Introducing Quill or Qwill!
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| April 2014 |
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News Highlights Meet Quill/Qwill Stamp Escape nearing Lots of new goodies! |
Hello; Last month, we had such sad news with the passing of Peachy, one of our resident kitties. We were not in the market for a new kitty, and Peachy will never be replaced, but a couple of weeks after Peachy went to Kitty Heaven, a young, sweet, very social kitty was found, he was either lost or abandoned. He was very hungry, thin, not neutered, and in need of a home. Because of his friendly disposition and the fact that he was not a baby kitty, he came to the Cat’s Meow on probation! There were three main criteria he needed to pass. First he could not destroy the merchandise (I guess playing with ink pad refills doesn’t count), he absolutely could not spray (he uses his litter box like a good boy) and most important, Mittens had to approve as she is undisputedly the queen! On a Thursday morning, I dropped the kitty off at the vet for his little surgery. What a way to welcome him! My husband picked him up in the afternoon and brought him to the store where I had the bathroom all set for him. I figured I would leave him there all night to recover and in the morning I could introduce him to Mittens. When I came in at 8:30am, the bathroom door was ajar and I could hear him meowing in the bathroom. It wasn’t like he was trapped but he was very vocal about being there. Mittens was not real pleased but she quickly figured out that he was not a threat, and would bow to her wishes (and swats). There was seldom any contact and never any blood. She still lets him know she is the boss, but each day she gets more interested in him. The other day when he was finished playing with his little mouse and went to take a nap, I saw her leap and toss the mouse in the air. That is something she probably hasn’t done in 10 years! We have had a terrible time naming this guy. We have had lots of suggestions, most of them names of celebrities. Then I got a call from my friend Annie Mahle who had met him and was thinking about his luxurious tail. “It looks like a feather or plume. It looks like a quill!” And so his name is Quill……or Qwill. If you are a reader of cat mysteries you will know about The Cat Who series. The main character is James Qwilleran (owned by two Siamese cats) who also goes by Qwill. I haven’t decided on spelling so right now Quill/Qwill is wearing Mittens old collar and tag. Kids coming in the store are having a hard time understanding why I have two cats named Mittens. Now I have to tell you that Melissa, who is very smitten with this little guy, calls him Louie….but that’s another story! I hope you will stop in to meet our newest greeter if you haven’t already. He has passed all of the tests and is now officially off probation. This past month has been a busy one. I found out that I will have shoulder surgery on May 15th, my husband had a heart attack on March 13th (with no prior history but is doing fine), and we are gearing up for Stamp Escape. I think everything is on track. The teachers are very excited, we have ordered tons of merchandise, we are wrapping up all of the loose ends, and we are nearing 100 students which is our maximum. As of today (3/31) we still have a couple of spots open, so if you are on the fence, you had better make up your mind. You won’t want to miss these wonderful teachers who are all brand new to our event. Get ready for some very cool cards! Of course not everything we have ordered is for Stamp Escape. There are new papers, embellishments and more. I’ll give you more detail in the next section. I want to tell you how much I appreciate the many cards and emails we got after Peachy died. I think he touched a lot of lives and even converted a lot of dog lovers who never really thought they liked cats. He is missed every day as he was surely one of a kind!  WHAT’S NEW? We have a really nice selection of Easter papers in stock. Some of the cutest are from Doodlebug. You know how we love the happy colors from Doodlebug. We also received sequins from Doodlebug. There are 12 little bottles, each a different color. They are well priced at $15.99. I can’t even imagine how many sequins are in each bottle…probably a gazillion! We have a new sample board from Stampendous. We are using it for Stamp of the Month. I liked it because it combines masculine, humorous, and graduation all on one board. Graduation is always a difficult time for us with very little to choose from so this board hits the spot. I think I mentioned that the Mini Distress Inks came in. Actually we sold out and have the re-order in. They are really handy for edging and are much easier to take to class or crops. I have been talking to several companies about cutting their dies. Some people are having trouble with the more intricate ones. The general consensus seems to be that if you are using a Cuttlebug, especially an older one, they have the least pressure and best results are achieved by using the metal shim. Other machines usually cut well with just a paper shim. Keep in mind that the more you use your machine, the looser it might get. So you might cut a die today without a shim and a year from now it might require a shim. There will be lots of use of dies at Stamp Escape so be sure to ask your teachers for tips. Check out the shadow boxes I used for my class earlier this year. They come in black, but can be painted any color to go with your décor. The suggested retail is $29.99, but our price is $24.99. They have endless possibilities for trinkets and photos. They are a great way to showcase your memories. Keep an eye out for lots of new goodies arriving every week. |
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