The new year starts in a little more than 24 hours from now. I doubt I'll get to post soon after today so let me be the first to say "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!'. I'm gearing up for Valentine's Day! I got some cute heart ribbons and I just couldn't wait to make some spikey bows!! I also fell in love with some "hugs and kisses" ribbon and made some clippies! Most are available in my Etsy shop as of right now. I've got some more I'll be listing soon too! Just need to take some pictures :)

How To Make a Ribbon Pouch

Ribbon Pouch Tutorial

Here is something you can do with all that beautiful wired ribbon! Make a pouch to put little treasures or favors in!


The following instructions will show you how to make a sheer ribbon pouch that measures approximately 2.5” x 2.5”. Perfect size for clippies! Use different sized ribbon and different lengths to get various sizes of pouches.

Supplies:
 2.5” Sheer Wired Ribbon
 Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
 Waxed Paper
 Ruler
 Scissors (NOT your best fabric cutting scissors!)

Step 1: Set up your work area by placing a sheet of waxed paper down on your work surface, and tear off an extra piece as shown. If using something other than sheer ribbon, the waxed paper may be unnecessary.


Step 2: Measure 6.5” from the end of the ribbon and cut.


Step 3: Measure approximately .25” from the cut edge and fold the ribbon, crease, then open back up slightly. Using your hot glue gun put a bead of glue along the edge. Immediately replace fold and using the scrap of waxed paper press the fold to seal the glue. Quickly remove the waxed paper from the top and from your work surface if using sheer ribbon before the glue cools completely. Otherwise you’ll be peeling paper off of your pouch! Repeat on other end, folding both to the same side.


Your ribbon will now measure approximately 6”.


Step 4: Measure 2.5” from one end and fold/crease.


Place a bead of hot glue along the short wired edge and press together. Repeat on other side.



Step 5: Fold the end that is extending over to make the flap covering the opening.

Place any small treasure into the pouch, perfect for gift giving! The sample pouch made in these instructions is just the right size for clippies! You can even make it a little longer to accommodate a business card!


Hope you enjoy!
Wendy

The CPSIA

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has passed legislation known as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).
http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.html
This is going to seriously change my business. While I agree that there needs to be some regulation, and that the safety of our children is of the upmost importance, I am very upset. I enjoy making items for children, but will not be able to afford to comply to the testing regulations, nor the penalties if caught not complying completely to this law. I believe it is overkill. Here is a blog post that pretty much sums it all up. Please have a read!

Here are some great links

To contact your Representative:

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

To contact your Senator:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

To contact Nancy Pelosi:

http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

To sign the online petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/

To join the Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=38306568596

And if you would like to read more on the CPSIA:

http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.html

Another Satisfied Customer

I'm not really one to toot my own horn, but I was thrilled to see another video of my no slip grips in action :)

Shopping Guide

I belong to an Etsy Team that is a group of some amazingly talented people, it's the Snarky Chicago Crafters Street Team. Check out this shopping guide that MichellesCharmWorld put together!

You gotta see this!!!!

Well, my Silicone No Slip Grip Tutorial seems to be going over pretty good. I was actually very nervous that no one would want it :). Anyway, I just wanted to share a video that LittleCansOfBeans made after she bought the tutorial and made some no slip grips!

Halloween

I thought I'd share one of my other passions. I love to sew, especially Punky's Halloween costumes. I haven't sewn much since last Halloween. So it took me longer than I expected and ended up having to buy Munky's costume at the store (oh the horror I felt!). We had a beautiful day so we didn't have to cover up costumes with winter coats, hats, and gloves! Yay!

Silicone No Slip Grip Secrets Revealed!

Available now in my Etsy shop! "How To Make Silicone No Slip Grips For Hair Clips" in a PDF that can be emailed right to you!


I have been asked time and time again for my "secret" method for making no slip grips. I've been very protective of it until now, I am offering it to you all now in a PDF that is 11 pages of easy to read text with 20 clear pictures to show you every step of the way! I tell you what supplies I use, and various methods I use to make the grips!

When making this tutorial I did an experiment. The first picture below was taken in the morning before school (the model has very fine slippery hair), then she came home at 3:30, played outside with some friends (running around, cartwheels, and tree climbing). All this time I did not touch her hair or bow, and neither did she. At dinner time her hair was a wreck (as you can imagine after all that play), but as you can see in the second picture, the bow is still almost in the same place 8 hours later!!! All other no slip grips I have tried never held in her hair through that much abuse!

All my hair bows and clips are made with this lining now unless otherwise asked for! Please visit my shop to see all that I have to offer!

