Actually, it's a pencil.

OK, am I the last person on the planet to find out there is a RIPTIDE PENCIL!!!!!

Seriously, it has RIPTDE printed right on it!!!  Right on the side!!!

And why do you ask, am I so very excited about a cheap mechanical pencil?

Because you can make Handmade Percy Jackson Valentines with them!!!!

(Do I care that it isn't a pen?  Heck no!  Perfection, pffff!  Get over it!)

Remember these?

K and her friends loved these during their Percy Jackson craze, goodness that must have been,... 4 years ago.  She heard from one of her friends just last fall that he still had the cheap white pen with the faded sticker on the side.  Handmade creativity for the win!

Well, now all you have to do to make Percy Jackson Valentines for all your friends next year, (and you know you will want to) is:

Aquire this stuff:

Card stock

Printer

Riptide pens

clear tape

1. Print out the template on card stock.

2. Cut out the cards.

3. Write your name by FROM:

4.  Tape on a RIPTIDE pencil!

5.  Repeat to make a bunch and give them to all your friends!

I am so ridiculously happy!!!!

A lil' something for K's Birthday.

My first attempt at metal stamping.



I used the Vintaj Natural brass altered blanks, my ball pein hammer and my table vise for a hammering surface.  These blanks are very thin and I found less is more when it comes to the hammer.  These need very little hammer action.  Though I kinda liked how the blank buckled.  I just kinda mashed it with my rubber hammer till it was pleasingly flatish afterwards.

K was pleased, even wore it to school that day.  Though she had to take it off to play her bass at school.  The chain is long and kept clanging against the side of the bass.  The chain and jump ring are from the Tim Holt Collection.  The brass matched very nicely.

I gave the extra blanks and punches to K for her birthday.  She's all excited.

"Make a teenager an necklace and she can wear it till she looses it.  Make her the necklace, AND, give her the tools to make the necklace, and she can loose the necklace, make another, loose that one, make a third, make a couple for friends, loose hers again, make a fourth, and so on, and so on,... forever."

craftylilthing