A History Of Stained Glass

On July 12, 2011, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

No one actually knows when stained glass was first invented because it happened before people started recording history. However, some historians reckon that it was first used as a luxury in the homes of affluent Romans in the first century AD. Stained glass was eventually acclaimed as an art form in the fourth century as Christians started to worship candidly and to construct elaborate churches in which to celebrate their religion.

On the other hand, some historians demonstrate that there are signs in pre-Christian ruins that suggest that pagans used stained glass in their rites. Although we will probably never really know the start of stained glass, it is fairly clear that the spread of Christianity is directly related to the spread of use of stained glass.

The Gothic Era commenced in the 12th Century and stained glass windows became an essential element in the design of cathedrals. It really all started with the pioneering style of the St. Denis, France, where stained glass windows were used to convey light into the church itself and into the minds of its worshipers. Sadly, most of the stained glass in the St. Denis Cathedral was destroyed in the course of the French Revolution, but there are a few pieces left and even some complete windows on exhibit in Europe.

Gothic style stained glass was composed of strong lines, but these gradually went out of fashion as the Renaissance commenced. During the Renaissance, artisans showed greater detail and more delicate colouring in order to add to the realism. Stained glass windows became more like paintings on glass than architectural elements and some of the notable elements such as lead lines disappeared. Because of the problems in expressing the great detail essential to the Renaissance era, the old style, which was true stained glass almost died out.

Since stained glass was used by and large by the Catholic Church, much of the work was smashed during the reign of King Henry VIII after his split with the Pope. However, not only old stained glass windows were damaged, but many of the glass making works were sabotaged too. However, religious strife was not the only cause of the decline of stained glass.

The style of the Baroque period was for more detailed murals, which necessitated the use of clear glass. Therefore, many of the remaining stained glass windows were permitted to decay, and furthermore not many new stained glass windows were produced. In the late 17th century, the public mood returned to the Gothic style of architecture, which produced a renewed interest in stained glass windows.

Artisans continued to paint directly onto the glass at first, but later tried to imitate the old leaden frames of medieval times. However, since the original techniques had not been used for such a long time, they had become forgotten and the artisans of the period were unable to recreate the exact styles prevailing in Gothic stained glass.

During the 19th century, La Farge and Tiffany created new variations of stained glass. La Farge was interested in window designs, while Tiffany went into new areas like the Tiffany lamp shade.

These days, stained glass artists are not constricted by religious styles, although much of the work they do involves refurbishment. Modern stained glass is also used as the centre pane in front doors, especially uPVC doors, by rich and poor equally in the West.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Waterford crystal vases. If you have an interest in Irish crystal or wedding rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

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A Brief History Of Animated Cartoons

On July 9, 2011, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn (or made with computers to look similar to something hand-drawn) film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some sort of story or plot (even if it is a very short one).

Animation itself can be described as the rapid showing of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways.

It is difficult to believe but the very earliest instances of attempts to capture the impression of motion by drawing can be found in Paleolithic cave paintings. Here animals are shown with multiple legs in superimposed positions, clearly trying to convey the perception of motion.

Further instances can be seen on an earthenware bowl more than 5,000 years old from Persia and an Egyptian mural of wrestlers in action, which is about 4,000 years old.

However these examples cannot really be described as animation as there was no means of making the characters actually move.

The first mechanical devices designed to provide the illusion of movement were developed for children?s amusement or as entertainment at private parties. These included the zoetrope, magic lantern, praxinoscope, thaumatrope, phenakistoscope, and flip book.

Charles-Emile Reynaud created the first animated film in 1892 while he exhibited an animated film consisting of loops of about 500 frames. This film is also notable as the first known instance of film perforations being used. His films were not photographed, but drawn directly onto the transparent strip.

However the first film which can truly be designated as an animated cartoon was ‘Humorous Phases of Funny Faces’ fashioned by J. Stuart Blackton in 1906. It features a cartoonist drawing faces on a chalkboard, and the faces seemingly coming to life.

