aspects of everyday life during those times. By examining a coin, one comes to know the geography, philosophy, sociology, artistry and other aspects of the culture they existed in.
Ancient kings (and even today’s leaders) had a telling habit of having their faces imprinted on their currency. Some historians have been able to put together clues regarding the ancient civilizations using these coins. Sometimes, coins would tell of a leader or prominent figure that would have been forgotten by time if it were not for these coins.
Hobbyists usually start collecting coins from their own locality. This makes sense because they are the easiest to collect. These hobbyists then expand their collection to coins from increasingly farther and earlier origins.
Coin collectors regard every single coin as a unique specimen. They take note of the date, the mint marks, and even the abnormalities in its design. Ironically, some of the most expensive coins are those with the strangest abnormalities. This is because this type of coin is hard to come by.
For example, there could be a coin in existence that differs from other coins in its batch. For some unknown reason, it lacks some of the required markings. Such coins are deemed more valuable than the normal coins of its type.
A good number of coin collectors collect coins according to themes. The coins they collect all have a common topic. Some collect coins related to kings and queens. Some collect those related to plants and animals.
The price for a coin is determined by the demand for this coin. Many factors affect this demand. If a coin is rare, chances are, it is in great demand. However, there are some coins that are rare, or exotic, yet the demand for them remains low. If this is the case, then its market value will remain in the low end.
Before purchasing coins, one must do much research about that coin. He must assess its current market value and make sure that the coin is genuine. He should also consider how much he could earn if he resells the coin.
The American Numismatic Association is the largest numismatic organization in the world. It was founded in 1891 and was chartered by the Congress of the United States 21 years later. This group has the largest library of coins available. Collectors would love to visit their headquarters, the World Money Museum, which is one of the largest coin museums in the world.
Another organization, the American Numismatic Society, is the most active and respected nonprofit numismatic publisher in the world. They maintain a museum that contains more than a million objects. They also have a library that has one of the most comprehensive in coin collecting knowledge.
Whether you are a hobbyist or a serious collector, coin collecting will always bring a sense of fulfillment and history to your life. It is never too late to start collecting today. You can’t lose! Your collection can only grow in value as the time passes by!
For more great coin collecting info and advice check out: http://www.just-coins.com
1)
dying in the bar
[sluggishly]
yet,
I would crawl too
upto the bar,
it was everything, the dampness
the carved wood
the zoned-out-ness in my head
dreaming; it was better than death?
then I took another drink…so many
I never moved much, like dead fish.
my head split like an ass
it was numb and, nothing else
numbness was my home
across the street, dancing
on the patio
the moon was out…they saw
me, and kept
deancing!…
as I wished I had another drink…!
#682 5/05
2)
Doa Leonor’s Revenge
(1627 AD)
Rafael Ortiz’s fate
Was on the plate
Of Doa Leonor’s
When she arrived
In Lima, Peru;
To taste revenge
For the beheading
Of her Husband.
And so the plot
…was now played out
(in an alley way)
As she gutted her trout!
3)
Boarder Town Mlée
[Christmas Day1927]
Note: the story took place around Christmas time, in 1927, the names of the people and location have been changed, for reasons I’d prefer not to mention: which linger in my family’s history.
(The End) Seven Mexicans came to the bridge crossing from the American side of Laredo, and what is known as the Rio Grande, over to what is known as Laredo Nuevo, or the New Laredo, and again the same crossing the same river, yet known to the other side, the Mexican side, as the Rio Bravo de Norte.
A strong looking United States youthful Military Sergeant was checking their ID’s out, as an American Colonel, Colonel Wright (who had just happened to be at the crossing at the same time), seen the Sergeant in Charge, checking them out: doing a cross-checking, double checking of the several weather beaten Mexican’s. Thence, the warrior Colonel stood by watching carefully (as he leaned against his car dawdling over some papers in his hands)studying the inspection, as the Sergeant check out their clothing, along with their undergarments, faces [profiles], ID’s(precarious indeedwas the good Sergeant, thought the colonel); possible some of this checking was too impress the Colonel: so the Colonel thoughtfor the Sergeant was taking much longer than normal: or possible because he felt there was something wrong and couldn’t quite put his finger on it. In the course of a military career, one acquires instincts and wisdom beyond the normal, a survival thing, somehow, someway imprinted into our nature, our physical being, our subconscious, and it goes on automatic in such matters. In either case (with the art of foresight and deduction), the Colonel approached the Sergeant and the several Mexicans, whom were standing beside the guard shack that lead to the bridge crossing the Rio Grande; the Sergeant and his two Privates were armed with weapons, –both privates guardinghawk-eyed on any and everything that moved within the radius of a hundred yards: thus, standingalmost like robotsin case there was resistance, an emergency, or crisis of any kind.
