Afinal, o que é Argila?

Argila também é conhecida popularmente como Barro.

Este tipo de material, em geral, tem uma textura terrosa e pode ser facilmente modelado quando humedecido ou molhado.

Esta característica de poder ser modelado é chamada de plasticidade.

Outro ponto que caracteriza as Argilas é o fato de serem constituídas de partículas muito finas.

Reparou que escrevi " as Argilas ", no plural?
Foi porque existem vários tipos de Argilas. E esses vários tipos são formados por componentes diferentes.



Existem Argilas vermelhas, Argilas brancas, Argilas que servem para fazer Piso e Azulejo, Argilas que servem para fazer Telhas, Tijolos, etc.




Click Aqui para ver varios tipos de Barro


Existem realmente muitos tipos de Argilas, inclusivé o que se chama de "Argila gorda" e "Argila magra".
Argila gorda é aquela que é muito pura, fácil de ser modelada e muito plástica.

A Argila magra é o contrário, muito mais dificil de ser trabalhada.
O resultado final das peças que vão ser feitas depende muito, entre outras coisas, do tipo de Argila usada

Falarei mais à frente de cada uma das Argilas e suas propriedades

O que se pode Classificar de peça de Arte - Parte 2

( Continuação do post anterior )
Se não Leu o primeiro artigo click aqui para Lêr

Mas por outro lado, pode acontecer que uma Peça de Arte, no sentido da expressão individual, possa nem sequer ser bonita e somos tentados a questionar a razão.

Se a Peça que é a genuína expressão da personalidade de um homem

falha em agradar os gostos daqueles treinados nas mais finas percepções,

alguma coisa tem que estar mal.

Se a opinião adversa vier em geral de entre os críticos,

pode-se assumir que eles estão certos e que o Artesão está errado.
Por exemplo,
a forma de uma Flor não é muito apropriada para ser um receptáculo para uma vela.
Acontece que muitas vezes que o criativo,

deslumbrado com a beleza de, digamos, uma Tulipa,

modele a Flor em Barro e a transforme num Candelabro.

Agora é óbvio que,

quanto melhor o modelo simular a Flor,

menos apropriada será para tal fim.

Para que o modelo seja o pesado o suficiente para se pôr a uso,

tem que estar bem distante do seu protótipo.

Se adoptarmos um design de um candelabro convencional

as folhas da Flor podem até aparecer em relevo ou a caír

mas teremos que ter sempre uma fundação sólida para que se considere usar.

Uma das formas favoritas dos Designer
é a de um ninho de pássaro feito no caule da Flor.

Aqui a mesma crítica se aplica. Um ninho é sempre construído para que a água escorra.

Nem os ninhos de lama são completamente estanque e a ideia é obviamente inapropriada.

É por isso importante que se evite copiar especialmente na imitação de materiais.

Barro Branco decorado com Vidrados
Artur Louro

Quantas vezes ouvimos "Que bonito, parece Bronze."

Isto, é claro, vem do observador casual

para quem a capacidade de imitação é agradável

uma ideia que não deve ser perseguida partindo do princípio de que imitar um material num outro diferente é Errado

em todas as perspectivas.

Nem é necessário.
O Barro é suficiente em si mesmo.
Existem tantos efeitos possíveis na Cerâmica
que não são possíveis com mais matéria nenhuma,
que é completamente supérfluo perseguir texturas e cores impossíveis.

Para que fique claro, essas coisas são populares mas isso não faz delas sãs de princípios nem verdadeiras no gosto.

( Continua )

O que se pode Classificar de peça de Arte

Não é minha intenção, nestas linhas, definir o que geralmente é apelidado de Belas Artes, Pintura e Escultura. Estas podem muito bem definir-se a si mesmas e eu não posso reclamar a capacidade de discutir sua definição.

No campo das artes aplicadas, no entanto, há certos princípios a ser observados, princípios que são frequentemente esquecidos pela lamentável separação das funções do Artista das do Artesão

É extremamente difícil marcar uma linha entre a Arte e o Artesanato. Por exemplo, um papel de parede, desenhado com Arte mas executado pela máquina na reprodução do trabalho do Designer, é uma peça de Arte, ou é um produto de fábrica?

Para mim, é as duas coisas. Normalmente, uma peça de Arte é produto da própria mão do artista. Revela a sua individualidade. É a linguagem em que ele próprio se expressa para a sua audiência. É "O Tom da sua Voz"

Tal peça pode ou não agradar a uma grande parte do público. E sempre será assim.

Um Artista, seja ele Poeta, Músico, Pintor ou Ceramista, é quem consegue ver mais que os outros.

O que ele vê ele tenta expressar aos outros mas é inevitável que por vezes seja mal compreendido.

Sendo por isso necessário que entregue a sua mensagem em primeira mão. 

Olhar para a réplica de um trabalho de um artista, é como ler um sermão ou uma oração de uma página impressa. Pode conter os ensinamentos mas o toque pessoal, o tom e o gesto, é perdido.

Mas há quem retire os ensinamentos de grandes Homens apenas dos Livros.

Há, ainda por cima, livros que nunca foram falados e no entanto contêm a mensagem. Da mesma forma que trabalhos, com origem nas mãos de grandes artistas só estão disponíveis para as massas na forma de reprodução.

O papel de parede é um desses exemplos. 

Não fossem as gráficas, estes belos padrões nunca teriam passado do estúdio, e ainda que seja óptimo que um Homem rico possa obter um Whistler para decorar a sala, é no entanto uma vantagem a não desprezar que se possa comprar um bonito padrão de papel de parede por medida.

Ainda que isto seja verdade,que não se encontre valor senão na qualidade da impressão, há outros exemplos. 

No caso do papel de parede a função da máquina é simplesmente transferir o devido padrão para o papel em si. Não tem identidade excepto como superficie. 

