Heat.

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG...

OMG.

I really have no time to post but hey, I never do. And right now I'm just FREAKING THE EFF OUT AND HAVE TO SHARE!!!

I'm getting my heat press next week!! This is the next step in my growing "business"! (if you don't know about this, read to the bottom links.)

(A heat press is like a giant iron and is used to professionally customize T-shirts, onesies, sweatshirts... even flip flops!)

I ordered it weeks ago and it was on back order. ("but Tessa, why not order one that's already in stock if you want a heat press so bad?") Because after months of researching and saving up the $$, I wanted to buy **THE ONE**. 

I've been impatiently waiting for it to be in stock and to be shipped. Yesterday I realized I don't have something sturdy to put it on (it weighs 60 pounds), so now there's a quick hunt for that... but truly I don't even care. I'm going to use it even if I have to put it on the floor! 

I've also ordered a ton of clothing to start. Even though I got some shirts for as low as $2.00, it adds up FAST! You have to get men's small, medium, large, extra large (and how large do you go? Do you go up to 2XL? 3XL? I went up to just 1XL), then women's small, medium, large, extra large, then every children's sizes, toddler sizes, and onesies. People go CRAZY for onesies! Oh, and you have to get everything in more than one color, right? I kept everything white except I got black and red shirts in the adult sizes. 

I have so, so, so many ideas! It's killing me! I have 4 other orders that I have to finish before it comes! They're being worked on, but it's so hard to not get distracted!

If you want to see my distractions, things I'm working on, and ways to see more products and follow my business, you should look at and follow these:

1. Etsy: The best way to see updates here is to create an Etsy account and "Favorite" my shop and the items in my shop that you like

2. Facebook: make sure you actually "follow" my page, not just "like" it. That way you'll actually see my updates.

3. My "Always-Under-Construction" Website: I'm starting with a free but wonderful host (is that what you call it?) until I get everything constructed and working the way I want it. 

IF YOU HAVE A CRAFTING NEED BUT DON'T SEE THAT I OFFER IT, ASK ME ANYWAY! I do a lot of other things than are listed in any which link. I'm trying to make everything cohesive and flow, but right now it's just not happening. I like to do a lot of odd-ball orders, so please, ask!

I have a HUGE announcement that I'll share in a few days! Hang tight, peeps!

<3

Decal.

How to Apply a Vinyl Decal

Forewarning: I suggest you read the entire page before adhering your decal. If you think you don't need to and just slap it on, just let me tell you the number one rule:

GO SLOW!

Step 1: Clean and dry the desired area using rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Do not use Windex or similar products because it will leave a residue behind that will prevent the decal from adhering well. Decals will stick best to clean, smooth surfaces. *This step is crucial for application on things like a mirror because if left, dust will be noticeable on the other side.

Step 2: Rub the decal with the card provided or a credit card to be sure the transfer tape is properly adhered to the graphic. This removes any air bubbles that may have formed and makes the decal cling to the transfer tape.

Step 3: Remove the paper backing slowly, making sure the graphic stays adhered to the transparent transfer tape. If the decal clings to the backing, slowly replace the paper backing and repeat Step 2.

Step 4a: For a "dry" method application, use the card provided or a credit card to make sure the entire graphic is fully adhered to the surface. Don't attach it all willy-nilly, because this will cause bubbles or wrinkles, which will cause you to cry. Make sure you position your decal where you want it before adhering, because once it's down, it's down. For best results, wait 24 hours before moving to the next step.

- - OR - -

Step 4b: For a "bubble proof" application, (and the only application I personally ONLY use),  you can use the "wet" method: Mix 1 cup of cold tap water with one drop of dishwashing liquid (Dawn, Ivory, etc.). I suggest pouring this mixture into a clean spray bottle, though a lint-free rag or sponge can be used instead. Apply the water mixture liberally to the surface to which the decal is being applied. This wet method permits you to work from the center to the outside, smoothing out the decal and eliminating wrinkles or air bubbles.

Once the decal is in place, let it dry for about 15 minutes and then carefully peel off the backing paper. If an edge of the decal lifts from the surface, use the credit card to smooth it back down and wait a couple more minutes for the further drying.

Step 5: Slowly remove the transfer tape at an 180 degree angle, making sure no part of the graphic remains on the transfer tape. If the decal pulls away from the surface, repeat Step 4.

