Closing the gaps in enterprise data security: A model for 360˚ protection

Closing the gaps in enterprise data security: A model for 360? protection

Businesses adapt to increased mobility and expanded connectivity: Evolving data threats

Mobile computing and global networking cast a new light on data security issues as, in response, organizations reassess the technologies in use within their IT infrastructures and reconsider the ways in which staff members, customers and partners communicate. Solutions that do not provide the appropriate balance between protection and usability must be discarded in favor of solutions that effectively minimize risks of data theft or loss, achieve compliance with existing regulations and equip personnel with tools that help them work productively and securely.

The crux of the matter is simple: Business processes today rely on vastly different methods of data storage and data exchange than even a few years ago. These changes in the computing landscape make it essential that companies adopt a very different approach to security. According to the Forrester Research report, “The State Of Enterprise IT Security: 2008 To 2009,” 90% of organizations say that data security is “important” or “very important” and would get high priority in 2009.

The following sections detail three possible scenarios illustrating how these individual threats can affect the business operations, data integrity and overall security of organizations.

Scenario one: Theft of a mobile computing device

Scenario two: Losing removable media containing confidential data

Scenario three: The insider threat

Each section also provides recommendations as to how each individual threat can be minimized by using technology that is available today. The objective is to provide full 360-degree security that protects against the widest range of attack vectors.

Scenario one: Theft of mobile computing device

California-based Company A, a channel partner of a global chip manufacturer, has designed a promising media player. Product manager Sally Ortez worked closely with the chip maker to negotiate the specifics of the processor purchases, product rollout plans, marketing strategy, projected sales in various channel outlets and product road map details.

Ortez routinely kept all documents relevant to the collaboration on her notebook computer, including proprietary information under a non-disclosure agreement with the manufacturer. At a large trade show in Hong Kong, Ortez was navigating the packed aisles of vendors and technology companies with her computer bag secured by its strap over her shoulder. After she was bumped from behind, someone quickly cut the strap of the bag and grabbed it. Police efforts to locate the thief failed.

Five days later, the full specifications of the unreleased processor showed up on the Internet, along with the marketing plan for the media player and product road map. A day after that, the chip manufacturer cancelled the channel co-marketing plans with Company A and threatened legal action because of the disclosure. Ortez never recovered the lost notebook.

The mobile workforce depends on smaller, lighter and more portable computing devices to get their work done in the field. Their reliance on these computing devices heightens the importance of protecting the information on them from loss, theft or viewing by unauthorized individuals. The 2008 CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey reports that laptop theft/fraud ranks among the top three threats, with 42% of security professionals who responded citing it.

As reported by a number of different sources, theft of mobile computing equipment is all too common and—without protection—the information stored on systems is easily accessible to thieves. Even a power-on password and other forms of single-factor authentication are of little use in guarding against theft or loss.

However, encrypting the data on mobile computing devices makes it inaccessible to thieves and outsiders, and provides a level of data protection that is both prudent and responsible.

Solution: SafeGuard Enterprise

With SafeGuard Enterprise the ending to the previous scenario could have been much different. Consider this alternative ending.

Following the advice of a leading data security publication, the director of IT operations at Company A implemented a policy to perform full hard disk encryption on all company notebook computers using SafeGuard Enterprise The software deployment took place overnight. Following the initial usage, which requires a simple log-in process, employees using single sign-on (SSO) need only enter their password once to access the computer, just as they had done previously. Employees didn’t notice any difference in the behavior of their laptops.

During the Hong Kong trade show, Sally Ortez lost her notebook computer when her computer bag was snatched in a crowd. Because of the strong encryption protection on these devices, there was no potential for the disclosure of any sensitive data, and the business partnership with the chip maker continued to flourish. Company A also avoided having to notify companies and individuals about the stolen data, as is required by California SB 1386 for any losses of unencrypted data. Encryption preserved both the data privacy and a valuable business relationship to the benefit of everyone involved in this scenario.

Industry-leading encryption solutions from Sophos deliver enterprise-caliber data security, giving mobile workers the confidence and protection to travel freely without being concerned about revealing information that could damage both their company and their career.

SafeGuard Enterprise effectively protects data on mobile computing devices—including laptops and netbooks.

