I hope they work for you Laura. When you said "Even though I try to keep the pressure on the pens consistent, the paint tends to flow out in a very unpredictable way." I only press to get the paint into the tip. No more pressure until you need to get more ink in the tip. If you constantly press as you are using the pen you are pushing to much paint out and will get a over flow. Did I explain that right? If you keep pressing as you are working on the project you will get to much paint in the tip so it will flow everywhere.

Scott, If you only had 1 or 200 conifers it doesn't matter. The point is to find the best plant marker out there that happens to be trouble free and will still be there long after the plant dies. That has happened to me numerous times. I then pull it up stick a new name on it and away we go. We all have different opinions. You need to decide what works best for you. I think you have enough to go on. I am sure Ken only has your best interests in mind. Opinionated for sure, but aside from that a good resource for valuable information. By the way I am opinionated also. "So since bunky only has 45-50 conifers" If you have that many then putting the correct name on a marker is a must. A conifer collector you have become. Most people that would take time to look at 50 different conifers have more then a occasional interest. Having a name on them will relieve you of the embarrassment of not knowing what you are growing. I still on occasion have to look at the tag to give correct information to the person that is interested. No big deal...who could remember all those Latin pronunciations any way. "I kind of get the feeling I'm not good enough to talk with the elites, but nobody here normally talks down to me in this way." There are a few elites on this forum and rightly so. Its easily to separate the ones that are in the know from those that think they are. I have been helped numerous times by those in the know. Straighten those feathers back up and keep on posting. We enjoy your comments and the photos of your conifers. Dave

Heavens, I could give you hundreds--I used to teach a Kindergarten Storybook Cooks Class. Without opening my files, here are a few ideas that have always been popular with my little students: Walk-Away Breakfast Sundaes--press a large marshmallow into the bottom of a flat-bottomed ice cream cone. Spoon in diced fruit (fresh or canned), spoon in fruit-flavored yogurt. Top with a sprinkling of Granola. (Ice cream cones are also a good way to serve egg or chicken salad, for a fun change) Butterflies (used with "The Very Hungry Caterpillar")--spread cream cheese or peanut butter in celery sticks. Add small pretzels for wings, raisins for eyes, and broken pretzel pieces for antennae. Grilled Apple Cheese Sandwiches--Use Raisin or cinnamon bread, sliced apples, cheese (American, mild or sharp Cheddar), and--if desired--some raisins or walnuts. Grill as you would a regular grilled cheese. I used to make these for DD when she was little--she's grown and STILL requests them from time to time. Alternatively, you can do the same thing with a whole wheat tortilla to make an apple cheese quesadilla How about BBQ meatballs (for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"). Put a pound of ground beef into a heavy duty ziplock bag, add a teaspoon or so of grill seasoning, a small handful of bread crumbs. Seal the bag, squish together. Make meatballs using a cookie scoop (Good place to teach about food sanitation and the dangers of touching raw meat). Put in a microwave-safe dish. Zap 5-6 minutes or until done. Make the sauce using Ketchup or chili sauce and grape (or other favorite) jelly. Spoon over and microwave another few minutes to glaze. Another very popular kid-pleaser. Mouse Cookies (If You Give a Mouse A Cookie) Shape slices of refrigerator dough into teardrop shapes (the body). Cut another slice into quarters--use 2 to make ears, press into the mouse. Add raisins or sunflower seed eyes. Bake. You can add a licorice tail after they're baked. Spaghetti Salad (Strega Nona)--Using a clean pair of safety scissors or a plastic knife, the child can cut up: pepperoni, sun-dried or grape tomatoes, cheese (such as provolone), green peppers, etc and add to a bowl of cold spaghetti. Add a little bottled Italian dressing. Mystery Lemonade Cookies ("The Lemonade Mystery") Mix:1 cup Bisquick, 1 small box instant lemon pudding, 1/4 cup oil, 1 egg. Shape into small balls and roll in: 1/4 cup sugar. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Custard's Easy Tarts (The Tale of Custard the Dragon) Make instant pudding, spoon into individual graham cracker tart shells, top with fruit and/or Cool Whip. A few practical tips for mom. Put a piece of that spongy drawer liner under the bowl when a toddler is stirring--helps keep the bowl from slipping and sliding. Always use a much larger bowl than necessary--it's easier for a small one to keep everything in the bowl that way. Keep tasks simple and always have an adult helper on hand to do the more dangerous work. Even very young children can be taught to cut properly--I recommend a plastic knife, soft foods such as lunchmeat or canned fruit, and a pie pan. Cutting in a pie pan helps catch any bits that fly or roll away. Scissors are also a good way for youngsters to cut some foods. Children are often more likely to try a new food, if they've gotten to prepare it themselves. Great way to get them really interested in cooking and eating.

Hi, Butterbeanbaby beat me to it! I was out of town and couldn't remember the name of the website and needed to look it up on my bookmarks. I have ordered from Misterart.com twice, and have been perfectly happy with their product and their shipping time. If you search for "copper sheeting" within their website, it will show you other types of product too, but this is what I've ordered in the past. I would advise that you watch the gauge if you buy it locally. When I first tried making tags, I bought what they sell at Michael's, and I've had to replace pretty much all of them. The gauge was too thin. The wind would just pummel the tags, and they would eventually just rip away. The 36 gauge is heavy enough to be durable, but still has some flex to it so that you can engrave on it with just a pen. When I make my labels, I use a template to trace an oval. Then, using a sharp pair of scissors, I cut the oval about 1/16 inch larger. This leaves an attractive raised border, but also adds just a bit of strength to the tag. Then I use a hole punch at the top. I usually use the labels so the ovals are short and wide, but I could also use them with the oval tall and narrow. Then I use a coat hanger to make a "shephard's hook," and loop the end tightly around the tag. I usually paint the hanger wire gold too, but I haven't gotten to the one in the picture yet. The tags flitter about in the wind, which I find attractive too. I don't think I've lost any of the labels out of the heavier foil. Good luck! I'd love to see posted what you come up with, if it's different. Thx! Sheri