Step 6: Check for air bubbles or wrinkles. In most cases, air bubbles can be worked to the edge of the decal with the card you've been using, but if not, a pin hole will allow the air out and become virtually invisible once the bubble is gone. You can also try to use a hair dryer to heat the surface, and then try to work out the bubbles as before.

Tips:

• Go slow. If you think you're going slow, you're not going slow enough.
• Seriously MAKE SURE that you clean your surface properly. This extends the life of your decal.
• Do not apply in extreme hot or cold temperatures
• If applying to a car, do not wash your car for at least three days after applying the decal, which will permit all of the application fluid to evaporate completely.
• If you need a replacement decal, possibly because you didn't read the instructions ;), you can purchase another one for either half the price you originally paid or at cost of the materials, whichever is greater.
• Go slow.

Let me know if you have any questions!

-T

Email: happyhappytessa@gmail.com

or you can message me on my facebook page: facebook.com/tessaishappy

Keychains.

(I know, key chains is two words, but I only use one word for my post titles. Deal with it.)

I've been meaning to post about more exciting things! Being unemployed really makes you busy! 

....lol. 

No, it's my sleeping. My sleeping pattern has been off for almost a year now - since I opened Etsy and got a few sales near Valentine's Day. I worked so hard and so much that I wasn't sleeping entire nights. I was working straight through them and then working a full day at my day job. 

Come the weekend though, it was filled with sleeping. 

Really, just that. Sleeping.

My record is approximately 62 hours of sleep, accumulated from Friday night after work until Monday morning when it was time to go into work. I was always so tired that I couldn't stay awake for longer than three hours. 

To my defense, it wasn't all my Obsessive Compulsion Disorder which made me work incessantly on Etsy orders, but my brain medication (for bipolar, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and whatever else I can't remember) was all sorts of out of whack this year too. 

My brain medication is quite better now. Adam is very kind, understanding, and is helping me to get my life back on track like an everyday person. 

The struggle to have a normal life is real.

-----

I'm done complaining today. I'm going to share with you my latest product that's not quite up for sale on Etsy yet, but I've been making several for friends around town and trying to catch up on Etsy orders before they go up, but they shall be soon!

CUTE, CUTE key chains!

with so many different styles and backgrounds to choose from, and there are going to be even more soon!

(that's a copyright image, not a Chicago Bears logo)

I made the first (12) key chains for a friend - a sample of what they looked like is in the first picture. She took the key chains to the parents and aunts/uncles in her family to announce that she was pregnant! Howe so, so cute!?

Next up, I'm almost done with an order for one of Adam's coworkers. She ordered five and she went all-out. We added a metal charm and also a bead charm to each one! It was a lot of fun, but a lot of work, too! I made almost 30 bead charms (so that she could have a variety to choose from) and had to teach myself how to make them. FUN, FUN! I love new stuff. Love, love, love it.

Candid photos of her key chains (because I'm too excited to wait until they're *actually* done to show you!):

I should finish up my 2 coupon book orders. That'll make me feel better about being behind.

Contact me if you want a custom key chain order!

Enormous.

This turned into an unexpected, unintentional, enormous post. However, I have pretty pictures, and that makes it okay.

I should really be working right now, but I'm not. I'm here to say "TWENTY-FIVE (25) VISITORS ON MY BLOG TODAY SO FAR!" Whuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut? Since when did I have anyone looking at my blog besides the 52. (52 Reason I Love You) post!? I'm an internet sensation! Ha. I'm hilarious and you know it.

I also see that I'm getting some visitors via Pinterest to my Legoman. post where I shared this awesome card I made for my brother last year:

It's a Lego!

The visits on my Legoman. post are from a pin with over 70 repins! You know what that means? It means that other people like my work. It means I have something in me somewhere that can come up with good stuff now and then. It means that I'm getting better. It means all of the fails for the past (almost) 28 years have been worth it because I have learned from my mistakes and I have grown from them. It means I'm awesome.

How exciting is that?! This used to be a nothing blog. A place where I put my thoughts down and sometimes a picture. I documented a lot about my crafting failures. NO ONE visited my blog. No one except for a dear interweb friend from Australia (I can never spell Australia), Michelle from Amusing Michelle. She's sincerely nice and personable, and very, very good at what she does.