Mas quando uma mesa ou uma cadeira é formada de peças de madeira modelada por uma máquina de maneira uniforme, o assento ou o topo juntos por outra, e as pernas ou as costas estampadas ou esculpidas por uma terceira, a Arte ou individualidade é perdida pelo envolvimento da construção mecânica.

Ainda mais no caso da produção de Olaria ( Cerâmica ). Na prática comercial, não só a forma é desenhada sem ter em conta a decoração, assim como a mesma decoração é posta sobre várias formas, ou uma só forma que é usada como veículo para várias decorações diferentes.

Alguns resultados podem até ser agradáveis, até bonitos, mas mais por sorte que por intenção e nenhuma peça construída deste jeito deve reclamar o direito de ser chamada de peça de Arte.

O Mito de Jívaro - Amazonas

Hoje decidi escrever em Português pois são ainda bastantes os meus amigos com origem nesta língua.

Trago-vos um Mito da criação que como muitos outros têm no Barro o inicio de tudo.

No Evangelho segundo de S. João, 1:1 – “No princípio era o Verbo, e o

Verbo estava com Deus, e o Verbo era Deus. Ele estava no princípio com Deus”.

Ou na referência mitológica grega no poema Teogonia, de Hesíodo (final do

século VIII a.C.), que versa sobre a criação do mundo: “No princípio, era o Caos” –

abismo sem fundo, vazio primordial, matéria eterna, rudimentar, mas dotada de

energia prolífica (Furlani, 1992, p.3-4).

Pois eu digo que no inicio era o Barro, não somente o Verbo ou o Caos.

Esta ligação com a Terra que se conhece tão antiga como a nossa própria existência é um dos maiores tesouros da Humanidade, tem sido ela que, sem necessidade de reconhecimento, nos tem impulsionado à descoberta do que possa estar mais além. O Mito de Jívaro é proveniente de tribos da Amazónia. Podemos de certa forma despistar a sua origem até à Genesis da Biblia, com a criação em sete dias estando "Yus" no lugar de " Deus "

Espero que gostem e que possam deixar um pensamento na forma de comentário.

O Mito de Jíbaro - A Criação

A Terra, ao principio estava vazia e fria. "Yus", o Criador, pensou em cobrir a Terra seca com árvores gigantes e pequenas plantas. O vento movia-se entre os ramos, o que lembrou "Yus" que precisava de povoar a sua Criação com pequenos animais que se moveriam com o vento. Criou assim pequenos animais como as moscas e outros insectos, serpentes que também se moviam. Junto a eles colocou pequenos animais que saltavam de ramo em ramo, mortos de sede.

Foi então que se deu conta de que não tinha água, ao que agarrou num jarro de Ouro e derramou o liquido sobre a copa das árvores formando-se entre elas os primeiros mananciais e depois enormes rios, que se povoaram de imediato com inúmeros peixes.

Olhou então o Céu, e estendendo as mãos às alturas, cobriu o Céu aparecendo então o Sol, a Lua e as Estrelas.

No entanto "Yus" não estava satisfeito com a sua criação visto que as suas criaturas eram demasiado simples para compreenderem a grandeza da sua obra, pegou num punhado de Barro e modelou uma figura de Homem.

Logo subiu a um enorme Vulcão e sobre a sua cratera se cozeu o Homem. "Yus" soprou sobre a figura para lhe dar corpo, dando-lhe assim a vida e a inteligencia que se estenderam pela Terra.

Islamic Tiles

The multifaceted imaginative outlines, enrichments, and geometric shapes utilized on tiles and cut structural points of interest in Islamic civilizations, have not just been a vital field of current scholastic examination like math, workmanship, and building design, yet it has motivated specialists from as far and wide as possible. Arabesque and geometric plans have been at the middle of Islamic Art and have been reproduced and adjusted during the time until this day. 'I have dependably been entranced with Islamic examples and have embraced them in my clay tile plans to be utilized as Mandalas or contemplation central focuses, or basically as beautiful tiles', said Reem Hammad.

Rich, dynamically hued ornamentation is a recognizing normal for Islamic building design. As the human structure and allegorical representation are entirely taboo, there is an aggregate nonappearance of figure in Islamic structures. Rather, geometric examples and rich surface enrichment span unparalleled creative statures with stucco, block, marble and earthenware production. 

A percentage of the most punctual – and finest – presentations of clay tiling and elaborate engravings are to be found in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, inherent the seventh century, thus, the most seasoned Islamic landmark saved in its engineering trustworthiness; and in that showstopper of polish from the western limit of the Islamic world, the al-Hambra in Granada, Spain

AKA Bordalo II

Portuguese Street Artist Turns Junk Into Amazing Owl ...

http://www.boredpanda.com/ Mon, 24 Nov 2014 02:56:13 -0800

Talented Portuguese street artist Artur Bordalo (aka Bordalo II) has done it again, creating a beautiful and colorful owl sculpture on a wall in the city of Covilhã in Portugal out of recycled junk and trash. The sculpture, called ...

Read more ...

Creative Ceramics

Dishing Up Design: Creative Ceramics

http://dishingupdesign.blogspot.com/ Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:43:00 -0700

I think I've told you before, but I LOVE Etsy. It's amazing the neat things you can find... so today, I am dedicating my creative finds to CERAMICS. This white Lotus Vase is so precious, and would look great perched on my piano.

Read more ...

Testing

Set Aside a 15 Minute Block Every Day Devoted to Self ...

http://lifehacker.com/ Wed, 13 Aug 2014 08:30:00 -0700

We've talked before about how you can divide your time into 15 minute blocks to get a handle on your schedule. Chances are you can spare at least one for self-improvement, so make it official.

Read more ...

New, Revolutionary Email Solution For Internet Professionals

Like most people in our industry, you spend far too much time going through useless emails, and trying to put an end to the spam you just don't seem to be able to stop. What impact do you think this has on your online business? In short: it decreases your productivity and slows your business down!

