How to Conquer the Clutter of Kids Art — Even if You Can’t Bear to Throw Anything Out!

Contrary to popular belief, archivists do not keep everything.Really!One of my archival mentors was very fond of the saying: “When in doubt, throw it
out!”When I tell people this they usually don’t believe me. But here’s the reality: If
archives and historical societies kept every single item that landed on their
doorstep….every cancelled check… every unidentified photograph… every duplicate
map… Well, there simply wouldn’t be any room left for new collections. And that
won’t work in the long run, will it? No way.The same holds true for your family archive, but it’s a little different. When
collections stay with a family, the sentimental value is very important. I’m a mom
myself, so I understand how difficult it can be to part with sentimental treasures like
children’s drawings, paintings, and sculptures. Original art is not the same thing as
a cancelled check! But read on, because I’ve worked out some solutions for your
dilemma.SORT EVERYTHING INTO TWO PILESThe first step to conquering the clutter is to start sorting. Designate a “Keep
Forever” pile and one for “Other” (more on what you can do with these later). Large
boxes would be great, but feel free to sort on a table or the floor. Just be sure your
treasures don’t stay in piles too long. It’s much safer for them to live in boxes with
lids.The keepers need to go into a high quality archival storage box. These tend to be 3″
deep, so if your “keep” stack is more than 3″ high, you’re gonna need more than one
box. Or you’ll need to go through the “keep” pile again and remove a few more. It
depends on what your budget and available storage space will allow.What to keep? I’d recommend a sample that includes all your children and
represents each of their school years. Beyond that, it’s up to you. That’s your job as
the family archivist. You can choose pieces that really grab you, the ones that have
the most visual appeal, or the ones that have the most interesting stories behind
them. Depending on how old your children are, they can help with the decision
making.STILL CAN’T BEAR TO PART WITH THEM?If you’ve got the room to store it all, then by all means keep it. But if you’re running
out of storage space you’ll need to do what archivist call “de-accessioning.”
Fortunately, we live in an age of technological wonders, and digital copies can ease
the pain of de-accessioning. Think of the digital copies as
surrogates. You still get to see the art, but you don’t have to look at the clutter
anymore and you have more storage space.Scanning is an option, but for kid’s art you would need an oversized scanner, which
most folks simply don’t have. I thought about purchasing one for my business but
large scans take a long, long, time — which makes the service too expensive for my
clients.A little while ago I had a real “Eureka!” moment and realized that digital cameras are
the way to go. Quick, inexpensive, and within the reach of most families these days.
So snap away! Try to get even lighting and a good straight shot. Use an easel if you
have one to support the drawings. For 3-D items like Paper Mache and clay, be sure
to shoot from more than one angle.STORING ARTWORK SO IT LASTS FOR GENERATIONSThe best kind of box for the long term storage of *any* paper records (that includes
letters, photographs, and artwork) is an acid-free, lignin-free, archival box made
without adhesives or unknown plastics. Oversize materials are best stored flat rather
than standing up. This way you avoid permanent curling from paper that slumps
down in a less-than-full box.Good boxes are available from archival supply companies such as Gaylord
(gaylord.com) and Light Impressions (lightimpressionsdirect.com). My
personal favorite and the one I recommend most often for kid’d art is Gaylord GH-
DFB24. It’s got a drop front for easy access, a full lid to keep out the dust and light,
it’s big enough and it comes in an attractive black. Cost is about $29 including
shipping. The price goes down if you order more than 5, so placing an order with
friends can save you money.Schoolfolio (schoolfolio.com) sells polypropylene portfolios in two sizes.
Polypropylene is one of the inert (and therefore safe) plastics. The larger holder has
separate sections inside. The smaller portfolio comes in exciting, lively colors and
patterns. The company even started their own foundation called Save the Art which
donates money to “selected youth arts groups.” Everyone wins!My only caution about plastic (even safe plastic) is that it tends to hold onto
moisture, so it’s not a good idea to store one of these in a moist basement or un-
airconditioned attic. It’s also not the best choice if you live in a humid climate such
as Florida or Hawaii. In this situation you’re better off with archival boxes.Where to store it? Attics, garages, and basements are all poor choices. The
temperature and humidity are usually uncontrolled which will cause stress and
damage over time. Plus they tend to have creepy-crawlies and other critters that will
literally eat your artwork. Closets located in the interior part of your house are
perfect. Under the bed works great, too — but don’t leave treasures near a radiator
or exterior wall.WHAT TO DO WITH THE “OTHER” PILE & YOUR NEW DIGITAL COPIESJust because it’s not worth storing in a very high quality archival box, doesn’t mean
you have to throw it out!Ideas for Sharing Paper Originals*Send them to grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.*Use them to make envelopes.*Use them to make cards.*Use them as gift wrap.*Laminate ones with a seasonal theme and use them as placemats.*Punch holes and store in a 3-ring binder.*Have your local copy shop add covers and bind them into a book.Kids Art Project (kidsartproject.com) will transform up to 6 paintings into
a single 18×24″ poster collage. Cost is under $100 for unframed, unmounted photo.Ideas for Sharing Digital Copies*Email them.*Use them as the desktop image on your computer.*Create a slideshow screensaver that cycles through a number of different
masterpieces.*Upload them to an online digital photo company like snapfish.com or
imagestation.com – they can create a dizzying array of products including
calendars, playing cards, mugs, puzzles, coasters, mousepads…the possibilities are
practically endless!Jacobs Archival Services creates dynamic DVD slideshows out of digital
images. This is not your father’s boring old slide show! They add music, titles, and
interactive menus. There’s no special computer equipment needed, just a DVD
player and television set. Transform any room into an art gallery featuring your little
Picasso(s).For a current price list simply send an email to: [email protected]
.
The list will arrive automatically in a few moments.CONCLUSIONI hope these basic archival principles and creative solutions will help you enjoy the
artwork in you family’s collection. Remember that even archivists toss some things
out to make room for new items. Select what you love the most and invest in high
quality storage materials. Artwork that you store correctly for the long term
will bring your family joy for years to come. My mom saved a few “masterpieces” of
mine, and it’s a special treat to share them with my daughter. Thanks, Mom!
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PR Advertising Jobs – Tips for Promotion in PR Advertising Job Opportunities

