Shoe boxes are the culprits of many arts and crafts ideas! You can create dioramas, doll houses, and box guitars. The arts and crafts ideas using shoe boxes are virtually endless- limited only by your imagination. You can also use shoe boxes for more traditional means, and create decorative storage boxes for your favorite things, momentos or other objects.

CD’s are also great items to encourage arts and crafts ideas. They are perfectly round, and give off a wonderful shine when light hits them. The little hole in the center is perfect for stringing twine or chain through, in order to create hanging arts and crafts. Ideas include Christmas ornaments, candle holders, dreamcatchers, photo frames, clocks and magnets. Start with a CD you don’t need (like the ones you get in the mail from advertisers, or a CD that has too many scratches to work properly) and see just how many arts and crafts ideas the little shiny circle can generate!

Clear thirty five millimeter film cannisters can cause many arts and crafts ideas. With a little mirrored paper board (available at a craft store), plastic wrap and cake sprinkles you can make a miniature kaleidoscope. Drill a small hole in the bottom of the film cannister. Fold the mirrored paper board into a triangle shape that will fit inside the cannister, and tape it inside. Place several cake sprinkles in the lid of the cannister and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, taped into place. Pop the cap back onto the cannister. When you look through the hole at the bottom of the cannister and turn the film cannister in your hand, the sprinkles will create shapes against the mirrored kaleidoscope. How is that for unique arts and crafts ideas!

Arts and crafts ideas can come from anywhere. You can recycle your empty jelly jars and make beach scenes in a jar, a time capsule, or a candle holder.

Common household items often invoke many arts and crafts ideas. Just think outside the box, and you might surprise yourself with how many arts and crafts ideas you come up with!

Warren and Karen have been involved in the internet for a number of years and run several websites. They are most interested in providing opportunities for people to connect with information relating to business, health and creativity. Check out their Arts and Crafts Idea [http://arts-and-crafts-idea.blogspot.com] blog for more information.

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

Arts and craft stores also have a variety of ideas and home décor projects for people who love this trade and the work created by artisans and craftsman. These stores have a collection of arts and crafts products that can be beautifully use to decorate the house, as well as for other house hold purposes. Above all this, these products are made out of recyclable materials free of any environmentally or medically harmful effects. Thus even kids can safely play with these arts and crafts supplies without worrying.

Through these stores you can explore various areas of crafts such as needlecraft, quilting, scrapbooking, woodworking, ceramics, soap making, paper crafts and so on. These arts and crafts stores not only help kids who are growing creative and skilled, but they are also a centre of variety of useful products providing adults with a broad range of arts and crafts for us to pursue in our leisure time and decorate our house.

Arts And Crafts [http://www.i-ArtsAndCrafts.com] provides detailed information on Arts And Crafts, Kid Arts And Crafts, Arts And Crafts Stores, Arts And Crafts Ideas and more. Arts And Crafts is affiliated with Paper Dolls [http://www.z-Dolls.com].

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

Shop end of season sales

Buying year round is an excellent way to save money when you are buying craft supplies. After the end of year holidays many arts and crafts stores put their Christmas crafts on sale. This is a great time to pick up holiday stickers and scrapbook paper as well as holiday fabric. After the Fourth of July look for red, white and blue items and stock up on pumpkin products after Halloween.

The change of season always means a sale as the new product line comes in. When summer starts you will be able to find a wide assortment of pastel fabric and yarn as well as flower motifs.

Shopping year round makes it easier when you do sit down for a project because you are more likely to already have the supplies you need on hand. If your first arts and crafts project of the year is a scrapbook of the previous year and you shopped sales the entire year then it will be easy to sit down and produce your memory album. Since many craft projects can be somewhat expensive you can cut down on the cost by shopping year round and at least spreading the expense out over a year.

Hit the clearance aisles

You may be surprised at the clearance products. Yarn is especially expensive but if you find it on clearance you can stock up on a large amount of a quality brand.

Wal-Mart always has a clearance aisle and if you check it often and look carefully you can often find arts and crafts clearance products drastically marked down.

