Dbology

Archive for November, 2011

My last article, which received tremendous interest, was on the History of Audio Recording. I am grateful to all of you that read it and made it a great success. This article is no less important. We certainly can’t discuss the History of Audio Recording without also discussing the History of the Microphone. Neither can exist without the other. Together, let’s explore the birth and development of this incredible invention.

A microphone is, simply stated, a device that captures “waves” in the air created by the voice or any other noise transmitter and translates those waves into electrical signals. Another way to say it is to convert acoustic power into electrical power. After the sound waves are converted into electrical signals, to hear them again in an acoustic setting, they must be converted back to acoustic power through some kind of loudspeaker. It is amazing to think with all the technological advancements in the last 40 years, we still use this simple process on our stereo, computer or ipod.

Have you attended a concert lately? The relatively weak signal from a voice or musical instrument is created, changed into electrical energy by some sort of microphone, boosted through a series of power amplifiers and, finally, converted back to acoustic energy through loudspeakers. It is easy to sit, enjoy the music, and forget to be thankful for this amazing power that was created in our universe which we enjoy our entire day.

Let’s meet some of the visionary people who discovered and developed the universal principles that created a microphone.

Johann Phillip Reis (1834-1874)

This German physicist designed a “sound transmitter” that employed the use of a metallic strip that rested on a membrane with a metal point contact that would complete a circuit as the membrane vibrated. His basic belief that, as the membrane responded to the increase and decrease of acoustic energy and bounced the metal point up and down with more intensity and increased the amplitude of electrical current, was brilliant. Unfortunately, this early effort was not developed enough to produce speech that could be understood.

Elisha Gray (1835-1901)

This American inventor would one day become one of the founders of the Western Electric Company. Gray’s design was called a “liquid Transmitter”. The “liquid” was an “acidic” solution. This was an incredible innovation. A diaphragm was attached to a movable electrically conductive rod that was immersed in the acidic solution. A second rod was fixed. With a battery attached, a circuit could be completed between the two rods. Acoustic vibrations traveling through the diaphragm caused the distance between the two rods to vary. The result was that this variance produced corresponding changes in electrical resistance in the acidic cell, changing the levels of current. These variations could be translated to a week audible sound.

Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922)

Famous for his development of the telephone, he employed a similar device as Gray to produce the first transmission of intelligible speech over his primitive telephone. Most of us have heard of the famous words of Bell to his assistant, “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.” The true inventor of the telephone, though, became a legal dispute between Bell and Gray. The courts remained neutral regarding their claims due to the overall poor quality of these early devices.

David Edward Hughes(1831-1900)

While Bell and Gray slugged it out in the courts, Hughes was diligently working to produce the first working microphone. Already a pioneer and patent holder in the telegraph industry by 1855, he designed a new kind of microphone by 1878. It was a completely different design that Bell and Gray. It incorporated the use of carbon granules loosely packed into an enclosed space. When the acoustical pressure varied as they traveled through the diaphragm, the electrical resistance that traveled through the carbon granules changed proportionally. The resulting sound was noisy and full of distortion but it was a significant step forward. Since early reports in the newspaper compared his device with a microscope, ” it acts for the ear much in the same way that the microscope serves the eye,” Hughes coined the current name “microphone” to his invention.

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)

Edison took Hughes design and made it simple, cheap to manufacture, efficient and durable. He created a cavity filled with granules or carbonized anthracite coal packed between two electrodes, one of which was attached to a thin iron diaphragm. His refinements became the basis for all the telephone transmitters used in most of the telephones for the last century. Further, Bell Telephone and Bell laboratories are still incredible companies that continue to produce new communication technologies.

With the invention of the radio, new broadcasting microphones, like the Ribbon Microphone in 1942, were invented. The Ribbon Microphone originally employed the use of an aluminum ribbon that was placed between two poles of a magnet to generate voltages by electromagnetic induction. As the sound wave caused the ribbon to move, the induced current in the ribbon was proportional to the particle velocity in the sound wave. Ribbon microphones have historically been delicate and expensive. Today’s modern materials make present-day ribbon microphones durable enough for loud rock music and stage use.

