Luckily, there are no tariffs on fresh air from Canada and no tariffs when we trade smiles.
Very Merry Christmas to all. Big Bad Wolf require Tariffs to be paid on Children’s Toys.
Year: 2025
How can I make flowers last longer?
How to Make Flowers Last Longer: Practical Tips and Alternatives
Flowers have long been cherished as meaningful gifts that brighten spaces and express emotions—from love and friendship to sympathy and celebration. However, fresh flowers have a fleeting beauty, and their delicate nature can sometimes turn a lovely gesture into a fleeting moment. For those who want their floral gifts to endure or who need practical alternatives, understanding how to extend the life of flowers—and when to consider options like paper flowers—is essential.
Extending the Life of Fresh Flowers
To make fresh-cut flowers last longer, start with a clean vase and fresh water. Trim the stems at an angle and remove any leaves that will sit below the waterline to prevent bacterial growth. Changing the water every two days, keeping flowers away from direct sunlight and heat, and avoiding ripening fruit nearby can significantly slow wilting. Refrigerating flowers overnight can also prolong their freshness.
Choosing flower varieties that naturally last longer helps, too. Chrysanthemums, carnations, orchids, and sunflowers are noted for their sturdiness and resilience compared to more delicate blooms like tulips or daffodils.
Paper Flowers: A Stylish and Allergy-Friendly Alternative
For recipients with allergies or sensitivities, or simply for occasions where longevity and convenience prevail, paper flowers offer a charming solution. Unlike fresh flowers, they require no water, never wilt, and can last indefinitely as keepsakes. Thoughtfully crafted paper blooms can capture the elegance of roses, the cheerfulness of sunflowers, or the understated grace of orchids, making them ideal for gifting when practicality is paramount.
While fresh flowers often carry a stronger emotional impact, paper flowers excel in situations like hospital visits with restrictions, long-distance deliveries, or when the giver desires a gift that remains as a lasting memento.
Choosing the Right Flowers for the Occasion
Understanding flower symbolism enriches the gifting experience.
- Red roses signal passionate love,
- Yellow roses denote friendship, and
- Pink roses convey admiration.
- Lilies symbolize purity and renewal and are frequently chosen for sympathy, while
- Sunflowers radiate joy and optimism—perfect for birthdays or cheering up a friend.
- For birthday celebrations, bright and lively arrangements featuring daisies, tulips, or
- mixed wildflowers feel festive and heartfelt.
- On anniversaries, classic red roses or elegant orchids communicate romance and strength.
- Sympathy bouquets typically favor white lilies and chrysanthemums to express reverence and condolence.
Personalizing Your Floral Gift
Adding a personal note, selecting the recipient’s favorite colors, or pairing flowers with complementary gifts like chocolates or books can elevate the impact of any bouquet. Being considerate of allergies and preferences is equally important to ensure the gift brings joy and not discomfort.
Conclusion
Whether you opt for fresh blooms or beautiful paper flowers, thoughtful flower gifting balances tradition, symbolism, and practical concerns. By harnessing simple care tips or embracing artful alternatives, you can ensure that your floral gifts remain delightful and meaningful—long after petals would naturally fade.
Is Theft Legal in United States? You may be surprised. Yes It is.
Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2006 eBay decision, big corporations can take a product developed by you and copy it without your consent or compensation. (It’s supposed to be good for “society”-Apparently good for the society of thieves)
To serve their “Vacation Donors,” the Supreme Court wiggled a way to transfer your wealth to the BIG cheese. Also, in direct defiance of the US Constitution’s Patent and Copyright Clause, they invented a clever way to introduce a ban on patents in the form of so-called “Judicial exceptions,” proclaiming certain technological patents as “ineligible” for a US Patent. Why do they do that? Do I need to elaborate on its connection to the area of interest of Big Tech?
You can patent certain technologies anywhere in the world, but not in the US. That’s why China is ahead of the US in technological development.
- The United States is witnessing a troubling decline in individual property rights due to a series of Supreme Court decisions and legislative actions heavily influenced by corporate interests, particularly from the tech industry.
- The landmark 2006 eBay ruling permits corporations to copy patented products without the inventor’s consent or compensation, essentially legalizing theft by Big Corporations.
- Additionally, civil forfeiture laws enacted in the late 1970s allow law enforcement to confiscate personal property—such as cars, cash, or homes—without requiring evidence or formal charges against individuals.
