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Have you ever played with a Rubik’s Cube? You may have mastered the Rubik’s cube and are looking for a greater challenge. Try the puzzle game called Sudoku. Sudoku is a number placement puzzle that requires logic skills and patience. It is a fantastic puzzle game that can be found in newspapers, books and on puzzles and games websites.

How do you play Sudoku?

The Sudoku puzzle consists of a series of grids. The grids include one large 9 x 9 grid that houses, nine 3 x 3 smaller grids. The purpose of the game is to place a number from 1-9 in each of the grid cells. You don’t have to worry about finding the sum of the numbers of the rows, columns, like in Magic Squares.

No addition is involved; however there are three conditions that rely on each other and must be followed. Each number 1-9 can appear only once in each column, once in each row, and once in each small 3 x 3 grid. Mathematically, Sudoku puzzles are a derivation of Latin Squares.

The famous mathematician Leonard Euler created Latin Squares. They are a prevalent part of discrete math. Basically, a Latin Square consists of an n x n table filled with numbers, letters, or symbols. Each symbol can only appear exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column. Sudoku puzzles take the Latin Square one step further with the 3 x 3 smaller grid constraints. The fact that you have to make sure that each small 3 x 3 grid contains each number 1-9 only once significantly increases the complexity of the puzzle.

Sudoku puzzles come in varying levels of difficulty. The amount of numbers given initially in the 9 x 9 matrix varies. One would think that the more numbers you are given initially, the easier the puzzle would be to solve. This is not always the case because the “placement” of the numbers has a profound effect on the complexity of the puzzle.

Where did Sudoku puzzles originate?

Sudoku is the Japanese word for “placement puzzle”. Sudoku swept Japan in the mid-1980’s. Before that, however, a puzzle constructor in the United States named Howard Garnes created the first puzzle of this type in 1979. It was called “Number Place” instead of Sudoku. It was published in the Dell Magazine Math Puzzles and Logic Problems.

How do you solve a Sudoku puzzle?

Good question! The key is to have patience and use your logic skills. Don’t just use a trial and error method. Many players construct their own puzzle solving techniques and methods, which they share in Sudoku player online forums.

You can start anywhere in the puzzle, but as a beginner start by focusing on the top three smaller 3 x 3 grids. Look at the initial numbers and start with the number “1″. Check to see if a “1″ appears in the other two smaller 3 x 3 grids. Then find cells in these smaller grids where you can possibly place a “1″ while still adhering to the rules. You will also need to take into consideration 3 x 3 grids that are attached to the given grid. It is like dancing on eggshells, but the key is to look for patterns. Logically, you need to prove why a number should go in a certain cell.

Sudoku is a clever puzzle game that will sometimes make you feel like you are going around in circles. However, practicing on different puzzles will help you to understand certain techniques that work and those that lead you to a dead end. The beauty of the game is that there are a great number of Sudoku puzzles to solve. Time yourself. Many puzzle solvers can finish a puzzle in 10 to 30 minutes. Get out your stopwatch and see how fast you can solve a Sudoku puzzle.

The team at GrandMatrix provide a huge range of PC games and puzzles. Play daily Sudoku puzzles and free online games, download the latest PC games and play thousands of user submitted puzzles and word games at Free Sudoku Games

I’ve listed many resources in this article, which can all be
accessed by visiting my
chess strategy website http://www.chessvictory.com ,
scrolling to the bottom, and clicking on the “resources” link.

If you are a chess student or even an experienced player, the
power of the Internet to improve your game cannot be denied.

However, anyone who has typed “chess strategies” or “chess
tactics” into a search engine will agree with me that the
results can be confusing. Where do I start? What kind of chess
strategies websites are out there? Are any of them useful? Which
chess strategies information is accurate, and which of it is
misleading, incorrect, or erroneous? Which chess products are
worth buying?

