I am sure I’m not the only one with piles of film from my pre-digital days. I had half a fridge door full, and just couldn’t bring myself to throw it out. I needed a fun project to put it to good use.

April 26 marks the 9th annual Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, and what better way to use up old film than in a pinhole camera?

Making pinhole cameras out of everyday objects has been popular since the 1500s, and I’m sure you all have experimented with boxes, coffee cans, etc. While they certainly work (and some quite well), it can be inconvenient to have to load and unload film in total darkness, and figuring out how to get 35mm film to work can be quite tricky. Here are a few cameras that use 35mm and 120 film that can be loaded in daylight:

Pinhole Blender Pinhole Blender makes cameras from what looks like cookie and tea tins with knobs on top (for turning the film). They accept 35mm, 120 and 4×5 film (the 4×5 has to be loaded in the dark though), and are really very affordable, ranging in price from $20 to $80. Best of all, they come with instructions and exposure suggestions. You can obviously get as creative as you want with that, but it’s nice to have a starting point at least.

Holga Pinhole The medium format (i.e. uses 120 film) Holga Pinhole Camera is another inexpensive option ($60, which includes 4 rolls of film). It looks like a regular camera, but instead of a lens, it has a tiny pinhole with an aperture of f/192. You can use any 120 film you want - color, slide, b&w - and there is only one shutter speed: B (which means that the shutter stays open as long as you press the button). The suggested time is anywhere from 2 seconds to 30 minutes, so you’ll have to experiment with that. (There is an optional cable release available, which I think is a very worthwhile investment). You can advance the film as much or as little as you want in between each exposure, so if you want to try double exposures, just don’t advance it at all before taking your next shot, or if you are creating a panoramic shot, advance just a little bit, and the photos will blend together into one long image.

Pinhole Resource’s Hexomniscope For a truly unique pinhole experience, check out the Hexomniscope from Pinhole Resource. This 6-pinhole, 6-shutter, round camera uses 120 film and produces 6 overlapping 60 degree images. The shutters are individually operated, but have a single release. At $1,590, it’s not cheap, but the results are stunning.

Digital Pinhole SLR All you need to use your digital SLR for pinhole photography is an extra lens cap and a drill. Find the exact center of the lens cap and drill, from inside the cap out, as tiny a hole as you possibly can. Use the lens cap instead of a lens and voila! Pinhole camera.

And what about Worldwide Pinhole Day? Well, it’s an international event held on the last Sunday of April every year in honor of pinhole photography. People all over the world take pinhole photos of anything and everything and post them, good or bad, online. It’s not a contest, there are no prizes, but each year, a number of photos are chosen and included in an exhibit.

As a consumer like me I always want to get the best product on each purchase I have. I am fond of attending craft fairs as these are great venues where I can source cheap and useful finds. Craft fairs are the place where I find unique curios that are ideal for giving away as presents. I usually keep some of the things I buy and others I wrap and give as presents.

As a responsible consumer I always prepare well before any purchase. Before going out, I already have in mind the things that I need to buy in order to save time and effort. It is always wise to have a vision of the product that I want before going to a fair. In this case, I would be spared of the necessary impulse purchases that sometimes happen to shoppers like me.

Firstly, I look for quality products. For me, quality means a reasonable price tag for a product. I really dont mind spending more on an item which I deemed has the better or the best quality among its contemporaries.

Next factor I look for is the attitude of the seller or the merchant. I am one of the people who vouch that a sellers attitude is equally important with the product that she sells. Take a look at this example. If two products are balanced and have the same characteristics in terms of price and quality, one would choose to buy from someone she sees as a friend. That is the reason why a good relationship with your buyers is extremely important in the world of selling.

Now that some of these facts are laid out for us to know, as a business person it is always better to keep them in mind to be able to have a successful crafting business.

In these present times, more and more people are finding ways on how to make money aside from their usual jobs. More employees are looking for sideline or other business opportunities in order to have extra money to buy that dress, spend on a dream family vacation or simply just to add up on her earnings. They usually make use of their skills of their talents in order to earn extra cash.

