Building or refurbishing a home can be fun butit can also be challenging because of the many things that has tobe accounted for before starting the project.Building a home is a big project no matter how little the homeis and how meager the budget. In fact, a person can be more costeffective in building his home if he creates a home design planbefore introducing changes in the home.A homeowner should take note of the design of the house he isabout to build and put the design into paper. This way, he canavoid committing design mistakes that can cost him money andprecious time.Being hasty when building a home can be detrimental to the homedesign and also to the budget. A home design plan can be created bythe homeowner and builder himself provided he has some knowledge indrawing plans. However, if he does not have any idea about thesethings then it is best to get the services of a person who isknowledgeable in such matters.Of course, asking another person to make a home design plan canadd to the cost of building the home but it will be cost effectivein the long term because it will ensure that the home is properlyconstructed technically and aesthetically.Creating a home design plan can be a technical matter andrequires research and preparation. The designer of a home plan willtake all aspects of the home when preparing the plan including thelifestyle of the people who would be living in the home and theavailable space.Leaving everything to the experts may be just the right thingfor any homeowner. However, he should also take an active part inplanning the design of his home. While he does not know thetechnicalities, he should be able to suggest what he wants andwhere things should be placed.It is important that the specification of the home design planis not totally left to the discretion of the designer. The homeshould be a reflection of the personality of the residents and theowner should thus have a say in the overall appearance of hishome.To avoid conflicts while the house design plan is being drawn,the family should already have a consensus as to what motif ordesign they want for the house. They can choose from the variousdesigns available like a home that depicts country living or it canbe minimalist or modern.Allowing the family to plan ahead can mean a smootherconstruction process. Making material changes after the home designplan has already been drawn and while the home is being constructedcan result to a poorly built home. Plus, it can add to the expensesof building a home.Once the family has arrived at a consensus as to the generalappearance of the home, they should appoint someone who will talkto the designer and who will coordinate all the design andconstruction process with the designer. Having everyone in themiddle of the construction phase can be disadvantageous as it canresult to delays in the project.Anyone who is about to have his dream house built should makesure he gets a good designer to create the home design plan. Thisway, the technical and aesthetic characteristics of the home isensured.

If you love making handmade cards and crafts,for sure, you would love to find great paper quilling ideas you canuse in your creations. You can use them in ornaments, topersonalize your gifts, in cards and scrapbooks, and many otherthings you can do with it. In expressing your art, you can onlyhave your imagination as your limit.Of course in art, it is always good to have your own uniquestyle in creating your crafts so that you can practice and honeyour skills and discover new things about it. Although this istrue, it could also help a lot, especially in quilling, if you canstart with some paper quilling ideas from others who have masteredthe craft. Then, from there, you can work on your own style as soonas you explore many other things you can do with quilling.Anyway, we all have to start from the basics. Here are somebasic ideas that you might find useful in your craft.You can select the size of the quilling paper depending on thedesign you have to make. The standard paper size you can use is the1/8", which you can actually cut on your own in a paper trimmer orpaper shredder, although you may not get this size in a shredder.Buying pre-cut strips is a good option though if you want them tocurl perfectly. At least, you would get a uniformly sized paper.But if you are just starting out, you may also opt to practice onpaper that you cut yourself to at least save you a few dollarswhile still trying your hand on the craft.To guide you through the correct size of paper you need, if yourquilling project involves fine details, you may need narrowerstrips of quilling paper such as 1/16" in size. For 3D sculptingand fringe designs, you may want to use wider strips - 1/2" or1/4". For basic designs or when practicing, 1/8" would do.You can also choose from a variety of color to help enhance yourdesign and paper quilling ideas. If you are choosing your ownpaper, make sure you choose something that has the same color atthe front and back of the paper, or else, it will mess up yourfinish product. A lightweight card stock will work nicely.Choosing your glue is also essential in making your craft.Surely, you would not want your quill design to be stained withvisible white glue all over. Choosing a glue that dries clear isrecommended to avoid messing up with your art. One way to help youin gluing your creations especially involving those fine curls, isto spread the glue thinly on a paper and with tweezers, you canlightly press your quilled designs on it just enough for the bottomto get enough glue and stick it to your scrapbook or card. You canalso make use of toothpicks to help you with the gluing.If you have mastered the basics, you can then make your owndesign and squeeze your creative juices to make designs that arenot yet existing. This will truly unleash your creativity and allowyou to make your own style. If you want to learn more paperquilling ideas and master the art of quilling, you first need tolearn how to make basic designs and shapes. You can find usefulresources that will teach you step by step on how to make teardropdesigns to square designs and other patterns. It will also beuseful to observe from quilling masters and learn from them.

