Boooo to you!
We need to have something to be happy about and I guess eating candy without guilt will have to be it! I don't know about you but I have really had it with 2020. First Covid-19 and now the fires. I certainly don't want to make light of the fact that so many people have suffered horrible losses from both events. However, I think we can all agree that enough is enough!
Thanks so much to everyone who expressed concern over our well-being. The Creek fire that threatened us is 45% contained. Today, 10/1, it stands at about 310,000 acres. It is the largest fire in California's recorded history. We still have horrible smoke, partly due to backburns and partly because of the weather. During the entire fire, we have had an inversion layer which has prevented most of the use of aircraft to fight the fire and also to allow the smoke to rise and dissipate. I just hope some changes will be made in the way the U.S. Forest Service maintains the forests. We pray that any of our friends who live in California and are threatened by the fires are safe from the fire and Covid-19!
To say the least 2020 has been a challenge. As you probably know we canceled The Great Yosemite Stamp Escape 2020. We tried moving it from April to October but a couple of months ago we faced reality and are moving on to 2021. We have moved registered attendees to 2021 and are putting those interested on a waitlist. We will let you know now if there are any changes.
The store is open as usual and classes are regularly scheduled. Please check the class schedule for information on classes. You may know that that there was no "in-person" trade show in early 2020. This month, right in the middle of a fire evacuation, our major rep company held a virtual trade show. It was definitely different. I am not sure I am a virtual person. I don't even like to order paper from a catalog.....I need to touch it and see what color it really is. When I attend the shows, I really concentrate on individual vendors and their products. During the virtual show, I was able to make 15-minute appointments with several vendors. I did place orders and we have received a couple already. There is no in-person show planned for January as there is just too much indecision. I hope there may be an alternative of a show later in the year but, just like with TGYSE, a lot of planning goes into these events. We will do the best we can by staying in contact with our regular vendors and seeking out new ones.
As you know, we were planning another ZOOM class for September. It didn't happen but we are not giving up on ZOOM. I will make sure to contact everyone on our email list as soon as our next class is scheduled.
If you want some quick Halloween inspiration, we have scheduled two classes with Halloween (and a fall card) for the early part of this month. Call to sign up. 559-642-6611
Have a great Halloween.....stay safe, keep crafting.......be happy!
WHAT'S NEW?
We have new paper from Echo Park. It is called the Lumberjack collection and we love it! It has a great red and black buffalo check that sort of connects all of the papers in the collection. All designs are primarily red, white, and black. The theme is Christmas but the reverse sides are not seasonal....there is even a wood-grain!
Our new order from Lawn Fawn came in...what great service! We bought some fun new stamps and dies with classes in mind. We also bought the new paper collection which we LOVE! There are six colors with a time dot on one side and a diagonal stripe on the reverse. Three of the colors have gold foil on the dots. You won't be able to resist this paper! We also have it in 6x6 pads. We have the new snow globe iris add-0n die. If you already have the iris mechanism you will want the snow globe! In November Linda will be using the new shutter card dies in her class. The shutter card is a very simple interactive card made super easy with the new dies......stay tuned!
We received our order from Photoplay. There are LOTS of fun Halloween stamps and dies. Check them out on our Facebook page. Be sure to like the page as that is where we regularly post photos of new products. Included in the new dies are some slimline dies. Slimline cards are all the rage. We also have cards and envelopes so you can easily get started with the new sizes....we know you don't like to measure! Melissa and I discussed trying to get envelopes in bulk so you can buy 1 or 101....just like you do with all of our A2, A6, A7, and A9 envelopes! I will let you know what I find.
Also from Photoplay are the fun card kits. We bought the Christmas theme that is in red, black, and white......must be something going on here......We have had their card kits in the past and everyone enjoyed them. They are quick, easy, and fun to make your own with a twist. If you are in a funk about Christmas cards, this may be the ticket for you.
We have two new board programs coming in. One from LDRS was shipped today, The other is from Penny Black and will ship soon. I liked the LDRS board because although it is Christmas themed, it is not typical Christmas colors......you will be surprised when you see it. Penny Black....well what can I say.....her boards are always beautiful and this one has fabulous new dies!
For those of you who like to make calendars as gifts, we will have a new twist this year...something different from Concord and 9th. I plan to have a class using their calendar bases and their stamp and die sets. Everyone loves a beautiful calendar as a gift!
Just a note on shipping......we are still having major delays in shipping from our vendors. It is very disappointing. We check on our orders almost daily and some of the vendors change their expected ship date daily. When we order special items for you we do our best to estimate arrival time but it getting more difficult to do. There are many factors that affect shipping times. We appreciate your patience.
