Interview

I'm turning in my profile for our Etsy Texas Crafters Membership booklet today. It's going to be a CD of profiles of all the members and we'll use it as a promotional tool. Here are the questions and what I wrote:

Etsy User Name: Scribbles

Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, achievements/awards, and any personal stuff you want to share).

My name is Mandi Flint and I'm a right handed Leo born in the year of the boar. I'm a hippie-liberal type from Austin, who went to school at Texas A&M for a history degree, then moved to Dallas. I'm an artist, peace activist, feminist, and I have a bead addiction. I've been beading since I was 10 when my grandma gave me her loom. I had my first jewelry show at age 12, nearly sold out, and made $78. I thought I was rich! Lately I've experimenting with other ways to use beads besides jewelry. I love writing, so I was already a fan of the G2 Pilot Pens for the fun colors and the smooth gel ink. The only problem was they looked so ordinary. I combined the pens with my passion for beading and BANG, Scribble Scrabble Beaded Pens was born.

Are you an Etsy Buyer, Seller, or Both? both

What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?

That’s a hard one, so I’m glad it’s the first thing you remember making. My grandma taught me to sew at a very early age. She got me a book that had several sewing projects in it. I think the first was a bag to keep all my sewing supplies in. She allowed me to choose any fabric from her large and deliciously colorful stash. I chose a green fabric that had big pink hibiscuses on it. I think I still have it somewhere!

Why do you create?

I create because it’s a meditative freedom. My mind and creativity are free to go anywhere they want without hindrance. Whatever I’m feeling goes into what I’m making, and I love that I can just lose myself in it.

What inspires you? Where do your ideas come from?

I’m deeply inspired by other artists and the stories behind their work. I’m also inspired by nature, color, feelings, even books.

What are your favorite materials?

Beads; with the definition of beads being anything that has a hole through it :)

What is your favorite color?

Purple

What are your most and least two favorite films? My favorite is a toss up between Boondock Saints and Pulp Fiction. My least favorite film has to be What Dreams May Come just because I don’t like the way it affected me.

What are you reading right now?

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the way we make things. It’s really changing how I look at things and what I choose to buy. It gives the word consumer a whole new meaning.

What is your favorite item you have purchased on Etsy?

I’m going to go with my red velvet cupcake pin cushion! My beading needles just weren’t happy with the boring old tomato pin cushion.

Now I have to choose which photos I'd like included!

2 more mini pens!

I posted this Pink Butterfly Mini Pen last night along with a Turquoise Peace Mini Pen. I love making the little mini pens! I went to the store last weekend to buy some more, and I found a surprise. They came out with some mini mechanical pencils! They look just like the mini pens but with a little eraser on top. I've already made one and I plan on posting it later this week.

The next 3 projects on my list are:
1) go look at wedding invitations and get ideas so I can make my own
2) get some pens made for the funky pen and notepad swap on swap-bot
3) work on my profile for the ETC membership book!

Bumblebee Mini Pen

Here is my new pen design, and I am soooo proud of it! I made a cute little bumblebee, and gave him 4 violets all to himself :) I have 3 other mini pens that I will be adding to my shop this week. I'm going to try again on the posting one item per day for a week. I have a mini butterfly, another peace sign, and another waves pen.

I got so much stuff done over the weekend and caught up on a lot of my favorite podcasts. All the sampler packages have been sent out, so I'm hoping people like my pens and come have a look at my store. Then I will be working on my new website! I kind of want to model it after www.betzwhite.com. She has a link to her etsy store under "shop" and a link to her blog. I'd also love to have a gallery. I need one of her cupcake pincushions, too!

Butterflies & Dragonflies ATC Swap

I had so much fun making the ATCs for the swap. I think the 3rd one is my favorite though. I made two for each of my swap-bot partners. I hope they are enjoyed! I loved the explanation of the butterfly effect:

The flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil can set off a storm in Texas. Isn't that an amazing statement? Physicists call this theory "The Butterfly Effect" to explain how the breeze produced by a butterfly's wings could set of a series of reverberations that over time have a tremendous affect on weather patterns thousands of miles away. Now imagine the impact of millions of butterflies...