One of the very first successful animated cartoons was “Gertie the Dinosaur” (1914) by Winsor McCay. It is considered the first example of true character animation.

All the major movie studios used animated cartoons of 5 to 10 minute lengths as ?fillers? before the main movie was shown during the period of the 1930s to the 1960s.Theatrical cartoons were made in huge numbers and MGM, Disney, Paramount and Warner Brothers were the largest studios producing these 5 to 10-minute “shorts”.

However the ever increasing popularity of TV and the subsequent waning in cinema going has meant that today most animated cartoons are produced for EV.

The most well-known animated cartoon character of all is no doubt Mickey Mouse who was introduced to the world by Walt Disney in May 1928 in Plane Crazy but also starred some six months later in the first animated cartoon with sound – ‘Steamboat Willie’.

By the way, Mickey was originally christened Mortimer Mouse until Walt Disney?s wife persuaded him to make the transformation.

Mickey Mouse, predated by another cartoon animal called Felix The Cat, made his debut in 1919. However another all time favourite cartoon series Tom and Jerry had to wait until 1931 to put in an appearance.

All these characters and many more have long since made the transition from movies to TV where, no doubt, they will be seen for numerous years to come.

If you want one of our unique, hand-made, custom cartoons or caricatures from photos suppled by you please click on one of these links History of Football. If you would like to know more, please go to website at Custom Cartoons.

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Low-Cost Wedding Favours

On May 12, 2011, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

If you are holding a large wedding, that is one with many guests, the cost of wedding favours can be quite considerable, if you do not set a strict budget. One immediate method you could use to cut the cost of your wedding favours is to give one to each couple or single, rather than one to everybody who comes. The first decision to make is how much can you afford in total and then divide that by the number of guests in total and then divide it by the number of couples and singles.

This system will make it easier for you to decide what you are going to do: get for everybody; get for couples and singles and keep the rest for something else or give to couples and singles but buy more expensive gifts. If you still find that there is not a lot of money to go around, you will need to look for lower-priced wedding favours. I will offer you a few ideas below to get you started.

Candles can be very successful, low-cost wedding favours. If you buy in bulk, you can get some really lovely candles at very affordable prices. You could get scented candles, maybe with the same smell as the spray the bride carried. You could also consider purchasing personalized ribbons to tie attractive bows around the candles and the ribbons could have your names and the wedding date on them.

Candy or chocolate is another kind of inexpensive wedding favour. There are many ways to go down this route. You can have the wrappers of popular candy bars custom-made; you could buy fairly expensive chocolate in bulk and wrap it up in a special way yourself or you could buy small boxes of gourmet chocolate.

Giving packets of flower or vegetable seeds is also an economical way of giving a useful wedding favour. Again, you could give seed packets of the flowers in the bride’s bouquet. The seed packets could be wrapped or boxed with your own special logo, names and wedding date. You could present them in a pot or tray too in order to make it even easier to sow the seeds.

A pen or pen and pencil set is also a reasonably inexpensive way of giving wedding favours. These pens can also display your wedding details such as names and date.

However, I am Welsh and so my favourite wedding favours are love spoons in miniature, say four inches long. Love spoons were given in Wales by a suitor to his beloved for hundreds of years and many love spoon carvers will make mini versions by hand for a small amount of money. These love spoon wedding favours can also be carved with the wedding details as they are typically made out of wood.

Another lovely touch is to insert a stamped, self addressed envelope to your wedding favour present, with a short note asking the recipient to get in touch with you soon, so that you do not let too much water go under the bridge.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Welsh love spoons, and Wales in general, please go to our website at Welsh Products Online, if you are too.