Well, today I'd like to tell you about what I consider as revolutionary email solution... ViralinBox! This unique email, list building and marketing solution is brought to you by the founders of ViralURL and ViralHosts, two of the most powerful marketing systems on the market.

Not only will ViralinBox help you be more organized and increase your productivity, it will also help you promote and advertise your products to a highly targeted audience! ViralinBox will reward you with credits to send emails and advertise your products for doing things you already do every day, like reading an email!

Let's take a closer look...

- A unique email address for every contact and every list!

And you can create them all from a single dashboard! With ViralinBox, you won't need to create a new email account when you need a new email address, because you can create 30, 60, 100 on an unlimited number of them from a single account (depending on your membership level)! The best part is... You can create a new email address using nothing else than 'mind control'! When you give someone an email address that doesn't exist, the system automatically creates a new box when an email is sent to that address.

- Permanently stop spam with a single click, even without an opt-out link!

ViralinBox even allows you to permanently stop spam with a single click! Because you create a new box for every contact you make and every list you join, you can see who is trying to sell you something or even spamming you, and you can close the box! This will permanently stop the flaw of spam, and you will NEVER receive an email from that source again!

- Email up to 120,000 highly targeted prospects every month!

ViralinBox is also jam-packed with powerful marketing features. If you upgrade to Platinum or higher, you will have access to the mailer system. As a Platinum Member, you will receive 1,000 Mail Credits every day, and as a Diamond Member, you will receive 2,000 Mail Credits every day! This means you can email up to 60,000 every month! Imagine selling a $47 product! Even with a low conversion rate, you will make hundreds of dollars eveyr time you send an email!

- Earn credits for things you already do every day!

You will even earn credits for doing things you already do every day! Click on a link in an email you read, load a page where an advert is shown, and you will earn credits, so you can promote and advertise your own products, FREE! That's MASSIVE, highly targeted exposure FOR YOU! This sounds like an insanely powerful traffic exchanger, doesn't it?

- Build a list fast and earn above industry-average commissions!

ViralinBox comes with a list builder that allows you to build a 5 to 8 levels dee downline, and earn above industry-average commissions of every upgraded referral you make: up to a whopping 55%! You will even earn additional storage space for your emails every time you refer a member, up to an INSANE 50,000 MB of storage space! You will NEVER have to delete an email again!

If you're serious about doing business online, I urge you to join ViralinBox NOW and start dramatically increasing your work productivity and reach a whole new world of highly targeted prospects! Make sure you take a close look at the one-time offer that will be shown to you after you sign up... This is AMAZING value for money!

Click here, See you on the other side...

Take a look at why I became a member of ViralURL...

Take a look at why I became a member of ViralURL...

Take a look at why I became a member of ViralURL...

Take a look at why I became a member of ViralURL...

The best ways to invest your money

Today i am bringing you a program that suits lots of you that are always looking for good ways to invest some money.
  Click here to read more

So You Think You Are Depressed

Are you feeling a little down on yourself? Do you constantly have negative thoughts and lack motivation? If you think that you are experiencing depression don’t worry, you are not alone. Depression is a symptom that plagues people all across the world. The prolonged sadness and lack of positive emotions is what most people feel when they are depressed. You know what depression really means? It means that you feel like you need to make a change in your life. What you need to start doing is taking steps towards living a more fulfilling life and ridding yourself from negative thoughts.



Think back to when you did not feel depressed. What was going on in your life at the time? Did you have a job? Were you in a serious relationship? Losing a job or breaking off a longtime relationship are things that can lead to depression. The stress of trying to make money and whether or not you will find love again can be overwhelming for the brain. To defeat depression you need to get your mind off of things and pick up a hobby. Start playing that instrument you have always wanted to learn. Paint portraits of people or places you admire. Just find something to get your mind off things and you will feel a little better about yourself over time.



Studies have shown that regular exercise combats depression. Putting your body into motion and relieving that stress can start to make you think positive again. Exercising actually helps give you an activity to do and helps get your mind out of the dark hole of bad thoughts that might be circling around up there. Get a gym membership or plan daily jogs with a neighbor or friend. Working out with someone else can help give you time to talk to someone and vent a little.

Anxiety and depression are closely associated with one another. When you become depressed you might experience anxiety and when that happens they both feed off on another. What's great about working out is that you can knock out two birds with one stone. Exercising helps reduce both anxiety and depression. Instead of staying in on weekends get out and have some fun. Go out with your family or friends. Even if you just go out and get a little time to yourself it can help you feel better about life. You might even meet a new group of friends or find a love interest when you go out.



Depression is hard to get over. You have to work at fighting depression every day. Work towards ridding yourself from those negative thoughts and over time you will slowly start to feel better. Instead of wallowing in despair about the past look forward to the future. Every day you have the most powerful option to make choices in your life. Choose to produce a better life for yourself and a few years from now you will forget what it ever felt like to be depressed.

How the hell am i into all this?

Productivity is a word that tends to get thrown around a lot, but most middle down and get to it. Few people actually give you tips on how to achieve that quality of being able to produce good results consistently from your work. 

In the modern world, productivity is a common ideal. It does not have to be the measure of much work you can accomplish in your job. Productivity can also be about completing the things you need to do at home, or even during your leisure time. The point is that you can get more things done in the same time or even less.

Without further ado, i present 101 quick productivity tips that you can apply
to your daily life. Note that while i used the word “work” here, in practice
these tips can be used to organize and slap rockets onto your home and social
life. And so, we begin.

managers only use it in sentences asking the average employee to hunker

How To Plant and Grow An Herb Garden

There is nothing that improves the taste of a dish as much as being able to use fresh herbs straight from your own garden.  It is very easy to start an herb garden and to grow your own herbs and if you are a beginner gardener, an herb garden is a great way to learn.



