Whew, it's done. The store has been emptied and keys have been turned in. Now the new work starts. Boxes are here there and everywhere, new orders are showing up and everything needs to be weighed, measured and pictures taken & that is just to put it on the web. For the last week I've been so busy getting things on the web that I had not really thought too much about the organization until someone place an order and I had to find her stuff! So now it's going a little slower as I have to take time to put things away too.

So I may not actually come up for air for a few weeks while I work on getting stuff ordered, put on the web and put away.

Then...
I hope to get back to making samples and all the fun stuff!
Thanks again everyone.
Cheryl

Store Closing Update

Well it's finally almost here, our transition to closing the store front, a business that we have had for over 15 years to the web based business. The plan is to start the clearance sale February 7, the second sale with larger markdowns for whats left will start the second weekend and hopefully be done. It is with some sadness that I make these closing plans as during the past 15 years I have made many friends & it has been my profound pleasure to help my customers in accomplishing projects, find their creative side or just feed the monster created. My fondest memory was a rather mature women who had taken a beginning stamping class and and then came back to take a paper sculpting class. She sent one of the sculpted cards to her sister, I still remember, it was the PSX Iris stamp. Her eyes were over bright as she told me growing up her sister was always the creative one and she apparently had missed that gene. Her Sculpted Iris card was so stunning both to herself and her sister who called her to share her amazement that this card was hand made.

I had been told not to turn your hobby into a business because it will kill the hobby for you, and to a degree it did. After 5 or more years of owning the store I no longer packed the carry on when I traveled filled with stamping supplies. I actually go on vacation, when I can, and don't give my stamps a second thought (although I still seek out the local stamp store where ever I travel). I no longer spend what little, if any, free time at home stamping for the fun of it. No, for a long time now my joy with stamps comes from watching the excitement of others, seeing new stampers get so excited of what they just did with a stamp and some ink. I take great satisfaction in knowing as much as possible and sharing that information with others.

Now is time for a new chapter, while the brick and mortar store closes I hope the on-line store will grow. I am sure with all the technology available I will find new ways to share with a larger audience. I haven't given up the idea of a more personal contact either, I am sure my inky fingers will find there way to some of the many free lance opportunities that are out there.
I hope in the next year to produce a stamp show in Lynnwood, or at least that is the plan, more info on that will follow later. Oh and I almost forgot, I will be working on my stamp line again. There are actually many sheets of artwork ready to go I just never got around to doing it as the store took so much of my time.

And for the fun of it I've been kicking around the idea of working, like in a job for someone else, since I haven't done that for over 20 years. As I recall I didn't care for it too much, so that may not last, but now I have a different perspective so who knows.

One things for sure, I'm not happy unless I have a ton of things going on at the same time. Maybe I need to take up yoga and learn to relax!

While I am sure many of us will stay in touch to some degree, I know won't be the same like seeing you in the store on a regular bases as I have over the last 15 years, and some of you have been with me for the full 15 years. I will miss you. I do hope that you will remember to visit the web site if for nothing else to drop an email to say hi and let me know how your doing.

I thank each and every one of you for your support and patronage throughout the over 15 years of business.
Cheryl

Holiday Open House

So now that the Holiday Open House has come and gone and I've had a chance to breath...here are the promised pics of the projects. You can email me if you have any questions. It seems we all had a good time, the sale was great, the projects were lots of fun and a big "thanks" goes out to Annie McGuire from WRB representing Clearsnap for her demo and project. She used the new Design Lines which are so easy to use. I will be showing them again at the "New Products" demo on Saturday Nov. 1. Enjoy the pics and I hope you get inspired to create fun stocking stuffers and other little gifts for your friends and family!

Portland Wholesale Show

I'm back from the wholesale show and actually had a lot of fun. There were new products, stamps, techniques and so much more. Wrote up orders like crazy and so the store should have lots of fun new things in soon! Some of the products I beg and pleaded for the companies to get it out in a day or two so we could have it in the store in time for our Holiday Open House on October 18 and they are obliging. Guess it doesn't hurt to ask for the impossible--you might just get it! As for the other things that it was just impossible due to availability or shipping time, these new things will be in the store in time for the "New Products" Demo November 1, so it's all good.

I finally got to see the JAC paper from Dreamweaver in use--so cool and just in time for the holidays with all the glitters. If you own stencils or like glitter-you've got to see this. It's soooo fast and easy-very impressive! This one will definitely be shown at our New Products Demo and added to our stencil class.

Stampendous has new stamps and stickers. I'll have a great quick project on display using some of the new large mirror Class a Peels--must see.

Clearsnap has their new Watermark Pad and it's really good and less costly than it's competition. Also new from Clearsnap is their Design Adhesives. I've tried other companies versions of this product and I have to say I like Clearsnaps. Really easy to use with really good results. This product will be at the Open House and also featured in one of the Gift Projects. You've got to come by for the Gift Projects!

Printworks has new stamps - great holiday images. Art Impression has new "Old People" -really funny with saying that as we age we can all relate.

There was more --so much more but it is 12:35 AM and while normally that isn't late for me, tonight I'm really tired after a long weekend and a long drive home.

Want to see all this and more? Stop by the store Oct. 18 and Nov. 1.

The last Quarter of 2008

Well here we are, the last quarter. The last class schedule I'll have to create, the last Holiday Open House, the last of a lot of things. Wow, it feels really strange. But on the other hand there are a lot of "The Firsts", or at least plans for them. I have decided to attempt to plan to put on one if not two retail shows a year. The "plan" is to host a retail show at the Embassy Suites hotel here in Lynnwood. I say plan because I could easily find out that it just isn't feasible. But for now the plan is a show that would consist of a day of classes followed by a buffet dinner and Make-N-Take Get Together. The second day would be a day of shopping. Vendors would have booths set up like you would normally find at any retail show. There would be Show Rates for the hotel rooms for those traveling. I expect to have everything priced individually as well as a package deal. You would be able to choose what you wish to participate in or receive a small discount for signing up for the full two days which would be something like 3 classes, dinner, make-n-take get together and entrance to the show on day two. These are very sketchy plans right now but that is what I am envisioning. To help clarify that vision I am attending a wholesale show in Portland this weekend. This after all is the show that I wish to emulate so I will be picking their well developed brains.

Aside from that I am looking at having some of my drawings put to rubber or clear stamps, enhancing the web store with all kinds of stuff, once I have all this time(?) and taking a well deserved vacation after the store is closed and before starting all this other stuff.

As for the store, I try not to dwell. I expect to have a clearance sale the first weekend in February then regroup and rearrange the store. Customers who have store fixtures and other store items on request to purchase will be called to come pick them up. The second and last sale will be the second weekend in February and then I'll be done. We'll spend the last two weeks in February cleaning up the store and then I'll fly off to Hawaii to visit my family, lay in the sun and eat! After a week or two there I'll return tan, relaxed, warm, fat and happy--ready to start on new adventures--what every they might be.

I hope everyone will visit me on the web, email me, etc. Some of you know where I live and I expect to keep in contact with many. I have after all known some of you for 15 years!

As for the immediate--be sure to come to the Holiday Open House. I am planning lots of fun projects and a good time! October 18 - Early Bird Sale starts at 9:30 AM! Check the web site for the schedule of things going on and their times. www.funstamps.net