Holiday 2011 Rush in Full Swing!
So ya, it’s been over 4 months since my last post. Having a baby keeps ya busy, amirite?! However, I’ve been rocking out soap and crochet orders as fast as I can whenever the geekling naps, and the holiday rush is in full swing… did everyone just suddenly realize that Christmas is right around the corner or something?
Incoming shameless plug: Hey, everyone! Christmas is right around the corner! And of course you want to be the one that gives the most geektastic gifts in your circle of friends, so get over to GEEKSOAP and get your order placed ASAP to guarantee timely holiday delivery.
/End spam.
So what’s been happening the past 4.5 months? Well about a month after the geekling was born, as if I needed more on my plate, we decided to buy our first house. And then move 5 days before I went back to work from maternity leave, and a week before my in-laws came to stay with us for a week. Like I said, it’s been just a little intense around here!
Somehow I’m managing a full time teaching job, a new baby, prepping for the holidays and the move/settling in/decorating a new house and all of the responsibilities that come with it, and filling an insanely ridiculous amount of soap orders on the side. Somehow I’ve been successful at all of this so far without feeling too overwhelmed… yet. To help keep it that way, this year you may have noticed that I’ve pared down the GEEKSOAP shop to only focus on my top sellers for the holiday season; this is one of the checks and balances I’ve put in place to ensure that I don’t get in over my head over the next month. I want to make sure that all of my online customers are happy and that I can get orders out in a timely fashion AND still have time for my family. If you’re looking for something that’s currently not available, just drop me a line and I’ll happily get you squared away to make all of your geeky gift-giving dreams come true. :)
Also on the radar is a GEEKSOAP store redesign coming… well, sometime soon-ish. It’s in my head and I’ve got some ideas, but nothing has really been started yet. I hope to make your geeky soap shopping experience even better with the redesign. More on that as I start fleshing the plan out.
Oh! And I almost forgot! I’ve got a super fantastic geeky DIY gift tutorial coming soon that will help you create the perfect last minute gift for the comic book geek in your life. I can’t share yet because I’m giving this amazing handmade gift myself in a couple of weeks, but stay tuned! You are seriously going to love how simple yet AWESOME this gift turns out. And even though I said it’s for the comic book geek in your life, it can easily be modified to suit ANYONE! Yay! See you back here with that tutorial in a few weeks! Until then… good luck with your holiday shopping, and happy (almost) Thanksgiving!
Our Son has Arrived!
As we close in on his 2 week birthday, I figured I should quickly update my craft blog to let anyone left who doesn’t already know… our son was born on June 30, 2011. Welcome, Liam Richard! You can read more about his arrival on our family blog here, which includes plenty of adorable photos.
I’ve updated the maternity leave info pages of the GEEKSOAP and Pink Toque Shop sites to include this info, too, to keep all of my customers and fans in the loop. Thanks for all of your well wishes as we get settled into life with a newborn! :)
love,
Lesley
Baby (Almost) On Board! What this Means for Business
As most of you know, my husband and I are expecting our first child at the end of June. The official due date of our little geekling is June 29, but you know how babies are… unpredictable! He could be early, he could be late, but no doubt about it… he IS coming. What does that mean for my two small businesses, GEEKSOAP and The Pink Toque Shop?
Let’s get one thing straight: I’m not going anywhere! GEEKSOAP and The Pink Toque Shop are not going to disappear, however, I’m sure you understand that some temporary time off will be required to handle the priority that is a brand new baby. As first time parents-to-be, Lucas and I would LOVE to think that we’ve got this under control and we’re fully prepared for what bringing a baby into this world is going to mean for life, the universe and everything, but let’s be honest… we’re 42 shades of clueless.
To be safe, I’m blocking *at least* a month off and plan to have both the GEEKSOAP store and The Pink Toque Shop “closed” – as in, everything being set as “sold out” with a note referencing this blog post for details – for that period of time. I will not be accepting new orders or filling orders from either shop during that period as we become new parents and try to figure out what on earth we’re doing. Email communication may also be sporadic and I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to reply as quickly as normal during this time; I’m sure you understand. :)
As for *when* the month will start and end, that’s as predictable as baby’s due date. If all goes according to plan, I’m going to temporarily “close” both shops a week before our due date with the stipulation that IF the geekling comes earlier than that, the shops will close earlier than that, naturally. I figure a week will give me time to get out any last minute orders that come through before baby arrives.