My real joy and excitement in regards to visitors is my Etsy store. One day in June I got 250 views!!!!!211)%$@*&W$)%!!! I have screenshots to prove it! That's a lot for me! I only have a few items in my store, and they're not very common items that everyone is looking for, y'know? 

I just about died when I saw that number go up and up. As you can see, I stayed up past 1:00 A.M. the following day to see what the final number was for that day.

Not only that, but there's a Pinterest pin out there that has 500 some repins! NO JOKE.

----------

I think I've done enough bragging for today. I think now I'll get back to work.

Today will consist of:

• Mailing out a chalkboard coupon book (maybe I'll tell you about that drama tomorrow), which looks a little something like this on the inside:

(I'm paranoid about other people stealing my work, so I put a huge watermark
over any screenshots I take. Sorry for the annoyance.)

• Cutting white vinyl for a HUGE project, which I'll share later,

• Applying to 4 jobs as required by the State of Wisconsin for those unemployed that are receiving unemployment benefits,

• Taking pictures of 2003974 pieces of paper for a custom order to create a custom sized binder. Yes, yes. I have to take pictures of pieces of paper, edit them, upload them to a photo sharing website, then the customer gets to choose what she likes, and THEN I can make the binder. SO. MUCH. WORK. I didn't charge enough... lol...

• Continuing work on my second order of my new Vintage Pink Love Coupon Book (!!!), which will look something like this:

• Sanding a deck of teal colored cards for a 52 Reasons I Love You order, which will look similar to this: 

• Typing reasons into the computer for a reverse blue deck of cards for a 52 Reasons I Love You order, which will end up looking a little something like this:

• Doing other things that I forgot,
• Kicking Nuke (my cat) out of the Craftination Station a few dozen times. He likes my beads. and to jump in my light box. and pens. and my Silhouette Cameo. and stepping on paper. I may or may not want to strangle him sometimes.
• And hopefully I can do the dishes like I've been meaning to for two days. (DO NOT judge me. I will smite you with a curse if you do.)
• Oh, and hopefully do a load of laundry.
• And fold Adam's laundry that he refuses to put away.
• Maybe a little food in there too. 
• Probably a panic attack or three.

If you were me, what priority would you set these items at!? I DON'T KNOW, EITHER! 

/off to go turn in slow circles a few times, trying to figure out what to do first, and then sitting back down with a feeling of dread and hopelessness. Where to begin?

/sigh

Returned.

Well that whole Adoption blog was a bust. I wasn't sure what I could post and if anyone would be interested and if **I** would even be interested... so I never bothered posting anything. lawl.

Despite me deserting my blog for the better part of the year, this place has been quite active. How? Thank you, 52 Reasons I Love You (most colors, blue/teal, & Star Wars)! Dude, those things are so popular! All I did to get where I am was blog about it and link up to 52 Reasons I Love you original maker's website. And because I linked up, tons of people are clicking on my picture and coming to my blog! Not even just that, but some people are going to my Etsy store from my blog! And visitors, as we all know, equals sales (sometimes), which equals money, which equals a newly unemployed Tessa very happy!

There has been SO MUCH crafting going on 'round here. SO MUCH AWESOME with little fails mixed in. Okay, a lot of fail (wait until I talk about the dreadful purple binder). 

I want to document all of this so bad, and I thought Facebook was a decent way of doing so. But it's just not cutting it. I'm pretty sure that I can share whatever I want about my crafts and the sales on Etsy that I've gotten, as long as I don't give names. Right? Does anyone know anything about this? 

Here's to hoping I don't get sued. 

/cheers

Blog.

I created a separate blog for the Rathsack Adoption Option stuff. Mostly it has a ton of info about the 52 Reasons I Love You decks that I've been selling like crazy on Etsy. Not much else has been on there. There are like three blog posts, but I don't care. It is what it is. Rainbows, unicorns, babies, and love.

If you feel like it, help yourself!

LINKY HERE

or click on the picture below

UPDATE!!!!: Cha-Ching.

UPDATE: 10:12 P.M.

SEE BELOW!!!!

-----

Last night I made my first legitimate Etsy sale! Some guy from California is giving the antique coupon book to his wife for Valentine's day!

Read more about the coupons here!

See this on my Etsy shop here!

