The first time I ever sent a gift unexpectedly was when I was involved in a long-distance relationship. My girlfriend was a little bit depressed, and when I sent her gift basket flowers in the mail, she was absolutely overjoyed. Even knowing it was a small token of my affection, it made herself happy to receive it. It completely surprised her when she got home. She got to come home to a lovely bouquet of flowers, complete with a gift card.
Seeing how happy that present made her made me really think about the potential Unique Gift Baskets have for lightening someone’s mood. About a week later, I was walking around town when I saw an old comic that one of my friends used to own. Although he had since lost it, when he was a kid it had been one of his favorite comics. I bought it, wrote a personal message, added a few action figures that he had always admired which I’d saved from my childhood, and sent it off to him. He absolutely loved it. If I had sent him, say, chocolates or a wine gift basket, it would have made him happy. When he got this particular Unique Gift Basket, however, he was absolutely overjoyed.
January 22nd, 2008
Posted by
georgechao1
General
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As you foray into the art of crochet, there will be times where you want to add some stiffness to your finished work. This is the case when you are crocheting items such as handbags, doilies, and certain kinds of lace. Stiffening your yarns or fibers can easily be accomplished by starching your projects with a variety of different stiffening mediums. Starching has been around for a very long time and with the different options available today for starching; you can find just the right one for your project.
Classic Starching
The oldest form of starching is simply to dissolve ¼ cup starch in ½ cup of cold water. Take this mixture and bring it to a boil slowly over a low flame. As the mixture begins to thicken up, gradually add 1 ¼ cups of cold water. Boil the mixture while stirring constantly until the mixture becomes clear. This will leave you with a think pasty type mixture.
As soon as your starch mixture is cool enough to safely be handled, dip in your crochet work and squeeze the starch into it thoroughly. Your goal is to soak your project with the starch but not to have it in the holes or any openwork in your project. At this point you will want to allow your project to dry in the position you want it to be in when the starching process is completed.
Once your item is completely dry, you can iron it with a steam iron on a medium setting.
Spray Starch
An easier way to stiffen your crochet items is to use spray starch. Spray starch is readily available in the laundry detergent area of any of your local grocery or drug stores. To use spray starch you will want to use one of two methods.
Method one is to lightly spray your piece and the press it using a warm iron, on the wrong side, covered with another material in-between your item and your iron.
Method two is to lightly spray your piece and then pin it in place and allow it to dry. If you choose to pin your pieces, make sure you use rust proof pins so you do not get any staining on your finished crochet work.
Spray starch is perfect for household items and holds up under normal wear. However, it is not permanent and if you wash your item then you will need to starch it again.
Liquid Starch
Using liquid starch allows you to control the stiffness of your piece very easily. You have the option of using the starch straight from the bottle, or diluting it with water and having a less stiff piece as a result. The process is identical to the directions above for classic starching.
Stiff Stuff
There is a great product on the craft market called “Stiff Stuff.” And, just as the name implies, it is used to starch craft items and handiwork. The process is exactly the same as using spray starch; however, your resulting item will be very stiff. And, if you wish to hasten the process you can use a blow dryer to dry the starch faster. Stiff Stuff is not permanent and will wash out if you wash your piece.
White Glue and Water
If you are looking for a permanent starching option, you can accomplish it by using white glue and water. Simply mix together equal parts of white glue and water. Dip your crochet item into this mixture and squeeze out the excess. Lay your piece on a hard non-stick surface to dry and you will have a permanently starched end product.
Shellac
Shellac is used in the case where you want a very firm finished product. Simply shape your piece and using a small brush add a thin layer of shellac. Let this layer dry, and then apply 2-3 more coats on top of it. Once your item is dry the shellac is permanent and your item will be very hard to the touch. Shellac is perfect for use on things like Crocheted Christmas Tree Ornaments and bookmarks.
By using these techniques, you can ensure that your crochet projects are starched like a professional and will last for many years to come.
January 11th, 2008
Posted by
georgechao1
General, Arts & Crafts
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Californian coastal towns are desirable places to live and Carlsbad California is no exception. It offers culture, sport and the natural world. There are various lagoons in the area that are very important in the preservation of threatened species of animals. Commercial enterprise thrives here too with a mussel production site and a sea bass nursery. There are lots of activities available such as hiking, bird watching, biking, sailing, Kayaking, jet skiing and motor boating.
The Flower Fields of Carlsbad Ranch fill the air with wonderful scent. The colorful annual display blossoms every March in 50 acres of gardens, divided into different areas such as the rose garden and orchid greenhouses. The fields are also known for their poinsettias. Visitors can tour the fields on a tractor ride.
The local skate park is a favorite haunt of young people in Carlsbad California. The concrete park has gentle lines and is suitable for novice skaters. Skateboards and roller blades are allowed but bikes are not. Skaters must be equipped with helmets and knee and elbow pads.
Music lovers are fortunate in having an unusual museum in the city. Called the Museum of Making Music, it contains five separate galleries of exhibits that tell the story of American popular music since the 1890s until the present day. There are over 450 vintage musical instruments on display and further hands on instruments to try. An archive of audio samples gives examples of music over the years. The museum is a valuable resource for those interested in the subject in Carlsbad California and it organizes live performances and lectures.
Lots of children and adults too, love to go to a Legoland park. Legoland California, opened in 1999, is the third park of its kind to open. It’s a great family day out with rides, shops, restaurants and as much Lego as can be imagined. The park is divided into eight themed areas, which include a Medieval Castle theme. Dino Island has lots of Lego made dinosaurs and a mini roller coaster. One of the most popular areas is Fun Town, where kids get to drive electric Lego cars and steer Lego boats.
The residents of the city are proud of their local heritage and the Carlsbad Historical Society is a non-profit organization with its own museum and collection of memorabilia. This Carlsbad California museum contains furniture from the time of the early settlers and agricultural artifacts. There is also an impressive rose garden and Victorian herb border.
December 28th, 2007
Posted by
georgechao1
Travel
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