Let’s face it, an artist’s necessities can add up fast when shopping at an art supply store. Making your own handmade tools and mediums is fun and easy, and most of the things you’ll need to make them can be found right in your own home. Children love arts and crafts projects, too — why not make some supplies together? It would be a great way to spend a rainy afternoon, and it won’t break the bank. From paint and paintbrushes to clay, glue and crayons – here goes…
Paintbrushes
To make your own paint brush, you will need an 8 to 12 inch dowel or stick (an old handle of some sort would work nicely, too), a fiber of your choosing, glue, and a long string or a few rubber-bands. Some fiber suggestions for the bristles include hair (animal or human), feathers, shreds of stiff fabric, plant materials (ferns or long pine needles), or bristles from an old broom. The length of the fiber should be at least 2 inches. (more…)
If you’re going to devote quality time in the gym or exercise studio, you may as well use exercise accessories that enable you to make the most of it. For the purposes of this review, we received a couple of free products from ToeSox: a pair of half-toe sox with grip and a pair of their new Grip Gloves. I put them to the test, and here’s the headline: they’ll definitely kick up your routine at least a notch or two.
As a practitioner of hatha and kundalini yoga, and one who enjoys a Pilates class now and then, I was very interested in trying this gear. So far, I’ve used them in my hatha class as well as at home when practicing some basic yoga poses like sun salutation, tree, warrior, lunges, planks, squats and down dog.
half-toe sox with grip: they work great. With the slight separation between toes, as well as the dot pattern, non-slip sole, I’m able to feel my entire foot activate whenever I try to balance on one foot. It’s amazing how much more control I have, I’m a lot less wobbly and feel much more stable.
They’re made of 90% organic cotton & 10% Spandex so they’re soft and comfy. They’re intended for any barefoot activity, including dance and martial arts. I sometimes pad about at home in them, just cause they make my feet feel good. I received the “natural” but they also come in a variety of other solids and stripes. They retail for $15. Here’s where to buy ToeSox online.
Grip Gloves: I’d recommend these to anyone whose palms get sweaty and grip starts to slip while in various poses. I especially appreciate them while in downward dog. With a secure grip, you’re free to: focus more on the task at hand, breathe deeply and convince yourself that you’re well on your journey to bliss:) (more…)
Earlier this week Chinese phone-maker Umeox announced the intro of a new solar-powered smart phone at the Mobile World Congress. The Umeox Apollo will be powered by Android and be released later this year in both a US model and a European/Asian version.
The company estimates that typical daily use will require around 2.5 hours of sunlight to bring the handset’s battery back to 100% full. If you’re in a dark place for an extended period of time and run your battery completely out, it’ll take a depressing 17 hours to get the green gadget back to a full charge.
via: CrunchGear
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