Minty's Custom Persuasion

Newsflash Part 2

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 15:17:11 GMT

Another quick note for anyone who might be interested in the Custom Persuasion customs moonchildfairy is selling -- the customs are now listed on eBay. Here are the auction links:

Baby Spring Bouquet
Baby Spinn
Quiver
Night Flight
Silverwolf

Thanks for reading!

Newsflash

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:16:16 GMT

Just a quick announcement that moonchildfairy is interested in selling a few of the customs she purchased from me. If you might be interested in any of the following customs, please email her at ladysauron (at) gmail dot com. ^_^

Up For Sale:
Baby Spring Bouquet
Silverwolf
Night Flight
Baby Spinn (Shee)
Quiver (Shee)

I've worked with moonchildfairy a number of times; she's as trustworthy as can be, so let her know if anything on the list catches your interest!

New Designs and an Announcement

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 20:45:25 GMT

I've received a number of emails lately asking when Custom Persuasion would reopen, and when this year's Halloween designs would be released. Unfortunately, I have to announce that Custom Persuasion will be remaining closed indefinitely. To make a very long story short, I've been sick, and detail-oriented work like symbol painting triggers a vertigo-like effect that can last for days. My docs have no idea what's wrong, but it may be chronic eyestrain caused by a bad pair of glasses I purchased last year. Honestly, if you wear prescription glasses and feel like the prescription or the fit might be off, even just slightly, talk to your eye doctor about it.

I do hope to return to customizing eventually, but for now, that's simply not possible.

My original Halloween plan this year was to revisit some of my very early designs and update them with my current technique. I was only able to finish one -- Arachne, an updated version of 2003's Creepy Crawlie (and oh, what a difference three years can make, LOL). I also had two carousel designs from earlier this year ready to go, so all three are now on eBay.

Bigger photos:

Tasselberry

DreamDrifter

Arachne (Update: Arachne's been sold)

I realize the reserves and BINs are a bit higher than what I normally charge. I feel that the time spent on and the quality of each makes the asking prices quite fair, and I'd rather just hold onto them than sell them for less. ;)

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Finally, for those who are interested, I'm still crafting and selling online. Sewing is far less taxing on my eyes, so I've morphed my old Mint Conspiracy site into an Etsy shop specializing in unique plush designs. Please feel free to take a peek -- it's a bit sparse at the moment, but I try to update several times a week:

Whew -- that's it for now. This LJ will obviously be inactive for a while, but feel free to keep it friended if you'd like to be notified when and if Custom Persuasion reopens. In the meantime, the CP site's gallery and tutorial will remain open. ^_^ Thank you to everyone who's shown such interest in my designs!

Custm Persuasion Update

Mon, 15 May 2006 17:03:53 GMT

This week, Splatter paints the town red -- or blue and green, at least.

Splatter is the result of some long-overdue experimentation. She began as a marked-up Wondermint; because I'm not fond of working with jewel ponies, she's been sitting in my bait bucket for quite some time. Last week, I got my hands on some Apoxie Sculpt, which I used to repair her side after popping out the jewel. I was very happy with the durability of the result, but she needed a paint job that would cover both the patch job and the marks, so she became a painted pony. ;)

Splatter has been rehaired with lovely blue nylon hair. I think her mane looks especially cute in a ponytail, but it can also be displayed loose. She comes with two ribbons -- one mint green, one yellow-green.

Her symbol is a pair of paintbrushes, and she has a paint palette on her front display-side hoof. Her eyes have been repainted blue.

Splatter will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday the 16th) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once she's in the gallery, she'll be available for private sale for $32. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs.

I probably won't have any new releases for the next few weeks, as I'll be working on finishing up the carousel set, all of which will be released at the same time. After that, I'll be taking the summer off to focus on other projects again, and then it'll be time for this year's Halloween series to begin. Time passes so quickly!

Custom Persuasion Update

Mon, 08 May 2006 19:39:46 GMT

Custom Persuasion receives a touch of glamour this week with the help of Silver Screen.

Silver Screen loves classic cinema and the fabled glitz of the legendary Hollywood elite. She always feels glamorous in her luxurious boa -- even when she's just catching the latest summer action flick at the local multiplex.

Silver Screen was originally a Cherry Blossom III. She's been rerooted with black saran hair with a starlight-yellow streak, and her symbol (which photographs a bit crookedly because of the way it follows the shape of her body) is a length of movie film in black, pink and metallic silver with several yellow stars. She has a matching design on her front display-side hoof. She also has corresponding accents on her face, and her eyes have been painted a warm, flickering yellow/orange with shimmery shadow.

