Archive for May, 2010
Zeer pot clay fridge – preserving food in Sudan
In the heat of Sudan, food doesnt stay fresh for long. One ingenious solution is the zeer pot: a simple fridge made of local materials. It consists of one earthenware pot set inside another, with a layer of wet sand in between. As the moisture evaporates, it cools the inner pot, keeping produce fresh for up to three weeks. Since 2001, Practical Action has been helping local people to make these life-saving refrigerators.
Ingleton Pottery www.ingletonpottery.co.uk A bit of carving piercing of a celtic horse design into a clay pot. I made a template of the design and used a brush and some talc to give me a guide as to where to make the cuts. The pot was a slip cast square pot with a bit of the top cut to a wavy design.
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Making a Greek / Roman Amphora vase on the potters wheel demo how to clay throwing ingleton pottery
Ingleton Pottery www.ingletonpottery.co.uk My 1st attempt at making a greek or roman designed amphora vase on the wheel. Making a Greek Roman Amphora vase on the potters wheel demo clay pottery throwing. Ingleton Pottery
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Just a quick video of me making throwing a clay pottery Utensil Jar. We make these to keep your wooden spoons,spatulas in etc. Ingleton Pottery I add a couple of handles usually to the outside for a bit of design but I really only made this to use to show my trimming tools in action due to it’s different curves etc. Anyway I’ll be making some more clay pots and vases soon so please keep checking back.
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Clay Pots Decorating
Decorative Clay Pots – A Green Way to Quench Your Thirst
The hottest month of the summer is yet to come, but people in the tropical countries like India are already bracing up for the season and the scorching heat. Very soon, electronic home appliances markets will be abuzz with the new launching and lucrative discount deals of various brands producing refrigerators. And who knows, you will be one of the first ones to grab one of these deals to enjoy a cool and comfortable summer ahead. But, why not try a different option this time? Buy yourself a big clay pot or "matka", as they call it in India, and enjoy a chilled drink each time you fill thirsty.
Drinking water from an earthen pot is a healthy way to beat the summer heat. The water stored in a clay pot has a refreshing flavor and gets cooled to as much as 14-15 degree Celsius within a few hours. The water, in fact, is just at the "right temperature" in a clay pot – neither too warm for a summer sip, nor too chilled like refrigerated water, which is infamous for causing instant throat infections.
Wondering how does a clay pot cool water in it? Now this is very basic science. Like any earthenware, a clay pot is porous in nature. It has no coating on its outer surface whatsoever. So, when water is poured into it, the inner walls absorbs some amount of water and moisten the outer surface. This moisture when evaporates uses up the inner heat of the earthen pot, and consequently, brings down the overall temperature of the container. This effect works as long as the pores on the clay pot are kept clean and moist. For this, you just need to cleanse your pot on a regular basis, and you have a perfect chiller for your home. And the good thing is, this chiller does not increase your electricity bill either.
So, as you go green to quench your thirst this summer, use some creativity to make your clay pot look beautiful and befitting for your gorgeous home decor. Earthen pots available in the market come in various shapes and sizes. While a small pot may be easier to handle, a larger matka is always preferable for storing more water in summer days because you never know when your taps run dry. But nowadays, earthen pots are also available with small taps fitted to their sides and little above the bases. Go for this variety as they are really easy to use.
Now, once you have got yourself an earthen pot, take out your paint brushes and colors and start painting it. At first, hand-polish the outer surface of the pot with a piece of sand paper, and color it with enamel paint. Then, after the paint dries thoroughly, put on the base color and leave it to dry. Now, draw the pattern of your choice around the clay pot with a pencil or a piece of chalk. Once done with it, fill the designs with different colors, leave it to air dry. Finally, put a coat of varnish paint to give it a shining finish. But be careful with the last step – an overdose of varnish paint, can clog your pot pores for good. So, just go in for a single coat, and your decorative clay pot is ready.
Southwestern Theme Decorating Tips – House Design IdeasNative American figurines and artwork, hand-painted vases, clay pots and plates, and wrought-iron candle holders also make great accessories for this type of décor. Southwestern décors are a lot of fun to create.Clay pot for decoratingInteresting detail and color shading on this clay pot make it a good choice for your home decor. Sent from my iPhone. Permalink | Leave a comment.Decorating Clay PotsIn clay pot crafts, clay flower pots can be crafted into a variety of decorative things that appeal to gardeners. Usually, the crafter begins with new pots. The pots are often decorated with paint as well as being tied together with.
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Plastic Pots For the Plants
Plastic or clay pots for the plants?
