Monday, November 30, 2009

Add To The Drama Of Your Bonsai With These Ground Covers

Author: Lee Dobbins

Source: download



Adding a, garden sculpture, groundcover to a bonsai tree can either detract or add, garden sculpture, to the beauty of your design. You want to make sure the tree stays as the main attraction but you also want to add something pleasing underneath at ground level. Here are some choices that add interest and balance without overwhelming your design.
One, garden sculpture, thing you can do is add a little sculptural pieces around the ground underneath the tree. Of course, you can have some that are cheesy but you can also buy elegant and tasteful items that at a beauty to your design.
One natural element that can be used is deadwood which can add cohesiveness to your bonsai. Notes tree branches of the same species can help pull together and natural appearance, garden sculpture, between tree and ground.
You want to be careful when, garden sculpture, using deadwood because any type of dead wood could harbor parasites and cause disease to your bonsai. Even long dead branches can decompose adding elements to the soil which are most of the time harmless but sometimes can add to the growth of fungus and bacteria.
You can bleach the dead wood with a mixture of lime and sulfur but for a static purposes this may not be suitable for all kinds of branches. If you do bleach your wood and it comes out to light you can use coffee grounds or stain to darken it up again and make It appear more natural.
You can use in herbicide like Armillatox that has, garden sculpture, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties or you might try a wood stain as many of these do more than simply change the color of the wood, they also kill organisms, garden sculpture, .
Some interesting artificial pieces to add under your tree include ceramic or stone sculptures as well as little tiny rocks., garden sculpture, Try adding something with Oriental significance like a tiger or dragon. most bonsai artists do not like to use miniature human figures but a tiny ladder leaning against a tree can add a thoughtful touch. tiny miniature frogs which are said to bring lock according to Japanese lore might be added at the base of your bonsai.
And don't forget that your plot is a design element in your bonsai as well. You want to make sure the shape is appropriate for the type of tree in the design you are using. Be sure you get a pot whose color works with your design and blends with any of the ground elements you are using.
Designing your bonsai can be more than just training the tree. With some imagination and thought you can create a little scene that is as unique as you are.
Lee Dobbins writes for http://bonsai.garden-corner.com what you can learn more about decorating and training your bonsai tree.






Sunday, November 29, 2009

A Wood Deck For Your Home

Author: Jeff Halper

Source: articlesbase.com



There's just something about wood. By its very nature, it has a friendliness and hospitality about it, which surely goes back to it being one of our first building materials in the earliest days of human development. In this vein, wood decks naturally bring beauty and warmth to your home. Enjoyed by all your friends and family, a wood deck creates an outdoor room,, garden sculpture,, garden sculpture, thus bringing the indoors out into the open and expanding your living space. Design Ideas Wood decks enhance the landscapes of most homes, but in particular, they work well with these types of gardens: • Modern landscape design. This style uses dramatic geometric shapes, easily personified in wood planks, to create a point of view that is fluid and natural. Horizontal and vertical planes can manufacture a modern sculpture effect while colors and plantings evoke a warm, welcoming feel. Water and light are often used, as in artfully-lit outdoor water fountains, to enhance the visual feast. It is the juxtaposition of soft and hard, linear and non-linear, free-flowing and restrained, garden sculpture, that defines modern landscape design • Japanese garden design. In this tradition, the garden is a microcosm of nature, thus a wooden deck fits in perfectly. It can play off, garden sculpture, nicely against fences and gates, other elements important to Japanese gardens with their, garden sculpture, underlying, garden sculpture, philosophy of enclosure. The fence seals us away from the outside world, the gate is the threshold from which we enter the retreat and leave for the outside world, and the wood deck connects us to our natural selves. • English garden design. The English garden design is the essence of an informal garden and a deck made of wood feeds that informality. Colors and textures in profuse wildness draw visitors in and create a feast for the mind's eye. Because plants are chosen out of personal preference and a strong mix of color is used in this style, wood decks make for a pleasing backdrop. • Urban landscaping. An urban yard or garden usually comes with big challenges, like the blank wall of a neighboring townhouse or a space that is all, garden sculpture, straight lines, garden sculpture, and right angles. As with all landscape architecture, the goal with urban landscaping is to create spaces in which the home and architectural elements have a relationship with its natural setting. Wooden decks fit neatly into this relationship. Material Choices When choosing wood for your decking, pressure-treated pine is the most popular material choice. Many people choose treated pine because it stands up well to weather and damp soil, two of the most common problems we face in the Houston area. However, redwood and cedar have resins that naturally protect them from weathering and rotting, too., garden sculpture, Cedar is also popular because it possesses dimensional stability and a natural resistance to decay. These woods generally lie flat, stay straight, retain fasteners and provide a firm base for many types of stains and paints. Maintenance and Ongoing Care Mother Nature is hard on wooden decks-moisture and the ultraviolet, garden sculpture, rays of the sun are the two biggest enemies. It goes without saying that the weather found here in the Gulf Coast region is particularly hard on wood decks. For regular cleaning, the wood can be cleaned with a special cleaner, which will most likely take care of the gray mildew. For especially stubborn stains, use a small amount of household bleach diluted, garden sculpture, with water to kill the mildew. Whatever cleaning agent is used, be sure to rinse thoroughly. Wooden decks need to be protected every two years or so. A penetrating, clear wood finish or stain should do the trick. It is also a good idea to regularly check for protruding nail heads, something that happens with temperature changes which makes wood expand and contract. You will also want to look for any rotten areas, especially on stairs and railings. These services can be included in landscape maintenance contracts with landscape service companies.



Jeff Halper is passionate for Landscaping and wants to share infomation about that passion. At Exterior Worlds you can read more about wood deck design and installation or Landscape Design


Saturday, November 28, 2009

Home And Garden Decor

Author: Francis Rodrigues

Source: isnare.com



In most countries, home and garden d้cor are bought by people during December. Everyone wants to celebrate Christmas grand and to welcome the New Year in style. A lot of visitors do come during the holiday season in December. So every housewife dreams of a beautiful home to show the visitors.

Home and garden d้cor make the home as a whole, garden sculpture, look beautiful. Today, everyone wants to have some type of garden, even small, in a home. This is to give the eyes some relaxation. Day in and day out, for the people living in cities, what meets their eyes is concrete jungle. So, looking at something green is not only a relaxation for the eyes but also to the mind. To make the home garden look beautiful and appealing, we need Home and garden decor. The home d้cor also makes the sitting room, dining hall and even, garden sculpture, the stairway or the corridors, garden sculpture, look appealing.

Another type of home and garden d้cor is to have a pond in the garden if you have the space. It is always nice to use some theme for your garden with a pond. Wind spinners hung in the garden captivate the people who come to your home. Down by the pond, your friends and neighbours will find something to keep them fascinated for hours. You can hang a medium frog design wind spinner from a tree branch, or bracket, and enjoy the flash and fire that comes with the optical illusion. There are lily pad shaped "frames", garden sculpture, consisting of multiple rings in softly shaded colours that surround the, garden sculpture, central cut out figure of a frog and dragonfly. Beautiful when still, it will enthral everyone when the entire unit spins in the wind.