Silver Screen comes with a golden tail ribbon and a fluffy boa that's just her size. She's always ready to prance down the red carpet at the next big movie premiere or awards show -- all she needs now is an invitation. ;)

Silver Screen will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday the 9th) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once she's in the gallery, she'll be available for private sale for $40. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs.

As always, thanks for reading!

Custom Persuasion Update

Mon, 01 May 2006 20:45:46 GMT

This week's releases are a pair of safari/wildlife-themed ponies and their baby animal friends -- meet Monkey Business and Panda Preserve.

I recently came across some rubber baby animal figurines that were too cute to pass up, so each of these ponies comes with the corresponding little critter. I was inspired by last year's Seaside Celebration sets that came with pony pets.

Monkey Business started out as a Fluttershy III (I think this is Fluttershy's third incarnation, anyway); she's been rerooted with saran hair in shades of tan, yellow and brown. Her mane's a blend of about six different colors. Her symbol is a little cartoon chimp, and she comes with a baby chimp (yes, even though chimps are apes and the pony's name is Monkey Business, heh). She has a matching heart on her front display-side hoof, and her irises have been repainted. She wears a removable ribbon choker with an animal-print bead, and she has a matching tail ribbon.

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Panda Preserve took her safari adventure in a different direction and ended up making friends with a baby panda. She has the same hair colors as Monkey Business and wears a similar choker, only her bead is black and white. Originally a Fairy Dust, Panda Preserve now has a panda symbol, a matching hoof heart, and repainted irises.

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Both ponies will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once they're in the gallery, they'll be available for private sale for $38 each. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs. ^_^

Also, I'm in the process of setting up a private auction system. I've gotten a number of comments from people who are unable to work around my current sales method, so I'm playing with the idea of putting new releases on 24-hour auctions to give all interested customers a chance to bid. If I get the system up and running, at some point soon you'll all be invited to register and play around to see how things work (I'll post a few test auctions that you can play with and bid on). Keep an eye out for that if you're interested!

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:11:44 GMT

Nothing new this week (silly real life, getting in the way of customizing). I have a number of designs in various stages of completion, though, so watch for a new release or two next week. ^_^

Custom Persuasion Update

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 23:36:55 GMT

New this week: meet Reptilia, the second Shadow Shee.

Reptilia follows Bathory in the Shadow Shee series of darker Shee designs. Is she part reptile? Or are her origins more alien in nature? No one knows.

Reptilia started off as a Meadowbrook. Her legs and face have been given a strong green gradient, and she's been rehaired with dark green and neon chartreuse nylon hair. She has black and green wing symbols with matching heart accents on her front display-side hoof.

Reptilia's eyes have been repainted with green irises, black slitted pupils, and lighter green accents. She wears a removable silvertone necklace with a green "gem" pendant, and she has a black tail ribbon with two matching green beads.

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Reptilia will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday the 11th) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once she's in the gallery, she'll be available for private sale for $38. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs.

Also, please note that I'm going to stop using the friends feature on this journal. Up until now, I've always added back everyone who added this journal to their friends list. I did this mainly because I know keeping friends and friend-of lists equal is a preference for some people. ;) As my list has gotten longer, it's become a bit futile to keep up with the assorted comings and goings, so I'm going to clear out my f-list. I don't make friends-only posts, so it's not a terribly big deal -- I just didn't want anyone to think I had defriended them specifically.

And finally, please check out Kimono's Townhouse if you haven't already:

It's a new MLP-based webcomic created by a very good friend of mine, and definitely worth friending and following. :D

As always, thanks for reading!

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:23:21 GMT

Nothing new this week. For those who were interested in last week's releases, though, StarSpeckle is still available in the Gallery. ^_^

Custom Persuasion Update

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 22:00:59 GMT

Two new releases this week -- meet Bathory and StarSpeckle.

I first played around with the idea of doing a "dark" Shee series well over a year ago, but the concept never really got off the ground. Now, finally, I can introduce the concept with Bathory, first of the Shadow Shee. Named after the legendary countess who supposedly kept herself young by bathing in the blood of virgins, this Bathory is a bit less violent but no less spooky.

Bathory began as a gradient-dyed Serendipity who bounced around in my custom bucket for a long time, waiting for a purpose. I recently got my hands on some deep red nylon hair from http://www.mylittleponyhair.com/ (lovely stuff -- I'll go into more detail when I update the links section of Custom Persuasion in the very near future), and it complimented the bait's gradient so nicely that the two had to go together.