Well, there are a few crucial pieces of information that I’d
like to give you to simplify your search for chess strategies.
This information will enable you to use the Internet to the
maximum, so you can find the exact chess strategies information
that you need to increase your chess rating.

The first thing to remember, is to do a quick bit of research on
the author of the text you are reading. Have they posted their
chess rating? If they are a coach, how long have they been
coaching? Have their students demonstrated success at the chess
board? Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.

The second thing to do is to do a quick search at the chess
exchange forum (http://www.chessexchange.com) for the writer’s
name or the resource that you are recommending. I’ve found the
chess exchange forum to be a great resource. There are a large
number of experienced players posting chess strategies, chess
tactics, and tips on this forum. Again, you can’t believe
everything you read, meaning, just because someone said it on a
forum doesn’t mean it is 100% accurate. However, if a majority
of forum posts are positive about the resource or author in
question, you can usually trust the majority consensus. You can
also click on the forum poster’s profile (usually if you click
on their name to the left of the post) where they often provide
their experience level, chess rating, and other information.
This information can help you evaluate the validity of their
post. (You can access the Chess Exchange Forum by going to my chess strategy website
http://www.chessvictory.com , scrolling to the bottom of the
page, and clicking the “resources” link.)

I’ve also found the chess exchange forum to be a great place to
discover new resources for chess improvement, as well as a great
place to ask chess strategies related questions. The forum
contributors are very generous with their time. They will often
discuss your questions at length, providing great answers that
you won’t find anywhere else (especially for free).

The third way to leverage the Internet to improve your chess
game is to simply play chess online! One of the best places to
play is the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS). FICS requires
that you install a small program on your computer in order to
play, but it is well worth it. This allows you to gain
experience at the chess board whenever you have a free moment:
lunch break, late at night, after work. Study is important, but
in order to improve you must actually play chess against real
opponents! (You can find more information about the Free
Internet Chess Server by going to my chess strategy website
http://www.chessvictory.com , scrolling to the bottom of the
page, and clicking the “resources” link.)

Online chess coaching is the forth way to utilze the Internet to
gain valuable chess strategies and chess tactics. A simple
google search can bring up many chess coaches who will charge
you a fee to analyze your games and coach you to improve. Often
you can email them your previous chess games, and they will
respond with a written analysis of the games, including tips for
how to improve. Again, remember what I’ve shared already about
evaluating information you read on the internet, and apply those
principles to choosing your chess coach. The chess exchange
forum is a great place to research and contact prospective chess
coaches.

The last way to use the Internet to improve your chess game is
by downloading chess software. There are a few pieces of chess
software that are crucial to have:

ChessBase. The ChessBase format is quickly becoming a standard
on the Internet. Many resources, annotated games, tutorials,
etc… are being produced in this format. ChessBase has a full
version that you can purchase online, but they also provide a
free, pared down version which is more than enough to open and
view resources that are in ChessBase format. (Download ChessBase
by going to my chess
strategy website http://www.chessvictory.com , scrolling to
the bottom of the page, and clicking the “resources” link.)

Finally, a Good Chess Engine is also essential for improving
your game. A chess engine refers to the part of a chess program
that deals with the intelligence of game play. Chess engines can
analyze games, moves, mistakes, and more. Most chess engines use
the common approach of attempting all possible moves from a
given position and then choosing the best one with the help of a
search. (Access a long list of chess engines by going to my chess strategy website
http://www.chessvictory.com , scrolling to the bottom of the
page, and clicking the “resources” link.)

The woman on the couch looks up at me miserably, tears in her
eyes, as she tells me about her most recent bad relationship.
“I’m sick of choosing guys who aren’t there for me. They seem
great, they want me, they tell me how terrific I am, then either
they have an affair, or turn on me once we are involved, getting
that cold look in their eyes. I can see they don’t care after
all. I can’t stand this. Why do I do this over and over?”

In my work as a therapist, I help people discover repeated
patterns. Despite our conscious desire and urgent efforts to
make our lives better, we end up feeling the same as we did as
children, but the feeling of despair and depression can deepen
if we see that we are simply repeating our abusive or abandoned
childhood.