I love the idea that we all have the power to change the world, and it can start with a small action.

Etsy DFW Meet & Greet

I had so much fun at our first meeting, and I hope we can do it again soon! It was Sunday from 1-4 at Jo-Ann Fabrics. We went around the table and talked about our shops and our craft. That took awhile because we always branched off into other topics such as wholesale selling and pricing etc. Then, our fearless leader Mary brought out some craft kits that she had put together for us. We made altered books, and played with wallpaper, glue, scissors, ribbons, and an ancient looking punch! I loved the outside of mine, but it didn't look as pretty on the inside. Some people decided to donate their project to the team shop for helping promote the trunk show in NY. We decided to do more crafts at future meetings, and donate them as well. I'm the first person on the right side of the picture. Here's a list of everyone and their shops starting with me :)

Mandi = Scribbles
Ellen = EllensTreasures
Mary = MarysMadness
Shannon = Bijoujuju
Micky = MoonshineBluebirds
Megan = Muttsywonder
Karen = Nerdbomber
Diane = DLSDesigns
Beth = ATrunkFullOFun
Kelly = BananaShowcase

Words

I have changed by shop intro to include the story behind my shop. Here it is: I love writing, so I was already a fan of the G2 Pilot Pens for the fun colors and the smooth gel ink. The only problem was they looked so ordinary. I combined the pens with my passion for beading and BANG, Scribble Scrabble Beaded Pens was born. If you don't see a pen that fits your personality, I'd love to do a custom pen for you. They are perfect for journaling, jotting notes, writing letters, and even scrapbooking!

I also added a sections about my beadwork and about the pens so people have a better idea about what I'm selling and why it's so awesome!

*About the Beadwork:
I use a needle and thread, and a technique called peyote stitch to weave the beads together. The beads are Japanese Delicas to create a precision, flawless design. I start with a circle of beads, and each additional bead is locked into place one at a time. This process takes 2-6 hours depending on the size of the pen, and the complexity of design. The result is a solid tube of beads that will slide off the pen so it can be placed on a new one!

*About the Pens:
Quality work needs a quality "frame," and that's why I chose the G2 Pilot Pen. The gel ink is smooth, water resistant, and acid free (archival safe). It's retractable, so there is no cap to lose. They also come in fun colors with a comfortable, contoured rubber grip. Use the regular size for journaling, jotting notes, writing letters, scrapbooking! The compact design of the mini is perfect for purses, datebooks, briefcases, and pockets!

"First Monday" was a Success!

Etsy Texas Crafters had our inaugural "First Monday" on June 4th and it was a success. I made two sales, and one was from our fearless leader Milly! We had 31 member shops participate, and 17 had sales with a total of 37 items sold! I glad the "I Heart Yarn Pen" finally found a good home, too. I am having my first talk with a team member today about our the ETC website we are building. Staying busy, that's for sure.

Also, my Sampler package was found! Apparently many of the packages had trouble making it there. Silly mailman! All are found and will be going out today, and I'm really excited about that. I'm also going to try to get this new pen posted before I leave for work.

Good News and Bad News

I guess I'll start with the bad news so I can end on a positive note. My package to the Sampler was lost in the mail! I cried when I saw they didn't receive it, and after I went to the post office and they said there's nothing they can do. I lost over $200 worth of merchandise and promos, plus all the time that went into it. It was so stupid not to insure it or get delivery confirmation or something. For those type of packages I think I'll use UPS or FED EX so this won't happen again.

