Enroll In Acting Casting Director Workshops

Casting director workshops offer actors the opportunity to meet those people who can bring them in for auditions. Particularly in competitive markets like Los Angeles and New York, it can be difficult to get your foot in the door. At casting director workshops, you get to hear from a particular casting director, ask questions about his office, and then perform a scene for him. They are great places for actors to network, and hopefully will lead to future opportunities.

Instructions

1. Search for casting director workshops in your area. In large markets, you will have many options from which to choose. In smaller markets, you may only have one or two workshop facilities.

2. Read feedback on acting message boards regarding specific workshop services. Some places will be more expensive than others and the format may vary slightly from place to place. Read feedback from other actors and learn from their experiences. Major acting message boards are Back Stage and Showfax.

3. Contact casting director workshop companies regarding joining. Most places will require that actors audition to be accepted into their group. Once you have been accepted, you can then sign up for any workshops they offer.

4. Set up an audition time. You'll likely be given one to two scenes to perform with a scene partner or a reader. Often, one scene will be dramatic and one will be comedic, so the person auditioning you can get an idea of your acting range. You will be given 10 to 15 minutes to review the material and then be brought in to perform it. They set up the auditions like this because it mimics the format of casting director workshops. Generally, the casting director assigns scenes, you have a short period of time to work on the material, and you then perform for the casting director.

5. Bring your head shot and resume with you to the audition. The workshop company will likely want to keep a few copies of your materials on file. You will also need to bring a head shot and resume to every casting director workshop you attend.

6. Sign up for casting director workshops. Once you are a member of the group, you can then sign up for any casting director workshops you wish to attend. Sign-up procedures will vary from group to group. Many workshop facilities now feature online schedules where you can simply sign up for workshops from any computer. Other places email schedules out to members who can then call in or email back with the workshops they wish to attend.

7. Pay for the workshops you'll be attending. Most casting director workshops accept credit cards, checks and cash as methods of payment. You usually have to pay in full to reserve your place in the workshop. Ask about cancellation policies. Most will offer credit if you cancel within a specified period of time.

Enter Sweepstakes Contests To Win Money And Prizes

Enter Sweepstakes Contests to Win Money and Prizes

Entering sweepstakes contests to win money and prizes online is easier than ever. The old days of hand writing entries and sending them through the mail are over.

You can win prizes that range from free food coupons to cars if you enter contests on a regular basis as a hobby.

Here are some tips on enter sweepstakes contests to win money and prizes online and enter them. At the end of the article, I have listed some great contest sites in the resource section.

Happy Winning!

Instructions

1. There are many sites on the Internet that list places enter sweepstakes contests to win money and prizes online. Most are updated daily. The most important thing to remember is that you should NEVER pay to access a sweepstakes or contest database. This is information you can find for free without paying someone.

2. When searching the Internet for contests and sweepstakes to enter, think first about what you would like to win. This will narrow down the contest listings and you will be able to focus on winning the things you need but cannot afford!

3. Go on Google and search use some common search terms such as "car sweepstakes", "travel sweepstakes", "baby product sweepstakes" to get specific results for contests that are currently in progress.

For a broader result, enter the phrase "sweepstakes" or "contests" in Google search.

4. Everyone wants to win a car or money. When you start out entering sweepstakes, try for some of the less popular contests. You have a better chance of winning because less people will enter. When you win, it inspires you to try for bigger prizes! It is always an incentive to win something, whether it is a book or airline tickets.

5. Check your favorite magazine web sites. Most magazines have many contests that they run both in their printed magazine and on their website. Sites such as Lucky Magazine, Elle Magazine and Good Housekeeping Magazine all have websites on the Internet and list multiple contests each month.

Men's magazines such as Men's Journal and FHM Magazine have websites with contests for prizes such as sporting event tickets, vacations and automobiles.

6. Blogs are a great place to check for contests. Many bloggers like to drive traffic to their site with a contest for items such as baby products, candles, household items and electronics.

Do an Internet search for "blogs with contests" to get a list of some popular blogs that do giveaways. There are an enormous amount of contests held on many "Mommy Blogs" because they do product reviews (free products to give away) and love to network by using contests on their blog.

7. To make entering contests easier, try using an "auto-fill" application on your computer. There are many sites that offer virus-free auto-fill applications so you do not have to repeatedly type your basic information into the contest entry form. The program Robo-Form is excellent. It provides protection from phishing and has password protection. The website is listed in the resources section at the end of this article.

8. Read the rules to the sweepstakes carefully. You will get disqualified if you don't play by the rules. Double check your entry and make sure information such as you street address, email and phone number are correct.

9. Set up an email account specifically for entering sweepstakes and contests to win money and other prizes. This way you will not get mass emails about contests in the inbox of your regular email address! Set up something simple and easy to access. Check your email several times a day to insure that you don't miss a contest!

10. Enter the contests you are extremely interested in several times each day. Check the rules to see if you are allowed to enter more than once a day or. Many larger contests allow you to enter once per day. Check the end of the entry area for a space to put your email in so that the company offering the prize will be able to notify you to come back and enter the contest each day.

11. Enjoy entering contests on the Internet for fun without becoming obsessed with winning. Entering a contest is a game of chance. Winning is very exciting but making winning your primary goal shifts the fun to an unhealthy gambling obsession.

Enjoy entering sweepstakes contests to win money and prizes online and make it a fun activity. Enter sweepstakes for the thrill of the possible win, but don't try to make luck your primary source of income.

Have fun and good luck!

Enter A Teen Poetry Contest

If you are younger than 18 and write high-quality poetry for your age, you should consider entering a teen poetry contest. Receiving an award for poetry at a young age is a great way to gain experience with critiques and judges. Also, if you win, you'll have a jump start on others who are studying poetry in college if that is something you pursue. Most importantly, you can also enter a contest with a cash reward.

Instructions

Enter a Teen Poetry Contest

1. Create a portfolio or collection of your best poetry before finding a contest to enter. Most contests require information about the teenage poet, and showing your dedication and seriousness to your work early with help to impress the judges. It also would help to have studied some poetry and to know about basic poem styles, meter, stanzas, etc.

2. Have your parent, English teacher or experienced writer look over the poems that you are considering to submit to contests. Use the critiques and criticism to revise your poems the best that you can.

3. Go to the Poets & Writers Organization website (see Resources). This is an excellent website for teenagers and writers of all ages who are serious about writing poetry.

4. Click on the "Tools for Writers" option from the top toolbar. Click on the "More Grants & Awards" option. You can search for grants and awards from a variety of contests.

5. Find a contest that is strictly for teenagers only. The odds are that the contest will be for college-bound high school students who are serious about writing poetry. Each contest will have different submission guidelines, so read carefully to include all that is asked. For some, you can send you poems online, and other contests require that you mail them.

Enter A Contest Online

If you love entering contests, you're feeling lucky and like to win, then online contests are for you. You can find contest for writers, photographers and shoppers. Maybe you like trivia or answering questions. Follow these tips to enter a contest online.

Instructions

1. Decide what kind of contest you want to enter. You can enter product contests with ballots associated with department stores. Or you can enter more specific contests. Check local radio stations and grocery stores. They often have contests.

2. Enter contests geared to what you are good at. Find a writing contest if you are a great writer or find a photography contest if you love to take photos.

3. Visit an online contest index. Find answers to frequently asked question and browse the contest topics. You can choose the types of contests you like to enter or enter them all.

4. Read magazines for information on online contests associated with the publication. Or check out websites of magazines you read.

5. Read the directions carefully when you find a contest online. Make sure you are eligible for the prizes. Look for things like country information. Some contests are only for those citizens of the country. Make sure you are old enough to enter the contest.

6. Type in all the required information. Some contests simply ask for your name, address and email address. Make sure you fill in all the required information or your ballot may be thrown out.

7. Follow the rules. If it says to enter only once, don't try different names with the same email address. You may disqualify yourself. Check the dates so that you don't miss the deadlines.

8. Check your typing if you are writing an essay. Look for typos and grammatical errors. Save a copy of your entry. Check that all your contact information is typed correctly or the company won't be able to contact you if you win.