PR advertising jobs are great, but they also require you to be interactive and maintain good relations with clients and the media in general. Advertising and public relations go hand in and you cannot separate the two. PR management is essential in the advertising industry as the very nature of advertising comes from effective PR management. You need to be sensitive, innovative, think out of the box and on your feet all through your career.Unleash your creativityPR advertising agencies will want you to promote their business the moment you join up. To promote PR, you got to unleash all the creativity that you have in you. It has to literally burst forth and show up from the very day you take up PR advertising jobs. Modern day advertising has grown in leaps and bounds and has come a long way since a mere definition of a product or service was enough. Ad pros had it easy those days.Use all networking toolsIn these tough times when competition is ruthless, you have to be more creative and should constantly innovate to stay on the job. You have to grab the attention of the consumers with the help of the print and the electronic media. In these days of social networking, you should use all the tools available to get across the message clear and straight away.You can find advertising jobs easily these days, but keeping your job needs more effort on your part than ever before.Hit the ground runningPR advertising internships test the mettle of the creative ad professional. You will be on a scanner right from the time of joining. You should identify niche markets right away and fine tune PR campaigns accordingly. Wasting time or money can cost you a great deal and your best bet would be to start firing from all cylinders. You have to hit the ground running even though an intern in advertising jobs is expected to be trained on the job.TrustPR advertising firms and PR advertising agencies have very little patience for the slow learner.Trust is an important element in PR advertising jobs these days. It is a virtual photocopy of the message you are trying to convey to consumers. You should not be misquoted or misunderstood. You have to be brutally honest in your promises as PR advertising is like a bond based on trust between the company and the consumer.The money is good, but the job would also demand you are at your optimum best 24/7. Advertising jobs require you build upon what the company already possesses in terms of accounts and clients. You should trigger interest in the audience who will eventually be your customer. It is up to you to extract large doses of creative juices to be effective.After you find advertisement jobs in PR, the real action will begin and you have to succeed to remain in PR advertising jobs.