I’d also like to think that a month is enough time for me to feel like I can handle sneaking in an order or two here and there while the geekling naps, but that assumes A LOT of things… like that I’ll even be able to function. If I don’t feel quite ready or able to handle orders after just a month off, I may need to expand that time off a bit, too. I figure if I get at least 6 weeks off from my job for maternity leave, then taking up to 6 weeks off from my small business jobs shouldn’t be unreasonable if it’s needed.
What about conventions?! What about Gen Con and Dragon Con?
No, I will not be making an appearance at either of these two conventions this year like last year. While that’s sad, I am so happy about our growing family, and there’s always next year for conventions. (Besides, imagine the cosplay possibilities for a one year old next year helping mama out behind the table! SQUEE!) That being said, just because I personally won’t be at Gen Con or Dragon Con this year doesn’t mean my products won’t be there in some way, shape or form. I am currently working hard behind the scenes to complete a few large convention projects that I’ve been commissioned for that will take my place, so you can still come into contact with GEEKSOAP during your geeky convention gallivanting this summer. When the stores come back up after my maternity leave you can be sure there will be some special promotions, too. And because Gen Con is right here in Indianapolis, there’s also the chance I’ll go for a bit on one of the days as a regular convention-goer. If you’re going to be in town for Gen Con let me know and we can hook up! Be sure to be on the lookout for Deodorant Dame at Gen Con – she’ll be loaded with GEEKSOAP goodies at various official Gen Con events, too!
The whole point of sharing this now as opposed to after the geekling is born is so that you’re sensitive to the situation well in advance and I give YOU, my customers, as much notice as possible so I don’t just appear to drop off the face of the planet one day without warning. That wouldn’t be fair to you; I believe communication and transparency is key! I cannot control when the geekling decides to make his debut, so if he comes really early I will have to make changes to accommodate that. I hope to be able to get all orders out before that day, but please understand that babies have a mind of their own and I will be doing my very best for you under the circumstances, whatever they turn out to be.
Really, I’m just trying to be as prepared as possible. This is our first child and we have no idea what we’re in for. If the situation changes, I will be sure to keep you all in the loop as quick as humanly possible, within reason. Remember that my customers and my shops are important to me, too! But I’m sure you understand that baby and our little geeky family takes priority and I’ll be back to making geektastic soap and crochet Cthulhu creations for you all as soon as I truly feel I can handle it. It could be sooner or it could be later than my projected timeline, and either way, you’ll be in the know as soon as I know.
Thanks for being so understanding and patient with me during this unpredictable (and exciting) time! I will be sure to keep you updated on the status of the shops and when I can handle taking orders again. If you’d prefer to get an email notice from me the day that the shops are back online, just enter your email below. I promise your email will not be shared, sold, or used for any purpose other than to send a single shout out to let you know when my products are back. :)
Love of love (truly, from the bottom of my heart),
Lesley
Buy a Soap, Save Boobies!
Back in December, my boss asked me about breast cancer awareness soap and whether I could make her some that she could order to give to the team members of their annual Race for the Cure team that supports her mom, Ginny. I found a suitable mold from my supplier and made a few bars as an example. The team’s motto became “Clean Up for a Cure” with soapy inspiration.
This week I registered to join Ginny’s Crew and help Clean Up for a Cure. Me and my 7 month pregnant belly will be proudly walking in the Komen Indy Race for the Cure in downtown Indianapolis on April 16, 2011. I’m doing all I can to help raise money for breast cancer research and education by inviting my friends and family to walk with us, and encouraging donations towards my personal sponsorship that goes towards the overall team goal for Ginny.
Want to Help?
Starting this week I’m making the breast cancer awareness soaps available for sale at geeksoap.net, and you can buy one (or more!) between now and April 15, 2011. Purchasing a bar is a 100% direct donation towards our team fundraising goal just in time for the Race for the Cure.
Follow our progress on my personal page at the Komen Indy Race for the Cure fundraising site.
