Monday Marketing Tip: Customized Swag

Creating some swag for Sleepyhead, aka my son. Used his album's logo to make shrink plastic beads for necklaces to sell at his upcoming concert this Wednesday.

I'm doing this for him but you can do this for yourself to make customized swag for your bead/jewelry buyers.

Do you have a marketing tip to share today?

A New Creative Journey....

I talk alot about creativity and admire those who forge ahead and live a creative life. My son (aka "The Teen") is just embarking on his own creative journey. I'm proud of him for venturing onto a new path of his own making.

Here he is singing one of his original songs called, "Hindsight."

Sunday Photo

The Teen Turns 18...how'd that happen?

My son (otherwise known on this blog as "The Teen") turns 18 today. How'd' that happen? Seems like I had him yesterday but I think it's always going to feel that way. Best day of my life. I'm so lucky to be Mom to such a fine human being. He's a great reader and one of his favorite writers is John Green so I've posted his vlog on Paper Towns. (I was cinematographer on the in vlog movie shoot.)

Happy Birthday! You're made of AWESOME!

Whatcha doin'?

Made some new molds yesterday. I'm really putting the push on to have a good selection of inventory when September hits. I always find myself scrambling when it comes to the fall. In the past, I didn't think about the holidays or having inventory for the holidays until October - way too late for customers. I've been thinking about inventory and the holidays since July.

So, I tell myself - work work work!

This summer was much busier than others and no vacation. Why? TBC (that's The Bean Counter hubby) has been out of work. Good news, last month he found work but it involves a great deal of travel (ugh) - while we're not crazy about that, we will manage.

The Teen spent the summer learning how to drive - with Triple A. I tried to teach him but I couldn't. I remember when I learned how to drive how my father yelled - now I know why. There's alot to be said for a driver's ed teacher who has a set of brakes on their side of the car. I think I could have taught him if I'd had that set of brakes.


So, that's what I've been doin' - whatcha been up to? Leave me a note and let me know if you're doin' any early holiday preparations or maybe you're teaching a teen to drive?

Sunday's Photo

Taken at the Corning Museum of Glass. The Teen is in the background.

Sunday Picture

Posting a picture today and I'm thinking it might become a regular thing on Sunday. My favorite picture for the week. Over the weeks, it'll become a photo essay of my life.

Today, The Teen.

Amazing Night....

Wow, what an amazing night it was - even here in my own small microcosm of North America.

It started with The Teen bursting through the front door with a group of friends around dinner time. They were wound up, excited, loud - I was a bit miffed because it was a school night and he's got lots of unfinished homework to do. But my chiding him wasn't going to touch the bubble of enthusiasm he and his friends had around them. The Teen announced they were going to watch the elections and it just had to be a party because Obama was going to win!

It took a little time to sink in, afterall Generation Jones sat through the Watergate hearings and the apathy of voters - I wasn't old enough to vote then but it set a tone many of my peers followed.

I, on the other hand, believed in Jimmy Carter - the first president I was old enough to vote for and doggedly voted - telling others I had to vote because not participating wasn't an option.

I took my son into the voting booth from the time he was an infant. Always explaining it was important to vote. When he was old enough, we'd talk about who we liked and why.

I guess that's why on Monday night, he used his cell phone to call for Obama.

Last night, I saw something I've never seen - excitement, involvement from a generation of teens who aren't supposed to care, who aren't supposed to have a work ethic, who are supposed to be numbed by videogames.

With each state result, there was squeeling or groans and suddenly I'd be surrounded by the teens asking what did I think it meant? What was going to happen? We discussed it and went back to watching the results.

When the election was called, screams emanated from my house - I wonder if the neighbors knew it was excitement over a political process and not just another teen party.

I'm impressed with The Teen (I know I'm biased) but he wasn't the only one. It was the whole country. I'm amazed and filled with pride.

Zoo-licious Snow Leopard

The Teen's newest picture - The Buffalo Zoo's Snow Leopard. I LOVE this picture - he's entitled it "Reticence." Perfect name, I think - but don't expect me to be unbiased.

Pinz in my Heart

Pinz in my Heart were created almost two years ago in response to a particularly bad day with The Teen. I've added fine silver foil to these just because. I like the dark red striations I got from this rod of glass. A designer friend of mine calls Pinz in my Heart "bad a$$!"

Seeing....

Did you look at something mundane in a new way? Comments say some of you did. Here's an art shot of a vinyl record - yes they're back - YAY. Taken by who else but The Teen.

Cool, huh? I'm proud he's finding amazing ways to express who he is. I'm one lucky parent!

What outlets do your kids have to express who they are?

Seeing the Mundane

Inspiration can come from many places - like seeing the mundane in a new way. Today's inspiration is from The Teen, who saw this everyday object in a new way. Textural isn't it?

What mundane thing have you seen in a new way lately?

Fish Eyes, Comments and Running on Empty....

Fun photos from The Teen's new obsession, a FishEye lens on his Holga camera. I took this picture of him at the Chicago Public Library when we went to see John Green. THAT was a cool space, an atrium with a glass roof and lots of light.

I'm behind with commenting to my readers. Sorry, All! I'll get to your comments and write some new posts today. I can handle the sign language interpreting schedule along with creating but when I add taxi-mom to the equation, I find it hard to juggle all the balls at the same time. This morning, The Bean Counter announced he'd had it with work and he was resigning this week. YikeS! I'm glad he wants to move on and I support it but give me more notice! I've offered to take on the breadwinner role but I'd like to be able to transition a bit better. Oh well, it will work out.

I'm feeling like I'm running on empty but it will be nothing compared to when I take over the breadwinner role - so I have Jackson Browne in my head this morning. If you listen, you will too!

Lights, Camera!

Last summer, Melanie of Earthenwood, designer Jean Yates and myself collaborated on a piece of jewelry using Melanie's and my spirals. Melanie's necklace calledSunken Treasures is in Simply Beads this month!



This is a picture from my Flickr group from last year but if you want to know how to make it, go buy a copy of Simply Beads, August 2008. It's on page 43 with great pictures and great directions.

The Teen continues to make electronic music. A wonderful artist friend created a album cover where he's become an Anime character. His personality is captured perfectly - the unruly hair (courtesy of Mom thank you very much), his checkered Van's and t-shirt. It's made of awesome!