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Desktop Utilities,Development Tools,Music & Audio: 2008

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Ten Most Common Decorating Mistakes

Here you can find the ten missteps that can jar your eye, generate irritation, and make you feel uncomfortable in your own home.

1. Not defining your priorities.
2. An uncomfortable conversation area.
3. Poor furniture placement.
4. A room that is off-balance.
5. Furniture of different heights.
6. A room that lacks a cohesive look.
7. Ignoring the room's focal point.
8. Improper use of artwork.
9. Ineffective use of accessories.
10.Using lighting incorrectly.

All of the precious things in your home reflect who you are. You can use what you have to create the home you've always dreamed of.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Advantages of a Custom Website versus using a Website Builder Tool

by: Rodney Ringler

Advantages of a custom website versus using a Website Builder Tool The internet has revolutionized business all around the globe. Almost every competent new or existing business wishes to exploit the incredible potential of the internet, and the first step is to have a web site designed done and maintained by a professional web site design service or build and maintain it yourself. One of the first things to consider is your computer ability. If you despise computers and software and find them confusing and frustrating then building your own website can be quite a task. One that you may not want to undertake. However, if you enjoy working with computers and learning new things or if you just have the patience to stick with it, then building a website is within your grasp. You may also decide to do it yourself to save cost. If you still feel that you want to build your own site you should choose software that is easy to use and user friendly. Your website should be as unique as you and your business. You should select the website that is specialized in what will meet all your needs, both now and in the future. Custom based websites are for those who already have a website but are looking for those special finishing touches that quality custom graphics can provide. Designer graphics can make your website stand out above the rest and a custom website specializes in taking your original graphic or photo and turning it into a unique work of art. Quality graphics make an incredible difference in the visual appeal of your website. Actual site "content" continues to be essential to the success of a website. More often than not though, visual appeal is the determining factor as to whether or not a client or customer will remain on a website long enough, to actually see the product or service the business is providing. Custom websites are for those who don’t have the time to design or create, but want to get things mush better and fast with a nice graphics. Web site builders are online tools which anyone can use to build a professional looking Web site without programming and have it hosted instantly. No software to buy, no code to learn, all you need is to be a little Internet savvy and know how to click your mouse. Most business owners today know that having a web site is an essential component of marketing. In the past, the choices were to hire a professional web designer, hire a local teenager to create a site for mall money, or learn to do it yourself. The last two options, are the least expensive, and were the preferred method for small businesses. The results are often not what businesses need to grow, reach, and impress new potential customers, however. They seem good at the start but quickly become limiting. If you operate or manage a business, you surely must realize the increase in e-commerce taking place today. Many businesses find themselves searching for the best way to increase their exposure on the internet, and for most a website is the first course of action. As most businesses operate on firm budgets, finding cost effective solutions are usually one of the first thoughts when looking to make new purchases. When it comes to creating a website there are many affordable software programs that can produce professional results. Business software should be capable of handling your needs today and in the future. Business are always changing, adding new products, changing or removing old products, offering specials, having sales, etc. By choosing a business website builder over a professional web designer you will be able to make changes to your website whenever you want to. Another benefit is that you will be avoiding the high costs associated with developing the website and costs for making any necessary changes. Website Builder tools advantages to you are increased revenue, cost control, caters to the large demand existing for web designing in the SME sector and can increase the client base without adding to your overhead. The advantage that your customers gets is a professional quality website, up and running in minutes and a User friendly and easily customizable interfaces that gives a complete website with all its frills and features and a nice attractive design. The downside is that you are limited to the look and functions of the tool and the templates or designs they provide. On of the advantage of a custom website design is that the web site will look and function exactly as you want. A custom made web site can promote your brand and increase sales. The functionality and design of your website is important, because the images and text on the screen can make an indifferent visitor turn into a keen client, and the goal is to optimize your site to evolve maximum traffic conversion. As more and more people are starting their own small home business many are finding that having a website is an important factor to consider. When one starts to consider building a website, especially the novice, many questions arise including…. can I create a website myself or should I hire a professional? Hiring a professional is a great way to go if you can afford it. Although there are several things to keep in mind: how much will it cost? How much will ongoing maintenance cost? What will changes cost? How long will changes take? etc. As a result, many people opt to build their own website and begin searching for software that can easily help them. As you start searching for an easy web site builder, there are some factors that you should take into consideration so that your new software will serve you now and the