Luke Judge

Finally, the government gave the green light to the establishment of the online lottery, a major step towards ending the long-standing deadlock. But instead of the 2- and 3-digit lottery, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva wants the online system to be used for the traditional six-digit type of lottery that is currently available in print. according to the PM, the online lottery will not affect the sale of the paper lottery tickets. The move came after the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) confirmed no irregularities in the procurement process for the installation of online lottery system nor violations of Public Procurement Act 1999. along with that, the Council of State and the Office of Attorney-General maintained the validity of the existing state-private contract between the government and Loxley Gtech Technology, a company awarded with the concession to set up the online lottery system.So, the Abhisit administration must immediately start serious talks with Loxley Gtech on possible legal complications, since the tech firm said it was ready to file charges against the government if the online lottery project failed to become a reality and the contract revoked. Loxley Gtech reportedly has invested more than three billion baht in software and hardware installation, and therefore would expect due compensation if things don?t go ahead as planned.Should the government manage to convince the counterparty to come to terms with a change of the lottery type slated for the online sale, it might eventually solve the impasse and save itself from losing a lot of money in a legal case. That?s killing two birds with one stone!Not only can the state reduce the possible financial damage from having to compensate Loxley Gtech in the lawsuit. it can also stamp out overpriced lottery tickets and the lottery mafia permanently.Most importantly, the online lottery will end up benefiting the buyers most, as they could buy lottery tickets at a lower price. no more paying as much as 90-120 baht for a ticket.nevertheless, the government must give some thought to the downside of online lottery. there are currently tens of thousands of lottery vendors, many of which have to travel far away from home to sell these lucky numbers. and they would definitely not like it if they find themselves selling fewer tickets, earn less income than before, and are forced to do something else for a living.if the government does not think about these side-effects and come up with the solutions beforehand, a mob of lottery vendors at the Finance Ministry will be a certainty.Editorial, Post Today newspaper, Page 2 of Analysis Section, January 18, 2011Translated and rewritten by Wacharapol Isaranont Please note that the views expressed in our “Analysis” segment are translated from local newspaper articles and do not reflect the views of the Thai-ASEAN News Network.

cocos Keeling Is Stamps act 1999, irregularities

I took a class more than 11 years ago that taught me how to make faux tiles. They were gorgeous! We made all kinds of shapes and all kinds of colour combination. I don’t keep alot of the cards I make preferring to give them away but I still have the cards from that class.

But until today, I had never made the Faux Tile technique again. I don’t know why. It’s certainly not hard and it uses supplies I already own.

Here is a close up of the tile so you can see the detail. I am really happy with how this tile turned out.

You don’t need alot of supplies for faux tiles. For this card, I punched a circle from Kraft cardstock. The Kraft is a little bit heavier so I knew it would work well. My punch is a 1-3/8 circle so it fits the image I want to stamp.  I used Glassy Glaze embossing powder but clear will also work.

The first colour of Craft ink used was Night of Navy. I covered the circle with ink and then Glassy Glaze embossing powder. Next, I melted the powder with my Heat Gun and let the circle cool completely.

Tip: If you hold your heat tool at 90 degrees above your paper, the paper will not fly away.

 I repeated the process with Gold Encore ink.

And again with Bashful Blue Craft ink.

 Last, I quickly placed my image that was inked up with gold ink onto the still hot embossed circle.

I left it there for several minutes until the embossing powder cooled off.  Remove the stamp.

To Order Stampin’ Up! Products in Canada, Click Here

Stamps: Framed with Love, Thank You Kindly

Ink: Not Quite Navy Classic, Not Quite Navy Craft, Gold Encore, Bashful Blue Craft

Paper: Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy, Bridesmaid Specialty Paper, Kraft

Punches: Wide Oval, 1-3/8″ Circle Punch

Other: Elementary Ribbon Originals, Gold Cord, Glassy Glaze Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

 Framed with Love Stamp Set

$36.95, #114389, Page 119

Elementary Ribbon Originals

$14.95, #116231 page 182

Don’t think it, ink it!

cocos Keeling Is Stamps circle punch, heat tool, little bit, navy craft

4 years ago, I began designing, manufacturing and marketing a line of raised plaster stencils and ornamental molds. My focus was to introduce the art of raised stenciling to the general consumer, creating a new market for common stencils, which I did quite successfully.

However, as news spread of the revival of this lost art, I began to receive more and more calls from drywall contractors and builders across the nation quizzing me about the possible application of these techniques in their drywall/plaster business.

The typical slow down in winter due to harsher building conditions (and now the recent downturn in the housing industry) commonly left a gaping hole in revenues for businesses of this nature.

Smart drywall professionals began seeing Raised Stenciling and the application of Ornamental Ceiling and Wall designs as a way to bridge the gap between busy seasons and increase their revenues through this easy and inexpensive craft.

Plaster stenciling simply involves smearing common wall mud (joint compound) over the stencil openings, removing the stencil and allowing the design to dry which creates an ornate raised design on walls and ceilings.

Ornamental molds are just as easy! Spray the mold with mold release (a silicone based spray that prevents the plaster from sticking to the mold), filling it with plaster of paris mixed with water, allowing the plaster to harden then applying joint compound (used as the adhesive) to the back of the hardened piece and holding it to the wall until it bonds.

Various mold designs are combined in artistic ways to create ornate ceiling medallions, ceiling corners, wall border designs, wall and ceiling frames and to turn plain fireplaces in to ornate beauties.

The investment in stencils and molds can be minimal and as everyone in the industry knows, plaster of paris and joint compound are extremely cheap, allowing you to create a high ticket service for very little expense.

Professional creation and installation of an ornate plaster ceiling design can produce as much as $50,000.00 from the high end client and can be scaled down to the simplest frame around a light fixture for lower end consumers or builders.

How do you market such a service? That’s easy. By doing some of these designs in your own home, you can quickly begin a beautiful portfolio to show builders and clients. Visit plaster restoration websites on the internet for lay-out ideas.

Don’t forget that areas such as above doorways, windows and exterior doorways also benefit from the beauty of this easy treatment, along with fireplace designs.

In conclusion, do yourself a favor and look in to the possibility of extending your business services in to the area of decorative art to help you through the slow times. What you may find is a much more lucrative main staple in your business service line-up for the remainder of your career.

© Victoria Larsen 2006

cocos Keeling Is Stamps plaster ceiling, plaster of paris