Scenario two: Losing removable media containing confidential data

Fabian Bredcowski worked as a technical support specialist for Company B, a thriving New England-based computer retailer, and was privy to files and information stored on the Company B servers—all of which were strongly protected by a corporate firewall and rigorous authentication and access protections.

Bredcowski took security seriously, but he was also tenacious about pursuing solutions to problems— even when away from the workplace. After dealing with one particularly vexing support question that he could not resolve over the phone, Bredcowski couldn’t get the problem out of his mind and decided to work on it at home with his home computer. At the end of the day, he hastily copied the tech support customer files to a 1GB memory stick and slipped it into a pocket in his wallet. The files included contact information and personal data about several hundred Company B customers.

On the way home, Bredcowski stopped at a local restaurant for a take-out dinner. His wallet slipped out of his pocket and fell to the ground when he got out of the car. The driver of the next car that pulled into the lot noticed the wallet, picked it up and found the memory stick inside. He pocketed both and quickly drove off.

When Bredcowski reached for his wallet to pay for his dinner, he was shocked to find it was missing. At the same instant, he realized the memory stick with private customer data was inside. Conscientiously, he reported the loss to his supervisor, who was furious that, as a matter of policy, Company B would have to notify each customer of the personal data loss—a grave reflection on the company’s handling of personal information. For this breach, Bredcowski was docked the cost of mailing the data loss announcements and demoted to a position in the shipping department. For several months after the event, the customer support personnel at Company B had to respond to a steady stream of phone and mail complaints from customers disturbed that their personal information had been treated so casually.

The increased storage capacities and evolving form factors of removable media create a new vector of possible data loss. Securing removable hard disk drives, flash memory devices, optical discs, magnetic media, memory sticks and similar media should be a top priority for security strategists within an organization.

The compact size and lightweight form factors of removable media devices make them especially prone to loss or theft. Such potential security breaches can damage customer relationships and result in financial losses for the businesses involved.

Protect sensitive data and intellectual property residing on endpoint devices: Encryption prevents unauthorized access to hard drives, flash memory cards, optical discs, memory sticks and similar media.

Solution: SafeGuard Data Exchange

The use of SafeGuard Data Exchange could have resulted in a very different ending to this story. Consider this alternative scenario. After dealing with the difficult support question that he could not resolve over the phone, Bredcowski copied the relevant files to a 1GB memory stick protected by the SafeGuard Data Exchange solution. All data being stored on the memory stick was automatically encrypted, protected by a secure password that Bredcowski previously assigned.

The loss of his wallet in the restaurant parking lot turned out to be a personal tragedy; but the driver who stole both the wallet and the memory stick had no way to access any of the data files because they were encrypted. Although Bredcowski reported the loss to his supervisor, no action was taken because the data on the memory stick was securely protected. For several months afterward, Bredcowski had to deal with fraudulent charges on his credit cards; but the good customers at Company B were protected from the potential revelation of their personal information and the company maintained its strong reputation.

SafeGuard Data Exchange provides security-to-go for all forms of removable media. As a reasonable precaution against loss or theft, this solution ensures consistent, effective protection of commonly used media storage devices in your company. To ensure that confidential information remains confidential, you can configure SafeGuard Data Exchange to prevent any sensitive data from leaving the company on a removable medium without first being encrypted. As an additional measure of protection, access to any unencrypted data stored on removable media can simply be denied.

Scenario three: The insider threat

Wendy Profolo had been working as a contract software developer since her mid-twenties, and her proficiency and integrity gained her a good deal of trust. In her new assignment for Company C, she was quickly provided network access and her manager was pleased to see her making steady progress on the coding project she had been given. What her manager did not know was that Profolo had a serious gambling problem and had become proficient at finding ways to exploit information extracted from a company server to cope with her rising gambling debts.

Within two weeks, Profolo managed to modify her access privileges, scour the network file structures to retrieve a dozen corporate credit card numbers, gather personal information about the executive board that might later prove useful, accumulate financial records that she thought might be sold to a Taiwanese competitor of Company C and steal the source code for a revolutionary new product that the company was developing. Profolo was caught one evening as she was trolling through the human resources files by one of the janitors, who was startled to see his name up on her screen and immediately reported her to her supervisor. Profolo is serving time at a minimum-security prison and, as a result of this experience, Company C currently relies on encryption to protect sensitive resources stored on corporate servers.

