Featured Members of the Month
In every issue, we feature those members of our network who have contributed, in some way, to our network, as well as the Celtic Community as a whole. We have provided each of you with the opportunity to voice your opinion by casting your vote for a person to be featured. You can cast your vote in the Round Table. We appreciate your input!
This month our featured members are:
Rafal Sadej
Rafal is a French tattoo flash artist. Rafal Sadej brings a completely new twist to Celtic and tribal art. In the last year, the quality of his art has taken amazing leaps and bounds. His works are a stunning example of an artist who sought to create original designs. In 2002, some of his designs were featured in Savage magazine. Since this time, Rafal has made a personal choice to become a full time artist. He is becoming known more each day for his unique style.
Charles Knutson - (aka Groomporter)
Groomporter researches and sells historic games. These include board games, card and dice games, and portable fabric games, some of which are offered for sale here in our Celtic Store. Much of his works are decorated with Celtic motifs. His beautiful products are born of his interest in history and his fascination with Celtic Knotwork designs. He and his wife are involved in a historical re-enactment group through which they attend and demonstrate period board games at various historic-themed events. Charles has been an invaluable member of our community since the beginning. He has written several blogs and shared his insights by participating in groups and discussions.
The online nickname "groomporter" comes from the fact that Charles researches and sells games of the past. Ask him to post a blog about the history behind the name and I am sure he will. It is a fascinating story.
Khris - A.D.I. Tattoos; Located in North Carolina, USA.
Chris and her husband Jim own the shop. Jim's favorite styles include Celtic and Realistic Color work. Jim has won several awards. Example: In 2003, he won first place for Best Celtic/Tribal at the East Tenn. Tattoo Fest for his full back piece that is tattooed on Khris, his wife. Kris has been a supportive since I started creating websites and has been a great friend. I am deeply honored that she puts updates on our site that are quite clearly all top quality and deserving of awards. I have traveled widely across the US and never have I seen such top quality Celtic work as the tattoos that come out of her and Jim’s shop. I do not just recommend their shop… it is my personal opinion that they do the best quality Celtic tattoos in the US, possibly the world. If you are in their area, or can afford to make the drive, A.D.I Tattoos is where you want to get a tattoo!
Marcus Fisher
Marcus is a professional photographer working in documentary, architectural and landscape photos. His work includes images from Celtic countries such as Ireland, Scotland, and Britain. The focus of his photography contains a world full of castles, lochs, standing stones and stone circles. He has a 2009 calendar available that is called “The Spirit of Ireland”. Marcus has been an active member on our site and has been kind enough to share several of his beautiful photos with us. You can purchase his photos by contacting him.
Jim McCauley
Jim has been playing the fiddle for 32 years. He enjoys playing Irish traditional music at Irish Music Festivals called, Fieadhs. Jim has also played at dances with Ceilidh Band's. Jim still plays the fiddle locally. He would like to get involved in playing for Irish Festival dancing. He plays with his friends at pubs, which he calls “Irish sessions.” Jim has contributed greatly by adding the most videos to our site, all of which are entertaining and a treat to watch. His music is lively, fun and brings a smile as you listen.
Charles John Murnick
Charles is a very talented writer of songs, poems, and stories. He is also an artist and a former member of the Oak Park Art League in Chicago, Illinois, with whom he exhibited his art from 1970 through 1980. His interests include Celtic lore and music, but his passion is poetry. He worked with and published in the Irish-American news, and has many poems on Poetry.com (which he is not happy with and feels cheated) and the former Belfast based news magazine The Blanket. He has also worked for the Des Plains Journal and Chicago Suburban Newspapers and has helped edit school magazines. Charles has been a cheerfully active member of our community by writing several blog posts and poems, including the sad but inspiring, “The Last Words of Roger Casement”.
These members have, in their own individual way, sparked interest with their works, brought us together as a culture and have left a mark that will likely be recorded in history. If you would like to be featured in an upcoming month, there is information about this under MORE tabs that is located at the top of each page. Alternatively, click this Get Featured link.
Be Sure to Invite Your Friends
The Celtic Friends Network is a growing community and you can help our site grow even more by inviting your friends. By clicking the Invite tab at the top of any page, you can invite your friends individually, or you can import your address book from any of the following emails: Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, or AOL mail. Otherwise, you will have to do this manually through your email service.