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Home Health Care Bill of Rights

Recipients of home health care in Illinois have certain inalienable rights of privacy guaranteed by the Privacy Act of 1974. Agencies who provide home health care and participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs are required by law to do a complete assessment of your current health status, which includes information which can be used to indicate your progress towards your goals. Home health agencies must use the OASIS – the Outcome and Assessment Information Set to evaluate your health. And to accomplish this, the agency must obtain information from you. This information will be used by the HCFA (Health Care Financing Administration, the government’s Medicare and Medicaid agency) to ensure that your agency meets quality standards, and administers its patients appropriate care. As a patient, you have the right to refuse to provide information to assess your agency. If you choose to provide information for the assessment, it is then protected by the Federal Privacy Act of 1974 and the HHA OASIS – the Home Health Agency Outcome and Assessment Information Set records system. You always have the right to examine, review, copy, and request corrections of your information in the HHA OASIS records system.The information which is collected will be used for a number of purposes. In the first place, it can support litigation which involves the Health Care Financing Administration, as well as support requests by constituents to Congressional representatives. The information is also used to support policy, regulatory, and reimbursement functions performed by the Health Care Financing Administration and by home health care providing agencies. The information is also used to study the quality and effectiveness of care which is provided by agencies providing home healthcare in Illinois. Assessments based on this information are used to survey and certify Medicare and Medicaid agencies; and they enable regulators to provide these agencies with data to improve the quality of their patient care. The information is also used to develop, validate, and refine the system under which Medicare disburses payments; and for health care payment related projects. It also supports the research and evaluation of epidemiological projects which relate to the prevention of disability and disease; or which maintain or restore health.The Health Care Financing Administration can release your information without your consent, but recipients of this information must agree in writing to continue the confidentiality of your information. Release of your health and independent retirement living information is permitted only to the Federal Department of Justice for litigation involving the Health Care Financing Administration; to agencies to assist them in improving their services; to state governmental agencies for evaluating the cost and effectiveness of state services; to congressional offices responding to constituent inquiries, made at the constituents’ written request; and to individuals and organizations researching epidemiological projects relating to disease or disability prevention. While you, the patient, are under no obligation to provide information on the OASIS (the government cannot instruct the agency to refuse you its services), nonetheless incomplete or invalid information can cause payment errors, and make it more difficult to determine whether the agency is providing you with quality service.

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Things to Know When Applying For a Commercial Loan

The market for commercial lending is very large and can be very overwhelming. There are lots of things you should know when applying for a commercial loan and a commercial lender will be able to answer all of your questions in great detail, but it is nice to know what to expect and be ready with the necessary documents before you approach a commercial lender. Here are some questions you may want answered in order to be ready when you apply for a commercial loan:1. What is the purpose of a commercial loan?A commercial loan is basically credit extended to an individual in order to help out their company. The credit can then be used for a range of things, such as expanding your business or as leverage equity in commercial real estate.2. Who is right for commercial lending?Anyone who owns a business or is in the process of starting up a business can apply for a commercial mortgage. But it is important to know that applying for a commercial mortgage is very different than applying for a personal home mortgage. Since commercial loans are not backed by a government entity, most commercial lenders are risk-averse, meaning that those applying for a commercial loan should expect to pay a higher interest rate compared to the rate of a home loan.3. Where and how can you apply for commercial mortgage?Figuring out the type of commercial lender you should work with will depend on the type of loan and the loan amount. For small businesses looking to borrow less than $2,000,000, you will want to contact a direct commercial lender or your local bank. If you work with a local bank, they will be able to work with you on a face-to-face basis to determine the type of loan which is best for your company. However, there are also many non-bank direct commercial lenders that can be found easily on the internet. You may not get the same personal attention from a non-bank commercial lender, but you will have more lenient application terms.4. What will I need in order to apply for a commercial mortgage?Whether you are working with a local bank or a direct commercial lender, you will want to have all your documents in order. You will want to be ready with a clearly written purpose for the loan and an organized breakdown of all your company expenses in order for the lender to be able to determine which loan is best for you. To do this, have all your income statements, profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and statements of cash flow ready when starting the process. You will also want the last two years of both your business and personal tax returns and at least the last two months of paycheck stubs in order to be ready to attach with your application.On top of having all your business documents in order, you may also want to have the information and the necessary documents for what you are using as collateral ready in order to show the commercial lender that you are serious and ready to work with them.You will also want to check your personal credit before applying. This can be done by visiting a free credit report websites such as annualcreditreport.com. A next to flawless credit record is ideal for commercial lending. More often than not, a commercial lender will like for your debt to income ratio to be less than 40%. If your credit report shows blemishes, you may want to go directly to a non-bank commercial lender who might be more willing to work with you.5. How long will it take to get a commercial loan?The typical local bank commercial loan goes through numerous phases during the process and you should expect for it to take several weeks before getting a loan commitment. However, online non-bank commercial lenders generally pre-qualify quicker. Ultimately, if you are organized and read by having all your documents in order, the process of applying for a commercial loan will be speedier and less overwhelming.