An incredible step forward in microphone development occurred in 1964. Bell Laboratories researchers James West and Gerhard Sessler created the electroacoustic transducer, an Electret Microphone. The Electret Microphone was a type of Condenser Microphone that offered greater reliability, higher precision, lower cost, and a smaller size. It revolutionized the microphone industry with almost one billion manufactured each year. Further, during the 1970′s, dynamic and condenser microphones were developed, allowing for a lower sound level sensitivity and a clearer sound recording.

Currently, microphones are so much a part of our daily life that we take them for granted. After writing this article, I have decided to put them on my list of things to be grateful for. Since I am a pilot, my safety is partially dependent on my being able to communicate on my radio. Guess what I use to talk on my headset? You guessed it, a microphone!

As for the future, many new and incredible innovations are being explored.

1) Laser Velocity Transducers

2) Optical Microphones

3) Direct Digital Output

4) Force Feedback technologies that are used in conjunction with an Optical Microphone

You can click on the “quality_microphones” link below at my web site to see some of the latest microphones.

I hope that you have learned some important information about Microphones. As innovation continues at a rapid rate, the ones we use today may become a future exhibit in the Smithsonian Institution. Until then, they will continue to be an invention that taps into a universal principle that improves our lives.

The truth is, the universe is filled with probably billions of incredible things that we have just not discovered. As in the past, present and will be in the future, those that possess the faith and perseverance to tap into the universal mind are those that will discover and share the secrets of the universe with all of us.

Maybe you are that person!

See you next time!

Jonathan Morgan Jenkins

Check out my website opportunities!

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Vocal Training Warrior: Vocal Training, Voice Lessons, Singers Voice Lessons, Speakers Vocal Training, Actors Vocal Training, Home Recording Studios, Quality Microphones, Podcasting, Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises, Clear Diction Exercises, Vocal Training Videos, Vocal Training E-books.

Golden Ribbon Gifts has made available a corporate gift basket and other corporate gifts to suit your business requirements.

Golden Ribbon Gifts is a major “online corporate gifts” supplier with hundreds of corporate gift ideas from the sizeable to petite. Therefore, whether you are rewarding outstanding team effort or individual excellence, Golden Ribbon Gifts has made available a corporate gift basket and other corporate gifts to suit your business requirements. And, should you need more than one, Golden Ribbon Gifts has a plethora of corporate gifts on hand and is able to cater these specifically to your needs.

Imagine offering a half-day fishing expedition or shopping tour to your high achieving staff, so that they feel appreciated for their efforts and work even harder for the next incentive. Or for the more humble, a simple yet elegant pen monogrammed with your company logo that will serve as a constant reminder of your appreciation. Whether large or small, Golden Ribbon Gifts has all of your corporate gifts and corporate gift ideas covered 365 days of the year.

Golden Ribbon Gifts is a major “online corporate gifts” supplier with hundreds of corporate gift ideas from the sizeable to petite. Therefore, whether you are rewarding outstanding team effort or individual excellence, Golden Ribbon Gifts has made available a corporate gift basket and other corporate gifts to suit your business requirements. And, should you need more than one, Golden Ribbon Gifts has a plethora of corporate gifts on hand and is able to cater these specifically to your needs.

Imagine offering a half-day fishing expedition or shopping tour to your high achieving staff, so that they feel appreciated for their efforts and work even harder for the next incentive. Or for the more humble, a simple yet elegant pen monogrammed with your company logo that will serve as a constant reminder of your appreciation. Whether large or small, Golden Ribbon Gifts has all of your corporate gifts and corporate gift ideas covered 365 days of the year.

Specializing in online corporate gifts, gourmet gift hampers, and lifestyle experiences, our comprehensive range of gifts and services cater for all tastes and occasions, whether they are for groups or individuals; business or personal.

There are some brides that do not like the idea of giving gifts to her guests. However, it is a nice gesture as a thank you for attending your very special day.

These wedding favors can be stylish, fun and practical. The practical ones are especially good. Here are 15 excellent suggestions for fun and creative wedding favors.

1. Divinity fudge is delicious inexpensive wedding favor. You can wrap it up in white tulle and tie with a white ribbon. Add a tag with a little message such as “Love is divine”. Keep in mind that divinity does not come out well in high humidity.

2. Standard candles are nice too for low-cost wedding favors. Wrap in tulle, tie with ribbon and stick a small flower in the ribbon.

