Owl rubber stamp - Animal stamps offer many uses.

Animals are a great part of many aspects of our lives. They can be used in education, kept as pets, and observed in nature, just to name a few. People love to gather information on animals, document their activities, and make them a part of their memories. One great way to use animals and animal shapes in through rubber stamps. Rubber stamps, such as an owl rubber stamp, can be used in a wide variety of places and in a wide variety of ways.

The educational arena has a large number of uses for rubber stamps. Teachers and other educators can use rubber stamps for a wide variety of reasons including education, reward, projects, and motivation. If a teacher was teaching about animals, they could use an owl rubber stamp, along with other animals, to show students what an animal looks like or make flash cards using the stamps. They could use different shapes and colors to grade papers or give feedback. Stamps can also be used on motivational boards or checklists, where a stamp could be placed each time a student completed a project or got a certain score. Teachers can also collect stamps that can be used by students in arts and craft projects. Stamps can be used to decorate and create a number of projects. They are suitable for a wide range of ages and can be incorporated into any lesson plan.

Stamps can also be used in projects such as a scrapbook. Animal lovers, for example, can keep a collection of animal stamps that can be used to decorate collections of photographs or memorabilia from a sight seeing trip. It can also be used to decorate a page for certain seasons. An owl rubber stamp would be a perfect addition to any Halloween page in a scrapbook. Stamps can add a great deal to any scrapbook with a wide range of color and design.

Stamps of all shapes and sizes are easy to find. A great place to start and look is at your local craft store. Local craft stores often offer a wide assortment of stamps and all the supplies you need to go along with the stamps, such as ink. A new trend is stores that sell stamps and stamp making supplies exclusively. They often offer the best selection and assortment and their staff is usually very well educated in the craft of stamping. If either of these places don't carry the exact stamp you are looking for, quite often they can order it for you through their supplier network. Just ask one of their salespeople for help. If you enjoy using the Internet to order things, stamps are very easy to find through the web. A quick search through a search engine will find you a wide array of companies that you can order directly from.

Rubber stamps are a great addition to anyone's craft collection. Teachers, parents, students, and craft lovers can use them. The projects that can benefit from a rubber stamp are almost endless. Get your creative juices flowing and use a rubber stamp to get your project started.

About The Author:
Moises has been working for stamping industry for last 7 years. He created a website that has tips and advises about various rubber stamps. Come to http://www.bestrubberstamps.com to learn more about rubber stamps.

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Creating Rubber Stamps: Not All Methods Created Equal (Part 1 of 3)

Whether you’re a rubber stamp rookie, dabbler, or seasoned veteran, you’ve undoubtedly wondered how to make your own rubber stamp. When creating a custom rubber stamp, there are many methods that can be used; in this three-part series, you’ll learn the pros and cons of several different stamp-producing methods.

No matter the method, if you are looking to become a rubber stamp vendor, good luck. It would be easier to find Osama bin Laden’s cave than to find a wholesale vendor for stamp mounts and cases. Besides their clandestine status, wholesale vendors may also have a minimum purchase requirement or different price breaks for quantity. When starting out as a small business, it may be best to buy cases and mounts from a local arts and crafts store.

If you’re serious about creating high quality rubber stamps, the best technology to use is a laser engraver. Though they may cost thousands of dollars, many high-end engravers can create a stamp as precise as 1000 dpi. Laser engravers are optimal for high productivity and quality rubber stamps, and items like graphics or small text are easily achieved. Laser engravers are less messy than other rubber stamp-making methods, and advanced alignment technology creates little waste.

Laser engravers are not labor intensive; hundreds of stamps can be programmed to engrave at once. The speed of engraving for one square inch of rubber stamp is approximately 60 seconds. While this may seem slow, a laser engraver will make deeply engraved “cut lines” while it is etching. A cut line engraves so deeply that no actual cutting or special scissors are necessary for the rubber; simply push on the etched item when the engraving is complete. These cut lines will save a large amount of time that would be otherwise allocated to tedious cutting and hand customization.

Once the rubber stamps are finished etching, simply remove them from the laser engraver and soak them in water for 5-10 minutes. This allows the rubber dust and resin to be easily cleaned off with an item such as a toothbrush. The washing of the rubber is imperative; without cleaning the rubber, residual dust from the engraving process may impede the quality of the impression. After the rubber is clean, wipe it dry with a paper towel or hand towel. At this point, you may leave it unmounted or adhere it to a wood block, pre-inked, or self-inking device.

Now that you have learned one of the many stamp-making methods, stay tuned! Exciting information about making stamps at home is yet to come!

Gwendolyn Lee is a statistician and analyst of Internet-related metrics for custom rubber stamps at http://www.rubberstamps.net. She has researched and implemented business models to maximize profitability, efficiency and advertising tracking.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gwendolyn_Lee

What Can Affect The Price Of Stamps

There are a lot of things that can affect the price of stamps and you'll learn about all of them in here.

