A Little Like Charlie Brown

As I begin writing this I am definately and absolutely trying to get over my frustration over the internet connection problems we've been having the last few days. It seems everytime I've tried to do updates to my website we have lost our internet connection. So guess what, I am feeling a little lost! My website, blog, email ... they all depend on a connection. I can't do updates without it! I have begun to feel like Charlie Brown when Lucy pulls the football away at the last moment. LOL Many of you, I am sure, remember reading Charlie Brown comic strips (by Charles Shultz) in the Sunday Paper. When he and his friends played football, inevitably Lucy held the football for Charlie to kick. He would attempt to kick it and wham! At the last second she would pull the football away and he would feel the agony of defeat. Charlie Brown also was awesome on TV.
To see Charle and Lucy in action, follow ths link ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=055wFyO6gag

That is what has happeend with uploading products to my website. I would be in the middle of adding info to a product to get it uploaded and it wouldn't go through. I'd look down at the little internet connection indicator, and WHAM ... lost it again! For the moment I have internet and will do what I can to get more products uploaded.

My hands are itching to get something new designed and I have just the thing to try today. I got a new product in that I want to try that would look awesome on a trivet. I am not sure what I’ll put with it on the trivet but I’ll post a photo here when it’s done.

I hope you’ll check back often to see what is new at the storefront. If there is a design you’d like to see, please feel free to contact me and I would be happy to try a hand at what you want.

I have over 20 colors to choose from for designs. If you like a design but want it in another color, let me know. I am working on getting a page up on my website to show the available colors. I will post a link to that page here on my blog when it’s up and running.

I feel like my time is short here with the internet connection so I'll go for now. Keep checking back for updates.

Toodles for now,
Cindy

A New Creation

When I began designing coasters I thought I had learned "the way" to do it. I liked what I saw when I had a new creation. It certainly was much better than a blank tile staring back at me. I just love the process of figuring out what will work on a small space like I work on, 4"x4". It can seem monumental at first. Then as I play with designs, it just sort of happens. It was all working well. Then ....

I came across a youtube video about a product I had been using in another application, scrapbooking to be specific. I wondered about using it in designing coasters and just had to see if it would work. If it did, then it would add a new dimension to my work. It would add some color to the background, and in some instances, make the design look totaly different than if I left the background plain. So I attempted and I must admit, clumsily at first. However, I love how it can give a new appearance to an old look. I am including a photo of one of the coaster designs I did with this format ....

This is a design I call "I love you." I've been having sort a French fetish lately when I design and this is so awesome to me to have the little French sentiment and the Eiffel Tower. The background technique gives it that mottled effect. Almost any colors can be used for this effect and it can be designed to go with your decor in mind.

Well, most of the time things work out when I come up with a new creation. There have been times I created something and I had to chunk it and start over. However none of it really goes to waste. I save the "messed up" tiles and use them for experimentation with new techniques I see online or that I just plain make up myself.

You know, this reminds me how when we may have messed up our lives and think we need to chunk it. We may feel we need to start over. There is a way to do this. When we ask Jesus to come into our marred, messed up life we become a new creation. We start out as a blank canvas that is marred, messed up from life’s journey like one of my coasters ...
     "everyone has sinned and is far away from God's
     saving presence." (Romans 3:23, Good News Translation)

But then we can become a new creation.
　
2 Corinthians 5:17 says:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Just like the coasters become a new creation when I add the designs, Jesus Christ, in a much bigger way, makes us a new creation when He is added to our life. He saturates us, like the background color saturates the stone, infusing us with life and love and purpose for living. With Jesus, nothing that has happened to us is wasted. He will use it for His good. Let Him make you a new creation today. Here is a video of one of the popular stars of Duck Dynasty and how Jesus has made him a new creation.

http://www.cbn.com/tv/2383064549001

Toodles for now,
Cindy

Inaugural Blog!

For all those out in the blogging world, this is my first attempt to put something out there in the blogosphere.  LOL  My attempt may be full of mistakes and errors but at least I am trying something new today!  I love to talk and hope that translates here to my blog.

A little about me.  I have a custom coaster business I started last December that was quite a God thing.  (Oh, btw, you'll find mentions of God, Jesus and other religious related themes in my blogs ... just wanted you to know up front!)

I took a class on how to make coasters that was offered by a local flooring center, thinking this would make cool gifts and that was it.  I made 2 sets of 4 coasters and gave them away for Christmas.  When I gave one set to my nail tech, Jayme, one of her other clients came in.  She saw the coasters I gave Jayme and asked if I sell the coasters. Up to that point I had not thought about it but out of my mouth came, "Yes."  Then the client asked, "How much?"  Out of my mouth, seemingly on it's own, was the price I ended up charging at that time.  The rest they say is history.  Since then I've sold many sets of coaters and have expanded my product line to include trivets.

I do feel God opened the door for me to do this.  I love the creativity part of it and I love sharing it with friends, family, and complete strangers.  Some of my designs will have a definate religious theme.  That is just part of who I am.  I am a believer in Jesus Christ.  He gave me the gift to do this so I cannot separate out my beliefs from what I do.  I will do this as long as He calls me to do it and opens doors.

For coasters, customers can choose from ivory or scabos tumbled travertine or bottocino tumbled marble.  I place 4 small felt pads on the bottom to protect your furniture.  Each set is tied with beautiful ribbon or twine.  All my coasters are truly functional.  They will absorb moisture from a drink that is condensating BUT you will not lose your design in the process.

Trivets are available in 8"x8" ivory tumbled travertine and comes with 4 rubber feet to protect your surfaces.  Some of the trivets I design have added "bling" and this may prevent them from being used under a hot pot or casserole.  If that is the case, I will say so on the desription of the trivet.  The trivets with extra bling make beautiful decorative items.

Any design is customizable.  I have about 25 colors to pick from for the design.  Customers can also request background colors and I have over 25 colors from which to choose.  They can be used in almost any combination.

So what occasions can be commemorated with a set of coasters or a trivet?  Almost any occasion, but here are some to jog your memory ... :)

Birthdays
Anniversaries
Graduation
Thank You Gift
Teacher Appreciation
Customer/Client Appreciation
Retirement
Wedding/Shower Gift
Wedding Favors
Wedding Party Gifts
Hostess Gift
Hanukkah
Christmas Gift
Mother's Day
Father's Day
Valentine's Day

You can keep up with me here or at the following ...
www.customcoastersbycindy.com
www.facebook.com/customcoastersbycindy
and on Twitter @ CustomCoasters-Cindy

Tootles for now!
Cindy