* Website, instagram and other stuff.

So I am starting with something a little different today. First of all I have put everything I have made throughout the lockdown up in the shop on my website. Feel free to take a [look](https://denspens643598967.wordpress.com/the-shop/) or don’t, just wanted to share that little bit of news with you all.

The other big thing is that I have been nominated for an award. It seems to only be the initial stages of nomination so far so I doubt anything will come of it, but it’s a big ego boost and has had me smiling since I found out. You can check it [here](https://www.instagram.com/p/CGmH2LPsdnL/) any support would be greatly appreciated, entries are now closed but I would assume that as things progress any support would mean a lot. Thank you in advance.

Other than that I am going back to work full time soon so I think the pen making for stock will slow down, I am still going to keep on top of customer commissions though. Let’s hope I just improve on my efficiency. Now on to the bit most of you want to read.

* Pen making

Last week I talked about how I come up with different designs and I have the initial steps of a new design to show you lot. This has been prompted by a client who wants a pocket pen and they enquired about the possibility of it having an ink window. I have always tried to not use glue but I figured that a 2 part epoxy was the way to go forward with this sort of thing having spoken to other pen makers. So I got some glue and I got out some clear blanks I had purchased, a spare blank and started off. Instead of threading this like I had done in the past what I tried was turning a tenon on either end of the clear section (a sticky out bit) and then drilling a matching hole on the two ends of the blank I had cut down to size. I then mixed up the epoxy and spread it over the tenon and flat faced surface. Then in the vice it went, I think if I am wanting to use this method with standard or long sized pens I will need a new vice as the one I use currently was at full extension to accept the pocket pen. Anyway here is the end result after the surfaces had been turned [flat](https://i.imgur.com/kXrt5RL.jpg).

Now I don’t know whether any of you remember but back when I first started doing this I was adamant that I wanted to make my eldest daughter a pen, this pen I carved a heart into the end of it for her and was a big hit. Well I have two things related to that, the first is that I now have a commission to make another pen where I get to carve in the end of it, a Cthulhu themed pen with a tentacle roll stop and something which is called an elder sign in the end of the pen, which looks like the branch of a tree with arms stretching out either side. What I might do with this is do the carving and then fill it with resin then sand and polish the end again, if it works it will open up another layer of customisation to pens I make in the future. The other thing related to my daughters pen is that I have another daughter who is now 3, She is obsessed with pens, I had bought her a pink blank which she immediately stole and hid in her room. Well I finally got the blank back and I have made her a pen, it’s pretty simple and I might carve her name into the side and fill it with resin using the technique the same as the Cthulhu pen if it works. Anyway it’s all polished up and [here](https://i.imgur.com/dUEFtjq.jpg) it is. It won’t be fitted with a real nib as she is only 3, I don’t want her stabbing her sister, I will however put a feed in it so it at least looks like I had a nib.

As usual feel free to give feedback or suggestions in the comments. Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones and stay safe.