The good news is that I got a new lightbox, and I can finally get those awesome white backgrounds for my pictures! I just posted this blue peace mini pen in my shop. I'm going to re-photograph all my pens this weekend and hopefully have everything finished in time for the very first Etsy Texas Crafters "First Mondays." The first one is this Monday -- this will be 24 hours of great sales and special offers in the ETC team shop, as well as in ETC members' shops, and will be held the first Monday of every month (12:01am to 12:00 midnight Monday, Central Time / 1:01am Monday to 1:00am Tuesday, Etsy Time). Watch for our special avatars to appear when First Mondays sales are going on. My sale will be a BOGO, so when you buy a regular size pen, you'll receive your choice of mini pen free!

the Sampler

I finished 25 pens for the Sampler!! I used a variety of designs including the ladybug, peace sign, heart, stripes, and the original swirl design. I packaged them up with a regular business card and a magnetic one : ) I also sent tons of promos:

I'm really excited because I've worked so hard on everything, and I can't wait to see the results. I'm going to try to post a new pen everyday this week. I've made three mini pens and I need to photograph them, so I just need to make 2 more before Thursday. I'm really happy to have time to blog today, too. We are open today, Memorial Day, but since its slow I don't have to be in until 12! I have to say thanks to every single veteran out there for your service to our country. I am especially thankful for the vets over at VoteVets.org for holding true to themselves and taking a stand for what they know in their hearts is right. What you are saying makes a lot of sense, and I hope people will open their hearts to what you are saying...Thanks again.

The Staredown

I was beading away for the Sampler when my movie ended, and after awhile the DVD screen saver came on. The little logo bounces around and changes color. Ruby was fascinated and followed it for 5 minutes before finally barking at it. Hilarious!

I'm mad a USPS right now. They have lost another package of mine! Maybe I just need to add delivery confirmation or something. I realize these things happen, but it was like 3 orders ago, and a very short amount of time. If I ship another method, but then the shipping would cost as much as my product! Catch 22

Gotta Have Friends

Alison Gordon does a lot for our crafty community as co-organizer of Bazaar Bizarre and Sampler Contributor Relations superhero. She has recently faced a medical emergency, and like many independent artists and crafters, she is without health insurance. She is getting some help from her friends who have set up an etsy shop called Wonderland Retreat, a play on the name of Alison’s site, WonderlandQ. The proceeds will all go to Alison to help ease the financial burden. It’s awesome that there are over 5 pages of donated items, and 160 items have already been sold! I’m so proud to be part of such a wonderful crafty community, and I am donating a pen (pictured) from my shop, Scribble Scrabble Beaded Pens. If you have an item to donate, contact Renee Garner at wonderlandretreat [at] gmail [dot] com. I’m off to the shop to set what cute goodies I can buy to help out :)

Busy Week

It's the weekend so I finally have time to sit down and think. The picture is of the scribble pads I've been making to go out with my orders and for promos for fellow etsyians to pass out in their goodie bags. When you flip open the cover, there are 10 little pages to take notes on, or scribble on :)

I received two orders this week, even after raising my prices! My customers are happy, and I feel like I'm getting what my work is worth. I love my new job, too. We're not too busy in the morning and the time goes by slow, but from 4-7 it just flies on by! There are a million other things I need to learn though. I went and looked at some Mini Coopers with my fiance yesterday. I will be needing to get a new vehicle before too long as I don't think my Jeep can hack it. Even though I absolutely LOVE my Jeep, it gets terrible gas mileage and its not convenient unless the weather's nice. I wasn't too impressed with the Coopers though...way overpriced in my mind. I've you have any suggestions for cars, lay 'em on me :)

Blue Waves Pen

I finally got around to posting this pen in my shop today. My table was filled my crayons, paper scraps, and Modge Podge, so I didn't have room for my lightbox until I cleaned up a few things! I also changed the prices for my pens today. I want to go back to the $15/7 combo instead of $12/6. It's not that big of a difference really, and I feel I'm getting what they're worth now.

The job search has ended! Monday I start working for Sewell Automotive. It's a great company and the people are great, too. I can buy more beads, but I'll have less beading time. Oh well I'll just sleep on Sundays!