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The Importance of Graphic Design Knowledge in Web Designing

Web design is basically a process of coding and graphic design is a much different process. We have logic (coding) on one side and creation (creativity) on the other side. They both play an important role in the creation of a great looking website. Many web designers underestimated the importance of graphic design knowledge in designing websites as a result, they struggle to create “attractive” websites. The visual part of a website can really make a basic brochure type website look more valuable.Here are some key points that why graphic design does play an important part in web designing.Professionalism – It’s the main reason why web designers need to have the knowledge of graphic design. I have seen a lot of great sites that are coded properly, with fancy javascript functions, but yet failed to grasp the visual side of the website. When it comes to selling a product, business or yourself, using the right graphics can provide an added touch of professionalism.Visual Connection – Everyone has heard the saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, well the same can be said about the visual aspects of your site. You can usually connect with a person viewing the site much better with simple graphical designs. I’ve been to pages where I can feel an emotional state created by seeing this amazing design. People like to see nice things and they typically return again to see it some more. Graphic design will help you make an extra connection, which is vital in this business.Usability – A lot of web designers miss out on the most important aspect of a website – usability. The person viewing the site needs to be able to use it in the way it was intended to be used. That means they have to be able to navigate and find the contents they are looking for. Having good visual communication knowledge will make this a lot simpler than what regular coding will do. It’s important to note that you can sometimes go overboard with graphics, but if you keep it within a specific range, graphics can enhance the usability of a website.As you can see there are many benefits of having good graphic design knowledge if you are a web designer, or planning to become one.

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Basic Visual Web Design Mistakes to Avoid

The success of a website depends largely on its functionality and the user experience. However, the visual appeal of the website also determines how well the visitors perceive the web design. The graphic design, colours and images used on the website can help in roping in more visitors to the site.

Very often we come across websites that are loosely built and have nothing much to offer in terms of visual design. If you are planning to get your website designed or redesigned, it would be helpful for you to keep the below discussed points in your mind:

1) Poor choice of fonts- The visual appeal of a web design can be ruined if the fonts used for the content on the site are unreadable because of the style or size. The web designer must ensure that readable fonts are used throughout the site that enhance the reading experience of the visitors. Moreover, the designer must ensure that uniformity is maintained throughout the usage of fonts on the website. Disparate fonts can hamper the reading experience to a great extent, thus, ruining the visual appeal.

2) No highlighting colour for links- Use of hyperlinks within the text can help to a great extent in improving traffic to the targeted page. However, if the links are not highlighted, users would find it difficult to reach out to the particular page. Using bright colours such as blue or red can immediately catch attention of the site visitors and help in achieving the primary objective of placing the link on that page.

3) No images to support the content- Graphic design is a small but a very significant part of the process of web design. If a designer skips the usage of images that can support the text on the site, people would feel less interested to read the content. This is so because relevant and attractive images help them get an idea on what the content is all about and if the image is useful enough, they are compelled to read the text that follows.