When you add a Clean Up for a Cure soap to your cart, you have the option to make your donation anonymous OR you can choose to include your name with the donation. When these soaps are ordered, I will personally go and donate 100% of the soap purchase (all $10!) right to my Race for the Cure fundraising page, and either list your name as the donor (if specified) or list your donation anonymously – however you chose when checking out. And if you choose to have your name included, I will go by the default name on your Paypal account, though you can specify a Twitter handle or nickname in the notes to seller when checking out if you’d rather use that instead. You’ll be able to start seeing donor contributions listed on my Race for the Cure site within 24 hours of purchase.
The best part? 75% of the money raised stays in Indiana for breast cancer education and research. The other 25% goes towards national breast cancer research and advocacy. Which means 100% of your donations are helping to end breast cancer forever!
Please help me reach my personal goal, which helps Ginny’s Crew reach their team goal, which means more help in the battle against breast cancer. You can purchase a Clean Up for a Cure soap OR sponsor the team & I directly in the Race for the Cure this April if you’d like to specify a different amount. No donation amount is too small, and every penny counts! And if you’re local, why not register to come walk with us? We’d love to have you.
The Clean Up for a Cure soaps are made from 100% all natural, vegan friendly ingredients. They weigh roughly 5oz, and are approximately 3″ x 2.5″. Each bar of soap smells of soothing, comforting lavender.
Two Ways to Donate, Three Ways to Support!
Buy Clean Up for a Cure Soaps – 100% of the soap purchase price ($10/each) is immediately put towards my fundraising goal.
Sponsor me directly via my Race for the Cure fundraising page to specify a different donation dollar amount. Remember, no amount is too small, and every penny helps and is appreciated!
Register to participate (walk, run, or sleep!) in the Komen Indy Race for the Cure on April 16, 2011.
Thank You!
Thank you for supporting breast cancer research and our Clean Up for a Cure team – especially Ginny!
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays, readers!
It’s been so busy around here at The Pink Toque the last few months! If you recall, back in October I officially opened a second storefront for my crochet wares – specifically, my crochet Cthulhu accessories. Since then, it seemed the holidays snuck up on me, and I was busy working my tail off with GEEKSOAP Christmas orders and cranking out as many crochet Cthulhu toques and scarves as my fingers could handle in between soap pours. The result? GEEKSOAP and The Pink Toque as a whole had an ASTRONOMICALLY successful holiday sales season! I was literally working two full time jobs the last two months in preparation for Christmas; my normal teaching job by day, and then soap and crochet queen by night. There were nights I worked around the clock to keep up with orders and do my best to get everything out ASAP. A HUGE thank you to all of my customers and supporters; I’ve received nothing but praise and super awesome emails from you all as you received your orders and/or as your recipients received the geeky gifts that you purchased for them from one of my stores. It’s made my holiday very special indeed, and all of your love has really warmed my heart. <3
The stores both “closed” on December 21 and will re-open on January 3; I’m finally taking a well deserved break and recuperating from the madness of the holiday rush so that I can restock all of my supplies and products for both stores. I’m also using this break to focus on creating some new geeky soap designs that I think you’ll like a lot when I release them in early January. :) Thank you so much for making this season so amazingly successful!
On a personal note, you may have heard that my husband and I are expecting our first child in June. We could not be happier to finally be starting a family! Thanks for all of the well wishes we’ve received since we made our announcement public on December 1; this is going to be one geeky baby! We’re expecting the geekling to arrive sometime at the end of June and you can keep up with all of the baby details over on our personal blog. We’ve also put together a baby page on our personal site that we can update along the way to keep our friends and family in the loop with info. We’re really looking forward to the adventure of becoming parents for the first time!
So that’s it around here! So much good stuff on both my small business(es) and personal fronts that I can’t help but be thankful for all of the people who have supported me along the way. I am truly blessed! *love* Look for some new goodies coming to GEEKSOAP in January and thanks for all of your holiday orders. Hope you and yours had an a wonderful Christmas full of awesome and win. Happy New Year!
A New Storefront for The Pink Toque!
