Did You Know? There were 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, including two future presidents and a carpenter! (John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and George Walton, respectively) Tip of the Month If you know Chris, you know he's a fanatic when it comes to hanging pictures! They must be centered, correct height, and precisely level. Here's his trick for hanging two or more pictures in a straight line, without marking the wall: 1. At your local home improvement store, pick up a roll of brown paper (in the painting aisle, $2, will last you for years) and a roll of blue painter's tape. 2. Roughly determine the height and width of your hanging area. 3. Roll out one band of the brown paper the width of your hanging area. 4. Tape it to the wall with blue painter's tape at the center of the brown paper (top and bottom), approximately where your fasteners/hangers will be placed. Now you have established a canvas to mark on the wall exactly where you will put holes without marking the actual wall. 5. Measure and mark for your first photo. 6. Use a level to draw a line across the wall to the second photo (repeat as necessary). 7. Hammer your nails or picture hangers into the wall where you've indicated. Pull down the brown paper and discard (in the recycle bin). 8. Hang photos, using a small level to make final straightening adjustments.

July 2009

Welcome to the July edition of the CK Valenti Designs Newsletter.   Read Full Issue Online >

THANK YOU to everyone who responded with such positive comments about our first newsletter! We hope you will consider passing this edition along to others who might be interested. The highest compliment you can pay us is the referral of a friend or family member!
Sincere thanks from the CK Valenti Designs family.

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Copper Art Panels

A mix of geometric and organic, these copper wall panels were custom-designed for a Chandler homeowner. Read more >

August Spotlight Preview

Get ready to see what copper and an intricate frieze can do to turn this unfinished range hood into a piece of art! Watch for it in the August newsletter. Click to view "before" picture >

EDUCATION CORNER

What does "green" really mean?

In past communications, such as on our blog, we've talked about "being green" - CFL light bulbs, solar power, electric vehicles, save the earth, etc. Since the word "green" is becoming pervasive in our everyday world, we decided to dive deeper into this concept. Every day we hear this word in some form another and at this point we all likely have a general understanding of its meaning - as in, living with consideration of the environment. As humans continue to improve earth-saving practices and technology, the term "green" becomes more general and less useful. What does "green" really mean and how can we "be green"?
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WEBSITE NEWS

New Pages

We've transformed our previous "Green" page into a more comprehensive view of how CKV is tackling sustainability, one step at a time.
Click here for the Sustainability page

We've added a page of links to recommended websites.
Click here for the Links page

Now on Facebook

We'd love to see you as a "fan" of CK Valenti Designs on Facebook! Click the button below to visit the CKV Facebook page.