Modern house plans offer a great alternativetothe more traditional styles. Even if you don't want to go alltheway with an ultra-modern house plan, there are manymodern-inspiredhouse plans that are not too extreme in theirappearance.Modern house plans include a range of styles, ranging fromthestereotypical "concrete, steel, and glass" look to subtleorexaggerated variations of historically older house planstyles.Historians of architecture and house plan sellers oftenusesomewhat different definitions of styles, especially in themorefragmented modern house plans category. One synonym that'softenused for modern house plans is "contemporary house plans."Whiletechnically a subcategory of modern house plans, contemporaryhouseplans seem to describe best what most people wouldintuitivelydescribe as "modern".Technically, the following styles are all modern styles:CraftsmanBungalowFrench EclecticArt Deco/Art ModerneA-FrameNeo-EclecticNeo-ClassicalNeo-VictorianNeo-mediterraneanNeo-ColonialNeo-"Anything"ContemporaryPostmodernFinding modern house plans can be a bit challenging becauseofthe loose definition of the term, but after a few initialsearchesyou should get a feel for which sites have better offeringsthanothers. Keep in mind that a site with the largest number ofplansis not necessarily the best resource.There are specialist designers focusing on modern plans, whomayoffer you more interesting and individual designs andsmarterservice. It just requires a bit more digging to reach thesmallerstudios. That said, looking through a large site'scollection ofhouse plans can be a quick and efficient way to refineyour ideasfor what you seek in a modern plan.Personally, I'm a big fan of modern house plans, becausetheytend to have larger windows and open floor plans, which provideaflexible and spacious living experience. Even if your housedoesn'tlook like a "modern" house from the outside, the interiorlayout ofmodern house plans makes it worthwhile to take a look atthem.

Legend has it that man found a way ofclothinghimself with leaves when he first realized he needed to.That couldbe considered the first fashion design attempt known toman. Overthe years, every country has managed to take itstraditional attireand make completely new fashion statements out ofthem. Africanfashion design also joined the ranks of internationalfashionhouses years ago.When it comes to African fashion design, many of the designshaveevolved from the weather of the country. People had toremaincomfortable and materials were selected based on theharshness ofthe climate. This lead to the use of several kinds ofmaterialsthat may not have been used in mainstream designing.Keeping thesematerials and designs alive has been the work ofseveral members ofthe African fashion design industry.There has been a huge tribal influence both on therunway's,photo shoots and street style and we will do our best tobring yousome of our favourites to complete a tribal look. We justhad theseAfrican inspired sandals sent to us via email, they lookcute butwe are loving the brown peacock plume sandals the most. Youcanshop here at Anthropologie.African fashion design originally began with a lot ofanimalhides and fur. All of this is a necessary part of one'sattire andcultural background. However, with time, these evolvedintointernationally accepted and sought after designs. Todaytheresponse to an African fashion show is tremendous. Among thekindsof fibre used for clothing is raffia palm, jute, flax andsilk.Natural dyes from vegetables and minerals are used to createtheunique hues of colour.

Each one of us has our own hobby thatwenormally do during our pastime. Some of us may prefer toplayonline games on our computer. Some prefer to play sports, readabook, cook, but others have this passion in doing crossstitch.Cross stitch is one of the most wanted hobbies that mostpeopleprefer to do especially women. Other people even make moneyout ofthis hobby. This is actually the counter part of paintingthat youalso put into frames and display it on your wall. If withpaintingyou need a brush and paint, in this you need to have aneedle andthread. You will sew the pattern you have chosen. Thereare a lotof different kinds of patterns that you can buy at themarket whichmay be found in different figures and images. But doyou have anyidea how to choose the right cross stitch pattern? Hereare some ofthe tips that I could give you.Right pattern: First, you need to know what kind of imageorpattern that you want to stitch. To make things easier, trytofocus on your likes. If you are a religious person, then therearereligious patterns that you can choose from. If you loveflowersthen try to find flower patterns. This is what you can do soyouwill be able to choose the pattern that you want, go to theneareststitch stores and ask the person in charge to show you allthepatterns they have, which for sure they have, then fromthosecopies, you could choose the cross stitch pattern thatyouwant.Size: Patterns are available in different sizes. There aresizesfor beginners and for those who are already experts. So, trytolevel yourself so you would know if you are capable of doingthosecomplex types of cross stitch patterns.Colors: This is also very important that you need tounderstandif you are into cross stitching. If you are only startingto dostitching, just focus on the patterns that only require fewcolorsso it would be simpler and easier. Then, try to assessyourself ifyou could do those patterns that require a lot ofcolors.Hopefully, those tips above have helped you know how toproperlychoose the right cross stitch pattern. Using the rightpatterns andmaterials would make our work easier and enjoyable.