FACTOR #1 TYPE OF STAMPS

Different types of stamps fetch different prices.

Definitive Stamps - These stamps are the regular small stamps that we are used to seeing all our lives. They are priced at common rates since they're subject to daily, routine use. These definitive stamps can be seen glued at the back of personal greeting cards sent by your parents during Easter or on newsletters that sell none of the things you're interested in.

Commemorative Stamps - If definitive stamps are produced by the billions, commemorative stamps tend to have a more "conservative" production rate and are distributed only by the millions. As you have no doubt deduced by now, these stamps were created in commemoration of a historical event or figure. Because of their limited edition status, they are priced slightly higher than definitive stamps. Commemorative stamps are RARELY reproduced so be sure to buy one of each release when you have the chance!

Special Stamps - This category was simply coined in recent years to describe the stamps that are especially produced for an occasion like Christmas or Valentine's Day. These stamps are bigger than commemorative stamps but their prices - depending on their production rate - can be cheaper or more expensive than the latter.

FACTOR # 2 RARITY - Naturally, the rarer a particular stamp, the higher value it is given. Stamps are classified as rare when there are only limited original copies available in the market. This may be because the stamp has been released long in the past and only a few of it are left existing OR it could be a new stamp with a limited release.
Naturally, one cannot immediately expect to be paid a great amount of money the moment he says his stamp is of rare quality. Experts must be consulted so that the stamp's authenticity may truly be verified.

FACTOR #3 HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE - Stamps that have historical significance also command huge prices in the market. The first stamp ever made was the Penny Black in Great Britain and this obviously makes it a collectible item. The first basketball stamp is yet another example; you would have to visit Philippines, however, if you wish to obtain it from its country of origin.

FACTOR #4 CONDITION

Unused Condition - Stamps that are considered unused will generally fetch a better price than one that's used but of the same edition. Secondhand rare stamps however may be tagged at a higher price than unused brand new stamps.
Mint Condition - It's very rare to see stamps that are truly in mint condition, especially those that are more than a decade old. A stamp in mint condition is one whose original beauty has been preserved throughout the years. No cuts, tears, folds or any other flaw mar its appearance.
Stamps in mint condition will always sell at a good price because of the amount of care bestowed upon them by their owners.

FACTOR #5 AUTHENTICITY

There are a number of organizations and experts today that can provide generally accepted certifications of authenticity for stamps. These documents serve as proof of the stamp's validity and directly contribute to the added value of the stamp.
If you wish to ensure that auction houses will peg your stamps at the price they deserve, make sure you procure all the necessary papers to completely prove your collection's genuineness!

By: Jerald Shin Shapiro

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Rubber Stamping and Scrapbooking will Bring the Family Together During The Holidays

No matter what celebration you and your family will rejoice in this holiday season, the common thread is family unity and the joy of sharing in the relationships with others.

Remembering the past is always an important part when bringing the family together. It is important to reflect on the fun times we have as a family, and those not with us anymore.

Technology lets us organize out memories better than ever before. With computers, digital photography and video, there are simple ways to get the kids involved with preserving the past.

The kids are at home for their winter break, and like mine, they are probably bored. Putting together a scrapbook is a great task to keep them busy with a good project. This can be done before and after the holidays. By taking lots of pictures, they will be able to assemble them in their book. It is fun to add their own twist with colored pencils and markers, or rubber stamps and crafting scissors.

Perhaps, they will be able to create gifts for others. Grandparents always like a homemade picture frame from their grandchildren.

Crafting and scrapbooking may introduce your children, and yourself, to a lifelong hobby. This simple start may lead to many other projects along the way.

Obtaining crafting supplies is quite easy and inexpensive. Blank scrapbooks may be a good start and they are pretty cheap to buy. Paper, glue, scissors, and tape won’t set you too far back either. There’s a craft and scrapbooking store probably around the corner from your house.

Robb Ksiazek is a successful author and publisher for http://www.checks-4u.com/Rubber_Stamps.htm. He has researched and written hundreds of articles and can simplify your online search by recommending merchants for the best value and selections in business or personal checks, address labels, rubber stamps and envelopes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_Ksiazek

7 Book Writing Tips that Stamp Pro On Your Book

Have you picked up a book to read and noticed a wall of text or a confusing order? Did it inspire you to read on? Or did it cause you to lose heart and put the book down?

The truth is poor organization is a turn off to most book readers. Chances are the author does not get a second chance. Not many will wade through sloppy book writing and organization to get to the real message.

Excellent book organization pulls your readers in for the read. Whether you are writing solutions for your clients in the work field or inspirational tips for the volunteers in a cause, your well organized words will work powerfully for you.