AHHHH! So excited. $14.85 closer to the $13,500 goal! lol

-----

UPDATE: 10:12 P.M.

As of 8:04 P.M., Central Time, I have received four legit orders from Etsy. I don't know why I keep saying "legit", as in not counterfeit? It doesn't really make sense. Shut up, Tessa. Get on with it.

THE POINT IS... THAT I MADE (a little) MONEY. And that I have a TON of work to do! And I am SUPER excited!

I just about had an aneurysm when the first order came in at 6:56 this evening. I came out of the Craftination Station, screaming at the top of my lungs "ADAM! ADAM! ADAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I JUST MADE ANOTHER FREAKING ETSY SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He gave me 20 high fives and was excited with me. 

I went back to my room, sat down for no more than two minutes, when another email came through that was a completely different order! TWO ORDERS, FOUR MINUTES APART! 

Man, I just about had a stroke and heart attack to add to the aneurysm earlier.

I came rushing out of the room again, even louder and crazier than the first. I ran into the computer room and was almost dizzy from the excitement! 

Man, oh man, oh man. I thought that was it. That was the end of the explosion of excitement for the night. I posted (read: screamed in all caps) on Facebook that I made the sales, and then my friend, Melissa, said that she wanted her own deck of cards, and put an order through within minutes! 

At 8:04 P.M., I had three new Etsy sales in one day, with five orders total (an extra one, not mentioned here, from a friend that I cannot name... that sale will go through later when the project is finished). 

I need to stop typing and screwing around and get to work. Every one of these orders are for Valentine's Day and I need to stop being excited and get to work. 

Love, happiness, joy and merriment,

T

Sucks.

Yesterday was a bad day. I was going through photos of my cards and trying to find ones to list on Etsy. I found very few out of a lot of cards. I came to the realization that I make a lot of crappy stuff.

I'm not looking for sympathy here, just stating facts, ranting and moping. That's ok, I suppose. Everyone has their bad days.

When I first started out, I said it was ok because everyone starts out somewhere, and I was convinced that I would grow from everything and make less crappy things. I am reminded of this post where I talked about this image I found on Pinterest:

It's been two years since I posted that. I craft a lot. I guess I should've done more cards, because I do a lot of non-card related crafting and my cards still generally are not good. Maybe they don't super suck some of the time, but the fact that I found very few cards that I felt proud enough to list on Etsy really depressed me!

So yesterday and today I've spent a lot of time stamping. I've thrown out a lot of stuffs. Sucks. I did make one that I am ok with. Not proud, but it's decent I suppose.

Step your game up, Tessa.

In SUPER HAPPY news, my friend in Australia, Michelle, lost her dog, Coco, almost 20 days ago. She was found in a park by a loving family who brought her to RSPCA. Coco didn't have a collar on, but luckily is micro chipped. She was returned to Michelle yesterday. I heard about it on her Facebook page. I was so happy for her that I started bawling. Cried like a baby. Coco has lost so, so much weight but looks so happy to be home.

Michelle, I can't tell you how strangely happy and relieved I am for you.

Birthday.

In case you haven't been here before, (chances are that's a "yes") let me clue you in in just a few, blunt sentences:

1. My husband and I can't have kids. 
2. But we want kids.
3. Therefore, we would like to adopt.
4. We do not have the $20,000 to fund such adoption.
5. I'm trying my hand at a fundraiser to earn said money.
6. This fundraiser consists of, among other things, an Etsy shop selling paper crafts that I make.
7. Read more here.

This blog is one way I'm promoting my stuffs and trying to get the word out there. I am shamelessly pinning my own work to Pinterest because I want a baby *that* bad. Sue me.

/the end.

There's a new item listed in my Etsy shop and, of course, is for my fundraiser so my husband and I can adopt a baby!

Here's the link to the listing. 

All balloons are paper pieced, which is a lot more annoying than you'd think!

I really like the glossy accents on the balloons that give them that little shine. I think it makes them fun :)

I put all three cards under the same listing because they're so similar.

Hmm... not sure what else to say. I like these cards!

Adam and I really appreciate you even coming and looking. That makes me happy. Comments make me happier. Babies make me giggle.

<3 <3 Hearts and chocolates,
T

Chalkboard.

Writing that post title was really hard BECAUSE I WANTED TO SCREAM "NEW CHALKBOARD COUPON BOOKS!" IN ALL CAPS!

