Collecting stamps has been a popular pastime ever since there were stamps to collect. Collecting stamps has never been easier and collecting isn’t just for the gray-haired gentleman who spends his days poring over his stamps.

When collecting stamps, it’s important to have at least some definition of what you’re hoping to achieve. Some people collect only historical stamps. That is, they’re only looking for the old, rare stamps that are highly sought and prized by collectors. This is a noble goal, but probably not much fun for those without the finances to make those rare purchases. If you’re simply looking for a great hobby, start searching for unusual stamps or collect stamps postmarked in other states and/or countries.

Take a look at some ideas that can help you get your stamp collection off to a good start, or give your current collection a real boost.

Don’t keep your stamp collection a secret. While Great-Aunt Margie isn’t likely to want to sit down and hear the history of every stamp in your collection, letting her know that you’re a stamp collector could be the best move you’ve ever made. She may have a stash of letters in her attic from that special beau who wrote to her from Europe during World War I! Or she may have the letters her grandmother sent back home during her trek across the country in a covered wagon. And she just may remember to mail you a postcard from her next trip to a foreign country. The most unlikely people may be the ones to help you expand your collection, so let family and friends know that you’re collecting stamps.

The Internet can be a very useful tool for those collecting stamps. All you really need to do is find an online forum for stamp collecting and start trading stamps with others creating collections similar to yours. In most cases, you’ll be able to send a letter and the recipient will send one back to you - instantly adding stamps to your collection. Because this is a relatively inexpensive request, you may also get people to send you stamps who aren’t looking for a return letter.

Another idea for collecting stamps that works well for youngsters is to simply be looking for those unusual, strange or “cool” stamps. Your post office will likely have a good selection and you can let your child help you choose each time you need a new book of stamps. Take one off to add to the collection and see how many great stamps are available. Don’t forget that the postal service will also let you create your own stamps with photos you upload to their website!

Collecting stamps can be a great way to connect with your child, and can create a hobby that will span a lifetime.

Bob Benson is the founder of Stamp Collecting online. You can check out our website at http://www.stamp-collecting-supply.info

The following article includes historial information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood about the crystal maker, Swarovski.

Swarovski is a family owned business, that started in 1895. Daniel Swarovski, the founder, was considered to be a leader in the field of technology, and industry . He came from Bohemia, and had a glass cutting industry that had been renowned for centuries. His father taught him the craft of crystal cutting at an early age. A visit to the first International Exhibition in Exhibition in Vienna inspired him to design an automatic jewelry cutting cutting machine. He then leased an old factory to put his invention to use. The surrounding mountains provided his rapidly expanding operation an abundant an abundant source of clean hydroelectric power.

Daniel Swarovski actually founded the company with the help of his brother-in-law, Franz Weis, and financier Armand Kosmann. The superior quality of their jewelry stones soon made them well known in Paris and in America.

Daniel Swarovski (1862-1956) stated some very profound words to his peers, colleagues, employees and family, “…every age brings with it new vocations and new forms of self-expression. The important thing is to remain alert, to exploit opportunities as they arise and to put them to the best possible use. But no matter how successful you are, you will be unable to sustain it unless you try to think of your fellow man too…if you try to keep your eyes firmly on the main objective and put your personal interests behind you, your future will be assured.”

Swarovski strives to be an ‘ecology’ minded company, to keep the environment clean; in fact, Daniel Swarovski II once summarized his quest for technologies that were in harmony with the significance of the product and nature: “Our main product, crystal, is a reminder to keep our environment clean”.

The company grew over the years even with the outbreak of WW I. Many workers enlisted for military service. Swarovski produced military equipment. Many new inventions and product lines were beginning to develop when WW II broke out and again Swarovski manufactured optics. The production of abrasive and technical products saved the factory from being closed. Swarovski produced binoculars for the armed forces. Swarovski binoculars and telescopes are considered the best in the world for their high quality and precision optic capability

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about swarovski. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

In 1973, Swarovski broke new ground and the first items for the 12th Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria were created. The items were a key chain and a paperweight commemorating the event.