Also, be open minded when you search the sale aisle. Just because an item is meant to be used in one way does not mean you cannot use it in another. Products such as ribbons for little girl’s hair can be used in scrapbooks while bargain fabric place mats can be cut up for quilting pieces.

Sign up for the arts and crafts stores mailers

Many arts and crafts stores have mailers that they send out regularly. This is a great way to find about sales and get coupons to take with you when you go.

There are times when these stores will send out coupons or have sales only for people on their mailing lists.

All Stores

Your arts and crafts project supplies do not have to come from an arts and crafts store. This can be the best way to save money on your craft supplies.

If you need fabric for a project such as a quilt then head to your local Salvation Army. Not only do they have large amounts of clothing that you can cut up but they sometimes have sheets or blankets or other large pieces of fabric that you can use. This is a great way to get large amounts of fabric for almost nothing.

Auctions and garage sales are also great places to find cheap craft supplies. Auctions can be a place to find unique supplies and at garage sales you can often get expensive supplies for much cheaper than even the discount area of a store.

Look at all stores differently, the hardware store may just hold the perfect piece for your next craft project!

Use these tips when you next go to the arts and crafts store so that you can spend less on your hobbies.

Article Supplied By: M. Kaye Hash, Co-owner and photographer of the nature photography and Eco-friendly gifts and family living articles website www.naturesthumbprint.com She is a contributing editor and co-webmaster at www.mccallsfloormart.com Melissa has a degree in Art History from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has been writing and taking pictures since she was young. Melissa is also an avid animal lover and she raises four dogs of her own while being creative in as many ways as possible.

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

If you want to try to utilize those skills and at the same time you want to earn outrageous income stream from it, find out how it can be done through Internet with these 5 simple steps.

1. Get to know your own unique skill in arts and crafts or what ever categories in arts and crafts that can be related directly to your passion and interest.

First of all,recognize your own unique skill within yourself in arts and crafts. If you are a multi skilled human being,then shortlisted it in a piece of paper. Start with the most unique skill you have.

If you have 5 different kinds of unique skills,then jot it down all 5 categories. The more talented skills you have the better.

2. Pick one or two categories to be your main product.

Let say, you have been gifted to be an artist in sculpting woods to become artistic home accessories. Use them as your main product. Make sure your selected product is a product that is not already made by other established craft makers because a unique product will be more attractive to the viewers.

3. Make your own research in website to know what are the competition level in your chosen category.

Make your own research in the Internet about other websites that offered same category with the chosen one. By typing selected keywords such as “sculpt woods”,”wood sculpting”,”home wood decorations” or any suitable keyword in the Search Engine, you will be getting a brief information on the competition level in the same category. The smaller amount of website that offer same category, the better.

If you already chose your main product to be marketed in your first website, then let’s go to the step 4.

4. Recognize some models that already established in online world to be your references.

To me this is one of the important steps to be put in any of your business – online or offline. Why? Because if you want to cut-short the road towards a faster successful business, you need to follow the established website online and grab a part of their market percentage to earn quick money rather than you blown your head off to make your own website with your own idea.

If you try to use your own idea, I guarantee you’ll be facing some of these situations :

a) Chronic Headache – you need to think of which kind of website could be built, how to build it and how to market it?

b) Wasting time – you’ll be wasting most of your precious time with your loves one in making researches to have a good website.

c) Family crisis – sometimes when a wife doesn’t understand what are the husband going to do or vice verse, it will create a small family crisis.

d) Wasting money – this is also a chronic situation if you try to make it yourself. In your journey towards your dream, you will be facing situations where you’ll buy any kind of unusable softwares or references to make sure your website running smoothly.

Do you want to face these situations by yourself? No, right. So,remember,references and models can be some good guidance to succeed in any online business.

