Jewelry Making Materials You Can Get Cheaply or Even Free

Jewelry making materials usually come from jewelry supply companies, do not they? Well, not necessarily - especially as offbeat components for creating jewelry are becoming more popular.

As the prices of silver, gold, and other traditional jewelry metals have risen, jewelry artists have begun using unusual and totally non-traditional jewelry making materials for their creations. Although this trend started because of the soaring cost of metal, its popularity has grown quickly as jewelry artists and their customers have discovered the fabulous possibilities of jewelry created from odds and ends.

When money is tight, jewelry customers want colorful, cheery ways to perk up their wardrobe without breaking the bank. So some of the most popular new bracelet, necklace, and earring designs are made from jewelry making materials such as:

* Cloth, fiber, cord, or rope - especially in bracelets that wrap, knot, tie, or cinch.
* Paper products / ephemera - often in tiny frames, mixed media, or collage.
* Wood jewelry components - either natural or colored.
* Buttons - of every size, shape, and vintage.
* Parts from older jewelry, combined with other elements and remade into new pieces.
* Seashells of all types, colors, and sizes - especially in earrings and necklaces.
* Colorful metals - especially colored or patinaed brass and copper.
* Repurposed items of all sorts - cut down, stripped, cleaned up, and turned into jewelry components.

How to Find Unusual Jewelry Making Materials

Instead of going out in search of a specific item, go with an open mind and be ready for serendipity to show you some crafty possibilities. Look at things with your creative eye, see past any accumulated dust and grime, and imagine what you can do with various items you come across.

Be prepared to sort through things. Bags, boxes, and drawers of miscellaneous objects are often where you'll find some of the best jewelry making materials.

Go through the clearance aisles and bins of craft stores, hardware stores, and home improvement stores.

Tell your friends and family about the types of "junk" you're looking to use for making jewelry. They'll think it's fun to keep an out for these things for you. Our loved ones often enjoy participating in the treasure hunt, and they may come across some fantastic finds we've never see otherwise!

Bring a flashlight and magnifying glass on your treasure hunts. Look closely at the condition of older or secondhand items before you buy them.

While you're hunting for jewelry making materials, also keep an eye out for things you can use to display your jewelry. Boxes, trunks, baskets, fabrics, gloves, dolls, racks, wig stands, picture frames, etc. can be cleaned up, repainted or refurbished into interesting jewelry displays.

Look at everything in yard sales, tag sales, estate sales, etc. The "merchandise" at these events is not always organized, so you never know where a stash of potential jewelry making materials may turn up. The best deals are when the event is winding down, when the owners just want to quickly unload their remaining stuff.

Visit antique, resale, and thrift shops and ask wherever they have a newsletter or an announcements mailing list for their events, sales, and new arrivals. If they do, have them add your name and address (or email) to the list. It's a good way to be one of the first people to see their new inventory - and any possible jewelry making materials. Owners of these shops are usually helpful, and will likely keep an eye out for anything in particular if you let them know about your interests.

5 Basic Skills For Driving Lessons

These are 5 very basic skills that everyone owns and when used help hugely on your driving lessons. Although some pupils may be better at using these skills than others, everyone is capable of using them, and how well you use these skills will depend on how quickly you learn.

1. Listening skills - This is the first one, and as said earlier everyone owns the ability to listen, but how well you use this skill will depend on how quickly you pick up learning how to drive. Been a better listener helps as you can listen to what your driving instructor is saying and implemented this into your driving. You may think you do this, though the more consciously you think about doing this the more you will do it and your driving will improve.


2. Communication Skills - It's not always about listening on your driving lessons, you have to communicate with your instructor and let them know what you are having difficulty with and they will explain further. Communication is vital and if you waste the time with your instructor by not communicating it it will take you longer to pass your driving test.


3. Planning skills - everyone can plan, some just are better at it than others. Planning and scanning is a vital part of driving, but the skill improves as you go on. You can improve this process and learn quicker by continuing to do hazard perception tests even after passing your theory test! As crazy as it sounds, these tests improve your planning and it's vital for you to be planning ahead on your driving lessons.


