Summer fun!
Hello;
Since we went directly from the worst winter in local history to summer, the tourists are arriving! It seems weird after a few years of not seeing many new faces, to having the store full of strangers. This will be a banner year for Yosemite tourism as the park is probably the most beautiful it has been in years. The waterfalls are spectacular! We always love learning where our vistors are from and what brought them to us. Crafters are good at scoping out resources and we see them from all over the world. I guess that might be the one real benefit of social media. Anyway, we love visiting with our new friends!
We have had many calls asking if we have a date for Stamp Escape 2024.....yes we do! Mark your calendar for April 19, 20, and 21. I have updated the information on the website (catsmeowstamps.com). As usual we will take reservations first come first served. You can print out the registration form and bring it in, email it, or mail it. You will officially be on the list when we get your deposit or full payment. If you mail a check we will let you know when we receive it as the USPS can take a while! We are on the hunt for great teachers who represent companies with different styles. Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions following our event in April. We hope you can join us in 2024. We have plenty of chalets and suites in our block. Call Amy Young at 559-692-8816 to make your reservations. There is lots going on at The Pines. There will be some major remodeling in the suites at Ducey's. These will be the first changes/upgrades since that building was built! There is also ongoing work and renovations on the the chalets, especially since there was some major snow damage this winter. As always, we have chosen a date for Stamp Escape that we hope will fall between the 100 year storms and the room rate hikes that take place May 1st. If you haven't attended, you can check out the resort at basslake.com
We are getting caught up with orders from Stamp Escape, so if there is something you ordered, we should have everything soon. There are a few things from Pink Fresh and Concord and 9th that are pending. We will contact everyone when your orders are complete.
Don't forget, with the arrival of the OLO markers, we are discontinuing Copics. We have remaining stock on sale at 25% off retail. We are happy that those who have purchased the OLO markers really like them. The transition from Copic to OLO is not difficult. There are colors in the OLO line that Copic never had, the quality if the ink is fabulous and you will love the way they blend. Like Mikey said..."Try it, you'll like it!"
We are getting back on track with our in-store class schedule. Be sure to check out what Melissa, Robin and Kathy have in store for you this month. I plan to be back in the mix in July. I already have some great die sets hidden away. It will be fun to see what Robin has up her sleeve now that she is designing for Impression Obsession. I think the company is a great fit for her as she will have so many style options to choose from. Congratulations, Robin, on being snapped up by Mitra at IO! Speaking of Robin her class this month is a "Made from scratch" book featuring the new Graphic Splash line.
Speaking of classes, it seems we have had more people asking for classes for kids! We may be testing the waters for something along the lines of "Mommy and Me" or "Grandma and Me" classes. Kathy and I will be talking about some fun things to do this summer and will keep you posted. If you are interested, please let us know as that will help us plan.
Thanks again to everyone who attended Stamp Escape, and those who kept an eye on us when we were closed due to snow.On a personal note...I want to let those of you who told me how much fun you had at Stamp Escape and actually hugged me really warmed my heart. I think people really need to get more hugs in their lives and I was so glad to get one from you!
Hugs...Sharon
What's New?
Well not new..new...but we got a reorder on the "new" Tim Holtz paper cutter that came out right before Stano Escape and never got on display at the store.
We have had new releases from Memory Box (I will have a class in July featuring their new dies), fill-ins from Taylored Expressions, all of the fun new papers, dies, stamps, and sparkles from Doodlebug (the company not the cat). However, the new Doodlebug collections are dog and cat themed. You will have to check them out even if you are not an "animal person" (how could that be?) as they are so cute!
That reminds me, a month ago I lost my mind and have not found it yet! I adopted not one but two kittens from our new Animal Center. Yes...they are kittens. I got them as soon as they were spayed and neutered. They are four months old. The orange and white one is a sweet boy who is the opposite of his sister, the "In-charge" Calico girl! They were born to an orange and white mom who came to the Center pregnant. We were told it would be her second litter. Definitely her last! She had four boys and one girl. The orange boys have a special place in my heart and I knew from the moment her eyes started to open that the Calico was going to be special. They are growing like weeds, have boundless energy, and once they get worn out they are cuddlebugs. My almost 16 and 17 year old mother and daughter are actually pretty tolerant with only a growl or two. My dogs could care less! These babies will provide endless photo-ops!
Back to business.... we also got some wonderful 6x6 paper pads from Memory Box....yummy! Speaking of paper, since some of the paper companies have gone out of business, merged, sold....you name it...we are looking to bring some of our best selling colors back in stock as we find good replacements,.
I hate to tell you, but prices on tools are really going up. That includes all sorts of machines....paper cutters, die cutting machines, etc. I know this is happening in all industries but it doesn't make it any easier! We will always do our best to lock in pricing when we can.
I know there are lots more new items on the way, and new releases that we have or will be ordering. I am currently looking at Penny Black and a couple of other companies who just sent emails....fun ahead!
Thanks again for hanging in there with us....wish me luck with my kitties. My house survived the weight of the snow but I am not sore it will withstand two little fuzzy things.