4) Overuse of Flash- In web design, excessive use of Flash can slow down the load speed of the site and hamper the browsing experience of the visitors to a great extent. This is one of the major reasons of higher bounce rate and lower conversion rate on Flash-supported websites.

5) Too many advertisements- Another factor that ruins the visual appeal of the web design is too many advertisements and little useful content. The advertisements can clutter the look of the web pages and annoy the visitors who came looking for information with the hope of some valuable information.

To avoid these mistakes, it is important to invest money and time in the entire web design process and hire a highly reliable website design company that understands the relationship between visual web design and graphic design.

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Graphic Designs Are Found Everywhere

There are many forms of graphic design that are found everywhere. Countless amounts of people tend to think that graphic design is only found in marketing and advertisement industries. It is found in many other items as well. The first construction of any type of illustrations includes the use of a graphic designer. They create the visuals not only in marketing campaigns but on different products that are purchased by consumers. Some examples of graphic design jobs can include on products such as medicine bottles, milk cartons or make up containers. There are endless lists of items that contain some form of graphics.

The goal of a worker in this industry is to attract the eye of a consumer. This accomplishment consists of a large variety of techniques and methods. Some of these will include the use of colors and styles and fonts. All of the components need to mesh together to form a piece of art that is pleasing to the eye of the beholder. That is because each part that contributes to a piece of art is very important. Many different colleges and technical schools offer specialized programs within graphic design. During this time, students will learn many techniques used. They will also gain abilities to pay attention to those small details. A graphic designer needs to have the aptitude to visualize items to create a particular piece of visual art it will take a lot of planning and patience to build a certain composition of work. That is primarily because they will have to experiment with different colors, styles and pictures to create an item successfully. They will have the qualifications to work directly with the company or as an independent contractor. It really depends on the preferences that a person has. Some people may thrive more if they have freedom where is other ones may need a sense of direction as well as security within a company or business.

Graphic design careers are very rewarding. That is because it allows an artist to think creatively to create a visually stimulating item. Many people choose this field of work because of the wide range of freedom that it offers. They will have opportunities to choose specialty that they want to work in. Countless areas of graphic design have certain aspects and requirements. That is why it is important for an individual to learn what they prefer before attending school.

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Benefits of Enrolling With Online Graphic Design Courses

Graphic designing is the most universal art which has been around us since centuries in one or another form. We see millions of designs in streets, roads, magazines, advertisements, packets, labels, banners, clothing, medical pills and even on our body in form of tattoos. The main function of graphic designing is to give visual identity to entities and make them distinguishable. For example, flag designs help recognizing particular countries. Similarly, logo designs mark the unique identity of different companies. Imagine without graphic design, world will lose it’s colors and turn into gray.

Pictures are more memorable than spoken words and written text. Due to this fact, visualization has become the best way of effective communication today. Graphic designer is a professional who turns messages into impressive visual elements. It is an interdisciplinary profession that requires both artistic mind and advanced technology. In early days, folk used to be in this profession to make livings with few artistic skills. But, with increasing population in designing field, competition has also increased. Everyone wants to be at world’s top in graphic art.

Becoming a graphic designer is not difficult with the help of many tools available on the Internet. Some of these tools are paid and some are available free of cost. Just install in on PC and use your artistic mind to generate beautiful visual elements. With all these, you are now ready to work as freelancer or in-house. But what about professional learning? Can these open source help to give you professional assistance to learn graphic art? Undoubtedly, they save your bucks, but the time spent on learning with these tools may not worth anyhow.

For a complete learning, the best option is to join graphic design courses online. During busier day to day life, people do not get enough time to go out for learning. Online learning is absolutely the only alternative in these circumstances. With online courses, any learner can start as a beginner or revamp their existing skills. You should enroll yourself with a well-known online school with a reputed history and experience. To choose an online graphic design course, consider important point like cost of course, syllabus to be covered, class size, medium of net meeting, qualification and experience of tutor, duration of learning, career opportunity, certification and other facilities. Probably, you may not find all these qualities in one school. But choose a school possessing most of the points according to your needs and affordability.

