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Do You Have A Healthy Brain? The Secret to Mental Agility
We all know to exercise our bodies to keep fit, but how often do you think about exercising your brain? And what type of exercise does it need anyway? What are the facts? What is the secret to mental agility? Keeping mentally active will keep...
Find And Catch Those Pesky Fish With A Garmin 240 Fish Finder
Garmin 240 Fish Finder Depthfinder with Transducer - a review
The lakes that I normally fish are deep and quite rocky, and I have been delighted with the performance of the Garmin 240 Fish Finder, which gives a clear picture of what lies...
Outdoor Design with Old Ladders
So you want to liven up the outside of your home, but don’t have a fortune to spend? A ladder may be just what you need to spruce things up. Below, check out some ideas for using old wooden ladders to spruce up and enliven the outside of any...
Rainbow Trout And Trout Flies
Alaska is home to many wonders of nature not the least of which
is the rainbow trout. Trout fishing is a sport enjoyed by many
anglers not only in Alaska, but all over the world.
Rainbow trout are known to be quite aggressive and picky...
Summer Fun With Baby - Great Scrapbooking Ideas
Summer is one of the best times to take photos and capture memories of
your baby.
Babies experience a number of new things and tastes during
their first summer and these moments are well worth the effort of
creating a scrapbook.
In the...
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Stitching Memories
Sometimes, usual photographs look so common and boring. Converting your pictures into charcoal or oil painting is a welcome change but then, a lot of people have been into these crafts already that there are times when these portraits too, look clichéd. There could also be a time that a charcoal or oil painting of your photo does not look exactly the same as your original photograph. I have been a witness to several charcoal portraiture failure. Have you ever had your portrait done in charcoal in which the result didn't actually look like your image?
There's a new option to the dilemmas of boring photographs and failed charcoal and oil (even water-color) paintings and that is the cross-stitch portrait. It is converting a favorite photograph into an elegant and artistic needlecraft. However high-tech the snapshot is, it will be captured exactly, even the tiniest detail, in a cross-stitch portrait.
A picture is scanned and then converted into a cross-stitch pattern. A pattern looks like a chart of tiny squares on a paper. Each square symbolizes a stitch. And stitches are the details of the pictures. It is amazing to see a picture being converted into a pattern for cross-stitch. A snapshot, especially a colored one is the faithful replica of a person, a pet or of a significant event. In it, the image, especially the skin of a person appears to be plain flesh-colored (dark, fair, brown, yellow, etc.). But in a cross-stitch pattern, the skin alone could have three or more shades of whatever skin tone the person in the image has. Even an all-black hair could have shades of gray, dark gray and light gray for more emphasis.
This is due to the light reflections upon taking the picture. It could be from the flash or the shadow of the sun when the picture was shot outdoors. However, in a snapshot, it does not really matter because the focus would be just on the image. But in a cross-stitch portrait, every tone of the skin, every shade of the hair (whether plain colored or highlighted) is considered. And in the end, the portrait is not only a faithful replica but is almost exactly the original image of the person, pet or the significant memory.
The cotton threads used in cross-stitch give the picture its almost-real image. Basically, the fabric used as a background is a woven linen depending of the count, which gives the finished portraits the unique, handmade look.
Snapshots are the mementos of a very special
figure or event in a person's life. Take for example a wedding. Loads of films are used (or if digital camera is used, the memory is all occupied). There are unfortunate times when pictures get ruined because a) liquid was spilled on them; b) kids tore them up; c) they get browned being stored in the attic and more. However, a cross-stitch portrait, if ever spilled with liquid could be sent to dry-cleaning (or laundered even); it could not be torn-up easily; and should it get browned, again, the dry-cleaners can see that it gets back to its original colors (unless the fabric used for background is a black woven linen). But, there would be a slim chance (to none) that these misfortunes could happen because once a cross-stitch portrait is finished, it is put in a frame and then placed on a wall for everybody to see and admire.
Cross-stitch is one of the best ways to preserve the most memorable moment of a person's life. It is because cross-stitch can survive time. Proofs of this are the unearthed remnants from the year 500 AD. This could mean that when a portrait today is saved in a cross-stitch, it could live up to 500 years more!
Cross-stitch was a fad only for the religious, royals and the elites in the early age. That is because cross-stitch was a symbol for status in the society. Cross-stitch was considered an elegant, classic and artistic needlecraft that even the famous figures in history such as Queen Elizabeth 1 and Mary Queen of Scots (who, even in captivity) did cross-stitch. It would be magnificent to put back elegance and class in today's technologically advanced homes and derive pleasures only the religious, the royals and the elites enjoyed way back in time through hanging cross-stitch on walls.