Increase Chances Of Winning A Sweepstakes

There's blind reliance on luck, and then there's strategic planning. When it comes to sweepstakes, there is a way to improve your odds of winning, and all you need to do is inject a bit of science into this game of luck. Here's how.

Instructions

Winning by Design: Increase Your Chances of Winning the Sweepstakes

1. Enter as many contests as you can. It doesn't matter who sponsors it or what prizes are up for grabs. Whether it's cash you stand to win or 50 pounds of jelly beans, it's a freebie and one you could use in some way. If you want to win prizes each time and all the time, enter sweepstakes sponsored by drink companies. These offer a lot of prizes for grabs---if not by the hundreds, then by the thousands. Your winnings could be barbecue sauce, a Samsung 30-inch SlimFit television, an ESPN studio tour package, a wallpaper or a ring tone. Again, who cares if it's a ring tone you win? It's free.

2. Fill out forms clearly and neatly. Do not write in your typical chicken scrawl. Contest organizers are not capable of telepathy. If they cannot read your contact information, how can they get in touch with you?

3. Get a Roboform or any free form filler. This makes it easier for you to go on a sweepstakes-joining spree online. This is where your email addresses will come in handy. When asked for an email address, give out the one you created especially for your sweepstakes effort. Remember, the more you give out your email address, the more attractive you become to unscrupulous advertisers and spammers. Without a new email account, you could find your current email Inbox flooded with offers of riches from Nigeria.

4. Be on the watch for sweepstakes with entry restrictions. The fewer the people eligible to enter, the higher your chances of winning. Some of these restrictions include age, gender or residence.

5. Set your sights on the most difficult sweepstakes to enter. The more difficult it is to join, the less competition you will be faced with. Sometimes, a sweepstakes requires entrants to jump through hoops just to be eligible for the contest. You will be asked to provide codes, answer questions, or fill out a long survey. Believe it or not, this is a cause for celebration, not grousing. With fewer entrants to compete with, you are almost a shoo-in for the winnings.

Make Claymation Figurines

Whether you are an aspiring film maker who needs claymation figurines to complete an animated film or you are a claymation enthusiast who wants some unique decorations, you can create quality figurines for a reasonable price. Once you decide what figurines you would like to create, the rest requires time and patience.

Instructions

1. Draw actual-size drawings of each figurine you want to create. Draw them to scale and from every angle. According to stopmotionworks.com, these sketches "are imperative if you are going to be building several puppets for a production. It's the only way to ensure the scale stays the same."

2. Purchase or gather all the needed materials based on your sketches. Buy several kinds of aluminum sculpting wire, 3 and 1.5 millimeters in diameter and two thinner kinds. Obtain oil (mineral, linseed or baby), clay in as many colors as you will be using, different sizes of sculpting mesh, epoxy adhesive, glass beads and, if desired, a clay-cutting tool. Make sure you have a drill, vice and wire cutters to use at home.

3. Collect your wires to begin making the armatures for the figurines. Armatures are the "skeleton" of the claymation figures you will cover in sculpting mesh and clay. Use the 1.5 wire for the arms of the figurines, and cut them at the desired length with the wire cutters. Do the same with the 3 wire for the legs and torsos.

4. Create a stronger wire for the figurines' waist and neck by cutting several strands of the 1.5 wire. Clutch the wires together and place on end in a vice and the other in a drill chuck. Turn the drill while keeping a tension on the wire until they are wound together.

5. Use the thinner wire to create the hands and fingers. Use the thinnest wire to create the figurines' wrists.

6. Assemble all the wire parts of each figurine, and cover them in sculpting mesh. Hold all the parts together with the epoxy adhesive.

7. Apply clay to the armature of the figurine. Start with smaller bits of clay used to make the basic shape of the figurine, then add smaller bits of clay to complete it. Manually smooth out the clay with your fingers. Use the sculpting knife to detail the figurines.

8. Use the beads as the figurine's eyes. You can paint pupils on them with black paint.

9. Place a small amount of the oil on a small paint brush. Carefully and sparingly run the paint brush over imperfections in the clay figurine for smoothness, but not too much, or the figurine will become mushy. Wait for the figurines to dry.

Make Your Own Manga Comic

Study the Manga style before you create your own book.

Creating a Manga comic is a work of art that requires time, persistence and patience. The Manga market in Japan is huge, with the industry worth $200 million in 2006. You can learn to create your own Manga comics from concept to final draft.

Instructions

Manga Comic: Create Your Own Book

1. Read a Manga comic such as "Alita: Battle Angel" or "The Guiver," then compare the story and characters in it with something sillier, such as "The Dirty Pair."

2. Decide what your Manga comic is going to be about; the key to a good Manga comic is "exaggeration."

3. Write a paragraph about the story, from beginning to end, but leave out the details and characters.

4. Reduce the paragraph into one sentence that describes the comic to get a good idea of what to name your Manga comic.

5. Work on characters to develop your story. Determine their values, interests, loves, hates, friends, enemies, powers or talents and a background. Write a profile for each of your characters as if you were describing the character to a friend. This will help develop a voice as you write your own book.

6. Decide how much background or plot you want to expose to readers in your own book. Try teasing your readers with hints about the plot, but pack your Manga comic full of action.

7. Break your story into sections. Decide at which point you want to tell your readers something, or if you just want to introduce a new character, in what scene and what circumstances are necessary.

8. Create a storyboard to put your sections into a sequence of events and create points in your story for the drawings to be placed. Start with notes of "where" you want your characters to be and "what" they should be doing to help create the scenes.

9. Purchase books to learn draw the popular Manga style or hire someone to draw for you. Create a partnership with a colleague or friend for help.

10. Sketch out your characters in action.

11. Create a final draft that's a combination of writing and sketches ready for conversion.

12. Convert your final draft into line drawings.

Engrave Wood Jewelry

This butterfly pattern can be engraved into a piece of wood and worn as a necklace pendant.

Wooden engraved pendant jewelry is very popular. Instead of spending a fortune on purchasing wooden engraved jewelry, you can make your own personalized, wooden pendant that can be fastened to a leather string or silver chain to make a necklace. Any type of wood can be engraved. With a few tools purchased from your local hardware store, a little elbow grease and some patience, you can make your own wood engraved jewelry that would make an excellent gift or provide a stylish, unique accent to any outfit.

Instructions

1. Take out your piece of wood that is roughly sized about 2-by-2 inches. With a pencil, draw your chosen design on the flat surface of your wood. You can write your name, draw a butterfly or do an abstract pattern.

2. Take your engraver and plug it into the wall. Turn on your engraver and go over your pencil lines with the thin tip of your engraver in a swift motion. You do not need to press down hard for the engraver to carve your line. When you are finished going over your lines, turn off your engraver.

3. Remove the thin tip from your engraver by twisting it to the left and pulling it out. Replace the thin tip with a thicker bit of your choice by placing the end of the thicker tip into the engraver and turning it to the right until it snaps into place. Turn on your engraver and lightly press the thicker bit into the area around your engraved lines. You now have a thick line sanded away from the area around your design. This will help to give your design a raised look. Turn off your engraver.

4. Remove the thicker bit from your engraver by twisting it to the left and pulling out. Replace the thick bit with your sanding tool by placing the end of the tool into the engraver and turning it right until it snaps into place. Turn on your engraver and sand away the entire area surrounding your design with a light circular motion. You now have a raised design that has been engraved into your wood.

5. Insert a small bit into your drill. Drill a hole where you'd like to thread the leather cord through your engraved wooden pendant. Take your leather string and thread it through the hole.

Engrave Text In Wood

Engrave text in wood to personalize items.

Wood engraving uses a special tool to chisel small pieces of wood out of the surface to create a design. This technique is simple and uses the same tool for wood of all varieties. Engraving text into wood is a good way to personalize items such as picture frames or tables. Keep the engraved objects for yourself or give them away as gifts. Learning use an engraving tool saves money and helps you create unique designs.

Instructions

1. Sand the area of the wood you want to engrave with a medium-grade sandpaper if it has any rough surfaces.

2. Clamp the wooden item to a table (or any flat surface) so it doesn't shift during the engraving process.

3. Draw the text onto the wood with a pencil. Marking the surface is a preliminary sketch. Place it where you want the engraving located. Design the lettering as you want it to appear.