Wind spinners are good Home and garden d้cor items. They come in many designs and shapes. Some of the designs of wind spinners, garden sculpture, include, butterfly like wind spinner in various hues, compass like wind spinner, dragon fly like wind spinners and many more attractive designs and colours. Everyone who come to your home will crow with delight when they see a rooster like wind spinner! Brilliantly crafted in shiny red metal, it makes a striking accent when hanging outside the kitchen window or over the patio, and becomes even more spellbinding when the wind makes the single piece of metal sculpture, whirl. You can buy these inexpensive yet attractive, garden sculpture, wind spinners every where. It does not cost so much. You can find them in home d้cor stores or even online.






Friday, November 27, 2009

How to Choose the Best Quality Lawn For Your Garden

Author: Joshua Safee

Source: isnare.com



Developing a great lawn for your garden requires effort and time which one has to endow with some knowledge of lawn care. A well maintained lawn can actually change the look of the house and can add value to the property. Creating a beautiful lawn for your garden shall require, garden sculpture, complete guidance from professional lawn experts, garden sculpture, and the same shall help create a wonderful, garden sculpture, exterior.

Lawn Quality attracts people

Great Lawn can also add value to the garden as the same shall reflect most of the nature which attracts humans and builds an exotic surrounding, garden sculpture, for the family. The best lawn can also give a feel of the quality house which the homeowner would be maintaining. The exterior depicts the real class of the family staying in that house and it can be maintained easily after some guidance and knowledge.

Lawn care is an important part of home development and the same reflects the quality of living. Most good lawns attract visitors and people like to spend the maximum time in the garden where they can admire the surroundings. The plants and shrubs can add grace to the environment.

Adding equipments

Best quality lawn can improve the look of the garden by aesthetic or traditional designs. Several designs are available to choose from which may also include some fancy designs installing several equipments, garden sculpture, in the lawn. Some great equipment like birdbaths and fountains are the best part to install in your garden for, garden sculpture, a quality look.

Some great things that shall help develop your lawn and garden are:

1. Address Plaques: Placing an attractive Plaque on the rocks can, garden sculpture, develop a country feel to the visitors.

2. Composters: This is the best thing to get rid of all the fallen leaves and weeds.

3. Decorative Sculptures: Some great sculptures shall add value to the garden.

4. Fountains: This can be the best way of regular watering in the lawn.

5. Garden Carts: These should be used for removal of unwanted weeds, leaves and fallen waste.

6. Greenhouses: To separate some small shrubs, this can be the best place.

7. Lighting: Some cool lighting can develop, garden sculpture, an excellent appearance to the garden.

8. Pest Control: Some equipment should be installed to splash fertilizers in the garden.

9. Potting: This should be done to separate the plants which need extra care.

10. Rain Gauges: These can be used to gauge the water level and covering the garden when more water is not required.

11. Sheds: Extreme heat shall force most lawn care professionals to put plants in this.

12. Watering: Proper watering is necessary to give nutrition to the lawn.

Extreme care and professional guidance is required to maintain a quality lawn.

Lawn Care Professionals

Most Lawn care companies offer professional services which can be availed by contacting them and they can relieve you from the effort of, garden sculpture, maintaining your garden.

The lawn care by professionals includes:

1. Lawn Mowing

2. Watering

3. Removal of Weeds

4. Aeration

Through these functions, the professionals develop a quality lawn for your home and the same shall add much value to your garden.

Online Assistance

Most professionals can be contacted by searching for their websites online and contacting them, for some real quick tips and guide. The websites feature sample gardens and lawn styles which can be chosen by selecting the style and the same can be made in your home by contacting them.



Turf has a lot of benefits for human. It can purify the air, produces oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide, help reduce the noise and mud. It also provides a safe environment for children and pets to play. Exoticlawns.com.au is expert in providing quality lawn and turf supplies, Sydney based lawn and turf preparation and installation service.


Thursday, November 26, 2009

River Oaks Stepping Stone Patio

Author: Jeff Halper

Source: articlesbase.com



We were contacted by a family in River Oaks who requested that we completely remodel their pool and the yard that surrounded it. They wanted to get rid of the pool's "L-Shape" construction and have it redesigned with a curved, linear structure and rounded ends. They also wanted to surround the, garden sculpture, pool with something very different than the traditional wooden deck, garden sculpture, or concrete surface. Instead, they wanted a stepping stone patio that would look like a part of Nature itself and cause the pool to look more like a part of the landscape. Stepping stone patios of all sorts are common in landscape design. They are at all difficult to construct. However, creating a french drainage system can often be a challenge depending, garden sculpture, on the constituency of the soil. Water can create mud between stones and on accumulate on their surfaces, making it unpleasant to walk, garden sculpture, across the patio after a rain. To make such a structure work as a pool patio, it was necessary for us to build a concealed drainage system underneath the stone elements and use organic material to conceal it. What we did to accomplish this was to pour individual pads of cement that worked as bases upon which to mount the flat stepping stones. We built the drainage system at the level of these concrete bases, and then planted grass between the individual stepping stones. This concealed the patio's manmade origins, and created the illusion that it was much older than it actually was. The grass looked like it punched through the rocks and established a tenacious foothold in the spaces between them. We then continued the natural theme by building a walkway out of the same material we used to construct our stepping stone patio. We designed one end of this walkway to hug the side of the pool, functioning as a 30" coping that gave plenty of comfortable pool access, transit space, and an aesthetic link between the water and the land. We were able to curve its direction by cutting the stones into pie shapes, then fitting them together by hand individually. Once completed, the walkway arced around the, garden sculpture, sides and ends of the pool, ran through the end of the yard, and passed under a garden trellis into a sculpture garden. This sculpture garden also, garden sculpture, played, garden sculpture, an important role in this landscaping project. It too, involved the construction of a new hardscape. Because this was a formal gathering designed around a European garden theme, we built a circular flagstone patio off the end of linear walkway. This became the central seating area, with smaller, diagonal pathways radiating at angles back to the side doors of the home. Between these smaller pathways, we constructed a water fountain that was shaped like a fireplace, but that had a lit waterfall falling, garden sculpture, into its rectangular brick basin. At night, guests can sit in a semicircle facing the fountain and enjoy the ambiance of a lighted waterfall. Throughout the property, we planted a variety of flowering plants and ground, garden sculpture, cover around our stepping stone patio and walkway. Jasmine was used profusely to control erosion and to prevent encroachment from weeds. Monkey grass was also used for weed and erosion control. Agapanthus and golden globes were used in, garden sculpture, places near brick walls and around the perimeter of the stepping stone patio to help color its borders with seasonal blooms. We also added height and elegance to the landscape with Italian cypress, and planted Camellias throughout the property to provide blooms for the winter season when other seasonal were dormant.



Jeff Halper is passionate for Landscaping and wants to share infomation about that passion. At Exterior Worlds you can read more about Steeping stoen patios and pool renovations or Landscape Design


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Late Spring Borders in the Garden

Author: Sarah Nabila

Source: ezinearticles.com



Late flowering Tulips bridge the seasons between mid-and-late spring, enjoying the longer days and warmer temperatures. This, garden sculpture, group includes some of the most sensational tulips of all, particularly the parrot types, with their full bodies and curvy petals. Tulip fantasy is a mixture of salmon pink and reds, with flushes of yellow and green, and it looks wonderful when it is grown with lime green or deep bronze foliage plants.

Blue parrot is more lilac than blue, and it looks marvelous with many spring bedding plants, including rose pink or purple wallflowers, rose pink or pale blue pansies and, garden sculpture, various shades of aubrietia. Of the so called black, actually dark purple tulips, look out for shapely black parrot, with its dark, twisted petals, or the tall double black hero, which has a wonderful glossy sheen, as does the double, rather more purple than black, blue diamond.