I have some exciting news for The Pink Toque! A lot of you know that I’ve been around blogging about my crafty endeavors for over four years now. In fact, it was four years ago this month that I opened my Etsy store and started selling purses, bags and custom plush. When I designed The Cthulhu Toque and its companions the Baby Cthulhu Toque and the Sockthulhu plush, they were sold in the Etsy store, too. Last fall and winter were the first BIG seasons for my Cthulhu crochet creations; though I had designed the toque before then, it didn’t take off until the seasonally cool weather set in. Now that we’re starting to experience some cooler temperatures and we’ve officially said goodbye to summer this year, I’ve been getting requests again to have the Cthulhu Toque available, and I’ve also seen an increase in its pattern sales on Ravelry this past month. I’d been playing with some new Cthulhu crochet designs recently, and so this year I decided to create a new storefront just for my geeky fiber arts creations and release some new accessories there, too!
Introducing… The Pink Toque shop! No longer am I using Etsy to sell any of my stuff. The new shop is in addition to my GEEKSOAP storefront at geeksoap.net – most of you already know that GEEKSOAP is just one storefront of mine that’s strictly my line of original handmade geeky soap, and the Cthulhu Bath Mitt since that logically goes with soap. However, The Pink Toque shop is a new and separate storefront hosted on BigCartel instead of Etsy, and there you’ll find my Cthulhu Toque, the Baby Cthulhu Toque, and some new and exciting crochet designs of mine… such as the Scarfthulhu Cthulhu Scarf and coming soon… Cthulhu Mittens!
Wait, a Scarfthulhu Cthulhu Scarf?! Yes, that’s what I said. Isn’t it awesome? Both ends of this 63″ (over 5 ft!) original scarf feature 100% handmade tentacled Cthulhu goodness that will keep even your soul warm and protected from the elements. Or maybe it squeezes your soul right out of you; I forget. Either way, you can’t deny how cool it will make you look in the cool weather. And paired with the Cthulhu Toque? How can you go wrong?!
So now there are two places you can go to get your hands on some original creations of mine – geeksoap.net for soapy goodness and shop.thepinktoque.com for all of my geeky fiber designs. I think you’ll love the addition of the Scarfthulhu to kick off the additional store with something new, and the mittens will be fun, too! I’m still working out a few kinks with their design, but hope to have them up in the next month or so. That means you’ll soon be able to own an evil yet full and fashionable set of Cthulhu accessories to keep you warm this winter!
Want to keep up with me on Twitter? – @ThePinkToque and @geeksoap
Fan The Pink Toque and GEEKSOAP on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/ThePinkToque
Thanks for spreading the love :) Speaking of spreading the love… did you notice the adorable crochet Cthulhu doll that’s wrapped up in my Scarfthulhu? His name is Oscar, and he’s a creation made by Ruth of CthulhuChick.com. You can snag a Cthulhu doll of your very own in her shop! Oscar has attended two cons with me – Gen Con and Dragon Con – and he always loves a good adventure. At home he has a special place in my soap studio, watching over me as I work. When he’s not keeping an eye on soap, he’s causing mischief all over The Pink Toque shop, so be sure to look for him in the store when you’re there. :)
Remember to look for my creations in two places now! My handmade, vegan friendly geeky soap designs are still at geeksoap.net, and now you can find my original, wearable crochet Cthulhu accessories available at shop.thepinktoque.com. Hope you enjoy!
Venture Brothers Paintings – The Monarch & Dr. Mrs. The Monarch
Hiya!
I know, I know. It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but I’ve been busy! (Excuses, excuses.) After Gen Con I started a brand new, amazing job right away, and then Lucas and I just moved closer to my work last weekend. Between the new job (which used to have a long daily commute), continuing to create huge amounts of soap to fulfill customer orders, and our recent move, I’ve not had as much time to create other things or update. Now that we’re finally settled, I’m excited about how inspired I am to get crafty again to create new works of art to decorate our new home.
I LOVE the fact that all of the art on our walls are original prints and artwork by friends and geeky artists, or something I’ve painted myself. My latest creations are acrylic paintings of my favorite animated couple in one of my favorite TV shows of all time, The Venture Brothers. Introducing… The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch! (Note: I have yet to do the solid magenta backgrounds on these that I’m planning, so stay tuned to see them 100% completed and on the wall in our office in a future post!)
I based my paintings on images I found online of the pair, which came from screen captures taken from the show. You can see the images I used on the floor in front of each painting in the first photo. The Dr. Mrs. The Monarch was originally going to be done à la Dr. Girlfriend, but as I worked on her I decided to modify the design to transform her into the Queen Butterfly instead. It seemed fitting; the paintings will soon be hanging above Lucas and I’s matching computer desks next to each other in the new office, and the color scheme of the two together will be more consistent.