This may seem confusing to understand, but this is how it works:
Rooted deep in the unconscious is a desire to make the story
turn out right–to find someone who will finally come through
and love us the way we want. But the pattern of repetition,
until it is resolved, will cause us to choose people who will do
exactly what was done to us as children. If you were abandoned,
they will abandon you. If you were hurt physically, this may be
what you experience all over again.

For instance, most women involved in relationships where there
is domestic violence either were beaten as children, or observed
it for many years. If you were verbally abused, you will find
yourself hearing the same phrases and feeling exactly the same
as you did when you were a child. There you are, thinking you
have just found the love of your life, when a terrible feeling
comes over you–”I have been here before,” says the voice inside
your head, a feeling of dread running through your body. It’s
not déj vu; it is an unconscious repetition of the past.

There is good news about all this: You can change these old
patterns. It takes time, awareness, determination, and work on
your part, but it can be done.

How to help stop repeating abandonment and abuse in your life
now:

1. First, you have to recognize you are repeating your past
patterns. Become aware of a familiar, sinking feeling, or the
feeling that you are a bad person, or not good enough, or feel
awful about yourself. Ask yourself: is there something going on
now that reinforces that feeling?

2. Consider your past patterns with parents. It helps to write
down these patterns, as you can be objective about them if you
see them on the page.

3. Write about being a child of about five years old; nine years
old; 12. What was life like in your household? Who was there
connecting with you, and how?

4. After making that objective list of patterns in family and in
the past, write down any parallels between then and now, paying
particular attention to feelings. Sometimes the action is
different but the feeling is the same.

5. When you are drawn to a new person, get to know him better
before getting involved. Spend time to find out how he treats
you when he is having a bad day, or how he acts when you say no.
How you are treated at the beginning of a relationship when you
are not being pleasing or saying yes, when you make boundaries
for yourself, is only a hint of how it will be later on.

6. Keep your need to be loved and accepted in balance with who
the other person is and his or her needs. Take your time to find
out more before getting too involved.

7. Write in your journal to become more aware of patterns,
concerns, and actual events. You can refer back to them later.
This documentation may clear up any future confusion about
reality.

I was sick of my plain windows. I had all the right furniture in
the room, but nothing on my windows.

Here’s the dilemma. I am moving to Texas in a few months… so
whatever I decided to make had to be versitile enough to use on
the windows in the house in Texas. So, I didn’t want to make
something so tailored that I couldn’t reuse the fabric.

I also didn’t want to spend too much time on this project. After
all, I’m only going to be in the house for a couple more months.

What I came up with was simple, but beautiful drapes that were
super easy to make. And I’m going to show you how!

I made a total of 8 panels… 2 per window. I averaged 2 Panels
a night. So, you could easily dress up a window in a day.

The rods cost me $25 each… totaling $100.

The fabric on sale cost me about $300.

I was able to give my room softness, drama, color and a
designers touch for less than $500. These would have cost close
to $4000 if I had a professional design and make these for me.

So, here’s how to make them.

1. Install your curtain rods. Install these first and hang the
rings you’re going to use.

2. Measure from the bottom of the curtain ring to the floor.
Subtract 1/4″. This is your finished length.

3. You will use the full width of your fabric for the width of
your panel.

4. Cut your fabric and lining:

Cut fabric width = full width of fabric (trim off the selfage if
the fabric doesn’t lay smooth and flat)

Cut fabric length = finished length + 10″ (bottom hem) + 14″
(heading)

Cut lining width = fabric width - 3″

Cut lining length = finished length + 4″ (bottom hem) + 2″

5. Sew the bottom hems

Fold the bottom edge of the fabric up 5″ and press…. fold up
another 5″ and press. Pin. Sew with a blind hem stitch. You can
also sew the hem in place with a straight stitch.

