Shop, Make & Give Handmade - November Issue of My Molds!

News that Inspires Imagination! The Preferred Place for Clay Push Molds.  October 2012 Issue of My Molds Newsletter. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Dear Subscribers,   Have you noticed how fast time is passing? Before you know it, it will be December already! Are you ready for everything December Brings with it? Gifts! Treats! Parties! and Fun! Do you have the molds to make those gifts, candy treats, party favors and fun projects for the kids and family? If you take a little time to update your molds, you'll be ready for many of Decembers festivities!   So after you get your molds in the mail, you are going to be excited to get started. So be sure to stock-up with your favorite clays, paints, or other castings of your choice. Most people use Polymer clay with our molds, but you are not limited to just clay. Check out our castings page to learn more about materials you can use to cast in our molds HERE. Since clay is used the most, we will focus on Polymer Clay today to help inspire you to dive-in and create with gusto! This month’s article. “7 Reason's I Love Polymer Clay” is an interesting read to start you thinking about the many ways clay can play a part in your creative days ahead. Please take the time to sit back and enjoy this issue of My Molds! All the best, Marjorie with Mad About Molds News that Inspires Imagination! "Let the Holiday Season begin!"   Shop, Make & Give Handmade Goodies I support handmade. I buy handmade. I live handmade as much as possible. I know many of you do too. As a seller of my own handmade products, I know how important it is to put my money where my mouth is. Luckily, today, it's easier than ever to buy great quality handmade items for everything we need. The handmade revolution has spilled out from the Internet into local boutiques and neighborhood fairs. Soaps, plants, food, clothes, furniture, linens...really anything you want, you can find. I love looking around my home and seeing items that other people have made, or that I have made. Including friends and family. Can you do or say the same for yourself? Some big chain stores in the US have caught onto the handmade movement and are pushing their own lines of handmade ornaments made in third world countries. I’m not sure making those handmade ornaments for department stores gives these workers any more opportunity or better treatment than the people next to them working in factories that produce ornaments that aren't labeled handmade. If you think about it, everything is handmade to some level – even ipods. Somebody’s hands have to put the pieces together or guide the machines that do. So what is handmade then? So for me, handmade is: Made by the person selling it to me. Enriching the life of the person who builds it when I purchase. Made by me or someone I know. Local, stateside, or coming from an on-line handmade shop like us! :) There are so many benefits of buying handmade, and it's not just for the artiest and craftsman who make them. This blog gives you 101 reasons to buy handmade. It's very interesting. 101 Reasons Announcements: Are you a Fan of Mad About Molds? If you aren't a fan yet, be sure to visit our Facebook page to get the latest news, project tips, special offers, and more! You won’t want to miss out on our newest molds, tips and techniques, special features and articles! How do I do this? Just “Like” us HERE to be able to see our many tips and first-hand notifications about things we think you would want to know about. OR ~ Text the words “Like madaboutmolds” to 32665 (FBOOK) to subscribe to our page/updates. NOTE: If you text it, and you are already a fan of ours, you will receive a text reply stating that "you can not become a fan because of an error." (the error is because you are already a fan.) Did you know that you can now browse our molds directly from our Facebook page? Just click here. You can still go to our website at www.MadAboutMolds.com where you will find an endless amount of information about using our molds as well. What Color will 2013 Be? Pantone has just announced their choices for the colors of 2013. Use these color palettes in your crafting projects so they can coordinate with all the new trending colors that will become the rage next year. If your working with clay in our molds, now would be the time to start looking for these colors so you can start your projects early. Check these colors out!   Mad About Molds Mobile App We are very excited to offer our NEW Mobile App for Android! Now you can check your orders on the go, by signing into your Mad About Molds account right from the app. Browse our store from your favorite cozy chair or read through our past newsletters to get loads of inspiration. This beautiful app allows you to take us with you, so you can share us with all your friends at your favorite craft clubs, classes or with your local guild. It even has an option to share the app in the menu, or share us with your Facebook friends and Twitter followers. We are sorry, but this app is not available for Apple at this time, since they do not allow downloads from other sources. This App includes a coupon deal for a discount on your next order! And best of all, it's totally FREE! Get this FREE App here! Image Clips Mobile App Need a smile? Check out these very creative pictures! They are sure to get you laughing, wondering, inspired, motivated, amazed and completely fascinated! It's got all the eye-candy anyone could wish for.  If you are subscribed to us on Facebook you might be familiar with our "photo of the day" that we posted daily for years. Unfortunately, we stopped posting these pictures, to free up time to work on more important matters, such as filling orders. Instead we have compiled all of these wonderful images in this app for you to enjoy. If your not subscribed to our Facebook page please take the time to "like" our page now so you can receive FREE Projects, Tips, & Inspiration! Mad About Molds on Facebook. Subscribe to our Inspiring Newsletter to get the latest news, project tips, special offers, and more! You won’t want to miss out on our newest molds, tips and techniques, special features and articles! Just click here. Get this FREE App here! This Month's Article: 7 Reasons I Love Polymer Clay I love polymer clay! Here's why I am so crazy about it: 1. Color! My very first reason for loving polymer clay- not just that it comes in so many colors but that I can mix just about every color of the rainbow myself. The better clays come in artist colors so making the colors I want is at least half the fun. You can mix colors completely or leave them marbled to create different effects that stay after baking. 2. Baking! It is easy to cure a piece, you just have to bake it in a regular oven at 230-270 degrees, no kiln needed, so you can jump right in. 3. Metallic’s! I admit it, you can't make every color - like metallic colors that shimmer but several clays have metallic colors that shimmer and gleam. 4. Faux Items!  You can use it to create almost any effect, I've seen "denim" buttons that look like fabric, faux gemstones, rocks, flowers, trees, almost any item can be made out of polymer clay. 5. Firm yet Smooth! Most polymer clays are firm enough to add tiny details and textures so you can add beads and all sorts of mixed media. Still most are not too difficult to condition so they are smooth and easy to work with. 6 Great for Beginners! We all start as beginners. You can find polymer clay in most craft stores. Polymer clay only requires your hands and the clay to start. There are lots of free tutorials online. 7. Great for Experts You never can go too far with polymer clay. There is so much you can do with it - jewelry, miniatures, sculpture, and so many techniques. People come up with new techniques constantly. There are blends, mixed media, caning, sculpting - so many things you can do and then perfect.  You'll ever run out of things to do with Polymer clay! Go ahead, get your molds out! Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend   Fun Links: Home Free Stuff Free Downloads Creative Ideas Gallery Instructions Subscribe Newsletter Archives Molding Accessories Mobile Site    Contact Us!  Comments Welcomed!  How are we doing?  Let us know what you are thinking!  Shop@MadAboutMolds.com  www.MadAboutMolds.com The Preferred Place for Clay Push Molds!   When it comes to service, we break the mold! Thank You! Copyright © 2012 Mad About Molds, All rights reserved. Mad About Molds periodically sends a newsletter to its customers. You received this newsletter because you opted in to receive this newsletter, inquired about our products, or ordered from Mad About Molds. Our mailing address is: Mad About Molds 624 3rd Ave. Brewster, MN 56119 Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences  Feel free to send this newsletter to a friend. If you received this newsletter from a friend feel free to sign up for our newsletter. We don't want to lose touch with you! We will not sell, trade or give away your personal information or email address.