I'm also a member of a new group on etsy called etsypink. We are raising awareness about breast cancer. Our site is still being worked on but should be up soon. I'm working on an awareness ribbon pen, and I should finish it today. My aunt is my hero and a breast cancer survivor, so this cause is really important to me.

My Art Journal

I love art journaling! It’s my new addiction right after beads, and it all started with a book recommended by Robin Atkins of Bead Lust. A few pages I have done were intense emotional experiences (dealing with the past sort of thing), and others were just fun releases of creative juice.

The first one I’m sharing today is about my puppy Ruby. When I first moved to Dallas (December 2006), I had depression issues. I couldn’t find a job, I didn’t know anyone, and I was questioning my life as if it were a big sham. Sometimes I’d just cry for no apparent reason. I got Ruby in February 2007, and its amazing how much of a difference she has made in my life. I think the quote I used on the page sums it up well: “There no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” To start off the page, I found a photo I had taken of her when she was about 10 weeks, and brought it into Photoshop. I used a “charcoal filter” on the photo, and hit print. Then I just went crazy with pastels and pencils. I added a leaf because chasing blowing leaves is her favorite past time.

This Buddha page just happened as I went along. I drew some Nepalese eyes on the page, and decoupaged little scraps of paper (left over from another project) all around it. Then I added the Four Nobel Truths of Buddhism: Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, and Magga. I used paints, stickers, watercolor pencils, a popsicle stick, magazines, ribbon and tag, and tons of Modge Podge. I start my new job Monday, and I have art journaling to keep me sane. I’m really glad because when you are face to face with customers all day, there are things you have to hold back and release later!

Life goes on

I listed 2 new pens this week. The Spring Jagged Motion Pen (pictured), the Camo-Metallic Jagged Motion Pen, and the AGGIES Pen. I sold a ton of the AGGIES pens at the Winter in Aggieland Craft Show this past December, and I'm debating making an Aggies section in my shop. I'm really proud to be an Aggie and I'm hoping to get some more Aggie customers. Okay, I just talked myself into that one : )

I had a second interview with an advertising company yesterday. It really wasn't an interview at all. I spent 6 hours in the rain watching a trainer try to sell tickets to businesses on the assigned street. I wish they would have told me they were a canvass only to begin with. I thought they had the actual advertising account for the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars, but they really just hire people to go out and sell tickets door to door. I'd do that for the environment like I did for my last job, but I won't do it for tickets, no matter how great the deal is. I thought it was part of their advertising strategy, but not the only strategy. So, the job search continues...

Spring has Sprung

I'm so glad spring is here! The warm weather, flowers, and ladybugs. I saw a cute lil ladybug when I was putting down the top on my jeep, and she inspired this mini pen. You can view the listing here.

I've been listening to a lot of reggae lately on internet radio. I just might have to do a reggae inspired pen as well! Other ideas on my list for the week are: clouds, rainbow fade, camo, and music notes. I also want to play more with the design I named "jagged motion." I've already posted the Aqua Jagged Motion Pen. I signed up for another swap, too. It's called "no more naked envelopes," and I'll post my creations before I mail them out : )

1st Swap on Swap-bot

Here are the two packages I'm about to send out to Carole and Cheryl, my first swap-bot buddies! The swap was to pick from a list of things to send to your partners, and I chose memo pad and gel pen. Those square magnets came with the notepads, and I think they're pretty cute. Since the gel pens I'm sending aren't full-sized, I'm also sending some loom bracelets that I made. =) I painted the envelopes with watercolors, too. Presentation is everything right?

I'm not working at Texas Campaign for the Environment anymore. I'm sad because I loved that job, but I decided I needed to find something better for me and my family (the hours were 2-10pm). I had an interview with Sewell Automotive yesterday, and there are a few more steps in that hiring process. So being proactive, I went ahead and applied for 10 other positions today. Most were administrative positions, and one was for studio photographer! I don't care how long it takes, I just want to find somewhere I like working at. Wish me luck!