5. Getting good softwares to build your first arts and crafts website.

This 5th step can be done by making some researches on which kind of good softwares to build your own website. In arts and crafts website, there are some method to market your products depends on what kind of presentation you want to implement. You can choose either by virtual catalog(if you want to market your products physically), e-book(if you want to market your idea in crafts making), video(if you want to show “How to make a craft?”), free services(if you want to give free written instruction on how to make a craft and at the same time earning income from advertisement) and etc.

There are a lot of softwares on the line offer a great length of building a website. If you’re already mastered in building a website, this is a BONUS for you.

So, if you can complete these 5 steps to make your first arts and crafts business, it means that you will become one of the arts and crafts online entrepreneur in the online world. Remember, Internet will make your small business become big. Pick good references is your main duty now and it will guide you towards a smooth journey to become one of arts and crafts online entrepreneurs in a future time.

Nik Nasruddin N.M is an author for an e-book titled “28 Different, killer Arts and Crafts Money-Making Internet Businesses To Copy For Your Own” in his amazing website http://www.EasyArtsCraftsTips.com

He reveal out not just 1 but 28 Internet Businesses Models to become as your own references in building your first Arts and Crafts online business. Full of knowledge, tips, tricks and techniques to start your own website.

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

The first dilemma I will address will be that of the age range. You’ll find in a particular arts and crafts setting that different projects go better with different age groups. It would be very inefficient to give a complex arts and crafts project like quilting to a toddler. It could also be very frustrating for a normal teenager to do a arts and crafts project containing only construction paper and glue.

Group size is also another factor that affects your project. In a large group setting it may be better to do a project where there is a team effort put into the arts and crafts. In a small group setting it may be better to tackle the situation on a solo tip, but please remember with most arts and crafts projects “the more the merrier”.

Some arts and crafts projects can be very time-consuming, while others take very little time. One of the main things to decide is how much time you will be spending on your project. Will the project be split into several days? Will it only lasts a couple hours? Or, can it be an ongoing arts and crafts project for the whole semester? To figure out what time frame works best for you make sure you do some research on how long it would take to complete that particular arts and crafts project.

Money, Money, Money, Money!!!

I really hated to say that nasty word. But, I had to bring it up because it does reign as one of the top dilemmas for arts and crafts projects. Even though arts and crafts is about having fun in showing your artistic ability. Some projects do require more money than others. You can find arts and crafts that are done from actual garbage for free. You can also find arts and crafts that are made from more expensive materials like special golden paper origami.

So no matter what your next arts and crafts project may be, no matter what you decide to do, make sure that you have fun and spend the majority of your time showing your artistic ability and creativity. Hands down that is what makes for great arts and crafts projects.

Hey, I’m the author Carlos Penn. I’m having fun writing articles online and currently make money and have fun doing at home crafting. click here for a look at what I do in my spare time: Craft Jobs

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

KWANGCHOW, P.R. CHINA – Momentous change affecting the whole world is underway in the Peoples Republic of China, but the speed and direction will be determined here in old Canton where East meets West contrary to poetic assertion.

This bustling port city on the Pearl River delta north of Hong Kong has been China’s official trade center since 714 A.D.

In the past, foreign businessmen came here to exchange machinery and opium for porcelain and bamboo fishing poles.

Before long, China’s prize commodity will be oil. Only those nations with cash or technology will find it worthwhile to attend the mammoth trade fair held here every Spring and Fall.

China is about the size of the United States, with similar climate range and diversity of natural resources. Though it invented the tools of capitalism centuries ago – paper money, banks, printing, civil service – over-population always required concentration on food production. Consequently in-the-ground minerals have not been exploited extensively.

Today all this is changing.

Oil is being discovered in great quantity. The industrial nations are bargaining for this precious energy, price no object. Capital soon may flow to China in a torrent greater than that to the otherwise barren OPEC countries.

History may record that Mao Tse-tung, who ended a century-old civil war and unified modern China, was the last of the agrarian leaders.

Signs of change abound in this most populous Asian nation. Decades of isolation are giving way to international commerce. English has become a required language in schools. Chinese leaders welcome opportunities to visit American and Europe.

