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Archive for October, 2011

Do you remember when there was only one type of sudoku puzzle? It was a simple (or sometimes not so simple) 3×3 grid using only the numbers 1 to 9. Now, as the sudoku craze is sweeping the world, new sudoku varieties are coming out of the woodwork. There are now so many variations on the original sudoku game, that newbies just dont know where to start. Here is a quick guide to some of the newer sudoku variations with basic rules.

Standard Sudoku: This is the original sudoku game (also called Number Place). It is also referred to as a 3×3 (3 mini-grids across, 3 mini-grids down). Each mini-grid, row, and column must contain the numbers 1 through 9. There can be no duplicates in any row, column, or min-grid.

Sudoku 4×4 and 5×5: This is similar to a standard sudoku, but there are either 4 mini-grids across and down, or 5 mini-grids across and down. The 4×4 variation usually uses the numbers 1 through 16, though some versions also add in letters. The 5×5 version uses both numbers and letter. Again, no duplicate letters or numbers are permitted in rows, columns, or mini-grids.

Sudoku-X: The X factor in this puzzle is simply the addition of one rule: Each of the two corner-to-corner diagonals must not have duplicate numbers. So, in a 3×3 sudoku-x, each column, row, mini-grid, AND the two diagonals will have the numbers 1 through 9.

Alphadoku: Similar to a standard sudoku but uses letters of the alphabet instead of numbers. How many numbers used will depend on how many mini-grids are across and down.

Samurai Sudoku: Typically, 5 standard sudoku puzzles are joined together in the middle. The first 4 full sudoku puzzles are placed separately, with the fifth puzzle placed in the very center sharing a mini-grid with each of the other 4. Each full puzzle can be worked separately, but they must all follow the rules of the standard sudoku.

Killer Sudoku: A killer sudoku requires simple adding. There will still be rows, columns, and mini-grids, but the individual squares (or cells) of the puzzle will be connected (either by color or by dotted lines). There is a small number in the upper corner of the connected cells. The numbers that go in each of the connected cells must add up to this number. Killer sudokus still follow all the same rules of unique numbers.

Irregular Sudoku: These puzzles do not have square mini-grids; they are irregular in shape but must still contain all the numbers 1 though 9. Standard row and column rules apply. While these puzzles are not any more difficult than a standard sudoku, it does take a while to train your eye to recognize an irregular mini-grid shape.

As time goes on, sudoku authors create new sudoku variations and even combine the above sudoku games into a new puzzle. Imagine a Killer Sudoku X Samurai with Irregular mini-grids. Now THAT sounds like a challenge!

As well as hand painted fine art reproductions on canvas, there are several different mechanical methods of fine art reproduction none however come close to accurately replicating the color and texture as hand painting does.

Aquaprint: Is a printing process which uses color separation. The colors can be bright but the texture of the finished reproduction art is flat and does not mimic the artists brushstrokes.

Artagraph: The artagraph is a special printing method which recreates not only the color of the original, but also the surface texture. This is achieved by taking a silicone mould of the original oil painting and using it in the fine art reproduction. The problem is that not many museum curators or collectors are willing to have their prized masterpieces smothered in silicone, therefore the range of artagraph fine art reproductions is very limited.

Canvas transfer: Canvas transfer art reproductions are basically prints on canvas rather than paper and remain flat, unable to recreate the texture of the artists brushstrokes. First, a lithograph on paper is coated with acrylic emulsion, then when the acrylic is dry, the print is covered with a solution that helps to separate the image from the paper it was printed on. The image is now bonded to the acrylic and free of paper. This film is then carefully bonded to the canvas. Canvas transfer art reproductions flat texture can be enhanced by the artist adding some brushstrokes. Canvas transfer reproduction art is subject to color fading, yellowing being a particular problem.

Etchings: The art reproduction image is etched into a copper plate, ink is then applied to the plate. Dampened paper is then laid onto the plate and under extremely high pressure from an etching press, ink is forced onto the paper. This is a popular method of art reproduction for drawings but is not suitable for reproduction art oil paintings

Giclees: Are produced from a color transparency made from the original oil painting usually by taking a photo or using a drum scanner. Today many giclee art reproductions are made with ink jet printers attached to computers and consequently they suffer from inconsistent color reproduction. They are expensive while remaining flat and untextured reproduction art.

Hand painted: This method of fine art reproduction involves a trained artist carefully copying the original oil painting. The artist mimics the exact colors, texture and brushstrokes of the original masterpiece to produce a fine art reproduction that is a stunning replica of the original oil painting.