One of the biggest considerations when trying to grow plants is to decide the type of pots that would be used to house them. Two kinds of housing have been popular, namely the unglazed clay (terra cotta) pots and the plastic pots. Both having advantages and disadvantage, we would like to stage a comparison to help the gardeners make their choice.
Clay Pots
A terra cotta clay pots is none waterproof. It absorbs excess moisture from the plant and thus contributes to the health of the plant. Clay pots keep the root system of the plant at the correct temperature and help the root system to breathe and stay healthy.
A clay pot will keep the potting soil moist for a longer period of time. Because they are usually high fired they will not absorb the water that is used for the planting materials. That is why plants thrive easily and for a long period of time in a clay pot. Don’t forget that if the pot ever cracks or chips that seal will be broken and any water will find that crack and try to penetrate.
Also you have to bring size of the plants into consideration too, a bigger plant with thick roots would sit in more comfortably in a large clay and it would have room to grow and get stable. Mostly clay pot are more suitable outdoors because they are usually heavy and not easy to move around. They are usually of a dark or rusty color and blend well with soil and give a complete garden look.
One disadvantage of a clay pot is that it is a breakable material and can be broken easily with rough handling or it may crack with lots of moving around.
Plastic Plant Pots
The plastic plant pots on the other hand are usually of bright colors and light weight and may help more in making your indoors lively when used in combination with your interior decor. Due to their nonabsorbent quality they also make an ideal choice for gardeners who do not water their plant frequently as the excess water can be slowly used by the plant.
One of considerations using the plastic pot is over-watering of the plant. The plastic pot keeps the soil too wet in case of over watering due to its none absorbent nature and this may cause damage to the roots of the plant. With too few drainage holes the pot would actually help retain moisture and this would put stress the plant affecting the growth of the plant.
However plastic pots are not breakable and they are flexible. Also they are made of recyclable material and are therefore environment friendly. Be it a clay pot or plastic pot both have their advantages and disadvantages, and both are suitable in one or the other situations, so its basically the gardeners duty to make a wise choice among the clay pot or the plastic pot to promote the well being of the plants.
Plant Plastic Pots | Wrought Iron Plant StandsHowever plastic pots are best for plants that overflow and trail so that the hanging leaves can cover up the container’s exteriors. Terracotta containers are also kind to the purse. Undoubtedly these are classier than their plasticPlastic Plant Pots, Black – Bumblebee Auctions Description. Plastic Plant Pots, Black, 50 x believed 6 Litre Pots, Used but Good Condition. /DSCF5900.JPG. /DSCF5899.JPG. These goods being auctioned are second hand, unless stated otherwise. The police force that listed the item and.All those plastic pots have to go somewhereAs we’re in the midst of one of the busiest times of the year to be purchasing new plants and planting them in our gardens, a startling gardening statistic is worth repeating. More than 350 million pounds of gardening plastic is.
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Large Mexican Clay Pottery Jars
Mexican Clay Pottery
Mexico has an ancient and rich tradition of ceramic ware. Archeological finds from thousands of years ago have inspired modern Mexican potters to create ceramics which are very similar in form and adornment to those created by ancient artisans. For example, the ceramic style of the city of Oaxaca is quite distinctive, and has a tradition of its own. The "barro negro" black clays of this region make for the production of black pottery sometimes embellished with nail hole filler which is then hand-painted with original designs.
Talavera ceramics represent a Majolica technique, and are perhaps the best known of all Mexican ceramics types. This style was imported from Spain, and thus has strong Arabian influence in it. The clay used in Talavera pottery is always made by mixing two different clays which are molded together on a potters wheel. At the present time the city of Puebla is the largest producer of these ceramics, but Talavera ceramics are also common in San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hidalgo, and Guanajuato. The key feature which distinguishes Talavera ceramics is that they are produced in two firings. First a piece is glazed with tin glaze and fired and the second firing is done with a lead glaze.
Casas Grandes Mexican clay pottery was developed in Paquime in the northern section of Mexico about a thousand years ago. This ceramic style is relatively crude, and is admired more for its utility than its extermal beauty. Casas Grandes designs which are based on patterns of leaves, birds, and other natural objects have undergone drastic changes over the centuries. Today the Casa Grandes ceramics show influences from Spain and even Italy and Arabia.
The designs of modern Mata Ortiz pottery supply are based upon the Casas Grandes style with its high shine, and are considered to be some of the finest ceramic pieces in the world. Mata Ortiz pottery was originated by Juan Quezada, who perfected traditional designs based upon ancient shards which he collected in the area of Casas Grandes. Quezada set out to reconstruct the method of the ancients by using the raw clay of the area, making paints from locally-dug minerals, and reproducing the original firing formula.