Under Construction!

I am playing around with different backgrounds and font colors. Don't be shocked if it is different everytime you visit for awhile :). Unfortunately I sometimes get interupted in the middle of things and don't get to finish. I'll let you know when I've settled LOL!!! The one I have right now is sooo not "IT" but I'm tired and am giving it a rest for now. Hope it doesn't hurt your eyes!

Cornucopia

I am so proud of this piece! It is a cornucopia, it measures only 2 inches! I got the idea right after I'd woken up one morning and couldn't get it out of my head until it was done. It took a long time and lots of fiddling, scraps of ribbon, sticky gluey hands, and a burned finger to get it how I wanted it. When I was done I couldn't decide if it was worth it or not. But now that it is sold, packaged, and shipped, I kind of miss it. Trying to decide if I should make another???

CORPORATE THEFT - THE ORPHAN WORKS BILL

I saw this on MadMaggies Blog, I feel I need to share it and get the word out. I've sent a letter using the link here. I encourage you to do so as well if you oppose this bill!

Please Vote!!

I entered a contest that some Etsians put together. I entered that spider hair clip and headband you see pictured above which can be found here in my Etsy shop. If you'd like, would you consider voting in the contest? It is at this blog, "Montly Challenge Blog". I had a blast making that spider, it was definitely a challenge. I couldn't even tell you how many legs I made before I got ones that I liked!!

Coming Soon!

Coming soon to an Etsy shop near you!


Scheduled to be released officially Monday at http://punkynmunky.com!

Featuring Mad Maggie Designs!

How pretty is that family ring?? I just love those swirl earrings too! And oh my goodness, how fun are those candy earrings??
I'd love to introduce you to the artist who has a brand new shop on Etsy! MadMaggieDesigns! I've been admiring her jewelry for a while now on her blog. I got a chance to ask her a few questions and would love to share with you all! Read through to the end to find information about her FREE FAMILY RING GIVE AWAY!!! You don't want to miss that!!!

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your shop.

My name is Leslie Gidden, I am 36 years old, and I live in a beautiful small town south of St. Louis Missouri. I am married and have a wonderful 3 ½ year old daughter Madelyn. My husband and I will be celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary this October 11th. The month of September brings us to our first year in our new house here in Farmington. I am a part-time registered nurse working for a local pharmacy as a Community Education Nurse during the day. I talk too much, laugh too loud. I love to read…..ANYTHING! I love my family more than anything else in this world. I miss my Step-father and Mother-in-law every day, so much I physically hurt. I have a very strange sense of humor……not everyone gets it. I always fight for the underdog. I am a member of the Kids with Food Allergies support group. I LOVE helping others. I am a very caring and compassionate person…..so much so that little daily tragedies that happen elsewhere and are even out of my control will set me into crying jags. I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs………I am SO boring! More importantly, in 1999 I went to visit my father for a holiday during nursing school and it was then that my father introduced me to jewelry making and design. Yes….my father! The Christmas after my daughter was born I made jewelry as gifts for about every female on my list. This came out of necessity as I was now a stay-at-home-mother, and we only had one income coming in….all with a new baby. That Christmas was how it all started. You know how it goes….someone sees the jewelry, they refer them to you and voila……a business is born. .

2. How did you come up with the name of your shop?

From the minute our daughter was born it was pretty evident that she had 2 very distinctive sides to her. She is truthfully, for the most part, very very sweet. But on occasion the “other side” comes out. We call that person Mad Maggie. Her full name is Madelyn Margaret……hence the Mad Maggie. I searched, and brainstormed, asked advice, but the naming of my business kept coming back to Mad Maggie. It just fit seeing as that first Christmas I made jewelry was how this all started and I made the jewelry to stay at home with her…….1+1+1 and all that! It just came full circle around to her…….my Mad Maggie. Why I picked the “evil side” of my daughter I do not know. I guess I could have named it Madelyn Designs……but, I am sure this is a whole Dr. Phil episode in itself.

3. What is your favorite item in your shop?

Oh my gosh, THIS is a hard question. My biggest seller is the family jewelry, but I LOVE working with sterling wire. I love my Mother’s Rings because they were conceived for our local health department who commissioned me to make a piece of jewelry for their new Breastfeeding Clinic. All of the mothers who “graduate” a year with the clinic get a Mother’s Ring……I just LOVE that! I love being in Wal-Mart and seeing someone with my ring on. But, with that being said, I think I am going to have to say my all time favorite is the Sterling Wire earrings……any style. I just love the organic feel and look. I love making them. I love that there are never two the same. Plus I like anything that you can throw on and wear daily!

