3 Little Known Tips for Online Craft Supply Shopping

3 Little Known Tips for Online Craft Supply Shopping

If you search hard enough, you can find almost any type of craft supplies that you are looking for. Ebay is an excellent source for closeout merchandise when businesses go bankrupt or have fire sales. Many well-known craft stores, such as Michael's, have their own websites.

Allow me to ask you a question. Did you ever imagine that the internet would become so powerful and pervasive that craft supplies would become big business on the internet? I didn't either. But it is correct. If you look hard enough through the various search engines, you can find almost any type of craft supplies that you are looking for (or your local retail store). However, there are a few major websites worth checking out the next time you're looking for craft supplies.

1) Amazon.com. Amazon's reach has recently (in the last few years) expanded into the far reaches of the internet. Of course, I'm referring to the fact that many online merchants sell via Amazon.com's website. If you search for 'leather craft supplies,' Amazon may not have what you're looking for. Amazon may, however, have a partner retailer who sells their leather craft supplies and lists their products on Amazon. Consider Amazon to be a massive retail search engine that displays items from companies other than its own.

2) Ebay. Ebay is an excellent source for closeout merchandise. This means that businesses go bankrupt and have fire sales. Because many of these sales have moved online, you may be able to get a great deal on some merchandise that is being auctioned off on the world's largest auction site.

3) The websites of retailers. Many well-known craft stores, such as Michael's, have their own websites. These websites frequently have great deals on merchandise that is also available in their retail stores. Even these retailers, however, must occasionally close out large lots of merchandise. The internet is a great place to do just that. Many of these large retailers will use the web to move a large amount of product quickly because there are no real overhead costs (aside from the website's operation). Of course, the retailer must have a mail order or store pickup system in place to do this, but most do. Check the website of your local retailer; you might be surprised.

There's a lot more to shopping for craft supplies than meets the eye. Learn everything there is to know about shopping for crafts online; there is a whole world waiting for you.

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3 Easy Steps to Growing Plants from Seed

 3 Easy Steps to Growing Plants from Seed

Growing your own plants from seed is one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of gardening. This article will focus on growing seeds from packets purchased at a garden centre. The instructions are critical, so keep the packet even if you have used all of the seeds. 

When the seeds germinate, the first thing you'll notice are the seed leaves these are two small round leaves that look the same on all plants. Then the first true leaves will appear, and this is the time to transplant the seedlings into new containers.

Growing your own plants from seed can be one of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of gardening. Of course, it is a very cheap way to grow the number of plants you require for your garden or containers.

This article will focus on growing seeds from packets purchased at a garden centre, as this is the simplest way to get started. On the front of these packets will be a picture, and on the back will be growing instructions, including germination times and the best time of year to sow. The instructions are critical, so keep the packet even if you have used all of the seeds!

1. Required equipment:

- Use clean pots or seed trays with drainage holes that aren't too flimsy. - Seed compost or multi-purpose compost works just as well.

- Clear plastic bags or cling film or propagator - Vermiculite - can be used instead of compost to give the seeds a light covering - Dibber or pencil and widger or teaspoon - Small watering can with fine rose water

- Plant labels – white plastic ones are inexpensive.

2. Planting the seed:

- Fill your pots or seed trays with compost to about 1 cm below the rim and water well. - For small seeds, tip them into the palm of your hand and lightly tap it with your other hand to sprinkle the seeds thinly on to the compost. - For large seeds, push the seed into the compost until it is just covered by its own depth of compost. - Cover the seeds thinly with a little compost.

- Place the pots or trays in a large loose plastic bag or propagator, or wrap in cling film.

- Keep them in a warm, light location, such as a windowsill but out of direct sunlight. - Water gently if the compost becomes dry.

3. Pricking out and germination:

When the seeds germinate, the first thing you'll notice are the seed leaves, which are two small round leaves that look the same on all plants. Then the first true leaves appear, and you can tell that these tiny leaves are similar to those on the mature plant. This is the time to transplant the seedlings into new containers.

- Fill clean 9 cms pots or seed trays with fresh compost and water thoroughly. - Gently loosen each seedling from its pot/tray with a widger or the handle of a teaspoon, holding the seedling by its seed leaf. - Make a hole in the new compost with a dibber or pencil and gently lower the seedling into the hole, making sure that all the roots are tucked into the hole and the seed leaves are just above the surface.