Ready to write a book your readers love to read? Start with this short checklist to translate your professionalism to more profits. Then write your ticket to success through a well organized book.

1. Write attention grabbing chapter titles. Do your chapter titles do their job? I mean do they help explain what's in your book? Do they capture the interest, engage, or shock the senses of your potential reader. Chapter titles set the stage for your potential audience. They work to grab your potential reader by the collar and pull them in for the read.

2. Craft easily noticed headlines. Add magnetic pulling power and punch to every chapter that will help get your message read. Use your headlines to create excitement, anticipation and enthusiasm for more. Express the heart and passion of your message through your headlines.

3. Write body copy that aids readability. Aim for short sentences and paragraphs. Slash your sentences to under 15-17 words. Don't bog your readers with complex sentences. Remember multiple phrases slow your reader's comprehension. Make it easy. Get to the point fast.

4. Use sub-headings and bullets to further organize. Don't forget to use your title writing skill for your chapter sub-headings. Even bullet points will have pulling power if they are developed correctly. Take every opportunity to keep leading your reader along with attention keeping sub-headings and bullets.

5. Insert graphics that explain not distract. Choose your graphics carefully. They must flow with the theme of your book. Make them further explain your topic. If you choose graphics poorly, they end up distracting your reader. Distracted readers may fall asleep and miss your important message.

6. Develop pull quotes that summarize. Use pull quotes sparingly but do use them. To make an important point in your chapter, put it in the pull quote. Many times your readers will read the pull quotes first. Then you get to emphasize the point again when they're reading the regular part of the chapter.

7. Apply white space. Never make your book look like a wall of text. You will frighten lots of readers away and they may never read your message. Most readers start out as skimmers. Your job is to snag their attention with your well organized copy including white space and attention grabbing headlines throughout your book.

Are you ready to stamp pro on your self published book? Remember to write sizzling chapter titles, craft easily noticed headlines, write body copy that aids readability, use sub-headings to further organize, insert graphics that explain, develop pull quotes to summarize important points and don't forget white space. Now go; write a book your readers will love to read and make us all proud!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/7-book-writing-tips-that-stamp-pro-on-your-book-276665.html

Find People Free, Spend Hard Earned Money on Other Things, Like Stamps

Find people free. Apparently it's the root of one third of all the searches on the net these days.

Finding people.

And now, there is a dedicated search engine that ONLY spends every waking moment looking for people and delivering those results for no money and it's Allied People Search.

A word of warning to everyone though (especially you cutting edge graphic types) what you will find on the site is alarmingly simple to the point where you might wonder where the rest of the site actually is. But that is the real charm here.

Unlike just another ordinary template, this is a stripped down site that will blow your mind in terms of speed and the fact that (are you sitting???) the results it delivers are actually not associated with a cost.

Yes, you do have to cough up your name and email address for the right to retrieve this info for free, but where's the downside there??? Suppose you had done a find people free search and a name comes flying to the surface months later that the finder might just want to monetize...seems fair to me.

We live in a blindingly negative internet marketing world where if someone literally offered us a $50 bill, the vast majority of us would say no thank you...knowing that the catch would take our homes and steal our cats and dogs in the night.

Allied People Search is 100% FREE and, like the tag lines says, 100% Cool!

What it lacks in internet gizmos and Flash banners, it more than makes up for in speed and genuineness,

If it were a movie, I would give it 5 stars.

If it were a book, it'd get an award from some gentlemen in Wales.

But it's a search engine. A find people free search engine. And that's exactly what I just happened to be looking for when I found it! No as for finding stamps when I need them...

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/find-people-free-spend-hard-earned-money-on-other-things-like-stamps-407484.html

Honda Marysville Plant Tops Harbour Reports’ Stamping Productivity List

Among the five largest automakers in North America composed of the Honda Motor Co., the Toyota Motor Corp. and the Detroit Big Three, which participated in the latest Harbour Report, Toyota led the pack with the best overall manufacturing productivity. Additionally, the Honda of America Manufacturing Inc.'s Marysville assembly plant has received top stamping productivity commendation from an auto researcher.

Honda's Marysville plant, where the company produces the Accord sedan and coupe and Acura TL sedan, topped the list for stamping productivity. According to the Harbour Report, an annual study closely watched by Wall Street and industry analysts, the Japanese automaker also landed in first place for overall assembly performance in North America. The report divulged that each vehicle takes 21.1 hours to assemble.

Marysville-based Honda of America runs plants in Marysville, Russells Point, Anna and East Liberty and a research-and-development center in Raymond. The company makes the Honda Accord, Civic, Element and CR-V models and Acura TL and the RDX vehicles at its Central Ohio plants. About 13,700 workers in the area work on the improvement of its Honda body parts and product lines.