4. Plug in the engraving tool and put on goggles.

5. Turn on the engraver and trace the text you designed on the wood. The harder you push, the deeper the indention. Keep an even pressure and move slowly along the text. Don't lift the engraver or stop movement because this breaks the flow of the line.

6. Wipe off the wooden object with a damp cloth to remove all the dust. Any cotton, or lint-free cloth takes the dust off easily and doesn't leave fibers behind. Other cloths are acceptable but they create more work because you'll have to remove lint afterward. Take the clamps off.

Make A Birthday Greeting Card

Creating birthday greeting cards can be fun for artists and crafters, and the recipients will feel honored with these distinctive, personalized cards, especially when they're made with affection.

Instructions

1. Plan your theme according to the personality of the recipient and your relationship to them. If the recipient is a golfer, gourmet cook, wine enthusiast, world traveler or seamstress, plan a theme around those particular interests. A young boy might love a cowboy or sports theme, a young girl may be thrilled with a ballerina or Hannah Montana theme.

2. Fold a piece of construction paper in half, cutting it down to size if you prefer a smaller card.

3. Write a colorful birthday message on the outside of the card, and a personalized message inside. Draw a colorful picture if you like.

4. Glue on some glitter, confetti, or torn scraps of colorful tissue paper, or attach some whimsical stickers. Allow the glue to dry.

5. Present the personalized birthday card to the happy recipient.

Engrave On Wood

Wood engravings were traditionally used in printing. Artists carved a piece of wood so that the raised surface had the design. The wood surface was then saturated with ink and pressed onto the paper, transferring the design. While the history of wood engraving is helpful, today's artist can apply a variety of techniques to carve a design on a piece of wood. Here is how you can do it.

Instructions

1. Sand your wood surface so that it is smooth enough to make a nice engraving. Remove any excess dust with a brush or clean rag.

2. Shine your lamp on the wood surface. Use a magnifying glass attached to the lamp if you feel it is necessary. Wood engraving is precise work and you need to be comfortable studying details over a long period of time. You can find good lamps with magnifiers in art and craft stores.

3. Practice your design with India ink and pen on drawing paper. Also called Chinese ink, it is used for drawing, calligraphy and tattoos. It can be tricky to use if you're not used to it. Dip your pen into the jar of water, blot out excess water on a paper towel, dip into the ink and blot out the ink before drawing.

4. Make your design on the wood surface. Remember to blot out water and ink before applying to the wood since it is not a paper surface that is easy to replace.

5. Leave your work aside for at least a day so you can view it with fresh eyes when you carve it out.

6. Use your engraver to carefully carve the design into your piece of wood. Remember to shine the light and adjust the magnifying glass so that you can see details.

7. Remove wood dust from your engraving with a brush or clean cloth.

Make Sound Effects For Stopmotion Animation

Stop-motion animation uses stills of objects to create the illusion of movement. Each still has the object in a slightly different position to simulate motion. This allows animators to make toys, clay or other objects appear as if they are moving. Since a silent animation might be boring and sounds can contribute to the narrative of the animation, animators can take advantage of recording hardware that plugs directly into a computer and record sound effects that can be synched to the animation movie to provide sound.

Instructions

1. Plug a microphone into a computer or use the computer's built-in microphone. Alternatively, use a recording device that produces an MP3 file and move the file to your computer.

2. Choose a recording program to record the sounds you produce. Most recording programs have a red circle to identify the recording function. Alternatively, get a digital recorder that will record sounds and turn them into MP3s and load them directly to your computer.

3. Create the sounds for the sound effects for the stop-motion animation close to the microphone. Stop the recording once you have the sound effect you want.

4. Press "Play" and listen to the recording to decide if you are happy with the results. If you are not, delete the original recording and try again.

5. Load the animation into a movie-editing program that lets you dub sound effects over the animation. In many programs, you can position the sound effect exactly where it would logically occur in the animation.

6. Pay attention to the sounds you hear every day. These sounds might not be noticeable because you are so familiar and them, but they might play a role in the stop animation. Sounds can be created with objects found outside and within your home. For example, the sound of a punch striking a body can be created by hitting a soft stick and newspaper together. Breaking wood in half and replaying the sound in slow motion can sound like an earthquake. Closing a file cabinet can create a sound like an elevator. Bring a small recorder with you and record any interesting sounds you hear to later incorporate into the stop-motion animation

Engrave Letters On Wood

Engraved Sign

Engraving letters in wood can be done even if you don't know engrave by hand. Use a wood burning kit with various tips and a stencil or pattern. This will create any engraved sign that can look professional. Wood burning kits and all related tips, directions and patterns can be found in most craft stores in various price ranges.

Instructions

1. Clean the surface of the wood with a dry cloth to remove any dirt and/or debris. Dampen the cloth with water only to remove any embedded dirt. Plug the wood burning tool with a tip that corresponds to the type of letters used. For example, if using a cursive handwriting letter, use a calligraphy tool; if using block letters, use a universal tip. Let the wood burner heat up.

2. Practice writing on the practice piece of wood with the heated wood burner to get the hang of the wood burner and the tip being used. This will prevent any mistakes on the actual piece of wood. Set the practice wood beside the working wood to use as needed during wood burning after practicing.

3. Cut the letters needed from the set of stencils and place them on top of the block of the working wood in the correct wording and design that is being used.

4. Tape the letters to the wood with small pieces of masking tape. Keep as much of the edge of the stencils clear of tape in order to trace the letters. Trace the outline of the stencil with a pencil, copying it to the wood. Lift the pieces of masking tape that are overlapping the outline and continue tracing the outline, then replace the tape on the wood. Remove the stencils from the wood when tracing is complete. There will now be penciled-in letters on the wood.

5. Begin in the corner of a letter and burn the wood with the hot wood burner in the outline of the letters. Be careful to stay within the lines for a more crisp look. Go slow in order to have a more even look to the letters.

6. Continue burning the inside of the letters if desired or just leave the outline of the letters, depending on the letters' size. At this point, use the other tips of the kit to use for background shading if desired.

Engrave Letters

Engraving is the act of carving out a shape or symbol into a material. Engraving is similar to etching, but engraving is deeper. A number of different items, from metal to wood, can be engraved both by machine as well as by hand. If you want to engrave letters into an object then you need to carefully lay out your plan and practice a bit to be sure that the engraver you're using works with the material you want to engrave.

Instructions

1. Mark on your practice material, which should be a sample of your final engraving material, with your marker. Draw out the letters you want to engrave, and make sure that the style and shape of the letters is exactly the way you want.

2. Engrave the letters with your engraving tool. The engraving tool is basically a miniature, hand-held jackhammer. This means that you need to hold it steady while it gyrates, and allow the head to chip away the material to carve out the letters. Engrave so that you have a smooth depression for each letter and that the letters look exactly how you want.

3. Repeat this process on your main material. Once you're used to the material and you have the design set, engrave the letters again, this time on your base material instead of the sample.

Engrave Copper

Engraving has greatly enhanced this copper heart.

Engraving is an ancient art used for decoration, scene depiction and printing plates. Today, most printing plates are made by machines, but fine artists still make engraved plates in order to create prints. Decorative engraving and scene depiction are achieved by using a series of burins or gravers to carve lines into the copper by hand, creating the desired design. The finished result is quite beautiful when skillfully done.

Instructions

1. This copper kettle would make a perfect subject for engraving.

Select the copper you plan to engrave. Spend less money on thin sheets of copper, which will have a quilted or depression leading to the engraving lines you make. Using thicker, more expensive sheets of copper will retain a smooth overall surface with only your engraving lines to interrupt it. Consider engraving an existing copper item, such as a cup, dish, trophy or piece of jewelry, after you have become proficient at working with flat pieces of copper.

2. Burins look much like these carving tools.

Choose your burins, also called gravers, which are steel carving tools with very fine tips and wooden ball-like handles made to fit in your palm. Choose a diamond- or square-shaped graver to make straight lines. Make wider, brighter lines using a round burin. Create an undercut line using an angle tint tool, which is suitable if you plan to use your plate for printing.

