Posts by Lana | Chill Room is a bidorbuy blog about books, movies, music, art and crafts

Lana

39 Articles

The best position for reading

by Lana on September 7, 2017

You can read in almost any position, but there are some rules that serious readers should adhere in order to avoid neck strain or arm fatigue. I recently overheard a conversation in a library (yes, I go to library regularly; and yes, I …

How to craft with broken china

Crafts

by Lana on August 11, 2017

Believe it or not, there is one small step from “Oops, I broke a plate!” to “Look at my work of art !” With appropriate equipment, some skill and a lot of patience, it is possible to give broken china (or porcelain) a second life. Consider these …

Transfer your photos to wood

Crafts

by Lana on June 9, 2017

Got some time on your hands? Select a few favourite photos and transfer them to wood panels! You will be creating lovely family mementos, and with some practice perhaps even true pieces of art. There are several techniques for transferring images to …

Get crafty with wood blanks

Crafts

by Lana on April 13, 2017

Do you feel that taking up a craft hobby would improve the quality of your leisure time, but worry about biting off more than you can chew? Consider wood blanks. Their beauty is in their versatility. They come in a wide range of shapes. They also lend …

Collecting art

Art

by Lana on February 21, 2017

Everyone can collect art. You don’t need to be an authority on art. You don’t need to have lot of money. All you need is passion - passion for art and passion for collecting. Granted, art collecting requires more effort, forethought and dedication than …

How to write well

Books

by Lana on January 10, 2017

You may not be consumed (yet) by the burning ambition to write the next great South African novel. Still, you need decent writing skills in order to: Put together an email message that’s easy to understand; Compose a social media post …

Let’s talk poetry

Books

by Lana on November 9, 2016

I am not going to claim that the sale of poetry books on bidorbuy rose significantly since it was announced that the poet-singer-songwriter Bob Dylan won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. However, I do want to make it known that week in, …

Your tunes, your personality

Music & Instruments

by Lana on September 1, 2016

Do you reveal something about yourself by your choice of music? Apparently, you do, according to the psychologists who have conducted studies focused on the correlation between musical preferences and personality characteristics. Turns out, …

Adult colouring books

Books

by Lana on June 13, 2016

They are just like colouring books for children, only more intricately designed. Sales-wise, adult colouring books performed so-so until someone had the brilliant idea of attaching to them slogans such as “your daily dose of Zen”, “de-stress and …

The subtle appeal of drawings

Art

by Lana on January 12, 2016

Though never in the forefront of the visual arts world, drawings have been a steady favourite from the time humans first made linear marks on cave walls. As simple as this art form is, it still manages to evade strict definitions. Basically, a …

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