Mattress Materials

Materials Used in Mattresses

Foam – soft material which helps with temperature regulation and pressure point relief. there are different types of foam which include memory foam, gel memory foam, polyurethane foam and viscoelastic foam (rebounded foam)

Polyester batting – used as a filling in pillow top mattress and mattress covers.

Wool – not used as a standalone material for mattress padding and instead serves as extra padding and temperature regulation and extra padding.

Cotton – a breathable material that is used both inside and outside the mattress.

Adhesives – used as a way to bond layers, materials and seams together. Quilting is often combined with adhesives to strengthen the bonds.

Flame Retardants – found in all mattresses as a legal requirement.

Steel Coils –  either formed as open coils or individually wrapped coils, they are a key structural component that are the firm support as the base of the mattress.

Mattress Types

Memory Foam – Consists of polyurethane and additional chemicals to increase its viscosity and density. The foam bubbles are open and create a matrix through which air can move and allow the foam to soften in reaction to body heat, allowing it to mold into the body shape within a matter of minutes. newer foams return to their original shape quicker. They also don’t have coils in them.

Innerspring Mattress – the most numerous and the most popular due to their affordability. They also support a variety of sleepers including stomach sleepers, people with back pain, and overweight individuals. However, they have the tendency to sag, short lifespans, noisiness and lack of motion isolation.

Hybrid Mattress – these mattresses combine two or more support systems such as memory foam and the innerspring system. making them a great way to experience the pressure of reliving benefits of memory foam while retaining the feel of an innerspring mattress.

 

 

Bird Flight Patterns

Common Bird fight patterns

1. Direct Flight – birds fly in a straight level path while continuously flapping their wings. Species that use this includes: Ducks, Herons, Shorebirds and Blackbirds
2. Flap and Glide – the bird takes a break from flying and glide instead. Species that do this include: Ravens, Owls and Hawkes
3. Glide – birds glide without flapping. Birds that do this are Swifts and Swallows.
4. Hawking – involves flying out and up from a perch and then back again in circular motion. it used by birds like flycatchers and warblers to hunt for insects “on the wing”
5. Hovering – the bird appears as if its hovering in one spot. this is mainly used by hummingbirds because they do this at will due to a unique flexible shoulder joint that enables the bird to create lift during the up and down stroke. Kestrels, Kingfishers, and Storm-prestels are capable of hovering briefly.
6. Static Soaring – Hawkes and Vultures fly in circles and soar on their long broad wings.
7. Straight-Line-Formation – Pelicans, Flamingoes, Cormorants, and cranes fly in a straight line in formation while low over the water.
8. Undulating Flight – a rollercoaster style flight pattern where birds flap their wings during the rising phase then glides as it descends. this style is used by Woodpeckers and Finches.
9. V Formation – a flock of birds arranged in a V pattern. each bird is slightly higher than the other and takes advantage of the lift generated by the wingtip vortex of the bird in front of it. the lead bird and outside positions are the most difficult physically so the birds often switch positions. these are used by migratory birds such as Geese, Ducks and Swans.
10. Zigzag – Snipes and Grouse fly up and down in a triangular path. Its mainly used to elude predators.

 

Source: https://pqspb.org/bpqpoq/10-bird-flight-patterns-to-know/

What birds eat

Birds have many types of diets that vary depending on the birds species and nutritional needs. It can also vary based on the season. The best way to attract birds is by observing what they eat

The type of foods birds naturally eat include:

• Insects
• seeds, grass and plant material
• pollen
• fruit and berries
• nectar
• rodents and other small animals

Its also possible to offer them kitchen scraps such as fruit, vegetables, cheese and bread. However they have less nutritional value than wild bird foods so they should only be offered as occasional treats.

Tips for attracting birds:

• offer both natural and supplemental foods to attract a variety of birds.
• clean bird feeders regularly. this includes ground feeding stations and the areas underneath the feeding areas to eliminate buildups of seed hulls or feces which could lead to contamination or disease spreading.
• use baffles to make the feeding stations squirrel-proof
• add water sources, nests and appropriate shelters to make your space more suitable survival space for the birds. this will also make them less likely to leave.

source: https://www.thespruce.com/attract-birds-with-food-386394

Birds in Sheffield

Birds found in the Sheffield/Rotherham area:

Barn owl, Black-Headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Blackcap, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit,  Collard Dove, Coot, Curlew, Dipper, Dunnock, Goldcresst, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Hen Harrier, Herring gull, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Linnet, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Mallard, Mandarin Duck, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Robin, Skylark, Snipe, Starling, Tree Sparrow, Waxwing, Wheatear, Wood Warbler

Total = 40

Locations:

Ponds/Wetland/Coastal: Canada Goose, Coot, Dipper, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Mallard, Mandarin Duck, Moorhen, Snipe

Total = 9

Woodlands/Parks/Farmland: Barn Owl, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collard Dove, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Robin, Skylark, Tree Sparrow, Wood Warbler

Total = 21

Widespread*: Black-Headed Gull, Curlew, Hen Harrier, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Starling, Waxwing, Wheatear

Total = 10

*includes city areas as there is no singular type of bird that can only be found in cities.