I'm trying to watching New Girl right at the same time I'm writing this. It's kind of impossible for me to do. New Girl is kind of taking precedence right now. Who else loves that show!?

I've been having fun. And I've been getting annoyed. But mostly having fun. I created another coupon book! And I am proud of it, as I was my original one. There's a lot of negativity surrounding me, mostly by my own fault, but I'm trucking away at it.  Adam isn't sure what kind of a market there is for this sort of thing, let alone people who understand the concept. I think most women understand the concept, but, fairly obviously, not men. Adam also has been a great (and my only) cheerleader, saying that everyone starts out as nothing. Cliche, maybe, but it's something to remember.

As far as what I've been having fun with...

Here's the Etsy link!

That's what I've been working on! As always, I had a lot of fun with them. I had a hard time with a lot of it, figuring out how to do some of it... even though it looks so simply easy... it wasn't for me!

-----

I don't want to be famous, semi-famous, or an online-hit where I have 200 followers (to me, 200 is a lot *smiles*). Frankly, I don't have the time or energy for that. Or talent. I just want to have a baby. And however many people it takes to find me and let me make things for them, I'll be happy with. If we got people to buy a set of 5 cards, it would take 2,000 people. That's a lot of people!! And wow.. Just thought of the fact that that's a lot of cards... 100,000?!?!?! 

That's why I need Adam to tell me to keep trucking along. Someday someone might find what I make interesting, and that will be exciting. Like when Dany Rohe (a huge German photographer!) bought my Mugshot Sign when it wasn't even for sale! She just found it off of Google! HOW COOL WAS THAT!?

I've been working on other stuff in the interim, so I'll be showing those as I get the time and energy. lol.

Coupons.

You know those cliche coupon books that you make for your hunny for their birthday or valentine's day?

No? Just Google Image search "Coupon Book" and you'll see a plethora of them. Most are pretty cute, some are professional, some people have templates so you can make your own.

For me, I didn't like anything I saw. I had an idea in my head of how I wanted it to look, and I couldn't find anything similar online except something along these lines:

Of course! Vintage. Although I love modern and contemporary, I think vintage and antique are more of what I'm drawn to.

Now, again, there are people who have graciously given us freeloaders templates so we can make our own coupons in a time efficient and quite cute manner. However, even though I love free, I also love to create and do things myself. Naturally, therefore, I made my own:

And of course, I added a message at the end:

The book was adhered together with two heavy-duty staples that I stole from work. I wanted to have it look fairly authentic, so I wanted the back of each coupon to not be colored white. I simply printed the background image on the back of the paper before I printed the front.

The company name of "Whyte" and Sanchez" are just random names I came up with. I was trying to be funny. Adam didn't get it.

The background I found from Far Far Hill. This chica is crazy, I tell you. Nearly everything she makes is free and she posts new freebies daily. DAILY. FREE. Not even lying.

Here are screenshots:

I have put these up for sale on my Etsy shop! 

Contact me if you're interested in something like this!

(see the widget on the right hand side)

I learned so much in the process, and pretty much taught myself everything by trial and error.  I taught myself how to make the "Whyte & Sanchez Co." sign, which I actually ended up doing in Microsoft Publisher using the "WordArt" tool, how to cut the edges off of the corners of the coupons, and I learned from just a quick search how to take a .jpg (an image with a white background) and to use Photoshop to edit it appropriately with the magic wand tool to make it transparent, then obviously to save it as a .png to keep the transparency. With that done, I was able to use the precious (free) vintage women on the cover!

Side tracking for just a minute:

Adam learned in college that there's a "right way" to do everything in programming, even if another way may produce the same results. The "right way" is the easiest, simplest and most direct way to accomplish what you are trying to achieve. This concept was hard for him to understand, because if you produce the same results, what's wrong with your method?

Answer? I don't know, or at least I don't remember what my husband told me, but that's just the way it is.

The way I did this whole project was definitely not the "right way". I know that if it were, everything would have been done in Photoshop or a like program.  Obviously it was not.

I am shamefully able to admit that I used Silhouette Studio to perform my magic. Other than the tidbits I told you about above, with the help of Publisher and Photoshop for two elements, everything was done in Silhouette. But the good news is that I was able to cut everything out in two seconds! lol...

