Articles written by Peter John Shearing
Showing 52 Articles
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Halloween and the Wicca Wheel of the Year
Not many people realize that Halloween, celebrated on October 31 or All Hallows Eve, is just one of an annual cycle of rituals that form the backbone of the Wiccan year.
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Mastering the Comma
Commas are either used unnecessarily or not enough. They mark the shortest pauses in a sentence and, when used correctly, have several uses.
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The Enigma of Da Vinci's The Virgin of the Rocks
This strange and magical altarpiece is made all the more mysterious because, although pictures by Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) are rare, two versions exist.
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More Tips For Making Birthday Cards
It is important to take a little time to understand card and how to fold it properly because a buckled fold can spoil even the most beautiful Birthday card.
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The Tools For Making Greeting Cards
This series of articles covers the basic tools and techniques for making Birthday cards and tells you how to select, handle, cut and fold card for professional results.
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Make Your Own Easter Bunny Card
Embossed peel-off stickers give an Easter card design an added professional quality, especially when it has a more complex construction than a single-fold card.
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Make Your Own Easter Egg Card
Eggs are a common reminder of Easter and make ideal designs for homemade Easter greeting cards. Follow these instructions for a memorable Easter card design.
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Create Handmade Birthday Cards
Designing and making your own birthday cards allows you to tailor each one to the recipient's taste, and your own designs can express a more personalised birthday message
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Make Your Own Valentine's Day Card
Express your love for your Valentine by making them a card for Valentine's Day. Show your Valentine how special they are by following these simple instructions.
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Great Ideas for Valentine's Day
Put the sparkle into your relationship with these unusual activities for you and your Valentine.
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Can Barack Obama Really Do It?
Barack Obama faces a task of such magnitude that it surpasses any other faced by a President taking office. The question is whether Barack Obama is equal to the task.
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World Economic Outlook 2009
Assessing the path to economic recovery, the challenges faced by Barack Obama, and how the current economic crisis threatens to dislocate international balances of power.
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Six Party Games for New Year's Eve
Give your New Year's Eve Party a boost with party games that can be played and enjoyed by all, young and old. These fun games are perfect for breaking the ice
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Hosting a Great New Year's Eve Party
As we welcome the New Year, we share the festivity with our families, friends and neighbors. Get some handy tips for organising an unforgettable party this year.
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Three Lessons for Christmas
For many people the most joyful celebration of the year somehow gets buried under the burden of preparations, but it is important to think about the essence of Christmas.
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Christmas Customs Across the Globe
Every country has its own traditional Christmas customs, which are passed down from generation to generation until no one can quite remember how they first started.
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Discover Father Christmas's Roots
How did the good fourth-century bishop St Nicholas become the jolly red-suited Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, that children are so fond of today?
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Explore Literary Edinburgh
Robert Fergusson, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dickens and Muriel Spark are a few of the famous writers associated with Edinburgh.
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Make Fantastic Christmas Gift Tags
There are many quick and cheap ways in which to create eye-catching Christmas gift tags, as demonstrated in this article.
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Dreaming of a White Christmas Card
Christmas means glitter, and lots of it! It adds magical sparkle to the art of card-making, resulting in a subtle change of tone.
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How to Tie a Christmas Bow
Christmas bows play a leading role in festive designs, so it makes sense to take a little time to perfect your bow-tying technique with some Christmas ribbon.
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Sew a Christmas Tree Greeting Card
Stitching with a sewing machine is an incredibly easy way to create a unique Christmas card. Christmas trees, candles and bauble designs can be embellished this way.
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Make an Unusual Santa Claus Card
Embossed peel-off stickers add an instant professional quality to a Christmas card design, especially when it has a more unusual construction than a single-fold card.
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Ring Out the Bells for Christmas
Bells are a sentimental reminder of Christmas time and make ideal motifs for homemade greeting cards. Follow these instructions for a memorable Christmas card design.
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Supplies for Christmas Crafts
Few are immune to the magic of Christmas, but no crafter can resist those tempting papers, ribbons, brads, eyelets and decals in their glorious colors, shapes and sizes.
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Tools for Handmade Christmas Cards
There are several basic tools that are essential to handmade Christmas cards. It is wise to invest in some good-quality items, from which you can gain maximum benefit.
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The Art of Making Christmas Cards
A clean cut, score and fold makes a big difference to the final result of a Christmas card, so follow these techniques to achieve a sound foundation for your card-making.
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Create Clever Christmas Cards
Making your own Christmas cards allows you to give each one its own significance, and your own designs offer much more scope for personalised Christmas messages.