Learning how to draw step by step is a goodway of practicing form and getting yourself well acquainted withthe basics of drawing. It doesn't matter whether you are doingprofessional art to design a building or cartoon drawings for acomic strip - there will always be a simple step by step formatthat you can follow.Even the most critically acclaimed artists follow a step by stepprocess. This helps them keep track of their work and ensures thatthe end result perfectly reflects what was in their mind. There area lot of ways of drawing and a lot of steps to try but here is themost basic step by step process that a lot of professionals andtutorials suggest.Start with Shapes and LinesDon't worry about the detail of the person's clothes or howtheir eyes will look. First you want a perspective of their shape,how they are posed, and the general outline of their body. To dothis, use basic shapes like circles, rectangles, and triangles. Acircle or an egg can represent a human face and then their body canbe done with a rectangle. Focus on their size, the way the limbsare positioned, and the general shape of your drawing.When doing the basic outline, make sure you are using faintlines. A hard pencil like an will be perfect. The lines drawn bythese pencils are faint and easy to erase.Pencil in the Details - Adding VolumeYou've got the skeleton of your picture done now it's time toadd in volume. Take your and start going over the outlines to addin the details of your drawings. This is the stage where you add inthe eyes, the curve of the lips, and the general outline of theirclothes.Keep it all simple. Don't focus yet on the shading, lighting, orany emphasis on the details. Don't worry about adding complex linesto their clothes or edges to their faces. Just add in the importantstuff for now.Adding EmphasisFor many this can be the third and final step. Use a good eraserlike a rubber eraser or Blue Tac. Never rub your eraser on thepaper to make changes. Doing so only takes off the upper layer ofthe paper and can ruin the quality of the page. Blue Tac is thebest alternative - simply press down on the line you need to removeand it will literally catch the graphite off the paper. This avoidsany damage on the paper you use.Adding emphasis takes time. As you are erasing the guidelinesand other lines you no longer need you will also be adding in extradetails. This is the step where you add in shading and lines togive emphasis. All those fancy textures you find in professionaldrawings are done in this final step. However, if you want to addcolor or really bring your drawing to life, there is one morestep.

How would you like to put some extra cash inyour pockets? Why not make paper flowers and sell them at craftshows and flea markets. Creating beautiful paper blossoms andmaking them into home decorations or other uses may be a perfectway to do just that.You could sell just a single flower, make bouquets,centerpieces, swags, or a simple corsage. Paper flowers have manyuses, they can be used for decorating your home as in centerpieces,swags, curtain tiebacks, or just put a couple in a small vase andadd a little scent to make the bathroom smell really good, this isjust a sample of how they can be used for your home. They can alsomake a wedding day very special with the beautiful bouquets,corsages, boutonnieres, and decorations for the church andreception hall.There are several different types of paper that can be used tomake these flowers; crepe paper, tissue paper, and mulberry paperare a few. Most of the papers are inexpensive and the flowersusually do not require a very large amount of the paper for eachflower.How to make paper flowers is an exciting and rewarding hobby.You can make a simple flower or go to a little more work and makerealistic paper flowers that people cannot tell the differencebetween the real ones and the paper ones. They would have to feelthem or smell them to tell which is which.The price that you charge for making your flowers is up to you.How much is your time and talent worth? The cost of the materialsfor this hobby is very inexpensive, as it only takes paper, wire,glue, scissors, wire cutters, and patterns.If you want you can make the crepe flowers have a smell simplyspray a little bit of a floral scented perfume or add a few dropsof scented oil this will give them a more life like scentYou also can give them a shiny look by spraying them with aspray gloss that is used for paper and other projects, people havetold use it really sets them apart from other paper flowers.You can find patterns for your paper flowers in books on how tomake paper flowers, in libraries, or on the internet. You can alsomake your own patterns simply by taking a real flower or a silkflower pull it gently apart and trace the flower on paper makingyour own pattern. Put the flower petals together the way youroriginal flower was gluing then together as you go then add wirefor the stems add a few leaves and then you have your paperflower.This is an old art that is making a come back these days becauseit is something people can do themselves to decorate their homeswith little expense, decorate for a party, or even decorate foryour weddings getting friends and family involved.This is also a way to help the environment the paper can berecycled, the paper flower can be used over and over so there is nowaste for years to come and if you use a mulberry paper the paperis made from the bark of the trees and the tree is not harmedbecause it regenerates itself.These are just some of the reasons you may want to try your handat learning how to make paper flowers to sell. This craft is funand simple and does not take a lot of time once you get started atlearning this art. Have fun and make some money.