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Importance of an Education in Graphic Design

Graphic design in a lay man terms is a process through which text i.e. words, images and similar ideas are combined together. This combined form of outcome is meant for communicating an effective message to the masses.

We can find graphic design all around us. From the morning paper to the cover of our favorite books- everything has utilizes graphic design in one way or the other. The most common forms include logos, graphics, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, websites, PowerPoint presentation and any other type of visual communication.

This is just the initial crack in the surface, if we think deep even, skateboards, matchbooks, t-shirts, train schedules, credit cards and many various other products and everyday items all utilize graphic design.

The task of a graphic design professional is to produce with the help of graphics software program such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or InDesign an effective visual communication for the target viewers or the general mass. Graphic designers preferably have an increasingly popular career choice. The field of graphic designing include in scope activities such as planning, analyzing, and creating visual solutions to communicate a message. All these artists are required to possess minute traits such as creativity, attention to detail, being able to communicate visually, verbally and in writing.

The graphic designing is becoming comparatively a very highly advancing career path these days. You can not progress in the field or get you in the industry merely on the basis of skills, however, a specialized degree in the filed also required at different levels. Adults who exhibit interest in designing or conveying message through the art of graphics are substantially choosing graphics designing. Although an accredited degree can get you required position, you must choose the right school for you amongst the many that offer graphic design related degrees.

The fact can clearly lay out the significance of graphic design occupations as it is one of the five most favorable and rapidly growing designing fields. Professionals working as graphic designers are expected to find the industry with favorable new jobs through 2014. The competition is tough; therefore, job seekers are also expected to face intense competition for available positions. As the two most roaring fields, publishing and advertising, are two moving forward, the demand for graphic designers is also increasing.

If you have the potential to pay attention to detail, are patient, creative, and like solving problems, then graphic design is a very exciting career for you to enter into. You’ll often be working with cutting edge technology, using your creativity, and having fun doing it. And you can ask yourself with proud what graphic design is – It’s an encouraging career that at last pays you for all of those aimless drawing you’d make during class.

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The Growing Popularity Of Online Education

Education is a lifelong process. It never ends, and the more one studies, the more likely is he to grow intellectually and at the same time, professionally. However, job responsibilities and family engagements generally cut short one’s education journey. It is often seen that once a person gets into a particular job and field, he becomes quite complacent about his situation, not realizing that his current skills and qualifications are only going to help him reach a particular level and not beyond. In order to rise in his chosen field and industry, he must continuously supplement his skills with fresh education. The advent of internet technology has done wonders for the education industry. It has helped erase time limitations and position boundaries, and made quality education available for all at the simple click of a button.More and more colleges and universities all over the world are waking up to the innumerable benefits of online education. A sea of options is available nowadays for professionals who wish to pursue further education but do not want to jeopardize their corporate life by leaving their job. The potency of online education is such that one can work on improving his skills, and at the same time retain the faculty of earning through a job. What’s more is that online education presents an opportunity to an individual to apply his learning in his job in real time. As an executive student, workplace becomes a laboratory where you put to test your newly acquired skills and education. This not only enriches your learning experience, but also positively impacts your on-job performance.Going in for an additional degree is always a rewarding experience. An online executive program provides a firm grounding in the fundamentals of various disciplines of work. Apart from this, it also enables a strategic perspective towards problem solving and also towards handling of different situations that arise in the workplace. Adding to your qualification also adds to your confidence and leadership qualities, thus preparing you to take on greater responsibilities.Every college employs its best faculty to train individuals online, and this greatly assists the education seeker in forwarding their career and improving their corporate growth curve. An online course is generally attended by like-minded professionals from various streams of work and industries. This presents an opportunity for individuals in the form of learning from their peers. The participants in different online study groups are already into a good position at work, and possess apposite knowledge to guide their group mates with insights into their industry and way of working. An online platform helps them discuss various ways of working and adopt a more collaborative and practically enhanced way of working in their jobs.All these points are making online courses the most sought after courses all over. The increasing number of classes and batch sizes is a verifying scale for this fact.

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