These ceramics are earthen or porcelain pots which are hand-painted with characteristic lines and curves on varied backgrounds reminiscent of the Mimbreno style. These pots are made by the traditional technique of coiling and even the firing is carried out by traditional pit-firing rather than in kilns. The ceramics are then painted with luminous paints and are highly polished. The Mata Ortiz style became popular in the 1970′s and the market for these ceramics has taken off. Hundreds of artisans in the region have resurrected these ancient pottery-making methods to create pieces exhibited in museums throughout the world.
Clay Pot Table FountainClay pot- like Schlemmertoph Medium Size Clay Pot, Clay Pot TableFountain, Clay Pot Fountain, Clay Pot Table Fountain, Cassetta Festonata Clay Pot 12 Inch Height in Cookware with. Clay pot, clay revolution jars aiken weighted,Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: Carter Pottery Lisa has produced two videos on Mexican Folk pottery. The DVD Pineapples of Patamban and San Jose de Gracia is well worth the $45. http://www.potteryofmexico.com/ After seeing the first one I became very interested in a style know as … These terracotta jars are covered with sprigged additions. They are highly ornate forms complemented by a green or yellow translucent glaze. While I was in Philly for NCECA I stumbled across a few pieces at Eyes Gallery on South Street.How To Make A Kiln For Pottery Make Clay PotteryTremendous your own mexican Learn pottery and ceramic techniques and come across places to buy every your supplies.Two handled blue basket 10 wide 5 1 4 tall during excellent order Excellent your own clay for.
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Clay Pot Crafts – Make A Bell For The Porch
Hobbies: Clay Pot Crafts – Make A Bell For The Porch
Clay pot crafts are a cute way to make home decorations. In clay pot crafts, clay flower pots can be crafted into a variety of decorative things that appeal to gardeners. Usually, the crafter begins with new pots. The pots are often decorated with paint as well as being tied together with rope or cord to create things.
Pots for clay pot crafts can be purchased in many different sizes, from tiny ones not more than 2 inches in diameter, to huge ones over a foot across. For a beginning project, start with smaller pots. The beginner should also choose clay pot crafts that don’t use too many pots in too elaborate a design.
An example of a good craft for someone new at clay pot crafts is to make a bell from two clay pots. Buy one pot that is about five or six inches in diameter, and another that is very small. You will use the small one as the clapper for the bell. You will also need some decorative cord, two large wooden beads, and paint in desired colors. You may also wish to purchase some glue-on jewels to decorate the bell. The bell makes a nice decoration for a front porch.
Cut the cord two feet (60 cm.) long. Fold the end over 3 inches (8 cm.) and tie in an overhand knot, making a loop. This loop is for hanging the bell from a hook or a nail. Now turn the larger clay pot upside-down. Pass the loose end of the cord down through the hole in the pot. Lay the pot on its side and slide one of the large wooden beads up the cord until it is about 10 inches (25 cm.) from the loose end. Now tie the cord around the bead so that the bead cannot slip from its position on the cord. If you have done this correctly, you can lift the pot by the loop. In clay pot crafts, the beads must be large enough to stop the cord from going through the hole in the bottom of the pot.
On the loose end of the cord, you are going to attach the small pot in the same way. Slide the small pot up the cord to make it easier to tie the other large wooden bead on the end of the cord. Now when you lift the entire arrangement by the loop, the smaller pot should hang freely inside the larger pot, making a pleasant sound when it claps against the larger pot.
Decorate the outside of the larger pot with paint as desired. You may like to paint it in black and white patches for a Holstein cow theme. You may also like to decorate the top of the bell with silk or dried flowers and greenery and a ribbon bow.
For a variation on this craft, make three of the bells and hang them from a horizontal piece of driftwood or other interesting piece of natural wood. When making hanging clay pot crafts, always make sure the beads are large enough and are tied tightly in place, because the clay pots will break if they fall to the ground.
Other clay pot crafts include making a large doll or scarecrow of nested pots strung together and painted. The doll can sit on a chair or a step of the front porch. Paint his face to look like a scarecrow, a jack-o-lantern, a gnome, or a child. Clay pot crafts are especially suited to being displayed outside.
Where to buy wholesale clay pots?
By: Nicholas Tan
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Clay Pot Crafts
If you have an artistic mind and you love you make something decorative and attractive for your home then clay pots are definitely a great idea to work with. You can make different items or can also so some painting on the clay pot in such a way that it will make the plant look better. It may also happen that you not even notice the plant just because the pot is so attractive.