4. Hand-eye co-regulation skills - You do not need to be a table top tennis champion to be able to drive, however it does take some hand-eye co-ordination skills. You need to look at the road and tell the rest of your body what to do based on the situation ahead. There are the odd pups which struggle with this, but with practice they ever get it, to most however it is second nature and it makes your driving lessons a lot easier.


5. Organization skills - You do not need to hire a personal assistant if you have not gotten great organizational skills as it does not take much organization, even for an unorganized person. However there is a degree of organizational skills involved as far as booking your driving theory test and instructor is concerned.

These are the 5 basic skills which you have to hone in on to make your driving lessons successful. Be more conscious about the above skills and your driving tuition will go a lot smoother.

Life Success Learning to Create Positive Habitual Behavior & Overcoming Negativity

The first and sometimes most important success habit that must be formed is one of positive thinking. Dwell on the positive exit that's desired and avoid thinking about anything that's not wanted. Nothing will ensure failure faster than the very thought that the failure will occur. People say that it's absolutely normal for negativity to creep into our thoughts. Be that as it may, any negative thought has to be banished immediately and replaced with a positive one. This simple, yet effective technique, practiced regularly can help you move towards success like nothing else.

Forget about the past, it's gone and there's no going back. Regardless of what's happened before, today is a new day. Holding onto the past ensures that you'll stay right where you are in life. Letting go of past failures allows you to see the potential for future success and to move towards it. Realize that any past failures, real or imagined, were purely lessons that you thought to this moment in time. Appreciate the education you received and bravely move towards success with the knowledge you've gained.

Overcome the desire to put things off until another time. For most people that procrastinate, another time never comes. Things pile up over time and there's no way to catch up, adding to frustrations and even more procrastination. Whether it's taking out the trash or calling a client, get to it right away. Only by getting straight to work and finishing tasks can success really be accomplished. Practice this non-procrastinating lifestyle and you'll soon find not only that things are being accomplished, but that you have time left at the end of the day too.

Another important aspect of success is the ability to manage time. It can be very easy to lose track of time and difficult to get back on track. Keep track of everything you do during an average day and how much time it took to do it. Go through an entire week of this. Now evaluate and see what should be adjusted or eliminated for optimal time management. Continue to develop a schedule that allows maximum time for every activity. Include all your business and personal time in this and you'll soon find a workable and even profitable schedule for yourself.

Develop the confidence to go forth and conquer. Knowing a thing can be done and believing you can do it are two entirely different things. It's vital to your success and the success of all of your endeavors that you are confident in your self. Confidence shows through everything you do and it affects your ultimate success more than you think. Carry yourself importantly, speak with authority, be secure with yourself and walk tall. Believe in yourself and your ideas and present them with passion. Do these things and others will recognize your confidence and want to be associated with you.

Success is not a matter of predestination, it depends upon the will of the seeker. With the will to succeed, it's possible to do anything you desire. It really is as simple as that, despite the general tendency to believe otherwise. Over and over again, success stories appear that portrait down and out individuals that executed their own free will to rise above. Exert your will over the situations in your life, change them to suit you and your goals and success will follow.

What is success? Is it money, power, health or spirituality? Success means different things to different people. For some, success can only be seen in the form of financial gain and power. For others, success means a happy, healthy family with only the basics of life. Regardless of how it's defined, success is possible with the proper application of some basic habits and the development of key character traits.

How To Measure The Engine Torque

Introduction:

The power output of an engine of a vehicle at a specific point that rotates the wheels or twists the whole mechanism from crankshaft to all the way through wheels to move the vehicle on the road is called torque (twisting power). It is produced exactly the same way that the force applied at a distance. In the engine when the combustion incident, it creates pressure against the pistons to produce the power on them to push them back, the force is transferred on the crankshaft through connecting rods. By concentrating on the cycle of the engine you can easily calculate the torque of your vehicle. As the torque is equal to Force multiplied by the Distance, so you essentially need to find the variables of the torque.