3. Tree seedlings, like citrus or any other kind of tree, are something everybody will appreciate. People will always think of your wedding with this creative wedding favor idea. You should wrap the plastic pot to camouflage.

4. Flower seedlings or seed packets make a great wedding favors. You can wrap in any style that is suitable for your wedding. Tie with ribbon, paper ribbon or raffia.

5. Use wire and beads to make wine glass markers. You can get instructions at the craft store. One is enough for a wedding favor. Use a small box for package and tie with ribbon.

6. Sachets made from lavender. Make a small bag from lace and sew up three sides. Put the lavender in and sew up fourth side. Use a small silk flower for attachment. Potpourris in drawstring bags made of tulle or lace are beautiful and smell good too.

7. Almost all people love herbs. Purchase small ones and put plastic container right into a small terracotta pot. To camouflage the plastic planter you should put some moss around the top. Add in a nice tag with instructions for care and stick on to a ribbon tied around the pot.

8. A strawberry plant is one more creative wedding favor idea. It can be arranged in the same way as an herb. Anything of this nature that is in season is good choice.

9. Candies, like M&Ms, Kisses or Hugs, mints, a nice piece of chocolate, look excellent in a cupcake liner. You can get them in different sizes and colors.

10. Get M and M’s in your wedding colors, put them in plastic bags and tie a ribbon on them.

11. If you plan an outdoor wedding, think about buying umbrellas for a dollar a piece. You can wrap them in ribbons with your colors. This is for a smaller wedding party only, but can be a fantastic gift to help protect guests from bad weather or the sun.

12. Purchase plain chocolate bars in bulk or get the miniature version. Print out new labels that you personalize for yourself and wrap them around the bars.

13. Burn your own CD with your favorite songs. You can include the First Dance song, the cake-cutting song, etc. You should print CD covers with your picture on it. A good idea is to include your favorite songs on CD – not just the wedding ones!

14. If your wedding will happen on Christmas, give each guest a Christmas ornament. Take a plain ball type ornament and use a paint pen to personalize with your name and the wedding date.

15. Do you and your intended share a love of something special? Are you big Nascar fan or love to play golf? Gear your wedding favors around these characteristics.

To learn how to have the wedding that you have always dreamed of click here: wedding planning.

When Red Ribbon Week started back in 1988 it was to honor a young DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) Agent by the name of Enrique Camarena. His friends knew him by the name of “Kiki”. He was kidnapped and killed in Mexico back in 1985. He had uncovered a multi-billion dollar drug scam which might have involved the Mexican Army, police force and government. When he left his office one day, five men kidnapped him. He was found about a month later buried in a shallow grave. He had been tortured and beaten.

In 1988 the U.S. Congress proclaimed the first Red Ribbon Week supporting the cause that “Kiki” had given his life for. It is one of the first times that ribbons were used to support a cause, the fight against drugs. Now ribbons are used all the time to show support such as, for missing children, fights against diseases, and support our military.

Many teachers were around when this first happened and they were concerned about teaching about drugs in the classroom. This was not their area of expertise. On the other hand they could see that in ten years this might be a requited subject so they started preparing for what they felt was the inevitable.

Teachers started gearing up for what they knew was coming. They started to take classes and educate themselves about drugs. These drugs were foreign to them and they needed time to learn about the causes of drug abuse and the effects and results of drug abuse. Teachers started implementing their own programs or programs offered by the states so that they might get ahead of the problem. They found ways to teach children about alcohol, smoking, and drugs. They implemented lessons into their science and health lessons. They role played and did demonstrations.

In my classroom I found that having a play / skit about drugs brought the children a sense of ownership and they wanted to pass on their knowledge to their friends and peer groups. This they did by putting on plays and skits in assemblies for the whole school. Audience participation was a must and the students looked forward to participating.

Sometimes the best way to attack a problem is with a sense of humor so such a scary subject does not seem over whelming to a child. Thus, humor was incorporated into the plays and skits to soften the hard message that needed to be given.

Using fun plays, skits, and programs during Red Ribbon Week is a way to get students involved in the fight against drugs. Audience participation encourages all who are there to stand up and be counted in the fight against drugs. Just as “Kiki” stood up and had the courage to fight even though he died in doing so. His legacy lives on in Red Ribbon Week and in the DARE programs that are used through this country.