The following year, a mouse was created by Max Shreck. It was considered a wonderful ‘accident’ that component chandelier pieces could make figurines. The first Annual Edition piece, the Lovebirds, was created by Max Schreck and Adi Stocker in 1987. More animal figurines were created; elegant candleholders were added, followed by decorative accessories - Swarovski Silver Crystal was born! The early logo was a block SC and in later years they changed it to the current Swan logo.

It was in the early 1980’s that the Trimlite product line was also launched in the US. Trimlite was manufactured by an outside vendor with Swarovski chandelier parts. The Trimlite line only lasted a few years and each piece is marked with a ‘T’ logo and the year made. The series is highly prized for gold plated pieces and the many interesting designs. There was also an early relationship with a company, Ebeling & Reuss, that also had pieces manufactured by Swarovski specifically for them. Those pieces were also US items only and carry an ‘E&R’ script logo on the bottom of each piece. Another early line was Giftware Suite which created more functional items, such as the desk accessories, some ornaments and other pieces. Some had the SC logo and some did not. There was also a small line of children’s figurines done in 1992, Julia’s World, that was a US item only. The 8 figurines of frosted children plus a dog and a bench - came with a book that told Julia’s story. This set is now being recognized as an interesting addition to collectors worldwide as so few were made and only in the US.

Each year Swarovski creates a new Annual Edition for collectors. The series are in trilogies, the first one, ‘Caring and Sharing’ began with the Lovebirds, the next edition was the Woodpeckers and the last piece was the Turtledoves. Each piece came in a special box with a Certificate of Authenticity. The next series was ‘Mother and Child’ - followed by ‘Inspiration Africa’, ‘Fabulous Creatures’, ‘Masquerade’ and the ‘Magic of Dance’ launched in 2002.

Additionally, through the years, many crystal figurines were made in the Silver Crystal line along with candleholders, paperweights and numerous creations that all carry the specific logo of Swarovski. The early logo was the SC in a block form and more recently the Swan logo. If a piece does not have either of these logos, it most likely is not Swarovski. That being said, there were some authentic pieces done that did not carry either logo but are considered Swarovski and indeed are.

Now that wasn’t hard at all, was it? And you’ve earned a wealth of knowledge of Swarovski history, just from taking some time to study an expert’s word on swarovski.

Expert on Swarovski Crystal

I can remember sitting by my Grandmother and leafing through her scrapbooks; “Who’s that.” I asked, she would tell me not only who it was but when it was and why it was taken. Our time spent going through the pages of her past are cherished memories. I now am in possession of many of those scrapbooks; my one wish is that I would have written down the names and stories she told me so many years ago. Now I look at those photos wondering “who’s that?”

One of the greatest gifts our elders can give us is the stories of their past. There are so many unanswered questions when they are gone; my advice is ask them now. What was it like for them growing up? What were their parents like? How did they meet their spouse? What is their favorite memory? Where did they live?

Your Grandparents, Parents, Aunts and Uncles are a wealth of information; don’t let the time slip by. Spend time with them.

Start Going through the Family Photos - You’ll be amazed by the different reactions a photograph can bring. Each person seems to remember something different. I can remember showing my mother and her sisters a photograph of them when they were young; each of them had a different story about the day the photograph was taken.

Give Them A Journal - Many of our elderly spend endless hours alone each day. Give them a journal. Show them you care about their past. Ask them to write down memories from their life. Go through a stack of photographs with them. Put post-it notes on the back of the photographs (for example 1-20), then ask them to write down the memory of each photo.

Interview Them - Life is so short and when they are gone their memories go with them. You’ll be left with boxes chuck full of photographs wondering, “Who’s that?” Interviewing them can be a lot of fun. My Grandmother was delighted when I inquired about her childhood, being a young adult, marriage, and having babies. Grab your video camera and a tripod and start talking. This will become a family treasure.

I have taken our family photographs and scanned them for each of my siblings. Each photograph includes a description of the event and the names of the people captured in the image.