In the end, I had a ton of fun, even though it ended up taking me days upon days to tweak everything "just" right. Adam thought it was one of my coolest crafty projects ever, and still has not torn a single coupon out. He says he doesn't want to because it looks so cool!

52.

My mother's birthday was on the 1st of November and I still haven't gotten to the post office to mail her gift. Now I've decided I might as well wait until my niece's gift arrives that I ordered for her birthday, so I can ship both gifts at the same time to save myself a trip. Because, you know, going to the post office is SUCH a bother. ....

Even though she may read this (chances are low), I didn't want to wait any longer to share the gift I made her.

I'm sure you've seen this; it's been all over Pinterest since Pinterest existed. Even though it's almost cliche now, I don't care. I had a ton of fun making it, failing at it, and then completely surprised and how awesome it turned out.

Behold: 52 Reasons I Love You (and then some):

Even though I could've purchased this awesome deck of cards:

Vintage Series 1800 Bicycle Playing Cards

I feel a gift is special when I make it; when I put my personal signature on it. If I purchased this (awesome) deck of cards, it still would've been neat, and maybe it would've been cooler looking, but I would've wondered what I could've made myself. Could I do it? Would I try a few techniques and fail and give up?

I don't have to ask myself that. I made it. I had some major fails, some errors, and I even had to purchase another set of cards to replace some ruined ones, but I did it. I had fun! AND I like the end result :)

Rule number one: never follow internet instructions regarding how to age playing cards because none of them are good and every one of them completely ruined the cards. Most of the cards got completely stripped of all color and some backs got separated from the front. I should've taken a few pictures and submitted it to Pintrosity.

Through trial and error, I found a great method, which consisted of an arduous 7-step process of aging the cards, and then a 5-step process in aging and typing and adhering the reasons. It seemed like it was going to be a fast and easy project, but I made it much more time consuming than it probably should've been!

I am so funny :)


-----

UPDATE: March 4, 2014

-----

My husband and I are adopting (!!!), and we are doing anything and everything to raise the $14(ish) grand.
In said effort, I am offering to make you a deck of cards, with the promise that every penny you give me will go directly to the adoption agency.

Note that I am not trying to *steal* Ms. McNabb's idea. I'm just doing whatever I can to get a baby in my arms!  I give full props to Lowri for her creativity. I didn't use Lowri's template which she sells on her website. Everything here I did myself, with the inspiration from the lovely Lowri McNabb. 

If you would like to take a gander at the many other styles and decks that I've done for others,
and to see about helping me out yourself by letting me make you a deck,
please visit our "Rathsack Adoption Option" blog
and/or my Etsy shop!

Sneak Peek:

So many deck colors and options, it's ridiculous.

Star Wars!!!

Book binding!

Love, puppies, kittens, and babies,
T

In the Making: Mugshot Sign

FOR SALE:

One fabulously awesome mugshot sign! Great for use as a message board for professional pictures, a photo booth, or for a family message center in your kitchen! Velcro letters, numbers and punctuation, with your choice of 100, 150 or 200 total, in a font of your choosing. 

See my Etsy Shop!

Where was this seen on Pinterest? Can you link it?

No, it wasn't on Pinterest. 

No? Then whose idea was this? 

MINE. ALL MINE.

I am so completely proud of this project. As I just said, this project was 100% mine. The only inspiration I had was this photo: 

Smilebooth.com

I am going to have this backdrop (or something cheaply similar with butcher paper and electrical tape) for our Halloween photo booth. But with the backdrop to the mug shot background, wouldn't a message board be cool? Wouldn't it be more complete with the sign that's held up to show their name and inmate ID number, just like in the real mug shots from back in the day?

OF COURSE IT WOULD.

The process has been long. My fingers have been damaged. The hours involved were many. Was it worth it? 

I THINK SO.

Check it:

Majority of the letters, most numbers, but no punctuation.
There's a total of about 150 characters.

I think this would make a great prop for photographers or a message board at home - kind of like how some people have a chalkboard or write things to household members.

The mugshot sign in action:

EDIT:

I removed the instructions to make this because I put it up for sale. I already have a buyer for one! Since I know one person purchased it, I'm sure there's someone else out there that would like to buy one! There just has'ta.

If you are interested in purchasing a mug shot sign, please contact me! tessa.rathsack@gmail.com