Spread the word by making use of the links to “Digg” and “Stumble Upon”. These can be found under the sub-heading “Help Others Find Us!” usually located near the bottom or middle right of the page, depending on which page you are at.
If you own your own website or have a profile page on other social sites, such as MySpace for example, you can help make our site more visible by posting one of our Network Badges there. These Badges can be found under the LINK TO US tab (link to us). For more information on how to use the Badge, if you are unsure, please request a tutorial under the HELP tab (tutorials).
Remember, this is your network and we sincerely hope that you will help make it more enjoyable for yourself, and for our other members, by inviting your friends and referring others to our site!
Network Store
Come check out the new items that have been added to the Celtic Shop! The pages are continuously being updated and new products are added daily. If you would like your products featured there, please contact us.
We have recently added a wide range of Celtic Jewelry to the store. These items include Celtic Pendants, Amulets, Talismans, Charms, and Celtic Cross Rings. Other items coming soon are Celtic anklets and bracelets, necklaces and chains, as well as, misc. barrettes, bookmarks and key rings. We will also be adding Celtic Clothing. Please check back regularly as the Network Store is updated daily!
New Features
Mission Statement:
This is a very important description about why we are here. Please take the time to read it, as it explains the goals that we set out to attain and are already beginning to achieve.
Testimonials:
We have added a Testimonials page to our site. This is where our members and customers can comment about their experiences on the Celtic Friends Network. We welcome all manner of input, positive or negative, as it gives us insight into what, if anything needs improvement. We sincerely value your honest opinions and we appreciate you taking the time to let potential members learn opinions about our site. The Testimonials page can be found under the HELP tab.
Tutorials:
We would like to provide the best service possible to our members here on the Celtic Friend Network. If there is anything you are having problems with, such as updating your profile or your profile picture, for example, please check here for a tutorial to assist you. If you cannot find a topic relating to your particular issue, please request a tutorial by posting a comment on this page. The Tutorials page can be found under the HELP tab.
Chat:
Last month we added the convenience of Chat on every page. This feature is still available; however, the location has changed recently. Chat can now be found on the bottom toolbar of every page. This bar tells you how many members are currently online. You can enter your comment in the area provided there. If you would like to carry on a private chat with a member who is on-line, you can click on the photo of the person with whom you would like to chat. You can choose to leave the pop-up box open while you browse, or minimize it. This change addresses the previous problem of slow page load time. We hope this helps and does not inconvenience anyone. Currently we are working on fixing bugs for the new chat feature. We apologize for the inconvenience and will have them fixed as soon as possible.
New Music, Video and Picture Players
This month all of our media players have been updated with special features. Features include a new look which blends better with our site, pop-out controlls which allow you to view video and pictures full screen, the ability to embed players into other websites so that you can share the advanced controlls with friends on other sites, and much more.
Rules for Stores:
We know that our site is valuable resource for our members who operate their own store, and would like extra traffic and customers to visit their sites. We are happy to provide this service free of charge, if our Network Badge is posted on the main page of your on-line store. Otherwise, you are welcome to use our site for personal socializing only.
These rules only apply to stores who personally produce less than 80% of the goods they sell. Please see Rules for Stores under the RULES tab for more information.
Site Rules:
We have provided this page with the sole intent of protecting our members. The Celtic Friends Network is a place where people respect the rights of others. Those who use our site are interested in making friends, sharing personal photos and videos, and discussing and learning about Celtic topics.
We have established User Guidelines and standards we wish to uphold. Please, take the time to read our Code of Conduct in order to insure your awareness of the rules for using this site. Show your consideration of others, as well as, show your support of the Celtic Friends Network. The Site Rules can be found under the RULES tab. Comments and suggestions are welcome as we sincerely wish to provide you with the best possible user experience.
Featured Groups
Celtic Pen pals:
This group has recently been added. The Celtic Friends Network is a growing community and we have been getting new members from all over the world! Some of our members have expressed an interest in exchanging letters through regular mail (snail mail). This group was created to accommodate these and future members. Guidelines as well as how to effectively use this community site are explained on this page. Celtic Pen Pals can be found under the SEARCH tab (Groups, Celtic Pen Pals). Warning: We do not recommend giving your email address or your personal address. There are many email swindles as well as dangers involved in giving out a home address. Anyone who requests your information should automatically become suspect. We highly recommend that you get to know the person through our site before giving out information. We also recommend telling a family member or close friend of any information you have given and to whom it was given to.
