When it comes to quilting notions there is an endless selection of threads, rulers, templates, marking pens, cutting tools, etc. that a quilter could utilize. Now and then it may seem challenging to decide which materials to select and how to start when it comes to producing an unusual quilted item. A great place to start is with a quilting ruler named the Double Diamond Ruler.

You can add a diamond-shaped ornamentation to any project when you use a Double Diamond Ruler. Producing a diamond pattern was quite cumbersome to accomplish before the introduction of the Double Diamond Ruler. Previously the process involved drawing a pattern onto fusible interfacing, pressing it onto the fabric and then snipping the lines you drew with a pair of scissors. Talk about time consuming! Thanks to the Double Diamond Ruler this is no longer the case.

The Double Diamond Ruler can be found in two sizes making it possible for you to create either 1 1/2″ or 3 1/2″ wide diamonds. Make an attention-getting eyeglass case or even a shoulder strap for your purse by using the 1 1/2″ Double Diamond Ruler. Select the 3 1/2″ Double Diamond Ruler and begin adding distinctive, dimensional diamonds to table toppers, wall hangings or even table runners.

Once you have decided what size Double Diamond Ruler works best for your design you’ll need to pick out 3 quality fabrics to work with: a main fabric, contrast fabric and background fabric. Solid color fabrics work best but small prints can produce an interesting effect too. Avoid large prints because they will not display the diamonds as well.

If you are unsure where to begin then you’ll want to check out the online idea gallery at Bright Quilting Notions. In addition to ideas, there are patterns, kits and even an instructional video to help you get started. Order your Double Diamond Ruler now and you will be taking the first step towards creating your very own masterpiece.

Delicious chocolates are real tyrants because almost all of us become slaves to them. Only tempered chocolates can acquire such a fineness and taste.

Among the types of chocolate available are:

• Dark chocolates, which can taste bitter if there are more cocoa solids. It has cocoa butter, chocolate liquor and a little quantity of sugar. An optional flavor is vanilla.
• Milk chocolates, so-called because of the additional milk to the cocoa butter and chocolate liquor.
• White chocolates, which purists call a non-chocolate because of the lack of chocolate liquor. It does contain cocoa butter, vanilla and sugar.

If you do not do tempering, chocolates will not be heat resistant, shiny, velvety and crisp to the bite, bloomy, dull and crumbly. The three processes of heating, cooling and reheating are involved in tempering.

If done by hand, you can use either a double boiler or an electric skillet a calibrated thermometer for monitoring specific temperatures, and a rubber spatula to work the chocolate. The qualities you need for succeeding in tempering by hand are involvement, patience and a meticulous eye for accuracy. Especially, note that even small deviations in specific temperatures should not be allowed during tempering, dipping and molding as chocolates can lose temper that way. This is the toughest part of tempering by hand. Also, over-mixing may cause separation of fats and under-mixing is not good for formation of type V crystals.

Inexpensive counter-top tempering machines are available to simplify the tempering process and save on time and costs. Tempering machines are completely automated and hence you can expect consistently create fine quality of chocolates. But for deciding which machine can be procured, you must consider factors like the number of operators, duration of daily operation and your budget.

You have several choices:

• For learners, hobbyists and small producers, the easy-to-use ChocoVision’s Revolation 1 has a capacity of 1.5 pounds at a time with separate settings for various types of chocolates.
• An ACMC Tabletop Temperer is perfect for continuous and quiet work since it has a digital thermometer set up. With a removable 5-quart stainless steel bowl and a capacity of 6 pounds of chocolates per hour, this machine gets heat from a couple of 100-watt lamps. Front control panels and digital displays advise you of temperature status.
• Revolation 2 is just like Rev 1 in capacity, dimension and other basic features and is useful for persons who have more experience in tempering. Additionally, you have an adjustable digital thermometer display, process-pausing option and an overnight standby mode for keeping the chocolates tempered for the next 24 hours or so.
• Very large quantities with capacity of 10 pounds per hour can be tempered using a Revolation x3210, that is made of stainless steel. In this model also, you have pausing options and overnight standby mode.

Creating inlaid music boxes, wooden jewelry boxes, musical jewelry boxes, children’s jewelry boxes, and other music boxes is an enjoyable hobby for some people. Here are seven hints to help the process go more smoothly.

