Make Your Own Greeting Cards - Instructions By Lisa A Mason

Put a touch of personality in your card the next time you need to send a greeting card by making it yourself. Handcrafting your own unique cards is easy and fun. The only limit is your imagination.

Before you make the card, think about who will be receiving it. Develop a theme. Do they like flowers? Or, are beaches more their taste? What is their favorite color? What is important to them? Are they sophisticated or more on the rugged side? Take the personality of the recipient into consideration when designing your card. This will give the card that personal touch that will make it a cherished keepsake.

Making your own card does not require a lot of expensive supplies. For a basic homemade card, all you need is paper, cutter, glue and some colored pencils. For more elaborate cards, you may want to buy more detailed materials. Scrapbooking supplies work great for greeting cards.

Once you have what you will need to make the card, the creativity begins. A simple picture drawn with colored pencils can add a personal touch. Or, for a more elaborate graphic, use a rubber stamp with an appropriate picture. Color the stamped picture in with metallic paint pencils. Other options are shapes cut out of paper or fabric. Add embellishments, such as stickers, buttons, sequins, ribbons, lace or other fun textures. This will give it that truly "one of a kind" look."

Experiment with a few different styles and techniques to see what works best for you before investing too much money in more supplies. Find a friend who makes their own cards or scrapbooks and ask to borrow some of their supplies to try them out. This will give you a good idea of what you want to purchase in the future. A custom made stamp with the words "Made especially for you by..." will add your own unique branding the card.

Not only do you get joy out of making these unique cards, your recipients will love getting them, too. Knowing that someone took the time and effort to make them a card with their unique tastes in mid will be very special. Chances are a handmade card won't go in the trash after a couple days. Instead, it may be put in a keepsake box to enjoy for years to come.

A few kinds of easy to make cards you might consider are:

Collage Card: These can be made with anything that is meaningful to the recipient, such as movie stubs, photos, or travel brochures.

Vintage Photo Card: Print a favorite picture in black and white. Add a caption or small embellishment for a classic-looking card

Window Card: Make a two layered card and cut a shape out of the top layer. Add a photo, embellishment or text greeting to the bottom layer for a personal touch.

Don't wait for a special occasion to send these distinctive cards. Surprise someone you care about by sending them a card "Just Because."

So, the next time you are faced with sending a greeting card to someone, stop yourself before you head to the nearest store. Instead, make the card yourself. Create a card that is as unique as the recipient. And when they ask you, "Did you make this yourself?" You can smile with pride and "Yes, I did!"

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content. She has also authored her own books and works as a consultant to other writers, Internet marketers and Internet businesses.

Lisa Mason, Professional wordsmith for hire: gamer, wife, mother, entrepreneur, published poet, co-owner of game guides company, public speaker and Internet business consultant. You can learn more or follow Lisa's blog from her website: http://www.freelancewriter4hire.com

Commemorative Silver Dollar Proof By Rachel Barr

Throughout history there have been occasions that were marked by a silver dollar proof. In 2009 it is the Abraham Lincoln commemorative proof to celebrate the year of his birth. There are 500,000 coins available for the occasion and they currently range in the $60 range for those who are interested. Of course the price will vary depending on where you purchase the coins. The available information did not state if they would be available for circulation but as a proof it is not likely.

This is certainly not the first silver dollar proof to become available but it is the newest to date. There are many previous occasions when the issuance of a proof was used. The Eisenhower proof is currently selling for $14, so if you are looking for an inexpensive silver dollar proof you may want to start with some of the older ones. On the other hand the 2005 Marine Corps Commemorative proof sells for about $80. The price you pay for the proofs depends on the occasion, the number of available proofs and the popularity of each one. Like any other coin, collectors will control the price you can expect to pay.

In order to find out the value and availability of any silver dollar proof you can conduct online research. If you are looking for a particular proof you may need to look a little longer unless it is a very popular issue. In addition you want to remember that each dealer sets its own prices, so if you are on a budget you can do a price comparison and find something that meets your budget requirements. You have to remember that the more important the occasion the more you are going to have to pay for the commemorative proof that it represents.

For the true collector there are many different possibilities in which you might want to invest. In some years you may only find one or two commemorative proofs while other years you may see three or more. Choosing the best one for a collection is a decision the serious collector has to make, especially if he or she only has a specific amount of money to spend at that time. There are many of the silver dollar proofs from which you can choose so even if your funds are limited you will be able to choose something new for your collection.

A good way to choose your proofs is to write down those occasions that are of interest to you and begin looking for the coins that commemorate those occasions. You will usually find an advertisement online or locally that will provide the newest information-write it down even if you don't plan to purchase any proofs at that time. You will have the information handy for later and will be able to make your selections from your "wish list." It is also something you can provide your family for birthday, Christmas or graduation gifts. Coin proofs are never out of season and are something you can even start for your child.

Are You Wanting to Create Your Own Home Fragrance Oil? By Lacy Newton

Nobody wants an odorous environment. It is not appealing to anyone. A home that is fragrant is what we are looking for. There are many home fragrance oil types available to combat this dilemma. There are commercialized products in the market that are said to provide marvelous scents although they are a bit expensive. However, you are not really sure of what their effects are to you and to the environment.

Making your own fragrance oil will be a wiser idea. Aside from it is affordable; you are sure that they are environment-friendly because the ingredients that you will put are all natural. You don't need to be an expert if you want to make your own home fragrance oil. There is no need for complicated ingredients that seem not to be found elsewhere. You don't also need big and expensive machine to do it. The most important idea here is you know the right ingredients and you know the proper steps on how to make it. Of course, you don't have to forget the most important recipe which is your great and wide imagination. The ingredients that you will need might be found in your own kitchen. If not, try to go to the nearest supermarket near you or try to research online.