Photos often fade, or can be damaged by years of exposure to ultraviolet light, and improper storage. By scanning the photos you preserve the image and memory.

Next time you are with a family member, grab the photo album and don’t forget to ask; “Who’s that?”

Betsy Wegner http://www.dvdsbybetsy.com Preserving the memory of your loved ones with DVD Slideshows.

Believe it or not, you do not need suspenders to be authentic. But they do help to hold up your pants! So, if you have suspenders, here are some tips to help you be comfortable and authentic.

1. Note that suspenders vary because they were not issued by the government leaving the soldier to obtain them from civilian sources resulting in every combination of color and design.

2. I have noticed from examining many original photographs that it is not uncommon to wear your pants with no suspenders at all. If your pants stay up without suspenders, you can forego their use. See the pair on p. 104 TROIANI’S REGIMENTS AND UNIFORMS OF THE CIVIL WAR.

3. I reproduced a similar pair. If you know where to find the triple buckles and the exact cloth, let me know, so I can duplicate them exactly. To the best of my knowledge elastic suspenders did not exist and were not in use during the Civil War.

4. I would recommend metal or bone buttons on pants like the ones shown above. Bone buttons are strong and they are not affected by the salt or sweat.

5. I would stay away from shell and glass buttons because they might break from the stress. Metal buttons are good, especially brass which are not affected by the salt and do not rust. But remember metal buttons have the potential to rust and stain the fabric.

6. It’s a good idea to put a backer button on your pants, so the thread doesn’t pull through the waistband when you are wearing your suspenders. I would also put a substantial amount of thread on the buttons to hold them.

7. If you have the type of pants that have an adjustable buckle on the back, originals are easily found, sometimes even in a button jar. Some of the sutlers carry nice brass buckles.

Coach McCoach invites you to subscribe to the Civil War Uniform News where you will receive information weekly on every possible Civil War Uniform item!

These tips will help you have an accurate impression and save tons of time and money in the process! You do not have to spend a lot of money to have a good impression, and Civil War Uniforms will show you how!

You will also receive a free uniforms course for subscribing. Click on this link to subscribe - http://www.civilwaruniforms.net
If you need the information about Civil War Uniforms NOW, go to http://www.civilwaruniforms.net and purchase a Civil War Uniforms Course.

I’ve skied in a lot European snowboarding haunts for example Les Arcs, Tignes-les-Brevieres, Superbagneres and Chatel, however altogether in all the family’s ski holidays Chamonix France is my favourite resort to go for ski holidays in Europe.

The birthplace of alpine history and dwelling to the heroic Monte Bianco - at 4807m the Common Markets’ loftiest mountain - Chamonix town sports a unmatched snow track record, a lasting skiing season (December-May), unrivaled off-piste telemarking, and panoramas to die for. Indeed Chamonix town has an global repute because it has some of the most dramatic, provocative, and stimulating boarding accessible anyplace in the planet.

Chamonix village is big and bedeviling, and that is before we even look at the near by resorts; such as Flaine, Les Trois Vallees, La Mongie, Le Grand-Bornand and Courchevel.

The Cham Ski lift pass covers eight Chamonix valley, and twelve departmental snowboarding mountains; on land equal to 3840m, more than 230 snowboarding lifts, and 710 kilometres of skiing tracks - and the majority of the skiing fields higher than 2050m. It caters for every level from novices right through to expert skiers. Visit our skiing mountains section for detailed look at each of the main mountains: Bessans, Montroc, La Grave, Les Grands Montets, Savoie and Verchaix.

There’s nothing quite like the feel of an old patchwork quilt that was lovingly crafted by hand and worn in gently by countless generations. Anyone can go to the store and buy a quilt, but not many people ever take the time to learn the ancient art of quilt making.

A quilt is not just a bed covering. A quilt symbolizes comfort, warmth, and security, and a quilt made by hand is cherished even more because of the work that went into making it.