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The other day, I was leaving for work when I heard a strange, watery sound. I thought it was our camel of a cat, Bender, gulping down water, as he is oft wont to do. Unfortunately, it was our other cat, Neko, puking. In one of the puddles of cat vomit, I found a small piece of purple ribbon, about one inch long, and figured that’s what had induced the vomiting.

The next morning, my wife and I walked into the kitchen to find Neko walking about with several inches of purple ribbon hanging out of his bum with a lovely bit of well-digested cat food stuck to the end. The considerable turd had smeared lovely brown streaks all over our kitchen floor.

My wife got the privilege of mopping while I got the privilege of removing said ribbon. Neko didn’t much care for that. I pulled the ribbon out and, much to our amazement, it was at least a foot long. How on earth does a foot of purple ribbon fit into the intestines of a rather smallish cat without killing him?

My wife continued to mop. I kept an eye on Neko for any signs of bleeding or continued discomfort. Much to our amazement, another piece of ribbon soon became visible. I pulled on the end only to discover yet another foot of purple ribbon lurking in our poor Neko’s intestines. As soon as the second piece had been removed, Neko was back to normal, running, pouncing, eating our feet. And we don’t leave ribbon out anymore.

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Decorating your table for Christmas can be as simple or as elaborate as you want to make it. But, there is one primary secret to Christmas table decorations you should always follow.

By adhering to this simple secret it will make your table décor far more appealing while at the same time making your job easier. By ignoring this concept your table-decorating plan can completely fall apart.

So what’s the secret? Well it’s simple. All you have to do is decide upon a specific color theme and design theme, then stick to it.

Let me explain…

Do you want a particular color or colors? People, who especially love Christmas, still rely on the old stand-bys. I will admit that red, green, white, gold and silver are still my favorites and probably always will be.

Perhaps you’re in the mood for a wintery look. Simple. Just use white, blue, light shades of purple and you’re on your way. Along with candles you can add ornamental snowflakes, little snowmen, or strands of clear beads or snowy white garlands.

If you have a color scheme in your home that you would like to play off of, then that can make it even simpler. You can always find candles, ribbons, napkins, beads, etc. online or at the store. Add touches of winter greenery or tiny Christmas trees to solidify the look.

A Christmas wreath laid in the center of the table can be the beginning of a perfect centerpiece. It can be decorated with any object you may want to use as a theme. If you have no theme in mind other than something special, then ribbons and bows can always come to the rescue. Inside the wreath, place a large candle or several tapers. The tapers can be the same height or differing heights. The choice is yours. Just make certain that the flames or hot wax do not come in contact with anything that could cause a fire. I was at a dinner party once where that happened. We certainly had a lively Christmas party that night!

Hurricane lanterns placed in a row down the center of the table can take the place of a traditional centerpiece. Stemware filled with beads, nuts, berries, glass marbles, or any small festive objects can be used as well. You can use themed pieces to decorate in between. We’ll use Christmas bells as our example of a theme. Bells can be purchased in packages or they can be purchased already strung on wire. If they are on wire, they can be wrapped around the base of the hurricane lanterns, or you can attach them to ribbon and wrap the ribbon around the lanterns. Long strands of ribbon and beads can flow around the decorations.

Continue to carry out your theme with your table napkins. Use two napkins of different colors for each place setting. Place one napkin on top of the other. You can roll them separately or roll them together, but the important thing is to tie them together. Tie them with a beautiful wired ribbon with the bell attached to the ribbon. Because wired ribbon can be shaped, it is easy to make the perfect size napkin holder. With your napkins inside your ribbon napkin holder, artfully arrange them and place them in the center of each plate. You now have bells on your napkin holders and bells on your table decorations. You can continue the theme with bells tied to the backs of chairs, hanging from the chandelier or attached to your stemware.

The idea is to repeat your color or decoration. By using a theme, your Christmas table will go from ho-hum to spectacular! Happy decorating.

Judy Hardaway is the writer for Amazing-Christmas-Ideas.com – an online Christmas gifts and decorations resource site. For more decorating ideas as well as gift ideas such as Christmas gifts for men, visit http://www.Amazing-Christmas-Ideas.com today.