- Keep in bright light, but not direct sunlight, and check on a regular basis. Keep watered, but not soggy - Once the roots have filled the pots or trays, it is time to plant them in the garden, either in containers or in the garden border.

It's not as difficult as you might think, but it does require some thought and care: keep the equipment clean to avoid disease or infection; don't over-water; provide enough light; handle gently; and check regularly.

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2 Methods for Transplanting Rose Bushes of Any Age

 2 Methods for Transplanting Rose Bushes of Any Age

You may want to move a rose bush from one location to another, but are afraid of shocking the bush. There are two effective ways to reduce the shock to the bush and successfully relocate it. The first and simplest is to drive a spade down vertically to its full length of blade about twelve or fifteen inches from the plant. The rich new soil will be permeated by a network of secondary roots. The more small fibrous roots a bush has, the better it can feed from the soil.

You may want to move a rose bush from one location to another on occasion, but you are afraid of shocking the bush and killing it. However, there are two effective ways to reduce the shock to the bush and successfully relocate it to a more suitable location in your flower garden.

The first and simplest method is to drive a spade down vertically to its full length of blade about twelve or fifteen inches from the bush and then circle the process until all lateral roots have been cut. This should be done in June or early July, with the bush moved two or three weeks later.

Dig a sloping hole on one side that leads to the vertical spade-cuts, remove some of the surface soil around the bush to reduce weight, drive the spade under the plant, and gently lift it in a ball of earth. Wetting and dabbing the outside of the ball will make it stickier. Slide it into its new hole via another sloping cut, fill the spaces around the ball with friable soil, and thoroughly water it. To reduce moisture loss and shrivelling, the bush must be pruned and all leaves carefully clipped off.

By cutting any strong root at a reasonable distance from a plant, you force the growth of many smaller feeding roots. Because roots only feed through their terminal points, the more small fibrous roots a bush has, the better it can feed from the soil.

The second, and more difficult, method is to prepare the rose for the move by digging a trench in early spring in a semicircle around the bush, with a radius of a foot or slightly more from the stem, depending on the size of the plant. This will remove the roots in that area. Fill the trench with good-quality loam that does not contain any fermenting manure. The rich new soil will be permeated by a network of fibrous secondary roots. Complete the circle in a similar manner three months later, around Christmas time. Around four months later, in the autumn, the bush can be lifted with a good ball of earth held together by a mass of fibrous roots.

In either method of transplanting, the rose bush has been safely root-pruned, which reduces shock and ensures the plant's survival. You may be wondering why you would need to use that second, more involved method when the first is so straightforward. The only time it is required is when moving a large old rose plant.

You now have two excellent methods for successfully transplanting rose bushes. Even if you don't want to do it very often, feel free to design your own flower garden! Happy gardening.

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Big Air Jumps Causing RC Buggy Issues

 Big Air Jumps Causing RC Buggy Issues?

The 4 point landing is arguably the second best thrill (landing on all four tires). If your ride is not properly setup, it may bounce like a jello mold. Changing your shock fluids could be the cure for landings that look like Dom DeLuis' double chin.

Who can deny that going wide open throttle off an incline and hurtling through the air like a missile is one of the biggest thrills of driving your off-road RC buggy or truck? It's fantastic!

Everything that goes up must, of course, come down, and your RC buggy is no exception. The 4 point landing is arguably the second best thrill (landing on all four tires). If your ride is not properly setup, it may bounce like a jello mold or bottom out like a tank. Both of these are undesirable.

If you race, bad landings add time to your laps, and if you just bash your RC buggy, well... we can't be losing style points now, can we? Changing your shock fluids could be the cure for landings that look like Dom DeLuis' double chin or have the precision of a block of granite.

Changing the fluids to a thicker variety will aid in the resolution of your RC buggy bouncing issue. Your ride should be dampened and composed on landings. You will also have less chassis roll.

If your bottoming out and adding nasty scrapes to your RC buggy chassis under-side, use a thinner shock fluid to let your ride have a little more "give".

Because every track is different, it's a good idea to ask local racers what they use. Especially other racers who use the same model of RC buggy as you. I guarantee you'll get a variety of responses, and they'll almost certainly use different shock oils on the front and rear, just like I do. 

This can compensate for the distribution of weight on your buggy or truck, as well as your driving style. Play around with it. Fortunately, shock oil isn't too expensive. So enjoy yourself.

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