Among the singles, queen of night or black swan will still be in flower, which is another choice deep purple, garden sculpture, tulip. Planted in nearby groups or used as dot plants, they will certainly make a strong statement and add drama to the late spring garden. Blur forget me not make a simple but glorious partnership with any of these dark colored tulips. If you want a black and white theme a good white double tulip is mount Tacoma. New dawn is tall, single, and white with purple feathering at the sides of the petals.

White triumphant is definitely one to look out, garden sculpture, for, with its tall,, garden sculpture, sturdy stem and elegant, lily shaped flower. Over the years it has become a firm favorite. Black parrot tulip is a sensational one with sculptured, almost black petals.





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Monday, November 23, 2009

Benefits Of Landscape Lighting

Author: LEC Ventures

Source: isnare.com



Landscape lighting is a home improvement trend sweeping the nation and is one of the most popular features in outdoor, garden sculpture, home improvement. It is one of the most dramatic improvements you can make to your home…front yard or back. Landscape lighting is breathtaking in its beauty and provides a safe, secure and welcoming environment to come home to. Also, low voltage landscape lighting is affordable, effective and is a primary deterrent to, garden sculpture, residential crime.

Low-voltage landscape lighting is easy and safe to install, is safe for kids and pets, and it consumes less power than line voltage, garden sculpture, lighting. Pathways, ponds, statues, trees, and shrubs all produce a serene environment when landscape lighting is applied. Landscape lighting is a great way to line your driveway or sidewalks.

Nothing else enhances your garden or yard at night better than exterior lighting. It provides an ambient effect to trees, shrubs and flowers. Garden lighting also has a practical side. It is a great way to mark pathways or accent garden areas. Get the full use out of your garden, yard and patio areas by adding decorative landscape lighting to your outdoor spaces. With outdoor lights you will also feel safer in your yard as you come home to relax in your garden. A garden with low-voltage landscape lighting can bring a whole new setting to the home and provide the perfect spot for outdoor entertaining.

Landscapes emerge at dark under subtle outdoor landscape lighting to create wonderful shapes in hauntingly beautiful sculptured drama. To brighten up an overall outdoor look, and highlight a, garden sculpture, home's best features, homeowners can create an effective low-voltage landscape lighting system.

In conclusion, low-voltage landscape lighting is a low-cost system to install and run, that makes a home stand out, garden sculpture, from its neighbors. It will bring beauty and security to your home and, garden sculpture, landscape. Fine landscape lighting is like a gift of additional time to enjoy your surroundings.






Saturday, November 21, 2009

Dancing Water Fountains: From The Bellagio To The Back Yard

Author: David Faulkner

Source: isnare.com



Dancing water, garden sculpture, fountains, like the world famous Dancing Waters of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, have been a real crowd-pleaser in many of the world's resorts for decades. With computer-controlled timing, lighting, and music, the performances of dancing water fountains are choreographed as carefully as any Broadway musical, and are often scheduled as an accompaniment to holiday fireworks. While dancing water fountains must be professionally, garden sculpture, installed, they can be customized for individual use..

While large dancing water fountains are inappropriate, garden sculpture, for home gardens, they can add a unique touch to an office courtyard for a business or restaurant which wants to impress potential clients. Their expense, however, can make dancing water fountains more of an investment than an entertainment, so they should be installed only when there is a financial incentive for doing so. But when programmed to put on their displays to lights and music at scheduled intervals, they can be a drawing card, especially for restaurants.

The Bellagio And The Fountain Of Angels

The dancing water fountains of the Bellagio set the standard for dancing water fountains the world over. Measuring a quarter of a mile in length,, garden sculpture, the Bellagio fountains contain twelve hundred separate nozzles capable of shooting sprays, garden sculpture, of water to heights of tow hundred and forty feet. They also have more than four thousand lights, and are programmed to "dance" to different musical selections, garden sculpture, on a fifteen to thirty minute schedule.

While they are not the dancing water fountains of the Bellagio, the Fountain of Angels in Carthage, Missouri is a twenty-minute water light, and music extravaganza from dancing water fountains which contain more than two hundred bronze sculptures , a candelabra fountain with sixty water jets, and an eighty foot high screen of water. Because the dancing waters of the Fountain of Angels perform to Gospel music, they are especially popular with area church goers.

Fountains For Your, garden sculpture, Home

If you really love dancing water fountains, and have the room and cash to spare, eight hundred dollars will get you a fifteen-inch diameter, garden sculpture, floating fountain which in all likelihood cannot be programmed to dance on command. They will never approach the performance of the gigantic dancing water fountains, but they can still dance, and add a unique feature to your home.

Regardless of whether you install your own dancing water fountain or plan you vacations to visit the cities around the world which have their own, you are just one among millions for whom dancing water fountains are the definition of drama and beauty.

When the wall has been installed, you can turn your attention to the various types of wall mount garden fountains from which you will have to choose. Some wall mount garden fountains simply hook to the wall, and these are the least expensive models. There are also wall mount garden fountains designed to be incorporated into the wall itself, and they should really be installed as the wall is being built. They are a considerably more expensive option.