Fold the bottom edge of the lining up 2″ and press… fold up
another 2″ and press. Pin. Sew with a blind hem stitch. You can
also sew the hem in place with a straight stitch.

6. Sew the lining and fabric together

Lay the fabric right side up

Lay the lining right side down so that the bottom edge is 1″
above the bottom edge of the fabric.

Align one side edge… pin and sew together with a 1/2″ seam.
Repeat on the other side.

Turn the drape right side out. Your fabric will fold over to
the lining side about 1 1/2″. Carefully press the drape so that
the fabric is even on both sides of the lining. Pin in places to
keep the layers from slipping.

7. Lay the drape lining side up

8. Fold in the raw side edges of the fabric and pin. Stitch in
place with a straight stitch.

9. Tuck the raw edges of the fabric at the bottom corners of
the bottom hem… and stitch the bottom corners in place.

10. Lay the drape lining side up again

11. Measure from the bottom edge up the finished length and mark
with a couple pins

12. Fold the top edge down to the lining side so that the top
edge is about 1″ past the pins you just placed. Pin the top edge
in place.

13. Stitch the top edge to the drape along the pinned
measurement in step 11

14. Clip or sew the curtain rings to the drape along the
stitched line

15. When you hang the drape, the fabric will fold over to the
front. Arrange and fold the fabric as desired.

And there you have it! Gorgeous, professional quality drapes
that can add some serious class to any room. You can make formal
draperies with silk fabric and a tassel fringe along that folded
over edge. Or you can have more casual drapes like the ones in
the photo.

Happy sewing!

France provides you with a beautiful landscape that is used for camping purposes by thousand of people. There are thousands of location that provides you with camp sites. When going for camping in France you can expect beaches, caves and coastlines that you and your children will love. Its ease to find camping sites in France, they are listed according to the provinces.

The most popular camp site for families is located in Brittany; the location gives you nice rock pools and sandy beaches. But if you are a more adventurous type than the Alps is the location for you. You have mountains to climb, lakes to explore and villages to see over there. On the other hand if you want to be close to city life than you can find camp sites near Paris, they are not very far and you can easily reach the city in few minutes. No matter where you camp you can expect basic facilities like electricity and water available. Most people prefer to cook there own food, this provides you with a more out door experience. When camping in France always look for camp sites that are authorized else you will be in a lot of trouble.

>From very early in my childhood, as soon as I learned to, I
loved to write. Stories, thoughts, letters - writing was a great
joy for me. On my ninth birthday I received a gift that I will
always remember. A friend of my mother’s, whom I’d known from
birth, gave me a rather large book. The book was bound in dark
leather with a red trim, and had no writing on the outside. When
I opened it, there was nothing inside but blank lined pages. I
absolutely adored that gift, and even at that young age I
realized how much thought this woman put into it. She gave me
something that was uniquely special to me. I still have that
book; filled with everything from fictional stories to the
rambling thoughts of a girl as she struggled to reach adulthood.
And each time I look through this book, I remember how special
this woman made me feel that day. She told me, without words,
that my writing was important.

As parents we know that the closer our children’s birthdays get,
the more hints and outright pleas we hear for this gift or that
gift; usually things that are popular with everyone else their
age. This is normal - and it’s also normal for you to buy them
at least some of the things that they are asking for when their
birthday comes around. It is important, however, that we don’t
sell our children short when it comes to what they truly want.
Young children rarely ever march up to us and state that they
would like to be recognized for their uniqueness, and we usually
only hear this from our teenagers when they are angry at the
limits we are imposing on them. But it is innate in all humans,
no matter what age, to want to be acknowledged for our special
qualities, talents, and interests. Realizing this about your
children can help you find them one or two gifts, along with the
latest popular things, that show them that you know who they are
and what makes them special.

The child who shows a special interest in nature will love being
presented with a book on identifying different types of local
plants and animals. Not only did you choose a gift that your
child will really use and enjoy, you’ve also just told him that
you care about what he is interested in. That matters to your
child, whether he expresses this to you or not.