The thirtieth anniversary of the Communist Liberation October 1st came and went with little fanfare. Here in Kwangchow, as this is written, all effort is directed toward sprucing up streets and buildings for the International Trade Fair.

In Beijing, the capital, there was no rally in Tiananmen Square where the Communist Party Central Committee frequently assembles a million people for special events. Most surprising, there were no fireworks in a nation that has made an art of pyrotechnics.

The event was marked only by a “personal holiday” for workers and a banquet in the Great Hall for government leaders. Chairman Hua Guofeng lauded the achievements of the people but pointedly omitted Mao’s name.

In a speech described “of historic importance” by the party press, Marshal Ye Jianying implicitly blamed Mao for all that had gone wrong in the recent “cultural revolution.”

Mao had been forced into the background as a result of the devastating failure of his Great Leap Forward. Yet, at age 73, he fretted that the country under Premier Lin Piao was drifting away from communist principles. Carefully written essays to this effect by Mao were rejected by the government controlled press.

Finally his young third wife, a former actress named Chiang Ching, joined with the propaganda minister and two others in a plan to gain leadership through Mao’s influence with the peasants.

This “gang of four” published Mao’s call for a new cultural revolution and unleashed the peasant-based Red Guards to purge all those who had “taken the capitalist road.” Teachers, scientists and professional people were special targets. Many were killed, thousands imprisoned and untold numbers banished to collective farms for “re-education” by forced labor.

Formal education was scorned as “western decadence.” For a full decade, from 1966 to 1976, not one college student was graduated from China. The “Thoughts Of Mao,” published in millions of little red books, was declared to be all the wisdom China needed.

During these excesses, the gang of four announced that Lin had attempted to assassinate Mao and was himself was killed in a plane crash while fleeing to Russia. It is an unsubstantiated story that brings knowing head shakes from private Chinese citizens.

Deng Xiaoping, an advocate of liberalization under Lin, was jailed.

All of this was more than Mao had anticipated. He denounced his wife and allied himself with those party leaders who wished to end the madness. That opportunity came with U.S. President Richard Nixon’s initiative in 1972 to establish normal trade relations.

Upon Mao’s death in 1976, moderate leaders in the party gained the courage to arrest the gang of four, appoint Hua and Deng to the top posts, and turn the nation toward rehabilitation. A trial for the gang of four is expected before year end.

A more significant sign of burgeoning change is the attitude of young Chinese toward the official Four Modernizations program. Agriculture, science, technology and defense are to receive emphasis, in that order, for the rest of this century.

The road to progress is to be through education. Colleges and research laboratories are being reopened as rapidly as possible. The government says it will send 8000 Chinese students to the U.S. next year to study science, particularly mathematics.

Chinese young people are enthusiastic about the prospects. When they approach Americans on the street, as they often do here in Kwangchow, “to walk with you and practice English” they relish discussing the Four Modernizations.

Make no mistake, they are firm believers in communism.

The reason they are free, unlike Russians, to talk with foreigners is that the government is confident of its indoctrination. Political education begins in kindergarten. Newspapers, radio and television are tightly censored. Every Friday afternoon factory and farm workers attend official lectures.

Li and Chang are typical of the students throughout China who filled my evenings with talk of politics and friendship. They are convinced that through socialism populous China will catch up with the capitalist nations.

When?

Chang, just entering college at age 28 because of the cultural revolution, thinks his people expect too much too soon from modernization. “There will be change for the better, but not as fast as most think.”

Li is younger and has been relatively untouched by past ideological struggle. He thinks China will leap into the modern world overnight.

“What do you expect from modernization?” I asked.

“A nice family, a well furnished flat, a refrigerator and an automobile,” he replied.

“What will happen if you have not obtained these things by the time you have children of your present age?”

After a thoughtful silence he answered, “The revolutionary spirit is strong in the Chinese people.”

Along with the Four Modernizations program, the government promotes family planning to reduce over-population. An initial burst of mechanization had to be slowed because the resulting unemployment – now 20 million – threatened the economy.

Some progress with the problem is being made through birth control, free abortions, tax incentives and late marriages. There are accusations that baby girls are murdered by their own parents so they can try again for a boy.