Most herbs only need two things to grow well.  They need soil that drains well and lots of sunlight.  What this means is when looking for a location for your herb garden, choose a place that will get six full hours of direct sunlight and that doesn’t hold water, but drains it off.

Another consideration when selecting the location is convenience, especially if you will use the herbs frequently while cooking.  The closer the herb garden is to the kitchen, the easier it will be for you to just dash out and snip off what you need.



Herbs need a good, fertile soil, but that can be prepared from just about any soil or dirt.  If the soil is more clay or sand than dirt, you’ll need to mix in plenty of compost to get it ready for herbs.  Herbs need pretty rich soil to do well.  Even if your soil is already in good shape, adding compost is still a good idea because it provides additional nutrients which will help the herbs grow.  Do not use composted manure, though.  This isn’t good for herbs because it is high in nitrogen which speeds up growth, but reduces the flavor.



Selecting the herbs for your garden is part personal choice and part where you are gardening.  Many herbs are perennials, which means they will grow year after year.  Some, however will require replanting each year.  There are some herbs which are used frequently in cooking, such as oregano, basil, thyme, and cilantro.  These are generally grown in every herb garden.  There are others which are more of a personal preference such as dill, chives, rosemary, and mint.  Then there are different varieties of some of these such as chocolate mint, orange mint, and lemon mint.  Rosemary grows as a bush and is a perennial, but the needles are what actually provide the intense flavor to the food.



Herbs grow well from either seeds or from starter plants.  If starting them from seeds, don’t plant them until after the first frost.  If doing starter plants, start them between three to four weeks before they’ll be planted in the garden.  Use small pots between one to three inches across and fill with good potting soil mixture within about 1 inch from the top.  Place two to three seeds in each pot and keep the pots moist and warm until the seeds sprout.  Once the seeds sprout, move the pots to a sunny spot and keep them semi-moist.  Once the last frost is passed, plant the pots in the garden.



Once all the herbs are in the garden, ensure the garden gets plenty of water.  It needs at least two waterings per week, soaking thoroughly at least two inches down.   Harvest the herbs frequently as they grow.  This will help keep the herbs keep producing more foliage and getting fuller and it will not hurt them, in fact it will help them to cut them back often.



When the growing season ends, you can freeze or dry and herbs left in the garden and they can be used throughout the winter for seasoning.

Learn here all about how to grow an herbs garden yourself

Tips for Operating an Online Business

Many of us have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and would love the opportunity to work for ourselves. Although that opportunity has always been available in many different ways, one way that is now open is working on the Internet. In order for you to do so successfully, you need to make sure that you are set up properly and that you are moving your business in the right direction. Here is a brief guide which will help you to make the most of your Internet marketing success.

One of the first things that you need to understand about Internet marketing is the fact that it is actually a business. Far too many individuals come online and decide to start an online business but they treat it more like a hobby. I'm not necessarily saying that you cannot have any fun when you are operating an online business but you do need to treat it properly. Start by writing a solid business plan which will help to keep you motivated and moving in the right direction.



It is also important to ensure that everybody in your life is on board with your idea of starting an Internet business. It is likely that you are going to find many individuals that feel as if they can take advantage of your time, just because you are working at home. They need to understand that you are operating a business and that you must dedicate the time necessary to make it successful. Although it certainly is true that you will have some leeway, as far as your time is concerned, if you take advantage of it too often, it will make it difficult for you to succeed.

Having a comfortable place to work in the home is also imperative when running an Internet business. If you feel as if you are going to be able to operate your business sitting on the sofa with the TV on, it is likely that you're going to fail. There will be times when you are able to work in front of the television or perhaps even work in a more comfortable area of the home but for the most part, stick with a designated office space. Try to keep it out of the way so that you keep distractions to a minimum and make it a comfortable space that is conducive to working effectively.



A problem that many people have when working online are the many online distractions that are possible. Once you choose the direction of your Internet marketing business, make sure that you continue to move in that direction without wavering. Although there are going to be times when other options present themselves that may seem more attractive, pulling yourself in too many directions will make it difficult for you to succeed. Keep your focus on your original plan until it sees the success that you desire.



Those are the few of the suggestions that I have which will help you in starting your Internet marketing business and keeping it successful. You are starting on a road that has many enjoyable benefits along the way. Give your Internet marketing business the attention that it needs and it will work well for you.

Click here to find an Online Business that earns you money

When a Spouse Has Depression

Depression affects not only the patient, but also the family. The spouse of a depressed patient must be very tolerant. They must be very patient and they must be very loving.



Take Time For Yourself



As the spouse of someone with depression, it's very important to take some time for yourself. Get away from the stress and relax a little. Grab a trusted friend and go to coffee once a week. Go for a daily walk. Spend some quiet time with your favorite book. How ever you spend this time, make it you time and make sure that the depressed spouse isn't along.

Stay Current



Stay up to date and current on your spouses medications. Is your spouse taking the medications? If you spouse has been known to pretend to take them learn to count pills and double check. You can also tell by behavior. If your spouse seems off, consult with their doctor about the possibility that they may be off their medications or on the wrong medications.

Support Network



Set up a support network for yourself. This network could be, the family doctor, a pastor, a few trusted friends, a support group or your own family. When things are tough ask for help. Don't be afraid to tell family what is going on. If they truly care, and most do, they'll want to help you.

Educate Family



Teach children and other family what to do in a crisis. If there is a crisis situation, have a plan in place for children. It could be a friends house, a family members house or simply to hide out in their room until the crisis has passed.



Be Patient



Your spouse doesn't like feeling out of control. Be patient and loving. Redirect whenever possible. Recognize symptoms before they happen and redirecting them to other feelings is often more simple.

Have A Plan



When your loved one is doing well, sit down and discuss things openly. Your loved one won't be able to understand during an episode of depression and you'll be wasting your breath. If you work out a plan prior to an incident you'll be able to work together and focus on healing and not damaging your relationship.



