life recently; Christmas edition

I got the idea here: Julie Nolan Jewelry.

Just a few things I've been working on... Presents for a few family members (my mom loves pigs).

Sharpie mug

Today is my friend Ashley's birthday. I wanted to get her a present but I wanted it to be personal, so I decided to jump on the Sharpie mug craze (I've been wanting to since first spotting the tutorial on A Beautiful Mess) and design a mug for her.

Here is the design I came up with:

I first planned on putting her initial centered a little bit over the swirly stuff, but after a suggestion from The Boy decided to incorporate the initial into the swirled design, so the As at the top are my first ideas. 

I love it how the mug turned out! To transfer the design I poked holes in it, taped the paper to the mug, and used a fine tip Sharpie to color through each hole onto the mug. Then I played connect the dots! I used a black Sharpie oil paint pen, which was sometimes quite frustrating because it didn't always draw evenly. But I think it turned out great. I filled it with Lindt truffles and made a tag to attach to it. I also put the date on the inside of the handle for an additional little personal touch.

I haven't tried washing it yet, but I have scratched at the design with my thumbnail and it's holding up. I decided on the Sharpie paint pen after reading many comments that regular Sharpies don't always hold up, so I'm hoping this will last. The tutorial I actually followed is from Scribbles from Emily, who recommended the Sharpie paint pen. She says hers is dishwasher safe, but I'm going to recommend that Ashley hand washes her mug.

This was a fun project, and I was able to complete it really quickly. I would definitely suggest it as a Christmas or birthday present project. I'm actually thinking of making a lot more, and maybe a couples set for me and The Boy :)