 

Developing Art skills 9

Today was learning about single point perspective and how it can change depending on the positioning of the vanishing point. Another thing learnt was how to space things out in perspective.

Materials List

Wood

 

Plywood is a type of wood that can be used in making cat trees. there are different kinds of plywood these include: 3-ply and 5-ply which are sheets based on how many layers of plywood were used and these are used in decorative internal uses and multi-ply which is plywood composed of many layers to be used in heavyweight construction. This material is also resistant to water, moisture and high temperatures. Manufacturers include: Yorkshire Plywood Ltd and Avon Plywood Ltd.

MDF is another wood used in making cat furniture. it is a strong and cheap material that can be cut, drilled, machined and filed without damaging its surface. Manufacturers include: Skirting UK and W.Howard Ltd

Solid wood is another wood used for making cat furniture. Its an environmentally friendly and durable wood.

Fabric

Nylon is a synthetic man-made material that can be produced in either sheet or fibre form. its produced by using a complex process that creates the material’s strong polymers first then binds them together to create the strong fibre. The material is a natural heat sensitive, strong, lightweight and durable material it is also has a low absorbency rate and can take on dye extremely well. They can be also used in a continuous filament form or be chopped into shorter lengths and spun into threads. Manufactures include: Direct Plastics Ltd and G&B Fissaggi UK

Sisal is a straw like plant fibre. its a course, inflexible fibre that has the ability to stretch, dyes well and is water resistant. Its also a coarse material, harder than straw and can be cleaned with a damp cloth. It is recommended natural sisal with 8mm diameter for cat trees as thin sisal is easy to be caught off.

Sheepskin (also known as lambskin) is skin off a sheep but unlike leather, sheepskin is tanned with the fleece intact to make fur. Its used in soft wool-lined clothing or coverings, and invalid rugs and pelts. It has good Insulating properties as its a natural insulator and is resistant to flame and static electricity.  Manufacturers include: Westmorland Sheepskins, Real Sheepskin Association and City Sheepskin.

Faux fur is any material that is made from cellulose or synthetic fibres designed to resemble fur. its increased in popularity over the years due to animal right activists that claim its an animal-friendly alternative to fur clothing. its a material thats not easily deformed and its used in making cat trees. However cat hair does stick to it which makes the material need regular cleans. Manufacturers Include: Sommers Plastic Prod. co. inc, Concept III Textiles International and D&N Textiles Inc.

Plastic

Durat 470 is a solid polyester based material used to make custom surfaces in private and public interiors. It is made from recyclable plastic making the material itself recyclable. The material has a silky warm feeling to it and an interesting impression of depth in its finish. This material is very durable and can be renewed by slight sanding. It’s also resistant to wear, humidity and various chemicals.

PVC (or polyvinyl chloride) is a thermoplastic used in panel edging and foils. However, this plastic is not considered eco-friendly because it is not recyclable or biodegradable and considered a ‘poison plastic’ for children under certain ages.

Polypropylene is a type of plastic with two-dimensional molecular structures. this material can be softened with heat or recycled. its mainly used on plastic objects with hinges as the material can withstand movement. its used to make large storage box furniture with hinges or snap closures as well as blow up furniture such as chairs and sofas. This material is the most common eco-friendly thermoplastic used in furniture making.

Polycarbonate is a material that comes in sheets and can be carved on with woodworking type tools in order to turn it into furniture. It can be easily cut so it can be molded into distinct sectional furniture or decorative attachments to furniture. The material is almost unbreakable when made into furniture and is also recyclable making it a more environmentally sound plastic compared to PVC. Manufactures Include: Polypropylene products and theplasticshop.co.uk

Flooring

Lino (also known as Linoleum) is floor covering made from materials such as solidified linseed oil, pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate. Pigments can also be added to achieve a desired color finish. Lino flooring maintains it’s good looks because the pigments are throughout the thickness of the material and not just on the surface which helps camouflage scratches and requires little maintenance, needing only sweeping and damp mopping.

Laminate flooring is a multi-layer synthetic flooring.Its designed to look like wood or stone when its actually a large photograph covered in a clear ‘wear layer’ Its fast and easy to install as well as easy to clean. Manufactures include: Sheffield Flooring Solutions and Carpetright Sheffield.

Sources: http://www.ctnd.com/top-materials-used-furniture-manufacturing/

http://www.urbanara.co.uk/journal/buying-guide/nylon/

http://www.urbanara.co.uk/journal/buying-guide/sisal/

https://homesteady.com/list-7390006-components-plastic-furniture.html

https://www.greengoodsusa.com/durat-470.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linoleum

http://www.meow-cat.com/2013/02/how-to-build-cat-tree-condo-house.html

http://www.design-technology.org/mdf.htm

Sketchup to Photoshop

Before

After

After the 3D model is made in Sketchup, We can send it to Photoshop to add a range of things such as, people, furniture, carpets and wallpapers.