- Legislation like PERA and PREVAIL further threaten these rights by dismantling protections for property owners. Citizens must recognize these developments and advocate for the preservation of their property rights, fundamental to societal integrity.
You may read more about PERA & PREVAIL at https://usinventor.org/
ACT NOW. Sign the petition below to protect your interests.
.
The Paper Flower – Shopping for flowers to send to your Valentine
Shopping for flowers to send to your valentine, you may find a well-received and frankly less expensive option than the traditional full-fledged floral bouquet. Colorful, easy to mail in a flat envelope for a few cents. The Pop-up Flower.
There are a few designers ready to deliver a nice Colorful Paper flower. Of course, writing this and looking at the scene from my point of view, I have some bias and also a designer’s experience.
Watch out for:
- Size. Being involved previously in the design of Glass Christmas Ornaments, one thing will remain forever in my mind. The surprised remarks of clients looking for the first time:” THEY ARE SO BIG”. Our manufacturer, located in Poland, kept sending big samples because there was a legend about US customers preferring BIG. While quality glass ornaments tend to be quite expensive, size still matters.
- Very few people have the space to store them throughout the year. Big pop-up bouquets can be quite welcome at first, but due to the space they take up to display, they are withering in the eyes of the recipient and are disposed of rather quickly. Practicality matters.
- In my eyes, the focus should be on staying power. Detail, finish, and overall quality always help. People appreciate the craftsmanship and remember the sender. Of course, the kind of aesthetics you are going to choose from is only yours, and there is plenty to choose from. Not only the Flowers. For example, our Amelia Earhart’s pop-up paper airplane found its use as a boy’s Party Invitation.
- Be Prepared. Probably every man on Earth was reprimanded and enjoyed a couple of Silent Days because he forgot some anniversary date. My idea to prevent such a disaster is to have a Gift stashed for emergency measures. Pop-ups are perfect. Always Fresh, Easy to hide in a fold of a book. During one of our shows, we displayed a sign: How many birthdays, anniversaries, and Valentines are you facing this year? Arm yourself. It helped, since many people bought multiple pop-ups from us.
- Pop-ups are more than a flat postcard; not easy to forget or ignore.
- To help you out, below is a list of a few makers I prefer. I’m not necessarily focusing on Flowers.
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GRAPHICS3inc.com, Probably OLDEST in the US. They make pop-up cards powered up with rubber bands. Selling mostly to business Customers. Repeat business, since any business that has tried, enjoys double-digit response rates.
(They do not have many flower-related designs, but the originality and quality are the TOP)
SANTORO
https://www.santoro-london.com/
An extensive selection of various types of Pop-up Cards that you are not going to find anywhere else.
Me&McQ 3D Cards & Pop Up Cards
PaperBee.net
Or you can use SmartPaperCuts.com
To reach us.
We focus on Flowers, adding currently some Victorian-style Christmas Paper Ornaments. Ornaments because we enjoy Christmas. Paper is not breakable like glass, and delivers a similar experience when properly done.
There is much, much more, as you probably already discovered.
Like the Love popups, Fresh Cut paper, Pop-life, etc.
The reason I am not listing them here is that I am looking for the top quality, not the Vietnam, China-originated mass production stuff, which is sometimes quite nicely made but not very original. With designs based on 99.9% of the so-called Parallel Fold, or Trellis construction. Like the one shown on the right side.
When it comes to quality design, you may notice that, for example, all FreshCut pop-ups are photographed from the very front, to maintain the illusion of the 3-dimensional shape. The side view reveals the flats. They are exactly the issues I, as a designer, must pay attention to maintain a certain quality. Of course, if you like the look, go for it. I prefer to be “picky”
If you think I should list all, regardless of the overall quality, please let me know.
Jacek @ alfac.us
The popularity of paper flowers, no doubt, is growing, since recently I saw in Rome a few Paper pop-up bouquets made by an Italian company, claiming that they were the first to come up with such an idea. Good for them.
3 Ring Binder alternatives – Do you know the BEST?
Among many Ring Binder alternatives, there is one you probably do not know about: Ringless Binder. Searching for the beast, you are going to encounter a bunch of pretenders in a few shapes, like, for example, boxes posing as binders, clamps in every style and shape, trying your patience and fingers. So-called Data Binders, consisting of covers embellished with metal rails and armed with steel wires to clamp and keep. And a few others. Some, like, for example, strip binders, reside only in the EU. Some are in Japan and elsewhere.