1. Find the variables of Torque

There are three main variables of the torque in any engine ie the Force at specific RPMs, Distance and the Constant of the torque. The Force is the horsepower of your engine that you can find on the specific revolutions of the engine or generally the term full motor torque is used to find the force at full RPMs that can typically be found on the engine specification's table. However it can be find by using the horsepower to torque conversion tables. The distance is the length of stroke, longer stroke means more torque generation. Diesel engines produce more torque than the petrol units because the diesel engines use longer stroke bases to compress air into the cylinder. Usually the unit for the torque is used as pound-feet or lb-ft.

2. Calculating the Torque

There is no secret in calculating the torque of the engine, it is just a multiplication of force to the distance from the center of the crankshaft. In general for instance if you have a lug nuts and you have the wrench with a foot long handle and you apply a 100 pounds of force on it than you are simply generating the 100 lb-ft of torque, however if you have two feet long wrench handle and you are applying the same force then you are producing the 200lb-ft of torque with the same force. It was the variable of distance that cause the change in torque at the same power. As we doubled the distance, the torque was automatically doubled. However to calculate the full power torque of the engine you can use the following mathematical formula;

Torque = {Force X 5252} / engine RPMs
Or
T = {HP X 5252} / RPM

Where; T = torque in lb / ft and the HP is the horsepower of the engine however the 5252 is the constant and the RPM are the engine revolutions per minutes.
For example, if your car is producing the 86 HP at the full motor RPMs of 5500 then you can easily calculate the torque for your car at the 5500 RPMs by applying the formula and it would the 82lb / ft of torque.

Warning:

The horsepower is different for different engines and the stroke length can also be different and you need to carefully select the variables to calculate the torque.

Venue Ideas When Planning a Surprise Birthday Party

Although some may disagree, husbands are not exactly good party planners. It's women who we usually see organizing a bash. But that of course is the stereotype. There are also those from the male species that can be good when it comes to putting together a party.

If your wife's birthday is coming up real soon and you want to give her a surprise birthday party but you're not sure which venue would be ideal for the events, here are a few suggestions:

Home sweet home - Having your own home as the venue for the bash is your most practical option. Aside from the savings you get from not having to pay for rent a place, it's easier to put everything together if the event will be held right in your own abode. The only big challenge you may encounter is timing; that is, making sure your wife's not home during the time you're getting the house all prepped for the party.

Outdoors - If you know that your wife's schedule does not see her leaving the house on her birthday (especially if it falls on a weekend), then you can plan an outdoor get-together with your friends and family. Of course, since you're going to hold it an open area, you have to make sure the weather forecast for that day does not bode rain or snow. Also, have a plan B in case Mr. Weatherman's forecast of nice, sunny weather does not come to pass.

Her favorite restaurant - Or her favorite bar or hotel, for that matter. You may have heard her muttering as you pass by an Italian restaurant about dining there someday. That should give you more than a hint on where to hold that surprise bash you're planning. Be sure to have the place reserved on her special day.

At work - If your wife is so busy you can not even drag her to a certain location for her own birthday celebration, why do not have it right at her workplace? You've got to enlist the help of her co-workers (and, of course, her boss) to pull this off.

Continuing surprise - Why have it in just one place if you can hold the party in multiple places? If you have the time and energy (and the budget) for it, you can make it extra special by having short celebrations at various locations with only you and her in attendance. You can cap the day by taking a quiet stroll home and just enjoying the evening breeze.

Pulling off a surprise party for your wife does not have to be such a fussy affair. As long as you prep early and organize things properly, you can accomplish this task without having to lose sleep over it.

The True Definition of Conditioning in Sports and Fitness

Conditioning is a word that is used a lot in the fitness industry but what does it really mean to have conditioning? There are those that are ripped from strength conditioning, marathon runners have to go through a type of stamina conditioning and then there is the condition that is necessary for fighters and martial artists.

Conditioning can come off as this hard core concept of hard work and training to build your body up so it can perform or end what the sport demands of it.

And it's true.

However, that is not the whole picture of what it means to be a conditioned athlete. Building your body and it's performance potentials is only the income associated to having "great conditioning".

The other half of the definition of conditioning is more about the discipline, the standard and the values ​​that you adopt.

"Great condition" is the result of adopting and integrating habits, standards and values ​​that slowly, over time changes and transforms the conditions of the body.