3. Paper currency often makes use of fields of texture.

Pick a different set of gravers to fill larger areas, such as flat burins or Florentine liners, which are special flat tools with multiple grooves cut into them. Use roulets and mezzotint rockers to create fields of pattern, which you can also make using a metal punch and hammer. Select a burnishing tool to smooth or depress large areas.

4. Use a fine-tip marking pen to draw your design onto the copper.

Use a fine-tip ink marker to draw your image on the copper. Hold your piece in your gloved hand or secure it in an engraver's vise. Push your burin through the lines of your design using differing pressures and angles to achieve the widths and depths required to translate your image. Feel the lines for a burr, or sharply raised area beside your cut, which you must remove and adjust your tool or technique to avoid making again.

5. Different techniques can create a variety of shading.

Create the impression that some areas are darker by "hatching," which is a series of parallel lines all in one area. Make a darker image by hatching again at a different angle, or "cross hatching." Achieve other shaded areas by making a series of dots, called "stippling," with a metal punch and light hammer. Make your dots larger or closer to create a darker image. Use similar techniques to drawing with ink when engraving on your copper.

Make A Homemade Henna Tattoo

Henna hands.

Henna tattoos are popular in Indian cultures, where they are used for special occasions such as marriages. However, they are becoming increasingly popular in North America as a short-term alternative to permanent tattoos. Henna tattoos usually last two weeks when cared for properly. If you want to make a henna tattoo on your own, gather the equipment and a design before you begin.

Instructions

1. Purchase henna powder. You can get it at specialty stores, craft stores or Indian stores. It comes in powder form in a cone-shaped plastic bag with a sticker on the end.

2. Read the directions that come with your henna powder. There should be the powder and a package of henna catalyst with it. Boil a cup of water, and pour it into a mug. Place the unopened sachet into the mug of hot water for 2 minutes.

3. Remove the sachet, and turn it over in your hands a few times to mix it. Cut the sachet open, pour it into the henna cone and allow it to make contact with the henna powder.

4. Mix the henna with the catalyst by kneading the outside of the bag gently. You should see color begin to form in a deep red-brown hue. Continue to knead until there is no dry powder left in the cone.

5. Remove the sticker on the tip of the cone and give it one final mix. Leave it to sit for 4 to 6 hours. You can leave it for up to three days in the refrigerator, after which its potency will decrease.

6. Choose a design while waiting for the henna to set. You can choose a simple tribal design, a traditional and intricate Indian design, lettering or a character. Sketch it on a piece of paper. Clean your skin with rubbing alcohol to make sure it is clean and dry, without any oils that could disrupt the henna's absorption into the skin.

7. Snip the tip of the henna cone when the 4 to 6 hours are up. Remember that the smaller the cut you make, the more intricate your designs can be.

8. Apply an even coating of mehlabiya oil on the skin. It makes your skin easier to work on and sets the color better.

9. Follow the design that you've sketched to fill in your tattoo. Remember that traditional henna tattoos are only a series of designs that are done randomly. For an authentic look, fill in an area of your body with swirls, dots and other designs.

10. Leave the henna paste on the skin for at least 2 hours. It should be dried by the time you are ready to remove it.

11. Refrain from letting your tattoo come in contact with water for at least 12 hours. The henna color will develop over a few hours, leaving you with a richly colored temporary tattoo.

Make Temporary Tattoos

Make Temporary Tattoos

A lot of people like the concept of body art, via tattoos. After all, their favorite celebrities are often a road map of artwork from the nape of their necks to the tips of their toes. Yet, while many might like to try a tattoo, some aren't ready to commit to something permanent. That isn't a problem with homemade temporary tattoos.

Instructions

Temporary Tattoos Using Clipart

1. Decide what type of tattoo design is desired, and determine the size and colors that will be used and where on the body the tattoo will be placed.

2. Decide on a professional-looking temporary tattoo using a computer desktop publishing program, a color printer and temporary tattoo paper (that can be purchased online) or on a stenciled or drawn-on design done by hand. Hand-painted or stencil designs can be filled in with body paint, henna ink or nail polish.

3. Choose professional clip art designs and move the design into a computer desktop publishing program. This can be done by finding free clip art graphics online, through desktop publishing programs or by scanning a chosen design into the computer system.

4. Pull the clip art into a program, where it can be manipulated as desired to make it bigger or smaller or change some or all of the colors.

5. Print the finished tattoo design onto temporary tattoo paper.

6. Apply the tattoo as directed by the paper's instructions.

Temporary Tattoos Using Stencils

7. Choose a stencil design or make a handmade stencil design.

8. Clean the area of skin with soap and water.

9. Pat the area dry with a towel. Make sure there are no dirty areas or wounds in this part of the skin.

10. Place the tattoo stencil on the area of the body where you would like to have the tattoo. Fill in the stencil tattoo with washable body paints, nontoxic washable henna ink or nail polish in the desired colors.

Draw An Eagle With An American Flag

A bald eagle and an American flag are commonly paired together as a symbol of the United States. In order to keep this drawing easy, the flag should not be waving or blowing in the wind but straight and upright, as it would be if it were displayed in a case in a museum. The eagle is best drawn only over the half of the flag with stripes because that half is less complicated to draw.

Instructions

The American Flag

1. Draw a rectangle 7 1/4 inches wide and 4 inches high. Use a ruler to do this.

2. Draw the right-hand half of the flag lightly so that when you draw the eagle over the flag, parts of it can be erased. You will darken it once the eagle has been drawn.

3. Draw a rectangle 3 inches wide and 2 1/4 inches tall in the upper left-hand corner of the first rectangle. Use a ruler.

4. Draw five evenly spaced rows of six 5-pointed stars inside the smaller rectangle.

5. Draw a row of five stars in between each row that has six stars.

6. Draw a horizontal line 1/4-inch above the base of the large rectangle.

7. Draw another horizontal line 1/4 inch above the line drawn in Step 6, and continue drawing lines at 1/4-inch increments until you reach the top of the flag.

The Eagle

8. Draw two ovals lightly in the right half of the flag. Make the first oval 3 1/2 inches tall and slanted to the right. Make the second oval touch the top of the first oval; it should be 1-inch tall and pointing to the right as the first oval does. The first oval represents the eagle's body and tail, while the second represents the head of the eagle. The eagle will face right, away from the stars.

9. Draw the slight curve of the eagle's back over the first oval, and extend it down in a straight line pointing toward the bottom of the flag. This is the eagle's tail.

10. Extend the just-drawn curve upward and into another straight line, representing the neck.

11. Extend the neck line up, and then into a sharp curve over the front of the eagle's face.

12. Draw the line over the face of the eagle straight into the top of the eagle's beak, which will be long, pointed and extend over the bottom jaw.

13. Draw an S curve from the bottom jaw to the breast of the eagle, then continue to draw the bottom of the eagle with a line that gently slopes upward and back to the point of the tail.

14. Draw two V shapes, pointed down and overlapping each other, half way between the eagle's tail and breast. These V shapes are the legs.

15. Draw a thin stick from each leg. Make the sticks fork downward into two parts, the talons.

16. Draw pointed claws on each talon.

17.Erase the stripes of the flag that are inside the eagle.

18. Add several rows of V-shaped feathers (pointing down) over the back of the eagle. You need not draw all the feathers, but imply that there are many rows by distributing the feathers in clumps all over the eagle's body.

19. Draw the outline of the eye of the eagle in the middle of the head, behind the beak. Make the eye an almond shape.

20. Shade the circular pupil in the center of the eye.

21. Color blue or shade the rectangle that contains the stars in the left-hand corner.

22. Shade the body of the eagle, excluding the head, which remains white.

23. Color red or shade every other stripe of the flag. Start with the top stripe and move down from there. Leave alternating stripes white.

Make Artwork Vectors

Turn your photograph into a work of art.

Vector art is a form of modern art that has become popular. Vector artwork is done by transforming a photograph into a picture that looks like an animated image. Not only does it change the look of the photograph, the picture can then be resized and stretched without making it look blurry or distorted. Vectoring is commonly done with Adobe Photoshop. These instructions are for using Photoshop, but they can easily be adapted for other photo editing software.