Thursday, November 19, 2009

About Pine Needle Baskets and How to Use Them in Your Home Decor

Author: Lesley Dietschy

Source: articleage.com



Have, garden sculpture, you anytime had the amusement of aimless through a backwoods covered with ambrosial ache needles? Can you brainstorm those ache all-overs getting crafted into a basket, tray, or sculpture? In this article, you will ascertain the abrupt history of ache aggravate baskets and how to use these admirable and ambrosial works of art in your home decor.
Pine aggravate basketry has a lot of acceptable existed for as continued as ache copse and humans accept aggregate the earth. Historical references do not announce if ache all-overs were aboriginal acclimated in baskets. However, due to the availability of ache all-overs in their area, Seminole Indians of South Florida are acclaimed to be the aboriginal ache aggravate bassinet makers. The Seminole, garden sculpture, Indians acclimated a cartilage or carapace aggravate to sew bundles of ache all-overs calm with bracken roots, sisal, or swamp grass. Some of the baskets were acclimated for augment baskets, to backpack water, and for winnowing seeds.
Modern ache aggravate basketry is acclaimed to accept amorphous during the Civil War times (1861-1865) if Mrs. M.J. McAfee of Southern Georgia acclimated ache all-overs that she apprenticed calm, garden, garden sculpture, sculpture, with affection cilia to alter a beat hat for her father. She claimed to be the artist of ache aggravate basketry as we apperceive it today.
In the present day, ache aggravate baskets are a lot of generally created using the coil technique, which, garden sculpture, is one of the oldest and a lot of, garden sculpture, accepted methods of bassinet making. The bassinet is created by coil and bond one connected array of ache all-overs about and on top of the row below. The foundation of the bassinet is formed with a array of ache all-overs apprenticed calm with assorted fibers such as raffia, breach roots, besom paper, yucca, sinew, adornment thread, yarn or waxed linen thread. Decorative stitches and wrapping techniques are generally acclimated to accomplish the bassinet able as able-bodied as add an adorable element. The a lot of accepted stitches acclimated are the beeline aureate stitch, circling aureate stitch, bracken stitch, airheaded stitch, design stitch, the Indian wrap, and abundant bond stitches.
The ache all-overs appear from a array of altered ache trees, such as Jeffrey Pine, Continued Aggravate Pine, Monterey Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Bill Pine, and Gray Pine. The ache all-overs are aggregate from the anew collapsed top band on the backwoods attic or best from a collapsed timberline or limb and called based on their adaptability and length. Once the ache all-overs accept been, garden sculpture, collected, they are anxiously washed, cured, and again stored until use.
The accustomed colors of the ache all-overs can be acclimated or the all-overs, garden sculpture, themselves can be dyed. Embellishments such as black threads, buttons, beads, nut slices, and cones are generally acclimated to enhance the ache aggravate bassinet or project.
Pine aggravate baskets accomplish adorable statements in home decor. The afterward is a baby account of account on how to use ache aggravate baskets to adorn your home:
• Display one or a alignment on a bookshelf to actualize, garden sculpture, an eye communicable display.
• Use them like you would any bassinet to actualize an ambrosial adjustment of cottony greenery to emphasis a appropriate little table, garden sculpture, or chest.
• Mount a alignment of two or added baskets on a bank for absorbing bank decor.
• Place broiled flowers in an urn shaped ache aggravate bassinet and abode it on a nightstand for a absorbing attending next to your bed.
• Use a angled taller adaptation as board organizers for your pens and pencils and a beneath adaptation for captivation your clips, elastic bands, etc.
• Place faux bake-apple in a ache aggravate bassinet tray for an adorable centermost section on your dining allowance or kitchen table.
As you can see, the possibilities are amaranthine on how to use ache aggravate baskets in your home decor. Today, able bassinet makers and hobbyists all over the apple are creating these admirable ache aggravate baskets. Abounding ache aggravate baskets can be begin in art galleries, art and ability fairs, home decorating shops, and on, garden sculpture, the internet.
Pine aggravate basketry is advised to be a absent art that is getting active by today's crafters and artists. With an absorbing accomplishments and an agitative future, ache aggravate basketry and projects are abiding to be about for abounding years to come.
Lesley Dietschy is a freelance biographer and the creator/editor of The Home Adornment Barter and the Home & Garden Exchange. The Home Adornment Barter is a accepted home and garden website featuring resources, articles, decorating pictures, chargeless projects, and a arcade marketplace. The Home & Garden Barter website is a hotlink barter affairs and agenda committed to the home, garden sculpture, and garden industry, as able-bodied as alms, garden sculpture, chargeless website agreeable and promotional ideas. Please appointment both websites for all of your home, garden, and website needs.
http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com
http://www.HomeGardenExchange.com






Wednesday, November 18, 2009

From Brass to Tin: How to Care for Your Antique Metals

Author: Martin Swinton

Source: articleage.com



Caring, garden sculpture, for your, garden sculpture, antique metal items requires know-how. Each metal has its own particular characteristics and requires its own brand of tender loving care.
Brass
Brass is commonly found on decorative items, hardware and fixtures. Avoid cleaning with acids such as vinegar or lemon. The acid is too harsh. Likewise, avoid, garden sculpture, ammonia- based products such glass cleaners. A coat of clear lacquer is often applied to brass to prevent tarnish. A coat of paste wax will slow tarnish. But antique brass should, garden sculpture, not be polished because the patina that develops over time is desirable.
Bronze
Sculptures, lamp bases, fixtures are sometimes made of bronze. There is good news with this metal. The less you do the better. The patina that comes with aging on bronze is desirable. So, don't do anything beyond a light dusting to maintain any of your bronze items.
Cast-Iron
Cast-iron is a metal of choice for fireplace accessories, cookware and garden accessories. Cast-iron that has become wet should be thoroughly dried as it will rust. A coating of oil, wax or paint can prevent rust. You can use a small knife to remove small rust spots. Avoid submerging in water any cast-iron cookware as it is often seasoned, garden sculpture, . Don't scrub this off. It is desirable.
Copper
Copper is a popular metal used for home and garden decorative ware and cookware. For your outdoor copperware: left untended it develops, garden sculpture, an appealing green patina, yet people do tend to polish their copper, garden sculpture, cookware. A timeless homemade remedy continues to be a popular cleaning method. Sprinkle the item with coarse salt and use a half of a lemon to scour until clean.
Gold
Gilt is often applied as a, garden sculpture, decorative element to furniture and is found in antique jewelry. Gilt and plating found on furniture are very delicate, so gently dust with a very soft, garden sculpture, brush. Pure gold doesn't tarnish. But impurities in hard water might discolor gold, so make sure that any gold that gets wet is thoroughly dried.
Pewter
Pewter is found in serving and decorative items. Vintage pewter was made of a soft mixture of tin and lead and is more delicate than modern pewter. Using a light hand is your best course of action with any pewter. A light dusting and good washing with soap and water is all pewter needs. It does not buff up to a bright shine.
Silver
Sterling and silver plate is commonly used in flatware, serving items and vintage jewelry. Buff with a silver polish as needed. The more you use your silver flatware, the less polishing it needs. In a pinch, toothpaste makes a good cleaner. Store silver in silversmith cloth bags.
Tin
Tin is found in decorative items and kitchenware. Vintage tin might be gray. Don't try to buff it away. The tarnish protects the tin. Dry thoroughly because any moisture remaining could cause rusting.
Martin Swinton owns Take-A-Boo Emporium, an antique shop located in Toronto, Canada. He does furniture restoration, caning and rushing repairs, custom reproductions, upholstery, teaches courses on antiques and does appraisals for estates and community events. He can be reached at 416-785-4555 or by visiting http://www.takeaboo.com






Monday, November 16, 2009

Garden Decor -- It Is More Than Just Decorations

Author: Anne Clarke

Source: articleage.com



Garden d้cor… when post people think of d้cor, they probably think of the decorations in their living room, or elsewhere in the house. Only a minority of people connect "d้cor" with gardens and yards.
Some people may say that the best way to decorate your garden is with flowers and beautiful plants. And yes, this may, garden sculpture, be true, but there is so much more that you can do! With the proper garden, garden sculpture, d้cor, you can turn your garden into your own personal oasis.
Great types of garden d้cor:
ท Garden Benches. What is the point of having a beautiful garden if you do not have a good vantage point to see it from? Setting a garden bench in the midst of your garden gives, garden sculpture, you the perfect place to sit, relax, and watch your garden grow. A garden bench is not only an inviting place to sit, it is also a beautiful visual addition to almost any garden.
ท Bird Bath. There are many styles of birdbaths available these days. There are birdbaths that suit contemporary styles as well as birdbath that suit more traditional styles, and there are ones to suit any taste and style that falls in between. Not only do birdbaths themselves, garden sculpture, add beauty to your garden, but the birds that they attract add beauty, as well.
ท Water Fountain or Pond. Water has many soothing qualities -- even the look and sound of water can be soothing. Placing a fountain or, garden sculpture, a pond in your garden will transform your garden into a mini oasis. You will love coming home from a hard and stressful day of work and sitting near the peaceful sounds and sights of your garden water feature.
ท Garden Statues. Garden statues come in many different varieties. You can find garden statues, garden sculpture, that add humor, elegance, sophistication, or whimsy to your garden. Indeed, you can find a garden statue to suit any gardener's taste, whether you want to place and hide bunny sculptures throughout your garden, or whether you want a funny garden gnome.
ท Lights. There are many different ways to light up your garden at night. And why shouldn't your garden be lit up at night? There is no reason that you should not, garden sculpture, be able to enjoy the beauty of your garden at any time of day or night.
These are just a few types of garden d้cor that you should consider adding to your garden. Adding garden d้cor to your garden is like adding a beautiful frame to a painting - it enhances it. Sure, your flowers and other plants are still the main event, but the right, garden sculpture, garden d้cor can really make your garden unique and beautiful.
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on gardening decor, please visit Home Garden Decor.