Giving your children gifts that say “I appreciate who you are”
will not only help build a stronger bond between you, but will
also teach them to respect themselves and their uniqueness. It
may not happen right away, but one day your adult children may
just surprise you by saying, “I remember, and thank you”.

One very popular hobby for many people is camping. I have gone
camping many times throughout my life, in rain or snow, desert
or forest. I have also camped on the banks of rivers, in snow
caves, and in cabins. No matter where you go camping, your
camping necessities may change a little, but the basics remain
the same. You will need to stay warm. You will need shelter. You
will need food to eat and a means to cook it.

The only places I have gone camping are in Utah, but there is
such diversity in Utah’s climate and landscape, that I
experienced a variety of different camping experiences. A
camping hobby is great
in Utah and other outdoor states. As I boy scout, I used to go
on the Klondike every year. This was a winter campout in the
Utah Mountains. It would get freezing up there at night. A
couple of times when I went, I slept in a tent. The tent was
freezing. A nice sleeping bag kept me warm, but the air was too
cold to breathe. By morning my lungs felt like they had sand in
them. My scout leader, another scout, and I got up a little
early to make a fire, because we were so cold. The scout kept
complaining about how his feet hurt all morning, until the sun
came up and then we realized he had his boots on the wrong feet.
I think every year that I went to the Klondike, I fell through
the ice on the lake and got wet. The warmest I have been at the
Klondike was when I built a snow cave to live in. You just make
a large pile of snow and pack it down. Then you dig out the
inside large enough for a couple people to sleep in there. If
you just have a candle, it will stay very warm inside the cave.
The snow acts as insulation to the cold air outside. Snowcaving
should definitely be added to your camping hobbies list.

I have camped in the high Uintah Mountains of Utah. My
grandparents have a cabin up there that we have stayed in often.
Now that I am older, I am a much bigger fan of cabin camping.
You can just light the wood burning stove to keep the whole
cabin warm. We had an electric generator to have electricity in
the cabin. It might not sound much like camping to some people.
We were up in the mountains alone though, and cooked our food on
a campfire and got our water from a spring.

I have also camped in other areas of the High Uintah Mountains,
without a cabin. Once I went on a fifty mile hike through the
mountains. It took us five days going ten miles a day. We had to
carry our tents, sleeping bags and all of the necessary supplies
for food and other things, through the mountains for five days.
Which reminds me; do not ever let your mom pack your backpack if
you are going on a trip like that, unless you want to carry
whole boxes of cereal and other things that are not useful on a
long hike. When I hiked to King’s Peak, the highest peak in
Utah, my mom packed my backpack and once I got to our base camp,
I found in my pack a large iron skillet to cook on that weighed
a ton, a whole loaf of bread, a large jar of jelly and a large
jar of peanut butter. To say the least, I was not a happy camper
after I realized I had just lugged a cast iron frying pan up the
mountain.

I have also camped in the deserts of Southern Utah. There is no
end to the scenery and variety of landscape there, from arches
to the Grand Canyon along with Goblin Valley to Lake Powell.
There are also the large canyons with the Green River and the
Colorado River carving through them. Find your camping gear at
your online hobby store
and more.

Peter Jay is the Owner/President and CEO of Variety Access -
Your online hobby store and more. For more information about
hobbies, hobby products, or Variety Access, go to
www.VarietyAccess.com.

Boating in the past 3 years become a deeply respected past time & is a sport that both old or young individuals presently want to be included in. Power Boating as a sport, hobby, personal challenge or company tool is eminently pleasing for anybody who takes part. It creates an amazing mutual event while helping to strengthen current links, as well as crafting new associations. With such an in-style and worthwhile sport it’s key that you acquire a first-rate & well-known company to go on a yachting lesson with or go yachting training/ school with. These may be problematic to locate, however, there is one well-received and established school around, which is Ondeck Sailing School.