Keep Doctor Appointments



Help your loved one make it to all of their doctor appointments and go with them as part of their support network. Be supportive and encouraging to them.



Keep A Journal



Journaling is a great way to track your own concerns. Journaling will help you to share with the doctor about "bad days" and "good days". Journaling will help you to remember those good days on a bad day when you're struggling.



It's important to remember that you're not alone in your struggle to help your spouse. Many others are struggling with the same issues that you are. Don't ever be afraid to take time away, get help, call the doctor or your pastor. You can't do this alone and neither can your depressed spouse.

Dangers To Avoid When Working From Home

Working from home is a dream for many people. Women especially, dream to be able to make a living from the comfort of their home, while taking care of the kids and of household chores. While this is absolutely possible and many persons are successfully doing it, you need to be aware of potential dangers that may keep you away from success.



Losing one's focus is one of these dangers. What your home is your office, it's very easy to get distracted from your work by those dishes that need washing or by those kids who need pampering. You need to make a clear separation between the two facets and stick to your business tasks until you get them done before moving into domestic issues. A clear work schedule would probably help, so try to make one and follow it closely.



When you work from home, the fridge is probably in your sight most part of the day. Do not take snacks every 30 minutes or so, no matter how tempting this may be. It's so easy to put on a lot of extra weight when you don't realize how much you are actually eating. Have your meals at the same time each day and don't munch on any snacks while you are at your computer. Work should be work, meals should be meals. Keep the two separate, if you want to work from home and still fit inside your clothes.

Running a home-based business may lead to a lack of exercise. When you need to commute to a job every day, you do things you don't even notice: you walk, you climb stairs, or you may even run sometimes, if you're late. When your office is two steps away from your bedroom, you eliminate all that exercise. If you don't replace it with some other form of exercise, you'll soon be out of shape. It's very important to stay fit, so stop every two hours and do some sort of effort. Yoga is excellent for home workers, because it doesn't require a lot of space and a lot of time. You can choose a few poses that work best for you and practice them in chunks of 15-20 minutes, several times a day.



Perhaps the biggest danger of working from home is mixing work and leisure time in such a way that you end up with the sensation that you worked straight for 15 hours every day, when in fact you only worked less than half that time. It's best if you can put a time limit where you stop office tasks and call it a day. Otherwise, you may start neglecting your spouse, your family duties and your friends. You'll feel tired, because your body will believe you worked late, when actually you played 100 computer games in-between those office tasks you achieved.

Running a successful home business while staying sane required discipline, focus and control. If you don't lose yourself to procrastination, you'll be much happier than a 9 to 5 worker. It's entirely up to you.

Choosing A Home Business

Many people these days are looking at choosing a home business. Depending on the business and the amount of time that is put into it, the business can either bring in a little bit of extra money, or it can bring in a fortune, and anywhere in between. Not every home business is right for everyone, so you will need to choose one that is right for you.

Click here if you want to find out more about monetizing the time you spend online

The first thing you will need to determine is what you expect out of a home business. Do you want a little bit of extra money to make your car payment, or do you need to be making enough income to live on. Generally, the more time and effort you put into the business, the more money you can make. Decide how much time you can put into the business. If you are starting your business on the side, then you do not want to ignore your regular job. You also do not want to sacrifice too much time with your family.

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Decide who your customers will be. You will need to know as much as possible about your potential customers. Are they mostly men or women? How old are they? What is their education level? You need to decide who your target market is, and who you want to work with. Once you have identified your target market, then you need to know what they want and what they need. When you know this, you can decide how to best fill their needs, and to find a business model to help them.

You can provide your customers with either products or services. In most cases, a business selling a product will take less time and effort than selling a service. If you sell a product, you do not even need to have a product to sell. In many cases, you can sell someone else’s product, and earn a commission for each sale. If you can create your own product, though, your profit can be higher. If you decide that you have skills that others need, you can sell them your service. Keep in mind; this can take more of your time than selling a product.

Once you have found your market, and chosen your product or service, you will need to set up a website and promote it. One of the easiest ways to do this is through social media. You can set up a page on Facebook or a profile on Twitter, and start building a following. Just be sure that you aren’t adding just anyone to your list, but add people that fit your target market. Be sure not to spam your followers. Use social media to get to know them, and to interact with them. Do not simply send message after message saying “Buy! Buy! Buy!” Let them ask questions, and be sure to answer them politely.



Starting a home business can be done in only a few hours a week or you can put in forty plus hours per week. Keep in mind, that the more you put into your business, the more you’ll get out of it.

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Ceramics and Sculpture

I think that for many ceramic artists, a number of this collected work reminds us of the maker, is additionally an acquaintance, mentor, or somebody we’re galvanized by (a.k.a. a ceramic crush). Some items area unit nice for dinner parties, whereas others area unit our daily companions. As makers, i believe we tend to area unit therefore lucky to own this cross-over expertise, of each understanding however one thing is made, and understanding the necessary role that hand-crafted objects play. they create experiences and our surroundings special, they connect us to others,  and encourage us within the studio

Creative ceramics

The Perfect Wedding Gift!
We have an excellent plan for a marriage gift - a personal ceramic plate! embellish it yourself, or higher still: take the platter and pens to your friend's reception and find everybody to sign it. Then gift the happy couple with a beautifully-glazed souvenir of their day.

Gift Cards
Stuck for a present idea? Then why not offer somebody a clever Ceramics Gift Card and allow them to hearth their imagination. Gift cards is bought from Artur directly, please contact him for a lot of info.

GARDENING'S MOST VALUABLE ADVICE

Many people may not be aware that gardening can actually harm the environment.  A large amount of carbon dioxide can be released through tilling the soil.  This contributes to global warming.  When you cultivating and compacting the soil, destroys good fungi.  Fertilizers like nitrogen and manure often leach out of the soil and pollute the water you drink.