Creative people are lucky because they can use this inner core gift to their advantage. They can make crafts and sell them to people they know who would be willing to buy them. They can go to craft fairs or craft festivals where more people can view their products and where there could be higher chances that it could be bought. Crafts fairs are a venue where sellers and buyers meet and greet in one roof. These venues are full of people who use their creativity in order to earn more.

Online selling is another option and the latest venue in selling your products. It is where people make use of the Internet through creating websites or blogs that address to your product. It states there your products information along with its description and price. Online selling is a cheaper alternative to sell your stuffs since you dont need to pay booth or exhibit dues. You also dont need to cash out on transportation and demobilization expenses. Online selling is a great tool to market your goods as well.

So what is the better option in selling your crafts?

Both have their own share of advantages and disadvantages. Selling in festivals will give you a first hand view and experience on selling. It will provide close encounter or interaction with your buyers, which is a very important factor in selling. I personally recommend live selling or face to face selling. The learning acquired from this type of selling is something that could be kept and treasured as this will ultimately make the best businessperson out of you.

Anyone with a penchant for more extreme forms of craftworks will find a lot of things of interest at the yearly Bread and Puppet Festival that happens in Vermont. To newcomers, Bread and Puppet revolves around the concept of sharing fresh bread to onlookers while watching puppet theater. To organizers and old fans, there is the belief that art is basic to life, as is the bread which is freely given.

There is a strong but peaceful political message in the event, which has received its fair share of both praise and criticism. There are those that view it as a good way to show patriotism, and a way to propagate ideas that may benefit the nation. Some others connect it with the old Roman metaphor of “bread and circus”; which is associated with old politicians who sought favor with the populace by giving away free bread.

It is almost up to the general masses attending the event to decide whether the political overtones of the event are to their tastes. But to anyone with an interest in the arts, they will still enjoy the puppet theatre and the other crafts that are there regardless of one’s political inclinations. As a bonus, there is free garlic bread for the spectators during the presentations, too.

As a person who likes crafts in all its forms, I appreciate the Bread and Puppet festival for what it can do with puppets. I like it when they are able to craft them masterfully, and the years of experience in making them truly show. Puppets are a special craft in that they are manipulated heavily, so durability should be doubly considered alongside design.

If you’re looking for a good time while enjoying political puppet theaters while munching on a good bit of bread, then the Bread and Puppet Festival may be of interest to you. Find out about this and other events when you look for Vermont Craft Fairs online!

There are many tips on how to succeed in selling your crafts at craft fairs. One known tip is by researching and thoroughly knowing your target market, or finding out if there really is a target market. This will save you the time and effort in developing your product, your marketing strategy, your directory of inexpensive and quality suppliers- in case you have no target market. There are concerns that are crucial in having a successful crafting career. Knowing your target market is the first and basic step in selling your crafts.

Next is to create a working and trusted marketing strategy for your product or business. This includes making flyers and advertising through word of mouth. Other technology savvy people are using the Internet to market their products online. They put up websites that promote their products. In this way, people from far places will also be informed of your product and they can have the chance to buy from you. Your website should never be without your business name and location in it as it would be entirely useless to do so.

Next step is to set up a reliable pricing system. This is also a very crucial aspect in becoming successful in the crafting business as this will determine your profits and gains. It will determine if you were able to succeed in your writing gig. Look up to competitors prices and try to have a slightly lower price than them. This way, you can have knowledge of how much it is generally purchased at. Try to improve your products quality a little higher than the competitor so it would be a reasonable move for you to charge higher than the usual.

Another tip is to make an easy and effective accounting system. This system will further record and keep track of your earnings. This tool is a very important business companion as it will equip you with simple to complex money or financial situations that are very essential in running a business successfully.

Now go over these tips and try to follow them on your selling endeavor. Enjoy!

Who doesn’t love to color! Blendy Pens provide coloring fun for us all. Non-toxic and washable, Blendy pens are safe for kids. These wonderfully colorful pens let you create some of the most amazing blends of colors that will inspire the critivity in any child, young or old. Create a rainbow of limitless colors with Blendy Pens. You’re sure to have so much fun!

