The month’s issue of WOOD Magazine has a fun project article on making a votive candle holder. Bright Idea Candleholder details exactly what’s needed and lays out all the steps for this fairly simple but elegant wood-working project. Since the pieces of wood required are so small, you can splurge on exotic materials for this project, like using cherry or mahogany for the legs, or even for the entire holder.

WOOD Magazine has lots of interesting projects for accomplished wood workers, but this votive holder looks like it could be a good starter project for someone wanted to get into making things out of wood.

Look Inside >>  July 2009

In these challenging economic times, just about everyone’s looking harder at their hobby expenses and other non-essential spending habits, so it’s great to see this special section from Family Tree all about doing genealogical research on the cheap. Find Your Family Without Going Broke! is full of great ideas and free resources for people who don’t want to abandon digging into their family roots because they think they can’t afford it.

Look Inside >>  March 2009

There’s a helpful list of 11 free genealogy essentials in Genealogy Free-For-All. I wasn’t aware that there were volunteer groups out there that help people with genealogical questions for free, like the Books We Own and Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness sites.

In Making Ends Meet, Diane Haddad examines the costs of genealogical research and the impacts the changing economy is having on the field. Haddad notes that family network sites are the “new genealogical frontier” and provides an update on the latest developments there.

Kim Krause uses dramatic techniques in his studio to reveal traces of his artistic process over time. Not many painters would douse their work with paint thinner at the end of the day, but Krause does this to purposely eliminate some, but not all, of what was accomplished on canvas during his last session. By using agents like paint thinner and techniques like scarping his paintings with a drywall knife, Krause’s art work shows the stages of his painting in a unique and interesting way.

You may be surprised to learn that these techniques are not new at all, and that it was a common practice of the earliest oil painters to use solvents to attempt to remove all traces of brush work. The Artist’s Magazine has a feature this month on Krause and the techniques he uses to reveal his artistic processes called Time Turning. You can read the article for free on Coverleaf.com, and preview The Artist’s Magazine and a host of other digital editions of popular magazines on the new Coverleaf service. Just click on the image below to explore this article on Coverleaf.

Look Inside >> November 2008

If the commonly-cited statistic that 90% of table saw accidents are caused by some kind of kickback is accurate, this article on how to avoid kickback in the latest issue of Popular Woodworking should be considered required reading for anyone who likes to work with wood. I enjoy doing the occasional household project that requires dragging out our trusty old table saw, so I was eager to read the tips and advice for avoiding table saw accidents in Kickback.

For instance, did you know that the lifting and throwing force of a kickback starts at the back of the saw blade and not the front? Or that backing out of a cut can cause of kickback? After you’ve read Mark Adams’ article you’ll know everything you need to know about what can cause kickback and how to avoid it. Trust me, reading this article be time well spent for any woodworker not already educated on this important topic.

Look Inside >> November 2008

Click on the image above to read a free preview of Popular Woodworking on Coverleaf.com.

“If you want to get your writing noticed and don’t have a web site, you’re falling behind,” Linda Formichelli points out in a new Writer’s Digest article. The Anatomy of a Writer’s Web Site provides a wealth of information for writers wanting to establish an online presence.  From where to get web page templates to how to register your domain name, this article covers the most important things you’ll need to know when setting up your own site. And the advice applies to many other professions besides writers as well.

Look Inside >> October 2008

Formichelli’s article is chock full of advice and resources for those who want to either make their own Web site or hire someone else to do it. Click on the image above to read this article and get a free preview of the Coverleaf digital edition of Writer’s Digest. You’ll be able to take advantages of features like hot links in articles, which allow you to just click on any of the online resources included in The Anatomy of a Writer’s Web Site and go directly to the web site mentioned in the article. This latest issue of Writer’s Digest also features a series of articles on how to land and work with an agent, so if you’re trying to get a writing career off the ground this might be a great place to start.

Family Tree Magazine has a helpful article this month for those of you working on tracing your genealogy. Make No Mistake highlights 10 common pitfalls for people researching their family histories. From relying too much on the Internet for your genealogical research to buying into family legends, this article offers up some great advice on things to avoid to keep your genealogical research on track.

Look Inside >> November 2008

Paying attention to these suggestions can help you skip feeling sheepish and go straight to being savvy. Click on the image above to read a free preview of Make No Mistake on Coverleaf.com.