Threats from insiders—whether contractors working on software code, disaffected administrators acting maliciously or rogue personnel with unknown agendas—are among the most insidious data threat scenarios. The

2008 CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey reports that insider abuse ranks among the top two concerns, with 44% of the security professionals who responded citing the threat.

A comprehensive data protection strategy should address this potential risk and find techniques to mitigate it.

First, consider the range of assets that insiders theoretically can view or access, and then employ decisive measures to secure these assets against unauthorized viewing. This may include file access on internal LANs, server content that is accessible to insiders and information stored casually on workstations or notebooks physically accessible on desks and tables within a facility.

Solution: SafeGuard LAN Crypt

Before Company C hired Wendy Profolo, a savvy manager in the software engineering group procured a trial copy of SafeGuard LAN Crypt. Impressed by the capabilities of the software application, the manager purchased and installed a licensed version of the product. Following Profolo’s hiring, despite a progression of attempts to penetrate the encrypted server contents, she eventually realized that there was no possible way to access protected files and folders on the LAN.

Given this situation, Profolo was forced to confront her problem and her supervisor helped her gain admission to a 12-step gambling addiction program, which successfully brought her problem under control. Profolo has bounced back and focused her skills on application design, recently becoming a valued, full-time employee of the company.

SafeGuard LAN Crypt prevents confidential information stored on company servers from being viewed by anyone without the appropriate authorization. In any organization where insiders have potential access to the contents of servers, encryption provides an effective means of guarding sensitive information from prying eyes.

Embracing a 360° approach to data protection

As discussed throughout this paper, maintaining data privacy and confidentiality is an essential component of any data security strategy designed to contend with today’s data threats. With a suite of data security solutions based on advanced encryption technology, Sophos products directly address the three stages in the data life cycle: the endpoint or the back end (data at rest), during transmission (data in motion) and during processing (data in use). The prevailing model of the open enterprise—where mobile workers, removable media and increased networking generate new threats—requires a strategy that aligns business practices with full, comprehensive data protection.

Central management and oversight of data protection measures give organizations a means to ensure that the security policies in force are enacted consistently throughout the organization. SafeGuard solutions combine central management with the key security components to provide a unified approach to data protection—an important factor in countering data threats.

About the Author

This article was provided by Sophos and is reproduced here with their full permission. Sophos provides full data protection services including: security software, encryption software, antivirus, and malware.

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A Solid Review of Apple iWork 08

The $79 iWork ‘08 appears to be a good deal for anyone needing an affordable office suite for the Mac. Apple has finally added a spreadsheet application. At first glance, Numbers is an elegant no-brainer for anyone migrating from Microsoft Excel. In the past, many Mac aficionados bought Microsoft Excel because iWork lacked a spreadsheet application. However, with the addition of Numbers and the release of Microsoft’s Office for Mac 2008 delayed until January, Mac users may stick to Apple’s less expensive option. We’re also happy that Mac hasn’t changed its file formats as Microsoft did with Office 2007.

We like the sparse interfaces throughout the iWork package. Its features aren’t as deep or rich as in Microsoft Office 2007, but iWork also hasn’t changed radically from its last incarnation, unlike Office. iWork also covers much more than just the basic productivity tasks offered by online tools like Google Docs & Spreadsheets or the Zoho suite, so it should be adequate for the vast majority of home and small-business users.

System requirements, thankfully, are gentle to users of older Macs. You’ll need an Intel, PowerPC G5 or G4 machine with a 500MHz or better processor in addition to 512MB of RAM minimum, running OS X10.4.10.

Pages

Apple tore a page out of Microsoft Office’s book by creating a Contextual Format Bar that displays different features according to your task at hand. Select text, and the bar shows font options. Click on a picture, and the bar displays image-editing features. Unlike the contextual formatting Ribbon interface within Microsoft Word 2007, however, Pages offers no live previews of font and image changes as you hover over them.