Bathory's wing symbols are black and deep red, and vaguely reptilian. She has a matching pair of hearts on her front display-side hoof, and her eyes have been partially repainted. She has a red jewel accent near one eye.

She also wears a removable silvertone chain necklace with a red "gem" pendent. Her black tail ribbon is accentuated with matching red beads.

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In contrast, there's nothing at all gothic about StarSpeckle. Originally a Penny Candy, StarSpeckle's been given a Restoredoll reroot in deep blue and bright purple.

StarSpeckle has blue and purple star symbols with ice-blue accents, with matching stars on her face and hoof. She wears a removable lavender ribbon on her tail.

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Both ponies will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once they're in the gallery, they'll be available for private sale -- Bathory will be $38 and StarSpeckle will be $30. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs. ^_^

Also, for those who liked last week's release, Leapfrog is ~~still available for sale.~~ [edit] now on hold. ^_^

Finally, here's a sneak preview of an upcoming carousel attraction:

She's not quite finished yet, and she doesn't have a name. I haven't yet decided whether I'll sell her or hold onto her -- I'm finding it a bit hard to decide on a price for her, so I may end up taking offers. If I have time, I'd like to do a small carousel series, so I may hold onto her for now and release the whole set at once. We'll see. ^_^

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 01:17:57 GMT

New this week: Leapfrog.

Leapfrog is a clever little imp of a baby who loves all things green. Originally a Butter Drop, she's been given a long, thick mane and tail of bright green Restoredoll hair with a paler green/yellow streak in the mane.

Leapfrog's symbol is a smiling froggie face; she has a corresponding heart on her front display-side foot and matching accents on her face. Her eyes have been repainted green.

She also has a green tail ribbon, and a matching removable necklace with a silvertone heart charm.

Because her neck seam didn't come back together quite as I would have preferred (I'm being picky -- the head and neck refused to match up exactly), I'll be taking $2 off the $30 I'd be charging if she were perfect. ^_^ Her necklace covers up the seam, and truthfully, she displays fine without it.

Leapfrog will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once she's in the gallery, she'll be available for private sale for $28. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs. As always, thanks for reading!

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 17:32:29 GMT

I fell a bit behind with paint jobs, so there'll be no release today. ^_^

Custom Persuasion Update

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 22:46:34 GMT

I've got a new Shee this week -- meet Twitter.

Twitter started out as a KayBee exclusive Kimono II. She still has Kimono's original body color, but her new color combination makes her look a bit more pink than purple (the third and fourth pics show her colors most accurately). She's been rerooted with bright pink MLP hair (from Blossomforth) with a peachy-orange streak in her mane.

Twitter's wing symbols are a bold green with peachy-orange accents. I used two different kinds of glitter on her wings -- a light dusting of one kind over the entire wing, with a heavier concentration of another, more iridescent kind over the orange accents. She also has green and orange accents on her hooves, neck and face and a peach tail ribbon.

Twitter will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once she's in the gallery, she'll be available for private sale for $30. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs.

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Also, I am currently testing out custom@cloverflowers.com as a replacement addy for my current hotmail address. I'll be sending tonight's email update from the new address. For now, I'll still be checking both addresses equally (along with my aol addy -- it's always a good idea to CC anything to that address). Any permanent email changes will be reflected on the website.

Custom Persuasion Update

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 19:59:28 GMT

New this week: Spring Chicken.

Spring Chicken feels most at home down on the farm, and the first chore she completes each morning is feeding the chickens.

Originally a Fairy Dust, Spring Chicken's been rerooted with yellow and orange Restoredoll hair. Her mane's been styled into two pigtails with a long forelock. This isn't a permanent style; the pigtails are secured with plastic bands under white ribbons and can be removed if her new owner chooses.

Her symbol is a pair of fuzzy cartoon chicks, with a matching chick on her front display-side hoof. She also has repainted eyes and a dusting of brown freckles.

Chicken feed not included. ^_^

Spring Chicken will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once she's in the gallery, she'll be available for private sale for $34. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs.

Also, please note that I've been having a lot of issues with my hotmail email account lately, especially when sending mail to AOL accounts. I'm going to try to switch over to a cloverflowers.com-based account and phase out hotmail, probably this week. I'll update the Custom Persuasion website to reflect the change when it's done; in the meantime, I can still always be reached at my AOL addy, which is listed in several places on the CP site.

As always, thanks for reading!

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 16:22:03 GMT

For those who asked, nope, I don't have anything new this week. Hopefully that'll change by next week. ^_^

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 04:19:39 GMT

One new release this week -- meet Fanfare.