Global warming

Did you know that the earth's soil gives out carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 10 times more than all human activity?  This comes from the pill bugs, microbes, fungi and worms when they breathe, digest food and then die. Although in the past plants have been capable of absorbing carbon dioxide caused by small-scale tillages, this isn't the case nowadays.  

The increase of the globe's average temperature is because of the carbon dioxide the soil emits when tilled. The good news is that tilling can be minimized by mulching or sheet composting.

Good Fungi

In untilled soil, there is beneficial fungi known as the vesicular-arbuscular-mycorrhizae or VAM for short. VAM actually forms a symbiotic relationship with plants.  Their filaments increase root hairs and provide nutrients to the plant.  They give out zinc, copper, potassium and phosphorus.  Plants provide carbohydrates for the fungi in return.  It is possible to grow a garden without tilling the sooiil at all by mulching heavily until the soil is soft and friable. 

Surplus Nitrogen

Many gardeners waste nitrogen and manures; farmers do otherwise. Farmers only need a quarter to a third of nitrogen to mix with an inch of compost, horse, or cow manure.  Kate Burroughs of Sebastopol California, uses the same rule for her home-grown lettuce and sweet corns. When it comes to broccoli and pear trees, farmers only need a small amount.  Notice that gardeners apply larger amounts of compost and manure than farmers. Obviously, they are not only wasting their fertilizer but also their money.  

The best gardening advice that can be given to those concerned is to do all things with moderation. Keep in mind that too little and too much of something is not healthy. This is the most valuable advice one can have in gardening.

Secrets of keeping to the family budget

The high cost of living in today's society, wherever you may be, has made budgeting a priority among families.  In today's inflationary world, nothing is more important than knowing how to wisely spend the meager income that you get.

Financial problems usually arise due to lack of proper budgeting skills, or failure to keep to the proposed budget.  No matter how much income you may have, it is still important to keep track of your assets and liabilities, your earnings and expenses.

It is ironic but a person who earns thousands will have the same problems with the person who earns by the hundreds.  Most often, different kinds of people, with diverse income levels, have budgeting problems.   Others who may have been successful in making a budget, usually fail to keep within such a budget.

A budget refers to a financial plan, taking the incoming and outgoing monetary resources into consideration.  A good budget should not only mean a balance or equity between income and expenditures.  It also means lesser expenses, and making an allowance for savings.

If you earn a thousand dollars per month, you should map out all the necessary expenses you will have to incur during the month such as payment for your house, food and transportation.  Of course, this is presuming that your tax liabilities have already been settled.  What remains after you deduct your total expenses from your income is your savings.

What you do with your savings will make a difference later on, when the need arises.  You can choose to keep your savings in a piggy bank or place it in a bank where there is minimum interest rate but at least your money is safe from you and from intruders.  With a bigger savings, you can get the services of a financial adviser who can give you higher-yielding investment options

Here are tips to make sure that you keep within the family budget:

1. Maintain a logbook where you can list your income and expense account on a weekly or monthly schedule.  

2. Buy your groceries at one time.  To do this, make a list of all the things that you would need for your target period and purchase them at one time.  Sometimes, there are discounts if you buy by the dozen so take advantage of this.

3. Avoid going to the supermarket and shops if you do not need to buy necessary items.  This will keep you from making unnecessary purchases and keep you from straying away from your budget.

4. Think twice before you buy something.  By doing this, you will realize that it is not really a necessity but a whim.

Getting anxious over Anxiety Depression?

A lot of people who are exerting too much of their brain power usually exhaust not only their physical strength when engaging in various multi-tasking activities, they also tend to over extend their brains up to the point when it plainly needs some good old time for relaxation. A lot of busy people who seem to cannot fathom the idea of relaxing and taking time of from work, as well as their worries, tend to actually start having nervous breakdowns, anxiety depression and all sorts of mental illnesses that can cause a person's sanity to go haywire, fortunately, if you're one of those poor unfortunate ones who are unable to distress and is constantly worried and fussing over things, there are actually available cures and various treatments for treating anxiety depression. 

Anxiety depression is actually characterized by all sorts of irregularities and erratic behavior from the person who is suffering from it, this is usuallu due to certain stress triggers that may tend to easily cause a person undue jitters and stress. Also, a lot of people who tend to get easily nervous over stressful activities are actually prone to having anxiety depression, its just a matter of being strong-willed when it comes to facing difficult and stress-prone activities. It may be pretty hard to overcome at first, but trying to be calm and cool in times of extreme pressure is what'll actually save your mental health from going totally downward spiral.

When it comes to effectively curing one's self from a mental illness, one must keep in mind that you have to be actually honest with yourself and assess what kind of depression or mental illness you actually have, go to reputable psychiatrist to get yourself diagnosed correctly as well as be able to get the right depression treatment for yourself. Here are the various types of depression:

Manic or Bipolar depression - characterized by sudden and extreme changes in one's mood wherein one minute he or she is in an elevated state of euphoria while the 

next minute (day or week) he or she is feeling to be in a personal hell.

Postpartum depression - characterized by a prolonged sadness and a feeling of emptiness by a new mother wherein physical stress during child birth, an uncertain sense of responsibility towards the new born baby can be just some of the possible factors why some new mother go through this.

Dysthimia - characterized by a slight similarity with depression, although this time, it's been proven to be a lot less severe, but of course with any case, should be treated immediately.

Cyclothemia - characterized by a slight similarity with Manic or Bipolar depression wherein the individual suffering from this mental illness may occasionally suffer from severe changes in one's moods.

Seasonal Affective Disorder - characterized by falling in a rut only during specific seasons (i.e. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall) studies however, prove that more people 

actually fall in to a rut more during the Winter and Fall seasons and lastly, Mood swings, wherein a person's mood may shift from happy to sad to angry in just a short time.  