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Classic Gifts For Teenagers

On April 20, 2011, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

Buying gifts for teenagers can get very difficult, particularly if you do not know teenagers very well. The problem with teenagers is that some are more grown up than others and if you do not know the person very well, you do not know whether to tend towards the adult or the child. However, you can always purchase a ‘little bit older’ knowing that if you have not judged the mental age correctly, then they will mentally grow into the gift.

There are a couple of classic gifts that teenagers feel are not too young for them, gifts that make them feel grown up. These gifts are not in any particular order.

A watch is always helpful – a small dainty watch for a girl and a big chunky thing for a boy. It does not matter whether it is wind-up, automatic or battery and it does not have to be one of the very expensive names, but it is better if it is pretty famous like a Seiko.

A chain, necklace or bracelet of precious metal will be appreciated by any teen, but particularly by girls. Nine carat gold or silver is not that expensive, but it will hold its value. A St Christopher can be a decent present for someone who is religious or not.

Teenagers like clothing and shoes, but it is best to keep the clothing on the casual side. Like trainers instead of shoes or a T-shirt rather than a shirt with a collar, a hoodie rather than a jacket. A leather belt is also worth considering.

Sunglasses are usually appreciated, but it is vital to get the style correct. Enquire of the parents of the teenager which designer label the teenager prefers.

Music is a classic present for a teenager, but there is such a choice of media to play it on these days. Maybe a gift voucher from a big high street record shop that also has an on line presence is best. That way, they can either buy a CD or download the music from the Net onto their MP3 player.

An atmospheric lamp can be a good present if the teenager spends a great deal of time in his or her room. Lava lamps and optic fibre lamps are just the ticket.

Something for the computer. Most teens have a computer, so you could buy a web cam, a wireless mouse or a wireless keyboard. Or a new computer game. If the teen has a laptop, they may appreciate a new laptop case or carrying bag. Laptops do come with a carrying bag, but they take quite a bashing and soon get frayed and scruffy.

A good quality pen. Not many people use fountain pens nowadays, but they are still a good gift. It may encourage the teen to tidy up his or her handwriting otherwise a famous-name biro, but it is certainly not the same as a classic fountain pen and a bottle of ink. You could add a blotter to this little package too as no-one appears to have one any more.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety subjects, but is now concerned with Silver Cross Rocking Horses. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Rocking Horses for sale.

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Thoughts On Baby Gift Baskets

On April 11, 2011, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

Are you going to give a baby shower soon? Or have you recently been invited to one and you are not certain what to do? If so, you will be expected to give a gift to the baby to help welcome him or her into the world. This is fine, but a great deal of people, especially single men, ask themselves what it is precisely that a baby so urgently needs.

If you fall into this category or if you want to take a scatter-gun approach to giving a present in the hope that something will be of use, then you could consider getting the baby a baby gift basket. You see, a baby gift basket contains a lot of small items or big objects or a mixture of the two. Whatever you can come up with or afford in fact.

There are two ways of procuring a baby gift basket. You can either buy one taylor-made or you can purchase a basket and pick-and-mix the contents yourself. So, let us suppose that you are going to avoid duplication and pack your own basket.

First the basket. A traditional wicker basket like the ones they show on toffee tins, in which a maid is carrying eggs is pretty, but also pretty costly. You could get a plastic version, but perhaps the box that the gifts are in is not as significant as the gifts themselves. You could make your own by lining and covering a suitably-sized box and finishing it with a bow.

The contents. What do babies need? Or are you going to put some items in there for the parents too? If you are going to add a couple of objects for the parents as well, I will leave that up to you as you know them better than I do, I would imagine.

What can you buy for the baby then? Something instructive is a necessity; something to occupy the baby’s attention, maybe like a mobile or a decorative abacus to string across the pram. How about music? Brahm’s Lullaby is excellent, with or without voices, in German or in English, but get it sung by a choir or a solo, but professionally-trained singer – not Lady Gaga.

Whilst choosing music remember that by the time the baby can understand the words, the CD will have been lost, scratched or worn out. Go for peaceful music, classical is best in this instance.

