Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Hello dear friends....
Here we are saying goodbye to 2023 and will soon say hello to 2024. We are thankful to be here with so many businesses failing to weather the Covid Storm! Thanks to those who continue to craft and support us. We are grateful for your friendship! Living and working in a 'tourist area', I can honestly say that we finally started to see somewhat 'normal' traffic this year. I particularly noticed seeing many new faces over Thanksgiving weekend. We always know it is a holiday when the new faces outnumber the familiar faces. It is fun to learn where our visitors live and whether they craft (or just want to pet the cats), and now we ask if they still have stores in their area. Sadly most say they no longer have independant retailers where they live.
Another way to know things are getting back to normal is that we will be attending an in-person trade show in July. There is a show in January in New Orleans that I decided to pass on for two reasons.....one is I worry about leaving home when there could be major snow here....and two is the show will not have enough of the vendors I really want to see. It is a combined show with an emphasis on fine art materials. I went down the list and saw only about a dozen companies of interest, where the July show has forty companies of interest. Here is the catch....the July show is in Las Vegas! July in Vegas? Whatttttt?????? Here is my plan....we will fly in at night, never leave the hotel since the show is in their conference area, eat at their restaurants, get in an air-conditioned car to get to the airport and head for home! Hot weather problem solved! I guarantee you will not see me out "walking the streets" of Las Vegas! Since July is so far off....we are also attending a virtual show in February! We will let you know more about these shows and what we expect to see when we get more information.
Just a reminder ...if you are interested in attending The Great Yosemite Stamp Escape 2024....spaces are filling up. Be sure to let us know yur plans and print off a registration form to send with your deposit (or full payment). The form is on the website, www.catsmeowstamps.com. We look forward to seeing our new attendees as well as the "oldtimers" :) You are guaranteed to have a great time, full of fun classes featuring great teachers and new products!
Just so you know, our class schedule is slim this month due to the holidays. I will have a class Saturday the 9th and Robin has one Saturday the 16th....then the next two Saturdays are holiday weekends so we will be open on Saturday, but no classes. Check out the classes at www.catsmeowstamps.com/classes.
Melissa, Quill, Doodlebug, and I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year full of crafting fun!
Hugs,
What's New?
I told you about the masculine paper that came in...well, it is really nice and selling well. You might want to have a few pieces in your stash just in case you need a quick card for one of the men in your life! We also received half of our order of a new Graphic 45 collection called Abundant. It is kind of odd to only receive half but we are getting the other half Thursday! The paper is really interesting. The background is black (on the front)...backs are each small prints of a different color and design. These are not calendar papers, but each of the twelve papers has a month theme....like November has fall leaves with a black background. The papers are very elegant and will have tons of uses! We also have a new Lady Bug paper collection. I love lady bugs and this collection is so much fun. The red/black/white designs are really striking and versitle. Watch for a lady-bug class from Melissa!
I think I may have mentioned that there is a new Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Trimmer on the market. It is a handy size, sliding blade style (not guillotine) and at a reasonable price...around $38. I would say it may replace the Fiskars cutters, just to give you an idea of the design. Tonic makes great cutters, and this one ticks a lot of boxes....quality, price, sturdy, convenient size. We are getting our second shipment this week.
If you are looking for ideas to bridge the gap between Christmas Cards and Valentine's Day, we have a great selection of winter themed stamps, dies and paper. I think Melissa and I are snowflake junkies! (Except when they are piled 5ft high in front of our doors) I always like the winter themes, and love Robin's class this month with the beautiful deer from Impression Obsession. Robin is doing some really beautiful work as a designer for IO. You will often see her samples on their facebook page.
We are on the hunt for some new companies. We know there are a few that will exhibit at Vegas, so that will give us a chance to see the quality and actual colors they offer. If there is something you think we should look for in particular, let us know. We are always open to new things.
I thought you might like an update on the 'kids'....they are growing like weeds! They don't even look related....still never a dull moment!
See you soon!