Sunday, November 15, 2009

Home Landscape Design Houston

Author: Jeff Halper

Source: isnare.com



Home landscape design matters. A study commissioned by the Professional Landcare Network states it in financial terms: Homes that have been professionally landscaped bring 15-20 percent more upon resale than those with no home landscape design. From an aesthetic viewpoint, it delivers pleasure. ?The importance of home landscape design is that it creates an experience and evokes emotion as you come up to the house,? says Jeff Halper, home landscape design specialist with Exterior Worlds. ?Additionally, it supports and enhances the architecture of the home.?

Home Landscape Design: The Steps

? Planning. This phase is where you get to dream. While you dream, you want to factor in how you and your family live in the space. Will your landscape design fit your needs, whether that means a pool for the kids, an herb garden or seating space for lots of guests? Would you like a outdoor kitchen for entertaining or the visual and auditory pleasures of an outdoor water fountain? What qualities do, garden sculpture, you want to bring to your landscape?do you prefer lots of color, variations on one color theme or the more subtle effect of different textures of green? Perhaps you own an outdoor sculpture that you want to spotlight or have a garden type in mind, such as a Mediterranean landscape design or an English garden design. Professionals, such as landscape designers and landscape architects, can help you make the best decisions.

? Budget. During this phase, the scope of the work is defined, including phasing in the different landscape elements. Cost factors include the hardscapes items like patios or decks; surfaces (cement, stone, brick) and walkways; fences, gates and arbors; outdoor kitchens; luxury swimming pools and other water features, garden sculpture, . Also landscape lighting; irrigation systems and landscape drainage systems;, garden sculpture, and types of grass, shrubs, trees, perennials and seasonal color.

? Installation. The installation of your home landscape design is critical and takes into account the features you want to preserve and highlight?and those you don?t. In particular, tree preservation is crucial. It involves building barricades, garden sculpture, around trees you want to keep so that roots don?t get compacted or severed, garden sculpture, during construction. ?Trees are large organism and don?t die immediately from the stress caused by construction. It may take them several years to die and many homeowners don?t realize, garden sculpture, that the damage actually happened during the construction phase,? explains Halper. Other aspects of, garden sculpture, the landscape installation involve setting up temporary drainage, preparation, garden sculpture, of the soil and garden beds, and installing irrigation,, garden sculpture, drainage and lighting. Then comes planting the trees, shrubbery, groundcover and any seasonal color. The final step consists of mulching and cleanup.

? Maintenance. From mowing to watering, regular landscape maintenance protects your investment, preserves the quality of the space and enhances your enjoyment of a lush, healthy landscape. It includes regular lawn mowing and trimming, shrub and tree pruning, fertilization, putting down rye grass, and management of pests and diseases. Exterior Worlds offers a menu of home landscape maintenance services: full service (52 or 42 visits a year), monthly or quarterly. ?Our standards go way beyond most homeowners?. You don?t have to micro-manage it or worry about it. We do everything for you,? says Halper.



Jeff Halper is passionate for Landscape design and wants to share infomation about that passion. At Exterior Worlds you can read more about Home landscape Design


Saturday, November 14, 2009

Benefits of Landscape Lighting

Author: Laurence Clunie

Source: download



Landscape lighting is a home improvement trend sweeping, garden sculpture, the nation and is one of the most popular features in outdoor home improvement. It is one of the, garden sculpture, most dramatic improvements you can make to your home…front yard or back. Landscape lighting is breathtaking in its beauty and provides a safe, secure, garden sculpture, and welcoming environment to come home to. Also, low voltage landscape lighting is affordable, effective and is a primary deterrent to residential crime.
Low-voltage landscape lighting is easy and safe to install, is safe for kids and pets, and it consumes less power than line voltage lighting. Pathways, ponds, statues, trees, and shrubs all produce a serene environment when landscape lighting is applied. Landscape lighting is a great way to line your driveway or sidewalks.
Nothing else enhances your garden or yard at night better than exterior lighting. It provides an ambient effect to trees, shrubs and flowers. Garden lighting also has a practical side. It is a great way to mark pathways or accent garden areas. Get the full use, garden sculpture, out of your garden, yard and patio areas by adding decorative landscape lighting to your outdoor spaces. With outdoor lights you will also feel safer in your yard as you come home to relax in your garden. A garden with low-voltage landscape lighting can bring a whole new setting to the home and provide the perfect spot for outdoor entertaining.
Landscapes emerge at dark under subtle outdoor landscape lighting to create wonderful, garden sculpture, shapes in hauntingly beautiful sculptured drama. To brighten up an overall outdoor look, and highlight a home's best features, homeowners can create an effective low-voltage landscape lighting system.
In conclusion, low-voltage landscape lighting is a low-cost system to, garden sculpture, install and run, that makes a home stand out from its neighbors. It will bring beauty and security to your home and landscape. Fine landscape lighting is like a gift of additional time to enjoy your surroundings.
The low voltage lighting path lights offered at http://www.gardenandpatiodecor.com/site/856859/page/456516 provide unassuming landscape lighting to transform dark areas into safe, showcased landscaped elements.






Thursday, November 12, 2009

Extravagance Honeymoon Tours in the Caribbean

Author: Allan Michael Taylor

Source: articlerich.com



Sun, warmth, lazy afternoons, comfortable pampering and privacy make for a perfect honeymoon. One place to find these is the Caribbean. Each island and each resort, garden sculpture, includes a distinctive, yet equally luxurious package, garden sculpture, for you and your significant other when you start your life together.

CuisinArt Resort and Spa is an especially attractive place. It is located on, garden sculpture, Rendezvous Bay and is set in a Greek style. The special thing about this resort is the Greek cuisine. It is simply exquisite and just as pristine as a Greek sculpture.

Ladera Resort in St. Lucia is another one of its kind. It provides just the right amount of luxury seclusion and pampering in a jewelled tropical setting. The honeymooners, garden sculpture, can avail their very own plunge pool and royal treatment. The view alone is enough to make you sigh. Coupled with the luxuries, it will be a lifetime experience. You can see, garden sculpture, the Caribbean Sea below and the pitons, which make a amasing sight from the cliff where the resort is situated. In addition, there are various activities, can be taken, for instance, snorkelling.

Another place of interest, garden sculpture, in St. Lucia is Jade Mountain. You have the benefit of your own lavish suite complete with a Jacuzzi and a tremendous view of the Caribbean. Many water sports are also presented for you when the mood strikes you.

Super clubs, Grand Lido Braco Resort and Spa is one of those beautiful sites where you can enjoy the traditional honeymoon without compromising on the modern rudiments. This resort is located in Jamaica. It is advertised as an all-inclusive village, which it indeed is, with all the facilities it, garden sculpture, includes. It looks like a lavish mansion set in verdant greenery. Go closer and you can see all the facilities that the resort has arranged for you to cater you and your loved one and make this tour of yours as comfortable, dreamy, and unforgettable as you would like.