Men cannot get a marriage license until they are 28, women 25. When a couple has their first child, they receive a monthly “reward” of five yen ($3.20) for up to four years. If they have a second child before that time, the reward stops. Doctors will not deliver a third child without party permission, and in these rare instances the couple must pay a five-yen “penalty.”

This is a tremendous change for the family-oriented Chinese, but the high degree of voluntary compliance is an indication of their determination to make modernization succeed.

“It will be a triumph for socialism,” declared Li.

“Don’t forget the Great Leap,” I cautioned. “You cannot modernize without a lot of capitalism.”

Again there was a long pause, and Chang replied: “I have though much about this, and sometimes I think capitalism is not so bad!”

The genie is out of the bottle!

Change is coming to China. The question is whether millennia of custom and decades of brain washing can be reshaped adequately.

If – big if – China can obtain the capital to harness her natural resources, and backs off from communism enough to fully use her enormous human energy, she will dominate the world.

November 01, 1979

Click here to see this article on Lindsey Williams’s website

Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at:

LinWms@earthlink.net or LinWms@lindseywilliams.org

Website: http://www.lindseywilliams.org with over a thousand of Lin’s Editorial & At Large articles written over 40 years.

Also featured in its entirety is Lin’s groundbreaking book “Boldly Onward,” that critically analyzes and develops theories about the original Spanish explorers of America. (fully indexed/searchable)

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

A winner of the Lincoln Center Award for Music Achievement at age 15, Bloom attended both Julliard and Manhattan Schools of Music Prep Departments. He joined Atlantic Records in 1977 (a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group) and launched KB communications in 1984, one of the first entertainment marketing companies. He formed a joint venture with China Film (China’s film monopoly) in 1988 and secured the China license for the Warner Music library, which led to the first foreign owned PRC record company since 1949. Over the years, Bloom went on to produce numerous radio shows, television programs, concerts by internationally renowned artists, soundtracks, and Broadway plays. He is widely recognized as a major player in the entertainment industry.

One might wonder if Bloom would be ready to ride on his reputation for a while, coasting through the years to come after having such an illustrious career. But nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, Bloom is moving faster, striking harder with a bold strategy to become a leading content producer. Leading the charge is MOGO, a video site covering the emerging independent music scene in China to the young, hip (undeserved) urban music consumer.

I had an opportunity to interview Mr. Bloom regarding his past, and his vision for the future. It was one of the most enlightening, thought provoking, and inspirational interviews I’ve ever had the pleasure of doing.

Q: You’ve had over 20 years experience in the Chinese music business, beginning with the launch of Warner Music China. What are some of the unique characteristics that have shaped its development?

For one thing, massive piracy. The only business left now is ringtones and live shows. That said, there are more artists now then every before. 20 years ago there were half a dozen big pop stars and 4 rock bands. Now there are scores of pop stars and well over 300 working rock bands.

Q: So what’s sustaining that growth in the face of piracy?

Basically, live shows. The entire industry is going through a global transition. China is no different in that regard.

Q: There’s been a lot of talk about the recent WTO decision opening the Chinese market to more Western entertainment, including music. The RIAA reaction to the decision was to state: “Enhancing the ability of the U.S. creative community to do business in China will generate needed revenue and jobs to the U.S. economy.” This seems to fly in the face of the piracy problem. But having said that, do you believe that the decision will at least result in an increase in the international repertoire’s share of the overall market?

China’s music market has a 98% mandarin language repertoire. It’s what they like. The WTO decision is certainly not going to change the musical tastes of the Chinese consumers. And why should China embrace western music in a language they don’t understand. Does the West embrace Chinese music? That’s a totally open market. This has been an inane concept for quite some time, that every market has a pent up demand for Western culture. In a way, it sends a very disturbing message that “your culture is not as relevant”.