There are a lot of advantages and benefits if you will make your own fragrance oil. It can be a good hobby. You can give it as a present to the people who are close to your heart, your family, friends, and even your office mates during special occasions like birthdays and Christmas. Aside from being a great hobby, you can also start a small business with it. A lot of people are looking for a much natural and environment-friendly home fragrance oils nowadays since we are currently experiencing environmental problems. Since it is in demand these days, you can be sure that it will be a sure hit.

Essential oil and fragrance oil are the two major types of home fragrance oil. Essential oils are derived from real plants and offers therapeutic benefits. Since it has therapeutic properties, you can get a lot of health benefits from it. While, fragrance oil is much affordable if you compare it to essential oil. It has a longer effect but it contains synthetic compounds.

Is the idea of making your own home fragrance oil caught you? Here are simple steps on how to make your own home fragrance oil:

Select base oil. Jojoba oil is great for the skin so it is better if you choose it as base oil. Other oils that you can choose from are grape seed oil, amica oil, or the cheapest which is the vegetable oil.

Buy scented oil. Go to the nearest supermarket or health food store and look for concentrated scented oil. Opt for a scent that will suit you or a scent that is appealing for everyone.

Look for an attractive bottle. A nice, colorful, and decorative bottle will surely add an appearance to your home fragrance oil. The bottle should have a tight cap.

Funnel your base oil into the bottle.

Dropping of scented oil into the base oil should be done carefully. Calculate the scent by trying to rub it on your skin.

Make sure to tighten the cap and store it on a dark place. After several days, your home fragrance oil can already be used.

Lacy Newton is a Spa Product Making enthusiast. She owns and maintains Easy Soap Recipes, a resource for home fragrance oil recipes and ideas for Spa Product Creating enthusiasts.

A Guide to Free Genealogy Databases By Julia Hanson

Free genealogy databases are becoming increasingly common and loaded with information. Any research of your family tree invariably makes use of these databases to track down ancestors and a host of other related information. It is not very difficult to find out free genealogy databases but there are so many of them that it can become difficult to track them down. The following guide will help you get started.

• Ancestory.com has a World Connect Project that allows people from across the globe to submit their family trees and information, along with the sources. This is one great place to start your search as there is a lot of information available. Since it is posted by users, there is an added advantage of diversity across nations (many databases can be very country specific). There may be a few cases of errors so might want to validate the information here through authentic citations.
• Interment.net maintains records from thousands of cemeteries totaling millions of people from across the world. There are also helpful resources linking to other cemeteries to supplement your research. This is a very helpful resource that you would often use to track dead ancestors.
• WorldGenWeb is an ambitious project that aims to collect a huge amount of genealogical data from all over the world. The best thing is that you would find a lot of information and sources in all countries and not just US, Western Europe and Australia as is the case with many free genealogical databases. Therefore this record can be especially useful for parts of your family tree outside these areas if you think you have gotten stuck somewhere and unable to proceed further on a branch.
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains a website cwgc.org that provides the details of the soldiers from the Commonwealth (and the colonies of UK included) who died during the World Wars. You can thus get lots of information about your ancestors who might have died in the Wars. This can generally be a bottleneck in the tree, and finding such an ancestor can lead to the discovery of a whole branch, so it can get very helpful at times.
• For US citizens and those with a part of their family tree in that country, Heritage Quest Online contains a wealth of information including complete federal census data for more than 200 years. Apart from this, it contains war pension files and other information that would be otherwise difficult to obtain. The only drawback is that it is accessible only through library membership in the United States or through other genealogical societies. Also, the files are present as images and thus it takes more time to search.

It is worthwhile to remember that information not from official sites maintained by governments and libraries should be verified before using it. This should not in any way deter you from using free genealogy databases, however The errors are not all that common and they more often than not at the very least provide a clue and direction for your research. The verification is in most cases only to authenticate your research.

Julia Hanson is an author who has written extensively about genealogy. For more great information free genealogy databases and on how to build a family tree, visit http://www.Build-Family-Tree.com

Find the Nearest Comic Book Store! By Qayam Khan

Comic books are not just a child's fantasy. Millions of adults too read comic books every day. Reading comic book can be considered a smart way to relieve your day's worry and tension. Via comic book, you can easily walk into a fantasy world where unexpected can happen at any point of time. Who doesn't like Superman beating his arch-rival Lex Luther? Are you not amazed to find how Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man to save the world from danger? Who can resist a good laugh with Tom & Jerry fighting all the time? Cartoon characters are everlasting and we feel so connected with their adventures, life, happiness and sadness. If you love comics, you surely know where to approach to find the best possible collection.

A Comic book store is possibly the best place to get your all-time favorite comics. At comic book shops, you can find a wide variety of comics that can catch your interest instantly. These stores are the best platform to get numerous comic books that offer you a good read.

Comic book stores are available almost everywhere, these days. Check through your local yellow pages or city directory to get the exact location, address, contact addresses and contact person. If you fail to locate a nearby comic store location, search a store through general geographical area. Searching by the zip code option can get you a list of comic books located in your chosen area.

Internet is a boon for people who want instant results for their search. Online websites offer customized search options wherein you can find stores with rare collection of comic books. Some websites give you the facility to directly buy books online. Just use your credit card and your order will be shipped at your doorstep.

Find Local Comic Book Shops locations in USA on an interactive map presented by MapMuse that can be used as a Comic Shop Locator.