Wednesday 28 November 2007

Back in stock

We finally have the Scraparatus and the Picture It Pageframes back in stock. Our freight company lost the box with the Scraparatus in and it took them nearly a month to find it, but now we have it.

Also just in are the new Scor-It mini boards which are just fabulous, I will get these posted up on Stamp Addicts very soon..

Do you like my slideshow of the fashion show, it took me a while to figure it out but I got there in the end. I have also just read I can now post videos on my blog so maybe I could video someone using the Scor-it board and post it up here for you to see!

I'm taking the day off work Friday to go shopping in Milton Keynes, I've been buying the odd present or 2 over the last couple of weeks but I am hoping to get all my Christmas shopping finished this Friday so I don't have to venture back into the crowds again this year.
But I do seem to be coming down with a stinking cold so probably won't enjoy Friday as much as normal, fingers crossed for a sneeze-free day.

When I get back I will fill you in on our Christmas Shopping Evening at Stamp Addicts.

Don't forget to watch Judi's new webisode this week on CraftTvWeekly.

Monday 26 November 2007

Hobbycrafts Fashion Show



If you missed us at the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC a couple of weeks ago here are a couple of photos of our outfit that was in the fashion show.

Jo and Vicky toiled for hours over the dress and I helped where possible but my many skills don't extend to needlework. And of course the tags made by the customers during our Craft In Pink weekend - this all went towards helping us raise £1295 for Breast Cancer Care.

The bodice and the hat are covered with petals which are glued on. The skirt is covered with all the handmade tags. This used to be my wedding dress before we cut off the sleeves and took up the skirt at the front. As I couldn't find my original underskirt we made a new one with pink netting.

We probably won't know if the dress won in its category until February, fingers crossed!

Bind It Project



Lesley created this book using envelopes. The book has been covered with Basic Grey papers and the front of the book has been stamped with a Tim Holtz stamp, the envelopes have also been stamped and inked around the edges for that aged look.

Have you had a look at our Design Team Gallery for cardmaking yet? The majority of the first batch are up there now and the scrapbooking layouts will follow hopefully later this week.

Wednesday 21 November 2007

Bind It Projects



Pretty stuff
This is a couple of the projects Vicky made for the BIA class. Unfortunately they didn't have time to make the Christmas decorations and only one class got to make the book, which is made from cardboard. But they did complete several projects including a CD Holder with a velvet spine.

Monday 19 November 2007

Grungeboard

I've just received an email from Advantus in the USA, they are shipping our Grungeboard, fingers crossed it makes it to the airport this week so we will receive in on Monday.

But, it is Thanksgiving in the US this week so if it is anything like Christmas for us, nothing will happen until next week.

We didn't order lots of the Grungeboard because we weren't sure exactly what is was for when we saw it in July, but now we know we wished we had ordered more. The alphabets are going to be around £15.50 but you do get 26 sheets so it is good value. From what I have seen this is really good to work with and we will soon be wondering how we ever managed without it.

Snow!!!!!

I couldn't believe it when we looked out last night and our cars were covered in snow. I don't pay much attention to the weather report so I had no idea there was even a chance of snow.
Luckily it was short lived and it warmed up today but I hear the odds have dramatically shortened against a white Christmas.
We are spending our Christmas at Center Parcs again this year, like we have for the last few. We always used to spend Christmas Day at my parents' house but now they are no longer around it feels strange to stay at home - and I can't cook so it is definitely better to eat out.

So I wouldn't mind a white Christmas but I would prefer it not to start this early, especially as my friends in California are taking great delight in telling me they are wearing shorts and driving their cars with the roof down - I think I could adjust to life in California.

Christmas aside, nothing terribly exciting has happened at Stamp Addicts recently. The weekend just gone was our Bind It All workshops which were great fun. We included a little acetate book but as we didn't ask people to bring photos we supplied them of us and the shop so they could make a book of 'My fave Stamp Store'.