I personally have only begun attempting to learn this time-consuming art. Hand quilting is not for everyone, because it requires a lot of patience and a fine attention to detail. One of my first quilting efforts was a small doll quilt I made for my daughter when she was about 5 years old. It wasn’t too bad for my first try. My daughter wasn’t very impressed, however, and I was absolutely thrilled when years later our cat adopted the quilt as his favorite napping companion. I decided I’d rather see the cat enjoy the quilt then have it end up in a box somewhere to be totally forgotten (he’s now having to share the quilt with our new kitten!).

I envy people who have the patience it requires to quilt. I am determined to one day make my first full-size quilt. I first became interested in quilting when I was fairly young. I had a grandmother who liked to quilt, and I will never forget a conversation I had with her one day that will stay with me forever.

My grandmother made many quilts in her day. I was never fortunate enough to receive one of them (she was my grandpa’s second wife), but I was lucky enough to see some of her handiwork displayed in her home. One time when I was about 13 or 14 years old my grandmother pulled out a patchwork quilt she had been working on and asked my sister and I if we’d be interested in taking it home and finishing it. We were overwhelmed, but thrilled at the prospect of completing her work of art. She then went on to tell us where all the different scraps of fabric had originated.

“This piece is a scrap from one of my maternity dresses,” she told me and my sister. A maternity dress that she had worn more than 50 years before. She had saved scraps from many different pieces of clothing she had worn over the years. Each piece had a meaning for her, and she had saved them knowing she would someday make a quilt out of them. She was, piece by piece, sewing together memories from her life. She was tired of quilting, though, and she would never make another. My sister and I took the quilt home and started adding pieces of our own fabrics to the quilt. We quickly tired of the activity, however, and the quilt ended up in a bag in the closet (where it still sits today).

Every once in awhile I pull the quilt out and look at it, thinking I really ought to finish it. I know that in time I will, and it will represent at least four generations of our family’s history. I wish we could learn to live our lives in a way where every day we are striving to consciously make family memories that will stay with us forever. Whether she knew it or not, that is what my grandmother was doing, and I wish to take that idea and consciously put it into place in my daily life, as much effort as it sometimes seems. I know tomorrow I will be glad I did.

Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com

Whether you are in the winter of your life or whether the time of year is winter where you live, working on crafts can really liven up the days! Crafts don’t have to be messy or expensive, but they have to be something you are interested in. What’s fun about working on crafts is that you can throw away your mistakes. In time, most people who habitually work on crafts have to give them away or sell them; otherwise, they won’t have the space to store them.

Personally, I don’t recommend storing completed craft projects. Due to evolving trends in home décor, I have found that craft items can quickly become out-dated too. Instead, give them away and try to find good homes for your crafts. You know how some people try to find good homes for their pets? Do not some people diligently try to make sure that the caretakers and the pets are well-suited for each other prior to handing over their pets? Well, the same is holds true for crafts. Don’t give your crafts away to people who will be unappreciative or who will store them for you. When giving your crafts away, be mindful of the home decor and settings of which your crafts will be placed. Give them to those who would like them for sentimental reasons if for nothing else. You should even consider donating them to care facilities for terminally ill children or senior citizens.

Don’t ever forget, if you give your artwork to someone―it’s theirs to choose what to do with it―in spite of what you have into it. Let it go! Move on to your next piece and have fun crafting!

(revised 2/12/2006)

Debbie Jensen, Graphic Designer and Photographer
http://www.debjensendesigns.com

Inspiration comes in many forms. An exchange of words on the street, a chiding, but loving mother in a department store, or a friendly stranger in a little town provide the necessary mental fodder for the poetry mill. I write down the crux of the observation on a piece of paper because I know how fleeting the germ of an idea can be. When I have a moment alone, I pull the meaningful words together, most times what will be the last two lines of the poem and work backwards from there. I feel that the benefit of rhyming words far outweigh the difficulty of finding the perfect word. At no time to I allow the meaning to be submerged by a second choice word. As an example, I have chosen a poem I wrote called ‘Same Old You’. The first line sets up the premise:

