Vintage finds and retro handmade--a sweet mix I know you'll love.

This is my blog. To visit my stores, click the Etsy or Artfire links above, or the product images on the right column of the screen.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Update on the Pom Pom Menagerie Contest

So far, the contest is off to a very good start.  I've had a few entries, including requests for a Shih Tzu and a panda bear.  I can't wait to see what you ask for!

Simply follow me on Twitter, and tweet your entry to "@CandyApplCrafts."  Please make it searchable by adding the hashtag #MenagerieContest to your entry.

If you are on Facebook, like my fanpage and post your entry on my wall.

Limit one entry, per site, per day.

You have until March 3 to enter, so  hurry now and get your entries in!

Here's the complete official rules: http://www.candyapplecrafts.com/2012/02/pom-pom-menagerie-contest.html

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Pom Pom Menagerie Contest

I realize I haven't been back here in awhile, so I thought I'd pop in and say hello.  To update you, the package described in the last post arrived safe and sound, and as far as I know, with no signs of an elephant having roughed it up.

Speaking of elephants, I want to introduce you to my latest creation, a purple elephant! She is made with dark purple pom poms, felt, and a lot of magical secrets.  Hey, an artist has to keep some mystery in her work, you know. ;)

I hope you love her.  Here is the link so you can check out other pictures of this one, and read the description in detail.  If you'd like to see it in other colors, please comment on this post with color suggestions, or send me a convo through the Etsy messaging system!

Your suggestions are always taken seriously, even if you are asking for a Woolly Mammoth (which I can totally make!).

Speaking of suggestions, I posed this question on my Facebook fanpage yesterday, but in case you missed it, I'm also asking it here:
What kind of animal would you like me to make next?

So far, I've made every color of poodle, including a lime green one which would be good for decorating for St. Patrick's Day (coming up soon, folks), white mice in Victorian outfits, and a red spotted mushroom. Okay, that last one wasn't an animal, but it sure is trendy!  As the list demonstrates, I tend to work mostly in pom poms and felt.

I've given it some thought, and decided to make this fun. Let's make it a contest!

  • If you've got a suggestion, please like my Facebook page and leave me a comment.  If I use your suggestion, I will message you for your address, and mail it to you.
  • You can also enter by following me on Twitter, and tweeting your ideas by tagging @CandyApplCrafts and #MenagerieContest. I will check to see if you are following me before making a selection.
  • Entries in the comments section here on the blog will not be counted. Entries by email will also not be counted.
  • This contest only runs until 10 p.m. US Central Time, March 3, 2012. Get your suggestions in before the deadline to be considered.  After I get all the entries, I will sort through them and make a selection.
  • The winning idea will be announced on March 10, 2012. I will make the project and announce it here on my blog, and on Facebook and Twitter as well.
  • Only one entry per day on Facebook and Twitter.  You can make one entry on each of these two platforms in one day, but two or more entries in one day on either site will disqualify you. I don't want to get in trouble with either social media site for spamming.
  • If the winner does not contact me with his or her address by March 13, that winner will be disqualified. I will then select another idea, make it, and announce a new winner by March 17, 2012.
  • If no one makes a suggestion, I will be sad, but I'll get over it. If only one person makes a suggestion, that person will win by default.
  • No purchase is necessary to win. Buying from me is certainly welcome, but it will not increase your chances of winning this contest.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Friday, February 3, 2012

Funny Thing Happened at the Post Office Today

Earlier today, I got the notification that I had sold this vintage knitting bag. (Sorry, folks, this was the last one I had).

So, my normal practice when listing big, hard-to-package items like this is to hold them back until I find a box that will fit them nicely, in case I have to ship them out right away.

Well, apparently during the Christmas season I forgot this practice for one item. One item!  It was enough to create a domino effect, though. I ended up having to steal the box this knitting basket had been sitting in, so I could ship that other thing. That left me without a box for this beauty.

So when I got the notification, I looked around my huge box stash to find one.  Mind you, I have a stockpile of giant boxes that hundreds of bored children could lovingly transform into playhouses, box cars, boats, and airplanes.  Out of this huge pile, I managed to find one I'd purchased at a local box store, which happened to be called a "mirror box."

For those who have never dealt with those, you should know it's a narrow, vertical box with giant black billboard lettering on the sides that says "Fragile. Glass. This End Up."  In my haste, since the post office was closing in 15 minutes, I packed the box and ran out the door without using my trusty sharpie to scratch through these markings.

Now, this haste wouldn't have been necessary if it was any regular sized-box, but this was a huge one.  Most post offices have a drop-off bin near the post office boxes that is accessible even when the check out counter is not.  However, there is frequently some person who tries to shove a box that is too big into this bin, and jams the door shut.  If you've ever used this bin, you may know what I mean. I sure hope you aren't the person who keeps jamming it shut.  If you are, please stop.

Anyway, I didn't want to be the drop-bin-jammer-person today, so I had to get it there, fast, and turn it over to the postal workers at the check out counter.  So, picture me driving down the road (obeying all the traffic laws, mind you) with a giant "Fragile, Glass" box sitting in the seat next to me like a grouchy passenger, and you know what rush hour traffic was like for me today.

I got to the post office and fumbled my way into the inside office, through two glass doors that are not automatic. Ahead of me in the line was a lady mailing preserved bones, as her double armload of small boxes, and child-sized plastic shipping bin proudly stated.  Animal or human?  I was afraid to ask. Just another weird tidbit there...

My box already had postage on it, so all I had to do was drop it off.

And....drop it I did!

I bet I gave everyone in the line a minor heart attack. I was reaching to hand my giant box to the clerk, the massive black lettering screaming to everyone, "I'm fragile! Look at me!" when the lower corner caught on the desk and knocked it out of my hands. It fell and bounced several times (by the way, sustaining no damage whatsoever, since I pack with 2 inches of padding around the item on all sides so an elephant can step on it without leaving a dent), and I think I could have heard a pin drop in that crowded room.

"No, it's not glass! NOT FRAGILE. It's okay. That's just something marked on the box," I told the clerk loudly so everyone could hear.  After another awkward second, talking resumed again in the line.  I walked out of that post office laughing at myself, and decided I should share it with you.

It's rough, shipping these huge packages, huh?  I'm sure it isn't rough getting them. I'm confident my customer is going to be happy to receive this brightly-colored beauty in the mail, and that's why I'm in the business.

What's your weirdest post office moment in recent memory? Leave me a comment telling all about it. I'd love to hear from you!