When a portrait is saved in a cross-stitch it is like stitching the memories and the feelings back to life along with the image. Every detail considered is every minute of the memory treasured and labored with. And it is 100% guaranteed that the outcome of the portrait is the exact image of the memorabilia because of the accurate conversion of the photo to the cross-stitch pattern.
Copyright (c) Sphinx Cyberworld Ventures
About the Author
The writer, Caryl B. Grecia, works for Sphinx Cyberworld Ventures. The company offers custom made-to-order cross-stitching services to those who love cross-stitch portraits but who are too busy to stitch. Their website is http://www.cross-stitchportraits.com
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Appalachian Mountain Club – Outdoor Recreation, Education ... |
Members from Maine to Virginia participate in hiking, paddling, skiing, and other outdoor activities. Includes links to lodging destinations, local chapters ... |
www.outdoors.org |
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Outdoors in the Yahoo! Directory |
Explore sites dedicated to the great outdoors. Find information on boating, fishing, camping, hiking, climbing, and other outdoor activities. |
dir.yahoo.com |
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Adventure Travel and Outdoor Recreation - GORP.com |
Resource for outdoor sports, adventure, and travel. Includes destination, activity, and gear directories plus news, articles, and forums. |
gorp.away.com |
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Outdoors - UK Camping Equipment Supplier |
Shops operated by the Scout Association. Site includes catalogue, locations of stores and online shopping. |
www.outdoors.ltd.uk |
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ESPN Outdoors - Outdoors Home |
The latest in Outdoors news and information, all at ESPN.com. |
espn.go.com |
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Outdoors Network - Fishing, Fly Fishing, Hunting, Lefty Kreh, BASS |
Fishing , Fly Fishing, Hunting , Lefty Kreh, BASS and more, from Outdoors Network - Bringing the Outdoors Indoors. |
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Great Outdoors |
Experience the outdoors online -- hiking, skiing, camping, and mountain biking with gear reviews and adventure profiles. |
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Open Directory - Recreation: Outdoors |
Recreation: Travel: Specialty Travel: Adventure and Sports (237); Science: Environment (6754); Shopping: Recreation: Outdoors (2491); Society: Gay, Lesbian, ... |
dmoz.org |
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MaineToday.com | Outdoors |
OUTDOOR NEWS. Trail backers back to work raising money The 55-mile Eastern Trail pedestrian and bicycle ... Seen Outdoors Were you seen in Maine, today? ... |
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Outdoors |
Los Angeles Times Travel Guide - Tips, discounts and world destinations from the Los Angeles Times travel section. |
www.latimes.com |
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SFGate: Sports: Outdoors |
Once mighty wool makes comeback in outdoor gear (11/23). MAIN EVENTS: Discover fabulous fungus, learn to hunt and hear stories of the great outdoors (11/30) ... |
www.sfgate.com |
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Detroit News Online | Outdoors |
Outdoors. Deer numbers are up. 17-point buck and numerous 200-pounders mark ... Outdoors. Deer hunt unites families. Old and young, as well as male and ... |
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Google Directory - Recreation > Outdoors |
Science > Environment (7762) Shopping > Recreation > Outdoors (2778) Society > Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual > Recreation > Outdoors (50) ... |
www.google.com |
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St. Petersburg Times Online: Outdoors |
The weather is forecast to become more favorable for fishing and being outdoors in general. Go to article · Root for cleaner water to find kings ... |
www.sptimes.com |
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Sports : Outdoors -- Philadelphia Inquirer |
OUTDOORS LINKS. Outdoors Calendar Listing of clubs and activities in the area Resources How to get listed; whom to contact. RECENT STORIES ... |
www.philly.com |
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Welcome to Cotswold Outdoor Ltd - outdoor & travel clothing ... |
Find travel and active wear, camping and climbing equipment, rucksacks, accessories, and sleeping bags. |
www.cotswoldoutdoor.com |
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Outdoors: South Florida Sun-Sentinel |
South Florida's breaking news site, with news, sports and information updated constantly throughout the day. |
www.sun-sentinel.com |
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UK based outdoor clothing retailer. Stock includes rock climbing equipment, camping gear, stoves, tents hiking boots, waterproofs, fleeces, ht and gloves. |
www.ultimateoutdoors.co.uk |
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CafePress has over 9660 unique , outdoors designs on more than 98600 T-Shirts and Gifts. Narrow your search with topics like funny outdoors, or nature, ... |
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Great outdoors: Hunting, fishing, biking and running news ... |
Top Outdoors Stories. Strong mast crop affects hunters now, next year ... Bill Cochran's Outdoors. You are never more alive than when a predator ... |
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