DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

 DIY Silhouettes When I was in third grade, I sat for a paper cutting artist who made my silhouette.  My mom still has it.  Sadly, paper cutting artists are no longer widely available around here, but the idea of a silhouette of my children prompted me to find a way to recreate the look.  This tutorial will show you one way to achieve the classic art without the paper cutting skills. What you need: A digital camera Heavy card stock and printer X-acto knife and healing mat or something to protect your cutting surface Black acrylic craft paint (I used Americana) Spray adhesive or glue stick (not liquid glue) Background paper in color or pattern of choice and a frame What to do: If you have a bit of patience, the reward is worth it.  This project can be done in an afternoon (other than the overnight paint drying) with minimal supplies needed.  I bought everything at my local hobby supply store. Tak...

    Chinese New Year  starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade. The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. The sacrifice to the...

     The Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo (International Circus Festival de Monte-Carlo)  was created in 1974 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco to promote circus arts....for which he had a lifelong passion.  The first festival was held from December 26th to the 30th, 1974 under the big top of the French circus Bouglione, installed on what was then the  Esplande de Fontvielle .  In the forward he wrote for the program, Prince Rainiers said, " This International Circus Festival was created thinking of the circus community, of this family of underestimated people, so that you, attentive spectators of their efforts and of their work, could know them better, and celebrate them better" .  It was the first true circus festival ever presented in the Western world.    During the Festival, a selection of some of the best circus acts in the business are presented twice to a paying audience and a Jury of circus pro...