Some ponies adore surprise parties. Others prefer massive celebrations or colorful ticker-tape parades. Fanfare, however, loves it all. Covered in shimmery confetti symbols, she's always up for Ponyville's next big event.

Fanfare was originally a Royal Rose; her original symbol and glitter were replaced with confetti and streamers that were given a light shimmery topcoat, and she's been rehaired with Restoredoll hair in... Um... *thinks* At least six different colors. Might be seven. ;) They're all very complimentary shades of green, purple, pink and blue. She's also had her eyes repainted, and she comes with the two pictured tail ribbons.

Fanfare will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once she's in the gallery, she'll be available for private sale for $32. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs. ^_^

As always, thanks for reading. And Happy Valentine's Day! Or, if you'd prefer, Happy Overly-Commercial Love-Obligation Day. ;D

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 03:08:51 GMT

Nothing new this week. As I just switched over to a new computer and digicam and don't yet have my graphics program of choice installed, I am without a reliable way to post pics at the moment. I'm hoping that'll change by next week. ^_^

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 01:42:55 GMT

Two new releases this week:

I'm not usually fond of customs that keep the original bait's hair/body color combination, but when I started prepping the bait for Towers 'n' Turrets, her hair was too pretty to cut off and replace. Instead, I de-tinseled everything and styled her mane in a set of braids and pigtails. The style is extremely sturdy, with plastic bands beneath the ribbons, and there's also a matching bit of braid in her tail.

Towers 'n' Turrets' symbol is a section of castle painted in two shades of pink. There's also a faint sunset-like glow behind the highest turrets. She has a matching tower on her front display-side leg, and she's been given translucent pink eyeshadow. She also has a tiny yellow gem near her display-side eye, and another in a necklace design.

Towers 'n' Turrets was originally a Summer Bloom from the Crystal Princess Pretty Patterns collection.

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Spring-a-ding-ding is a baby Shee who can't wait for winter to end. ^_^ She's looking forward to the bright colors of spring, like the pink, purple and green in her Restoredoll mane and tail.

Spring-a-ding-ding's wing symbols match the pink and green in her hair, and she has the usual Shee accents on her hoof and face. She also has a silvertone flower charm on a removable ribbon "bracelet". She was originally a Bellaluna.

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Both ponies will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once they're in the gallery, they'll be available for private sale -- Towers 'n' Turrets will be $30 and Spring-a-ding-ding will be $28. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs. ^_^

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 04:31:07 GMT

Nothing new this week. I have several designs in the pipeline, though, so I should have at least one ready to go by next week. ^_^

In the meantime, if there are any Pullip fans reading this, they're invited to drop by my new Pullip-related LJ, brooklynbridge. Right now it's mainly photos and boutique updates, but if/when I give Pullip customization a try, the process will be chronicled there.

Custom Persuasion Update

Mon, 16 Jan 2006 23:54:58 GMT

New this week: Warm 'n Cozy.

In some ways, Warm 'n Cozy is the opposite of last week's Frostbite. With fiery orange/red hair, a fireplace symbol and a handmade fleece hat and scarf set, Warm 'n Cozy is just in from the cold and ready to curl up in front of a crackling fire. The winter wind has given her nose and cheeks a soft, permanent red flush.

If I remember correctly (I've had the bait prepped for a while), Warm 'n Cozy was originally a Tink-a-tink-a-too. She's been rehaired with blended Restoredoll hair. She has a matching fire accent on her front display-side hoof; unfortunately, it's under her scarf in the photos. ;)

Warm 'n Cozy will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once she's in the gallery, she'll be available for private sale for $40 (includes her hat and scarf!). Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs. ^_^

~~Also, for those who were interested in Frostbite last week, he's available for sale again.~~

As always, thanks for peeking!

Custom Persuasion Update

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 23:38:36 GMT

Custom Persuasion is back with the first new design of 2006 -- meet Frostbite:

Frostbite is a chilly fellow designed entirely in icy blues and white. According to local legend, Frostbite's chilly breath is responsible for bringing winter to Ponyville. He's so cold that even his tongue is blue! He has a line of shimmering blue icicles as his symbol, and his hooves and face are accented with similar designs. He has wild blue hair (it's a bit brighter than the photos picked up) and wears two beaded bracelets and a blue fleece scarf.

Frostbite started out as a Coconut Cream; he's been rehaired with Ragdolly-type hair that's been styled into a permanently wild look -- it fluffs up and feathers really nicely with a little brushing.