Lithograph: Basically this is standard offset printing. The art reproduction image is drawn on a litho – limestone or exposed to a light sensitive litho plate. The printing surface is kept wet with a sponge; the ink is then rolled by hand onto the plate or stone. This is a popular art reproduction method for posters but falls to recreate the brushstrokes and texture of oil paintings

Serigraphy: Also known as screen prints. Serigraph art reproductions are produced by creating a stencil on the fabric that is stretched across a frame for each color by a master printer. They can have a thin texture but cannot mimic the heavy texture of oil painting.

The number of people shopping online is increasing every year as many are discovering the benefits of using the Internet to purchase goods. Smart online shoppers take advantage of buying certain items cheaper and in addition save time and the cost of a trip to the Mall.

What if there was a way to save more money on items that are already cheaper than in a brick and mortar store? Impossible, some may say. But true, in fact, for those who know how to profit from store discounts on offer in the form of voucher codes.

Voucher codes or coupon codes look like these: “MOM15″ or “STPAT10″. The first one is a Mother’s day coupon with a 15% discount and the the second a St Patrick coupon with a 10% discount, on certain products. Coupon codes are labeled differently and some just won’t say much about the offer without a description.

Coupon codes can be found on a merchant’s website, located in a specific section of the Home Page or Promo page. The most common coupon is “Free Shipping” after a minimum order amount and has no code… Other coupons usually have a limited validity and are offered on special occasions or holidays.

The merchant’s site is not where the best discounts are found. There are websites called coupon sites that list all the current valid coupons for a selection of merchants and products classified in categories. Some offers are available only in these coupon sites and can’t be found anywhere else, not even on the merchant’s site.

The correct process to shop online would be to refrain from going directly to a favorite merchant, but to check if there is a coupon code available for this particular merchant or a concurrent store with better offers. One may find better discounts just after a few clicks of the mouse.

There are coupon codes for almost every product available at any moment of the year. Assuming that a watch is the desired item, a coupon site may display all the merchants with valid coupon codes selling watches. The search box present in these sites would also be a fast way to search for a list of watches of a particular model or brand.

For those not accustomed with the use of coupons, the method is simple. After the wanted product image with description, price and coupon code is displayed on the coupon site, all the shopper has to do is click on the link provided to be redirected to the corresponding item on the merchant’s site. At this point the price is shown without the discount on the product’s page.

After the product has been added to the cart, a page is displayed with a description of the product, quantity and price. The consumer then type the voucher code in the small box that indicates something like this: “Coupon code? Enter it here:”, and click apply. The page refreshes and shows the final price including the discount.

This will be time then for the smart and happy shopper to go to the checkout page with a smile on the face.

When you have your own clothing boutique or clothing retail store, you have to know that you should constantly update your stocks with the most recent styles of clothing. This goes especially if you are selling womens clothes. When it comes to fashion, the preferences of the females are fickle. What could be trendy this season can be outdated and outmoded the next. With this fact, you have to provide your store or boutique with the latest fashion lest you want to lose the interest of your customers. Opting to always shop for clothing to add to your inventory may affect your budget, especially when you have not been earning much. If you find this a problem, there is still a solution for you.

You will be able to save up to hundreds of dollars when you opt for wholesale fashion clothing. There are several manufacturers of ladies apparel wholesale. One of these is Yfmart.com, which is a wholesale online shopping mall. If you are interested in Hong Kong fashion or Japan & Korea fashion clothing, opt for the clothing that is offered at the online site of Yfmart. You can choose from various apparel items such as charming blouses, cute dress wholesale, designer clothes wholesale, and halter top wholesale.

Other than these, you can also buy pants; skirts; and clothing accessories. There are thousands of apparel selections provided at this online wholesale store. All you have to do is choose the styles which are usually asked by your customers. The best benefit that you can get from Korea fashion wholesalers such as Causeway Mall is that they sell wholesale womens apparel at discounted prices. When you shop in bulk orders, you will be able to avail of economic wholesale prices.

You should take advantage of this in order for you to provide your clothing store with a long list of inventory. If you have a lot of clothing items to offer your customers, you will be able to satisfy their whims. In turn, they will keep on coming back to purchase from your store or your boutique. If your clothing suppliers are selling wholesale dresses and wholesale women clothing for such low prices, there is no reason for you to worry about the quality of these clothes. The reason for the economic prices of wholesale fashion clothing is because of their bulk manufacture.

They are mass produced and shipped to various retailers from all over the world. As with the law of economy, when the supply is high, prices go down. Yfmart sells Korea fashion wholesale which have great styles and designs. The quality and design of these clothes are good to price-competitive market. When it comes to the services of Yfmart and other wholesale clothing suppliers, you can rely on them. This is due to their belief that they should provide their clients with the best possible services to keep them shopping for more Asian fashion wholesale. Yfmart sells Korea fashion wholesale which have great styles and designs. Visit online resource for Korean Clothing Wholesale