Amazing art of miniature sculptures from pencil lead

Pencil is a tool used basically for writing or drawing. Pencils are encased in wood. They are made of a mixture of clay and graphite and their darkness varies from light grey to black. Pencils are available in various attractive designs and colours, but the inside part of pencil is the same which is called graphite or lead. Can you think of any other use of lead?

Dalton Ghetti is a 45-year-old Bridgeport resident who has been carving sculptures into pencil lead, without the aid of a magnifying glass, for 25 years. He has about a dozen works that have been framed and almost as many waiting to be mounted for display. He has created a line of 26 pencils, with each letter of the alphabet carved into the tip. His current projects include a handsaw and a single rice-grain-sized teardrop for every victim of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Anyone who has seen a completed work won’t be surprised to hear that a project will take a decade. Mr. Ghetti often takes years to complete pieces, especially since pencil carving is only a hobby, along with camping and coaching volleyball at the Westport Y.M.C.A. He sells postcards and posters of his art (pieces are not for sale), but his main income comes from carpentry.

Mr. Ghetti started carving tree bark when he was a child and experimented with everything from soap to chalk before settling on graphite. It’s second nature now, and for 90 percent of his work, all he needs is a sewing needle, a razor blade and a carpenter’s or No. 2 pencil.

“The pencil tip is great; it’s like a pure, very homogenous material,” he said. “It cuts in the same direction, not like wood, which has a grain. But when I tell people how long it takes, that’s when they don’t believe it. That’s what amazes people more, the patience. Because everything nowadays has to be fast, fast, fast.”

“At school Dalton always sharpened pencils by hand, and would sometimes peel the paint from the pencil and carve intricate designs into the wood. He noticed that a good blade cuts through both the wood and through the graphite, leaving behind a nice flat and shiny surface. He began working on them until they were perfectly round and cone shaped, then removed more wood as the graphite started to become part of the carvings. He had found the perfect material for his miniature sculptures.”

Read more at 'NY Times': Finding the Art in a Pencil Tip

* Dalton Ghetti creates amazing art on the tips of used pencils

What money cannot buy? -

Many times in life you would realize that there are number of things which money cannot buy.
A few may be:

• Seeing the person who makes your heart race, even if its just for a few seconds in the hallway.
• Songs that bring you back to great moments in your life.
• Realizing you were smiling the entire time you were talking to someone, right after you hang up the phone.
• Falling asleep as soon as you lie down.
• The realization that you actually have people that love you and would do anything for you.
• Knowing deep down that you made a difference in someone's life.

You want to share your experiences? or want to know more about what people believe about 'what money cannot buy?
Join 'Money Cannot buy' community, have fun and share your own thoughts.

What Money Cannot Buy is an online community where people share and discuss life's greatest simple pleasures and priceless moments.

They say:
"If the economic downturn has clouded your mind with worry, then this site is for you. What Money Cannot Buy users, a positive, resourceful group of individuals, submit dozens of simple pleasures and priceless moments every week that make them happy and don’t cost a dime. So ignore the gloomy news forecasters and get your bliss on for free."

The site is created by 'Marc and Angel' who share inspirational advice and practical tips for life on their blog Marc and Angel Hack Life. Topics covered include: productivity, health, love, work, and general self improvement.

Scared and spiritual destinations around the world

If you are a traveler and love to discover cultures and places around the world then you would be aware of many places during your travel which are spiritual or scared. It is fun to discover new and interesting places with religious or spiritual values. Now you can browse through information plus pictures of those all places which you didn't visit or travel. Sacred Destinations is an educational and travel resource founded in April 2005. An ongoing project, it currently profiles more than 1,600sacred sites and religious places in 61 countries around the world, illustrated by over 25,000 photos.

'Scared Destinations' is an ecumenical guide to more than 1,250 sacred sites, holy places, pilgrimage destinations, religious architecture and sacred art in over 60 countries around the world. In addition to richly illustrated articles, there are photo galleries containing over 24,000 high-quality images plus detailed maps and lots of practical travel information.