Secure the Musical Movement

Use industrialized strength glue to secure musical movements into music boxes. Place a few dots of hot glue around the edges of the music movement if it is in a place where it can shift while the glue is drying.

Boxes with Pre-Drilled Holes

If one does not desire to drill holes into their music boxes, boxes can be purchased which already have holes. These are called “musical mementos boxes”. Make sure the accessories fit the holes, however.

Simple Outlining

A liner paintbrush used with thinned paint helps to make outlining more easily; make sure the paint is not too thick.

Making Perfect Dots

When needing to paint decorative dots on an inlaid music box, wooden jewelry box, or other styles of music boxes, use the end of a paintbrush (opposite the bristles). Use different brushes for a variety of sizes.

Perfect Hearts

Use the end of a paintbrush to make a heart. Make two dots next to each other with them touching at the center. Next, pull the paint down into a “V”. Fill with paint.

Correcting Mistakes

Babies’ wipes quickly and efficiently blot out mistakes. The wipes clean the paint before it is absorbed into the base coat of paint.

Sealing Difficult Surface Areas

If a musical jewelry box, children’s jewelry box, or any music box that is being created has a hard surface to coat, acrylic primer/sealer can be sued. The sealer finish is white, but it can be painted over with colored paint for the desired color.

Creating music boxes is a great hobby. Whether it is a musical jewelry box, inlaid music box, wooden jewelry box, or any style of music box, the process does not have to be difficult. Follow these seven helpful hints and be on your to making a dream music box to last a lifetime.

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.

William Wordsworth was one of the key figures in the Romantic Movement, his early poems helping to define the new movement of Romanticism. Wordsworth sought to bring a more individualistic approach, his poetry avoided high flown language however the poetry of Wordsworth is best characterised by its strong affinity with nature and in particular the Lake District where he lived. The early nineteenth century was a time of rapid change and industrialisation, but like his contemporaries, Blake and Coleridge, Wordsworth was often dismayed by what he saw and he sought solace in the grandeur and beauty of nature. Wordsworth offered not just a beautiful picture of nature but also illustrated the healing power of nature on the spirit of man.

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

In this poem My Heart Leaps Up, Wordsworth also uses another concept that becomes a theme throughout his poetry; the importance of childhood. For many of the Romantics, the memories or visions of an idyllic childhood become a powerful emotive force as they aspired for life of greater harmony and simplicity.

Worsworth’s poetry does include passages of great hope, optimisim and joy best summarised through his famous poem “Daffodils”

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

…

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

However Wordsworth’s life was on many occasions touched by tragedy. His sorrows and awareness of humanity’s varied sufferings inevitably led to passages where the beauty of nature contrasted with the fate of man. In this poem Wordsworth suggests that man’s inhumanity appears even darker when compared to the pristine beauty and purity of nature that Wordsworth moved through.

Lines Written In Early Spring
(excerpt)

I HEARD a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

…

Especially in his early years Wordsworth was a genuinely radical poet, perhaps influenced to some extent by the American and French Revolution and the new ideas of democracy sweeping the world. (For some time he lived in France but had to leave when the revolution made it dangerous) His poem London 1802 is a strong advocacy for social change. These sentiments were shared by other contempories such as Blake, although Blake and Wordsworth were mostly unknown to each other.

As Wordsworth grew older he became more conservative and his poetry lost its “radical” edge however he was still held in high regard and in 1848 was appointed to be Poet Laureate.

Richard is an economics teacher in Oxford and member of the Sri Chinmoy Centre. He edits a website about spiritual poetry and Poets called Poetseers.org

The fun and creative rewards gained from helping children stage their own puppet
shows are immeasurable. Too often, however, even after you’ve assembled your
puppets, a puppet stage and a troupe of little actors, the missing ingredient is the
script. While there are a few sources of scripts written specifically for the puppet
theater, there’s a wealth of other resource materials to create your own puppet
show scripts - some ready to perform, some easy to adapt.

Since comedy is a great form of entertainment for children, one place to find source
material for puppet shows is in existing comedy routines. Classic comedy routine
scripts and pre-recorded comedy soundtracks are available in libraries, bookstores
and throughout the Internet. The Web is full of comedy routines already in script
form. The Creativity Institute website offers links to several of these classic
collections, as part of our mission to help bring out the creative potential in
children. Plus, we are constantly researching and updating these resources. Simply
find something that suits your puppet theater cast in level of sophistication and in
the number of parts, and you’re ready to go.