YOU’VE NEVER CHANGED, YOU’RE STILL THE SAME.
This declaration leaves the reader up in the air, not knowing whether the writer is happy or unhappy with his partner. The second line:

WHAT YOU USED TO DO, YOU’RE DOING AGAIN.
sounds like the writer is a bit annoyed, but brave enough to tell his partner what he thinks.
Next comes:

THOSE HABITS OF YOURS THAT YOU HAD BEFORE

NUMBER THE SAME, NOT LESS, NOT MORE.
This statement sounds quite chiding, but the reader can’t be sure that these ‘habits’ are the good or the bad kind. Now to soften the mood and to change direction I wrote:

YOU’RE IN A RUT, THERE’S NOT MUCH HOPE,

NOBODY’S PERFECT, NOT EVEN THE POPE.
This is plainly teasing, playing on the partner’s innate sense of guilt, by implying that they think themselves a perfect person. Now we’re getting mad, even sounding accusing:

YOU CONTINUE TO DO THE THINGS YOU DID,

I EVEN DISCOVERED THE ONE THAT YOU HID.
Quickly a reiteration of the first line and a comparison:

BUT YOU’VE NEVER CHANGED, YOU’RE LIKE A STAR,
resolves the issue in your mind and changes the meaning of all that preceded ending with the statement:

AND I LOVE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.

All my poems are tone poems, I.E.: to be enjoyed out loud, and I try to keep the accents on the beat of the meter. With my poems I try to explore the common place emotions of ordinary people, with varying degrees of success. Of course, if a poem is good, it needs no explanation, just being there should be enough. Happy writing.

I have written over 300 poems.

With the variety of sewing machines available, making a decision of which sewing machine to purchase is much more complex than it was way back when…..

Today’s quilters are presented with some interesting and fun options that can make their quilting more interesting and relaxing.

Many of the more popular brands, including Singer, Simplicity, Janome, Brother, White and Necci sewing machines feature an LCD display, dial-a-stitch selector, automatic needle threader, convertible free arm, extension table, electronic speed control, drop in bobbin, and computerized stitch selection, to name just a few. These machines sew not only straight stitches, but zig zag, button hole, and fancy embroidery stitches.

Several sewing machine companies cater to the quilting market by including speed adjustments to make machine quilting easier. The White 1740 Quilter’s Machine has an extra wide extension bed to support your work, and reduce pulling and stretching. The Simplicity American Quilter sewing machine features a convertible free-arm and snap-on presser foot. All of that and they are lightweight, too - so you can easily transport your machine to your quilting class.

In addition to regular sewing machines, there are sergers and longarm quilting machines to consider.

Prices for sewing machines range from around $100 up to, well, in the thousands.

All of these choices are wonderful, yet how to decide.

Before making your purchase, you should decide how you will use your machine, and whether you might want more than one machine. Those decisions can be made within the context of your budget and lifestyle, in addition to your commitment to quilting and the type of quilting you will be doing.

If you are going to be using your machine only for machine piecing quilt tops, and not doing any machine quilting or fancy stitching, a fairly simple sewing machine will likely serve your needs. If you are going to purchase only one machine and are planning to take it to quilting classes with you, weight and bulk may be a consideration. In addition, it may be important for the machine to come with a carrying case; and possibly space in the carrying case for some sewing supplies.

If you are planning to machine piece your quilt tops and machine quilt the completed project, a heavier duty machine with the power to glide through multiple layers of fabric and batting would be a better choice. In addition, you may want to look for a machine that offers a “walking foot,” or something similar, or possibly even built into the machine. This feature will feed the quilt top, batting and quilt backing evenly through the machine as the quilt is stitched, reducing puckering and unsightly folds.

Another consideration if you will be doing much machine quilting is to purchase a sewing machine that is ideal for machine piecing, and a separate longarm machine just for machine quilting. In the past, these machines were designed and priced for the professional market. As with many things, the technology has improved, demand has increased, and now longarm quilting machines are more of an option for home quilters.