Pages ‘08 also adds Change Tracking, similar to the Track Changes feature adopted many years ago by Microsoft Word. We’re glad that Pages gets this treatment for displaying document revisions rather than the often confusing revision and commenting history offered by the online Google Docs.

Pages includes the usual must-have features for writers such as footnotes, bookmarks, and tables of content, in addition to integration with charts and functions from the new Numbers app. In addition, Pages now detects when you type a list and formats bulleted points automatically. We just hope that this won’t drive us batty (as it does sometimes in Microsoft Word).

There are plenty of page templates for letters, resumes, reports, and the like to get started if a blank slate poses too much pressure. Page Layout mode lets you create relatively complex designs without software such as Adobe InDesign, great if you’re throwing together reports for work. It lets you layer images on top of images too. The Instant Alpha feature, also found in Keynote, lets you cut out backgrounds in images without dealing with alpha channels, a la Photoshop. And we prefer Pages’ color wheel, crayons, and spectrum to Word’s color options.

Keynote

Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 may be richer, but Apple Keynote ‘08 adds some smart features that PowerPoint lacks. It’s also a breeze to figure out from the get-go. Action Builds let you create basic point-A-to-B motion animation, without needing to deal with motion tweens as in complex apps such as Adobe Flash. Smart Builds enable animation, such as rotating photographs, using images you can grab from the iLife media browser. And new voiceover recordings enable you, say, to narrate podcasts with pictures. There are new between-slide transitions and slide show themes too.

Numbers

Our early look at the new Numbers reveals ease of use novelties that competitive tools don’t provide. Microsoft Excel 2007 still appears to be more robust, particularly for number crunchers such as scientists, accountants, or engineers. Yet the majority of users who rely upon spreadsheets as one-size-fits-all tools for household and light office work should be pleased to have a new option for Macs.

Numbers comes with plenty of templates, including travel planners, business expenses, and school science lab reports. Of course, it can also save and export Excel-readable files. This application pleases the eye and can make attractive spreadsheets. We dragged around text boxes, images, and tables using alignment guides without a hitch. You can add 3D bar, pie, and other charts and even integrate maps into a spreadsheet.

The controls for working with tables were extremely user-friendly in our early tests. Slider bars allow you to adjust the numeric values within cells, handy if you’re looking to add a range of values. Resizing columns and rows appears to be less of a hassle than with Excel. You can drag data from a file of contacts or into a Numbers Table that will automatically partition information into the appropriate columns. And sorting a table smartly leaves the headers alone. Formulas appear to be the same as those in Microsoft Excel, but Numbers also has easy-to-find natural language shortcuts for common calculations, such as sums and averages.

The Interactive Print View offers more controls than in Microsoft Excel, which easily leads to unwieldy spreadsheet printouts. Numbers shows where a stray column might take up an unnecessary extra page. You can eliminate the overlap with a slider bar that instantly scales the tables, charts, and images on a page.

About the Author

Visit the Facts About Deer website to learn about deer resistant perennials and reindeer facts

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Looking for on-line site to identify Table Lamp from 1930’s (?)?

I’ve done different internet searches using different terms, and I haven’t been able to find a site that lists Lamps. The distinguishing bits about the lamp are:
* large, round/globe-type base
* ceramic/porcelain
* white background; black figure drawings in Greek style

Well, I don’t know where you can go for that, but if you do as some others have done before you and post a photo or two of your lamp here, someone will likely know about your lamp…

You may also want to check out Ebay Forums to help you identify your lamp.

Other than that, you’re pretty much going to have to see an antique dealer, who may be able to help you…

Classic Traditional Formal Bedside Desktop – 20 Ming Blue & White Jar Oriental Style Fine Table Lamp $150.00 One of a collection of excellent quality Oriental style table, desk, & bedside lamps, made from fine, high temperature Jiangxi porcelain, or handcrafted hardwood, hand painted in classic Ming dynasty decorative motifs. Each lamp is wired with a 3 way switch for a standard US 3 way bulb, or compact flourecent, (not included) with UL approved, wiring, socket, & switch. Each lamp includes the correct…