The Ringless binder was born in Chicago, like the known to adepts, Chicago Screws, and is vying for our attention. It is a mind-boggling contraption consisting of simply a sheet of material with some cuts in both covers, forming two sets of flexible ties. No sign of metal clamps, prongs, or rings. You use it, you bind the sheet of paper, and then you forget about its existence. It is unobtrusive, thin like a piece of tear-resistant paper, and flexible. And it works, keeping in its basic version up to 350 pages, or 800 in its spineless version. No pretenses, just work.
Is it popular among its peers? As a newcomer sporting a thin, muscular silhouette, he is not welcomed among the heavyweights, fatso’s dominating the market. After investing 133 years of his life, The 3 Ring Binder certainly is not happy.
Ringless Binder is looking for work. It may be a perfect match for you.
This is not the end of the story, The family is growing. Let me introduce two new members of the family.
Below new Spineless binder. This time adds more possibilities, two ways to bind your pages. Is more capable and earth friendly comparing with data binders sporting steel cables, nylon posts and metal rails to keep the same amount of pages.
The practical aspects of paper notebooks
- Regardless of the number of electronic devices we use, paper is inescapable.
- For example, a bunch of documents generated by a real estate agent is not going to be handed to you with an iPod or a flash/USB drive.
- Same with many other industries. Banks, insurance companies, loans, etc.
- There is, of course, DocuSign and competition, but every professional is going to tell you to keep paper documents since hard drives, etc., may not survive a long period.
- You probably already regret that you did not print some family photos, lost already in the junk space of disposed of and dead memory discs.
- That’s why we offer the latest, modern rendition of the Grandpa Ring binder – RINGLESS BINDER. Using paper, you are not going to lose much; you can always scan and OCR your notes.
Our song, a light-hearted reminder, explores the practical aspects of paper notebooks.
Some people will recommend a Compendium notebook. Why do you need a paper notebook? Here is the answer.
Our everyday pursuit of new electronic devices is not changing the fundamental facts about real physical interaction with writing materials and the obvious benefits it offers.
No tired eyes, no screen glare, no compatibility issues, and no battery running out.
If you spend your working life in front of a computer, you may reach a point where it is simply no longer possible to continue. In my experience, pinhole lenses provide relief by reducing reflections and the amount of light.
And this is the point at which we require a digital detox.
It is more pressing and real than most of us would think.
Christmas is gone and Grinch is well
My Christmas tree is full of ornaments.
- All of them are memories not of better times, but better hopes not marred by the view of the Grinch spirit dominating today the landscape of North Pool (pardon North America).
- Regardless of whom you voted for, everybody has to eat.
- The HOPE I had created a company designing glass Christmas Ornaments, and subsequently dealt with an economic downturn during our last Great Depression, in 2008, which led to its closure and the start of a new business.
- This hope is not gone, lingering somewhere in my mind, not willing at any price to give up. A parade of Grinch-like figures decorating this nation’s prominent display doesn’t pay attention to ants like me and you. I have the hope, but you?
- Sedition is the only word that comes to mind when I watch reports about tariffs imposed by an unstable individual who has already declared six bankruptcies and who is supposedly supposed to fix our economy.
Popups undying love. Pop-up lovers at bestpopupbooks.com
As long as they exist, popups enjoy undying love. New generations of fans confess to it all the time. From time to time, I discover a new one. But like in real life, you have to approach the object of your desires with caution. Otherwise, you risk rejection.
This is what happened to one of the enthusiasts around 10 years ago. I still remember his enthusiastic advertising campaign. Listings of his pop-ups are to be attached to the top of gift packages and the pop-up book development. Then, after a year or so, he disappeared.
I learned my lesson at the same time as my designs enjoyed quite a warm welcome during the “National stationery show.” 2010 Still, even though I collected a few orders when shipping time came, nobody accepted the orders. In 2010, the industry was still in turmoil, with more than 50% of small retailers going out of business.
I switched to more appropriate time ventures and spent some time developing new document binding technology. (Ring-less binder eliminating metal rings and other metals from the ring binders. It works well, and now I am looking for a licensee. Still dealing with paper. During the last few years, I have seen a resurgence of interest in pop-ups. A good example is the bestpopupbooks.com doing a great job introducing paper engineering enthusiasts to the world of paper engineering enthusiasts.
I am the King and the Pope. Donald Trump singing a song.