Creating Color Fusion with your Blendy Pens

Fusing the colors of two pens is as simple as choosing the two colors of Blendy Pens that you intend to fuse. Then, place the tips of both pens into a single color fusion chamber, being very careful to ensure that both pens are inserted fully into the color fusion chamber. You’ll hear a clicking sound which tells you that you have, in fact, inserted the pens correctly in place for proper color fusion in the chamber. Now, while using a solid, firm grip, hold the pens in a vertical position with one pen up and the other pen down. Twist and hold each of your Blendy Pens in opposite directions from each other for about five seconds. Be careful not to twist too forcefully as this can cause the fusion chamber or pens to break. Be certain to be firm yet not excessively aggressive when you are twisting and fusing your colors together.

How concentrated your colors become is determined by how long you hold the pens in the color fusion chamber. When fusing your colors, the Blendy Pen on top will mix its color to the Blendy Pen on the bottom. Bear in mind that the pen on top, while using your colors, will not recieve additional color. This is because it si contributing its own color to the pen you are holding at the bottom of the fusion chamber. Upon reaching the desired color concentration on the bottom pen, simply remove the bottom Blendy Pen. This is now the pen having additional color added from the Blendy pen at the top. Your bottom pen is now ready for you to take your chosen color and begin blending.

Several colors can be fused, one right after the other, by using your bottom Blendy pen. Create a magical assortment of blended colors while expanding your expressions of creativity. Go ahead and get wild with your newly-fused, colorful Blendy Pen!

Blendy Pens Coloring Techniques

You should be able to cover an area roughly 2″ by 2″ square with about a five-second color fuse. When your color blend runs out, you only need to fuse it again to begin coloring. Use a side-to-side motion when coloring with your Blendy pens for best results. When you’re ready to clean out the color fusion from your pen, you simply color it out. You’ll find that highly-saturated pens will take a little longer to get fully clean.

A variety of art posters and stickers, all with varying assortments of hidden textures and patterns, are available for you to color. When not in use, you should store your pens inside the fusion chambers in order to keep them ready and fresh for coloring. You could also place them in your Blendy Pen belt. This will ensure that they continue to be secure and safe, ready for your next artistic masterpiece. Everyone has a great time coloring with Blendy Pens!

A crafters first investment in a crafting business is her tools. This article is about the definition of the basic tools that can be found in a crafters toolkit. Please take note that there are many available tools out there and it just keeps on adding up as more tools are being introduced as I write now. Nevertheless, let us start with discussing the basics.

A pair of scissors is also an important tool in crafting. It cuts and trims on paper, card stocks and on your crafts. Some scissors are very advanced and can leave design impressions on your crafters. Scissors are one of the basic tools in crafting and a crafter should never be without it. A puncher is also an example of a craft tool that had evolved through the years. We can see punchers having different shapes for holes. Different shapes can now be achieved through the use of innovative punchers.

Invest in an organizer and you will never have to worry about missing pieces again. Look for an organizer which has numerous divisions so you can sort and arrange tools/ embellishments and supplies properly. Try to buy an organizer with numerous divisions and pockets that will allow you to have a specific place for your embellishments and supplies. Transparent and multi-layered organizers let you see whats inside each compartments without having to open them.

An adhesive is also one of the basic tools in crafts making. There are many varieties of adhesives available in the market nowadays. A tack adhesive is used when you want your craft to have a multi layered look. It will effectively provide depth with your artwork. Adhesives are quite expensive and you should always look for great products so your crafts could last.

The most basic tool in a crafting business is: Paper. Nowadays there are a lot of varieties of paper available in the market. Papers come in different textures, thickness, weight, color and sizes depending on the artwork you plan to make. There are also scented paper for specialized crafting requirements.

A wise entrepreneur is one that first practices due diligence in a new business that he has been eyeing. Part of this is researching and gathering information about that business in order to gain the knowledge to operate the business successfully. An entrepreneur wanting to tap the crafting business is always left with a question of What are the crafts that sell? This can be answered through visiting some craft shows and noting the items that are popular and bestsellers.