Puppets are as versatile as your imagination. It doesn’t really matter what puppets
you have, even when the puppets don’t match the parts in a script. This is especially
true of animal puppets. Because they’re such a departure from human roles, they
can easily be substituted for almost any role and even add an extra dimension to
the show. Just tell the rabbit puppet that he’s Abbott or Costello and the duck
puppet he’s one of the Marx Brothers, and watch the hilarity start to happen. You
can even do simple wardrobe modifications on the puppets to both enhance the
production and help the puppeteers get into character. (Example: Use double-stick
tape to attach a piece of black yarn above a puppet mouth for a “Groucho”
mustache.)

The quickest way to start performing your puppet show is to use a pre-recorded
script, such as an old radio show, comedy routine from TV or a movie. Saturday
Night Live and Monty Python are full of great ones. Some classic old comedy
routines, including The Three Stooges, The Marx Brothers and Abbot and Costello,
can be a lot of fun for children to perform and delightful for “audience members.”
The children don’t even have to read lines, but just pantomime along with the
dialog.

Additional sources of puppet script and performance materials include recorded
songs, including children’s songs, novelty songs, musical duets and multiple-part
numbers. Think of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The 12 days of Christmas” and
other holiday songs. The Muppet Show used to do wonderful things with these
recordings. If the song is simple enough, such as “Old Mac Donald” with its
multiple characters, you can let the children sing it themselves as they act out the
different animal puppet parts.

Of course, you can always write your own puppet theater scripts. Maybe there’s a
real experience you or the children enjoyed that you want to relive. Or there could
be a lesson you want to impart - about sharing, or getting along, or shaking the
boredom of a rainy day. These themes can be turned into puppet show scripts that
are as simple or as complex as you want, with as many characters as you feel like
casting. If you don’t have enough puppets, get creative. Introduce a doll or two
into the cast. You can even create an impromptu puppet out of a rubber glove and
a marker or just a simple sock.

The world of literature is another resource of dramatic material that can easily be
adapted to simple puppet stage shows. Depending on the ages of the children, you
can do the conversion for them or coach them in how to simplify and convert their
favorite fable, fairy tale, nursery rhyme, children’s book, and even scenes from
movies or TV shows. Simply write out the dialogue, and indicate which child does
which puppet part, or let them read right from the books, using Post-Its to show
who speaks where. Often printing out the text or copying the page with marking or
color-coding where the parts change is all you need to do.

As a sample of a non-script format story adapted for the puppet stage, we have a
ready-to-perform script version of the Aesop’s Fable “The Lion and the Mouse” as a
free download on our website, CreativityInstitute.com. It includes stage directions
and requires only two puppets and an off-stage narrator.

As we said earlier, puppets are as versatile as your imagination. They can sing,
dance, fly through space and make an audience laugh or cry. Children often have
their first experiences with role-play on the puppet stage. The puppet theater
allows children to be in a valuable position to receive positive reinforcement from
entertaining others and seeing their audiences react as they explore their character
voices, antics, interpretations and ad-libs. Get your child in the act, and you’ll be amazed at the possibilities.

The Creativity Institute is an online educational toy store and information resource
dedicated to helping parents enhance creative development in children, from infant
through school age. The store handpicks each educational toy based on its potential
for bringing out creativity in children and includes such items as puppets and
puppet theaters, toy musical instruments, art supplies and building blocks.

Gwynn Torres and Sid Berger founded The Creativity Institute to help parents boost
creativity in children. They are both former advertising creative directors who’ve raised
five creative children between them. Visit their site at: http://www.creativityinstitute.com.

Note: written after seeing the little adobe 16th century church San Sebastian, in San Jeronimo, by the mountains of Huancayo, Peru, after being taken there by the Wandering Quechua guide, Enrique (4-13-2005).

The Treasure of Catalina Huanca

Written by Dennis L. Siluk

There, by the lofty mountains fair

Hidden under the earth by Huancayo
In San Jernimo de Tunan

Is Catalina’s treasure of gold!