In 2006, General Motors and Honda posted the largest productivity gains among North American automakers, narrowing the gap with industry leader Toyota. GM also had a first with the most efficient plants in three of four categories measured in the study.

Toyota reclaimed the top spot from the Nissan Motor Co. in the Harbour Report. This was despite a two percent rise in the number of labor hours it took Toyota to build a vehicle. GM was fourth overall and highest among domestic manufacturers.

Toyota required 29.93 hours to build a vehicle last year, including stamping body parts, building the engine and transmission, and assembly. Nissan did not participate in this year's study, but Harbour estimated it needed 29.97 hours - 1.5 more than in 2005 - based on the number of workers versus output.

Honda increased by 2.7 percent to 31.63 hours, and GM 2.5 percent to 32.36. DaimlerChrysler improved 2.4 percent, to 32.9 hours, and Ford 1.9 percent, to 35.1. The domestic automakers, meanwhile, continued to narrow the gap with the Japanese automakers. In 2002, GM needed nearly eight more hours than Toyota to build a vehicle, and now it is less than 2.5. GM has knocked nearly 16 hours off the time it takes to build a vehicle since 1997, and Toyota has trimmed less than two.

Ron Harbour, the president of Harbour Consulting of Troy, Mich., predicted that massive job cuts this year at the three domestics would lead to additional productivity gains because fewer workers will build nearly the same number of vehicles. Harbour noted that several UAW locals have adopted such agreements, which also will be an issue this summer in contract talks.

GM was able to improve more because it had further to go, Harbour said. "When you get down to Toyota's level, you're not going to make double-digit improvements," he said. "It's really started to pay off."

Dan Sieger, a spokesman for the Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, would not comment on its productivity slip but said: "We look at a lot of different metrics, including our own studies, and we are always looking for ways to improve."

Toyota has expanded rapidly in North America and elsewhere and produced more vehicles than GM in the first quarter for the first time. Some analysts wonder whether Toyota is stretched too thin, but Sieger said, "There's no doubt our growth is a big challenge, but by all metrics our quality is still good and getting better."

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/honda-marysville-plant-tops-harbour-reports-stamping-productivity-list-158978.html

Scrapbooking Rubber Stamp: the tool to be used

Life is all about moving ahead. However, at times we do tend to turn back to look at the fond moments that we have left behind. These fond memories make us happy and help us to remember the beautiful times that we had spent with our loved ones. There are various ways of preserving these memories and these moments. We maintain photo albums and do what not to keep the by gone moments with us. Scrapbooking is one such great technique of preserving our memories and those lost moments with ourselves. Gone are those days when we manually created our scrapbooks. Now the days are of maintaining a scrapbook on the internet. This has in fact, made scrapbook a more fun-filled activity. Scrapbooking rubber stamp is a tool that is used in maintaining scrapbooking.

A scrapbooking rubber stamp is one that features a particular design on it. When you add ink to the design, you can then place it onto your scrapbooking pages to create unique and beautiful pictures. Some common scrapbooking rubber stamps include letters, numbers, animals, pictures, and symbols. If you are looking for an original scrapbooking rubber stamp, you have a couple of different options. Scrapbooking rubber stamps can be custom designed and can be ordered through the internet. This is more expensive than a pre-made scrapbooking rubber stamp, but well worth it to complete your perfect scrapbook page design. You can also purchase the material to make one yourself but it is a complicated process.

Not all scrapbooking rubber stamp products are all the same. However, there is a significant amount of difference when it comes to the quality of the different brands. You want to use a very high quality scrapbooking rubber stamp. Not only will it last you much longer, but the transfer from the ink will be more detailed. It is very important that you only use the scrapbooking rubber stamp with ink that is specifically to be used for scrapbooking. This way you don’t have to worry about the ink bleeding through the pages, smearing, or not aging well. This type of ink can be found at most craft stores by the scrapbooking rubber stamp collection. The ink is available in a variety of colors so you can make your scrapbook rubber stamp designs very colorful and unique.

To help preserve the quality of your scrapbooking rubber stamps, make sure you store them properly. You can find a variety of plastic storage containers at any retailer to hold them securely. You also have the option of buying a scrapbooking rubber stamp kit. They include a variety of different rubber stamps as well as a great storage container in which you can keep the stamps and the ink. Scrapbooking is a great habit and a hobby to indulge in and trust my words, once you get the flavor of it; you will remain hooked to it. In fact, you will love the entire thing of online scrapbooking and moreover, you can preserve these web pages for your future generations to cherish those moments that they were never a part of. Therefore, go ahead and start maintaining your scrapbooks.