At the top of the list is jewelry. It is a common fact that almost 90% of people who go to craft shows are women. Women love buying jewelry and accessorizing their bodies with it because it makes them feel good and leaves them with a positive disposition. It increases their self-esteem and self-worth which ultimately reflects on their day-to-day activities and relationship with others.

The second most popular craft are bath and body products with the likes of soaps, shower gels and scrubs. Again, since women are the largest target market in craft fairs selling these products would be an instant hit. Crafters managed the art of making these products at the comfort of their homes which make them (products) sold at very cheap and reasonable prices- another thing that makes it popular too. These homemade pieces are also popular because of the healthy and safe ingredients that were used to make them.

The third most popular is childrens clothing. Mommas always bring home something for their kids after a long trip. Moms are proven to shell out their extra budget in buying stuffs for their kids, where clothing is the most popular. A mother could not resist bringing home a cute dress or ladybug costumes for her little princess.

Last are gift ideas like candles and scrap booking stickers/ embellishments. Women are fond of decorating their houses with accessories, where candles are proven to be the most popular accessories in the home. They also love keeping pleasant memories and journaling. That is the reason why scrapbook essentials are also popular in craft fairs.

During these difficult times, more people are at the advent of looking for ways to earn extra cash. The unstable economy caused the prices of commodities to shoot and companies lay-off their employees because of lack of budget. Some people who have lost their jobs started to run their own small businesses which will help them fend for themselves. They do so starting with low risk and low-capital business.

It is a common knowledge that as an employee with a daytime job you can earn extra from using your core gift or talent. Creative people who are good at making crafts are in the path to crafts making as a small business starter and income generator. It is practically a low risk business which has minimum capital and if youre hard working you can have huge profits at the end of the day. Crafters are entrepreneurs who are able to transform a hobby into a money making opportunity.

Crafting as a hobby is a piece of cake for people who were born with creative talents and a good sense of detail. Although creativity is extremely important in the crafting business, a good business sense is equally important to make a crafting business thrive. A good business sense involves marketing strategies, reasonable pricing system and accounting capabilities. The accounting system that you should use is one that could easily display the business profits and losses.

Just always keep on improving your product and your business strategy until such time that your business is able to do just fine and cover for your monthly expenses and savings. If your business is good enough to fend for your monthly expenses, savings and other investments; then it is time for you to finally quit your job and enjoy financial freedom. Do not be afraid if there will be challenges along the way as it will teach you with precious lessons that would be important and of use along the way.

These are just some of the useful tips that can help you in your crafting business.

St. Patricks Day is an annual festival being celebrated by countries around the world. What better way to celebrate this festive event by making St. Patricks Day commemorative crafts. This article is to provide you with information on how to make St. Patricks Day crafts that are easy, fun and inexpensive. You may sell these items on St. Patricks Day itself or give it away as gifts or fun memorabilia.

I will teach you now how to make Shamrock pins crafts . We all know that the Shamrock is the national symbol of St. Patricks Day. It is a common knowledge that when you found a piece of shamrock good luck and good things will come your way. Shamrock is the anglicized word from the Irish term seamrg . It is a three-leafed old white clover and is Irelands national symbol.

To make a shamrock pin you must first gather the materials. You will need a green chenille stem, 3 wooden heart shapes (those used for scrap booking is advisable), green acrylic paint, glue, safety pin and glitter. Cut a 3 inch long chenille stem and glue it at the center of a wooden heart. Paste the two remaining hearts at both sides of the center heart with the stem. Paint the hearts with the green acrylic paint and let it dry. When dried, coat with a thin transparent glue and set with glitters. Set the safety pin at the back.

Here is an interesting tidbit about the shamrock: Did you know that the four-leafed clover is often mistaken as a shamrock? The four-leafed clover is primarily the Irish symbol for good luck while the three-leafed clover (shamrock) is a Christian symbol for the Holy Trinity. Nowadays the shamrock is also perceived as a symbol of good luck.

Attend the St. Patricks Day festival in Irish fashion with your shamrock pin pinned on your favorite St. Patricks Day t-shirt. Give some samples of your unique creation to your family and friends and dont forget to wish them good luck!