Trying to bring out your creative self before others? Need ideas to start with? I have some simple ideas that are easy to follow but superb projects to work on. I will show you how to make wonderful lavender balls and bolsters and cushions for outdoor use. All you need to do it to follow the instructions in the exact way as stated below and start your journey to the creative you!!!

Lavender Ball

Materials: Scrap of lace fabric; thread; dried lavender; 20cm of 1.5cm-wide lace; tapestry needle; 1 tassel; 25cm of 3mm-wide white ribbon; 25cm of 3mm-wide mauve ribbon, tied into a bow.

Finished size: 5cm diameter

Method: cut 12cm-diameter circle in lace fabric. Gather around the edge of circle and draw up. Fill with lavender; pull up tightly, stitch ball closed.

Run a gathering thread along one edge of 1.5cm-wide lace, draw up. Over-sew raw ends together and stitch on top of ball. Using a tapestry needle, thread the tassel ties and pull through bottom of ball, securing ties at the top.

Stitch white ribbon in a loop for hanger to top of ball and stitch the mauve ribbon bow on top.

Lavender Bolster

Materials: 18 x 12cm lace fabric; thread; 30cm of 1.5cm-wide edging lace; 8-cm of 3mm-wide white ribbon; 80cm of 3mm-wide mauve ribbon; dried lavender.

Finished size: Approximately 20cm long.

Note: 5mm seam allowance is included.

Method: Using a tiny, narrow zigzag-stitch; sew lace edging to the 12cm edges of lace fabric. (if lace puckers while stitching, place paper underneath.) Fold lace, right sides facing, with raw edges together and stitch side seam. Cut ribbons in half and tie one length of each ribbon around one end of the cylinder; fill with lavender. Tie other end with ribbon and tie ribbon ends into bows.

Outdoor Replacement Cushions

Materials: Cotton covers, thread, foam, appliqués.

Methods: Buy beautiful cotton covers for replacement – - they are available easily from the market. Insert well-cut foams into these covers and stitch them from the top. Also buy beautiful appliqués that may go well with the outdoor furniture and attach them to these plain covers.

You can read more information before you buy outdoor replacement cushions, and read exclusive reviews louis philippe furniture from my websites.

Wrapping will be something important in determining the attractiveness of a gift. Surely, a gift with attractive wrapping and ornaments will make the people who receive the gift happier. Among a lot of attractive ornament selections, a bow is one of the most common ornaments used in decorating gifts. Some people consider decorating a gift with a bow something difficult. In fact, you can actually make an attractive bow in simple and quick way.

Before going to the first step, let us take a look at several supplies that you need to provide. Surely, you will need a roll of flat gift ribbon as the main decoration. Then, you need to prepare gift box, wrapping paper, double stick tape as well as regular tape. Do not forget to provide scissors and cutter to cut the tape, paper or ribbon.

Here are things you should do in wrapping attractive gift with beautiful ribbon. First, you can prepare the wrapping paper first by measuring it in order to get the right length and width. Make sure that it is at least two inches longer than the required width and the length to cover the box perfectly.

Second, you can fold the paper. It will be helpful for you to find where the wrapping paper falls by the edge. Then, you can continue to anchor it with another edge to the box by using regular tape. Try to fold it as smooth as you can, especially when the outside edge of the wrapping is jagged. Then, you can stick it with your double sided tape. Now, you can continue to fold the wrapping corners in the other edges. When you have done with the edges, you can stick it with double sided tape.

Now we are going to handle the ribbon. First, you can cut the ribbon about 1 inch longer than the needed length. Tape one of its ends on the center of the top of the gift box. Then, you should bring the other end so both of the ends meet in center of the top of the box, and tape it to make it stick on its place. Make a crossed ribbon by repeating the same steps on with your second ribbon.

Now, you can continue to prepare two small pieces of ribbon. Arrange those pieces to form an X over the crossed ribbon. Tape this X to make it stack on its place. Add a gift bow in the middle and see the result. Now you have a very beautiful gift to be given to your beloved person.

So, do you still think that wrapping a gift with sweet ribbon is difficult?