Birthdays are always special. It revealsthesignificance of our existence on this planet. Humans arethebeautiful creation of God. So Birthdays are materialized bylovedones through celebrating them mischievously. Birthdaywithoutbirthday cake is like honey without sweetness. Cakes aretheexclusively baked, decorated, and intentionally addedmoreglamorous flavors when it is meant for birthdays. Icingwithdifferent sweeteners, cherries, cashew, berries, cinnamon,apricot,pitas, nuts, chocolates and cream spread all over portray alipsmacking and mouth watering look. Birthday cakes are alwaysbeenpaid special attention of love and care.While tracing the origin of Birthday Cakes many interestingfactscome in front. The word 'Cake' is said to have coined asearly as13th century and it is said to have derived from 'kaka'-an OldNorse word. Some historians think that the custom of thebirthdaycake was observed in ancient Greece. Ancient Greeks beganbakingcakes using honey. Ancient Romans celebrated three differenttypesof birthdays as well as different types of cakes. Theyprimarilycalled them bread. Some in England used to call Birthdaycakes asPastries. Another tradition of Birthday cakes can betraced in theMiddle Age Germany. There we find sweetened breaddough was made inthe shape of the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes.In Englandbirthday cakes are baked with symbolic objects inside.In MedievalDays objects such as coins and thimbles were mixedinside thebatter. It was believed that the person who got the coinwould bewealthy, while the unluckily finder of the thimble wouldnevermarry. Whereas today, small figures, fake coins, smallcandies aremore in practice. Now a days even cup cakes are on thetop list. Whyit is round in shape in the very begging was aquestion. Scholarsassociate religious beliefs and technicalcompulsions for the same.Greeks offered round shape cake to theGoddess of Moon- Artemis asit signified moon. They started thetradition of placing candles onthe cakes for glowing the cake likethe moon.There are various types of Birthday Cakes in terms of flavorandcontent. Birthday Cakes for kids are very special, because theyarethe people who worry the most about their cake's yummy taste.Mostof the times young children like Chocolate and sweetstrawberryflavor. Teen agers like whatever new in the city likeBlueberryPecan Streusel and Chocolate Espresso Cakes, TiramisuClassico andDeep dark gingerbread. Grown ups like to indulge theirtongue forCheese flavors, Hot Chocolate Mousse Torte, wine flavoredones.Fruitcakes and Ginger cakes has a long cultural linetoo.Decorating birthday cakes with ribbons, flowers andedibleingredients add color to the presentation.Writing the name of the birthday person right on the top ofthecake in designed way and beautiful style is also a traditionalwayof wishing. Now a days, candles and ribbons and stars andflowersare styled in modern fashion. Europeans are called theprecursorsof modern birthday cakes. The icing of glossy ice likecovering isno longer the hype. In stead of that now the jelly icingandcolored cream icing is ruling the bakery industry.Actuallywhatever is the manner in producing a cake, no matter if itis ahome made one or a professionally baked one, its all aboutbakingit with the icing of the smoothest sugar and egg whites withlotsof love, care, affection and tenderness for the personwhosebirthday party is taking place as along with the future eatersofthe cake. So at the end of the birthday party it is the bakerwhois responsible the most for the delicious piece of cake forwhicheverybody is eagerly awaited and relished then.