Another ideal place to plan your lavish honeymoon trips in is the Peter Island Resort. The water here is so serene and the sand so crumbly and white, that gazing into the horizon over the sea would become a routine for you and your spouse on your stay here. This place includes a private setting on an island. Do not be alarmed if you feel like Adam and Eve walking through the splendid Garden of Eden.

Head over to the One&Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island in Bahamas if you want to experience true providence. You can opt for either a room or a lodge here for your tours. You can directly access the pure shoreline from there too. This resort is great for a couple who is looking for ultimate lavish, concord and some, garden sculpture, seclusion.

Wherever you head, whatever you choose to do, one thing is certain that your trip to the shiny and green Caribbean Islands is not one you would forget soon. It is the perfect place to start a new life together.




Discover more about luxury Caribbean holidays at Caribbean Connection


Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Accessorizing Your Garden

Author: Tim Sousa

Source: isnare.com



The main attraction of your backyard garden is most likely the flowers and plants. You can add other attractions to your garden as well. There are several garden accessories that will add some character to your garden, and make it unique, as well as being functional.

Borders: Garden borders and edging will help to define, garden sculpture,, garden sculpture, your garden space, as well as helping to keep your lawn out of your garden, garden sculpture, . Your border can be as simple as a row of stones or bricks, garden sculpture, along the edge of the flowerbed, or you can use landscaping timbers set your garden apart. If you go to your local garden store, you'll find several varieties of garden edging and border fences that you can place along the outside of your flowerbeds, to define the space, and keep the garden and lawn seperate.

Signs & Row Markers: You can find a variety of row markers and signs at your local garden sign to help to identify various flowers and plants in your garden. You can find whimisical or serious signs for your garden. A few of these signs around the garden will add a touch of color and design to the garden.

Lawn Toys & Sculptures: I'll admit, garden, garden sculpture, gnomes and pink flamingoes are the definition of tacky. At the same time, they can set your garden apart, and make it unique. Gardening doesn't have to be serious. Place some pinwheels or windsocks around your garden, and add some color and appeal to your garden. You don't need to spend a lot for this type of garden decor. If you go to your local flea market or garage sales, you'll find a lot of things that you can use to decorate your garden. How about a brightly painted old watering can? Or maybe you can find an old wagon that you can put in your garden as a planter. Just let your imagination run wild.

Birdbaths: It can be very enjoyable just, garden sculpture,, garden sculpture, watching the little birds splashing around in the water. A birdbath will attract birds to your garden, where you can enjoy watching their antics. Some birds may even be beneficial to your garden, eating harmful bugs, and keeping them away from your plants.

Garden Furniture: If you have a garden, you might as well enjoy it. You can find garden benches at your local home improvement, garden sculpture, store. A well placed bench or chair will give you a place to sit while you enjoy your garden. You can find garden furniture in metal, resin, wood, or stone, in a variety of styles to match your garden's decor.

Fountains: There is just something relaxing about the sound of flowing water. You don't need a lot of space, garden sculpture, for a fountain. You can find small fountains with hidden pumps that you can tuck away in a corner of your garden, where you can enjoy the sound of water trickling over the stones of the fountain. If you have more space, you could install a bigger fountain, or even dig a pond, complete with goldfish or koi. A fountain or pond will definitely help to bring serenity and relaxation to your pond.

Your garden can be more than just a group of plants. You can add a wide variety of garden decor accessories to make your garden unique, and to make it more relaxing for you. Use your imagination, and make your garden your own.



Visit Accent Your Garden for more ideas on making your garden unique.


Monday, November 9, 2009

Improve The Curb Appeal Of Your Home With Outdoor Lighting

Author: www.renovationfinder.com

Source: articledashboard.com



Every year homeowners busy themselves with an array of home improvement projects. Beautiful trees, gardens and landscaping are once again a source of enjoyment and home beautification. But a little outdoor lighting can increase the value of the investments these homeowners make in their landscaping.

Outdoor lighting is an easy and cost effective way to make a dramatic improvement to your home's landscape. Not only can you enjoy the landscaping after dark, but the lighting itself creates an elegant, unique atmosphere.

Outdoor lighting not only adds warmth and beauty, but also valuable curb appeal. Landscaping can increase the value of a home by 15 percent, and can allow homeowners to recoup 100 to 200 percent of their investment. Landscaping is one of the first things people notice, so there's no reason to let some of the most beautiful features of your, garden sculpture, home and yard be shrouded in darkness half of the time. First impression is so important that some realtors estimate, garden sculpture, that 95 percent of house, garden sculpture, shoppers will not even consider a house that lacks curb appeal.

Here are some tips to help improve upon normal landscaping:

Uplight to create depth
A light on the ground,, garden sculpture, pointed up towards an object is perfect for showcasing a beautiful tree, sculpture or an architectural feature like a gazebo or arbor. Setting an uplight behind an object emphasizes that object's silhouette, while setting an uplight in front will cast an interesting shadow on the yard behind it. This not only highlights the object, but also creates a layered look, extending the yard.

Downlight for safety, security and aesthetics
Another technique is downlighting, or moonlighting, where lights are mounted high above eye level. When light comes from above, the effect looks natural. Mounting lights high in trees or on walls will cause light to shine down through tree branches,, garden sculpture, creating, garden sculpture, a unique, layered look. Illuminate a flowerbed by mounting a downlight closer to the ground, garden sculpture, on a tree trunk, fence or wall.
Downlighting is, garden sculpture, also an effective way to illuminate spots where someone might stumble or dark areas that may look inviting to an intruder and the elegance of the soft light will add a look all its own.

Path lights
Small, low voltage lamps create a third layer of lighting in your yard, and also can be used to effectively line a path to help you and your guests safely navigate through your yard at night. Placing lights under railings, benches and stairs can help eliminate accidents and increase the usability of decks, porches and patios.

Landscape lighting is less expensive than painting or remodeling, but can deliver powerful and dramatic results at a fraction of the cost. The right outdoor lighting bathes your home and yard in a warm glow and enhances your home's charm and adds to the curb appeal all year long.








Saturday, November 7, 2009

Pond Spitters Are The Perfect Way To Accentuate Your Pond With Style

Author: Gerry Fung

Source: articleage.com



One option that adds significant appeal to a water garden is a pond spitter. Fountain pond spitters are artistic and whimsical ways to decorate your outdoor space and accentuate, garden sculpture, your waterscape., garden sculpture, A spitter not only helps to circulate water, but it also incorporates the soothing splashing sound of water in your backyard, while adding a visually-appealing backdrop upon which to set your pond.
Fountain spitters can vary in size from 5' tall statues to miniature spitters that are 10' in height. They can be used as both statues and fountains, and are often manufactured from brass or plastic. Spitters that are manufactured from brass are known to not rust or decay over time. They will become more beautiful with age, as they are exposed to the elements (and are even salt-water resistant).
However, large brass statues can be extremely expensive (I.e. they can cost several hundred dollars). For those who want to pursue a more affordable option, plastic spitters may be ideal. Plastic spitters and statues are viable alternatives that have sufficient weight to not be affected by the elements, and are manufactured, garden sculpture, from plastic resins that make them resistant to decay over time.
All fountain spitters require a submersible re-circulating pump in order to draw the water from the pond, through a plastic hose, and into the attachment of the spitter. The water will run through the tubing inside the sculpture and flow back into the pond, thus re-circulating, garden sculpture, the water. It is extremely important that you find a pump that has a powerful enough head (I.e. maximum pumping height) to accommodate your statue, and that you obtain a pump and a spitter which can accommodate the same size, garden sculpture, of tubing.
Algreen's line of spitter kits give you the option of a duck, fish,, garden sculpture, or turtle, each which will spit sparkling, garden sculpture, streams of water into your water garden. Each resin spitter is painted with a beautiful patina finish, and comes complete in a kit with a properly sized pump, and the hosing required to connect the pump to the spitter. At 10' in height, these spitters are both extremely affordable and durable; they are the perfect accent for your small backyard water garden.
For more information about Algreen's fountain spitter kits and other water gardening accessories, please go to http://www.buypond.com.