But the type of depression that has actually been proven to be quite common among people is anxiety depression, which is actually characterized by the state of being overly anxious about things. Anxiety, a supposedly normal behavior that'll actually help a person adjust more to a certain stressful activity like first date jitters or a grueling exam the following day. Anxiety actually helps you get psyched up towards facing certain "difficult situations"; anxiety therefore is actually a good thing. Anxiety depression however, is simply the opposite, not to be easily dismissed as a "case of the nerves"; Anxiety depression is in actuality an illness that can be caused from the biological makeup of an individual, or in other words, a hereditary illness.

Also, there are actually various types of Anxiety depression, each having its own unique characteristics. Take for example Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD, this kind of Anxiety depression is a lot more complicated than the average Anxiety depression, in spite of possibly being a day-to-day habit for those who suffer this kind of Anxiety depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder actually makes the individual quite more paranoid than usual, anxiety attacks are more frequent, even absurd at times. They can even be anxious even when there's no apparent reason that calls for them to behave in such a way. People suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder actually shows a lot of symptoms, from lack of sleep, to being unable to relax, getting tired easily, cannot concentrate on what they're doing and even suffering from depression.  This kind of Anxiety depression is still curable; just a little work will actually do the trick.

Consult a reputable cognitive behavior therapist who'll help give the individual the therapy that he or she needs to help him or her loosen up, also prescribed medicines are sort of a must to help these individuals battle anxiety attacks, help them calm down and relax.

The tell-tale symptoms of depression

People who may be suffering from depression or manic disorders actually exhibit or show each and every kind of symptom of depression that doctors will tell you that depressed people have. Sometimes it’s actually quite easy to overlook such symptoms and not be able to help one’s self or others who are suffering from depression for that matter.

There are actually a lot of symptoms of depression that depressed people may actually posses but they don’t have to suffer from each and every one of them before you actually help them get diagnosed and be treated for this illness. Also, since symptoms of depression actually vary, the time of their "attacks" varies as well.

Here are some common examples of symptoms of depression:

Prolonged period of sadness or not feeling "up to it,"  people who are always feeling not in the mood, who’d rather mope around the house and feel sorry for one’s self is the best example for this symptom of depression.

Feels hopeless, perennial pessimist: speaking of feeling sorry for one’s self, another common symptom of depression is when a person actually feels like he/she has nothing to look forward to in his or her life. As for being the perennial pessimist, those who show this symptom of depression are usually very negative about things, again, the feeling of hopelessness comes in to mind.

Guilt-driven, loss of self-worth and helplessness: other symptoms of depression that can be easily seen on people who prefer to mope around all day long are these. Whenever a person feels so guilty over something, that actually makes one a very sad person who feels like he or she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Thus, the loss of self-worth, if that person feels like he or she isn’t worthy of being happy or enjoying one’s self then that’s clear tell-tale symptom of depression. Helplessness also contribute to being depressed, when assuming that things won’t simply go your way, it’s already a clear saying that you have absolutely no hope in your body at all. 

Isn’t interested in finding or taking pleasure; just dropping the hobbies as well as the other things that one used to enjoy: this tell-tale symptom of depression just shows how depressed a person can be, if one is actually too sad to take pleasure even in the very things that one loves then that person is seriously lacking something, rather, that person might well have caught the depression bug. 

Fatigue, always tired: people suffering from depression, since they’ve lost whatever interest in life that they may have had before are actually lacking of physical energy at all times, if one would prefer to just mope around, probably won’t even eat not get enough sleep, a depressed person may well be on their way to not just a mental illness but depression can actually be terrible for one’s physical health as well. 

Having trouble concentrating, having bad memory and is indecisive: a person who is suffering from depression easily gives away this tell-tale symptom of depression. Wherein one’s lack of interest with regards to the outside world or for just about anything for that matter can lead to that person’s inability to lose track of things and actually not be able to remember things that happened or what other people said. Lack of interest actually makes depressed people very inattentive.

There are actually more symptoms of depression that can actually help you see if a person (or you) needs to be brought to the doctor to get some help when it comes to depression: lacking sleep, sleeping too much or waking up at wee hours of the morning are all symptoms of depression (if it happens on a daily basis), appetite loss as well as eating too much may show one’s lack of enthusiasm for life. Be weary of sudden weight loss or weight gain in those around you. Being suicidal, talking about death, about wanting to die is another clear indication that that person is depressed. Being restless and irritable and physical symptoms that are usually brought about by poor mental health such as headaches, digestive disorders and various body pains. 

Taking Manic Depression Seriously

Manic depression or Bipolar depression is actually considered as one of the worst type of depression that people usually suffer from.

Characterized by sudden and extreme changes in their mood, Manic depression is said to be called as such because manic = mania refers to the 'ups' while depression refers to the 'downs'. 

A lot of people actually experience erratic changes in their moods, some times, these so-called mood swings may not just be caused by PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) or stress. Doctors actually have diagnosed mood swings as a common symptom of depression. 

But when these so-called mood swings have gone to utmost absurdity, from getting irked even by the littlest or simplest of thins like not getting your favorite ice cream flavor, this may not be just a sign of brattiness, but when getting irked means you'll cuss and swear on the ice cream vendor and throw absurd tantrums, this may already be the start of Manic depression.The so-called 'manic' or 'ups' in Manic depression is described as to be the times when a person suffering from Manic depression may experience overly high periods, consisting of heightened energy, a sudden outburst of euphoric mood, extreme irritability, thoughts racing as well as aggressive behavior.

According to therapists, someone suffering from Manic depression may have these so-called manic 'periods' wherein sudden outbursts of euphoric and elevated mood swings may actually go through this for as long as not just a day, in can actually go on for as long as one week, even longer than that. 

