Around the Cool Pencil Case Office

If you remember, we gave you a tour of newly renovated office a couple months back. We have to say, one of the most interesting parts of our office is our photo station, fully of lively props that accompany us in the creative process when shooting product shots. Here's a look at some of our favorite items. If you're a fan of what we're showing, stay tuned, we've got a whole lot more of where this came from!

Eiffel Tower clips

Guess what these are!

White on white wall decorations

Teacups galore!

Our classic alarm clock.

A perfect touch to all the sweet items that come into Cool Pencil Case.

Nerd Hello Kitty -- what a fave!

Spreading the Cool Pencil Case love!

There's nothing better than checking our Facebook page and seeing all the nice things that customers have to say about us. We're gearing up for one of our busiest Back-to-School seasons yet, and we'd like to dedicate this post to all of our loyal customers (we'd prefer to call them friends) who love awesome school supplies just as much as we do!

A huge thanks to all of our friends! Keep spreading the word about CoolPencilCase.com!

Wednesday Wonders: Cool Folders

Our slew of New Arrivals that debuted last week at CoolPencilCase.com included a variety of  subject folders. Of course, we're all still fans of folder dividers, but with these designs, who can say no? Each slim folder keeps homework and important papers protected to keep each sheet as crisp as the first day it was passed to you!

Style File - File Folders for More Than One Subject

For those of you who don't carry too many papers for each class, a folder with included tab dividers would be your best bet. Besides staying organized, this ultra light folder is a great way to keep your school bag light and easy to carry.

Hello Kitty 4-Subject Slim Organizer ($4.15)

Rollin' Solo - Individual Subject Folders

A couple of people in the Cool Pencil Case office did say that they saved all their papers from each class (back in the day), and sometimes a 4-subject organizer like the one above wouldn't do too well. That's where the individual subject folders/envelopes come in.

Kamonohashikamo File Folder ($3.45)

Easily slip your papers in with the Kamonohashikamo file folder, or if you want some extra security, these nifty folders include a velcro-secured flap enclosure.

Animal Ears Horizontal Subject Envelope $4.25

Curious Critters Subject Envelopes ($3.25)

Bono Story Subject Envelopes ($3.25)

Slip 'n' Slide - Sliding Folders

If you don't carry around a three-hole punch, you'll love this folder. By slipping off the sliding end of these folders, you can secure your papers (no hole punch required!) in a book-like format to easily read through lecture notes.

Domo-Kun Slide Folder ($3.25)

Calming Scenery Slide Folder ($2.15)

Have you purchased one of these lately? Let us know which one is your favorite in the comments below!

Web Favorites: CuteOverload.com

This morning, some of you might have been greeted with the cutest photo of a lil' pup on our Facebook page. We recruited this animal goodness from CuteOverload.com -- and trust us, the name does not disappoint. If you're an animal lover (we're hoping you are, considering that most products from Cool Pencil Case are designed after animals!), you'll love everything about this website. From sleepy puppies to intense action shots of bunnies flying over each other, consider this an automatic bookmark on your browser to brighten up your day.

Here's our favorite video to put a smile on your face.

 

New Letter Sets from CoolPencilCase.com

E-mails are necessary. Text messaging is easy. But when was the last time you received or even wrote a handwritten letter?

Even receiving thank you cards or Christmas cards is getting a bit rare nowadays, but with these new letter sets from Cool Pencil Case, maybe you can turn that around! Our new letter sets are now available in our New Arrivals section. Each set includes different theme designs for sheets, envelopes, and matching stickers to seal your handwritten messages. Sorry, stamps aren't included! Surely these adorable designs will make up for it.

Baby Love Stationery Set ($8.45)

Sweet Life Stationery Set ($8.45)

School Essentials Stationery Set ($8.45)

Scrapbook Travels Stationery Set ($8.45)

Bear's World Travels Stationery Set ($8.45)

Enter Cool Pencil Case's Summer Kickoff Giveaway!

The time is now! From June 19 to June 20, you have a chance to win an awesome prize pack from CoolPencilCase.com. Check out our previous blog post for tips on how to win!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE SUMMER KICKOFF GIVEAWAY!

Mother's Day Decoration Card

If you've been following us since yesterday's blog post, you've seen the step-by-step tutorial for our glitter sticker craft pens. Now that the stickers' gel has finally dried, we'll show you the last part of our Mother's Day Craft idea.

Today we'll be using the Popcorn Pens, one of our most popular craft pens. The ink looks like acrylic paint, but it's really a special ink that turns into a popcorn-like consistency under the high heat of a blow dryer.

For this project, you'll need a piece of paper, a large tip marker, and different colors of Cool Pencil Case's popcorn pens.

With the marker, write a special message for your mom. Don't worry about the color of the pen. What you're writing is just a guide for you to follow when using with the popcorn pen. Remember to go over the lines a bit with the popcorn pen so no marker ink is seen!