“Any problems Sergeant?” asked the Colonel, whom had one Junior Officer and one Staff Sergeant on each side of him, as he approached within three feet of the Sergeant in Charge of this Guard Post; knowing the Sergeant slightly, for the Colonel had crossed the bridge many times for official meetings, business, with the Mexican aristocrats, on such matters that concerned his GI’s going into their town and drinking, buying souvenirs, and buying flesh and pleasure. The Colonelprosperous enough to be able to purchase the respect of the Sergeantwaived to his black-limousine, now in back of him, which was a signal for his driver, a Private First Class, to park it for the time being.
(A pause, –the Sergeant had seen the Colonel approaching: now both within a few feet of one another.)
Says he [the Sergeant now standing three feet in front of the Colonel, with his waxed and dutiful available smile):
“We had some trouble as you know, ‘Sir,’ earlier on this morning and afternoon, and so I’m just double checking, they look a bit ragged, as if they were doing some fighting someplace, possible the…(a pause, the Colonel is opening his mouth to speak, and the Sergeant simply stops…).”
(A light smile appears on the Colonel’s face, directly looking into the Sergeant’s eyes, to insure he knew, the Sergeant knew that is, that the Colonel was a Colonel, the same one that had looked the other way a few times on his squad that had drank too much, crossing the bridge back to the American side, looked the other way and not brought such matters to his attention, such matters as Court Marshals and so forth and so on).
“Yes, we’ve had some trouble Sergeant, and yes, double checking is wise, if you don’t mind, let me see their papers, or whatever you’re holding, ID’s of whatever kind they have. We have just fount a good skirmish as you well know, with these devils.”
A little unusual the Sergeant was, at this request, that normally would bring suspicion, but the Sergeant handed over the documents nonetheless: four-passports, two birth certificates, three licenses. All indicating they were from Mexico City, and Veracruz.
“Without a doubt, I don’t see a mounting problem with these wetbacks.” (Implying these were Mexicans that swam the Rio to work on the American side that was not likely trying to get back home.) I seen all their faces, face-to-face almost, I killed three of them you know, three for sure if not more. Let them pass on through: double checking these, well, well time is redundant, easier to just let them go back across the boarder than hustle them to death, and use our time for other things,” said the Colonel, commenting, then adding:
“You have a good eye Sergeant, but I doubt any of these are Manual Garcia, and therefore, let them get on home to their families, I’m sure they are being missed, you know the Latin’s, their families worry to death when they are not home on time (a light chuckle comes from the Colonels mouth).”
(Garcia was in with the seven, and the Colonel knew this; but what the Sergeant didn’t know, and the Colonel did know, was two things: first, all seven had weapons under their ponchos, had they checked much more a new skirmish would have been provokedand it was Christmas Day; second, he had given his word for a twenty-four truce, although only them two knew it. And even though the ‘24-hour period,’ was not spelled out during the dialogue between Garcia and the Colonel, it was implied, understood, and they both knew it.) Having heard that from the Colonel, the Sergeant started to stand downhesitantly, but stand down he did, thus, detaching him from the much concerned tension that was building. The Colonel somehow had created calm, save for the tiny cloud of suspicion he had left in the mind of the Sergeant.
Early Part of the Day
(Part One) In the early part of the day, the part that the Sergeant was talking about, the Colonel, during a fire-fight, had killed his son, Garcia’s son, and wife whom tried to guard him (Garcia, father and husband had been huddled together) from racing bullets, and in the process they took the bullets for him. The colonel new, then and now, the moment of battle, when the bullets are flying, seemingly never to stopmen tend to hope without being conscious of it, hope for a happy ending, life (and so this also would be part of his deliberation, when he would approach after the battle, the bridge the seven would try to cross, which was still in the future).