Once you have decided how you will use your machine and what features are important to you, the next step is to ponder the particular brands available. Price is not always a determination of quality, so a visit to a local sewing machine store - whether it is the community Sew and Vac, a Walmart, Sears, or something else - where you can “test drive” the machines might be the next order of business.

Trying several different brands with different features will give you an idea of what you prefer. A conversation with a sewing machine repair person will give you a hint about brands that need a lot of service and those which last years with just a yearly tune up.

Once you have narrowed it down to a particular brand or two, and know which features are important, the next step is to do some research on price and availability. The internet offers some great choices for saving money - eBay, overstock.com, PriceGrabber.com, etc. While these sources offer good savings, they may not provide a guarantee or the service you may want for your machine. If your local Sew and Vac will service the machine once you have it, the price savings may prove worthwhile.

Used sewing machines may also be a consideration. Some of the older machines are in excellent condition and offer features not found on current machines. Singer Featherweight sewing machines from the 40s and 50s are still popular with quilters. These little machines are like the Energizer Bunny - they just keep going and going. They are lightweight and simple. Some have attachments, many just sew forward and backward and are perfect for machine piecing. Keep them oiled and they will last many lifetimes!

Wouldn’t it be nice if the decision were easier, and you could just “call Sears” and order the machine? On the other hand, isn’t it fantastic that the quilting days of 75 years ago are behind us and we can now create quilts using technology that encourages our creativity!

Additional information about purchasing a sewing machine and a detailed checklist are available at: http://www.how-to-quilt.com/products.shtml

Happy Quilting!

©2005, Penny Halgren
Penny is a quilter of more than 24 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.

http://www.How-to-Quilt.com
Inspiration and Education for Beginning Quilters

http://www.Rag-Quilt-Instructions.com
Fast, Fun and Funky Quilts

Before, hobbies are taken as ways of relaxation, refreshing, and renewal only, but today, things are different. while the above still hold, hobbies are now serving more purposes.

They are now a very reliable way of making money especially on
the net.

Today your hobby can fetch you more income than your daily job.
It can even make you multiple streams of income, if you know how
to go about it.

What Is Your Hobby?: What do you do to unwind, watching
television, playing crickets, traveling, writing, anything, just anything, believe me honestly it can fetch you money, if only you can provide the information that people want on it.

Two Advantages You Have That will make the job easy for you:
Firstly, since it is your hobby not somebody else’s, you have a
very good knowledge about it that you can share.

Secondly, you have a die-hard interest in it, you have passion
for it, so you can gladly share it, and have great fun.

Follow The Right Steps And Prosper: The steps are easy if you
can follow them strictly, anybody can do it, and it works for all
types of hobbies.

(i)Search for keywords linked to your hobbies that people are
searching for on the net.

(ii)Package high demand, high value information about you hobbies
around this hot keywords.

(iii)Build a site, a theme based content site filled with the
info you have prepared.

(iv)How you present your content matters most. It Must be search
engine friendly and attract targeted traffic, and at the same
time, it must satisfy your site visitors so much that they are
willing to take the next step which is:

Clicking On Your Revenue Models: This is where you recommend
products and services related to your site info to your visitors.
It must include at least 3 of the following:

Google Adsense, Affiliate program, referrer/finder program, long
term models(ex., e-goods selling, services, etc).

To achieve all these you don’t need to be an expert in net tech.
You don’t need to no more than your hobbies to make money.
All you need is the perfect tool that will do all for you while
you concentrate on building your hobby-to-money business.

Ken Envoy’s SiteBuildIt:A site building, site hosting, site
marketing software, fit perfectly into this job. It is a perfect hobby-to-money business builder. This tool will take you through
all the steps above, and the cost is minimal.

So, keep having fun, keep making money from your hobbies.

Tope Ola is a Business Building and Marketing Expert. His
website located at http://www.myss.net/multipleprofit.html
reveals the easiest way to net business building, and the perfect
business building tool. You can also download free ebooks on Netwriting, Trafficking, etc.