Just to get a feel of the technique, we started with one letter at  a time. We found that it's best to have the applicator  directly on the paper to control how much ink is flowing out. Hovering over the paper while writing often creates too thick of a layer, which will result in A LOT of blow drying. Trust us, it's not fun.

Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect! Wet ink is glossier than dry ink, which is a good indicator when you're using the blow dryer.

To begin the popcorn effect, you'll need a blow dryer. We found that it was best to apply heat  on the highest setting  right after applying the popcorn ink. Place the blow dryer as near to the ink as possible without touching it.

Another good tip is to rest the edge of the blow dryer at an angle. The heat  will concentrate on one side to begin the popcorn effect and will still warm up the rest of the ink to pop as well.

Here's a close up of how our freshly popped "H" looks like. If you've spent some time on an area that hasn't quite "popped" yet, move on to another area. In a couple of minutes, it will pop on its own!

Now, we've skipped a couple of steps to quicken up the pace. Here's the finished product of a popcorn pen project! 

Based on how thin you apply the ink, the effect can be small speckles....

...or they can be huge bumps.

The end result is a simple decoration. We added a piece of construction paper and string. A sign like this would be a great morning surprise for moms. Before she wakes up, hang a sign like this on doorknobs, her rear view mirror in her car, etc to put a smile on her face.

We've also added the flower and butterfly sticker we created in our last blog post!  Look at the bright colors and 3D effects you can get with our Glitter Sticker Craft Pens!

Do you have a craft idea for CoolPencilCase.com? E-mail marra@coolpencilcase.com to get your idea featured on Cool Pencil Case's blog! 

New Arrivals at Cool Pencil Case!

With behind-the-scenes postings on our Facebook and Twitter, it's safe to say that the staff at Cool Pencil Case absolutely loves getting new arrivals. A good fifteen minutes of our work day is spent admiring our new, colorful school supplies, wishing we were still in elementary school. Here are a few of our favorite pencil cases this week.

Banana Peel Pencil Case

Need an a-PEEL-ing pencil case? Look no further.
 Peel down the skin of the banana to reveal a surprise.

Surprise!

Totoro Pencil Case

Our special friend Totoro can now be with us at all times at school.

Cute Korilakkuma Pencil Case

With all the love Rilakkuma has been getting, it's time we share the sentiment
with Korilakkuma. Its long size and cute details will definitely stick out
in class!

Strawberry Milk Carton Pencil Case

Here's the newest addition to our milk carton family. Take a guess at how
many pencils and pens can fit in this!

Mamegoma Erasers

What we believe to be one of San-X's cutest characters has finally made its way onto CoolPencilCase.com. Mamegoma, an adorable mini seal, is known to fit in the palm of a human hand. Although parts of our dreams have been crushed because Mamegoma isn't a real-life animal we can come home to every day, we at Cool Pencil Case have been somewhat comforted with these cute Mamegoma Costume Erasers that recently debuted in our store.

Eight little Mamegomas, all in a row.

Pink and blue penguins and dolphins, so cute!

Mamegoma as a Polar Bear? Mamegoma, you're so silly.

Dressed up as a walrus.

Mamegoma bringing you good luck as a Koi fish

Get ready to obey some Captain's orders.

Find these cute erasers at CoolPencilCase.com for $4.45. Enjoy free shipping in the United States and Canada with a $10 purchase and a $4.95 flat rate for international orders.

From Fashion to Cool School Supplies: Color Blocking

Image from curlsandpearls.com

Staying on trend is easy at CoolPencilCase.com. With hundreds of pencil cases to choose from, you can have a pencil case for each day to match your outfit and accessories. If you haven't noticed, the color block trend is a favorite at stores across the country. When you buy your next outfit, think stripes and bold, multi-toned colors. Now, when you buy your next pencil case, you can think the same. 

Color Block Pencil Case

If you're a fan of the color block trend, the Color Block Pencil Case just hit CoolPencilCase.com last week. This pencil case is available in three color combinations, all in complementing colors in a stylish, simple design.

Color Block Pencil Case

This unique pencil case can fit about 25 of your favorite pens and pencils. But above all, who said school supplies couldn't be stylish?

A Look Into the Cool Pencil Case Office

One of the best things about working at Cool Pencil Case is this beautiful office and photo studio we get to work in. It's cozy, organized, and is an open space for us to talk, joke around, and create business plans.

To the left is our photo studio. We've also got loads and loads of props on both sides to make our product shots more interesting. The most important part of our studio? The lights. 

Here's a look at our prop section. These items are used to create layouts for our product shots. We love to collect everything. Yes, EVERYTHING. In those boxes are pens, pencils (of course), bubblegum, old ID cards, rocks, baby toys, etc. 

Ahh, the workspace. Our employees have their own desks to work, work, eat, joke, and work. It's also easy to organize ourselves with the amount of cabinets and shelves. The subtle colors go really well with each other and keep us relaxed throughout the day.

There's nothing like a well-lit space to really get work done. The contemporary look continues on with unique dry erase boards and steel details.

What's your favorite part of our office?