In addition, there were a number of American soldiers killed in the fire-fight. The battle had gone on for over three hours, and when it was overthe clash that took place in this small town, on the American side of the boarderthe Colonel took to restingthinking much on trifling matters, allowing his imagination to speculate of his future, fanciful thoughts came and left. Nownow with an empty pistol on his lap, resting against a brick wall of a second floor building he was occupying, his mind went to the current event: he had shot previously transverselyacross from one building to the other sidethat is from the top of the building he was in, to the building on the other side where Garcia was, for whence he had kill the enemy: the wife and son who had surrounded Garcia: this was now on his mind, he didn’t mean to shoot the wife and child, but it did happen, peculiar as it was, it did take place. What were they looking for he pondered on? That one would give up their life for: possible he said, for, “Paradise without snakes.” Yet, he had never found that place himself.
Thereafter, thinking the battle was over, and Garcia was dead (of which of course he was not) he had found himself walking down aimlessly down off the top of the building, and resting against a wall on the second floor; –tired, fatigued: feeling a little guilty, and sad, that the skirmish could not have been contained to simply the men of the world; he let out a great sigh of energy from his stomach and lungs as he leaned hard against the brick wallalmost in a sonorous voice the last of the air came with in his body came out of his nose; his eyes shutting a bit, and then reopening.
As the silence of the afternoon took holdthe sun overwhelmingly heating up the outside of the vacant building like toast, the Colonel rested cumbersomely against the wall of the building: cooling his body temperature to normal, as he started to breath better, more from his stomach: while checking his empty revolver, now resting on his thigh: while his other soldiers remained in place, he had one platoon of: forty-four-men in all; forty-four men covering the whole town of which ten of them had surrounded this very building, and the building Garcia was in.
The Colonel had given instructions to all remaining soldiers to stay in place, to stand down for the moment, to let the Mexicans come out if they wished to, peacefully: but none did. And so it was a waiting game. They had killed several they knew, several Mexicans, and figured between five to ten were left (–evidently, it was seven, only seven were left, for they had showed up at the bridge ((all seven haggard looking, but soldiers none the less, and the Colonel knew, he knew his word was given, implied, not to fight, and that more lives were at stake had he let the situation go, or get out of hand; whence, he headed on to his next destination in his big-long, black limacine)).
The two men: Garcia and Colonel Wright now were face to faceboth less then twenty-feet away. Garcia had showed up on the other side of the street, oddly enough, on the stairway that led up to the room the Colonel was in, resting against the wall. The Colonel heard the foot steps, but said nothing, thinking it was one of his men. Hence, still sitting, leaning lightly against the wall now, not as heavy as he was before, again, an instinctive measure for he did not here his men talking nor any low-laughter from their voices, nor the sounds of boots, just an uneasy sound of one person climbing the steps; his men came in two’s or three’s, normally not alonehe went checking out his pockets for a cigar, for he projected to himself the fighting had stopped, or at least clogged up for now, for about twenty-minutes.
As the Mexican warrior got onto the second floor, the dusty wooden floor (a few spiders, roaches, rats scrambling here and therethe colonel started now listening even more so to the disruption of the moment), thence, he (he being: Garcia) seen the Colonel latent, resting against the fortification-thick brick wall, he had seen him before, they both had seen each other before, but the Colonel was now vulnerableand Garcia stood there like a tropical moon light fixture. The Colonel had bullets to insert into his gun in his pocket, but instead said before Garcia could pull out his weapon,
“Enough, there’s been enough fighting for one day, enough killing for one day its Christmas Day, (both maintaining a sharp look at each others movements, as if to indicated should I, or should I notsnake instincts, snake eyes: race, charge quickly for my bullets, or shoot this murderer who killed my wife and son?.”
The dark Mexican, lean and rustic lookinglooking with almost telegraphic eyes, long black hair, sunken in face, pocked marked cheeks, five foot six inches tall, as dirty as a rag-picker: said with an honorable, and bawled voice: “Se, amigo, daya largolet there be peace,” (it had been a long day for both, and much killing had taken place) he turned around, a tear in his eye (the Colonel noticed), and walked back down the steps. The Colonel never touched his gun, nor did the Mexican go for his.