Whereupon, the Spaniards killed

Atahualpa, the Inca King–;
Hence, Catalina turned around to seek

And foundher new, sacred ground!…

And, a glutted stream swept

This little adobe church
Called San Sebastianever since

In the lofty mountains by Huancayo!…

Spanish Version
Por Dennis L. Siluk

Translated by: Rosa and Minerva Pealoza

Note: Escrito después de visitar la pequea iglesia San Sebastin construida de adobe en el siglo 16, en San Jernimo de Tunan, por las montaas de Huancayo, Per, después que ser tomado all por el Peregrino Quechua gua, Enrique (4-13-2005)

El Tesoro de Catalina Huanca

All, por las altas montaas

Ocultado bajo la tierra de Huancayo
En San Jernimo de Tunan-

Esta el tesoro de oro de Catalina!

Por el cual, los espaoles mataron

Atahualpa, el Inca Rey-;
De ah, Catalina gir para buscar

Y encontr - su nueva tierra sagrada!…

Y, una corriente saturada barri-

Esta pequea iglesia de adobe
Llamada San Sebastin - desde entonces

En las altas montaas de Huancayo!…

Mr. Siluk in an International Poet and Author, his web site is
http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

A humourous compilation of character traits of quilters according to their zodiac signs. Compiled by a quilting tutor with over twenty years experience teaching patchwork and quilting but zero years writing horoscopes.

Aries - March 21 to April 20

Aries are adventurous and energetic quilters. They are forever looking for new ideas. The whole world to them is a palette of endless possibilities. Always confident, they use colour schemes that others wouldn’t dare consider. Their enthusiasm can cause them to lose track of time when working on a project and they have been known to go days without sleep. Being impulsive by nature, they generally don’t bother reading the instructions for designs. Of course, as far as they are concerned the patterns are just to give them more ideas. Aries have a talent for the arts and make excellent designers. They don’t follow techniques; they invent them. Their quilt designs are the envy of many.

Taurus - April 21 to May 20

Taurus is the quilter who always finishes a project, as they are persistent and determined. When attending workshops or using a pattern they will follow every instruction to the letter. They can be greedy when it comes to their stash, as they know the value of material. They save every bit of scrap. However, they are warmhearted and loving to such a degree that they have given away nearly every quilt they have ever made. They are gifted artists, excelling at sewing, patchwork and quilting. The stitching in their quilts is of such high quality that their quilts will endure for eons.

Gemini - May 21 to June 21

If Gemini has been fortunate enough to discover a tutor that has guided their enthusiasm, their quilts will be imaginative and versatile. If they are self-taught quilters they will have a treasure trove of books, magazines, quilting supplies and every innovation related to quilting but they probably do not have a single finished quilt. This won’t bother them though as they will convince everyone, including themselves, that this was always their plan. Being youthful they love funky projects that use bright fabrics and dazzling threads; being romantic they love traditional quilts made with soft pastels and florals; being whimsical they love the country theme and flannels; being Gemini they love it all! They are very good with words and will likely go on to author books as experts on patchwork and quilting - having never finished a single project.

Cancer - June 22 to July 22

Cancer makes quilts to please themselves not to showcase. They do appreciate compliments on their work but being timid they aren’t likely to enter a quilt in a competition. They want their quilts to be practical and comfortable and aren’t likely to hang one on the wall, but actually use them on beds. Being cautious they are most likely to stick to the traditional designs. They are not likely to add decorative touches, such as trims or whatnots. They believe that quilts are naturally beautiful and do not need embellishments. They love to use dark rich colours in their quilts considering these as more practical. When they discover a quilt shop they like, they become lifetime, loyal customers.

Leo - July 23 to August 23

Being one of the most creative signs Leo quilters make wonderful masterpieces. As they are generous and warmhearted their friends and family are usually lucky recipients of their beautiful creations. They love to read all the patchwork and quilting magazines looking for ideas that they can use. They are always up-to-date on the latest crazes. Although they know quite a bit about their chosen craft and can usually discover straight away where a quilter has run into problems in their projects, they tend to be too bossy when attempting to help fellow quilters. They are great as companions to go fabric shopping with, as they know where the best deals are to be found. They are also great help in selecting coordinating material but be prepared to go along with their decisions or suffer the wrath. They don’t like to waste their precious time providing opinions that get ignored.