The countdown has begun! – October Issue of My Molds!

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My Molds Newsletter
News that Inspires Imagination! The Preferred Place for Clay Push Molds
	Dear Subscribers, Are you kidding?! How did it get to be October already?! We hope that you are enjoying everything Fall has to offer you, and that you are seriously thinking about Holiday projects. We urge you to take a peek at what we have to offer and maybe we can help you out in making your plan of action. When you’re ready to get started you’re going to need focus! So, be sure to check out this month’s article. “Getting Through Your To-Do List!” It will help you stay on task and keep on track! Please take the time to sit back and enjoy this issue of My Molds! All the best, Marjorie with Mad About Molds	October 2012 Issue
		Fun Links: Home Free Stuff Free Downloads Creative Ideas Gallery Instructions Subscribe Newsletter Archives Molding Accessories Mobile Site
		Contact Us! Shop@MadAboutMolds.com www.MadAboutMolds.com Find Us on Facebook
		Comments Welcomed! How are we doing? Let us know what you are thinking! Shop@MadAboutMolds.com
	ANNOUNCMENTS Are you a Fan? We made a few changes to our Facebook presents. We now have a Facebook page. (or a fan page) instead of a profile. What does that mean to you? Well, you have to “Like” us to be able to see our many tips and first-hand notifications about things we think you would want to know about. You have more privacy on your profile and more updates on your feed-page from us. So If you are not already a Fan, be sure to look us up HERE! And if you are, you are our biggest Fans!!
	FEATURED MOLDS Oh… Cameos! They are everywhere! They are both classic and traditional, and people love them. •         Tips for using cameo molds •         Samples of cameo molds •         Shop for cameo molds I hope this helps you out. Cameos do take practice, but they are worth it in the end! THIS MONTH’S ARTICLE Getting Through Your To-Do List! With everything going on this month and that I see ahead – hello, deadlines – I have to be quite organized to get it all done. Here are some tips for accomplishing all that’s on your to-do list. 1. Start with a written plan. Clear, written goals are essential. What is the major goal and what are the sub-tasks? It lets me focus easily and assures I don’t forget anything. 2. Prioritize the tasks and set deadlines. You need to determine when all the sub-tasks need to be done for the goal to be completed. I also like to build in a little extra time. And, you might find out that not everything on your list will get done, so focus first on those activities that have the greatest impact on results. 3. Make a daily schedule. Take time either first thing in the morning or the night before to plan your day. Then take daily action toward your goals. How you work toward your goals will vary. You may like to work on one project to completion or divide your day into large blocks for different tasks. 4. Create and use systems if possible. I allow extra time if needed. 5. Not everything on your list will get done. Remember the 80/20 rule. Twenty percent of your activity results in 80 percent of your results. Concentrate on work in the 80 percent; that’s where your ROI (return on investment) will be. 6. And, finally, let go of perfectionism. This is a hard one for me. One of my mentors says to work to “good enough.” It might be that you set a timer for some of the tasks and what you accomplish in that time is “good enough.” One of my favorite resources for getting things done is Nirvana.com. There’s many other recourses online, but this one works for us. How do you handle getting everything done on your list?
	Feel free to send this newsletter to a friend. If you received this newsletter from a friend and want to sign up for your own copy, please click here. If you would like to change your email address please request the change here. We don't want to lose touch with you! We will not sell, trade or give away your personal information or email address. If you no longer wish to receive our Newsletter, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line. To ensure that you keep receiving our e-mails to your inbox add shop@madaboutmolds.com to your address book or safe list. Copyright © 2012  |  Mad About Molds, 624 3rd Ave.,  Brewster  MN  56119
	When it comes to service, we break the mold! Thank You!