Not all of our paintings have live content on YouTube, but we hope to change that.
Current events force everybody to have their point of view. Here with a humorous side. We publish it because we all deserve a few-second break from the constant stream of messages about the coming doom. Nobody should be surprised if you remember the “First Coming” and the unsuccessful attempt to raise our Health Insurance costs by $14,000 per person per year by killing Obamacare without a replacement plan. Luckily, John McCain saved the GOP from itself. Unfortunately, he is gone….
Ring binder in the world of paper: My notebook.
A ring binder has no place among notebooks. My notebook is quite unusual.
- It is not a notebook per se.
- It is a binder, but without the rings.
- The designer replaced rings with ties.
- In addition, since the ties are flat and really unobtrusive, he managed to add a second set of ties to the front page. With this unique arrangement, I can divide the paperwork into sections.
Since there are no rings, the designer calls it a “Ringless Binder.”
One of the ringless binder fans. Mrs. Page likes it so much that she dedicated a song. She doesn’t care about Tablets, since, as she says:
- No Tablet shall last as long as Papyrus or Leonardo’s drawing done on paper.
- Paper shall outlast anything. No fumbling with switches, no battery or software problems.
- No energy expended.
- No difficulties with eyesight after prolonged use.
- Green.
You may try it yourself. Ringless Binder.
St Nick singing about Tariffs girls and boys will pay for their toys
Depicted in one of our pop-up cards, St. Nick decided to show his skills in the pop-up songs. As of today, his message is quite relevant. Especially when the Grinch is trying to expand his powers. Only 1-2 dolls per girl are OK for Grinch? Even if you decide not to see our St. Nick in person, you can still send a link to this short video to your friends to pop up a smile during these rather dark times.
Ring Binder Problem? Ringless binder solves them!
Why we bother with Binders? Regardless of the digitizing effort, we see around, paper documents are irreplaceable. No iPad will last for decades. We went already through the CD-era, and most of the discs you still store are inaccessible. Same with hard drives. People recognize the drawbacks of new technologies.
Let’s compare: Ring Binder. Heap of vinyl combined with a complicated metal mechanism vs. Ringless Binder, a sheet of paper with a simple arrangement of flexible ties.
In the below illustration, the Ring Binder is empty but still takes more space than full ringless binders using adjustable ties instead of rings. Who needs the Rings?
| Ring Binder | Ringless Binder |
| Misaligned Rings | Ties replace rings |
| Rings are always in the way of the hand trying to reach the opposite page, | Hard to notice Ties. Ties are flexible and low profile. |
| No way to flip through the pages quickly, | A breeze to Flip through the pages |
| Hard to store. Empty or full, Big Spine takes the same space. | Never exceeds the thickness of the bonded documents more than the thickness of the paper it is made from. |
| Brick-like handling comfort | Flexible |
| Hard inflexible covers | Cut from a sheet of paper. |
| You must specify the thickness and choose one from several sizes. | A basic Bind-book takes up to 350 pages, or you use a Spineless bind book to bind any amount of pages from 0 to 800. |
| In the Bindbook, You may divide your paperwork into separate sections. | |
| Replacing the vinyl cover with a craft paper finish doesn’t make the product eco-friendly. | Eco-friendly. Requires only 20% of the weight of material needed to produce a comparable ring binder. |
Can you imagine a simpler binder? A plain sheet of paper with few invisible cuts. Cut imaginatively. No rings. No complicated metal mechanism, and it binds hole-punched documents anyway. Of course, we do not show detail in this illustration for obvious reasons.
Divide your paperwork with three spines bind-book
Requiem for the Lady / Painting “Dissolving in Covid-19”
“Floating through the Covid” Everybody remembers the feeling of hanging in space without ends and borders. Waiting for the time to end during COVID-19, I painted the Lady Hanging in the air. Dissolving in the COVID-19.
And Now she is gone. Olivia took her home. I still remember my dream which prompted me to create the image. The floating around time I spend to create it in the best form I can. And now all my effort in creating is in possession of Olivia hands. I hope they are going to be happy together. As a creator, as a parent, I understand that our kids must grow and be on their own. But….
By, By, The Covid lady.
Jacek
Kisses from the Sky – song by Angel-pop-up card
Our Angel-pop-up card decided to sing.
- No one could stop her, so here she is.
- In this world of morbid events we have experienced lately, we hope it will bring a smile to your face.
- You may E-Mail the link to your VALENTINE.