Ondeck have been functioning as a reputable power boating school for well over 7 years now. The big investments in sailing boats means the organisation has built on their current sea school product to additionally offer a big group of boating activities on board high performance Farr 65’s. These activities comprise of: skippered charter, company sailing, competition charter, mile building opportunities, cruising, adventure sailing trips, ocean passages & Caribbean charters.

Ondeck Sailing focus on yachting tuition & actually have a sailing & power boat school. Positioned in the Solent and London, Ondeck sailing gives everybody the absolute RYA sailing tuition curriculum, starting from complete rookies to Ocean boating gurus. With the Yachting lessons, Ondeck Sailing School specialise on the personal approach. And with well over seven years of knowledge they have got it down to a fine art. Ondeck still continue to provide professional, friendly, certified safe and basically fun instructions.

The next big choice everyone will often have to make is to select which class to go for as there are lots to choose from and even if your group have not yachted before there is a power boating course that is ideal for you. Anyone may partake in any course at any stage depending on your skill and aptitude. Nonetheless, it is necessary to take note that the yachting education, training times & price tags may differ and for that reason it is sometimes shrewd to look through the Ondeck Sailing website to locate all of this essential info. Failing this there are telephone numbers you can call and the Ondeck Sailing School staff will be delighted to aid your organisation in whatever way you call for. If you are planning to learn to sail then check out http://www.ondeck.co.uk for the best RYA Sailing Courses.

If you’ve never sailed prior & you want a training session that is going to teach you all you need to know sailing and it is also going to save you £100’s then Ondeck is the ideal choice. With their flexible classes you can take part at the point according to your previous skill. The power boating class is made up of modules that are learnt as separate elements, this will let all Ondeck Sailing School clients to learn the modules at there own speed and leisure but only be billed as a complete package price which, repays you. There are 2 key areas where you could do the boating lessons these are the City as well as Gosport.

This is a simple technique using Rubber Stamps and Thermal
Embossing that will add dimension to your cards and artwork.
Nothing looks as elegant as a stamped image that has been
embossed in gold and has rich color added to enhance your
artwork.

You can use rubber stamps and thermal embossing on many
different surfaces such as paper, glass, wood, leather, tile and
ceramic objects. It’s fun to experiment and create your own
unique and individual sense of style. Don’t be timid and have
fun.

The following steps will teach the beginner where to start
Embossing with rubber stamps takes practice and the more you do
it, the better your results. Remember your art is unique to your
personal style. It reflects your personal experience. It conveys
your emotions. So use your imagination! Use color!!

The colors you choose to use with your rubber stamps can convey
your personal style and make a statement. Reds reflect warmth
and blue can reveal cool and soothing moods. Greens and violet
contain both warm and cool elements.

MATERIALS: Rubber Stamps Embossing Ink Stamp Pad Embossing Heat
Gun Embossing Powder or Tinsel Something to stamp on

Choose a paper or craft object to Emboss. Don’t limit yourself
to just plain paper. Rubber stamping and embossing works well on
fabric, glass, mirrors, tiles and terra cotta pots. Experiment
with a variety of papers and transparencies, shrink plastic,
laminated sheets, wood and metal.

Ink and stamp your image on your paper or craft object using a
slow drying Pigment Ink Pad.

Tap your rubber stamp firmly several times on the Embossing Ink
Pad in order to completely ink the stamp. Make sure the rubber
is completely covered with ink. Always stamp a new rubber stamp
onto a piece of scrap paper for the first time to make sure all
areas of the image are well inked. Place your rubber stamp
firmly on the paper, being careful not to rock the stamp.
Rocking will result in blurred lines. Large rubber stamps
require more care in pressing down on all corners of the stamp.
Each rubber stamp is different and you will learn how to best
stamp each one. Some need more pressure in order to get the
perfect image.

The difference between pigmented inks and dye inks is evident in
that the Pigment inks stay “wet” longer. Pigment inks do not
work well on glossy card stock unless you are EMBOSSING the
image. There are many choices of slow drying pigment inks with
slight tints to dark shades or no color at all.