Instructions

1. Select a large picture to vector. It must be at least 600 by 600 pixels, so that you can see a lot of detail.

2. Save a copy of your picture as a different name. This way, if you want to start over, you'll still have the original image.

3. Copy the background layer of the picture, and then turn off the visibility.

4. Click on the "Posterize" option under the Image and Adjustments menus.

5. Use the pen tool to outline the biggest parts of the photograph. Begin a new layer of outline for each part of the image, using the Layer option. For instance, if it's a picture of a flower, begin a new layer for the stem, the leaves and each petal. Use a color similar to the color in the detail for each outline. Using the Layer option allows you to work on each detail of the picture individually, without touching the other details.

6. Continue outlining the details of the photograph, starting with the largest ones and ending with the smallest.

7. Adjust the colors of each detail to add highlighting.

8. Use the gradient tool to add highlighting to the background. Select several colors that are in your picture to use in the background.

9. Use Photoshop brushes to add details on top of the background. Be sure to use colors that coordinate with your picture.

10. Save the image as a .VPF file.

Get A Subscription To The Atlanta Journalconstitution

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the primary newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding areas. The AJC, as it is commonly called, has a daily circulation of more than 460,000, according the Readership Institute. The AJC makes it easy for potential readers to order subscriptions.

Instructions

1. Verify that your delivery address is within the Journal-Constitution morning delivery area. If it's not, you'll need to order a mail subscription, which is more expensive. Morning delivery subscribers must reside within one of the following counties of Georgia: Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Polk, Rockdale or Walton.

2. Visit the AJC website at ajc.com. Click on the link at the upper-right side of the screen that says "Subscribe to the paper."

3. Choose of the four subscription packages and click "Continue."

4. Enter your delivery and billing address. Enter your credit card information and click "Continue" to review your order and confirm your subscription.

Encourage Large Motor Skills Development With Learning Activities

Playground equipment facilitates the use and development of gross motor skills.

Activities that foster development of gross motor skills help students learn to effectively manipulate and use the larger muscles in their bodies. Strong gross motor skills help students maintain balance, have good coordination and gain confidence. Fortunately, using playground equipment can be a big help. In particular, using a variety of equipment will help work different muscles.

Instructions

Encourage Playground Use

1. Drive or walk to a playground. Equipment on a playground encourages students to use a variety of gross motor skills while they have fun.

2. Tell children to follow you around the playground as you do various activities. As children mirror your actions they will strengthen their gross motor skills.

3. Hold your arms out straight to each side and try to maintain your balance while carefully walking around the perimeter of a hopscotch board.

4. Walk to a jungle gym and climb up and down it. If the jungle gym has ladder-type bars you can hold to get across to a different side, encourage children to use their hand and arm strength to follow you to the other side by grasping bars one at a time and swinging their body weight.

5. Sit on a swing and have students do the same. Encourage everyone to swing their legs, and the gradual pumping should increase the swing height.

6. Allow students to explore other parts of the playground on their own so they can continue to challenge and develop their muscles.

Encourage Children'S Art Appreciation

Encourage Children's Art Appreciation

Encouraging children's appreciation of art isn't as daunting as it sounds. Like many other things, teaching children appreciate art needs to begin when they are young. Encourage children to appreciate art so that they may grow into cultured adults.

Instructions

1. Start them young. Children's appreciation of art does not develop overnight. Instill their appreciation for art by actively encouraging them to think about art. Find a children's art museum and take them to it.

2. Become an expert. Learn as much as you can about art so you can be ready to answer their questions. Visit museum websites and read articles about art. Include your children in your research.

3. Make learning about art fun and interactive. Try to make learning about art mimic play. Physical and computer games devoted to teaching children about art may help encourage art appreciation.

4. Buy accessible reproductions of famous artwork. Get magazines, post cards, posters and other prints to introduce children to art.

5. Enroll children in art classes for kids. Art classes for kids help build upon existing art appreciation and talents. Allow children to compete in art contests and win awards.

6. Teach children that having opinions about art is important. Lead by example. Look at a piece of art and tell the children what you like or don't like about it. Get children talking about the same piece.

7. Help children see art in everyday life. Children are more likely to appreciate art if they can identify artistic elements in many of the things they encounter.

8. Reward children for learning about art. If you visit a museum and the children recognize a piece of art, congratulate them. Children will be excited to learn more about art if you are appreciative of their efforts.

Embrace The Power Of Positive Thinking

Embrace The Power of Positive Thinking

Do you desire to see yourself as being: Happy, Successful, and achieve positive results in your life? Of course you do! Let's get started reading, embrace the power of positive thinking.

Instructions

1. Get into a quiet comfortable space. Take time to listen and evaluate your inner talk, the inner conversation that is going on inside of your mind. Determine if that inner voice is positive or negative?

2. If your inner voice is negative, you need to change that right now! Stop all of the inner dialogues and comments that are playing in your mind.

Begin to, write down the things that make you feel unhappy and unworthy with your personal life and yourself.

3. Once you have written those negative things down, tear up the list and throw it away.

Let go of all of the negative and embrace the power of positive thinking.

4. Develop a new list of habits, that would will result on you becoming a more positive person. Try this for 21 days! Use positive affirmations, set positive goals, do more exercising, eat more healthy foods, go apply for a new job, make more sales calls, or launch a new business. Do whatever it takes!

Draw A Sand Bucket

Add a drawing of a sand bucket to pictures, walls, or clothing.

Sand buckets, seashells, and starfish all say "ocean" or "day at the beach" when added to pictures, stenciled on walls or used as clothing decoration. Drawing a sand bucket is very much like drawing a glass or a cup. There are some variances depending on whether you are looking up at the bucket, down at it or observing it from the same level. Location is also a factor: on sand, in water or seen alone.

Instructions

1. Use a paper or plastic cup for perspective.

Place the paper or plastic cup on a surface that will put it in the same sort of perspective as the sand bucket you wish to draw. This will give you a visual reference to see if your bucket looks realistic.

2. Use a pencil to draw a large oval.

Position your view slightly above the cup. Use a pencil to draw a large oval horizontally positioned on your page. Draw a slightly smaller oval beneath the first oval. Draw a line from the right hand side of the top oval to the right hand side of the bottom oval. Draw another line from the left hand side of the top oval to the left side of the bottom oval. Erase the back line of the bottom oval.

3. Draw an arced line that bows slightly upward on the horizontal plane of your page.

Position your view slightly below the cup. Draw an arced line that bows slightly upward on the horizontal plane of your page. Draw a smaller arced line that bows slightly downward on the horizontal plane of your page. Connect the ends of the lines with sloping vertical lines.

4. Draw waves.

Place your bucket in the picture by creating a surface for it to sit on. Draw a softly curved line across the bottom of it to indicate sand; or draw waves to show that it is in the water.

5. Make any decorations on the bucket follow the same curve lines as the top or bottom to help create realistic perspective.

Embrace Death And Dying

To embrace death and dying is a tall order for many. Fear of pain, suffering, and the unknown; reigns supreme over the thoughts of those with death anxiety. Whether one's level of worry is mild, moderate, or severe, it debilitates daily living for many. Here you'll find ways to, gently and lightheartedly, face your own fears and embrace death and dying.

Instructions

1. Begin your journey to embrace death and dying by seeing the resources below after reading this article. There you will find a link to a wonderful YouTube clip from the movie, "What Dreams May Come", starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robin Williams. It is a movie who's premise is that of a belief in the afterlife. You may prefer to simply rent the movie. You also may find that it totally changes your perspective on the concept of death and why you believe what you do about the dying process.

2. Understand the basic concept of death; which is that everything that has a beginning, also has an ending. Begin to wrap your mind around this concept with the life cycle of a maple leaf: from a bud on a branch, to a new green leaf, to drying shades of gold, red, and orange as it drifts to the ground to become part of the Earth once more.

3. To fully embrace death and dying; you must take a role in another person's process to become more comfortable. Inevitably, we all will know someone who will die. Many people avoid funerals or other memorial services as if they can also avoid death itself. When you feel uncomfortable with someone who is grieving and you don't know what to say; the best thing to do might be to just offer a gentle, heartfelt hug.