Frostbite will be uploaded into the Custom Persuasion gallery tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM Eastern. Once he's in the gallery, he'll be available for private sale for $38. Please visit Custom Persuasion for more information on buying customs. ^_^

As always, thanks for peeking!

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 04:53:13 GMT

Edit: They're still not ideal photos (my camera seems to be dying a slow death on me) but they're more representative...

~~I apologize for the lack of photos in this post -- the pics I took today didn't come out well, so I'm taking more tomorrow.~~ For now, here's one semi-decent shot of the Autumn Shee.

The Autumn Shee completes my 2005 seasonal set. Originally a Petal Blossom, she's been rehaired with gold/orange/brown minibraids. Her Shee wings are stylized branches with cascading fall leaves; the leaves have shimmer topcoats, and there are additional leaf accents on her front display-side hoof and her cheek. The branches are the same on both sides, although the leaves on her non-display side don't continue all the way down her leg. She has two removable ribbons on her tail, and she comes with a yellow star pendant on a black ribbon that can serve as a necklace/anklet/hair ornament.

She'll be up for sale tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:00 PM Eastern, when she'll be uploaded to the gallery, and she'll be priced at $38. As always, visit Custom Persuasion for more info on my customs and sales.

And check back tomorrow (before 4:00) for better pics! ^_^

I'll be pretty busy for the next month or so, so I doubt I'll have any more releases before January. In the meantime, I'm working on an updated tutorial. Watch for that early next year.

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 22 Nov 2005 03:36:11 GMT

Ah-hah! Remembered to take photos this week.

I can't promise that owning one of these two will keep storms away, but the fact that they were born during Hurricane Wilma might've given them at least a touch of weather magic. Up for sale this week are Hurakan and Hurakana 2005.

My Hurakan designs are (very loosely) inspired by the Mayan storm god of the same name. If you're not familiar with 2004's versions, here are links for the first Hurakan and Hurakana.

This year's versions are the first two (and possibly the last two) customs I've made from jewel-butt bait. They started out as Wondermint and Peri Winkle; both poses benefited from a good old head swap. ^_^

More pics:
http://www.shadesofshadow.com/ebay/Hurakan05-2.jpg
http://www.shadesofshadow.com/ebay/Hurakan05-3.jpg
http://www.shadesofshadow.com/ebay/Hurakan05-4.jpg

Hurakan -- mighty storm god! His hair is a mixture of dark green, lime green and neon yellow hair done in looooong permanent mini-braids, and his body designs are yellow-gold acrylic with metallic gold accents. His eyes are also metallic gold. He's quite an energetic fellow who leaves thunderstorms and general destruction in his wake. It's best to stay on his good side.

More pics:
http://www.shadesofshadow.com/ebay/Hurakana05-2.jpg
http://www.shadesofshadow.com/ebay/Hurakana05-3.jpg
http://www.shadesofshadow.com/ebay/Hurakana05-4.jpg

Hurakana -- demure storm goddess. She has three shades of blue in her mini-braids, yellow/metallic gold body designs, and metallic silver eyes. While she's a bit calmer than her male counterpart, she has been known to cause flooding rains and hurricane-force winds when provoked. Proceed with caution.

Both ponies share the same main features -- extra-long mini-braids, similar tribal designs, metallic/hemp/gemstone accents, lots of detail (especially in their facepaints) and a general adoration of all things stormy. Just a few production notes to clarify: due to the quality of the synthetic hair (it's Ragdolly, which I only use for braids now), their braids do have a few flyaway bits here and there. This is true of any of my braided customs, but it became a bit more pronounced with these because of the colors used (some were the silky straight, others were the crunchy kind). Also, due to my own carelessness (and the fact that the sun was going down and I was losing my light and we had no power, heh), there's a very small amount of yellow paint on one of Hurakana's tail braids. Oh, and she has a teeny factory flaw -- a pink stain on her non-display-side front hoof (visible in the fourth pic). In my opinion, none of these issues detract in the slightest from these two when they're on display. They look charming together but are just as fun on their own.

Hurakan and Hurakana 2005 will be uploaded to the gallery for private sale tomorrow (Tuesday the 22nd) at 4:00 PM Eastern time. They'll be $38 each. Remember, I can't take orders until the ponies are actually up in the gallery!

As always, thanks for reading. ^_^

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 18:41:17 GMT

Whoops, no update this week. Time got away from me, and NaNoWriMo made me forget what day it is. ;)

Custom Persuasion Update

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 14:50:30 GMT

Nothing new for this week, folks, but I hope to have the 2005 hurricane ponies ready to go next week. ^_^