Q: Let’s discuss the latest western invasion in China – Google’s oPhone vs. Apple’s iPhone, China Mobile vs. China Unicom… While the iPhone launch in China thus far has been disappointing, it is turning into a new platform being seized by indie bands and labels to release content and manage their fan base. How will the smart phone impact the Chinese music business?

It will be a long time before smart phones are in the hands of the “average” Chinese consumer. They are just too expensive to have a huge impact outside of business applications.

Q: But, the Chinese are super-status oriented and there is an upper-middle urban class. Why, when these products are launched in China, would they not be successful – especially with 400 million mobile users?

Even with 400 million users, you are talking about a relatively small percentage of the population who are upper-middle urban class. Out of the total population, maybe 3% can be classified as such. And they’re not necessarily listening to music, certainly not Western music.

Q: Pepsi has been making big moves in China with their nationally televised Battle of the Bands “Vox Rock” and launch of their music label QMusic. Is Pepsi really serious about supporting the independent Chinese music scene? And if so, is this a model that will have legs in China (i.e., might we someday listen to Tsingtao’s latest buzz band)?

It is essential that corporate sponsors support the music industry. We are now seeing more of it focused on rock and hip-hop. But we also need local media to embrace those musical styles in order to build the consumer base. Otherwise, sponsors won’t be able to quantify their investment in music that is outside of the mainstream.

Q: Isn’t QMusic much more than sponsorship? They’re talking about developing and launching new bands, like Starbucks Hear Music.

Let’s see what they do. It’s still too early to make judgments as they have not yet started their operations.

Q: I have one final question for you. Mogo is something of a 21st century MTV-like pioneer in China. You are creating original and professionally produced WebTV content (not user-generated), in support of the emerging independent scene (art, music…). That’s difficult enough in the West. What are some of the unique challenges you face – the consumer, the government, advertisers?

It’s China’s own home-grown music TV station and all parties have been very supportive. The biggest challenge we are facing is finding qualified staff. Every company has problems finding experienced workers. Don’t forget, the modern era of China is only 30 years old with most of the development coming in the past 10. The word of the day is “patience”. It will all happen, but it will happen on China’s terms.

Eric de Fontenay built in 1997 what has become some of the leading voices in the growing debates shaping the entertainment industry through its trade e-publications MusicDish and Mi2N. He later expanded MusicDish LLC into brand development and artist development, while diving into personal management with World Calypso band Kobo Town. Eric is a regular speaker at conferences worldwide ranging from MIDEM to the Harvard Law School as well as in print with his last paper “Peer-to-Peer Networking and Policy” published by Kluwer Academic Publishers.

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

I have seen credit given for the willow china pattern given to at least two different people. One would be Thomas Turner who is said to have introduced the famous design in about 1780. The original copper plate for his design was engraved by Thomas Minton and is still preserved at Coalport China. The most reported story says that the willow design was the creation of Josiah Spode, a derivation of an original Chinese pattern called Mandarin. Spode developed his willow pattern sometime around 1790.

The traditional willow design always features a large beautiful Chinese home with a willow tree, small bridge with 3 figures, a humble servants house at the foot of the bridge, a small Chinese boat & of course the famous love birds above the willow tree. The romantic lore of the design could have added to it’s popularity over the years.

The story goes something like this…….

Long ago, in the days when China was ruled by emperors, a Chinese mandarin, Tso Ling, lived in the magnificent pagoda under the branches of the apple tree on the right of the bridge, over which droops the famous willow tree, and in front of which is seen the graceful lines of the fence. Tso Ling was the father of a beautiful girl, Kwang-se, who was the promised bride of an old but wealthy merchant. The girl, however, fell in love with Chang, her father’s clerk. The lovers eloped across the sea to the cottage on the island. The mandarin pursued and caught the lovers and was about to have them killed when the gods transformed them into a pair of turtle doves. These are seen gazing into each other’s eyes at the top of the design. A lengthy and old Staffordshire poem of the pattern concludes with the verse: “In the oft quoted plate two birds are perceived, High in the heaven above: These are the spirits of Chang and Kwang-se, A twin pair of ever in love”.