Sewing and Needlework:
This group has recently been added to cater to those creative members among us who enjoy needlework. Here you can share and discuss your projects that incorporate a Celtic theme. It is also the perfect place to tap into the experience of others and get their advice and / or opinion when you have a question. This group was designed to reduce the frustration we all have felt when we come across an unexpected hurdle in the completion of a beloved project! This page can be found under the SEARCH tab (Groups, “Sewing and Needlework”).
Celtic Recipes:
There have been many things lost over the centuries as it relates to Celtic culture. This Network is committed to the resurgence of all things Celtic. Nothing is as essential to a culture as its food! It provides physical nourishment as well as a reason to gather and exchange knowledge and ideas. This knowledge was passed down from our ancestors, and must have occurred often at mealtime.
This group was created as a place where you can, not only exchange your recipes, but also pass along any information that you may have about the use of the dish in Celtic culture. This page can be found under the SEARCH tab (Groups, Celtic Recipes).
New Forums and Discussions
The Celtic Friends Network was designed to provide a place where people with Celtic interests can exchange information and get to know each other better by doing so. One of the best ways for this to occur is with the use of forums. This month we have added several new discussions in an effort to engage you in a conversation that you may know something about, or that you would like to know more about. Please make use of this platform, as it is a very important way for all of us to define our ancient & modern Celtic culture.
The Forums can be found under the SEARCH tab (Forums), or by looking on the main page towards the lower right. Here are just a few:
What Makes Me Celtic? Define in your own words what being Celtic means to you.
Celtic Art Manifesto - Present your personal beliefs about the core nature of Celtic art. This is a very special forum as I am working on an idea in which Celtic Artists may design pages that may construct a book similar to the Book of Kells. All are welcome to post here… and Celtic Artists are welcome to design their Manifesto in pages of Celtic Art. The artist maintains copyrights. We hope publish together if this becomes a possibility.
Celtic Mythology - Discuss anything related to Celtic mythology: tales, symbolism, what the tales, and stories, mean to you, etc.
We Care About Your Safety!
Your privacy is important to us. We have provided added safety measures in an effort to keep the information that you provide to us, specifically your personal email addresses, private. This means that no one, except the administrator, has access to him or her.
When you would like to send private messages to your friends on the Network, you may do so from your friends’ profile page (Send a Message). When the message is sent, it goes to their inbox here on our site, as well as to their personal email inbox. They can reply to you from their inbox here on the site, however, your personal email address is not displayed anywhere! The only way another member of the Celtic Friends Network can get your address is if you provide it to him or her personally, or post it in a comment.
We would encourage you to use every precaution necessary, to protect your personal email addresses. If someone asks you for your address, be very sure that it is a person that you can trust. Giving out your email address to anyone online can be a very dangerous thing. We sincerely care about the safety of our members and seek to make you aware of the dangers of giving out your email address.
Donations
Show your appreciation and support to our community by making a donation that will help maintain our site. We do not charge the members of the Celtic Friends Network any fee for the use of our site. Therefore, we have added a “Donate” button on the upper left corner of the main page.
Lisa O’Neill has made a generous donation this month. Lisa is the owner of Celtic Jewellery & Gifts and has been an active member of our community since the beginning. She started her business in 2005 to give people a comprehensive choice of Celtic Jewelry. She has written a blog “The Meaning behind Gaelic Worded Rings” that is insightful and interesting. We would like to take this opportunity to show Lisa our appreciation for her continued support.
There was one other donation this last month; however, that person wishes to remain anonymous.
Thank You!
WOW! This month we have seen an over 200% growth rate. Thank you all for your support and encouragement as we develop the Celtic Friends Network. We are a very diverse Celtic community. Many people have gathered here for bringing together the various facets of our culture. To those of you who have shown your support by contributing a monetary donation, we are sincerely grateful! Your generosity helps to maintain our site and benefits us all. Thank You!
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