4. What is your favorite material to work with?

The Sterling Silver Wire, 0.925…..which is so aggravating to love a medium that steadily goes up in price EVERY DAY! I do think I found a new love though…..Brass. I have always loved my mother’s vintage jewelry that I used to play dress up with. The Brass reminds me of that fun time, so you might start seeing a collection of Brass jewelry soon, named for my mother’s side of the family. The Kelly Collection…….we are so Irish Catholic!

5. What is your inspiration?

Truthfully….my daughter. But, jewelry inspiration comes from many places. The Sundance Jewelry Collections, J Jill Jewelry, Acacia, color, other artists…..daily LIFE! Everything I see, people who I come in contact with. For example, my Katie Collection. This came from meeting a friend/co-workers daughter named Katie. She is such a joy and a truly nice teenage young lady! I just saw “candy” in my head whenever I was around her! She has this beautiful smile with those cute braces on her teeth…..it just took off in my head from there! 6. What future plans do you have for MadMaggieDesigns? I would LOVE to be a featured artist on Etsy…..heck I would love to be in a Treasury on the front page. But, with jewelry design, it is a hard road. It is so saturated with sellers. I am still waiting for that BIG IDEA or design to come to me. I want a design that I can create and is so unique that if you ever saw someone wearing it you could say, “Hey, that’s a Mad Maggie’s isn’t it?”. Oh, but wouldn’t it be fun to see Mad Maggie Designs in a retail department store? Before nursing school I worked in the jewelry department of Dillards Department Store in Oklahoma City. I would just SO LOVE to see all of my designs right there next to Anne Klein, Kenneth Cole, Anna and Ava, Adrienne Vittadini, and Napier………*sigh* A girl can dream can’t she?

OK, now for the giveaway! Go to MadMaggieDesigns. Check out her lovely shop. Then take yourself over to her blog and find the post for her giveaway, and post a comment about her shop! Maybe you will be chosen for a FREE FAMILY RING!!!

Color Charts

I am so happy to have found color charts to share with you all! This really helps for custom orders! I have many of these colors in stock and can easily order any of those that I do not have!!!

Want a set of Free Clippies???

Send me a picture of you or your child wearing one of my creations and if I post it on this blog, I will send you a set of free hair clippies! I will not post any names or locations for your privacy! You may photograph so the faces are not shown or partially shown if you'd like! You may also watermark the photo if you wish.

Send the photograph to punkynmunky@gmail.com

Labor Day Sale!!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend!!

From now until midnight Monday Sept. 1 (or whenever I wake up on Tuesday), receive:

* Free Shipping on all ribbon sculptures or hair clips.
* $1 off of all tutorials/instructions

Please put LABORDAYBLOG in the "message to seller" and I will refund the discount. Or you may ask for a revised invoice and wait to pay!

Have a great Labor Day!!!

Click Here To Vist My Shop

First Day of Kindergarten!

I can't believe I just put my baby girl on a bus for her first day of Kindergarten! Feels like just yesterday she was a baby! Where does the time fly to??

I had made an apple hair clip for her first day. Then this morning she tells me she needed a pencil hair clip!!! So with just minutes to spare, I made one real quick for her LOL!

Doesn't that backpack look so big? LOL!!

ATTENTION ALL RIBBON SCULPTURISTS!!!

I've been busy! I've made some more instructions! Come check them out! If it is sold out, check in my shop to see if it's relisted, PunkyNMunky.

Gymnast & Swimmer Tutorial

Evil Queen Tutorial


I'm working on a few more as well!

Day Out With Thomas!

Thomas the Tank Engine came to our area last weekend so I got tickets to take the kids. I had taken Punky when she was 2, so now that Munky is 2, I thought he should get a chance to go too! When I had taken Punky, I had sewn a dress just for the occasion. Wow, I can't believe how much she has grown since then!

This year, since my sewing machine is put away to make room at the dinner table for Munky, I wanted to make a hair bow for the outing! Being too lazy to come up with a ribbon sculpture, I enlisted the help of my online friend Shannon from GHButterflies, she makes some awesome images! I asked her to make some bottle caps for a bow center as well as a bottle cap necklace for Munky! She did a fantastic job!!! I once thought about making my own bottlecaps, but for now, I think if I need some I'll just order from her, it was too easy!

I had intended on making a pigtail set for Punky, but a few days before I made the bows she said she didn't want to wear pigtails, just one ponytail. So I made a bow to wear on her ponytail. I have one bottle cap left over, trying to decide what to do with it now!

Anyway, here are just a few pictures of our "Day Out With Thomas".