Companies That Produce Willow China Due to Spode’s obvious success with the Blue Willow design, many, many pottery & china companies went on to produce some version of it. Here is a list of manufacturers that I am familiar with that produced or still do produce Blue Willow.

Adams Adderly Alfred Meakin Allerton Barratt Booths Buffalo (restaurantware & hotelware) Burslem Churchill Coalport Cuthbertson Homer Laughlin John Maddox & Sons Johnson Brothers McCoy Pottery Myott Made in China Made in Holland Made in Japan Maruta Moriyama Pottery (Japan) Norcrest Ridgeway Royal China Royal Doulton Royal Wessex Scio Pottery (Ohio) Spode Staffordshire Syracuse China(Restaurantware & Hotelware) Wedgewood Wood & Sons

VARIETY OF WILLOW ITEMS As the popularity of Blue Willow grew & grew over the years many companies begin to make a variety of merchandise to coordinate with the customer’s china pieces. You can find just about anything in Blue Willow including but not limited to: glassware, wallpaper, linens , tablecloths & towels, flatware & cutlery, picture frames, piggy banks, cookware, enamelware, fabric, tins, needlepoint pillows & kits, planters, candles, switchplates, items for bed & bath, soap dishes, even paper products including paper plated & napkins!

Besides numerous price guides written to aid collectors, there is a child’s story book entitled BLUE WILLOW by Doris Gates. You might enjoy recipes from The Blue Willow Inn Bible of Southern Cooking.

In 2005 there was even an animated short movie made in New Zealand that tells Blue Willow’s story of love & family betrayal.

The willow design is also made in red (sometimes called red transferware, or pink willow), green, brown & multicolored.

There are many Blue Willow pieces now being made in China. These are nice pieces to fill in your collection with & much more reasonable than antique or vintage pieces. There are sellers however that try to pass these newly produced items off as vintage or antique. Be sure you are buying from a reputable sellers.Also be sure what you are buying is actually blue willow. I have seen Flow Blue, Blue Onion, Blue Calico & other Blue Transferware advertised as Blue Willow.

The most valuable Blue Willow items are the early English, Staffordshire & Spode pieces. The Mid Century Made in Japan pieces are growing in popularity as well & can command a good price on unusual styles. There are quite a few restaurantware collectors out there too, so the heavy restaurant weight china usually does well.

I hope this has given you a little insight into collecting Blue Willow China ~ Have Fun!

http://www.nanaluluslinensandhandkerchiefs.com/

Luanne R Oda aka NANALULU nanaluluslinensandhandkerchiefs.com

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

Many of the patterns and designs conceived during the Arts and Crafts movement were well-preserved. Therefore, hundreds of original Arts and Crafts patterns are still in circulation. An easy way to apply one of these original, intricate patterns is on your bathroom wallpaper.

Stylized Arts and Crafts designs frequently highlight recognizable Arts and Crafts symbols and images. Some of these include upside-down hearts, Celtic motifs, and ornamental flower designs. Many of these designs were brought back from the medieval period by artisans and craftsmen who were influenced by the handiwork of that era. In your bathroom, try experimenting with stained glass, copper, and pewter pieces. For instance, hang a shower curtain with a richly colored brass pole.

If you’d rather not use brass, try rustic wood instead. Oak is a good choice in this genre, and floors made with wood should have a dark stain. Arts and Crafts style uses a lot of natural materials like wood because they are typically those crafted by hand. The idea is to get creative and become inspired by high-quality, original handiwork, or even secondhand pieces that imitate them. Try hanging a woven textile on the wall, propping a simple wooden screen on one corner, or including a handmade wooden chair in the room, then contrasting the wood with crafted metalwork accents.

Renee Macalino Rutledge is the editor for a popular remodeling magazine. She writes articles just like this about Arts and Crafts bathrooms and more in the bathroom decor area of the site.

