Tag: Folded

How to Make a Loopy Hair Bow
by Leland Richardson on 0

How to Make a Loopy Hair Bow

A flower loop hair bow is a delightful way to dress up a little girl. This charming bow is made from a variety ribbon in different colors and patterns. You can make a flower loop hair bow any size with as many layers as you like. For each succeeding layer just decrease the length of the ribbon by one inch. After creating your loopy hair bow, embellish the top with an artificial flower, an ornamental button, a plastic heart, jingle bells, or any decoration you choose.

How to make the Bow

Practice the technique briefly to better understand the construction of a flower loop hair bow. Cut a 10″ length of ribbon. Find the middle of the ribbon and insert a needle through it. Curl one end of the ribbon over (the end is flat and not curled into a circle) and push the end down halfway on the needle. You should have a loop with a needle protruding through one end. Curl the other end of the ribbon over and push it down on the needle. Now you have a figure 8 with a needle protruding in the center. This is the process you will repeat to construct the loop bow.

4″ Bow with 4 layers

Cut 6 pieces of ribbon 9″ long for layer 1. Cut 5 pieces of ribbon 8″ long for layer 2. Cut 4 pieces of ribbon 7″ long for layer 3. Cut 4 pieces of ribbon 6″ long for layer 4. Stack up all 6 pieces of ribbon for layer 1, fold them in half and hold. Insert a threaded needle half way through the center of the loop and through each layer of ribbon. Fan the pieces of ribbon around the needle in the shape of a flower. Place a salon or hair clip in the center to hold the fanned ribbon in place. Fold the end of the first ribbon over and push the end onto the needle. Take the ribbon next to the one you just folded and do the same thing. Repeat until all the ribbons are folded all the way around. Adjust the folded ribbons so they are evenly distributed around the bow. Pull the needle completely through until it is stopped by the knot in the end of the thread. Run the needle back through making a stitch. Make several stitches to secure layer 1. Repeat the entire process for each layer of the bow. You can sew or hot glue all the layers together.

Attach to a Barrette

Sew a piece of ribbon 2 ½” long to the bottom of the bow (the side with visible ribbon ends). Use this piece of ribbon to hot glue or sew the bow to the barrette. Add a flower, or any decoration to the front of the bow.

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An In expensive Display Board For A Leisure Painter’s Group
by David Burgess on 0

An In expensive Display Board For A Leisure Painter’s Group

Why Does An Art Group Need Display Boards.

Do you belong to an art group looking for inexpensive and usable exhibition venues?
Have you thought about making your own display boards to help ease your problems with hanging paintings or craft pieces?
Your own display board can really help to solve the problem of where, and how, a group can hold exhibitions. The greater the choice of venue, the more choice there is for dates and arranging things becomes so much easier. This in turn can lead to saving money, important but especially so for a small group of leisure painters.

The Knowle Art Group is just such a group, we had been running into difficulties deciding where to hold our exhibitions.
The usual local libraries, etc, were getting to be too expensive. The less expensive halls to hire usually meant that there was no where to hang our paintings. They did not cater for groups like ours, wanting to hold an art exhibition. It was possible to hire display boards but again the cost was prohibitive.

The solution was going to be do-it-yourself display boards which we could stand on available tables. The idea came to us after exhibiting in an old Manor House where of course we couldn’t knock anything into the walls and the combined cost renting the room and hiring display boards was too much for us. The original idea was to construct a framework out of rough wooden poles. It worked well in the ancient property but couldn’t be used in other locations. After some thought the idea behind the display boards was arrived at. here is how the boards were made.

The Basic Idea

For Our Display Boards

The display boards were to be used by standing them on tables, which are always available at any hall or room for hire. This meant that they did not have to be large ( heavy and expensive) and waste the bottom two thirds of the available area. the tables could be covered with paper banqueting roll to give a professional appearance. We have since made some white table cloths as one of our members is a seamstress and this gets over the problem of the paper ripping at the slightest provocation.

The idea was quite simple, a board with two hinged side panels would be used to increase the available area for hanging the paintings. In other words we got 50 % extra space compared to the length of the tables. This also had the benefit of giving us a stable configuration. The board was held in place by slotting into two wooden battens ( runners) which were provided with carefully placed slots. A final touch was to hold the rear of the board to the rear runner by using a single screw. This prevented the board from bowing out and again increased the stability.

The Display Boards Are Made From Three Simple Components

The Hinged Back And Two Battens
Here is a photo of the hinged back. The sides are half the width of the center portion so that when it is folded up they do not interfere with each other. Of course the board is stored and moved in the folded condition. The whole thing is painted white, which we felt was appropriate for an art exhibition.

This photo shows the two battens positioned roughly on the table, waiting for the board to be placed in the slots. The paintings around the wall are waiting to be hung. We always have a practice before the day we set up the exhibition so that we can arrange the paintings most efficiently and effectively. This photo was taken at one of these practice sessions which is why there is no tablecloth.