future. There is quite a variety of easy web site building software and content management(CMS) based websites on the market today. In addition, some of the software available today is very expensive, geared more for the professional web designer, and come with a huge learning curve. The options for small businesses to get a site developed have changed from the past. There are now sophisticated "site builder" tools available to small business owners, bundled with many web hosting packages. By using templates, and a content management system to manage updates to the site, it became easier to set up and maintain a web site, and many development companies have canned this functionality, for a fee. Hosting providers are increasingly offering tools to automate the web site building process, and with good reason. This new option has many benefits, as long as the business owner recognizes that there are trade offs and limitations to getting a web site this way. Some of the downsides are…the design is limited to their predefined templates. The functionality is limited to the tool. Also, in most website builder tools it is hard to perform search engine optimization, which is essential for a site to be found in the major search engines. One of the biggest attractions for site building tools is the cost. It won't necessarily cost less to get your site this way, but it does provide a way to spread the cost over time. The cost for a custom website varies as per the feature and function it carries with itself. Many people are concerned with building their own website, fearing boring designs and complexity. However, it is now becoming apparent that there are many custom web site builder software products on the market that promise dynamic layouts, professional templates, and user friendly web design tools. The professional web designers know there are a few more things to know, but sometimes they find some irony in the fact that web developers, in their quest to improve and better the web, have made themselves "optional". Most site building tools today are very robust, making it simple to add forms, searching, maps, guest books, calendars, and a whole variety of elements to a web site. Even better, the hosting company sometimes offers an entire suite of services - the site builder, email marketing, search engine optimization and statistics, all in one package along with the hosting. There is also a possibility that the service will require you to keep some branding on the site telling people that you used their website designs and tools. This is more common with the free site builders - which pay for themselves by putting ads on your site. If your goal is to build a business web site, it's really not worth sacrificing your professional image by getting something free, which screams CHEAP. Low quality websites sometimes attempt to sell expensive products or services. These websites cannot succeed. Studies reveals people spend more time on a well designed web page than on a low quality web page. There is a comparative relationship between the amount of time that an average visitor will spend on a web page and the amount of time that was spent building the web page. Websites are an important aspect of online businesses. They are the first face of interaction between the user and the business. The website creates the first impression on the user and hence needs to be effective and impressive too. It is the job of web design services to make the website user friendly and search engine friendly too, so that it can serve the purpose of both effectively. A tool can make things happen - but if you don't know what to make happen, it is either a useless tool or a dangerous one. There is a learning curve in knowing how to present information online (called information architecture in the profession), as well as for using the site builder. In other word, the fuller featured the tool; the more there is to learn. If you aren't familiar with color theory, use of typography, information architecture, navigation and interface design, and page layout and design, you can potentially make something that will hurt your business more than help it. So, unless you are already computer and web savvy, figuring out all the features within your web hosting and site builder package can be time consuming and frustrating. In the end there are ways that a business can take advantage of these new options and still create a functional and professional web site. One way is simply take your time and research the available website templates, and find the one that has the most features and flexibility, that meet your functional requirements. In other words, spend the time to learn the things a seasoned pro would bring to the table. The internet is a massive library of "how to" information, where you can literally teach yourself anything - and with enough time spent, you could potentially learn how to layout information, what colors and fonts work well together, how to conduct your marketing online and optimize the site for search engines. The second is choosing the best suitable custom website design company and work with them to build a professional website that meets your needs get your imaginations carried and make business a greta success. About HostChart.com HostChart, a Web Hosting Company Resource, is a leading web hosting directory website that has been in business for over 5 years. They provide numerous web hosting articles and tutorials as well as news, interviews, and reviews. You can use their extensive set of tools to research and evaluate your current or future web hosts. HostChart is a Property of Advantage1 Web Services, which also operates ResellerConnection.com, a a href="Reseller" class="hft-urls">http://www.resellerconnection.com">Reseller Web Hosting Resource, HostingKnowledge.net, and FoundHost.com, a a href="Budget" class="hft-urls">http://www.foundhost.com">Budget Hosting Resource.

About the author
Rodney Ringler is President of Advantage1 Web Services, Inc., which owns a network of Web Hosting Informational Websites including HostChart.com, ResellerConnection.com, FoundHost.com, ResellerForums.com, and HostingKnowledge.net. Rodney has over 15 years industry experience from programming to internet marketing.

Source: http://www.articlecity.com/

Monday, June 9, 2008

Stains, Paints, Wood Finishes for frames and Gilding

If you are interested about making frames here you will find some useful information concerning stains, paints and wood finishes.