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

What are ‘arts & crafts’? Generally, the term ‘arts & crafts’ refers to handmade products that have been designed individually with the intent of creating a piece of artwork or a decoration. People engage in arts & crafts as artisans and crafters – that is, those who make their living by producing and selling handmade objects – as well as countless hobbyists who do it just for their own enjoyment. Of course, there can also be a hidden benefit if you can make your own gifts rather than having to purchase them. Arts & crafts are deeply rooted in regional and ethnic cultures, so the specifics of what kinds of objects constitute arts & crafts varies greatly across the world.

How long have arts and crafts been around?

The origin of arts & crafts can be found in simple bartering transactions; expert artisans and crafters would trade their skill for sustenance. The artisans and crafters would then pass their knowledge on to the next generation through an apprentice – an assistance who grew up with the artisan for the sole purpose of learning their trade. Artisans who passed their knowledge on in this manner include ironworkers, glass blowers, weavers and blacksmiths.

Of course, this all changed with the industrial revolution. Many of the lovingly handcrafted items that were formerly made by crafters and artisans could now be cheaply produced in large quantities. As a result, arts & crafts as a widespread profession quickly died out; individual artisans and crafters could just not compete with industrial efficiency. Today, those individuals who specialize in the former staples such as glass blowing or weaving are rare, and usually create high-priced items, in contrast to their utilitarian forbearers. In the end arts & crafts is mostly made up by hobbyists and small retailers.

How do you find arts and crafts?

Arts & crafts are generally not difficult to locate. Artisans often participate at arts & crafts fairs in order to have the opportunity to sell their wares, and allow buyers the opportunity to browse and shop from a variety of different types of arts & crafts.

Festivals and fairs are good destinations to look for arts & crafts. Many vendors will rent booths at these events in order to reach a wide audience. In addition to shows and fairs, permanent arts & crafts malls are also easy to find in most metropolitan areas. Frequently, these malls include a collection of semi-permanent booths rented out by multiple artisans and crafters.

Of course, if the buyer knows exactly the kind of item he or she is looking for, the Internet can be a great resource for finding the perfect arts & crafts item. More and more artisans and crafters are now posting their wares online with the ability view photos and read descriptions of their unique products. Nonetheless, while online retail sales have taken off in other industries, arts & crafts buyers typically like the experience of finding and seeing the one-of-a-kind products in person, which has slowed down its adoption in this area.

‘Art’ and ‘Craft’

Art generally refers to fine arts, such as glass creations, paintings and sculptures. The people behind the creation of these objects have usually received formal training at art schools or have studied art through other programs. These art objects are usually expensive.

Crafts, on the other hand, are usually considered to be smaller in scale, or colloquially known as ‘grassroots’ in their creation. Those who create crafts are generally doing so based on passed down knowledge without any formal education. This of course does not mean that they are any less talented than artists. ‘Arts & crafts’ then is the merging of these two creative trends; grassroots objects made by highly skilled artisans and crafters.

The most common arts & crafts objects

As stated above, there are literally countless variations and iterations of arts & crafts objects in the world. Nonetheless, most arts & crafts can be fitted into a few basic categories: handmade jewelry, pottery, woodworking, metalworking, and sculpture are some basic categories into which most arts & crafts can be assembled. Other common types of arts & crafts include cross-stitch, weaving, crochet, knitting, embroidery, patchwork, quilting, macramé, and others. Still more common types include ceramics, wood, metal, needlepoint & textiles, and glass works. Still others are based on paper and paper products, including scrapbooking, calligraphy, collages, paper mache, and origami.

How do you find other arts and crafts collectors?

There are a number of national, regional, and local arts & crafts organizations that can provide both artisans and collectors a place where they can network and gain a sense of community. Some examples of popular organizations include the American Sewing Guild, the Arts & Crafts Society, the Black Crafters Guild, the Home Sewing Association, the National Art Materials Trade Association, the Canadian Craft & Hobby Association, the American Quilter’s Society, the Craft & Hobby Association (United States).

Mary Amos is an expert on arts and crafts and has been creating exciting gifts and projects for years. Learn where to find amazing arts and crafts at Arts and Crafts, and be sure to visit Arts and Crafts for more fun projects for kids and families!

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