New Style

Here are the new pens I made this weekend, and I will be listing them on etsy today and tomorrow. I have to get all the photos taken first. It's a variation on the swirl design really. Instead of going around and around with the colors, I move them up and down as well. The mini pen is straight up and down evenly. The regular size one was an experiment with both techniques that turned out sweeter than I imagined! I'll be experimenting more in the future :)

I went to a peace rally yesterday! We marched from Mockingbird Station (Dallas) to a park near the site at SMU for the Bush Library. My sign said "Make Art, Not War" I posted a picture on my myspace page. The reggae band that played was awesome, and there were some excellent speeches. Three SMU students had signs across the street from us, and the one I remember the most said "Yay Bush". I was glad to see them exercising their first amendment rights, too. More people need to stand up for what they believe in. I draw the line at kid who cussed out a priest that was with us and told the priest he was going to hell. Violence is never the answer.

Purple Butterfly Pen

Well I made another version of the purple butterfly pen, and it looks fabulous! This is a complicated pattern, so I finished it over 2 days. It was about 8 hours all together, and I watched some CSPAN because they had some Senate Iraq debates on. They're working on passing a resolution that basically follows the suggestions of the Iraq Study Group. I followed that up with the movie Patton. I'm a pacifist, but I have a thing for war movies. Maybe, in a past life, I was a soldier fighting a "war for empire" or something, and thus died for someone's greed instead of something worthwhile like freedom. Hmm...I didn't think this post would take me down this path, but it did!

Wear Your Heart on Your Pen

This is the new mini pen that I have listed today. It featues a seafoam green heart on a midnight purple background, and is trimmed up in white. I love the name: Wear Your Heart on Your Pen. I have a bunch of mini pens up now, so I need to get busy making some regular size ones too.

If you have been reading the blog, you probably know that I love the environment, and I'm trying to make Scribble Scrabble Beaded Pens a green business. Well today I will be trying out the awesome transit system in Dallas, and hopefully I can use it to get to and from work without driving my jeep everyday. It doesn't get great gas mileage, and it's going to take me awhile to save up for a hybrid. Plus with summer rolling around, gas prices will go up, and it will still be $40 for a month-long rail pass. You can't beat that!

PEACE Beading Bag

Today I had to share my peace-themed tote made by Nancy Angellotti of stitchz.etsy.com! It was another gift in my peace swap box. It has become my new beading bag that I can take to the coffee shop when I want to work on things there, or beading classes, or beading parties! It's really well made and the fabric is purple, my favorite color. Thanks Nancy, I love it!

I have listed two new pens this week. The first one is the Purple Punk Mini Pen and it is a swirled design with black, silver, and purple. Of course, it writes in purple : ) The second is the Green Peace Mini Pen, and features a green peace sign on a cream background; writes in green, too. I plan to list something new everyday this week, including another of the famous purple butterfly pen pictured on my business cards!

Pink Punk Mini Pen

I made this one yesterday, and it's the first new pen I've listed in awhile. I call it the pink punk pen because the colors give it a punk rock feel: black, pink, and silver. It also writes in hot pink! I think I'm going to make another of these in purple.

I think I'm going to try to design one with a tree on it. I want to give all the proceeds to TCE. I'm just not sure if I should make it a mini one or the regular size one. Maybe a black regular and a green mini and they can be a set! I'll have to think on it : )

Organization Needed

Well now that I have Wednesdays off, it will be easier for me to stay organized. My desk is a disaster area! I finally got some beading time in today, too. I mailed off a custom order today as well. It was a pen for Ilysa of ilysaart.etsy.com, and you can view it here. It's blue with her name done in silver letters. She works with polymer clay, and her work is AMAZING! Okay time to get busy organizing so I can make some new pens. I only have 3 in my shop right now!