About the Author

John Foster has special interest in arts. He gives advice to anyone who wants to know about online art school and scrapbooking and others. He refers to www.layersofourlives.com in many of his sessions for art school class for scrapbooking, Scrapbooking Rubber Stamp and DIY scrapbooking art,Scrapbooking Book.

Article Directory: http://www.articlerich.com

Stamp Duty Land Tax on Carbon Zero Rated Houses

On 7th December 2007 the government gave Zero-Carbon rated eco houses below £500,000 exemption from Stamp Duty Land Tax. This relief is available on new houses and will continue until 30th September 2012. With households in this country on the increase by 223,000 per year (according to government statistics) and an increasing awareness of ‘green living’ amongst the public many property developers have put this firmly on their business plans. We spoke to leading builders of new homes in Cornwall, Percy Williams & Sons who specialize in green building design in the UK and have a unique development: Fairglen in Hayle.

Simon Williams from Percy Williams & Sons explained that the ‘Government declaration that Zero Carbon-rated houses were to be exempt from Stamp Duty Land Tax was at first a psychological shot in the arm to us over this project of eco houses, but a close study of the strict definition of Zero Carbon and how we might clear this hurdle ended in disappointment’

A Zero-Carbon Home needs to have energy efficiency in three areas, including heat loss, dwelling CO2 emission rate and net CO2 emissions. If they meet the requirements an accredited assessor will inspect the dwelling and issue a certificate.

To receive the actual ‘Holy Grail’ of Zero Carbon is difficult at the best of times, as it requires a building to have a net production of carbon into the atmosphere of zero. At Fairglen in Hayle the houses are almost uniquely efficient for this sort of development, but in addition would need a wind-turbine to achieve the last bit of balancing electrical generation. Because of the sheltered valley location that the site is in the turbine could not have been efficiently done.

With the help of John Peapell Sustainable Solutions, a specialist consultant in this area, Percy Williams & Sons were prepared to pay for a turbine on an existing site elsewhere and then pass the ownership of this to the residents’ management company. It would be just as economically feasible in that the savings in Stamp Duty Land Tax could be spent on this, and the house owners would continue to benefit into the future from income from the turbine and green offset credits. Overall an economically and environmentally sound solution.

Unfortunately on examination of the detail of the legislation Percy Williams & Sons found it stipulated that the generation had to be ‘hard-wired’ to the development, not just owned by it.

‘I did rather feel that the goalposts were not where one might expect them to be on this one; hardly any houses will achieve this at the moment without huge arrays of photo-voltaic panels or on-site wind turbines which of course restricts their locations to windier and less energy efficient sites. So it is quite safe for the Treasury to offer it’ said Simon Williams.

Percy Williams and Sons are continuing to develop state of art designed and environmentally friendly houses as this is where their passion lies, maybe the government will reward the public who choose to live in these house and the developers one day?

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/stamp-duty-land-tax-on-carbon-zero-rated-houses-715585.html

Online Photo Stamps – Print Stamps From Your Home

Most people keep a book of stamps in a drawer somewhere at home because you'll never know when you might need them! The trouble is that you often loose track of just how many stamps you have left, and its all too easy to run out of stamps at any given point in time, especially when you have a truckload of bills to send out. When you want to send by post, it's very annoying to find out that you dont have any stamps left! Especially if the post office is closed!

Thanks to the internet it is possible to get around this oversight, and Im not talking about email. The United States Postal Service has come up with a system which allows people to print their own postage stamps in the comfort of their own home!

This is the perfect solution for those people that have hectic lives!

You can buy two types of postage stamps online, regular online postage stamps and photo stamps. We will consider both of these within this article.

Regular and Online Photo Stamps

Whenever you go to the post office to buy a stamp you are buying a boring, standard postage stamp. These are normally red in color, there is no option to customize the stamp before you purchase it other than the options they may give you. This has become popular on the internet as well. You can just order a regular 1st class stamp for example and then print it off using your own printer.

You can have much more fun with your stamps these days, when you buy them online than when you just go to the post office to buy them. You can decorate, preview, and print your stamps all from the comfort of your own home. You are able to upload any photo (within reason) and then use this as part of your postage stamp as well. How convienant is that?

International Photo Stamps

These stamps aren't just restricted to domestic use, they can be used to send you mail internationally. They are perfect to use for many different special occasions, such as weddings, births, anniversaries and even birthdays! Photo stamps are addictive! Once youve started using them youll never want to go back to using regular postage stamps, they're just so boring in comparison! And lets face it, they weren't that exciting before we had photo stamps!

How Can I Print Photo Stamps?

Companies that wish to sell online stamps must apply to the USPS for permission. These authorized vendors will generally provide a piece of software to users which can be used to generate stamps, this software is invaluable to customize your stamps.

You dont need any additional graphics editing software because most of these pieces of software allow editing and cropping of your images so that theyre suitable for your postage stamp.