It’s been awhile since I’ve painted; I was so tickled with how well these turned out that I may just have to do a few other pieces for the new place. Besides painting, I’m also excited about some digital art I created for our guest bathroom, which I am using to display some geeky-themed soap of mine and @KyleeLane‘s. I envisioned this Andy Warhol-esque design of my Game Cartridge soap and Kylee’s NES Controller soap. I wanted the colors used to match the four colors of the shower curtain and accompanying accessories to tie everything together between the curtain, the walls, and the soap on display. These will be printed at 12″ x 12″ and I created them in Photoshop using photographs I took of our soap. Not bad, hey? I can’t wait to see them up!
In digital scrapbooking news, I’ve even found time to FINALLY update our Family Life 2010 digital scrapbook. Even though it’s been months since I’ve updated, My Memories Suite is always so user friendly and fun that I found myself getting back into the zone and creating new pages quickly to share some of the things that has happened in my family’s life this year. And wow, has 2010 been our year! It’s only September, and already the Family Life 2010 album looks to be on course to surpass last year’s album in length. Which makes sense since there has just been so much good stuff in 2010 and so much that we want to share and remember. :)
So while soap orders still keep pouring in and there are some exciting things for GEEKSOAP on the horizon (Like being approached for an upcoming feature on an NBC TV segment!), I’ve managed to find time to revisit some of my other crafty passions like painting and scrapbooking, too, and I’m loving this inspirational and creative energy flowing through me right now. And now that it’s fall, I’ve got people wanting to purchase my Cthulhu toques again, so I’ve been craving a little knit and crochet time. I’ve got the toques AND some new Cthulhu accessories coming very soon to their own storefront; look for that in the near future! (Like next week.)
So much good stuff going on in my life right now, it’s hard not to be ecstatic and want to shout it from the rooftops. I am truly blessed with an amazing husband and some amazing friends, family, and customers who just really inspire me with their love and support to keep on creating in all facets of my life. Thank you. I hope you’ll like what you see coming from me in the near future! <3
GenCon Wrap Up
I already wrote and posted this up over on G33Kmade.com, but I thought I’d also share the post here as well, as a way to wrap up how Gen Con went for me :)
Wow. Just… wow. Gen Con Indy was amazing! Thank you SO much to all of the fabulous people that stopped by our booth and supported handmade geek at the best four days in gaming!
Firstly, we have SO MUCH LOVE for all of the independent geek artists that made up G33Kmade’s booth. Though Kylee and I were there as the face promoting our cause, G33Kmade was more than just soap; we had amazing prints by GEEKLEETIST, fantastically detailed nerd pillows by Victoria the Germ, and epic dice bags designed by Lyndsay of Dragon Chow. And not only that, we also represented other featured G33Kmade artists and friends such as GeekyCookies, UberDork Cafe, and Ruth of CthulhuChick, whose plush Cthulhu was our booth mascot. We were givin’ out super sweet geeky buttons made by Wendy of GeekyBoutiquey left and right, and tried to ensure our mission of spreading the love between everyone that made G33Kmade’s booth a success to anyone that would listen. And boy, did we have a lot of listeners!
Wil Wheaton came by the G33Kmade booth on Saturday and picked out a Dragon Chow dice bag as part of his mission to collect as many dice as possible at Gen Con. Getting a Dragon Chow dice bag was part of another spread-the-love geeky mission initiated by @cmdrsue via Twitter. It’s the kind of thing that makes you feel weak in the knees and love what you do that much more: seeing so many people come together under one banner for one awesome purpose… to support each other’s handmade geek. It’s the foundation that G33Kmade was built upon. Share. Support. Promote. Love. Geek. Wil picked up some of our soap sculptures of awesome offerings and chose a dice bag. When he realized what G33Kmade was and what we were all about, he told Kylee and I how PROUD he was of us. Of what we had started with G33Kmade. Of promoting independent geek artists and all of us working together. The fact that so many of you were on board doing this together. He compared it to how he got started and all of the people he’s worked with, and just kept repeating how proud he was. It was surreal. And awesome.