Virgo - August 24 to September 22

Virgo is meticulous and fussy when it comes to patchwork and quilting. They never rush any project but pay scrupulous attention to every detail from cutting, to piecing, to quilting. The downside to their fastidiousness is that they always notice mistakes in other quilter’s creations no matter how minor.
If you want to know the exact amount of fabric required for any size quilt, ask a Virgo. They have an uncanny knack for making such calculations. Virgos tend to take up quilting at a younger age then other women. They don’t have a problem balancing their lives and making time for career, partner, children and quilting.

Libra - September 23 to October 23

Easygoing and sociable Libra’s are great fun to have in patchwork and quilting classes and workshops. They enjoy helping others and never turn down a request to lend a hand to pin a quilt top. Friends are very important to Libra, and they don’t mind sharing their stash or tools. Unfortunately helpful Libra rarely will ask for help. They think that if they wait long enough for a problem to go away it will. Thus they end up with unfinished quilts when they do run into difficulty. Instead of finding a solution for the glitch they put it aside and move on to another project. They believe that they will be able to return to the project later and the predicament will have fixed itself. Funnily this sometimes works. You will find that a quilt designed by a Libra is always perfectly balanced.

Scorpio - October 24 to November 22

Being passionate Scorpios can be excellent quilters. When they rely on their natural intuition, they excel at choosing colour and pattern combinations. Sometimes their compulsive nature can cause problems, as they leave projects unfinished in their quest to have the latest and greatest. When they stick with a project they produce supreme work. They always must have the most up-to-minute supplies or tools and tend to be jealous of others who may possess anything more recent. They have been known to sulk if they get frustrated in their aim to be unsurpassed.
Nevertheless, their desire to have the best is what drives them to produce exceptional quality work. As they possess abundant energy they can do a large amount of quilting without even needing a break for a cuppa.

Sagittarius - November 23 to December 21

Sagittarius love challenges of all kinds and will pick the most difficult quilt design to pursue. Ever optimistic they will not be deterred by complex patterns even as beginners. Their ability to tackle complicated projects with ease sometimes leads them to be tactless when faced with what they view as a simple project. However, people tend to admire Sagittarius and thus forgive their indiscretions. As it is extremely important to a Sagittarius to complete everything they start, the only unfinished project they will have is the one they are currently working on. They prefer to quilt with friends and family as a shared activity rather then as a solitary pastime.

Capricorn - December 22 and January 20

When shopping for fabric it is always wise to take a Capricorn, as they are very good at calculating the required amount needed for patterns. Being prudent and practical they will not over estimate the quantity needed and therefore are cost effective to have along, especially if you are on a budget. They are also extremely organized and disciplined. They take as much care in the storage of their stash as they do in the quality of their work. They see themselves as sensible and perform a regular clear out of supplies and materials. They are not the type to horde anything and do not own more than one type of any tool.
Of course their restraint is what causes them to take an inordinate amount of time in the planning stage of a project, which they feel is of vital importance to the outcome of the finished product.

Aquarius - January 21 to February 18

Aquarius is very gifted and produce exceptionally original quilts. They are known to invent new techniques that enhance the art form. They are friendly but their independent nature leads them to prefer to spend time quilting by themselves. Although you can find them in a quilting class, they are the most likely of all signs to choose to learn from books or a video. However if you ever have a patchwork or quilting dilemma they are the kind of person that you can turn to for help and advice.
They are nice and will be thoughtful when making a quilt for friends or family. They will create the quilt with careful consideration of what the individual would like.

Pisces - February 19 and March 20

Pisces are dreamers. When they quilt they usually are creating poetry. Although they are kind and make projects to bestow on friends and family they are most likely envisioning themselves snuggled beneath the very quilt they are working on. Although they can lack self-confidence their imagination and intuition makes them artistic quilters. There sensitivity can lead them to shy away from displaying their creations. Generally you will find that a Pisces has more then one project on the go and can easily manage both. Whatever they choose to work on they need a project that requires plenty of variety. Patchwork that includes embroidery or other needlework is well liked by them.

Pauline Rogers has travelled throughout Australia and New Zealand for over 20 years, teaching the art of patchwork and quilting. She operates an award winning shop, Country Fabrics and Quilters, in Toowoomba, Queensland as well as a successful mail order and online service. She founded Quiltfest, an annual quilting event and Margie’s Quilts of Hope, a quilting challenge which raises funds for breast cancer research. Visit her website at http://www.cfaq.com.au.