Netta, Try your local arts and crafts store. Ben Franklins or Michaels. I don't know what they have there in your state, but these are the two big ones here in Washington. You will find what you need there. Be sure to tell them what you are doing and what you are looking for. Tina -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Netta" <netta1@bellsouth.net> > Got a question for you more experienced researchers. > > I got a new Family Bible for Christmas and I want to > fill in the family pages. What do you use to write on > the pages? A pencil or a pen? Both can smudge and > I don't want the information to bleed through. > > What are your choices? > > Netta > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > KYHENDER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in > the subject and the body of the message

Do be careful when you rely on the recommendations of many of the employees of hobby and craft stores. Many of them do not know and will either tell you just anything to make a sale, or they will just leave you to figure it out for yourself. Possibly they will just tell you that they don't know. It's important for you to read, experiment, and research things for yourself, so you will know what to buy. There are lists such as GenPhoto where you can ask about materials you can use safely. I did a search for groups that deal with preservation of old photos and materials, and found several where I have exchanged information. The best advice I got was from the Carnegie Library here, which is the repository for historical materials for this area. They showed me what they use, how they prepare things like old photo albums. You might ask your local library as they would be familiar with materials. Of course, over the years, as an artist, and art teacher, I've had experience in doing things like calligraphy and various kinds of drawing, painting, etc. Bitter experience has taught me some things. 8>)) When I buy materials, I not only have researched them, but I also have to look at and touch every brush, every pencil, ever piece of paper, canvas, or whatever it is I am going to buy. I have had too many shipments of hundreds of dollars of materials, that arrived unusable because the employees of the places I ordered from just sent any old thing. Brushes with hair falling out of them, damaged paper, India Ink with a loose top where everything in the box was ruined, dried tubes of paint, pencils that weren't soft enough, paper that was bent or had a fault through it, etc. Just something to think about. I know our Hobby Lobby store here has cut out so many of the things I use, and the employees don't know anything about art type of materials. They can't tell you where to find most things in the store, much less understand how to use them-unless it's something they use themselves, which is rare. About all they do is clean, and put things on the shelves, move them to a different place for a sale. Most are students who change jobs frequently. If you have a small art supply store, owned by an artist or someone knowledgeable about art, that would be a good place to ask. We used to have several small shops, owned by artists and members of the local art league. Those were excellent in carrying materials, helping with questions, and would order whatever people needed. Then Crafts Etc., Wal Mart, then Hobby Lobby came in, and the small shops couldn't compete. Now people have to go to the big special art stores in Houston, about 100 miles from here, to get good quality art materials, and talk to people who know what they are doing. A scrapbooking store also might have materials, but, again, research for yourself. As I said, what I am using, personally, to label my old pictures, and in my large family Bible, is a Pen Tel Energizer needletip black Acid Free pen that I buy at WalMart. Prior to that, I had been using India Ink with a dip style pen. ( I know that India Ink will last! Also, when using it, it is important to use a small amount of ink and make practice strokes first. It might be important to know how to do lettering or calligraphy before you start trying to put in information with India Ink. You can make a permanent mess really fast with that ink!) And, above all, it is important to consider what kind of paper your Bible is printed on. Is it thin, like most Bibles? Or is it heavier paper? The Bible I have is on heavy paper. It has a gold cover that looks like leather with edges that overhang. Looks really pretty, but those overhanging edges are beginning to deteriorate. I may have to undertake a project to make a new cover for it-someday. So many projects, so little time! Good luck. Cecelia in Texas > Netta, > > Try your local arts and crafts store. Ben Franklins or Michaels. I don't > know what they have there in your state, but these are the two big ones > here in Washington. You will find what you need there. Be sure to tell > them what you are doing and what you are looking for. > > Tina > >> >> I got a new Family Bible for Christmas and I want to >> fill in the family pages. What do you use to write on >> the pages? A pencil or a pen? Both can smudge and >> I don't want the information to bleed through. >> >> What are your choices? >> >> Netta >>