Last week I told you about my Kickstarter.com project: Printing CROQ 12. I have to raise $2000 by August 20. I’m happy to report that so far, we’ve raised 37%! We still need help, though. There’s still $1253 to raise!

Pledge $5, Get an Issue = Just like Pre-Ordering!

I carefully crafted my prize list to tempt potential backers to get out their wallets and help! The best and easiest, I think, is to pledge $5. If you do, you get an issue of CROQ plus a free downloadable PDF Mini CROQ. You don’t even have to pay additional shipping! So basically, if you pledge now, it’s equivalent to pre-ordering the issue.

Pledge $10: Get both the PDF & the issue, plus international shipping if you are outside the USA, plus a mention (and a link) right here on the blog!

Pledge $25: Handmade vegan lip balm! I spent months developing my vegan lip balm formula. Did you know I used to be the #3 seller on Etsy back when I used to sell it? And this isn’t your run-of-the-mill boring flavored vegan lip balm (no peppermint here!). It could be flavored like pumpkin latte, candy corn, or even red velvet cake! Plus, all the above (PDF, Zine, mention on the blog).

Pledge $40: Up your pledge to $40 and I’ll let you vote on what flavor of lip balm I make! Plus, all the above (PDF, Zine, mention on the blog, vegan lip balm).

Pledge $50: Get all 11 back issues of CROQ. Plus, all the above (PDF, Zine, mention on the blog, vegan lip balm, vote for lip balm flavor).

Pledge $75: Get a Bag o’ Craft Fun: a pack of random crafty bits you can use to make your crafty masterpieces. I’ll scour my secret sources to bring you such goodies as beads, buttons, vintage jewelry and parts, ric rack, other notions, and who knows what else! Plus, all the above (PDF, Zine, mention on the blog, vegan lip balm, vote for lip balm flavor, 11 back issues of CROQ).

Pledge $100: Get 2 months of advertising on this site here (125×125 button ad). Plus, all the above (PDF, Zine, mention on the blog, vegan lip balm, vote for lip balm flavor, 11 back issues of CROQ, Bag o’ Craft Fun).

Pledge $200: We’ll donate 50 copies of CROQ 12 to libraries and zine libraries in your name. Plus, all the above (PDF, Zine, mention on the blog, vegan lip balm, vote for lip balm flavor, 11 back issues of CROQ, Bag o’ Craft Fun, 2 months of blog advertising).

Pledge $300 — Zinester’s Delight: Only one lucky pledger can claim this prize: an electric stapling machine. It will help you immensely if you have high-volume stapling to do! Plus, all the above (PDF, Zine, mention on the blog, vegan lip balm, vote for lip balm flavor, 11 back issues of CROQ, Bag o’ Craft Fun, 2 months of blog advertising, Donate 50 Copies to libraries).

And, the biggest, most awesome prize:

Pledge $500: And I will make you a custom crafted item tailored to your tastes and needs! I’ll send you a questionnaire and then personally make you something. Could be a backpack, bike bag, handbag, laptop case, custom altered t-shirt or hoodie, stuffed animal, themed sock moneky, jewelry, or something for your kid, pet, or significant other. Plus, all the above, except the stapling machine (PDF, Zine, mention on the blog, vegan lip balm, vote for lip balm flavor, 11 back issues of CROQ, Bag o’ Craft Fun, 2 months of blog advertising, Donate 50 Copies to libraries).

So what are you waiting for? You can at least pledge $5 and reserve your copy of CROQ 12 (with free shipping!)

Yes, I want to help print CROQ #12 and support indie publishing!

CROQ zine #12 is done – stories, graphics, and layout complete, but we need to raise money to get it professionally printed. Enter Kickstarter.com – a cool social fundraising site that allows people to post creative projects in need of funds and raise the money. I have to collect $2000 in pledges by August 20th. If I reach my budget, my pledgers will be charged. If I don’t reach $2000, nobody owes anything.

You can pledge any amount from $1 and up. If you pledge $5, you get an issue of CROQ zine, so basically, a $5 pledge is like pre-ordering the zine.

For every pledge level, you get an awesome reward PLUS all the rewards from each previous level.

Come check out my project, and if you feel like it, pledge a little something-something. Help me print CROQ!

I spent one great afternoon last weekend playing with wire, beads, and broken jewelry. I made about eight necklaces and five or six pendants that haven’t been attached to chain yet. It was so much fun to craft with no agenda (other than the joy of creating).

They’re hard to photograph accurately, but even in photos you can tell how cool these necklaces are! I used a big pendant from a broken cheapster necklace I used to wear to work back when I had to go to work.

I used a charm I received in a Steampunk swap as the beginning for this necklace, and then added a couple large beads on either side, then just kept adding until I liked the look. I love this one! I can’t wait to wear it out in public to see if anyone else likes it as much as I do.

This one uses a steampunk “pocketwatch” charm I made (the circular part) and simply has wings and some pretty beads on each side. Simple, but really pretty, I think!

So what do you think, should I quit all my writing jobs and just make jewelry full time? (Crickets?)

If you want to know how I made these, check out how to remake old jewelry into a statement necklace over at Dollar Store Crafts.