Have More Fun! – August/September Issue of My Molds!

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My Molds Newsletter
News that Inspires Imagination! The Preferred Place for Clay Push Molds
	Dear Subscribers, Can you believe that it’s September already!? That means most of us will have more time to spend doing the things we love. Like creating! So be sure you have the molds needed for when you get the urge to make something fantastic! You can help Mad About Molds to continue bringing you the best in craft ideas and assistance by forwarding this newsletter to your crafty friends. New readers, Click here to Subscribe. When you’re ready to start a big project of selling or gifting your new creations be sure to read this month’s article first. It has all the tips to help you be productive and the best you can be. “How to Work Smarter, Faster & Have More Fun!” Please take the time to sit back and enjoy this issue of My Molds! All the best, Marjorie with Mad About Molds   “inspire”	August 2012 Issue
		Fun Links: Home Free Stuff Free Downloads Creative Ideas Gallery Instructions Subscribe Newsletter Archives Molding Accessories Mobile Site
		Contact Us! Shop@MadAboutMolds.com www.MadAboutMolds.com Find Marcy on Facebook
		Comments Welcomed! How are we doing? Let us know what you are thinking! Shop@MadAboutMolds.com
	FEATURED MOLDS Great Balls of Fun! Show off your team spirit by making accessories that reflect you’re in the game. Here just a few examples of what we have to offer. Each mold is numbered to help you search for the ones you need. OUR FAVORITES Just a few of our favorites! We just wanted to share with you a few of our molds that are favorites with our customers. These molds seem to be the ones that are loved by many. Everyone has their own style, so if these aren’t what you are looking for remember that we do have 1,000 molds to choose from on our website at www.MadAboutMolds.com. THIS MONTH’S ARTICLE How to Work Smarter, Faster & Have More Fun! Summer vacation is nearing an end, and the holidays are right around the corner, and your craft inventory is not where it should be for upcoming projects.... Relax and take a deep breath - Time is on your side. With some simple time saving strategies you will be able to produce more in less time, and enjoy the process. 1.      Take time before beginning your latest project to gather all of the necessary tools and materials. Much time is wasted looking for that one essential tool that you just KNEW was there. 2.      Get yourself a healthful snack and plenty of water. Refreshments are necessary to keep alert, healthy, and working at optimum level. 3.      Clear the decks. A clean space will create a lower stress environment. You will think clearer, feel calmer and more organized, and be better able to locate items necessary to the project at hand. 4.      Set up an assembly line. What ? Aren't assembly lines what they have at big manufacturing companies ? Yes, but you can create a mini assembly line at home. By using the same strategy as the larger companies but on a smaller scale, you will be able to produce much more than you can by completing one item at a time. For example: Cut out multiples of each item, base paint all the red sections then move on to the green, add all the buttons then all the raffia .... Set up your assembly line in whatever way will be the most comfortable and efficient for you. 5.      Turn up the music. Something lively that keeps you moving at a brisk pace. 6.      Keep moving. While the paint or glue is drying, do something else. Just keep going ... Each small step will mount up. 7.      Don't save that step for tomorrow. Even if it's something small, get as much done as you can - NOW. When you get back to work the next day, those small steps that you already accomplished will save time and stress. 8.      Take photographs. Even if you are POSITIVE that you will remember how you made those items, take photos. Not only for the purpose of time saving, but also record keeping and as a portfolio of your work. 9.      Tag the items. Don't wait until later ... They aren't done 'til you tag 'em. 10.  Take breaks. It's easy to get caught up in the creative process, time just seems to fly by. Make sure you take time out, walk away and get a fresh perspective. If not you may end up daydreaming and slowing down. There you have it - Ten easy strategies to speed up production and make the most of your creativity and time.
	Feel free to send this newsletter to a friend. If you received this newsletter from a friend and want to sign up for your own copy, please click here. If you would like to change your email address please request the change here. We don't want to lose touch with you! We will not sell, trade or give away your personal information or email address. If you no longer wish to receive our Newsletter, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line. To ensure that you keep receiving our e-mails to your inbox add shop@madaboutmolds.com to your address book or safe list. Copyright © 2012  |  Mad About Molds, 624 3rd Ave.,  Brewster  MN  56119
	When it comes to service, we break the mold! Thank You!