This Friday and Saturday we have Kay Carley teaching 2 different workshops, details on the website.

You may have seen our adverts at the moment advertising our sale. This starts on the Saturday after Christmas and then continues in the New Year. Everything in the store will be in the sale but other than that I cannot give you any specifics.

Do you think we should hold a Christmas Shopping Evening in December? I went to one at Boots on Wednesday, they supplied biscuits and Mulled Wine and extra points - now while I can't offer you extra Boots points I am sure we can think of something!

Thursday 15 November 2007

Home Safe

We made it home from the NEC in one piece. Thursday and Friday was fairly quiet at the show but the weekend was packed so if you are planning to visit next year go for the weekdays if you can.
The bonus with the Autumn show is the Crafts for Christmas hall next door - I usually manage to get a couple of Christmas presents in there, including one for myself!
Our dress made it through 13 fashion shows and only 3 of the 156 tags fell off. I think that is pretty good going. We won't know the results of the voting until February but if you were there I hope you voted for us.

Last week the new Sassafrass Lass stamps and papers arrived but our web guy has flu so they haven't made it onto the website yet, fingers crossed he makes a speedy recovery.
Arrived this week we had a consignment of Bind It All Tote bags so if you have been waiting for one of these it was despatched on Tuesday.

The girls in the shop have been preparing for the Bind It All workshops this Friday and Saturday and they have come up with some fab new ideas, I'll put photos in the gallery after the weekend.

Next weekend we have Kay Carley teaching different classes on Friday and Saturday, more details on Stamp Addicts and you can also book online.

I've just looked out the window and everything is all frosty but the sun is shining so hopefully it will be gone soon.

Wednesday 7 November 2007

Gallery

We have received most of the cards from our DT, so far I only have only managed to put a couple up on the Stamp Addicts Gallery but I promise to get the rest up there next week.
If you are coming to the NEC you will be able to see quite a few of them on our artboards.
All the cards are fantastic and I would like to say a big Thank You to the DT as I only gave them about a week and a half to get it all done.

Well the day has come for the NEC, we will spend all day today setting up ready for tomorrow, as always it feels like we have forgotten something and we usually have, but as long as it is nothing too important I'm sure we will manage.

Our delivery from Los Angeles usually arrives on Tuesdays but because of a computer problem it will only be arriving after we have left. I do know in the delivery is the new Sassafrass Lass Owl stamps and new papers, I love these new owl stamps so will probably have to keep some for myself, hopefully we will still have some by the time I get back from the NEC. I don't think there is anything else terribly exciting in the delivery apart from the Ribbon Tree - you will just have to wait and see.
I'm going to go and finish packing my suitcase and then we're off to the warm and sunny climes of Birmingham!

Thursday 1 November 2007

The NEC is approaching

Now most of our thoughts have turned to the Hobbycrafts at the NEC next week. This is our biggest show of the year so it take a lot of preparation.

But before we could get started yesterday we finally had a delivery of the new heat gun that looks like a hairdryer - the Heat Buddy. This has been a very long awaited delivery and many times we doubted it would ever happen but they have finally arrived and, would you believe it, they are LILAC! Whoohoo!
If you had one on backorder it was despatched yesterday so you should receive it before the weekend.

We are waiting on the first lot of cards arriving from our new Design Team and we will be taking these to the NEC, if I get chance to put them up here or on our new Gallery before we go I will let you know, but things get manic in the build up to the show - we leave on Wednesday morning to set up at the NEC because it take all day to get ready before the show opens on Thursday.

Before I sign off today I should say a big thank you to Lyndsey from Kuretake. She was in our store on Saturday demonstrating some of the Zig pens - Calligraphy, Brushables, Dottariffic. She is a brilliant calligrapher and artist and we would love for her to come back and teach a class on writing techniques - I know I don't like journalling on my layouts because I don't like my handwriting. If you would be interested in this class drop me a line and I will organise it.

Time for work!