Thursday, November 5, 2009

Frugal and Healthy Easter Basket Ideas

Author: S. L. Simmons

Source: articleage.com



Instead of giving your children a big basket of candy for Easter, to save money, garden sculpture, in the long term consider giving them only a few treats and more books, crafts and educational toys. Candy is a big contributor to tooth decay, which can result in expensive dental bills, garden sculpture, . Sweets are also consumed right away, so with Easter baskets filled with only candy in a few days everything is gone and there is nothing to show for your money.
Even if you spend a little more in the short term on the gift items listed below, your children will be getting hours of fun from these types of small craft items and toys, which means that over time you will be getting more value for your money. Plus, items like books and sand toys are especially frugal purchases because when your children have outgrown them, they may still be in good enough condition to pass along to your friends or relatives, or sell at a garage sale
Some frugal Easter basket ideas include:
1. Books - stack up on used children books from garage sales, thrift shops and library book sales during the year. Keep a big stack of books stored away in a closet and then you will have some inexpensive books add to Easter baskets and Christmas stockings.
2. Crayons and a coloring book.
3. Modeling clay and some interesting mold and sculpture tools
4. For older children, balloons and a small pump to make balloon animals and sculptures.
5. A bottle of bubbles and some special wands for blowing bubbles.
6., garden sculpture, A package of seeds, and child sized gardening gloves and garden tools.
7. Punch balls.
8. If you live in an area where it is getting warm enough to go to the park or beach by Easter, then assorted sand toys and beach balls are always a fun gift.
9. Check party stores for party, garden sculpture, favors and novelty items you can buy on sale or in bulk. One of the stores in our area has big grab bags of marked down and discontinued toys and favors for a few dollars each. When our kids were, garden sculpture, small I would buy several of these bags and use the toys, garden sculpture, for rewards extra good behavior, as special gifts on plane trips,, garden sculpture, for Easter baskets and for Christmas stockings.
10. Disposable cameras. Then spend the afternoon at the zoo or some other interesting place where your kids, garden sculpture, can take pictures.
For a few healthy treats besides colored eggs, try to add in items with some nutritional value, such as chocolate covered almonds or yogurt covered raisins.
By S. L. Simmons, editor at Always Frugal. Visit our site for more articles on topics such as living on one income, ways to make money when you don't have a regular job, tips for cutting expenses, budgeting tips and more frugal living artices.






Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Making Plans For Your Dallas Wedding

Author: Hypegen Marketing Group

Source: isnare.com



Congratulations, you and your espoused are on your way, garden sculpture, to making a lifelong commitment. Between now and your wedding day, you'll be planning for what will be one of the biggest events in your life - marriage to the one that you love. The busiest days of wedding planning are just ahead of you, with reception venue, wedding party details, and a whole host of other matters to tend to. If you are planning on getting married in the Dallas area, then the fine points as outlined here will help relieve some pressure as you organize your plans, garden sculpture,, garden sculpture, .

A Date And A Venue

Your wedding plans will involve much more than the size of your wedding or even your honeymoon planning. Coming up with a date and, garden sculpture, a venue will determine virtually, garden sculpture, every other, garden sculpture, aspect of your wedding day.

Many couples give strong consideration to holding an outdoors wedding event, particularly in a setting rich with flora and fauna. Historic Lee Park is most popular during the months when Dallas' humidity is at its, garden sculpture, lowest. During the hotter months, Arlington Hall at Lee Park provides the majestic setting that so many couples desire. Arlington Hall is able to accommodate small, intimate wedding parties as well as lavish, wondrous weddings for as many as 500 guests. You and your guests can beat the heat and feel refreshed with the hall's, garden sculpture, air-conditioning keeping everyone comfortable.

Besides Arlington Hall, couples will often take a look at the Dallas Museum of Art as a special place to hold a wedding. With three options available including the Harmon Atrium, Seventeen Seventeen dining hall, or the breathtaking outdoor Sculpture Garden, the museum could, garden sculpture, be a memorable setting for any couple in love.

Favorite hotels in Dallas for weddings include the Hotel Adolphus and the Crescent Court Hotel. Choose the Adolphus if it's near century long tradition of hosting weddings appeals to you or select the Crescent Court if modern day elegance is what you want. Either hotel can accommodate your wedding guests and both hotels will be a favorite place for your out of town guests to stay too.

When Help Is Needed

Today's busy couples cannot imagine arranging for their own festive event without some sort of outside assistance. While a family member or friend can be of immense help with making arrangements, most couples choose professional assistance in the form of a wedding planner to provide the help that they need.

A knowledgeable wedding planner is able to listen to what a couple wants and turn those desires into a successful wedding event. Relying upon her vast storehouse of wedding vendor contacts and previous planning skills, a capable wedding planner can relieve the couple of all of the unavoidable pressures associated with organizing a grand affair so that they can look forward to their big day in peace.

Enjoying Your Day And Each Other

When it comes down to it, a wedding should be about you and your spouse, not the scores of attendant responsibilities that come with arranging your special day. An accomplished wedding planner taps her favorite resources to present a graceful event that allows the newlyweds to enjoy their special day, the company of their guests, and above all else - each other.






Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Knobs, Hinges and More is Proud to Introduce Objects by TracyGlover Studios and Michael Healy Desig

Author: N.Saporito

Source: articleage.com



www.KnobsHingesandMore.com is proud to announce the addition of
Tracy Glover hand blown cabinet hardware and lighting, garden sculpture, and
Michael Healy finely crafted door knockers.

Southold, NY (PRWEB) February 27,, garden sculpture, 2006 --
www.KnobsHingesandMore.com is happy to offer Objects of Art by
Tracy Glover Studios.The ageless art of glass blowing is being
energized by artisan Tracy Glover, who breathes new life into
the medium with innovative talent, studied skill and a healthy
reverence for tradition.

The Rhode Island-based glass blower is the designer and creator
of the Tracy Glover Collection - an elegant family of
handcrafted, garden sculpture, table lamps, floor lamps and vases. A study in
understatement, Ms. Glover's creations speak to any d้cor.

Ms. Glover employs Venetian glass techniques, choosing glass
with vivid, ultra-rich colors like aurora, plum, celery,
tourmaline and steel blue. These striking hues take on a new
dimension of vibrancy when combined with neutrals. This drama of
contrast is one of Ms. Glover's signatures.

Each lamp and vase ordered is individually produced at the
artist's industrial studio. Mass production does not exist. The
glass blowing process begins, garden sculpture, only when an order is placed, not a
second sooner, promising the buyer a one-of-a-kind, garden sculpture, result.

Subtle variations in pattern and color are a natural occurrence
in the process. Therefore, the artist recommends ordering pairs
of lamps at the same time, to ensure a good match.