When it comes to the so-called 'low' or 'down' periods, as its name suggests can actually bring someone who is suffering from Manic depression may experience very similar symptoms to those who are suffering from actual depression. People who are suffering from Manic depression may actually experience episodes showing a depressed state of mind - a feeling of worthlessness and being unloved may start to corrupt the individual's mind. Various symptoms, showing guilt, extreme sadness, anxiety attacks, feeling of not belonging, extreme pessimism and obvious loss for pleasure. According to therapists, an individual who is depressed. consistently for more than a week can officially be diagnosed as someone who is suffering from Manic depression. 

In spite of being one of the most common, yet severe type of depressive disorder, Manic depression, according to doctors can actually be treated. There's no reason to worry too much about it, just follow the proper procedures that the therapist will instruct you to do, take the proper prescribed medications as well as the proper dosage in order to help you (or your friend or love one) overcome Manic depression before it becomes too late. Also, individuals who are suffering from Manic depression should always be able to see their therapists on a regular basis so as to be able to release their pent up emotions to some one who can interpret and understand what they're going to a lot better as compared to "normal" people.

Although positive results for a Manic depressive patient can still be achieved from natural alternatives, a proper and a more lasting relief from Manic depressive symptoms can still be best acquired through seeing cognitive behavior therapists. Contrary to some beliefs, when it comes to psychiatric treatments, psychiatrists, preferably cognitive behavior therapists are still the best ones to consult for Manic depression, as well as the ones who'll most probably be able to cure Manic depression.  

Self-Discipline And Saving Money

A great way to save money is to be aware of the fact that one has the power to define the state of his finances specifically through a conscious effort of disciplining the way one spends and controlling one's expenditures.

Self-discipline will most definitely be the key to reducing one's debts therefore increasing the possibility of growing one's savings.  And in the long run, improve one's standard of living.

According to money management book author Robert Hastings, "Undisciplined money, usually spells undisciplined person".  Therefore, if one notices how his hard-earned money seems to slip away so darned easy, then it is about time that he rethinks his ways and try to discipline his unpleasant spending habits.

One of the essential keys to successful money management, specifically saving money is to possess proper attitude.  Self-discipline is at the topmost of this proper attitudes list, of course.

Only with self-discipline that people recognize that they do have the freedom and power to do the right thing over doing as their impulses dictate.

Sounds complicated?  Well, not really.  Knowing fully the fantastic rewards of disciplined money in a disciplined person's hands should be motivation enough for one to do all that is humanly possible to achieve that elusive financial stability everyone hopes for.

Here are some helpful money saving tips.

1.  Realize that the most convenient method of building one's wealth is through saving money.  Money is the only sensible material to save.

2.  Focus expenditures on the things one needs.  Live day-by-day knowing that you have enough.  

3.  Avoid buying on impulse. Take your time when buying, especially the expensive items.  If you really need it, it would most definitely not slip your mind.  Otherwise, if you go along forgetting all about it, then it isn't really worth the money you have to spend on it at all.

4.  Credit card debts hold the number one slot as the cause for financial drains these days.  Control your spending by using your credit cards less.  Or for unavoidable circumstances when you really have to use the credit card, consider using the ones that charge less interest.  Then dump the high interest ones for good.

No matter how you look at it, saving money is so easy to do.  A little bit of imagination, some creativity and a lot of self-discipline will take you a long way in keeping hold of your hard-earned money.

Tips on How to Teach Your Kids to Save Money

A lot of teens nowadays do not understand the value of earning and spending money. They were not oriented that investing is necessary even if they are still students. As parents, you play a crucial role in this area. 

You should be able to teach your kids on how to save money. They should be able to understand the concept of money and investment as early as childhood. This will prepare them to learn money management, as they grow old. 

Here are some tips on how you can teach your children how to save money:

1. Your children should be educated of the meaning of money. Once your children have learned how to count, that is the perfect time for you teach them the real meaning of money. You should be consistent and explain to them in simple ways and do this frequently so that they may be able to remember what you taught them.

2. Always explain to them the value of saving money. Make them understand its importance and how it will impact their life. It is important that you entertain questions from them about money and you should be able to answer them right away.

3. When giving them their allowances. You need to give them their allowances in denominations. Then you can encourage them that they should keep a certain bill for the future. You can motivate them to do this by telling them that the money can be saved and they can buy new pair of shoes or the toys they want once they are able to save.

4. You can also teach them to work for money. You can start this at your own home. You can pay them fifty cents to one dollar every time they clean their rooms, do the dishes or feed their pets. This concept of earning little money will make them think that money is something they have worked for and should be spent wisely.

5. You can teach them to save money by giving them piggy banks where they can put coins and wait until they get full. You can also open bank accounts for them and let them deposit money from their allowance. You should always show them how much they have earned to keep them motivated.

Money and saving is not something that is learned by children in one sitting. You should be patient in teaching them and relating the value of money in all of their activities. Children will learn this easily if you are patient and consistent in guiding them and encouraging them in this endeavor.

Keeping children motivated

Initial enthusiasm in after school activities tends to wane after the 

first excitement is over. This is but natural. The trick is to keep up the 

hard work even after this. How do you keep your child motivated? This is 

of particular importance when the child goes in for educational after 

school programs.

Make the career-academics connection early on:

Let your child understand how important studies are. Let him know that 

an excellent career is wholly dependent on wholesome learning. To develop 

his interest in studies, plan family activities that are connected with 

his studies. Emphasize the real-world connection to academics whenever 

possible.

Set goals:

Let your child know, through example, that hard work will be rewarded. If 

your child believes that achievement is a natural by-product of effort, he 

is more likely to put in hard work. Such children are also less likely to 

drop out of programs and college at a later stage. 

Reward success:

When a child achieves something, it is necessary to praise his hard work. 

Positive reinforcements enhance confidence and increase self-esteem. 

Conversely, beware of criticism. It can ruin the frail ego of children and 

play havoc with their minds.