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…