There are many different ways to finish your frame. If you have the opportunity, experiment with a range of finishes to decide which effects you like best.

Stains
- These are either water or spirit-based. Unlike paint, which can completely cover the surface, stains allow the texture and grain of the wood to show through. Most people are familiar with wood stains which are readily available from DIY outlets. These enable you to transform pale softwood into a rich mahogany, dark oak or other wood of your choice.
- Also available are coloured stains. Although the water-based stains may have a tendency to fade, they are more pleasant to use as they have little odour. They are available ready-mixed or in powder form from most timber suppliers or specialists. Spirit-based colours come in a wide range of long-lasting shades.

Paints
- Emulsion paints are really useful, especially if you experiment with small testers which cost so little. To create a wash rather than a solid, covering colour, simply water down the paint.
- Acrylic paint is available in pots or tubes from art shops. Although it is fairly expensive to buy, it comes in a wide range of colours and it can also be used to tint emulsion paint. It can give a solid finish or a wash.
- The other paint used for framing is gold gilding paint which is a spirit-based lacquer. This is easy to apply especially over a red or black painted base which shows as an antique warmth through the gold.

Bushes
- It is worth investing in good quality brushes. Cheap brushes will simply shed hairs and give an uneven finish. A long-handled brush with a flat head will make painting easier. Use an artist's fine brush for detail.

Gesso
- This is a chalky powder which when mixed with size is used to create a smooth and absorbent surface to a frame in preparation for gold leaf or other paint techniques. It also comes in a ready-made paste which is quicker to use.

Varnish
- Acrylic varnish is sufficient for most frames, although you can use polyurethane if you have some to hand. Available in matt, satin or high gloss, varnish will protect the paint or wood finish. Varnish is also available in a spray can which is useful on awkward shapes. Acrylic varnish is sold by hardware stores or DIY outlets.

Wax
- For a natural finish on unpainted wood, apply a layer of furniture wax with a soft cloth. This can then be buffed up to a wonderful lustre which will enhance the wood.

White spirit or methylated spirits
- White spirit is used to clean oil-based paints; methylated spirits will clean spirit-based stains.

Gilding
A traditional technique used to decorate plaster or wooden frames to give an ornate gold finish. This quite skilful technique is still in use today and although gold leaf is quite expensive, imitation gold leaf gives almost as good a result. All these products are available from specialist outlets or mail order.

Fine whiting powder
- This is basically a white chalky powder used for making gesso. The white paste is applied in layers to the frame and sanded down to create a smooth, absorbent surface.

Size granules
- An ancient gilding material, these granules are sometimes referred to as rabbit glue because they are made from the skin and other by-products of these animals. It is mixed with whiting to make gesso.

Gold leaf
- Pure gold leaf is a beautiful colour and will not need varnishing. It is, however, quite expensive. Imitation gold leaf, on the other hand, is less expensive but as it is quite a crude colour and it tarnishes, it will need to be varnished with white polish or shellac. Silver and bronze leaves are also available. Imitation gold leaf comes in a loose leaf form, which is good for multifaceted surfaces. It also comes with a tissue paper backing which is easier to use on flat surfaces.

Gold size
- This is clear honey-coloured glue designed for sticking gold leaf on to a surface prepared with gesso.

Gold leaf brush
- As you should not touch gold leaf - it is very fragile and will puncture - this very delicate brush makes handling the leaf much easier.

Shellac or white polish
- These are solvent-based substances which are used for protecting the surface of frames gilded with imitation gold leaf. Shellac is a honey-coloured varnish which will slightly dull the colour of the gold; white polish is clear and will not change the colour of the item but simply act as a protective sealant.

After a long search I discovered a few good contemporary designers who specialize in frames. The various works represent a wide range of media, including wood, metal, glass and fabric, and each one demonstrates a variety of techniques and skills to achieve the finished piece.

Some of them are:
- Mirrored Mosaic by Rebecca Newnham
- Alphabet Frame by Anne Taylor
- Metal Fish Mirror by Paul Northerner
- Paper Mache and Embroidery Frame by Claire sowden
- Equestrian Mirror by Barbara Dizcar
- Celtic Shield Mirror by Wilde At Art
- Egyptian Mirror by Wilde At Art
- Jester Mirror by Suzanne Malyon
- Bashed Metal Mirror by Sasha Bowles
- Musical Collage by Barbara Dizdar
- Heraldic Frame by Anne Taylor, and
- Embroidered Frames by Claire Sowden

All very beautiful and unique!
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