Conditioning is not so much about building yourself up but rather more about adopting a specific way of being that will serve you in the long run which is beneficial for the performance and execution of the skills in a given sport or physical activity.

So, how do you integrate a great conditioning ritual? One that will meet your athletic needs based on the sport or physical activity of your choice?

A good place to start is by looking at where your values ​​are placed in your sport. By looking at the components that you already have a natural inclining to merit and value, then you have a platform where you can design for yourself a discipline that you are more than likely to commit to.

If for example you typically benefit cardio, then use that as a base to develop a discipline to condition, not only great cardio but also as a way to condition better form, more strength and greater endurance doing the activity that is the source of cardio. It's also a great way to develop secondary attributes. If, for instance you typically rely on jogging for cardio but you would like to develop another physical skill or work on some upper body, than you might consider cardio boxing. Or you might want to develop better foot co-ordination and do some skip rope.
By focusing on what you already prefer, you are much more likely to build on it and develop a discipline and from a place of discipline is where condition can flow from the best.

Also, using discipline is a powerful way to predispose yourself to growth and improvement in a specific skill or attribute. Once you have established a discipline on a particular practice, then it's only a matter of pushing yourself and upping the ante in order to improve and refine that conditioning.

Let me leave with one final thought, and that is, when thinking in terms of the type of conditioning you feel you may need for whatever fitness goal that you have, think about what habits you need to adopt and how you need to be in the process of the training rather than what you need to do to reach and achieve a goal to finally arrive at. Chances are that when you arrive at that goal, in order to maintain it, you will need to sustain the condition by maintaining the practice that got you there in the first place.

Conditioning is a process.

List of Ways to Save Money on Phone Bills

During these challenging economic times, the less money we spend unnecessarily, the more we are able to save for our priorities and future needs. One of the factors which sometimes contribute to our monthly expenses are the phone bills. Here we discuss a list of ways to save money on phone bills.

1) Specifically for International phone calls, try to go in for per second plans of the operators, where you get billed per second / per 10 seconds. This is way much cheaper than the per minute billing plan. Sometimes, it happens that your conversation is very brief and it is over in less than 30 seconds. If you have a per-second billing plan, then you pay only for 30 seconds and not the whole one minute. Moreover, sometimes, you call and the other person is not able to hear you properly. In that case, people generally disconnect within 10-12 seconds. So, why to pay unnecessarily for one whole minute when you have not been able to even initiate the conversation.

2) Always check your talk time. Are you spending too much time talking on phone ?. If yes, then, probably, your phone bills must be going way up.

During your conversation, if you keep an eye on how many minutes you have been talking, then you would want to talk only about the most important things and discuss the rest later, or maybe through Email. This will help you a lot to save money on phone bills

3) Also, try to use calling cards when you want to make international phone calls. Calling through cell phones can be pretty expensive. You can consult with your network operator for the applicable rates on calling cards when you call overseas.

If you regularly make international phone calls., Then the option of using calling cards should definitely be included in your list of ways to save money on phone bills

4) If you want ringtones / wallpapers, then try to download them from the internet, rather than sending a sms to your operator and then getting charged for it. After all, money saved is money earned.

5) Check out for the unlimited sms plans offered by your operator. This is particularly useful if you like to send a lot of text messages to your friends / business associates. Getting unlimited plans at discounted prices and so can certainly be counted among the list ways to save money on phone bills.

6) Regularly consult the customer care section of your operator to know about the current offers. You may be able to get some discounted airtime / message pack, if you ask for. After all, it is your money, and you are entitled to save it.

7) Furthermore, check wherever your operator is offering any special package for international phone calls., Specifically packages relating to specific countries. This will again help you a lot to save money on phone bills, when you are calling particular countries.

8) Be honest with yourself and do and examination of your phone services. Do you really need both landline and mobile phone ?. If having a cell phone serves all your purposes, then maybe you can go in for less rental plans of landline or maybe have it disconnected.

Here we have tried to make a list of ways to save money on phone bills, while making both domestic and international phone calls. Hope you are able to benefit from it.

Happy Calling ...