Other items that always come in handy are bibs, teething rings, baby beakers and a small plate or dish. I do not think it is a good idea to do to get shampoos and soaps, it is better to let mum buy them or you might be blamed for allergic reactions and dandruff. However, talcum powder is a pretty safe bet, but do not purchase anything strongly perfumed.

Personalized bedding is a good idea. If you buy a cot blanket, endeavor to get one the same size as the cot for safety reasons. A nice touch is to have the baby’s monogram or initials embroidered on it. That does not work well for clothing, because kids grow out of them, but it is fantastic for quilts and pillow cases.

Purchase the bedding and ask (or pay) someone to do the embroidery for you. The child will grow out of the cot, but the blanket can then be used as a comforter. Embroidered pillow cases have a similarly long life.

Some people give sweets and biscuits, but personally I am not in favour of helping someone to rot their teeth, encouraging a sweet tooth or overweight babies. A good bottle of wine though is another matter, but you will have to take advice on whether it will be at its peak in twenty years time. Good Port is a safe bet. Spirits do not mature in a bottle.

Owen Jones, the author of that article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with the satin baby blankets. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Woollen Blankets.

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Gourmet Chocolates For Romance

On September 26, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

Almost everyone has a liking for chocolate, even if they would rather deny it. But some of us have a passion for it and if you tried gourmet chocolate, this would turn into a devotion. The feel of its texture in your mouth as it melts is very pleasing and its richness takes this enjoyment to a whole new level. Some people even say that they would rather chocolate over everything else.

Although chocolate is delicious, some chocolates are more enjoyable than others. A Snickers bar is full of chocolate but it is also stuffed with peanuts and caramel and the chocolate is not so great anyway. Thankfully, there are gourmet chocolates to be had to satisfy any chocolate lover’s chocolate desire.

There are enough different cacao inspired appetizing snacks out there to please almost everyone. There are kinds of chocolate that some people probably never have thought possible. Chocolates now even come in a chocolate-wine mixture to serve as a self-indulgent topping to a sweet.

Examples of the flavours you can get are: chocolate espresso merlot and chocolate raspberry cabernet. Many pure chocolate and wine lovers knew that wine and chocolate fitted well together, but would not have thought of combining them in a sauce. However, when they are poured over ice-cream, they are a pure delight to the taste buds.

Chocolates called truffles of all kinds are also obtainable for those with an extra sweet tooth, whether you love dark, milk or white chocolate. There are also boxes of chocolate to suit everybody’s needs. They contain a wide variety of different gourmet chocolates. Some people really like coffee filled chocolates or cherry filled chocolates.

There are selection boxes of chocolates too which offer one or two of all the kinds of gourmet chocolates that that firm has to offer. Some of the combinations you will have heard of, others you will not. A selection box like this is a somewhat less expensive way of getting to know a manufacturer’s products.

If you just would like an normal bar of gourmet chocolate, then those are available too from select suppliers. It is best to look online or in Yellow Pages. I have seen dark, milk and white chocolate bars presented, but I prefer the individual bonbons, although a bar is easier to carry in your bag and it is the same high-quality chocolate, but without a filling..

These small, but delectable gourmet chocolates make perfect, romantic gifts for your paramour too. Also, if you know a chocolate lover, then they will seriously be grateful for the complex taste of these gourmet delights. They will know that you have spent your time and money buying them the only gift they really wanted.

Online shops that sell these luscious chocolates often also have gift certificates available, so if you cannot choose the perfect gourmet chocolates you can definitely let them do it for themselves with your voucher.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Romantic Gifts: Ideas. If you have an interest in romantic gifts, please go over to our website now at Romantic Gifts: Ideas

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Will These Wine Glasses Do?