Cradle to Cradle

Wow, it's been a whole month since my last post! Now that I am in the rhythm of my new job and having a puppy, it will be a lot easier to set aside time to blog and read others' blogs : ) I just finished the first chapter of this book Cradle to Cradle, and I just love it. Instead of figuring out what to do with the waste after we consume something, we should remake the way we make things in the first place. This book was not made out of paper, or even recycled paper; it's made from "plastic resins and inorganic fillers." It's a "technical nutrient" that can be made into many other things! I used my new book thong from my peace swap box to mark my place. It has a peace charm on one end and a "believe" charm on the other end. It was made by Debbie Clark of littlesomethings.etsy.com: cute creations to give and to keep. Thanks, Debbie! I'll be posting more of the things I received in the peace swap this week, too.

Green Power!

I have been so busy! I started working at Texas Campaign for the Environment last Tuesday and I love my job...I'm just not too fond of the hours for family reasons. I work 2-10pm M-F and we go out in the neighborhood and give people a voice on local issues regarding clean air and water. We are working on electronic waste right now. E-waste (computers and tvs etc) is being thrown away in landfills and contaminating the drinking water with mercury, lead, and cadmium. Our solution is producer take back, and we want the producers of these products to take them back and recycle them for free...responsibly. We've already got Dell on board, and they are actually profiting from their take-back program! Now we are looking to pass a state-wide resolution by collecting contributions and generating letters to Texas lawmakers. It's very nobel and important work because some people don't know it's going on or don't know how to help. When a representative has 50,000 letters from their constituents sitting on their desk, it makes a pretty strong statement! The hours aren't great like I said but I love it because I'm saving the world...one door at a time :)

Here are some ways that Scribble Scrabble Beaded Pens is becoming more green:

1. Packaging- I have introduced green mailers! I made them from this boating magazine that keeps showing up in our mailbox. The boat/lake pics are great for the mailers so they're pretty on the outside, and the type is great to wrap the pens to protect them.
   
2. Photography- I use all digital phtography, so there are no prints or contact sheets. A recycled cardboard box made a great home-made light studio. The lights I chose are energy saving and burn at a cooler temperature.
   
3. Transportation- I have to drive to the post-office because it's a very high-traffic area, and it would be dangerous to walk or bike. So I'm choosing to limit my trips to Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday only. I'm also saving up for a hybrid car!

I've added some earth-friendly links to my sidebar as well! If you have other green business suggestions, please leave a comment. I'm open to other ideas I haven't thought of. Also to track your own carbon footprint, visit www.carbonfootprint.com. Have a fantastic Monday everyone!

3 New Pens

Here are three new mini pens I've done. The peace sign pen will end up in my etsy shop. The other 2 will be future items of the Sampler. I'm going to make 25 total to give for my first contribution, and I'm really excited! It's going to take a lot of time to make all these pens, so I'm shooting for the March or April deadline. Go subscribe, and one of my pens just might end up in your mailbox!

I've had a thing for the color green lately after listening to a new podcast I found. It's an earth-friendly podcast called More Hip Than Hippie. The hosts Val and Dori read articles and discuss them and every episode they rate a different beer and chocolate. Have a listen to find out if your dryer needs balls ;)

Sweetness!

I am in love with my cupcake pin cushion from Pukashell Creative Designs! My beading needles got totally bored with my ordinary tomato pin cushion, and this red velvet cupcake was too delicious to pass up! It's normally filled with beading needles and extra nymo, but I just finished a whole batch of pens. I will be sharing the new designs tomorrow.

Snow Day & Peace

It snowed yesterday...in TEXAS! Ruby and I had a great time playing in it. It was the first time for both of us to see snow, and it was awesome. The previous few days were icy and windy, the kind of cold that rips your skin off. The cold we had yesterday was different. You still had to bundle up, but it was just plain cold. I didn't feel like I wanted to run back inside ;)

Today I finished up my peace pens for our Etsy Peace Swap. I also made one extra for the basket of Peace items we plan to sell for charity. We haven't chosen a charity yet, but my suggestion is Peace Action. I think we will end up picking one that is international so everyone will feel included. I added a quote about peace to go with my pen:

"Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."
-Muhatma Gandhi

Promotional Buttons

I got my promotional buttons in the mail last week and I just LOVE the way they turned out. They have my avatar and say "I Scribble" with my etsy address underneath. I ordered 100 and got them from kneecola.etsy.com. I was also her first sale! I loved the p[rice and she worked with me on my design to make it look just right. I will be sending these with my orders, and handing out randomly. Thanks Nicole!