Who would’ve thought? Independent artists working together. G33Kmade is not just two people. It’s one giant geeky dogpile of epic proportions and each and every person supporting us – whether from the sidelines or as a featured artist – is an important part of that pile. It really was amazing to see how well received the whole concept was. People loved hearing stories about the artists of G33Kmade as they browsed geeky wares from all over North America. They were surprised to see Kylee and I selling soap side-by-side and promoting and cheering each other on instead of competing. But that’s what it’s all about, and the warm fuzzy feelings I got from being able to work with so many thoughtful, giving geeks had me glowing all weekend. I am proud to be a crafty geek.
The famously clean superheroine you all know as @DeodorantDame even came by so we could help aid her in her quest for cleanliness at cons everywhere! Equipped with her deodorant spray and a D20 Soap on a Rope, she was unstoppable. United we stand for a meaningful cause!
So enough gushing already, right? BRING ON THE PICTURES! For your viewing pleasure… (There are multiple pages, so don’t forget to click the Next links!)
THANK YOU to every single person who has supported G33Kmade. Handmade FTW!
As you can imagine, it’s been busy ever since Gen Con around here. On a personal note, I got a job offer for a school district on the north side of town about 10 minutes before our Gen Con booth opened, and started said job at 7:30am the Monday morning after Gen Con. The good news is that the job is amazing; I love it! The bad news is that it’s an hour commute for now, so not only am I juggling a successful small business in what little spare time I have, I also have a new full time job AND we’re planning to move in a few weeks to be closer to work. As if I needed more things on my plate, Lucas and I are going with a bunch of friends down to Atlanta, GA next weekend to attend Dragon Con, too. Should be a really fun time!
In crafting news, expect a few new little things coming to GEEKSOAP soon, and my Cthulhu Toque should be back in stock both on Etsy and over on geeksoap.net in the next few weeks as we get closer to fall and hat season. I’m also planning a slight redesign to my Baththulhu Cthulhu Bath Mitt pattern to create Cthulhu Mittens for this holiday season as well :) Oh, and did I mention that Lucas and I are trying new recipes each week and attempting to stay on top of our family blog, too? Stay tuned! Somehow I’ll accomplish all of this in the midst of a move ;) Take care!
GEEKSOAP News & Support UberDork Cafe!
Hey readers!
I just wanted to give you a head’s up – GEEKSOAP will be on vacation from June 19 – June 29. Check out the On Vacation page of my store for more information. Basically the store will stay open, just be aware that my house sitter cannot make soap, so I won’t be able to begin work on your order until I return on June 30. :) I will then begin processing orders in the order they were received in my absence, and I promise to get your order out to you ASAP! Thanks for understanding :)
So what’s the vacation for? Well, Lucas and I’s anniversary is coming up on Sunday, and it’s our tradition to stay in a bed and breakfast on the ocean over our anniversary. Last summer we did Nova Scotia and I still daydream of the place we stayed at. I think the sound of the waves crashing up through the open patio door all night is the most relaxing thing ever! This year we’re going to Vancouver, which is a good choice since it means we get to stay on the ocean (we’re actually going out to Victora on Vancouver Island for 2 nights at a bed and breakfast there) and also head inland a little bit to visit friends and family. I’ve not yet been to Vancouver, so I’m excited about exploring after our getaway on the island. We’ll visit Lucas’ uncles and Matt and Laresha (brother and sister-in-law) and then head even further inland to spend some time in Penticton, where Lucas grew up, to visit his parents and some more friends. I can’t wait! I’m working extra hard this week in the GEEKSOAP soap studio to prepare; not only am I working on orders daily, I’m also still prepping for Gen Con in August! Whew!
When I return you can expect some new goodies, too! I’ve got 2-3 new soaps coming PLUS a rumored 3D Dalek soap from Dr. Who…. that won’t be ready immediately when I return, but it’s in the works! ALSO, the awesome Cthulhu bath mitt I designed and crocheted will also be made available. I will be calling it the Baththulhu Cthulhu Bath Mitt, and it’s extra cute! Currently I have a mens and womens’ size as well as being able to make it in a lefty-friendly design. It’s 100% original and made from super soft 100% cotton; perfect for getting clean with my Cthulhu GEEKSOAP! The Baththulhu mitt will be my FOURTH original Cthulhu design since 2009… first it was the Cthulhu toque (and a baby toque that came out last year), then it was my Sock-thulhu Cthulhu plushie in late 2009, then my Cthulhu soap came out in January 2010 and the Baththulhu mitt will be out July 2010! Exciting!