On September 8, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

The growing trend of popularity of wine has led to a boom in things to go with wine like corkscrews, stoppers, coolers, napkins, pouring baskets, decanters, candles, thermometers, bottle jackets, hydrometers and dozens of variations of each accessory from electric versions to manual ones. Needless to say, a lot of these accessories will be used until the novelty wears off and then left at the back of the cupboard.

However, there is one type of wine drinking accessory that no wine drinker should be without and that is wine glasses. They are indispensable, I am sure that everyone would agree. But the good thing about wine glasses is that they are attractive when they are not in use too. A set of six lead crystal wine glasses is a fine-looking display. And a fine set of glasses correctly fashioned for the wine you are drinking will greatly enhance your enjoyment of that wine.

This is because the profile of the glass is very influential on the drinker’s capacity to savour the taste and the aroma of wine. Therefore, it is necessary to use the correct glasses for the type of wine being served.

Red wines benefit a lot from contact with air, so, aside from opening the bottle an hour before drinking it, you could decant it. The older and heavier the wine, the more air it needs. The next step is to serve the red wine in large glasses. This is not so as to be able to get as much wine in there as possible! A full, normal size bottle contains six servings no matter what glass you use, but a large glass allows you to swirl the wine around the glass, thereby increasing its contact with air.

A large tulip shaped glass is a good example of this type of wine glass and any dark red wine would benefit from being drunk out of such a vessel. Try a Rioja or Bordeaux, for example.

White wines, on the other hand, do not need to breathe for as long as red wines and are best served slightly chilled. Therefore, the wine glasses are likely to have a smaller bowl and a longer stem. The bowl is smaller, because swirling is not necessary and the stem is longer, so that the heat from your hand does not warm the wine up prematurely. Try a Chardonnay, a Sauvignon or a German wine in these glasses.

Champagne glasses are called champagne flutes because the bowl is long and narrow, which allows the bubbles to float through more of the wine than if the bowl were short. This is beneficial for the wine, the taste and its appearance. The stem is also long as with other white wines to diminish heat transfer.

The last main type of glass is the sherry schooner, which is also used for port. Sherry and port are both heavy reds and so have to breathe, which is one of the reasons why they ought to be decanted. However, a schooner has hardly any stem, because the heat from your hand is required to keep the wine at the correct temperature.

Besides the shape of the bowl and the length of the stem, the next most significant factor is the quality of the glass and its design. Some people like hand-blown glass and it can be very beautiful, but it also tends to be light and fragile. I prefer to use lead crystal glasses, which are a lot heavier and can take a deeper pattern.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with Waterford crystal vases. If you have an interest in Irish crystal or wedding rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring

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Wedding Gift Ideas To Win Hearts

On August 10, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Owen Jones

The occasion of a wedding is a very special day for anyone. Just being asked to one can cause real excitement. It is always a pleasure to see someone walk down the aisle with the hope of true love and life long happiness. choosing a wedding present can be a lot of fun as well. There are thousands of presents that you can buy online or in retail shops.

Personalized gifts is a common trend in weddings presents. Bespoke gifts bring out your creativity because you can determine the style, design and message you want to be printed on them. Products range from photo frames, mugs and clocks, among many others.

When buying gifts, always keep in mind your resources but be certain to get the look you want on the goods you buy. Here are some gift ideas that would definitely be a hit:

Tapestry – It is lovely to commemorate the wedding day, but how best to do this? Personalize everyday belongings by printing the couple’s picture on them. You can have it printed on pillows, blankets or bags.

Have them printed on a tapestry wall hanging and they can be kept as heirlooms. Different coloured cotton threads can make your pictures come to life just like the photo itself.

Photo Frames – Keep your best photographs in unique photo frames. You can add romantic messages like ‘lovers forever” or “ideal couple”. Romantic lines from songs or poems are recommended too. You can pick from the various frames available like natural wood, quality resin, or metal steel.

Personal messages are mostly engraved by laser or cut out of wood. The couple would love putting there favorite wedding photos in such frames to remind them of the happiness of their special day.