Providing double sided tape dispenser will be also useful to easier you get pieces of double sided tape. As well as other packing tape dispensers, this certain dispenser gives you greater efficiency so you can save more time in finishing your wrapping.

If you are going to hold the activities for the Red Ribbon Week, you may need to do a lot of preparation. And the most important thing is to make a detailed plan for all of the activities. In order to make every student know a good knowledge of the drug prevention and realize the importance to prevent the drugs, you are required to make the plan step by step. The following are some useful tips for you.

Firstly, you may use some prizes to encourage the students to take part in the activities. You can prepare some ribbons of drug prevention and give one student one ribbon and encourage them to wear the ribbon by providing some prizes like a free hamburger or some sugars for those who wear the ribbon for the whole week. And this can also attract more students to join in the activities. And you may also give some ribbons to every grade to decorate the classroom or the campus to let more students know the message of the drug prevention Red Ribbon week.

Secondly, you may prepare some logos to make more students to take part in. For example, you may make the logos on some T-shirts and ask the students to wear them. And you may write some special logos on some hats. If you do not have enough time to think out wonderful logos for your activities, you may ask your teachers for help or you can also use the search engines like Google to search for some official sites on drug prevention. There will be a lot of useful information on the drug prevention and you may also print some of them and send them to the students. You may make a day plan for this.

The last but not the least, you can ask the older students or some teachers to have a speech on the drug prevention. You may ask all of the students to wear on the red ribbons. And you may also ask the students to talk about their feelings and thoughts on drug prevention after the speech. If you have enough time, you may also look for some videos or films on drug prevention to let the students know more about the harm of the drugs and the importance of preventing them.

By Michille S. Williams.
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Embellishments can add a welcomed dimension to handmade greeting cards. At the craft supply store, there are a lot of pre-made embellishments for sale that can really become expensive over time. Thankfully there are a lot of inexpensive embellishments that you can find around your home or even at the dollar store or discount bin at your local craft store. Embellishments are meant to be fun decorative additions to your cards, so do not feel bad if your cards are free of embellishments, for the most part, the fact that you made the card yourself will be much more important than whether you have embellishments or not.

* Buttons
Using buttons is a great way to dress up handmade greeting cards because they are relatively inexpensive and can add a lot of dimension and fun to a regular handmade card. Buttons that match the colors of the card can be used to highlight text written on the front of the card or create a border of a particular element of the card. Buttons can often be purchased in bulk at the craft store and so many buttons can be used for a multitude of cards. For instance, a small collection of pastel colored buttons could be used for handmade new baby cards, Easter greeting cards, and Mother’s Day homemade cards.

* Ribbon
Ribbon is a beautiful embellishment to add to homemade cards. Ribbon can be used as a border to certain elements of the card or ribbon can be used to add a bow or other special addition to a card. Ribbon is a great embellishment to have on hand because it is inexpensive and also you can use the ribbon for other crafting projects, such as scrapbooking, or even for wrapping small gifts for loved ones. Ribbon comes in a wide range of colors and patterns, but if you are just starting out, then you may consider only purchasing ribbon that will be versatile throughout all of your crafting ideas. Basic colored ribbon, like black, white, or red, can be used for a lot of different card designs, while polka dots may not be so flexible. So consider what type of crafting style you have before purchasing any ribbon for card making.

* Silk Flowers
Silk flowers can be purchased at craft supply stores and inexpensively at dollar stores. Silk flowers can be used for a great variety of different occasions, such as Mother’s Day, wedding congratulations cards, or even thank you cards. The advantage of having silk flowers is that there are many bulbs when purchasing silk flowers, so that one bunch of flowers can be used for a lot of different homemade cards.

* Fabric
Fabric can add a wonderful degree to texture to a handmade card. Light fabrics, like silk and lace, can be a delicate and lovely addition to a handmade card. Some card crafters use patterned fabrics instead of patterned paper to add that extra layer of creativity. Fabric can be purchased in bulk or in the discount bin at craft stores. Some fabrics, such as solids or those with muted patterns, can be used for a lot of different types of handmade greeting cards.

Embellishments are fun and inexpensive way to dress up birthday card ideas, anniversary card ideas, and even Christmas card ideas. With the right embellishments you can add interesting dimension and a little pizazz to ordinary homemade greeting cards.