4. Examine your beliefs. Is God, or belief in a higher power, a part of that? Perhaps, you believe in the afterlife because of the many near death experiences you've read, or heard, about. I encourage you to read the article that accompanies the YouTube video of "What Dreams May Come". It may just help you to soften your fearful thoughts on death and dying and question personal beliefs that you've learned through time.

5. Read about other cultures and their beliefs and customs regarding death and dying. Many take a very non-emotional, and spiritual, view that can help you embrace the concept and the process.

6. Embrace death and dying by thinking of the process of life as a "long vacation". We're so anxious to plan our trip that we can hardly contain ourselves. Then while we're at our destination, we have good times and not so good times ! Finally, towards the end of our vacation, we decide that though we've had a wonderful time.....we're ready to go home.

Embrace Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro, an art term used to describe the contrast between light and dark, is a concept that doesn't just belong in oil painting; the effect can be just as powerful in your living room as it can on a canvas. All it takes are a few key pieces and easy techniques to bring high drama to any space. This article will explore some of the possibilities.

Instructions

1. Zebra stripes provide one of the most classic light-and-dark contrasts in the design world, and the beauty of zebra is that it works with virtually any style. A zebra skin rug brings instant drama to any room and a zebra print fabric makes anything from a simple upholstered bench to a classic French chair look polished and chic.

2. Silhouettes, like zebra stripes, are a classic. The contrast of the dark head silhouetted against a white background or vice versa is so simple and yet so dramatic. For added drama, cluster a series of silhouettes together on a wall. You can find silhouettes at flea markets or online, but to give them a personal touch you can also make your own (or commission them).

3. Silhouettes are a great way to adorn a wall, but what about giving the wall itself a little extra drama by painting it a dark color? I love a rich charcoal gray with glossy white trim. With a background like that, everything else in the room will really pop, and with a few gorgeous pieces the space will look effortlessly pulled together.

4. From the walls to the floor: embrace black and white tile. Black and white checkerboard floors have such a timeless elegance--and they work in just about any room, from a foyer to a kitchen.

5. Black and white art. Black and white photography can be undeniably dramatic, whether it's one piece or a whole collection. And photography isn't the only medium to consider--why not start a collection of black-and-white work? Having a unifying color scheme for a growing art collection is a simple way to ensure that everything will look good together in the end. Add some crisp white mats and black frames and you've got a gallery ready to go!

Emboss Vellum

Make decorative cards, scrapbooks and home decor even more beautiful with your own embossed vellum designs. Embossing vellum is easy and takes only minutes to create any design once you know do it. In addition, there is no mess to clean up afterward because the method used is dry embossing--no powders or heat guns are necessary.

Instructions

1. Cover the rubber stamp with ink and then stamp the image onto a sticky note or a small piece of paper. A sticky note will work best for this because it will adhere to the mouse pad in the next step. Allow the ink to dry completely before moving on.

2. Stick the sticky note to the mouse pad, and lay the vellum paper over it. Make sure to place the vellum exactly where you want the design to be.

3. Trace the stamped image onto the vellum using an embossing stylus. Use even pressure throughout the design to ensure equal depth. The vellum will turn white if you are pressing down properly with the stylus.

4. Dip a soft paintbrush into chalk--any color--and gently brush over the raised area of the vellum to add depth and dimension as well as color to your embossed design. This step is optional; however, it affords a rich beauty to the design, especially if using it with other colors.

Make Your Own Free Cartoon Drawings On The Computer

Make Your Own Free Cartoon Drawings on the Computer

Cartoon drawings are made by breaking down a form into its simplest shapes and abstracting them in an artistic way. The abstraction can be handled in a way to invoke humor (Bugs Bunny), political commentary (Doonesbury) or simply to create a different-feeling world than the one we live in (Lady & The Tramp). You can create cartoon drawings on the computer by using drawing programs such as Adobe Photoshop.

Instructions Layers" if it has been hidden. To add a new layer, press the "Create a New Layer" button at the bottom right. Layers should be named to reduce confusion as you are working; double-click on the layer to rename it.

4. Play with the opacity and fill on each layer to determine the hierarchy of your sketches. Like traditional cartooning, the basic crude shapes will be on the lower layers and built upon as you develop the sophistication of your cartoon's line.

5. Test the progress of the finished line by hiding the sketch layers; press the eye located on the left of your layer. When satisfied with the expression of your finished lines, delete the sketch layer by dragging it to the trash or by using the "Layer > Delete" option in the menu bar (with the layer you want to delete selected).

6. Save the completed cartoon as a Photoshop file, jpeg, or whichever format you prefer when you are done.

Make Funny Photo Effects

Some websites enable you to transform an ordinary portrait into an amusing photo caricature.

Adding funny effects to your digital photos once required special software and some practice to learn to use it well. Now, numerous websites make it easy to add funny effects that will amuse your family and friends. From making a holiday card that features you dressed as Santa, to adding yourself to a picture of a celebrity, you can find a site that will help you do it with just a few clicks.

Instructions

1. Select a simple picture for best results, like a headshot with a plain background.

2. Find a "funny photo" Web site that you like. A quick search using a phrase like "funny photo effects" will turn up a range of options. Some popular examples are FACEinHOLE.com, LoonaPix and BeFunky.

3. Choose a template or a special effect that you like. Templates are pictures with a blank area for inserting all or part of your photo. For example, you could choose a template that allows you to add your face to the body of a person dressed in a zany outfit. Special effects make modifications to your photo, such as changing colors, adding textures or making a photo look more like a line drawing or cartoon.

4. Upload your photo and apply the desired template or effect.

5. Save the new funny photo to your computer once you are pleased with the result.

Emboss Napkins

Embossed napkins make nice mementos.

Extra touches at your dining table or party are what people notice. Embossing is a low-cost way to add sophistication to paper napkins. Hand-held embossers raise circular monograms or designs on paper. Emboss cocktail, dessert, or dinner napkins quickly and easily. Select paper napkins with a linen look for a more formal dinner decoration.

Instructions

1. Prepare a clean work area to emboss your napkins. You will not be able to use napkins that are soiled or wet.

2. Set a tray on the table to hold your napkins. Arrange them as you want to see them at your dinner or party.

3. Decide where you want to see the embossing on the napkin. With the ruffled end of the napkin facing you, slide the embosser over this ruffled, bottom edge, centering the medallion in the location you selected.

4. Squeeze the two handles of the embosser together. Hold in place for a second, then release. Repeat this process for the remaining napkins.

Make An Old Shoe Out Of Clay

Use any model of shoe you like for this clay project.

An old, weather-beaten shoe is a great subject for a ceramics project. Getting the broad shape of the shoe will require the same kind of sculpting skills that are required when realizing the contours of a pot and other, more directly practical clay projects, while showing the weathering on the surface will require fine detail work and use of glazes.

Instructions

1. Roll out a slab of clay 1 inch thick. Lay the shoe on top of it and use the craft knife to cut around the sole. Remove the excess clay.

2. Cut a shape for the heel of the shoe if the shoe you are using as a model has a raised heel. Score the surface of this shape and the space on the sole where it will be fixed, wet both surfaces with slip, and press together, smoothing one surface into the other with your fingertips. Turn the sole over.

3. Cut a section of clay for the shape of the toe. Taper the edges and apply the shape to the toe using the score and slip method described in the previous step. Making the toe of the shoe solid rather than hollow like the rest of the shoe will help to support the other sections.

4. Roll out some clay to 1/4 inch thick. Cut panels with the craft knife that match the panels of leather or fabric the shoe is made from. Position these on the sole and rub the joins together, again applying scoring and slip to their bases. Run your hands gently around the outside to shape the shoe to match the model.

5. Use the handle of the knife to help you squeeze the panels into the tighter curves and wrinkles from your model. Score wrinkled sections of the shoe, rub scuffed sections over with the scouring pad and rub the sponge across the others to smooth them out.

6. Allow the shoe to dry and bisque fire the piece to harden it (see Resources). Look at your model, as some sections, particularly those inside wrinkles, will still be quite shiny and smooth while the scuffed section will not be. Paint glaze over the smooth sections and fire again.

