This was a fun project that had some personal meaning to us here at MBJD Laser.  We don't get time to do fun projects for ourselves and friends very often but this is one of those times that we did.   We ordered this Leather Satchel from a company online called Denali Leather.   Once we received it we laser engraved the name on the flap for an exchange student that we had living in our home about 6 years ago.   As you can see in the photo the contrast that the laser created was a great look.

For those people who are just starting in the laser business, don't be afraid to try new substrates.  Sometimes the risk is great but the reward is greater!

A big portion of what we do is laser engrave items for big businesses.  Below are a few examples of some items we have done.  The key is to get quality items that look good and are functional.  Offering quality products at a fair price is a big key to our success.  Each year here at MBJD Laser we research and test items that we think will sell.   Obviously some items are more popular than others but its important to have a variety of products to choose from.

This past month our shop got the opportunity to create some very cool end of season baseball plaques for Trinity Academy here in Wichita.  What makes these plaques unique are 2 fold.  First off we use a product called laser foil.  Laser foil is a way of getting color on an item using a laser.  As you can see in the pictures the name and number are Emerald Green in color.  At first glance this might appear to be color filled with paint.  However we did this using laser foil.   Laser foil is a lot like vinyl however it is specially made to work using your laser.   Its a fun way to get color and have the item really pop and look good.  Second we incorporated our now very poplular QR code technology that when scanned with a smart phone it plays a message to the players from their coach.

I truly classy gift that is unique and a keepsake for sure.

Here is a project that we did for a local customer here in Wichita.  Medals for a HS Swim team.  Truth be told we don't do many medals with neck ribbons.  Its simply not a real popular item but we do them from time to time.  In this instance they were all the same on the front, but the backs were custom laser engraved to each swimmer.

As you an see in the pictures the gold shines through the black backing creating a really bright look.  We can do this style of medal in about 40 - 50 different sports and clubs.  Everything from Chess and Orchestra medals to just about any sport you can think of.   You can get them with or without neck ribbons.  Ribbons come in various colors and medals can be gold, silver or bronze color.

Excellent value and make great awards for t-ball teams, chess clubs, swimming teams, drama/debate teams, MVP awards, 1st 2nd 3rd place, summer tournaments, spelling bees, YMCA teams, Summer sports camps etc.

MBJD Laser is now starting to do QR Code Laser Engraved Pet Tags.  These tags are a great way to give your pet a voice if they are lost.  Last week when we explained our new Soundwave Bracelets we go this idea of doing pet tags.   

Anyone that has a pet understands the worry involved when a pet runs off, gets out of a back yard, or loose from a leash.   Collars, and typical tags simply don't allow for much information so we have started doing QR Code Pet tags.  Basically it is another way for the finder of your pet to identify them.   All they have to do is scan the QR Code with their cell phone and they will hear a pre-recorded message from you letting them know the information they need to return your pet.

Please take the time to try it out.  Simply Scan the QR Code below with your cell phone and listen for yourself.

Why are these tags so unique and poplular:
1. It uses technology that anyone can use with their cell phone.
2. You can make the message as long as you like.  You can pre-record a Name, Phone Number, Address, food allergies, Vet info.  Really whatever you like can be put onto the message.
3. It is less intrusive then micro-chipping. 
4. QR Code is good for 3 years with unlimited scans.  

You can purchase these on our store using this link. 
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https://www.mbjdlaser.com/store/p310/Pet_Tag_with_QR_Code_Scan.html

These are exciting times at MBJD Laser.   We have been working on a great project that I think many of our customers will really enjoy.  

We got the idea from my son who came home from college and was telling us about these new tattoos people were getting that were soundwaves.  The really cool thing is that the people that had these tattoos could scan them with their smart phones and when scanned they could actually hear the voice in the soundwave.   How cool is that!?!  

The problem in my opinion was in order to scan the tattoo and get your phone to read it you had to use their software which cost money.

Here at MBJD Laser we thought we would try the same thing but tie the soundwave into a QR Code.  When you scan the QR the message in the voice wave will play.  The best part is, QR Code scanners are FREE.  Anyone with a smartphone can play these great soundwave gifts.   There is literally to much to explain in a blog about how all the pieces come together to make this work but I will break it down here to a few steps.

1. Take any audio that you like and save it.  It can be anything from a phone message, to an old video, or even one of those old halmark cards where you used your voice to make the card.  
2. Use just about any free voice recording app to create the soundwave.  Save the wave as a jpg image.
3. Take the soundwave image to your laser software and manipulate it just as you would any image.
4. Create a dynamic QR Code with the voice message attached to that QR Code.
5. Laser the Soundwave and the QR Code to whatever you like.  Bingo

It took me quite some time to get all the techy aspect figured out but if I haven't lost you yet you might want to see the video in this blog post as well.  Enjoy and have fun.

For today's fun project we personalized some golf tees.  Simple, easy, and fun for the golfer in the family.  Being in the laser engraving business sometimes we search for readily available items to laser on that don't cost a fortune.  You can get a bag of 100 tees for less than $7.   Some might think that these are too small to run on the rotary attachment.   To be honest we just run them on our laser without the rotary and they turn out perfect.

We used the standard wood setting with our 40 Watt Zing.  Speed 70 and Power of 100.

Quite a while ago we did some work with leather bracelets and today we decided to try them again.   One of our favorite suppliers here at MBJD Laser is JDS Industries.  If you are into laser engraving, chances are you have bought products from JDS.  They are quick to ship and their products are quality.  I can't say enough about their products!

What cought my eye when selecting their leather bracelets was the fact that they had 2 different varieties of black.  The really cool part is that depending on the kind you buy the black bracelets will either laser gold or laser silver really creating a professional look.  Sky is the limit on one what you could put on these.   Sports teams, clubs, groomsman gifts are just a few ways to show them off.  

As far as laser settings go, we used a speed of 100 and a power of 18 with our 40 Watt Zing.   

Today we had a great time doing some creating with our laser.   While searching pintrest for some new ideas I stumbled across some handmade "Save The Date" pieces that I really found interesting so we decided to give it a try here at MBJD Laser and add our own flavor and twist.

SAVE THE DATE items have become more and more popular over the years.  Reunions, Weddings, Graduations etc have all become creative on getting family and relatives the information on these special days in our lives.  Save the date tokens might be something worth looking into.

We created our save the date tokens out of 1/8" plywood veneer.  We can create them in Walnut (dark), Cherry (medium), or Pine (light) colored veneers.   Another great piece that we add to our tokens is an inlayed acrylic heart.  The color in the acrylic pops off nice and is adds so much to the overall look.  With the size roughly 2.5" x 2.5" and very light in weight they can easily be put into an envelope with a card along with the official invitation you are mailing.

But what truly separates our "save the date" tokens from other wooden tokens is we have included a hidden magnet so that they can be put onto a refrigerator door as an easy and quick reminder.  If you look at the pictures below, note that you can not see any visible magnet!  These are truly high quality and the perfect keepsake.

Obviously we can create other save the date events.  Imagination is our only limitation.

Insulated tumblers in all brands, sizes and colors continue to be a popular item.  They laser engrave so nicely and they typically fall into the budget of just about any customer.  If you are needing 1 or 1000 we handle it all here at MBJD Laser.

We can supply the tumblers or if you already have some purchased we can work with what you already have in hand.   Lately we have been lasering a lot of colored tumblers.  Red, Blue, Black and just about every color you can imagine.   

In our opinion the reason they are so popular is because they work, they last, and everyone uses a cup each and every day.  Below are a couple that we have done this past week.