To make a painted clay pot you need to have 4′ clay pot, opaque apple green acrylic paint, opaque blue lagoon acrylic paint, opaque yellow acrylic paint, semi opaque pumpkin acrylic paint, semi opaque white acrylic paint, fine point permanent black marker.
Steps to make a painted clay pot:
1. First using a small ruler and pencil, you should measure the height of the clay pot starting just below the rim. Then mark off the halfway point between the top and the bottom of the clay pot. Altogether you should measure and mark off the halfway point at four opposite places on the pot.
2. Now holding the plastic measuring tape up to the clay pot, connect the halfway points and then draw a light pencil line between all the halfway point marks around the pot.
3. Line up the ruler with each of the halfway points around the pot one at a time and draw a light pencil line from the top of the plant pot just below the rim to the bottom of the pot at this point. You will have 8 squares drawn on the pot.
4. Then you have to decide on the color scheme or arrangement of the colors into squares you have drawn on the pot. In one set of squares you can fill any combination of two colors and in the other one also you can fill other set of colors.
5. Squeeze a small amount of the pumpkin acrylic paint on the paper plate and gather a small amount of paint on the straight edge of the brush and paint along the straight lines of one of the squares with a generous coat paint on the paper plate. Outline and fill in one of the square completely with a generous layer of paint. Now paint the square diagonally across from it pumpkin using the same method as you did for the first one and let the paint dry. Rinse out and shape the brush again.
6. When this paint is drying, you can turn the pot around to other set of 4 squares. Squeeze a small amount of yellow acrylic paint on the paper plate. Outline and fill in one of the squares with a generous coat of the yellow paint. Paint the square diagonally across from it yellow suing the same method as you have did for the first one and then let the paint dry.
7. When the paint on this side is drying, turn the pot around to the first set of 4 squares. Squeeze a small amount of apple green acrylic paint and paint the square diagonally across from it green using the same method as you did earlier. Again let the paint dry and you can rinse out and shape the brush again.
8. Again while this paint is drying turn the pot around to the second set of 4 squares and squeeze a small amount of blue lagoon acrylic paint on the paper plate. Next outline and fill in one of the squares with a generous coat of blue paint. Paint the square diagonally using the same method and let the paint dry.
9. When the paint is drying for the last squares you have painted, it is time to paint the edge of the pot white. Squeeze a small amount of white acrylic paint onto the paper plate and paint the edges.
For more on wholesale clay pots.
Author: Olivia Andrews
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Email marketing is dead?
With all the hoo-ha over web 2.0 you may be thinking how you can jump on the bandwagon. How can you earn from Social Media. It’s all good and well getting hundred’s or thousands of twitter followers or facebook fans, but what next.
While some web businesses can find a way to profit through followers or fans, it’s not the case for everyone. I know, my online travel agent business, a website about Cairns Great Barrier Reef and Cairns Holidays finds it virtually impossible to attract followers. While my other business, a drive in cinema in Cairns attracts fans all too easily.
Both ventures have the usual twitter and facebook pages. However I have discovered it’s better for you to have friends than fans. A business page inside facebook is set up for the user to interact with the business page. A user page allows you much more fundamental interaction with other users. Setting up is simple, just set up the account as if it is a individual, not a business.
This allows you to gather friends rather than fans. There may be a bit of fiddling around to get a name variation that fits within the facebook rules, however it isn’t too hard. The main reward of a business feigning to be human is that this then allows you to get your message accross to all your fans alot more thoroughly. Your status update is posted to every one of your friends walls. Spreading whatever message you wish to share. You can add photo’s, videos and links to your post. I repeat, YOUIR MESSAGE IS POSTED TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS WALLS!
Now I don’t know about you, but to me this is better than a traditional email marketing drive. With email marketing you run the gauntlet of spam filters. A facebook status update does not. I know there is an option to HIDE your posts, but emails can be deleted unopened as well.
Common sense and restraint should see your posts read by a large percentage of your friends network.
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5S, A Philosophy of Life
The 5S program highlights basic aspects such as using the proper tool, the proper accessory, and the correct information. It seeks respect for arranged times and established order. It focuses on details that are seen in any workplace, but they do not seem very important in regards to the big problems that need to be faced on a daily basis. However, when attention is not paid to these little basic details, even bigger problems will show up in the future. Adopting this method guarantees success, not only at work, but also in personal aspects of your life.