After rubber stamping your image with pigment ink, sprinkle
embossing powder over the image. Turn the artwork and gently tap
off excess embossing powder. Use a dry paintbrush to remove any
stray flecks from surrounding areas. Do this before you heat the
image. If the powder is not sticking to the image in even heavy
coats check to be sure you rubber stamp is well inked.

Keeping your embossing powder in stackable plastic containers
will allow you to catch the excess powder. Alternatively
collecting excess unused embossing powder is easy if you use a
file folder or a sheet of glossy paper torn from a magazine
under your card stock, then transfer the powder back into the
jar. Pick up the paper by its edges and use the centerfold as a
funnel to direct the powder back into the jar.

Embossing powders also come in a wide variety of choices, from
Ultra Fine to Tinsel. Both the pigment ink and embossing powder
are available in many color choices as well as metallic,
pearlescent and other unusual compositions.

The final step is to direct hot air from your heat tool over the
powder. This will melt the powder and create the Thermal
embossed effect.

EMBOSSING POWDER comes in many different compositions. Metallic
Powders such as Gold, Silver, Bronze or Pewter can be used with
the embossing inks, either tinted or clear. Using slightly
tinted or clear ink with Metallic powders will produce a true
metallic effect. Although the Metallic Powders can be used with
colored inks to achieve truly remarkable effects such as tinted
copper and aged pewter.

Embossing powders comes in many Opaque colors as well as soft
subtle Pearlized Powders and Clear and also Glitter Powders.

You can experiment by mixing your colors and your effects.
Pearlescence are soft and gentle colors that are excellent for
pastel effects and baby or wedding themes. Clear Powder gives
you image a raised glossy effect and looks stunning on dark
papers and objects.

Tinsels or Glitter Embossing Powders can be Clear or Opaque.
Gold Embossing Powder with fleck of ultra fine gold glitter in
it create a very beautiful and dramatic effect.

Try mixing you powders colors and adding some glitter or
confetti in moderation for you own unique recipes!

A heat gun is the easiest method to melt your powders and create
the even glossy embossed effect. But if you do not have one
alternative sources of hear can be utilized Do not try a hair
dryer this does not get hot enough and will blow the powder off
the card. You can try using your oven by placing the card face
up on a baking sheet and putting it into a preheated 325 degree
oven. Be careful you do not over heat or your card stock will be
scorched. A hot iron will also hear the back side of the card
and melt the powder.

A hot toaster can be used by moving your card stock back and
forth over the top of the toaster until the image is melted. A
good heat gun is a worthwhile investment.

TIPS AND TROUBLE SHOOTING A good tip to help with the static on
your card stock is to wipe the card with a fabric sheet before
stamping on it, this helps reduce unwanted flakes from sticking.

A time saving tip when embossing replications of the same rubber
stamp image is to stamp and cover several images with embossing
powder at one time. This allows you to use your embossing gun on
several pieces at once without stopping and starting constantly.
The ink is slow drying and several cards at a time can be safely
done by using this method.

Using plastic kitchen containers with lids for storage of you
powders works well and also makes it convenient to set up and
put away your craft. A spoon with a pointed tip is useful in
sprinkling the powder onto the card stock.

Good lighting is essential to your rubber stamping success. If
your embossing is dull and not raised then you may be
overheating it. If the image is lumpy and granular you many not
have heated it enough . If the image is incomplete you may need
to press the rubber stamp more firmly on the pad and re-ink if
necessary, also check to be sure you are pressing all corners of
the stamp onto the paper.

If you have completed your image and a line is missing you can
purchase an embossing pen to draw the incomplete line. Also you
can use a sponge or tissue to dab the embossing ink onto the
cardstock to be used as background color or effects. Have fun,
be creative, don’t be afraid to use color and enjoy you rubber
stamping hobby all year long.

Copyright 2005 The Stamping Bug