Asian Furniture & Home Décor – 27 Fine Chinese Cloisonne Oriental Table Lamp w/ Black Shade $358.00 One of a collection of over 300 extraordinary, hand crafted, decorative oriental lamps- classic sizes & designs, perfect next to the sofa or chair, desk tops, hallway or foyer, or on the nightstand next to the bed. Before trade ties with China in the 1970’s, oriental lamps sold at antique stores and auctions houses for thousands of dollars, and beautified the decor of mostly European capitals & co…

Unique Asian Design Lighting – 15 Ming Chinese Spice Jar Oriental Style Fine Table Lamp $119.00 One of a collection of excellent quality Oriental style table, desk, & bedside lamps, made from fine, high temperature Jiangxi porcelain, or handcrafted hardwood, hand painted in classic Ming dynasty decorative motifs. Each lamp is wired with a 3 way switch for a standard US 3 way bulb, or compact flourecent, (not included) with UL approved, wiring, socket, & switch. Each lamp includes the correct…

Traditional Oxblood Red Porcelain Table Lamp $175.00 The most classic of shapes, in the most regal of colors, this rich red porcelain has a timeless appeal and is the perfect solution for a traditional living room or bedroom that could use a bit of color and elegance….

Chinese Teapot Lamp $67.00 LMP-JCO-X3409 Chinese lamp perfect for any home!Elegantly hand crafted by artisans in China’s Guangdong province, this beautiful oriental lamp combines a Song Dynasty style porcelain teapot with a carved wooden base. The porcelain base of the lamp features a textured orange and beige glaze sure to add a colorful accent to any room. A fabric shade on a steel frame completes the design. This orient…

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Piano Lamps

Piano Lamps are specifically designed to shed focused light on music, reading material, or any other work. They have long shades that encircle the bulbs so that the light projects from one concentrated area. Most piano lamps have shades that swivel and adjustable arms so that you can further fine-tune the direction of the light.

Lamps for pianos come with a light switch to turn the lamp on and off. Some switches are located on the base of the lamp, some on the shade, and others in the power cord close to the lamp. All switch locations are conveniently located for easy access.

These Lamps are made to work best with specific piano types. There are lamp styles that work better on Grand Pianos such as clip-on lamps that clamp to the music desk (lined with felt so they will not scratch), and others that work better on Upright Pianos like lamps with a solid base. Some piano lamps, such as Balance Arm Lamps or Floor Lamps are versatile enough to work for any type of piano. Also available are battery-operated lamps, which work on pianos and music stands and are great for transporting. These lamps also come in handy when access to an electrical outlet is limited or non-existing.

Piano lamps can also be used in other areas of the home or office. They are solidly built and durable, but light enough to be transported from place to place.

Piano Lamp technology has taken a step into the future with energy efficient LED lamps that not only save energy, but produce light from 20,000 – 100,000 hours on a single LED array (bulb). These lamps emit a warm white non-glare light. They have become popular for their energy efficiency and for their slim attractive design.

Piano lamps come in many different styles and designs so there is plenty of variety when looking to purchase a lamp. Some of the more popular finishes are: Polished Brass, Antique Brass, Black, Oil Rubbed Mahogany, Satin Nickel, and Chrome. Many lamps have a combination of the above finishes adding to their style and attractiveness.

For a great selection of piano lamps for all pianos, House of Troy Piano Lights is the company of choice.

Rick Langmaack is the owner of Pianoscomplete.com – an online store which offers piano lamps, piano benches, bench cushions and more piano accessories. He is also a piano technician with many years of experience in the piano industry.

About the Author

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Tips for Choosing Unusual Wedding Favors

Tips for Choosing Unusual Wedding Favors 

Your wedding is the biggest day of your life, and one you will want your guests to treasure as well. Wedding favors are small tokens that your guests can take home to remember your special day in a unique way. While you want your wedding favors to be special to each of your guests, a large wedding crowd can quickly break the bank. To ensure your wedding favors are as memorable as they are affordable, many couples opt for unusual wedding favors that will provide one-of-a-kind keepsake of your celebration. We have tips to help you choose unique and unusual wedding favors that all of your guests are sure to love.