Nothing would bring back his wife or child, and in battle one knows there were no rulesnot really, not when it comes to the last moment of breath, all were soldiers, even if you bring into sight your own flesh and blood. Plus Garcia knew that Colonel knew it was not a mans way to kill children or women, it was as it was, something that happened and would not had, had his wife and child not insisted on being part of the militia.
The Roof
[The Beginning] As the Colonel lay back against the rock-hard wall of the building, he thought about what had taken place. He was on top of the building less than an hour ago, or was it more, or was it less. He questioned himself. He shot three times, as he came under fire, as he remembered, as he looked back, back to reminisce. He had then run out of ammo, and had shot his last three shots, two killings, one a woman, and the other a child-warrior, somewhere along the line, in the morning he had killed another Mexican involved with this insurrection. Now after the shootout with his family, blood was all over Garcia’s white shirt, which was not really white anymore, egg-white, with blood stains, crimson blood that would remain in both the memories of the Colonel and the Mexican. They had both run out of ammo, only the Mexican had run out a little before the Colonel, had it been the other way, possible the Colonel would be dead, but it wasn’t the other way, it was as it was, not the past, not the future, as one would like it to be in his or her favor, but the present, as it was all was in the present. In the mist of battlethe dark-macabre battle, they had both somehow found additional bullets, but the Colonel never put them in his gun, and Garcia, although he did, it was tucked away in his belt, under his poncho.
And so ended, the mlée (the fight), and when they had met again at the bridge, the encounter was over, at least for twelve-hours more; at least in the minds of the two warriors, at least in the two warrior’s minds, hearts and characterssouls. Nature has a burning pull, and for them, neither one could or would fight unless the odds were equal, unless fate demanded it, it was just part of their nature; plus, it was Christmas Day.
Dennis is an author of 29 books, soon to be 30, with his selection of some 24-poems to be published soon in English and Spanis; the book is called, “The Spell of the Andes.” His books can be seen on most any book store web site.
Ceramic decals have been used for decades to enhance the value of ceramic products. Hand painting using colored glazes (enamels) is more expensive and the production rates are much slower. However, the ware may be more valuble than decaled ware.
Decals can be produced by silk screening or by lithography, the former being more expensive. Silk screening allows heavier color deposition.
The process to make a decal is to add colored oxides to drying solvents and binders to form an ink. Low-melting frits may be incorporated in the inks to assure that the decal will sink into the glaze on firing. The colors are printed or silk screened each color individually onto a special decal paper. A cover coat is applied to the printed decal sheet before the final drying of the decal sheets.
Go to http://www.beldecal.com/create.cfm to learn the actual details of the process. (It’s a pretty stinky process. Take a sniff while you are reading.)
Several color separations are used. For fine china, seven passes through the silk screening process are often required to obtain the color detail desired. Three-color separations are okay for many other products.
Now I’m going to send you away again. Richard Wasowski, a long-time friend of mine, (don’t call him “Dick,” please) wrote an article for Ceramic Industry Magazine (I was once the editor of this magazine) on the digital process for decaling. This newer process will probably someday completely replace the older methods. Go to http://www.ceramicindustry.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,2710,80851,00.html.
Oh, you came back again!
Decals are typically printed on large sheets. A worker cuts the sheets into individual decals and places them into water (usually with a wetting agent) where they soak until another worker slides the decal off the paper and places it on the ceramic ware.
He or she then squeegees out the water making sure that the decal is placed correctly on the ware and that there are no bubbles trapped under the decal. The decal is dried, usually in open air, and then fired on a 1-3 hour cycle.
Decaling is a low-loss process. If there is a flaw in the decal after firing the ware usually must be scrapped. It may not be profitable to continue processing a piece of ware that you know will be sold as seconds.
Now days, enamel and or precious metal are often incorporated in decals.
This saves two extra firings if both enamel and precious metal are added. If precious metal is added separately, it still saves one firing. This can be very cost effective. For one thing, you are not wasting gold or enamel nor do you have to worry so much about environmental considerations.
The End
Ceramic defects, decals, decaling, decalcomania, decorating ceramics, color separation
John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine, Jones is Executive Representative of International Wealth Success. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”
More info: http://www.tjbooks.com
Business web site: http://www.bookfindhelp.com (IWS wealth-success books and kits and business newsletters / TopFlight flagpoles)