When the 5S program is considered, it will be seen as a very flexible program, and it includes characteristics that involve safety, order, cleanliness, elimination, etc. One of the most important points in the 5S is that of cleanliness. It is considered impossible to perform a task properly in a dirty, untidy place. The system teaches you to work in a clean and tidy environment, where everything is in order, clean, and neat. As much as this principle is applied at work, it can also be applied at home. This philosophy teaches you to be a clean and tidy person in every aspect of life.
Cleanliness starts by putting things in order, eliminating, or storing useless items in the workplace. This is a Japanese philosophy and it is necessary to understand that they are very strict in this aspect. Discarding useless items allows the possibility to have more room and makes it possible to find things easily – since only essential tools, objects, or items will be present. On the other hand, the same philosophy can be applied at a personal level. Hence, it is fundamental to keep only the essential. Why keep things that will no longer be used at home? This is why this philosophy is regarded as eco friendly: storing and recycling is needed, in the pursuit of leaving no impact on Earth. This reflects a deep concern on the footprints individuals leave on the ecosystem.
Another factor that contributes to cleanliness is systematization. Tasks are standardized and a routine has to be created, in order to ensure that every detail of tasks is performed. And cleanliness is part of that daily routine, when the 5S system is applied.
Japanese workers carry out a cleaning routine, irrespective of the hierarchy. Visual impact is also considered. People must show a clean and tidy appearance, wearing sanitary clothes, glasses, gloves and shoes. It is common to find many mirrors on the walls at Japanese workplaces. But why do they do this? The idea is to reflect people’s appearance in order to help them to keep clean. Every worker has a second uniform to be used if necessary. In many industries there is even a laundry where everyone can have their uniforms cleaned up, in case they are not dirt free.
One of the key elements of these principles is to make sure that employees truly believe that this is going to make a difference in not only at work, but as an integral part of individuals’ life.
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Telemarketing – Using Analytics to Improve Sales and Marketing Campaigns
Application of scientific methods to any operation can help make it systematic and measurable, bringing in an element of control to the process. Telemarketing campaigns can also be put to experimentation to see if the measures are working out fine and yielding good results. Based on the outcome, proper steps can be taken to improve the process and make it more effective.
A scientific experiment consists in framing a hypothesis in form of an informed and educated guesswork. This hypothesis can then be put to test by adjusting variables and measuring results against a control. The guesswork can then be systematically streamlined and replaced by better and proven methods of campaigning.
Here are a few tips on how to go about improving a telemarketing campaign using the experimental method:
Refer to previous campaigns to set standards. Campaigns undertaken in the past by the same company or even a different one can be used as guides to set standards for subsequent operations. In doing so, both the methodology used and the results obtained can be studied to establish a benchmark and prepare a framework for running the campaign. This is how knowledge in the form of past experience can be used to add value to the campaign.
Experiment with different scripts and compare results. The guiding script ideas for a telemarketing call can be tweaked and tried with different approaches. By varying the areas of emphasis, level of aggression in closing a deal, degree of persuasion etc. and the optimum measures of the aspects can be reached. Comparing the results of the various approaches can prove to be immensely helpful.
Track the performance of telemarketing callers. The telemarketing caller is the single most important variable that determines the success or failure of any given campaign. Analyzing the results of each of the callers will not only help single out the best callers to bank on them but also to get rid of the poorest callers who are liabilities rather than assets to the company.
Figure out the time of the day when calls are most effective. Depending on the characteristics of the product and the prospective customers for the same there has to be some time of the day when the telemarketing calls happen to be most result bearing. This can be figured out by simply varying the time slots to make the calls and then comparing the results to see which time is most suitable.
Reach out to the right audience. Connecting to the right target audience is by far the most important decision to be made in telemarketing calls. This can be fine-tuned only by examining the response rates of various sections of the audience. The caller list can be broadened if the number of positive responses is high till the rates start to diminish substantially. By maintaining a proper record of calls to various segments, the most responsive groups can be singled out and focused.
Tweak price levels to evoke positive response. The success of a call depends to a large extent on the pricing model of a given product or service. On the other hand, it can also prove to be the greatest hindrance in evoking a positive response from clients even if the initial response to the call has been good enough. If competitive pricing is making a huge difference in the volumes of sales, it is worth taking the risk. Higher volumes can make up for the concessions offered.
Identify whether problems relate to the product or the process. Negative results can broadly be traced back to either the product or the process. One can try different methodologies to the same product or same approach to different products to be able to find out where the problem lies. Professional telemarketing companies with huge capacities can run multiple campaigns to draw appropriate feedback and put things in order.
The method of scientific experimentation had transformed the very thought process of human beings through its systematic approach. These tried-and-tested techniques can also be fruitfully used to revolutionize telemarketing campaigns and enhance sales.
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