Customised Plaster Cast Clocks - A New Offline Hobby

It's a strange old world, during the past few months I must have read hundreds if not thousands of articles posted to LPR. Some of them are blatent article spam with little or no real value. However, most articles are well written and contain useful information.

The article republished below inspired me to try making some plaster casts with the idea of painting them. Nothing too complicated, just a little home hobby to get me off the computer, as some days I spend upwards of 18 hours "at the keyboard".

Plaster casting is a craft that dates back thousands of years. At first glance it looks easy, but there's a lot of things that can go wrong.

1. Use the right kind of plaster

2. Get the water to plaster ratio right

3. Prepare the mould to the right shape

4. Set the printer to print the Decal transfers at the right size

5. Only use the best varnish and spray rather than paint

6. Finish coatings in a dust free area

These are just a few of the things to watch out for. I'm learning all the time and have found some outstanding web sites that not only sell the raw materials, but also provide good tutorials.

I'll post some pictures of my "Plaster Cast Clock" when the paint dries.

In the meantime, here's the article that inspired me to take up plaster casting:

GLASS BEADS - The History and Making Of

Beads are amongst the oldest human art and technology, dating back 30,000 years. They have been dated back to at least Roman times. Perhaps the earliest glass-like beads were Egyptian faience beads, a form of clay with a self-forming vitreous coating.

Glass beads are usually categorized by the method used to manipulate the glass. Most fall into three main categories: wound, drawn, and moulded. There are composites, such as millefiori, where cross-sections of a drawn glass cane are applied to a wound glass core. A very minor industry in blown glass beads also existed in 19th century Venice and France.

It is believed that the Egyptians first used faience (a glazed fused quartz composite) but later developed the core, wound and mosaic methods of using glass to make beads and other decorations. They were the first culture to have glass-making guilds.

Glass beads, however, were not limited to the Egyptians in ancient times. There have been glass beads found in archaeological sites dated between 2,000BC and 10AD in both Austria and Switzerland.

In modern times, they have become a popular form of jewellery, especially in African cultures with necklaces,bracelets, and anklets made of these materials. They can be extremely colourful and bright, making them fashionable and popular in modern times for all cultures.

There are many types of beads and all are named according to the way they are made, including wound, drawn, moulded,lampwork, Dichroic, furnace and lead crystal.

The Types of glass used to construct these include rod, sheet, soda lime, lead, and borosilicate. The material chosen often depends on the hardness, colour, durability, and size required.

Nowadays the Czech Republic is a well-known and reputable producer of these object. Both online and in stores worldwide, Czech glass beads will be sold for a much high price on average than most other types of glass beads. These Czech pieces are often used in necklaces and bracelets and are sold in renowned jewellers across the globe. The Czech's have a reputation for creating beautiful yet durable glass beads consistently.

Many people enjoy making their own jewellery . There are even stores where one can pay to make their own jewellery with glass beads that are provided for them. This has become a popular hobby for many people and has increased the recognition of glass beads across the world. In additon , Lampwork and other artictic craftybeads are back in vogue on the jewellery ciruit.

Article Republished From: Liberated Press Releases a web site that DOESN'T use Google Adspam (Adsense text links) in or around articles.

Author Resource:- Hayden Branston is the owner of Glass Bead Resource
http://www.glassbeadresource.com

Search for Other LPR Articles Using These Tags:GLASS BEADS drawn lampwork beads dichroic furnace czech glass beads wholesale beads

Some Czech Republic Travel Details

Almost untouched by the wars of the twentieth century, the capital, Prague , is justifiably one of the most popular destinations in Europe. An incredibly beautiful city with a wealth of architecture, from Gothic cathedrals and Baroque palaces to Art Nouveau cafés and Cubist villas, it's also a lively meeting place for young people from all over Europe. The rolling countryside of Bohemia is swathed in forests and studded with well-preserved medieval towns and castles, especially in the south around Ceské Budejovice . In the west, you'll find the old watering-holes of the European aristocracy, the spa towns of Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázne . The country's eastern province, Moravia , is every bit as beautiful, only less touristed. Olomouc is the most attractive town here, but Brno , the regional capital, has its own peculiar pleasures.

Destination Guides > Europe & Russia > Europe > Czech Republic > Prague

As far as live music is concerned, the classical scene still has the edge in Prague, though more new jazz clubs have livened up the scene. Some better discos and nightclubs have sprouted up around Wenceslas Square - although others still act as mini red-light districts.

Predictably enough, with a playwright as president, theatre in Prague is thriving; without knowing the language, however, your scope is limited, though there's a tradition of innovative mime, puppetry and "black light" theatre in the city. Tickets are cheap and available from any Ticketrro outlet (there's one in each PIS office) as well as from the venues themselves. As for particular areas, in the summer Hradcany hosts many open-air concerts and plays.

Classical music and operaClassical concerts take place throughout the year in concert halls and churches, the biggest event being the Prague Spring ( Prazské jaro ) international music festival , which traditionally begins on May 12, the day of...read more >>

Jazz and rockAghaRTA Jazz Centrum , Krakovská 5, Nové Mesto. Prague's best jazz club with a good mix of top-name foreigners and locals. Open until 1am. Metro Muzeum. Akropolis , Kubelíkova 27, Zízkov ( www.spinet.cz/akropolis ). Decent...read more >>