You can see the slots, in this detail photo. We did not have a jig for the ten boards that we made but simply placed the board on the battens and marked the position of the slots which was cut with a saw and widened with a file. The slots are cut about two thirds of the way into the batten to allow the small bolt at the rear to go through the board and through the batten.

The measurements of the boards were to suit , but I will be creating an outline sketch of the three components which will be added to the lens very shortly

A Few More Paintings Waiting Their Turn

This is the first step in arranging the paintings, we put out ten tables (one for each board) and roughly decide which paintings will go on which board. We tend to theme each board; water, mountains, figure, animals, boats,etc. Not really necessary but it gives a great show for the public.

Hanging The Paintings On The Boards

Another Little Secret, Sschhh!!
The way we hang paintnigs on the boards is quite simple. We use brass hooks over the top of the board which support brass chains. For larger paintings, a pair of hooks/chains makes a very stable combination.

Having roughly positioned the paintings on the tables, we can then carefully hang them on the display boards.

The paintings are of course numbered for the catalogue and this identification is used to position them easily on the morning of the actual exhibition opening. And voila, a very professional display at a very inexpensive rate. Once made the boards can be used year after year, with just a new coat of paint.

The Final Outcome

One of Our Exhibitions
Here you can see how the boards can be arranged, and how we also press into service our painting easels for the very large paintings or to get a few more paintings on show.

The Boards Used In A Different Configuration

We Found A New Venue This Year
A view of the hall from above…. showing the boards arranged to take advantage of the natural lighting in the new venue. They also ensure that the visitor has to walk back around the paintings to get a second to the exit which means they get a second look.

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Travel Tripod Guide | Ultralight Camera Tripods
by David Burgess on 0

Travel Tripod Guide | Ultralight Camera Tripods

Better Travel Photo Tip: Get a Small and Lightweight Tripod

Ever wonder why some travel photographers manage to take better travel photos than others? The easy answer is skill, and a lightweight travel tripod. Many experienced photographers would even suggest that a tripod is more important than what camera you have or your level of photographic skill.

Relying on steady hands, built-in stabilization, or cranking up (the grain-producing) iso simply won’t cut it when it comes to for example low light landscape photography. In many situations you want maximum depth of field and if you want the best image quality, you do not want to play with the ISO. The only solution is using a sturdy camera support. .

Until recently though, the problem with tripods was that they were bulky and heavy. Luckily, carbon-fiber and ultralight metals have come down in price and should be within reach of any enthusiast photographer.

of their images. Not being able to maximize depth of field is another big reason. Not taking time to compose and think the image through is another big reason for sloppy tourist snaps. All of these problems are helped by taking a tripod along as you travel.

You don’t have to use a full-size model, any camera support is better than nothing – just make sure that you get something that is built to hold your camera weight in a steady manner.

Tiny supports for compacts and smartphones

Some people think that the smaller the camera the easier it is to keep stable when taking a picture. The fact is that the lighter the camera – the more difficult it is to hold still and shake blur is very common with compacts and smartphones. The simple solution is a small camera tripod or support that fits in your bag – or even pocket!

The Best full Size Carbon Tripod for Travel

I use a Benro Travel Angel, the model that came out before this one and it has seen massive rugged use in the field. It still works like new. The compact Benro shown here is their latest carbon travel tripod which is similar to mine, but also has the feature of being a tripod and a monopod in one. The design is pure genius and you simply detach one of the legs and fasten the ball-head to it. This is also one of the few tripods that become flat when folded down for easier travel packing.

The Benro carbon Travel Flat II Tripod Kit is a extremely compact full-size model and folds down to a mere 16 inches. It takes 17 pound loads, offers almost any angle including ground level, and weighs just 3.4 pounds, which is very low weight for a full sized pro-quality tripod.

Flexible Joby Gorilla Tripods for Different Camera Types

The Gorilla tripods by Joby are extremely popular and the best travel tripod if you look at number of sales. Personally though, I prefer a full-size tripod but that is a matter of taste.

What makes the Gorilla pods so popular are the flexible legs that allow you to wrap around and seek support on almost any surface.

Having owned 2 of these ultra light weight tripods in different sizes, my tip is to not buy too small since the legs do sag a little bit with age. The weight difference is minimal so go for one size bigger than recommended.

See complete line of Joby Gorilla Tripods

Joby has recently also launched a new series of very compact camera micro tripods. Available in three different sizes, the biggest one show here supports cameras up to just under 2 pounds and is perfect for small hybrid superzooms and mirrorless system cameras such as Sony NEX, Olympus PEN and Pansonic G series.

This latest micro tripod from Joby is designed to stay on the camera at all times, when you fold it down it fits under the camera base.
Weighing just 2.3 ounces, this may be the ultimate emergency tripod for all forms of adventure travel where weight and small size is important.

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