There is normally a minimum order of one sheet of stamps, this sheet contains 20 stamps of whatever denomination you choose. You should buy the denomination of stamp that you will use the most of when sending post, for most people this will be 37 cents first class stamp.

Online postage stamps have made it so much easier to send snail mail, its very useful for businesses as they are able to keep a log of their use, plus they can buy postage as and when they need it rather than having to shell out so much for regular postage stamps and honestly....its just so much more convienant.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
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Kitchen Knives – Helping you choose - Forged or Stamped?

When choosing a knife there are so many different elements that need to be taken into consideration. Whether they are fully forged or stamped is one of those. Below is a brief description of the differences between forged and stamped knives, with a good rule of thumb being that the fully forged knives will most likely be more expensive.

Forged Knives

It is generally considered forged knives are the highest quality knives on the market. They take great craftsmanship as the process involves extreme heat and hand moulding to create the finished article. The blade, tang and bolster are one piece of steel and are hammered into knife's shape, with the handle being either riveted or welded onto the metal. Following the process of heating and cooling, the forged blade is ground to create a full taper to the cutting edge. They are popular with chefs for being better balanced, and for the extra flexibility and durability they offer. Knife manufacturers who knives are forged:

Zwilling JA Henckels

V. Sabatier

Stellar Sabatier

Mundial

Stamped knives are lighter, more flexible and easier to sharpen but not as balanced or as strong as forged ones, but can still be of good quality. The name comes from the process where a sheet of metal is stamped out with templated cutters, and this process enables them to be less expensive than forged knives. The steel sheets are then cut into the shape of a blade. Stamped knives are either hollow ground or edged, with the hollow ground being the longer lasting of the two knife types as they will retain their edge for longer. While these knives are easy to sharpen they generally do not hold their edge for as long as forged knives. Knife manufacturers who knives are forged:

Stellar James Martin

Sheffield Richardson forme

Sheffield Richardson Entertain

Sheffield Richardson Fusion

This is just one factor in the differences in kitchen knives. As said earlier, fully forged knives tend to be more expensive and at the premium end of the knife range, as the process is also a longer one and follows the more traditional knife manufacturing process. However, as technology has improved and different blade materials have come about and tested there are many kitchen knives which are stamped and of a very good quality, whose edge will last and will be with you for many years.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/shopping-articles/kitchen-knives-helping-you-choose-forged-or-stamped-830133.html

Pattern Stamp Tool of Photoshop: Brandishing Possibilities

Adobe Photoshop is a premier photo editing tool for graphic designers. Equipped with a number of result-oriented editing functions, Photoshop has now turned out to be the best ever graphic designing software available in the market. With every new version, performance is just getting better. The software is heavily used across a variety of industries nowadays. Even the traffic generating adult web design services firms are using the program for a number of editing purposes showing amazing results. An expert adult designer knows the extent of Photoshop while it comes to the matter of designing a porn or adult site.

Pattern Stamp Tool of Photoshop is one of the mostly used Photoshop features by the adult designers . The Patten Tool of Photoshop can be found below the Clone Stamp Tool. The Pattern Stamp Tool lets adult web site designers paint with a pattern – both in any Photoshop library and a pattern that he creates. He can edit all the images with the Tool besides creating marvelous effects with it. With a bit imagination and by using the different brushes and layers, an adult or escort website designer can keep on creating eye-catching effects with this Photoshop tool.

If you want to turn an image into a hand-painted piece of art, then the Pattern Stamp Tool is the perfect choice for you. The Pattern Stamp Tool looks like a stamp. In the options section, you can choose size of the brush, amount of hardness or softness of the brush and type of tip to use. The Tool also offers options for opacity, airbrushing and flow of the brush. Taking full advantage of these features, adult web designers are creating some visually appealing adult sites for the web. While using the tool an adult website designer follows the below mentioned instructions:

• Select the Tool from the Photoshop toolbox
• Choose the brush size from the “Brush” drop-down. Set the “Flow” as well as “Opacity” suiting to the requirement.
• Beside the pattern box click the arrow and access the drop-down list of patterns. Select one by clicking on it.
• Turn the mouse into a round brush by hovering it over the canvas where the desinger wants to use the pattern stamp.
• By left clicking to the selected pattern, a brush circle can be added. By holding down the mouse and dragging it, a line of selected pattern can be found.

In fine, it can be said that the Pattern Tool of Photoshop has enough of possibilities if used properly. Be it in the adult website design industry or anywhere else, Photoshop has got a lot to offer showing significant results.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-design-articles/pattern-stamp-tool-of-photoshop-brandishing-possibilities-862838.html

Craft Rubber Stamps – The New Phenomenon

Craft Rubber Stamps – A New Art Form

So now your asking yourself, what on earth are they doing with them? The simple answer to that is just about anything and everything. For instance artists are now even using them to create one of a kind works of abstract wall art.

