Incorporating rubberstamping into your scrapbooks

I started out as a stamper. I remember being amazed at how a line art drawing could produce such beautiful results. I started out simply stamping and coloring in and progressed to more advanced techniques. And then I was introduced to Scrapbooking via a home party. But I was a stamper! How could I combine the two?

I began incorporating my rubberstamps into my scrapbooks and you can too. You can use rubberstamps as backgrounds, titles, decorative accents, decorative borders and any way you can think of. For me using rubberstamps in my scrapbooks provided an additional creative expression to pass down to my children. Of course, rubberstamp styles and techniques have changed over the years and even some stamps are available specifically for Scrapbooking. Here are a few ideas for incorporating rubberstamps into your scrapbooks:

* Stamps as backgrounds-Randomly stamp all over a sheet of 12x12 cardstock to create your own custom background combining color combinations to coordinate with your photos. Idea: stamp various leaves in beautiful fall colors randomly on a sheet of 12x12 cardstock. A perfect background for photos of your kids playing in the leaves!

* Stamps as titles-Many stamps would make great titles all by themselves. A stamp that says “Happy Easter” would make a perfect title for an Easter layout.

* Alpha stamps as titles-There are plenty of alphabet stamp sets in various fonts. Pick your favorite or two and stamp a title. Or simply stamp the first letter in a journaling block. Stamp the letters a little staggered for a fun look and then you don’t have to worry about stamping a straight line. Another idea is to stamp out the letters to compose the word or phrase you want and then punch out with decorative punches. Circles, squares, tags, flowers and other decorative punches for a whimsical touch to your pages.

* Stamps as decorative accents-stamps of children in Halloween costumes make a cute accent to your Halloween pages. Or how about a stamped snowman for the “playing in the snow” pages?

* Stamps as decorative borders-stamp around the page, along one side, as a border on a photo matt or journaling box. For example, on a baby page stamp baby theme images like a bottle, pacifier, teddy bear, etc. as your border.

If you have rubberstamps and have been wanting to incorporate them into your scrapbooks, I hope the above ideas will help get the creative juices flowing! You can even use the same ink brushed, sponged or stippled to add a distressed or shabby chic look. So what are you waiting for? Try stamping in your scrapbooks today!

Electric rc airplanes beginners luck every time

Flying an electric RC airplane is like having beginners luck every time you fly. The first remote control airplane I ever got was electrically powered, I had no flying skills whatsoever, and I still managed to fly it perfectly without even crashing. Why you ask? Because electric RC planes like the one I had are so simple, they only have two control options, power and steering. You go as fast, or slow as you want and just choose your direction.

Now yes, there are electric RC planes that you can buy or build, that have many control channels and all the works, like flaps, ailerons, etc. Those types of electric airplanes are basically made for advanced flyers who don't like the mess that comes with the use of fuel. Most hobbyist start with an electrically powered plane, then move onto fuel powered ones once they have mastered it. But like I said, some people just don't like the mess and added expense that comes with a fuel powered engine, so they stick with electric motors. Fine, do whatever makes you happy, but I am just going to talk about getting a good electric RC plane for a beginner pilot.

Now first off you should note that electric airplanes can come in a few different types. Basically there are only park flyers, slow flyers, regular electric planes and advanced electrically powered RC airplanes.

Park flyers are mainly for parks and small areas similar to that outdoors. Slow flyers are just the opposite, since they move slower they are for indoors. These can be great for the winter or when it is just plain to windy outside to fly.

A regular electric RC airplane is the best for beginners and is exactly what I flew as my first RC airplane. Usually these planes are priced around $50 and they have just two controls, so it is ideal for beginners. This type of airplane is usually made of Styrofoam, and very little metal, so you need to be careful when flying it. Even if you do crash and damage something, usually a little duct tape will fix anything on it. I kid you not, I still have my first electric RC plane, which I broke the wing twice on, and it still fly's!

An advanced electric RC airplane is ideal for advanced pilots who don't like the mess of fuel, like I said before, but it is also great for areas where noise is a concern and you still want the full experience. Advanced electric R/C airplanes are more full bodied then regular ones, usually made of all plastic and balsa wood, plus they also have around 5 or 6 channels of control.

All in all, buy a park flyer if you just want a quick little flight every once in awhile, get a slow flyer if you want to fly indoors, purchase a regular electric RC plane if you want to get into the RC airplane hobby seriously, but are just a beginner. Last but not least, once you master an electric RC plane, move onto a more advanced nitro methane fuel powered one, or an advanced electrically powered plane.

Soap making as a hobby

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Soaps are so taken for granted that we hardly pause to think more about how they are made. The general feeling is that the entire process is far too complicated, industrial, and way out of being made a hobby. In reality, soap making is a simple process, and there are ready-made melt and pour type of kits available that allow us to make soaps with our own chosen colors, fragrances, herbal ingredients, and shapes.

Soap making can be pursued as a hobby, and can even be turned into a small home based business. All it takes is an interest in the making of soaps, and some diligence in the whole process.

Soap is a simple mixture of oils and caustic soda (lye.) The resultant liquid when left to solidify forms soap with a lot of glycerin, hence also called glycerin soap. The industrial soap manufacturers remove excess amounts of glycerin and use other ways to make the soap soft and mellow.

The oils used in soap making are common oils like palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, grape seed oil etc. The caustic soda used should be of industrial quality.

There is some amount of heating involved in soap making, and this therefore requires caution. The exact proportions of mixing oil and lye should also be known beforehand.

A melt and pour soap making kit can introduce a novice into soap making. Simply buy the kit and follow the instructions that come along. Once you are familiar with this process, you may consult other sources and can try making soap oneself.

Everyone of us wants to have a herbal soap, one filled with natural oils and fragrances. Children are delighted with soaps of various shapes such as animal figurines. Pursuing soap making as a hobby can allow you to make soaps as you desire them.

For more information on soaps and soap making, visit - soap making