Nearly every culture in human history has sought to honor the divine, the mysterious, the supernatural, or the extraordinary in some way. Most often this happens at sacred sites - special places where the physical world seems to meet the spiritual world. These might be awe-inspiring natural places, sites connected to a god, a saint or a hero, places where miracles occurred, or special buildings consecrated for worship or ritual.

Sacred sites remain spiritually meaningful to millions today and the ancient practice of pilgrimage is as popular as ever. But you don't have to be a believer to recognize that holy places, religious architecture, and sacred art are some of the most beautiful and interesting sights you'll encounter in your travels.

You can find the information at the site, about:

• religious pilgrims and spiritual travelers
• the ordinary traveler who wants to see interesting, historical or beautiful sights
• students and teachers of religion, art or history
•  religious heritage of the world
•  history, geography, art or architecture

Related sites

* 'Scared sites' offers the information about the most loved and visited places on planet earth. It features Martin’s sacred art photographs and shows the location of sacred places and pilgrimage shrines around the world.

Do it yourself tasks for your outdoors during winter season

During the cold winter months it can be difficult to keep any outdoor space in perfect condition, but there are plenty of tasks you can carry out to ensure your garden or outdoor area is looking great for spring. The following tips will ensure you stay safe when working outside winter, whilst keeping your DIY tasks in order.

Winter DIY tasks could include :

Keeping the lawn in check: Although plant growth slows considerably in the winter months, there are still tasks that should be completed to ensure your lawn stays well aerated and good root growth is maintained.

A manual lawn aerator tool will help promote healthy root growth during the colder months, when excessive water may cause problems with your lawn. This may be especially important for clay-heavy lawns or areas with poor drainage. For larger outdoor gardens, try a powered lawn aerator which is an efficient tool for larger areas of grass.

Related Items : Powered Lawn Aerator, Portable Chipper

Checking your guttering: Set up a Ladder, being sure to follow the correct safety guidelines and clear out any excess muck and leaf litter from your gutters. If the ground surface is slippery, ensure you use a ladder safety foot to ensure a safer working environment.

Also ensure the guttering is securely fixed into the building, so take a power drill with you just in case.

Keep your hedgerows and plant life trimmed. Clear out any unwanted waste and mulch it with a portable chipper. This mulch will also acts as a great base for compost and plant bedding.

2.6kVA portable generator Ensure you have a safe source of power

You can ensure that working outside during the darker months can be improved by using a portable power source. By using a petrol generator, you can reduce the risk of accidents caused by trailing cables, whilst keeping productivity levels high.

For smaller power requirements, the 2.6kVA Portable Petrol generator is ideal for the task.

Telescopic floodlights: Maintain correct visibility at all times

Working outside in the winter can be a dangerous task without adequate lighting, so be sure to set up a lighting rig to keep you working. For small home DIY tasks, telescopic floodlights are a flexible lighting solution. For larger working areas, an 'all in one' lighting tower may be more suitable for maximum visibility.

Source: 'Hss Hire.com'

How to Sand a Floor doing it yourself?

DIY projects always attract my attention as there is a self satisfaction side along with saving money. Internet offers loads of information in this regard for home improvement, decoration and do it yourself ideas, tips, tutorials etc.

Having authentic wooden floors is a great way to add both warmth and character to any room. By stripping away old paint and dirt, you can create a great look at a fraction of the cost of buying new flooring.

Step 1: First, be sure to clear away all furniture and fragile items from the room, including curtains and soft furnishings. Also tape up doors and cupboards if they cannot be moved to prevent the wood dust getting in. Ensure you are wearing the correct breathing apparatus and protective clothing required for the task.

2- Sanding Hire Pack: Ensure the flooring is completely clear and any loose nails or potential hazards are removed. You can knock protruding nails well beneath the woods surface to prevent the floor sanding paper from tearing.

3- Floor Sander: Tidy up the wood panels before starting to sand, by making any necessary repairs to the panels and giving the floor a good sweep and vacuuming.

4- Sanding: Be sure to read the manual for the floor sander before starting any work. Load the floor sander with the appropriate sanding sheet, ensuring that it remains tight against the drum to prevent slipping. Why not find a rental center for your Floor sander hire to keep your costs down

5- Floor Edging Sander: Position the floor sander against one wall, with over half of the remaining floor in front of you. Keep the sanding drum elevated, and as you start to move forward with the machine gradually lower the sanding drum onto the wood flooring to start sanding. Be sure to sand with the grain.

