Home Crafts - Taking Your Favorite Old Record Albums and Showing Them Off

A lot of us still remember the days of playing our favorite vinyl record albums on a turntable, and can recall the anticipation of bringing that album home from the record store to give it a spin and play our radio favorite again and again. Here is a classic way to resurrect one or two of those old record albums and show them off in an artsy way and protect them at the same time.

I was inspired to create this decorating project when I came across an album shaped hanging frame with a glass cover to protect the front of the album jacket. That of course is the part that holds the record itself. The frame was designed to display album covers on a wall as decorative art. Throughout the decades of modern music as we know it, specifically the time period from the psychedelic 60s to the present time, the design and artwork that would go in to an album jacket cover, and the more current CD covers, at times has resulted in phenomenal and historically significant art. So, when I discovered this frame designed to show off some of those more artsy album covers, I was immediately drawn to the idea and started to make a mental list of the old albums I had that might work well displayed on my walls.

Then, like that proverbial light bulb flashing over my head, I had a revolutionary idea that had me jumping through the ceiling with excitement. What if I took an old record album or two, great musically speaking, but lacking in artistic interpretation on the cover, and used that same frame I found to display the vinyl record itself. Of course, you must be asking what is so original about that idea? Well, pull up a chair and I will show you how to make that dark vinyl disc a work of art.

First let us look at the supplies you will need for this attention drawing project:

·Square album frame with glass cover: (12 ¼in. X 12 ¼in.);
·An album, without the jacket cover
·Scrapbooking theme paper, theme wrapping paper, or any artistic paper that projects the message or theme of the album itself.
·Thicker cardboard cut in to the square dimensions of your frame (this should match the shape given above that is intended for an album cover to fit inside)
·Adhesive glue stick or artist spray adhesive

To put this framed art project together, you are simply taking an old record album and showing it off on your wall in the same way that music artists are awarded once their recordings reach a certain level of sales. Whereas their successfully selling record albums are represented in gold or platinum, our framed records will be the actual albums themselves with a decorative theme border surrounding them.

Step 1: You may have a square piece of the thick cardboard included with your frame. However, if you do not, just cut a square piece of cardboard in the dimensions listed above from an ordinary cardboard box. Test fit the cardboard inside the frame before going any further. Once you have a fit, set your cardboard on a flat surface safe for cutting upon. Now, take your album of choice, and place it exactly in the center. A perfect way to find the true center is to first measure your square and make a pen mark at that point. Then, simply lay the album over the cardboard and line up the hole in the middle of the album with that pen mark. Bet the inventor of the record album never realized the center hole had a dual purpose, did he? Once you have marked your place, take a sharp utility blade and slowly score the cardboard along the circular edge of the album. Once complete, remove the album and cut completely through your scored cardboard to remove the inner circle. You are now ready for the next step.

Step 2: You will now want to take your scrapbooking paper or wrapping paper of choice, and cover your cardboard using an adhesive glue stick. Make sure the paper is flat against the cardboard without any bubbles, and then cut out the center circular portion where the album itself will be inserted. Once the paper is dry, place it inside the album frame, insert your album, and place the protective backing that came with the frame back in place.

That is it! Your artsy framed old record album is ready to be hung on the wall and admired. Have fun with it.

Linda Johnson is a degreed and experienced crafter and interior decorating specialist, with years of experience helping friends, family, and clients solve their decorating and craft needs. Find tons more craft ideas and decorating projects like this with photos, and submit your own great ideas for free by visiting http://www.showcasetoideas.com/

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Aesthetic Sense - Interior Designer Or Designing Your Own Interior

We all have diverse opinions when it comes to deciding the best interiors and furniture for our home. Conciliating and compromising are words that are not in our vocabulary when looking at different pieces of furniture. We constantly want the pieces of furniture we chose to be ideal and just right for our home. Everything should be perfect - from dining furniture including dining tables and chair to bedroom furniture.

We have two options when it comes to the aesthetics of our home. First, we can seek for the services of a certified interior decorator. These designers are professionals and experts and they definitely have good knowledge when it comes to what is existing and accessible in the market that will suit our budget and our taste. They can sometimes propose and advise us to pick out a theme that will reflect our personal partialities and our personalities and assist us in making the right resolutions consequently.

Second option will be utilizing our own cleverness, resourcefulness, creativity and originality to save on expenses, as to seeking for the services of a professional.

The advantages of not utilizing the services of professionals are it is cost-effective because we control our budget and we don't have to pay for their services, we can have the freedom of expression in choosing the furniture that fits our taste and finally, the execution will not be complicated because we don't have to deal with others. We only deal with ourselves. The only disadvantage of not utilizing the services of a professional is if we don't have the enough creativity, thus, leading to frustrations when our desires will not be properly executed. Whereas if we hire professionals, we don't have to do anything, all we have to do is just explain what we want and provide the budget, and we just do nothing and wait for everything to be completed.

The bottom line is, in this day and age, selecting the best pieces of modern furniture is really up to us and our preferences.

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Exquisite Living Room Furniture Choices

Mostly, homeowners want to fill up the spaces in the living room with exquisite furniture choices. In this regard endless options have been made available to find perfect choices as per the personal tastes and preferences of the people. Lending a unique style to your living room can be a bit tricky, but you can do it easily. Following are the benefits, considering which you can make right decision when choosing among the existing options:

• Wooden cabinetry can make a good idea for a large number of homeowners. This allows them to display quality cases meanwhile avoiding hard time by dusting off daily possessions.