Choosing around a Theme

Does your special day have a theme? Perhaps you have planned a celebration on a beach or a fall wedding in the country. If your wedding is a themed event, finding wedding favors that tie in with that theme will add the perfect touch. For example, fall weddings might include scented leaf-shaped soaps or candles, or a fall cookie cutter ensemble. Beach weddings might offer shell-shaped dishes or sailboat tealight holders. These small trinkets won’t cost much, but they will certainly remind your guests of that special event with a token in the spirit of the day.

Edible Favors

Another popular type of wedding favor is the edible kind, whether you give candy, cookies or a selection of nuts. For something a bit more unusual, how about a bottle of gourmet barbecue sauce or flavored honeys? You could choose fare that is unique to the area where you are getting married, so folks from out of town can enjoy a taste of the region after the celebration has passed. Personalized food gifts are another fun choice, with printed chocolate bar wrappers or mint tins commemorating your day.

Outdoor Weddings

If you will be holding your ceremony outdoors, stick with the al fresco theme by giving garden wedding favors. Birds, flowers and watering cans come to mind as charming themes that could be incorporated into any number of gift ideas. Butterfly baskets or votive holders are another breezy choice for an outdoor celebration. And make sure you wrap up your trinkets in flower adorned boxes or bags that will make a lovely addition to your outdoor reception tables.

Drink to your Union

Coffee, tea and wine also make nice options for wedding favors, whether you go with unusual teacups or wine stoppers, or provide samples for tasting. Bottle stoppers can be found in nearly any theme or style, so you are sure to find a design and price range that suits you. Coffee and tea gifts may come in scented candles, teabag caddies, or coffee and tea samplers. You can purchase bags of coffee or tea printed with the information about your wedding so guests have a keepsake of the day as well.

The right wedding favors can provide a keepsake for your guests and offer you the opportunity to thank everyone for coming in a unique way. The right favors will be memorable and appreciated long after your special day has passed.

Provded by leading wedding favours website pink products

About the Author

Online wedding shop owner who supplies wedding accessories, wedding gifts and decorations

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Colorful Tiffany Lamps For Adorable Home Decor

If you want to lighten your house with perfect country ambience, there is nothing better than Antique Lighting. Well it is true that you are also fishing for modernization of your house and its interiors. But if you think that modern houses do not have place for antique lighting, you are grossly wrong! Today antique lights and lamps are “in” and they will definitely enhance the modernity of your house. Rather people are going for Antique Lamps not merely for collecting such lamps but decorating their personal and living rooms with such lights.

The antique lights do not mean the old-looking and glassy structures hanging from roofs. There are more perspectives to antique lighting today and if you do not know the antique light business is soaring high in the sky! No wonder these manufacturers and dealers of antique or period lamps try hard to meet the demands of customers worldwide. Among many types of antique lights, some names like Tiffany Lamps are popular. The popularity lies in the fact that they are one of the most colorful lamps available.

Here are some of the key points about tiffany lamps:

(1)    The art and design are of prime importance in the manufacture of tiffany lamps. Use of discarded pieces of colorful glasses is the peculiarity of tiffany lamps.

(2)    Whether you want decorative lighting, chandeliers, floor lamps or Wall Lighting, you will not be disappointed by the huge tiffany range.

(3)    The colorful glass pieces used in Tiffany Lamp attract people of all genres right from old people to today’s teenagers. That’s the reason why one gets crazy over the amazing range of tiffany lamps available online.

(4)    As many types of tiffany lamps are available online too, the customer has great choices to choose from. This thing has further propelled the sale of tiffany lamps and other antique lamps as well.

Your home is truly incomplete if there is no ambient lighting in the form of antique lighting like tiffany lamps. Even for people with modern taste, there are models like modern Table Lamps with fabric shades and modern chrome Table Lamp. Along with these, if you believe in rustic charm, you can also go for traditional colorful table lamps that are available in huge ranges.

The experts however will warn you before selecting the right tiffany or any other antique lighting for that matter. Many people say that online traders have started selling duplicate content and you may spend extravagantly for a secondary item. So, beware. Try finding the best reputed website for satiating your desire for antique lighting and only then seek to choose the best! After all, you do want value for your hard earned money! The home décor has come a long way and today people pay special attention to lighting arrangements because they have to find the required peace in their house. And that peace can be enhanced by these ambient antique lighting! So, why not utilize their splendor in making our home the most cherished abode?