Greek Flag & Valentine Pens

I finished the Greek Flag Pen this weekend and listed it this morning. Here's the direct link: Greek Flag Pen. I think it looks great on the blue pen, and I'm glad I chose that one over black. I also listed a Valentine Mini Pen that would make a cute, original Valentine gift!

It's been really, really cold and icy here the past couple days. Many schools were closed today as well. This type of storm is rare in Texas, so it was cool to see all icicles everywhere. I've still never seen snow though. My puppy Ruby doesn't mind the weather with her thick fur coat, but I get real cold real quick. So, I've been taking her out more often for shorter periods of time. The great part is there's nothing to do all day except stay inside and bead!

Greek Flag Design

This is my design for Greek Flag pen that I am making for a customer to give to his girlfriend. It was hard to make the cross look right, and the blue stripes are thicker than the white. It was the only way I could make them all fit though. I might play with it a little more later tonight, but for the most part I like the way it turned out.

My customer is one of the hosts of the incredibly informative and funny Evil Liberal Propaganda Network. They have a blog and an internet radio show that airs Mondays and Thursdays at 10-midnight eastern time on indieairplay.com. They "fight CONservative liars with Liberal fire." They make part of their shows into podcats that you can find on itunes. I listen to it all the time when I bead, and I highly recommend their show.

Peace Swap Update

I have completed the first set of pens for the peace swap. I changed the pattern a little from the one I showed before. These have a caps of color on the top and bottom, and the peace sign is centered. The sea green on dark green is the color combo I like best. I also took the keyrings off so they'd be easier to photograph. I hope my swap group likes them.

New Addition

This is the newest addition to my family. My fiance and I have been wanting to get a dog for a long time. When we went to pick up some jeep doors for a friend on Sunday, and they had 3 lab/ retriever mix puppies left to give away. I picked the shy, sweet girl, and it wasn't long until we picked the perfect name, Ruby.
I took a day off yesterday to get Ruby settled in. She is more of a hand full than I expected, mostly beacsue she starts crying whenever I'm not in her view. For now she is comfortable in her bed under my desk. So I think I'll try to finish up the pens for the peace swap today!

Etsy Peace Swap

When I found out about this swap, I had to join it! We are to make 10 peace-themed items, and send them to the coordinator-Holly. In return we will each receive 10 different items from the other participants of the swap. I saw these pens at Office Max yesterday, and they conveniently had a "buy 2 get 1 free" on all Pilot writing instruments. I didn't see the mini pens I normally buy, but I liked the idea of the rings so you can attach then pen to keys and bag zippers etc. I designed the peace symbol last night, and beaded up the first one in turquoise. I think I'll make each one a different color combination so I won't get bored! I might have to add this design to my shop as well.

Purple Rose Pen- PIF

Here is an example of one of the PIFs I'm giving away in my shop. PIF stands for "pay it forward," and it works kind of like crafty karma. You receive the item for free because you promise to pass on the favor. So in return, you can offer a PIF in your own shop, or just do a general good deed for someone. I plan on posting atleast one PIF per month, so be on the lookout. I also posted the new Celtic Knot Pen today, so click here to check it out. Have a crafty day!

The Celtic Knot

The Celtic Knot is one of the most complicated patterns I make. Since there are only two colors, it’s easy for me to lose my place. To make the process easier, I slip my pattern in a plastic protective sleeve. As I work, I can mark off each bead with a dry erase marker that all wipes off when I finish. It’s a slow but relaxing process, and the result here is stunning! I hope to list this one for sale later today. I got a few new shades of delicas yesterday, so I’m off to plan my next pattern…