• Classic modern furniture may help you lend a classy touch to your living room. These pieces are extremely functional. They can be used for both seating and footrest.

• Modern furniture products such as sofa beds, chaise lounges, coffee tables, TV strands, end tables, side tables, and others are preferred by many homeowners.

• Bringing stunning designs, they lend a unique touch to your entire home décor.

• Offering perfect space for your living room, these modern furniture pieces are both functional and attractive.

• They create an entire new look for your house.

• They add an element of style to your room area.

• They help in creating a perfect living room as it is most used space in your house.

• Allowing you to entertain your guests in a right way, they help in making significant improvements to earn plentiful appreciation from your guests.

• Available in limitless options, they help you decorate your house in a unique way.

• Concentrating on particular styles can easily help you decide on your living room decoration as per your own personal preferences.

• They help you make desirable changes, even if you do not have massive budget.

• The furniture pieces like tub chairs lend dramatic touch to your room area.

• They add more life to your house.

• In fact, they help in completely transforming the look and feel of your house without exceeding your budget.

• They act as a great source of inspiration to attract the attention of your family members and guests.

• They personalize your home in a special way.

• With exemplary design features, they serve a wide array of functions meanwhile complementing existing furnishing of the house in a right way.

• They are practical addition to your living room.

• They combine functionality with aesthetic appeal.

• They provide extra storage space and cleaner looks.

• They highlight your living environment.

• They exhibit assorted knick knacks or pieces of art.

• They are stylish and ornate your home in a beautiful way.

To conclude, you can mix and match your furniture pieces without cluttering the surroundings of your house. By opting for selected items, you can transform your house into a welcoming place of both comfort and warmth. So, furnish your living room area with your own style as it has everything to offer you; be it quality or right prices.

Living room is where you spend many hours of your life comfortably. Whatever you need for your home decoration; be it tub chairs or sofa beds click4interiors.co.uk has amazing furniture pieces for your living room selections.

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The Craft Store VS the Internet Site

By Chuck R Stewart

The world is getting more high tech every day. Products are mass produced. Items that used to have individual character are devolving into commodities. Everything is getting slicker and slicker. What's happening to individuality? Individuality has not disappeared. The human drive for individuality is being fostered by the growth of interest in handmade crafts. More and more people are taking up the making of handcrafts as a way of expressing their artistic individuality. But these handcrafts can't be just the same old things that your grandmother made. No antimacassars here. New types of crafts are being dreamed up every day. For example, have you ever heard of a purse dangle? No? It's the same as a handbag pendant. Jewelry for your purse. Isn't that a fun concept?

But there's not really a Great Divide between the world of high technology and the world of handmade crafts. As it turns out, it is the world of high technology that is allowing handmade crafts to flourish. The best and easiest way to sell handmade crafts is to sell them directly on the Internet. Sure, there are stores out there that sell craft items, but the buyers have to know where they are and have to travel there. And for the seller, the process from making the item to putting the item in the buyer's shopping bag can be complicated. The artist may have to meet with the store owner-on the store owner's schedule. The store owner surely will want to examine the item and either accept it for sale or reject it. Then there are the terms of the sale. A store owner has overhead to pay. That means that she will take a large portion of the artist's profits. There can be many other complications in the contract, such as payments for promotional activities.

Selling on the Internet is much easier. The buyer can just sit at home and browse the sites. And even finding the sites is easy. Just Google the item that you are looking for, and the site where it is located will come up. The most widely known site, eBay, allows anyone to sell just about anything to any buyer. Its fame makes it a go-to place for these buyers. The artist doesn't have to make herself known to the world because the world knows eBay. Other sites are more specifically craft oriented. For example, Etsy is a site that is becoming more and more well known as a place to find just handmade crafts and vintage items. On Etsy, the artist has full control of a mini-site. She can create an identity consisting of a profile, a photograph, and a logo. The selling process is also inexpensive. The cost is only twenty cents per item for three months, and Etsy's commission is only 3.5 per cent. The artist can upload multiple photographs of each item.

People are eager to purchase handmade objects because unique possessions allow them to express their individuality in a truly modern way.

Chuck Stewart just bought a purse dangle for his wife. He finds that it is a handmade craft that she loves.

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STICK FISH

Stick Fish,Supplies:sticks,leaf, twigs, wiggle eye, glue guns, construction paper or cardboard sheet, cut 81/2 X 51/, craft scissors
slice of a tree branch or trunk, "tree cookie" could be used (pruning shears needed to cut sticks to correct length)
Age Level: Preschool to Middle School, depending on degree of adult assistance available

This is a simple, inexpensive craft. A glue gun works better than liquid glue and for that reason adult assistance will be required. Adults should select sticks about the width of an adult's little finger and about 6 to 8 inches long. The trick to making this craft is to find sticks that have a slight curve to them.

Each child will also need a supply of twigs, one wiggle eye and a leaf or two. Glue the "backbone" to construction paper, cardboard, or a wood slice before the activity for young children. Older children can do all the gluing themselves. The children break the twigs to the same length and lay them across the "backbone" of their fish. Young children will need help gluing the "bones" in place at intervals along the backbone. The leaves can be used without cutting if they are pointed, or they can be notched with a scissors to form the head and tail of the fish. Glue the eye in place on the leaf.