The world as we know it!
Newsletter
Hello friends!
Here we are in a new place and time. It is a place we always thought we knew and felt safe. In the blink of an eye, things have changed. Life revolves around the news.....channel surfing to find what is really going on. It is sometimes hard, as information and even statistics vary. All we can do in a time like this keep calm, keep busy, keep our hands clean and our humans 6ft away. I don't know about you, but I am more than done with these people who have now stocked their houses, garages, barns, sheds, and trunks of their cars with "stuff". Now if they were hoarding crafting supplies (a concept foreign to me), I might understand.
Here at the store, even though we are following government guidelines as a non-essential business (the nerve of them), we are still keeping busy. I have had time to make a few videos that I am trying to post almost daily on The Cat's Meow Paper Crafts Facebook page. I hope you can find a little inspiration in the idea books and other things we will be posting. We are also trying to use this time to catch up on the things that we shove to the back burner during regular business hours. You know, sort of like home.....cleaning the fridge or the closets.
I had to go to Kaiser last week for my follow-up Hepatitis A/B shot. I got the first one before I went to Africa and needed to get this one to complete the series. I kind of dreaded going and being in the middle of a bunch of coughing, feverish people. On my way there I received a call saying they wanted me to come later as the RN had a procedure and was running late. I agreed and showed up about 10 minutes before my appointment time to check-in. When I arrived, it was almost eerie. There was one car in the parking lot. There were two people wearing masks standing in the lot near the entrance. I started to open my door and one of the girls asked if I was picking up a prescription because they would go in and get it for me......that was new....no long line? I told her I was there to see the RN for a vaccine. She asked if I had a fever, cough, temperature, body aches, etc. I told her no, so she let me go inside. At check-in, I had to stand 6ft back from the window and did not have to show my card. I waited about 15 minutes in the totally empty waiting room until a man came out (probably the patient with the procedure) and I was taken in...got my shot and left! They really have it figured out! I was amazed and impressed.......happily!
We are so grateful for our customers who are ordering over the phone or by email. We are shipping daily and many people are picking up prepaid orders at the door. We are available from 10-3 Monday through Saturday. What we miss the most are our classes. We had to cancel Julie Kelly's class and can hopefully reschedule it. We had thought about the last weekend in April but with the extension of the stay-at-home order, I don't see that working. We will definitely notify everyone who was signed up and email everyone if others want to attend. There will be no classes until further notice. We are trying to follow government guidelines and more importantly, keep everyone safe. So far there have been no reported cases in our little mountain community, but assume it is just a matter of time.
We are looking at options for a "soft" re-opening. We have not decided for sure but are thinking about scheduling 1/2 hour shopping times with one person at a time. We are encouraging the use of credit cards so we and our customers don't have to handle money (Thanks, Rosa for sterilizing that $20 bill!). There are so many things to think about. We would be happy to hear your thoughts also as this involves your safety as well. Rest assured we are cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. My hands are parched from using so many Clorox wipes and I am pretty sure that weird smell is why my cats look at me funny when I get home. Better safe than sorry!
Today I have put together a special for you (while the supply lasts). A few months back, I saw a video on the Taylored Expressions Youtube Channel. I loved the idea and had considered using it as a class. Today I went through the store and pulled all of the products to make kits available for purchase. The kits include the Floral Frenzy stamp set, a Noteworthy stamp set, a Stitched Scallop Edger die, the Noteworthy Belly Band die, two clear boxes that will hold 6 cards each, 12 slate card bases and 12 white linen envelopes. This is an $85.70 (incl tx) kit that we will sell to our special customers for $72.85 (incl tx) with free freight. This is a 15% discount and free freight, too! You can check out Taylors video here to see the project. I think these would be simple cards to brighten a friend's day, or to send as a gift so they can pass the sunshine along! I do have a limited number of kits, so call between 10 and 3 (559-642-6611) if you would like to purchase a kit. (Sorry it is hard to see the slate paper and clear boxes in the photo) I chose not to add the Initial stamp set as I think the Noteworthy set is more useful and less expensive. Of course, you can make any changes to your project you like!
The biggest headache in this whole upheaval has been moving the Great Yosemite Stamp Escape from April to October. We have been in contact with all of the scheduled attendees. We have heard from almost everyone. As soon as we know who is moving over to October, we will contact those on the waiting list to fill any openings. We will keep everyone posted on Stamp Escape as well as any other store news. I encourage you to follow us on Facebook so you can see what we are doing day-to-day.
Thanks so much for your support during this difficult time. We sincerely hope and pray you and yours are safe and healthy.
Sharon, Melissa and Quill