Use Them On Your Clothes

Even textile artists and clothing designers are getting in on the act by decorating new fashion creations with craft rubber stamps dipped in fabric paint and dyes. With so many colors and fabric options available, it seems that the design possibilities are almost endless.

A New “Family Crest”! - The Family Rubber Stamp”!

In days of old Europe, families were often known to have a family crest. It was hung in their great room and embroidered into the clothes that they wore out in public. Now modern families have their own “family rubber stamp”.

Wheres That Damn Ice Chest!?

It certainly isn't as elegant as an embroidered family crest but it sure works great for stamping things around the home. Things like ice chests and beach gear the used to simply wander off now finds it's way back home so much easier when it has a “family rubber stamp mark” on it.

So Many To Chose From and So Little Time!

With so many great craft rubber stamps to choose from now, it's just too easy to get lost in them. They also now come in all sizes now, so you can find them ranging from smaller stamps, all the way up to full sized rubber stamps that you can print a card with in one whack.

By: Geneline Mercado

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Stamp yourself and Go by Mail

Everyday you follow the same mail-checking routine. Coming back from the mailbox, you casually flip through the envelopes, separating them on your countertop.

It usually goes something like this: junk, bill, bill, magazine that you pay for, another bill, and then more junk. The junk mail goes straight to the trash, and the bills go into the “I’ll get to them later” stack. Then, you take a seat with the winner – the magazine.

Did you ever think of how much money is wasted in all of the junk mail you trash? Somewhere, there is a businessman who cries at the thought that the 50¢ he spent on that piece of mail has been completely wasted.

Well, whose fault is that? Not yours. With all the mail we receive on a daily basis, we have been trained to sift through the envelopes with a Terminator eye. We discard whatever looks like junk mail without even noticing what it is.

Here is the conundrum: What if there was actually a product worth looking at in that stack of junk mail? What if the meaningful products you send to potential customers are passing as everyday junk mail?

Trying to make the envelope look “official” or slapping the words “Do Not Discard” on the envelope won’t save it from the trash. The solution is to make your envelope stand out from the rest – to make it appealing to your potential customer.

Start by working backwards. Take a stack of mail from your home to work tomorrow. Place it square in the middle of your oversized conference table. Sit and stare at that pile of mail for awhile. What could you do to get your envelope noticed among all the others?

Think about the details of each piece of mail in the pile. What colors are they? How many have a real stamp on them? How many have address labels? How many have the address printed right on the envelope? You will likely see a pattern to the pieces, and find easy and unique ways to separate your envelope from the others.

Let your creativity inspire you to try something new. For your next mail piece, buy thousands of bright green envelopes, stamps, and a pack of ballpoint pens. Then spend the weekend at your kitchen table hand addressing the colored envelopes. Fold your mail piece, stuff the envelope, and mail them on Monday. By Thursday your phone will be ringing.

Be as unique as you want to be when it comes to your mailings. There are really only two rules: don’t mail any hazardous materials and make sure you have enough postage. That’s it. The rest of the details can be as creative and personal as you want (and should) make them.

Don’t worry about looking “unprofessional” with hand-written addresses and nonstandard envelope colors. Professionalism is all about the image you create; it’s about clearly communicating your message in a unique and interesting way. What’s unprofessional is letting your message pass as useless junk that slips through the hands of potential customers.

There are no shortcuts to being personal and there is certainly no way to fake it. You cannot print a font that looks handwritten on a green envelope and expect the same results. People aren’t stupid; they check their mail the same way you do.

It may seem impossible to put this kind of time and effort into all of your mailings, but it is more than possible and more than worth it if you are willing to do it. Just picture yourself walking back from your mailbox with a pile of envelopes in hand. In that giant stack, a bright green, hand-addressed envelope catches your eye. What would you do with it? I promise your customer would do the same thing you would – not only open it, but probably open it first.

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Stamp Collecting is a Great Hobby That You Can Start Almost Instantly!

Stamp collecting may not be viewed as the most glamorous or exciting of hobbies but it is certainly one of the most popular hobbies in the world and everyone can do it. It is said there are up to 20 million collectors in the United States alone which makes stamp collecting big business and also means that if you are looking to take up the hobby, there is help and advice available. One great beauty of the hobby is that it doesn't require much time or money to get started. There is a lot of specialist equipment available if you get serious but stamp collecting is a great hobby that you can start almost instantly.

People get into stamp collecting in a number of different ways and this variety is another reason why the hobby is so popular. Perhaps a collection has been passed down through the ages or maybe a particular range of stamps such as those commemorating a sporting event has piqued someone's interest are just two reasons to get involved with the hobby. No matter the reason for getting into stamp collecting, for more details visit to www.be-a-stargazer.com the wide range of stamps available means that it will never be as boring as some people make out.