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Masked Fun at the Venice Carnival
The Venetians adore pageantry. Most fiestas in Italy are long-established events, rooted deep in history, but the most impressive festival is the Venice Carnival.
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The Life and Works of Robert Burns
Robert Burns (1759-1796) is Scotland's favourite poet. His popularity is acknowledged the world over on Burn's Night. Learn about his humble life and literary glory.
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Ring in the New Year Hogmanay Style
Hogmanay is celebrated all over Scotland on New Year's Eve. This important Scottish festival boasts a burning clavie, Vikings, swinging fireballs and "first-footing."
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Unusual Finds in Madrid's Old Markets
Shopping in Madrid veers on the touristy, especially around the magnet of Plaza Mayor, complete with a range of interesting finds in an atmosphere of bustling commerce.
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Rome's Craft and Artisan Shops
The choice and variety of shopping in Rome is not in the same league as other European capitals, but for artisanship and handmade crafts, Rome doesn't disappoint.
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Tour the Champagne Vineyards of Reims
In the late 17th century, in an abbey outside Reims, the monk Dom Perignon discovered how to put the fizz into wine. Enjoy his discovery with a Champagne tasting tour.
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Shopping for High Fashion in Paris
Paris's Golden Triangle of haute couture on the Right Bank has great shopping opportunities. Fashion boutiques here have become hip with Paris's showbiz set.
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Great Shopping Destinations in Paris
Paris is one of the world's top shopping destinations with over 25 million visitors a year. So what does Paris offer in terms of shopping opportunities?
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A Warm Welcome at the Hotel Minerve
Éric and Sylvie run Éric's second hotel (he also owns the Familia next door) with their characteristic energy and eagerness to please: that friendly touch is here too.
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Hotel Louis II – Parisian Elegance
Imagination has triumphed in the charming 18th-century Hotel Louis II, often to dramatic effect (how about pink satin bamboo wallpaper in the lavatory?).
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Familia Hotel: Parisian Hospitality
The Familia Hotel's two stars are outshone by the care and attention showered upon hotel guests by Éric Gaucheron, his wife Sylvie and his parents Bernard and Colette.
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Eiffel Park Hotel: A Welcome Change
The Eiffel Park Hotel started life as a clean-cut, impersonal business hotel - and had a change of heart involving lots of Asian furniture and objets. What a change!
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Hôtel Kléber: Paris's Period Hotel
The recently redecorated Hôtel Kléber near the Arc de Triomphe and the Trocadéro now abounds in a mélange of Parisian curios that some may find a trifle overwhelming.
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A Hotel by the Tuileries Garden
Standing proud over the arches of rue de Rivoli, looking straight through gold-tipped railings to the Tuileries, the Hôtel Brighton is a true turn-of-the-century Paris.
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Exploring the Streets of Paris
Paris is suited for strolling and taking in the local atmosphere without getting lost. The streets are well sign-posted which makes Paris ideal for exploring on foot.
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Discover France's Scenic Variety
For scenery alone, France is a prime location with such a divergent landscape that it's understandable how rural France has inspired generations of artists.
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Visit Prague's Finest Palace
The name of Prague's Obecní Dum, Municipal House, hardly does justice to this resplendent palace of the people, Prague's foremost example of art nouveau architecture.
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Decorative Styles of Art Nouveau
The highly decorative art nouveau style has had a major influence on art and much of it exists today. Learn more about what it is, its origins and where to see it.
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Art Nouveau Hotels in Prague
Many of Prague's hotels feature the decorative curves and clean lines characteristic of the art nouveau movement. Learn more about Prague's beautiful art nouveau hotels.
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Finding a Good Hotel in Prague
Prague offers a range of choices when it comes to booking the right hotel. From luxury hotels like the Hilton to hostels and pensions, Prague can cater for any budget.
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Views of Prague from Your Hotel
Prague castle, Prazský hrad, was built over a thousand years ago on a ridge stretching west from the River Vltava. Hotels in this setting offer great views of Prague.
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Luxury Hotels in Prague's Mala Str
Find a luxury hotel in Malá Strana and retrace Mozart's footsteps around the cobble-stoned streets of hidden Prague. These hotels exemplify Prague's baroque legacy.
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Great Places to Shop in Prague
From antique shops to chic fashion boutiques, shopping in Prague is hard to beat. Don't miss the Czech crystal, the elegant Moser glassware or the Bohemian Garnets
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Discover Europe by InterRail
Whether you're a backpacking student on a budget, an environmentally-aware tourist or a luxury traveller, InterRail provides cost-efficient train travel throughout Europe
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