So July will bring some new soap and some new items for GEEKSOAP with the Baththulhu Cthulhu Bath Mitt! I will most likely be having my Cthulhu toques and Sock-thulhu plush added to my product listings at GEEKSOAP in the near future, even though they aren’t soap related… they’re still geek related and complete the set with my awesome, original Cthulhu soap. I want to prepare ahead of time because the Cthulhu toques get popular in the fall and winter months so I need to get started on some stock! I’d also like to take a few to Gen Con if I manage to get the time. Some bath mitts will for sure be going, but I may not have time to make very many toques or Sock-thulhus. (Speaking of which… I need to find a good wholesale supplier of various colored chenille socks… lol)
So that’s the news for where GEEKSOAP is right now, and what you can expect to see from me soon! Now I need to turn your attention to something incredibly awesome… my friend Natali (AKA @UberDorkGirlie) is amazing. She has this dream of a super fantastic geeky cafe that she calls Uber Dork Cafe – a family-friendly place where art and science and geek come together to provide patrons with a completely fantastic cafe experience – and she needs your help! Uber Dork Cafe was granted a pledge page at Kickstarter, where you can help pledge your support to various ideas and creations by all kinds of people and their dreams. Please go check out Uber Dork Cafe and pledge any amount that you can to help Natali fulfill her dream!
More ways to support UberDork Cafe: Head on over to the Facebook page and follow @UberDorkCafe on Twitter!
That’s it for today – I’ll see you back here after I get home from vacation with an update on the crafts I’ll be taking with me on the plane (Lots of Baththulhus will be made for sure!) and to announce new soap and finally release the bath mitts! Thanks for stopping by *hearts* <3
Fabulous Resources & I Was Featured!
Tweet! Tweet!
I wanted to share some really neat resources I’ve been lucky enough to be made aware of recently. First of all, I’m twittering! Yes that’s right, I have become hip and have started leaving little tweets about things going on in life, both crafty and otherwise! It’s oddly satisfying. If you want to follow me on twitter (or want me to follow you on twitter!) check me out at http://www.twitter.com/pinktoque :) There are SO many crafty people already out there sharing their tweets, and I really like trying to keep up — I see so many neat crafts and cool things that way… it’s very inspiring!
This week I learned about a great online printing service called Viovio.com. Viovio.com was shared with me by one of my blog readers, Sarah, who says, “I’ve really had a great experience with them. One of the first books I ordered had a wrinkle in it and they replaced it free of charge since it was their mistake. Also, they print 12×12 pages (loose) for $.75…The cheapest I have found.” Wait, did she say $.75 per full-colour 12″x12″ sheet? That’s insane! So I went over and checked it out, signed up, etc. The latest from Sarah is, “I should be getting my fourth order from viovio this weekend. I’ve order a 12×12, 10×10, 8.5×8.5 and recently ordered loose 12×12. LOL I’ve seen a good variety. I like the paper used for the 10×10 and bigger best, but the 8.5*8.5 is cheap and makes a good gift book.” Can’t beat prices and customer service like that! Say hello to my new favourite online printing service!
The last site I want to share is ArtFire.com — it’s like Etsy, but free! No listing fees and no fees when you sell things. Of course there is a free user and premium user choice when you sign up, and the premium user naturally gets more options when setting up their online studio (how many pictures you can put up, how many items can be for sale at one time), but… for someone like me that just wants to sell a little here and there when I have it, it’s great and… free. This has inspired me to try and get some things up soon when I have a chance. I’ll let you know when I’m all set up and actually have something available to sell!
Oh and WOW I just have to share… I was honoured to realize that my custom handpainted Mahjong set that I made for Lucas for Valentine’s day (see previous entry) was chosen as one of the Feb 19 featured projects on craftster! This makes me blush! I’m so glad people have enjoyed it :) Check me out on the front page!
And there you have it this weekend! I feel bad that I have a pretty pink Huug the Hug Monster © that is just sitting there waiting to be finished (along with that sweater I’d started working on a month ago) but work has been busy and I feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day on the weekend to get everything done! More crafty stuff coming soon, I promise :) Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