T-shirts – Show your own personality and thoughts by having them printed on comfortable tees. Many couples would love to demonstrate their love for each other on cute shirts. The most common of the slogans on these shirts is the letter “I” followed by a big red heart and then name of the groom or bride.

You could tell the world how you feel towards a person with such a bespoke tee. If you want to be more intimate, you could even print romantic messages on lingerie or underwear.

Accessories – Women love accessories. Bracelets are perfect items for personalization. You could choose sterling silver or even 9 carat – 22 carat gold. This depends on your budget, of course. But remember, it is the thought that counts.

Common themes that are put on bracelets are the date of your wedding or your anniversary or the couple’s name. You can personalize rings and necklaces in the same way too.

Tankards – Tankards are very handy. If you are giving a gift to the groom, customizing his beer mug or wine glass would definitely be appreciated. Choose a beer mug that is not embarrassing. Pewter or glass look nice and the personal message would stand out clearly.

Clocks – You could purchase a wall clock or personal watches. Either way, you can be certain that the recipient would find them very useful. Engraving one’s name on a metal steel sports watch is an eye catcher too. A pocket watch would be just as appreciated.

Looking for wedding gifts can be very pleasing. Personalizing your gifts would add a unique touch to each present. No matter the value of the gift, remember that it is always the thought that matters most.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Romantic Gifts: Ideas. If you have an interest in romantic gifts, please go over to our website now at Romantic Gifts: Ideas

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Moderate Retirement Gifts For Golfers

On July 24, 2010, In Uncategorized, By Rhys Jones

There is a commonly held belief that golf is the pastime-cum-sport of rich entrepreneurs and businessmen. It is also perceived as being an elite sport and not easily accessible by ordinary blue collared employees. However, this is not really true as modernization and commercialization have brought these so-called exclusive sports into the reach of ordinary workers.

This is because there is no need to acquire sophisticated equipment to have a game, so, unlike big game fishing and polo which require very costly resources like a boat or a horse respectively, golfers just require a set of golf clubs, which are reasonably affordable. With this in mind, retirement gifts for golfers and aspiring golfers can be easily thought of.

Making personalized retirement gifts for golfers is quite an easy task as you can easily personalize your golfing equipment with items such as home made golf club pouches, and caddy covers and ball cleaners. These can be knitted or made using any handicraft requiring other materials.

You could think about golfing fashion by concentrating on the attire worn by golfers. You could even end up starting a new trend in golfing clothing by the using your imagination regarding the design of the clothing for your retiree.

The most easiest way of getting a retirement gift for golfers is to go to the local sports shop and get your retiree something they sell there. It may sound a bit impersonal, but then this may prove really useful, if the retiree is still a novice golfer. Maybe, you could buy a golfing book, a subscription to a golfing magazine or a box of personalized golf balls.

However, you could find out what your retiree golfer still needs, and perhaps also use your imagination to think about in what ways you can enhance the golfing equipment he may already have.

Commercially made golfing equipment is also a safe bet, if you want to make your retiree feel professional by buying him a famous-name set of golf clubs, thereby making him feel like a pro.

You could go to a joke shop and ask if they have any joke items for the golfer there. They probably do, since golfing is such a popular game.

Gag gifts must be chosen very carefully since they can raise sensitive issues for the retiree, especially if he is a novice golfer. Gags as gifts in relation to golfing can be taken the wrong way and put someone off, if they are upset by the idea implied by the gag or joke you gave them.

As for veteran players who are already well adapted to the game, the gift of a good gag on their retirement day would be quite funny since they would already see golfing not only as a way to relieve stress, but also to actually just have some fun.

Retirement gifts for golfers are really just a simple way to make your golfer friend enjoy life after his career is over.

If you are interested in golf or retirement gifts for golfers, just go to our website on Golfing Tips for Novices. Also published at Moderate Retirement Gifts For Golfers.

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