6- Portable Dust Partition: Keep moving forward at a gradual pace, until you reach the end of the room. At this stage, lift the drum off the floor and turn around, ready to repeat the same procedure over the same area of flooring.

7- Light Duty Vacuum: When you have completed one pass, reposition the sander around 7cm across from the first area and repeat the process. Gradually you will reach the opposite side of the room, go over each pass evenly and carefully.

8: Turn off the belt sander and work on neatening up the corners and small areas not reached by the drum sander. Do this by using an edge sander; you can blend the two sanded areas together by a using semi-circular motion with the edge sander as you work towards the corners of the room.

Varnishing: If you are looking for a rich varnished style or even a “freshly sanded” look, it would always be recommended to finish the flooring with a varnish. This varnish will help to seal and protect the floor the stains, marks and damage from spills.

9: For a classic rich finish, always go for a quality varnish. Before applying the varnish however, it is always recommended to give the floor a vacuum to remove any dust and debris, which could become stuck in the varnish.

10: When applying the varnish to the floor, be sure to keep the room well ventilated, by opening doors and windows and even wearing a mask if possible. Begin applying the varnish with a wide brush in even strokes, which follow the grain of the wood.

11: Repeat the varnishing process across the whole floor, with at least 2 hours drying time between each coat. A minimum of 3 coats are recommended to give the floor maximum shine and protection.

12: Allow the floor to fully dry. At least 8 hours after the final coat is applied is recommended. Allow at least 72 hours drying time if the floor will be heavily used.

Link: More 'DIY Guides'

Strange and unusual hobbies around the world

There is a long list of hobbies which can be called adventurous or unusual as compare to usual and common hobbies. Hang glide, bungee jump or related leisure activities are most favorite hobbies for many enthusiastics but there are some hobbies which are really strange and unusual. This post is about few strange and weird hobbies around the world.

Taphophilia - (Enjoyment of Graveyards)

Taphophilia actually sounds like a disorder, not a hobby. In reality, taphophilia is simply a passion and enjoyment of cemeteries. Sometimes erroneously described as "grave hunters," these folks don’t actually remove any items from graves or graveyards. They simply enjoy studying cemeteries and being in them. While many will reserve their trips for funerals and perhaps a scary Halloween trip, these hobbyists simply can’t stay away for such long stretches. For some, the fascination is with the macabre, while others simply enjoy the architecture of mausoleums, the shapes or headstones or the rich history that can be unearthed (no pun intended) when visiting a graveyard.

Beetle Fighting

Just about everyone has heard of dogfighting, a practice that, for good reason, is both illegal and considered immoral. For those who like to engage in beetle fighting, however, it is unlikely that any laws will be passed to protect these critters. Beetles have a natural proclivity toward fighting, making them perfect instruments for such an endeavor and, as it turns out, there are actually people who like to fight beetles.

Carving Egg Shells

They say that you must be willing to break a few eggs to make an omelet. For those engaging in egg shell carving, this is doubly true. The absolute patience necessary to carve egg shells is astounding, as these items surely break frequently as masterpieces are being created. Nonetheless, egg shell carving is a hobby enjoyed by some. The end result is sometimes nothing short of amazing, as some carvings are of such an intricate nature that one wonders how it was even possible…and how many egg shells were broken along the way.

Noodling

More akin to something you may see on an adventure television show, noodling is the practice of swimming in creeks or rivers in search of holes in the shallows and in mud banks. Thereafter, the "noodler" will shove his arm into the hole in the hopes that he’s happened upon the home of a catfish. Assuming he has, and that the catfish is nice and comfy in his home, it will latch on to the noodler’s arm with its mouth in an attempt to protect its lair. If the noodler is able to haul the fish ashore (catfish can exceed 75 lbs.), success is achieved. For those who don’t like the idea of wading in muddy waters, or having pre-historic looking fish latched firmly onto their arm, a rod and reel may be a better option.

Source: 'Buzzle'