Although this is a fun hobby, there are a growing number of people who participate in it as a means of investment. The current financial restraint means that people are becoming more cautious with their money and a good stamp collection containing rare and valuable stamps is a sturdy investment for the future that will be unaffected by fluctuating interest rates. This means that a person can have the stamps and gain enjoyment and pleasure from looking at them but also be able to sell them in the future for a return. One great incentive to start children off in the world of stamp collecting is to make them aware of the financial benefits they may have in older life from starting a serious collection today.

Another benefit of stamp collecting comes from the social interaction that can arise from the hobby. Whether it is from regularly shopping at a specialist store and becoming acquainted with the store owner or other participants or for more details visit to www.profit-pulling-niches.com perhaps swapping stamps with other collectors, this is a hobby that can be shared and enjoyed by many. There are also a vast number of websites dedicated to the hobby and this ensures that collectors can have interaction and debate with people around the world and learn even more about their hobby.

Stamp collecting may not be viewed as the most interesting of past-times but with so much variety on offer, it is clear that there is not one distinct type of stamp collector so it is impossible to pigeonhole every single collector in such a narrow manner. With the number of collectors rising each year, this is a hobby that is never going to go away.

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Learn About Stamp Collector Certificates

Stamp collecting has been a very popular hobby and has been thriving for several generations all over the world. Technically referred to as philately, stamp collecting is an art itself, requiring great discipline among its enthusiasts.

Perhaps a great reason for the popularity of stamp collecting is the stories about valuable stamps. A lot of people have heard that some of these little things could sometimes cost thousands of dollars. Finding a rare and valuable stamp is often a philatelist's dream. Unfortunately, this induces some people with bad intentions to create forged stamps. As such, many stamp collectors find their craft to be risky. Luckily, such anomalies can be avoided by making use of expert stamp collector certificates.

Like anything valuable, such as jewelry, money, signature clothing, rare stamps are subject to forgery. The regrettable proliferation of fraudulent stamps has led avid collectors to look for ways to protect themselves. The most popular way doing so is availing the services of expert stamp collectors and organizations to certify the authenticity of stamps being purchased.

One of the most sought after authorities in stamp collecting is the American Philatelic Society (APS), which offers such certification service which they refer to as expertizing service. A collector simply sends a stamp in question to the American Philatelic Expertizing Service (APEX), the certifying division of APS, to their headquarters at Pennsylvania. The service has been around since 1903. The stamp is then assigned a number and then photographed. The stamp is then examined by up to five expert collectors among 170 philatelic specialists. The identity of the collectors who availed of the service would not be disclosed to the experts, and conversely, the experts' identities would not be disclosed as well.

The service could take 90 days to be completed. A unanimous decision must be made by the experts and if the panel fails to do so, APEX declines to give an opinion refunds all fees, less administrative charges. Once a formal opinion is agreed upon, it is written on a certificate and returned to the owner with the item. The comments made by the panel would be kept in the permanent records of APEX for future reference. Opinions are limited only of stamps' genuineness and the APEX never accepts requests for market value appraisal. If the owner disagrees with APEX's opinion, there is an option for reexamination within a year from the issuance of the certificate.

The APEX provides a guarantee on their certified items. If a collector buys a stamp with an APEX certification attesting the item's authenticity but it is subsequently shown to be fraudulent, misidentified, or modified, APEX would pay up to 5,000USD provided that the guarantee is still valid and there are no other warrantees given for the item. Items that were subject to change (thinning, disturbance of the gum, torn, etc.) after the issuance of certificate would not be included in the guarantee. Should APEX's certification be proven wrong, the service will purchase the item from the owner. The value of the item will be determined by APEX based on the selling price, receipts submitted by the owner, placed value of the item during the time of certification, and the judgment of a panel of experts.

Should APEX disagree with the contention to its certification, the owner may appeal to a disputes panel comprised of three members of the American Philatelic Society. And the decision of the panel would be based on Pennsylvania state laws, which would be binding for both parties.

The fees for the service begin at 25USD for an item valued at 1,000USD or less according to the Scott catalog. Items of higher value would be charged 2% of the appraised value according to the catalog. Items not listed in the catalog would be initially charged 25USD. Should an item of a high value be considered counterfeit, its fee would be adjusted to the minimum fee of 25USD, the difference with the original rate paid would be refunded.

There are other expert stamp collector certificate issuance services. Some of the are listed online. Many avid followers of philately find such services very valuable, saving time, effort and money, and decreasing the incidents of forgery. With expert stamp collector certificates, the world becomes a better place for serious philatelists.

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