Make Pop Art Effects With Adobe Photoshop 7 0

Make Pop Art Effects With Adobe Photoshop 7.0

Use Photoshop 7.0 to change your photographs into brightly colored works of art. Pop Art featured bright-simplified colors and bold dot matrix patterns, as seen in the work of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Imitate these pop art icons using Photoshop's filters and color correction tools. Make colors pop, and create a halftone effect. Use Photoshop's blending options to layer one effect on top of another. Choose bold, saturated colors for your Pop Art work. Start by transforming a portrait, preferably a close-up.

Instructions

1. Upload your portrait image. Open Photoshop and load in the image.

2. Choose "Layer" and "Duplicate Layer" from the Menu bar and pull down menu. Choose "Image" "Adjust" and "Brightness/Contrast" from the Menu bar and pull-down menus. Choose "Layer" and "Duplicate Layer" again. There are two duplicate layers on top of the background.

3. Click on the lower "Duplicate Layer," or "Background Copy," located in the "Layers Control" window. Choose "Image," then "Adjust" and "Brightness/Contrast" from the menu bar and sub-menus. Pull the "Contrast" slider bar to the right until the level is "+14". Hit "OK" to return to the main screen.

4. Click on the "Foreground Color" box in the "Tools" window. Choose a bright, saturated yellow from the "Color Picker". Click "OK" to accept the choice and close the window.

5. Click on the "Background Color" box in the "Tools" window. Choose a bright, saturated magenta pink from the "Color Picker." Click "OK" and return to the main screen.

6. Choose "Filter," then "Sketch" and "Halftone Pattern," from the menu bar and sub-menus. A large Effects Preview window opens.

7. A preview of your effect appears on the left side of the screen. Zoom out on the image until you can see the face clearly. Move the "Size" slider on the right side all the way to the right. Move the "Contrast" slider to the right until you are satisfied with the effect. Hit "OK" to accept the changes and to close the preview window.

8. Click on the top layer, or "Background Copy 2," located in the "Layers Control" window. Choose "Image," "Adjust" and "Brightness/Contrast" from the Menu bar. Slide the "Contrast" bar to the right until the window reads "+14". Click "OK" and return to the main screen.

9. Change the "Blending Mode" bar located at the top of the "Layers Control" window from "Normal" to "Hard Mix." A third color adds to the poster-like halftone effect.

10. Choose "Layer," then "Flatten Image." Save your image as a JPEG or a TIFF file. Print out your picture on the printer.

Make A Prank Call

If you're a jokester, then you probably enjoy role playing games and harmless pranks on your friends. One of the easiest is making a prank phone call. All you need is a phone and perhaps the ability to realistically disguise your voice. It doesn't require a lot of skill, but the below tips might make your call more effective.

Instructions

1. Choose the person who you'll be making the prank call to. You should probably pick a friend who you know has a good sense of humor and who'll laugh about the call once they know it was you.

2. Figure out what type of prank call you'll make. Prank calls shouldn't be sexual, demeaning or in any way hurt anyone. Choose the topic of your prank call based on what your friend would think is funny. You can pretend you need directions to some obscure place. Other topics that could be funny when you make a prank call are finding the definition of a certain word or information about a plant species.

3. Practice the ability to sound genuinely confused, interested, excited or intrigued. If you're calling someone you know, then practice effectively disguising your voice so the person doesn't recognize you when you make a prank call.

4. Rehearse what you're going to say before you make the call. Think up answers to possible responses so you won't be caught off guard.

5. Block your phone number before you make the call. You can do this with most land lines. The number you dial to block your phone number varies based on place and telephone service provider.

6. Politely say you've got the wrong number if you lose your nerve and don't want to complete a prank call after you've dialed the number and someone has answered. It's rude to simply hang up and doing so could also be considered harassment.

Embarrass Your Children In Front Of Their Friends

Why, you ask, would anyone want to embarrass their children in front of their friends? Sometimes, they deserve it. Sometimes they need to be taught a lesson. And, sometimes, it's just a lot of fun.

Instructions

Embarrass Your Children in Front of Their Friends

1. Sing in front of your children's friends. This is incredibly embarrassing, even if you have a good voice. Your kids are embarrassed enough when you sing in front of them. The embarrassment multiplies ten-fold when their friends are around. If you do happen to be a talented vocalist, try to sing a little off-pitch on purpose. Harmonize, just a half-step under, and watch your kids squirm in agony.

2. Engage your children's friends in conversations about their hobbies or bands they like. Nothing will provoke the uncomfortable eye roll of your offspring like this conversation starter: "So, Danny, I see you're wearing a Death Cab For Cutie t-shirt. Those guys really know play rock and roll, don't they?" Also, engaging your kid's friends in conversations about hobbies like skateboarding and sports is embarrassing. Be sure to throw in random terminology, just to increase the cringe factor: "That's a nice skateboard, Jay. Bet you could do a killer ollie on that."

3. Talk about the difference between how things are now, and how things were when you were their age. This is a classic, and is sometimes overused, but always works in a pinch. Don't limit yourself to just talking about the difference in how much things cost, however. Broaden your horizons. For example: "Back when I was in high school, Maple Street was the place to be. Every Friday, we'd ride up and down that strip and you'd see everyone there. Now, it's a ghost town. I don't understand what you kids do for fun these days."

4. Tell terrible jokes. This is the best, quickest and most effective way to embarrass your kids in front of their friends. Buy a couple of joke books from the local book store, if you don't know enough bad jokes of your own. The cornier the better. Tell the jokes to your kid and his friends exuberantly. Then, in the dead silence after you've said the terrible punch line, double over in laughter at your own joke. This is so satisfyingly embarrassing in and of itself, that you may not need any of the other suggestions. But, it is nice to change things up a bit.

Embarrass Someone Who Is Rude

Some people just find the need to be very rude and crude when talking to people. They have zero class or courtesy. Maybe you asked he/she to coffee or out to dinner and instead of a polite "no thank you" they deliver a mean slam. This article will tell you deliver the perfect comeback to embarrass that rude person. Being embarrassed is the best form of public humiliation.

Instructions

1. Perhaps you're at a dance club and see a beautiful woman at the end of the bar. You see no ring on her finger and no man by her side. Knowing that you're confident person, you decide to ask her to dance. What's the worst that can happen? Maybe she says no but at least you tried. Being embarrassed doesn't even cross your mind nor does fear of failure.

2. You approach her confident but not cocky. Like a confident gentleman, you ask her if she would like to dance. For whatever reason, she tells you "not interested" or "you're not my type." Sure you're stunned, embarrassed and maybe even a little hurt but this is where it gets fun.

3. The perfect comeback is one where you are subtle but still make the person feel about 2 inches tall. So after she's given you her rude response, don't flinch, get agitated or even think about walking away. Simply look her in the eyes and tell her this. "I'm not sure how you were raised but I was taught to respect people and treat them with class. My only rationale behind your rude behavior is that you suffer from very low self esteem because a classy lady would've at least been polite in her response." Watch her jaw drop and now you can walk away. 8 out of 10 times the person you delivered the comeback to will come up and apologize. Even if they don't, you showed your class but still stood up for yourself.

Make The Inside Of An Animal Cell

Peer into the microscopic world with a model cell.

Animal cells are the basic building blocks of life. Note that one basic structure and a few subsystems can be responsible for the amazing diversity of animal life on Earth. Creating a model animal cell will help you visualize the individual parts of a cell and learn about their functions. Use your creativity with your model and have fun.

Instructions

1. Familiarize yourself with the major parts of the inside of a cell, called organelles (see the link in the Resources section).

2. Draw a diagram of a cell, and label each organelle. Add color to the diagram using colored pencils, and use as much detail as possible. Include the nucleus, nucleolus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi body, vacuoles and ribosomes.

3. Find small objects that share a characteristic with each organelle; they might have similar shapes or functions. You might also use food, fruit or pasta to create an edible cell. If interested in extra detail, model each part out of clay.

4. Create a key for your cell in which you clearly label each item in the model, explain why you chose that particular item to represent an organelle and define the organelle's function in the life of a cell.

5. Open a plastic bag, and lay it on a flat surface. The bag represents the cell's boundary, called a membrane.

6. Prepare a packet of transparent gelatin according to the instructions on the box.

7. Pour the warm liquid gelatin into the plastic bag until you have nearly filled it. The gelatin will represent cytoplasm, the thick liquid that holds a cell's organelles in place.