With a, garden sculpture, degree, garden sculpture, from the prestigious Rhode Island School of
Design, Tracy Glover's path has taken her across the world. From
Manhattan to Murano, Italy, this bold innovator has patiently
crafted her signature elegance. It is her honor to have been
selected as the, garden sculpture, first female glassblower at Val Saint Lambert
Crystal factory in Belgium, a revered facility nestled in a 14th
century convent.

A world away, both literally and figuratively, her creations
have appeared on The White House Christmas tree, and have a
permanent place at The Clinton Library in Little Rock and the
Detroit Institute of Art in Michigan. Ms. Glover's lamps are
sprinkled like jewels in the Spa Tower Corridor and the Baccarat
Room at the famed Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. We are also happy
to offer Michael Healy Designs finely sculptured door knockers
and door bell ringers.Michael Healy studied metal sculpture at
the, garden sculpture, University of Notre Dame where he learned century-old bronze
casting techniques which became the foundation for his artistic
expression. Michael's artistic style is very identifiable, garden sculpture, . He is
known for his ability to skillfully combine quality materials
into sculptural, yet functional forms. He is particularly noted
for his talent for turning an everyday object into a unique work
of art. His most recognizable works are this series of unusual
Door Knockers and Doorbell Ringers. Michael Healy has
prolifically sculpted over one hundred door sculptures. His door
sculptures depict interests such as gardening, cooking, outdoor
life, the Southwest, horse-back riding and the seashore.

To ensure consistently high quality at all stages of the metal
casting process, Michael Healy works from his own foundry in
Rhode Island. Michael is assisted by a select group of talented
artisans who handcraft each Door Knocker or Doorbell Ringer.
This personal attention to detail guarantees that every door
sculpture is, garden sculpture, truly special. Michael Healy signs each of his Door
Knockers confirming its authenticity and quality craftsmanship.
A New Twist . . . A Classic Look In the world of decorative
hardware, small changes go a long way. Putting new pulls on
kitchen cabinets or new knobs on dresser drawers is the easiest
way to alter the entire look of a room. With his new line of
hardware, award-winning designer Lewis Dolin brings a world of
experience - and a fresh look - to the decorative hardware
market. Dolin's distinct interior designs and tabletop
accessories have been featured in a wide variety of national and
international publications, including the New York Times,
Interior Design ,Food & Wine and The Home by Susan Szenasy. His
entry into the decorative hardware market is marked by the same
simplicity of design and clean forms that have gained him a
reputation as an original, talented designer.

Bin pulls take a dramatic new look with the Glass Bin Pull
Series and complementary Mushroom Knobs. Both the Bar and Barrel
Series are simple geometric forms with a great deal of
versatility in their application. The Acorn Glass Series is an
elegant turn on a natural form. And the Ceramic Series - King,
Queen, Pawn, and Bishop - brings a clever, new twist to a
classic look. A door has to have hinges and a means of opening
and closing. Add some dash to the required hardware by making
decisions about their look and feel. Choose the warmth of brass
or the strength of a black finish. At the front door, decide to
dress up the doorbell by choosing hardware that adds definitive
character. Decide not to have a doorbell, but select a stylish
door, garden sculpture, knocker instead. Make the front door the first statement
you make for your home. Make your inner doors confirm the
statement.Whether adding a ceramic knob or a gecko cabinet pull;
a glass drawer pull or brass hinges to your kitchen cabinets,
the warmest room in the house takes on the cozy, homey feeling
that is its nature.

It's all about the details, the, garden sculpture, personalization and ownership
that comes with the details, that makes enhancing a kitchen
something of an adventure ... and fun.Floor registers frequently
come with memories of growing up. Of home, or of grandma's and
grandpa's house. And it's impossible to think of those memories
without warmth - literally. Recreate those memories with a
register, garden sculpture, cover, garden sculpture, reminiscent of those days, and make the warmth in
your house match the warmth of your childhoodWhen, garden sculpture, it comes to
beautifying your home, we take nothing for granted. Knobs,
Hinges & More only carries the finest quality, most unique, and
most beautiful fixtures for your home--and offers them at the
lowest possible prices.KnobsHingesandMore.com carries the
following manufacturers: Anne at Home, Architect and Heroes,
Atlas Homewares, Colombo Designs, East of Eden, Emenee Products,
Bouvet Hardware, Classic Brass, Deltana,Lews' Hardware, Megna
Hot Glass, Michael Aram, MNG Designer Hardware, Modern Objects,
North River Mint, Premier, garden sculpture, Hardware Designs, Perrin &
Rowe,Providence Artworks, Pullware, Rohl,River Ridge, Rosalie
Sherman, Samuel Heath, Susan Goldstick,TE-MA,Top Knobs, Umbra,
Von Morris, Waterwood, Whitehaus Collection, Wood Ventures
,Blanco,Tracy Glover Studios,Michael Healy Designs and many
more.www.KnobsHingesandMore.com is a female owned and operated
E-commerce business.






Sunday, November 1, 2009

6 Quick Ways To Dress Up A Front Door

Author: Jen, Domestik Goddess

Source: articledashboard.com



"Curb appeal" — it's more than a buzzword used by real estate agents. How your home looks from, garden sculpture, the street, and the first impression it makes on visitors, can say a lot about the home's occupants — you!

If you're thinking of updating your interior decor, take the opportunity to spruce up the front door and entry way as well. It's as good as putting out a Welcome, garden sculpture, sign! And here are 6 quick tips to get those "decorating juices" a-flowing:
1. Your front door sets the tone for the rest of your home. Paint it a contrasting color to set it apart from the rest of the exterior (sage green is especially,, garden sculpture, garden sculpture, lovely with brick, for example), and then use the same color as an accent in your front hallway, to create a, garden sculpture, visual invitation.
2. Express yourself with a decorative focal point beside the front door, if you've got a large step or veranda. Never mind what the neighbours are doing! This is the perfect place to use your imagination and creativity. My antique enamel chamber-pot, overflowing with bold fuschia-pink petunias, means that my guests enter laughing — and we always have a topic of conversation to start the visit!
3. No room on the front step? Decorate the front door instead. A plain grapevine wreath can be decorated with anything from dried flowers and ribbons to pine cones and shiny baubles, and its whole look can be changed on a whim to reflect special occasions and holidays.
4. Doors with decorative glass panels are beautiful by themselves, so leave them be and look for a nearby window in which to display a bright suncatcher, a pot of geraniums in bloom, or an unusual art object to catch the eye. One memorable old house I know has carried its interior theme of "funky Victorian" out into the porch where a stuffed owl mounts a look-out — sporting a series of little hats that are changed to match the season.
5. Or go for one spectacular piece of garden art. A friend's front lawn boasts a stunning iron dragon sculpture, created by a local craftsman, which welcomes guests with a big toothy, garden sculpture, grin as they walk up the front path.
6. Landscape lighting is difficult to pull off successfully without professional help, but do consider perking up your outdoor lighting with a single solar-powered lamp near the base of your front steps. It will help guide visitors safely to your door, and adds a little extra note of warm welcome.

As you go about your daily business, take a look, garden sculpture, at the, garden sculpture, fronts of other homes and make a mental note of what paint colors and decorative accents appeal to you. Then try a few ideas out at home, to find the style that suits you best. Just think — for the price of a can of paint or a yard-sale treasure, your home can have a mini-makeover every month!