About the Author

For colorful and special tiffany lamps, you need not venture beyond period style lighting. You will get all the varieties of antique lighting including the Victorian Lighting here. Visit periodstylelighting.co.uk/ for details.

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Creating Stained Glass Panels

Used in cathedrals to show glorious scenes of saints, and for animals and plants in other venues stained glass panels are beautiful works of art. Though complex looking, these stained glass windows are actually fairly simple, and with a little effort anyone can recreate the art.

The biggest concern when creating stained glass panels is of course safety. The art you are creating includes exposed glass edges, a hot soldering iron, chemicals, and power tools. If you keep safety in mind and maintain a well-organized workspace your hobby will be perfectly safe. As with most crafts you will need to acquire some tools and materials before you begin. You will need glass cutters to score the glass for breaking. As with most tools the higher quality cutter will cost more to purchase, but can make the difference between success and accidental breakage. Another glass specific tool you will need is a pair of combination breaker-grozer pliers. A glass grinder will be needed for making adjustments to glass edges after breaking. Mastering this tool can help your pieces fit together more precise, increasing your appearance quality. More material and tools will be introduced to you as we begin to construct a stained glass panel.

To get started grab the sheet of glass you will be working on with one hand holding the top edge and the other holding the bottom with the sheet in a vertical position. Never carry a sheet of glass in the horizontal position to avoid cracks and breakage! To place the glass on your workbench while vertical place the center of the sheet against the bench edge. Then roll the glass onto the Table and slide completely onto the bench surface.

For your first project choose a novice pattern with a simple design and relatively short lines to score. You will need two copies of your pattern so trace the original pattern onto a sheet of standard paper and heavy pattern paper with a sheet of carbon. Assign numbers to each piece as a way of keeping track of your pieces as you create and build the project. Then use special glass pattern shears to cut your pattern out of the heavy paper.

Select one piece of your pattern and trace the shape onto your glass using a glass-marking pen. Do not forget to mark on the glass the number assigned to that piece of the pattern. Then you need to score the lines you traced onto the glass. Apply firm constant pressure with your glass-cutting tool and make one smooth cut along your line. After you score the line you will need to break the score. Some crafters opt to do this step by hand, while others use breaker-grozer pliers for the job. Either way apply a quick even pressure while doing the break to keep it as clean as possible. Continue to mark, score, and break until all the pieces of your project are created.

Starting in one corner of your project, next compare the glass piece you cut out with that piece in the uncut pattern. Mark any glass that crosses over the pattern lines and then use a grinder to remove the excess glass. Continue to do this to each piece until all pieces are the same as the pattern then place them within the assembly jig for the project.

For the foil wrapping step you need to ensure your hands and the glass are clean to ensure the tapes sticks correctly. Apply the foil wrap tape onto the glass edge with exactly the length of overhang on each side and work your way around the glass edge completely. Overlap the tape on the end about ¼” then crimp the foil over the glass edges. Complete this step by burnishing the foil smooth and then place the glass piece back into the jig.

The final step of your stained glass panel project will be to solder all joints together. Slowly move the hot soldering iron over all the seams coating the foil in solder. Once the initial side is complete roll the project over and solder the seams from the other side. Once you have all the seams covered in solder you should clean your project with a soft rag and glass cleaner. After cleaning the stained glass panel is ready to be proudly displayed for all to enjoy. When others comment on the beauty of the panel you can smile and say you did it all yourself!

Creating stained glass panels is a very fun and rewarding hobby, which can also become a little extra income if you are so inclined. There is so much to learn with stained glass, please take the time to seek out more learning resources than just a small article. To learn techniques and skills to improve your skill look into local classes and workshops. Also speak with artisans in your area, most are more than willing to pass on pointers to a fellow glass worker.

About the Author

All-Things-Tiffany carries a complete line of stained glass panels as well as a variety of Tiffany Lighting including Tiffany floor Lamps.

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Things to Consider in Outdoor Patio Lighting

If you have a patio, then you would have definitely thought of getting outdoor patio lighting. You should know though that this kind of lighting is not something that you can just randomly pick from a store and install. There are a couple of things that you need to have in mind when shopping for outdoor patio lighting.