1. First, The model needs to be positioned at the exact angle you want to edit from, this can be achieved by going into the large tool set and click on the person, that way its positioned so that an average sized human would be looking at the model, then click on the eye button to adjust what the person is looking at.
2. Then once you find a view you like, go to File->Export->Export 2D graphic.
3. Before you save, click the options button and make sure the highest quality is set. And make sure the image width is sett 7000 or higher.
4. Next open it up in photoshop
5. Use the line tool and draw lines on the walls until they all meet at a certain point in the image, This is where the vanishing point is on the image
6. draw an horizon line where the vanishing point is. This serves as a guide to correctly scale any people you place in this image.
7. add a person, then place them where you want them to go on the image, then scale it so their eyes are on the horizon line.
8. when adding custom patterns for flooring/walls use either the skew or distort tool to position it in perspective. then lower the transparency to help it blend in and make the final image look more realistic.

Animals and Mental health

Another way to reduce anxiety and stress is through owning a pet, as pets can be a great source for comfort, companionship and motivation for their owners and can help us live mentally healthier lives. Pets are also a great motivation for people with depression, as dogs are good at encouraging owners to get exercise. Stroking, playing and sitting next to a pet can give owners the chance to calm down and relax their minds. Caring for a pet gives peoples day purpose and a sense of achievement, as it helps them feel valuable and needed.

Dog walking can also lead to owners having conversations with other dog owners, this helps them stay socially connected and make them less withdrawn.  Pets are also a great companion for people as they give them a sense of security and someone to share their routine with, Especially for those who are later on in life and live alone.

Pets can help benefit people, especially children, who have Autism or ADHD. As sensory issues are common with those who have Autism and sensory integration activities are used to help them get used to the way something feels against their skin or how it smells or sounds. Dogs and horses have mainly been used for this purpose. Children with autism find it calming to work with animals.

While children with ADHD can benefit from having a pet by taking charge of the jobs such as feeding, walking and bathing a pet as it helps children learn to plan and be responsible. Playing with a pet is also a good way to release and burn excess energy, as they can burn off energy by walking a dog or running around with a cat, making them much more calmer and relaxed later in the day. Pets are also great listeners and will not criticize a child for having too much energy , which can aid in boosting self confidence.

A study with cats protection in 2011 was carried out, which surveyed over 600 cat owners and non cat owners, and they found that 87% of people who owned a cat felt that it had a positive impact on their well-being and 76% said they could cope with life better thanks to their pets.

There’s Science to back this up: physical contact with a cat triggers the production of the hormone oxytocin, which reduces the stress hormone cortisol to make you feel relaxed and happy. As well as oxytocin, playing with a cat can increase the production of dopamine and mood-boosting serotonin, which antidepressants like Prozac work to regulate. While this cannot replace prescribed medication, cats can compliment traditional therapies. Cats have been used successfully in animal-assisted therapies with psychiatric patients with high levels of depression and anxiety.

sources:  https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/p/pets-and-mental-health

https://www.yourcat.co.uk/Your-Cat/purrs-prozac.html

 

The Loneliness Epidemic

Social Isolation is a problem all around the world- not just in Sheffield and it can have a serious effect on those effected by it. According to Age UK, over 2 million people in the UK over the age of 75 live alone and more than a million say they can go over a month without speaking to anyone. these people can become socially isolated for a number of various reasons such as getting older or weaker, death of spouse or friends, and through disability. this can lead to depression as well as a decline in physical wellbeing.

Despite this, there are ways to help them such as: setting up activities in the local community like book clubs, bingo nights, quiz nights and faith groups and getting technology that allows them to communicate with any family or friends who live far away. Libraries and community centers often have classes to help older people learn how to use technology.

However, loneliness can also happen to young people too. in 2010 the mental health foundation found loneliness to be a greater concern in younger people than the elderly. those aged 18 to 34 that were surveyed found that they were more likely to feel lonely and worry about feeling alone and feel depressed because of this more than the over 55s.

Loneliness has been a recognized problem in the elderly as there are resources in Sheffield designed to help them but when young people reach 21, they’re considered far too old for youth services which is problematic due to the close relationship between mental health and loneliness. these are linked to depression, stress, paranoia, anxiety, addiction and is also a known factor in suicide. As for what they do to combat loneliness, a survey at the oxford internet institute points to social media and the internet being both a boon and a problem. The positives to social media are that it allows people long distance contact with family and friends but the negative is that social media allows for people to present an idealized version of themselves online and that with sites like Facebook people will end up comparing their lives to those who have seemingly perfect lives, which can lead people to withdraw socially.

sources :http://www.sheffielddirectory.org.uk/kb5/sheffield/directory/advice.page?id=U5PwUp317HY https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jul/20/loneliness-britains-silent-plague-hurts-young-people-most

 

 

Developing Art Skills 8

Today’s session was learning about Axonometric projection drawings. Axonometric projection is when a 3D object is represented in a drawing where all the measurements remain to scale which results in an optical distortion of diagonals and curves. In this we were shown a range of basic shapes to try and draw out using this method, including an Axonometric drawing of park hill.