8. Add the organelles to your cell while the gelatin is still liquid.

9. Seal the plastic bag, and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours until the gelatin becomes firm.

10. Display your completed cell along with the diagram.

Embarrass A Teen

Embarrass a Teen

It might seem like as soon as your child hit puberty everything you do suddenly embarrasses him. Parenting a teenager is one of the hardest things that most people will ever face. You thought it was hard when he was a baby or a toddler? Just wait until you see how easy it is embarrass him now that he is a teen. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

1. Show her lots of public displays of affection. If you really want to embarrass a teen, just hug and kiss her in public. Play with her hair and rest your arm on her shoulder every chance you get, especially if she has friends around.

2. Treat him like a child in front of his friends. Talk down to him and use baby talk when his friends come over.

3. Call her your favorite pet names in public. To really embarrass a teen, call the office at her school and ask them to page her to come to the office using her childhood pet name.

4. Show baby pictures and share embarrassing childhood memories with his friends. This is especially effective if you share the pictures and stories with his girlfriend or the guys on his football team.

5. Act like a teenager yourself. Teens get really embarrassed when their parents don't act their age. Put on a pair of rollerblades and show up at the park when your daughter is skating with her friends, or dance around the house and sing into a hair brush when she has her friends over.

Email Music On A Cd

Email music on a CD.

Using a free audio program, such as Windows Media Player or iTunes, you can easily rip music from a CD in order to email it to someone. Both of these audio programs are free and easy to use. Windows Media Player comes pre-installed on every PC and iTunes come pre-installed on every Mac.

Instructions

Using Windows Media Player

1. Open Windows Media Player.

2. Insert the CD from which you would like to email music.

3. Click "Rip" and then select the arrow below the "Rip" button.

4. Choose "Format" from the menu that expands below the "Rip" button and select "MP3" as your importing format. This will make sure that the music is ripped into a compressed audio file that can easily be uploaded into an email.

5. Check-mark the music from the CD that you would like to import.

6. Click "Start Rip" and Windows Media Player will rip the selected music from the CD and save it in the "Music" folder of your computer.

7. Open up your web browser and log in to your email account. Create a new email, add the email recipient, then click the "Attach Files" button. Browse to the "Music" folder on your computer and select the music file that you imported from the CD. Click "OK" and the music file will be uploaded to your email. Repeat this step to upload multiple music files to your email.

8. Click "Send" and you will have successfully emailed music from a CD.

Using iTunes

9. Open iTunes.

10. Open iTunes preferences and select "Import Settings." From "Import Settings" select the "MP3 Encoder" and click "OK." This will make sure that the music is ripped into a compressed audio file that can easily be uploaded into an email.

11. Click "OK" again to exit the preferences menu.

12. Insert the CD from which you would like to email music.

13. Click "No" when iTunes asks to import the Audio CD. This will allow you to choose which songs you would like to import, rather than importing the entire CD.

14. Check-mark the music from the CD that you would like to import.

15. Click "Import Disc" and iTunes will rip the selected music from the CD and save it in the "iTunes Music" folder on your computer.

16. Open up your web browser and log in to your email account. Create a new email, add the email recipient, then click the "Attach Files" button. Browse to the "iTunes Music" folder on your computer and select the music file that you imported from the CD. Click "OK" and the music file will be uploaded to your email. Repeat this step to upload multiple music files to your email.

17.Click "Send" and you will have successfully emailed music from a CD.

Make An Interior Design Color Board

A design color board is a great way to keep all of the details in a home remodeling project organized. It can help the homeowner see how all of the selected finishes for a room will work together and makes client presentations more polished. Although they can take time, organization and a lot of patience, color boards are relatively easy to put together. The steps listed here will take you through the process of creating an impressive board.

Instructions

Assembly

1. Gather all of the supplies on a clean, work surface. Select a surface where the board can sit overnight to allow the adhesive to dry completely.

2. Use the X-Acto knife to cut the foam board for the final presentation board to the desired size (usually 24 inches in height x 36 inches in width). Place the self-healing cutting mat underneath and use the metal ruler as a straight edge to run the X-Acto along. Keep fingers safely on the ruler and out of path of knife. Cut slowly through the foam board repeatedly using smooth even strokes. Do not try to cut all the way through the board in one stroke as this will cause the edges to become jagged. Replace X-Acto blades frequently to ensure clean cuts.

3. Cut smaller squares or rectangles of foam board for mounting fabric samples, photos and other items that will be raised. Raising some items adds dimension to the board and makes the final presentation more visually interesting.

4. Glue selected samples to the smaller pieces of foam board. Use glue stick for light weight fabrics, photos and paint samples. Use rubber cement for heavy weight fabrics, some flooring and countertop materials. Clean up any frayed fabric edges by dabbing a little glue stick on your finger and then smooth it along the edges until they lay flat.

5. Print out labels (if you choose to use them) to identify each sample, like: "backsplash tile."

6. Determine the layout of board by laying all items out on the surface before gluing them down. Leave at least a one inch of empty space along ALL edges of the color board. Leave some empty space here and there in between items so the board is not completely covered. Mix the placement of raised items with items attached directly to the board. If possible, attach samples of cabinet hardware or tassels to add visual impact.

7. Attach samples to the board. Use rubber cement for raised items on foam board (follow directions on package), silicone for heavy items and glue stick for very light items. Use ruler or T square to ensure items are straight.

8. Attach labels if using them.

9. Set board aside to dry completely overnight, laying flat and undisturbed.

10. Remove any stray bits of rubber cement and other adhesives by using the rubber pick-up square to wipe them away.

Edit A Montage

Digital camera and video editing technology has brought filmmaking into millions of homes around the world.

When producing a film, editing is used to help tell the story in a unique and exciting way. One editing technique that is used in many films is the montage. The montage is often used to show a large passage of time or a dramatic character development in a short time period. If you are new to editing and want to incorporate a montage into your edits, you can learn effectively create a montage in a few easy-to-follow steps.

Instructions

1. Plan out your story. Because the montage is effectively telling a miniature story, you should create and lay out a story arch that you want to convey. On a piece of paper, write down where you want to begin your montage and then write down where you want it to end. Then, think of images and clips you can use to show the transformation from the beginning to the end of your montage.

2. Set a rhythm and pace. To make your montage aesthetically pleasing, you will need to have a specific rhythm and pace for your montage. The rhythm and pace of your montage will create continuity and make your montage easier to follow. To create a proper pace for your montage, choose clips that are no more than three seconds in length. To create a proper rhythm, you should use clips that work in a sequential manner to finish telling the story in your montage.

3. Use juxtaposition. Often, montages are used to bring two characters together in a storyline. By juxtaposing those two storylines, you can bring two characters together. To juxtapose two storylines while keeping rhythm, you could choose three clips from one storyline and then three from another, or alternate storylines from clip to clip until the storylines meet at the end of your montage.

Make Your Own Animated Cartoon

Animated cartoons have been around nearly as long as motion pictures have been around. However, creating an animated cartoon is a lot more challenging than creating a regular motion picture. Fortunately, digital technology has made the process easier.

Instructions

1. Create a storyline for your animated cartoon. This storyline needs to include a description of your character and what he or she will do in the animated cartoon. To keep things simple these steps will focus only on animating a single character.

2. Draw your animation cels using your art supplies and a light table. Keep in mind that it takes about 32 cells per second to animate a character. So for your 30 second animation, you will need to complete 960 cells. To animate your characters each cel will need to be slightly different. Layer your pages on top of each other on your light table so you can see what the previous cel looked like. This set up will also allow you to flip through your pages to test the movements that you create.

3. Set up your digital video camera to capture each cel on film. To set up a simple filming station use a camera stand to poise your camera over your light table. Secure the light table to your table so it won't move during filming. The light table has pegs that will keep your pages lined up perfectly during filming and it will backlight your cels to make filming easier to do.

4. Use your stop-motion setting or single-frame setting to film each animation cel in order.

5. Upload your images to your computer and use your editing software to add sound and to edit the content. Finally burn your completed cartoon to a DVD and it is ready to share.