Why You Need Patio Lighting

Having outdoor patio lighting is not just about trying to make your home patio look as classy as a hotel or resort patio. Installing patio lighting is all about creating the right atmosphere and promoting the safety of your property. Outdoor patio lighting should therefore be correctly chosen and carefully installed to both get your desired ambience effect that you want and to illuminate dark areas where people could meet accidents.

Ideas for Patio Lighting

There are a great many options for patio lighting to match your taste and preference. It’s just a matter of knowing what choices you have. Here are some good ideas for outdoor patio lighting.

- One of the newest and popular options these days is to get embedded lighting. You can choose to embed outdoor patio lighting in pots, furniture and other patio fixtures. Two other popular areas to embed lights in are the patio steps and floor. These embedded lights can help prevent injuries from tripping or falling. The good thing about these kinds of lights is that they are weather resistant and can be stepped on without getting damaged.

- Lanterns are great lights to put up especially if you have a themed home and patio. These lanterns can come in modern designs, paper type designs or in custom shapes and styles. You can even have luminary lanterns with figures of objects, animals and scenes. These lanterns can project the images on your patio when you turn them on.

- Festive or Christmas lights are also another option for outdoor patio lighting. You can string these lights on your patio railing or at the bottom of your patio roof during parties or special occasions. Festive lights can simply enhance the feeling of merry making.

- Center Table outdoor patio lighting is also one good option if you want to save space on your patio. You can easily connect your electric table light to an outlet from the stem or body of your patio table.

- Aside from table patio lighting, you can also have outdoor patio lighting installed from under your table patio umbrella. This is a highly functional and focused kind of lighting that you would find useful for night dining and late night table conversations.

- Lamp post type of outdoor patio lighting has never run out of style. There are numerous designs ranging from European, Oriental to modern. Lamp posts are perfect if you want to complement a specific theme or break the monotony of a patio lay-out. Stand alone Lamps though do take up some space and would therefore look best in wide patios.

- Torches are another great idea for patio lighting. You can choose from torches made of bamboo or metal with a wide range of designs. You can go medieval or tropical depending on your preferred style.

About the Author

Find the latest designs on outdoor patio lighting. Find the residential outdoor lighting that’s right for your home.

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Tags: design, diy, furniture, home, table, table lights, table lights for parties, table lights for restaurants, table lights for weddings, table lights up

Contemporary Lamps

The Anglepoise Company first designed the original Anglepoise Desk Lamp over 70 years ago. With a family heritage of over 150 years, our company history is now defined by the design of contemporary lamps that have over time become a cultural phenomenon and redefined home and business lighting potential. So, when looking for the best in contemporary lamps, who wouldn’t choose the company that is and has always been light years ahead of its contemporaries?

The range of contemporary lamps at Anglepoise incorporates many developments on the basic 1930’s design, so that any of our products can now be placed in any room or lifestyle. Our focus has always been on form and function in any of the contemporary Table Lamps we have produced and as such we are proud to develop on the design that founded our excellent reputation some 70 years ago. Modern customers still benefit from this ground- breaking design by choosing the latest range by British designer Anthony Dickens in the ‘Fifty’ range.

At Anglepoise our range of contemporary lamps covers just about every use you can imagine from wall lights to the magnificent Anglepoise Giant 1227. This particular version of the traditional design means you and yours can enjoy the most illuminating Contemporary Lamp around leaving no one in the dark. All of our Contemporary Table Lamps and Anglepoise designs come with a page of specifications dedicated to it on our web site, so that should you run into problems you can always stay on top of how to get the most from your Anglepoise product.

We supply our full range of contemporary table lamps to countries worldwide and are happy to accept Euro and Dollar payments as well as Pound Sterling. We are also happy to accept orders from our contemporary lamp range over the phone, so contact us today and let us know how we can help.
About the Author

Anant is a lighting industry expert and has been associated for many years with www.anglepoise.com, the leading site wihch deals in sale of Anglepoise lights like contemporary lamps, daylight lamps, big lamp, contemporary table Lamps Etc.

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