Personalized Touches

I've been busy. I see that my blog says it has been three weeks since I last posted. As I said, I've been busy.

My daughter is getting married in May, 2010. Funds are slight. I needn't ramble on about how the economy stinks and jobs are scarce. Still, I want to give my daughter and her fiancee something for their house despite them already everything they could possibly need.

I can not say what it is I have done because I haven't sent them to my daughter yet. If she were to check what I have written of late, the surprise would be ruined. But everything I have made is useful. Everything I have made... well, I have made and not some person in a factory somewhere getting 50 cents a day for their labor.

What I have made is 100%, U.S.A. handmade. On top of it all, I don't have a sewing machine so everything is hand stitched. Uh, except for those few things I glued as I was becoming impatient and wanting to complete the project(s).

So, stay tuned. Once I get the gifts mailed to her and she receives them I will provide pictures and descriptions of the items. All were easy, oh so inexpensive, and very useful.

Keep dreaming...

Finding Inspiration in the House & Copyrights

I look around the house for things to scan to use in my candy wrapper designs.

I've scanned things like western place mats, old family pictures, bits of lace from my grandmother's handkerchiefs and even part of a sand painting. Of course, with things like the place mat and the sand painting I have to alter them as to not infringe on the copyrights of the piece.

This has been done in advertising through the ages. But it doesn't stop with advertising. Songs writers get inspiration from other songs, alter and change one up. Writers get inspired by other writings; use ideas and change them up. It's against the law to use another's work in verbatim and with its (basic) inception, the copyright begins. That's not technically true but it's something I try and live by.

Were I to come up with an idea and voice it someone before I even have it on paper I would be pretty upset if they used my idea. If they had asked if they could use my idea I might say yes. This would give them permission. I might put restrictions on their use of my idea.

However, the moment my idea is on paper it is copyrighted. Usage of other people's work without their permission is a no-no. That is to say unless they have given specific permission and have given specific instructions on how the piece can be used.

There are many clipart artists out there who do just that. Yet there are many artists who merely ask that you provide a link on your website to their website. Others will ask you to simply give them credit.

It's touchy and it's tricky. But if you understand their rights as well as your own, you should be okay. It's just a matter of a little research and reading.

The Bad Dreams

I don't want all of my dreams to come true. Those infrequent bad dreams I have while I sleep I would just as soon forget.

Two nights ago, I dreamt John, my husband, ordered me to get back to work. He didn't simply order me, he screamed at me to get back to work. You would have to know John to know that he would never do that. He might quietly suggest I go back to work. Or he might point out a job suited to me. More than likely he would say nothing.

But that dream haunted me throughout the day. I heard his loud, demanding voice which really was nothing more than my own guilt hollering at me to find some way to help with financial income. Naturally, I set about working to ignore the voice in my head and sat in front of the computer working on custom candy bar wrappers.

This helped tremendously as I felt I was doing something toward my candy wrapping business. The two wrappers I designed I posted to my website: Miller's Wrapped Expression. Once I completed that I worked to find ways to get the crud out of the textured linoleum in our kitchen since vinegar and water wasn't doing the trick.

Know what did? Greased Lightning (TM) did it. The floor now looks really clean. I held the nearly empty bottle eye level working to come up with another use for it. Sure enough, with bottle and rag in hand I cleaned dirty smudges and finger prints from the doors in the house.

Now I'm out of Greased Lightning (TM) and have to go out today in the bitter winter cold (it's minus one as I type) to buy more. This also means I will have to shovel the end of the driveway so my small car won't get high centered leaving me stuck half way in the street.

But I managed to quiet that stupid voice in my head yesterday!

Building Inventory of Dreams

Rather than spending the day creating faux candy bars out of cardboard to wrap in custom Valentine Day wrappers for samples, I found myself imagining and creating egg shell Valentine votive holders. Before I knew it, the day had passed and it was time to feed, walk the dog, prepare guinea pig salad and let out my boys (ferrets), Ponc and Poncho.

Well, I did manage to print a few custom wrappers out but that was it. I was consumed with the egg shell designs and searching the house for something out of which to make stands for them.

I did finally find a nice thick cardboard tube from a roll of aluminum foil. I measured and marked around the perimeter then using a serrated knife cut them to a decent length. I wrapped some with glittering gold ribbon, some I simply painted with black acrylic and added polka dots. Later I will seal them with Mod Podge (TM) which will also make them shine.

Mod Podge (TM) is what I use to seal the egg shells. After painting the designs with acrylic paint I use the Mod Podge (TM) again to give them a glossy look.

I don't particularly like to spend money on craft supplies unless I absolutely have to. I'm a huge fan of turning the house upside down looking for materials to reuse, recycle. I suggested to my husband, John, I'd like to have some copper wire because I like the looks of it.

Did you know that cables for the TV and stereo contain a core of copper wire? John knew this and because he loves to save money just as much as I gave me this bit of information.

Yesterday, not only did I design and paint egg shells but I striped unused cable wire down to the copper wire core. After measuring and bending the wire into circles, I glued them onto the seed beads around the rim of the shell.

I also used the wire to bend into heart shapes which hang on the rim wire used to somewhat conceal the ragged shell edge. All that remains to do to them is add a wick, melt and pour wax.

Pictures will be added to my portfolio of candy wrappers. You never can tell. Someone just might want to buy one!

Latest Creation

I thought I had an original idea but come to find out - after searching on the Internet for something - my idea wasn't original.

I had taken discarded egg shells and made votive candles out of them. But first I sealed the shells then painted them with acrylic paints. After inserting wicks, melting and pouring the wax into the shells, I let them rest and waited impatiently for the wax to harden.

I was finally able to light them and was happily surprised to see the shell color glow with the acrylic colors. I won't let the fact that the idea wasn't original stop me from marketing them (along with the personalized custom candy bar wrappers I have created) to gift shops. If they will allow me, I will leave samples for their customers as well as my business cards. Retailers love freebies to give out so there shouldn't be any problems in placing the samples.


Now whether or not consumers will find the egg shell votives and candy wrappers worthy of purchase is the question yet to be answered. But my marketing experience tells me the more I place the better chance of someone buying one or the other or both. After all, it's all about the numbers. The more people or businesses you introduce yourself to the better of success.

With that, I need to finish up all my votive samples I have created for Valentines Day along with my portfolio of candy bar wrappers.