Rushing Back from Novi and Into the Stamping Gala . . .

When we get back from a show, I often take a day off to mow my grass, rest, catch up on errands (you get the idea).  Karen does, too.  But not this week – not with the Stamping Gala in full swing starting on Monday.  It’s an all hands on deck event . . .

The store was already hopping when I came up with the truck to unload some things that we would need during the week.  When we finish loading after a show – or when I get back and start unloading – it’s easy to wonder “Did we sell ANYTHING?”  But then the mountain of empty boxes piling beside the truck tells the story.

The view as I came back in the front door after unloading.  Waaaay in the back of that photo is the classroom . . .

. . . where Barry Payne (or Barry Claus, or Barry the Leprechaun, or Barry the Easter Bunny – depending on what costume he decides to wear) and his wife Maureen were doing a Make It/Take It.  They always draw a crowd.

 

In the afternoon, Connie Vogt and Donna Sheetz both had Make It/Take Its in Marcos Too (the new area next door).  I missed two or three other events during the day.  Let’s face it – you are expected to come and spend the day.  I have work to do . . .

Part of which was hanging sample boards for “Tweety Jill” Haglund and her daughter Lindsay.  They were preparing a demo and make it/take it area near the front of the store, where they will be stationed most of the next three days.  But it wasn’t all work for them . . .

Jill spent a lot of time greeting visitors and answering their questions, and Lindsay found a Mad Hatter chapeau in one of the boxes.  Hmmmm . . . might see that again during the Preview Party at Stampaway on Friday night . . .

Looks like a full day of fun in the store might just leave folks a little bit tired.  These ladies told me they were just waiting for their turn at the make it/take it next door.  But I told them that once I took the picture, I could spin the story any way I wanted to . . .

Racing the Computer Battery . . .

Strange title?  Not when you realize that part of my laptop cord is frayed and it isn’t working anymore.  Thankfully, I ordered a new one last week and it’s sitting on my desk at work.  Doesn’t help me now, though, so I’m racing to get this finished before the computer dies.  I figure I’ll wear this space out this week with scenes from the Stamping Gala in our store.  So on your mark . . .

We are in Novi, Michigan this weekend.  If you read my post from last August, this will be similar.  The date changes, but many of the scenes remain the same . . .

Though seriously out of focus – I was shooting pics on the run just before the show opened.  This was the scene just inside the front door about three minutes before the show opened.

Two more seriously out of focus shots looking down the hallway just outside the entrance to the hall.  That line went way down that hallway.  The entrance to the building was about where that red car was, so folks were coming in and turning away from their destination.

Inside, as the show opens at 10:00 and the crowd starts to swell up the aisle.  Same stroller in both shots – that’s Noelle from Toomuchfun, pushing her baby sister around.

The look in our booth about two minutes later.  We had a very limited supply of Spellbinders’ brand new dies and we knew they wouldn’t be there long.  So Robin and Keia Arnold were positioned (almost looked like auctioneers) to keep everything orderly.  That’s Keia with her arm up on both shots (you can see Robin’s head just below Keia’s hand in the right photo).  They started working at shows with us in Michigan and Indiana when Keia was in junior high – she’s a sophomore in college now.

Keia did get a break later in the day to help Jesse from Stamp on It play nursemaid for the Toomuchfun munchkin . . .

Once things calmed down a little bit, the Rubber Stamp Tapestry enthusiasts got to look at the new sets (eight of them) that we just got this week.

Fifty feet of fun again this weekend with three demos.  Sue Nelson from Heartprints.net has been with us in Novi for 11 years.  She has found so many new items for us over the years and is responsible for getting those new Spellbinders dies offered to us by Stacey Caron.  And Sue Rothamel from USArtQuest is on her home turf as well – she lives about 40 minutes away.

But this was the first time “Tweety Jill” Haglund had flown north for the Michigan crowd.  Jill brought her daughter Lindsay along, and they had a line all day for their make it/take it.

Giveaway time.  I always think it’s funny when someone holds up a camera to take a picture of me taking a picture of her (or vice versa).  And some familiar faces always seem to make their way into the shots . . .

The giveaways are our way of saying thank you.  You folks do us a favor every time you stop into our booth, and we appreciate it.

After the show, we drove out to Rothamel’s, where Sue’s husband Dave had the grill going strong.  I posted shots of their place last year, but I had missed the view on either side of their driveway right out at the road.

And this was a shot into their field as I walked back to the truck just as the sun was setting.  Yes, that’s a deer right at the edge of those trees.  Wasn’t sure it was real at first – it didn’t move for a long time.  Then it finally bounded off.

And this shot was just funny.  I picked Jill and Lindsay up at the airport in the truck (that’s how I get around at shows), and dropped them off back at the hotel Saturday after the show.  They were enthralled with the idea of riding in a “big rig” and wanted a picture to show the folks back home (obviously, to truckers this “big rig” hardly qualifies).  Thankfully, the shot I took with their camera was better than the one I shot with mine.  Sorry Jill . . .

Made it before the battery died.  Whew . . .

A Stroke of Luck I Get to Keep for Four Years . . .

My driver’s license photo is always lousy – always.  Every four years, I sit down at the license bureau and I swear they wait until I look my goofiest before the photo is snapped.  Then I’m stuck with it for four years.

Today was that day again.  So I sit down, and can’t figure out whether to look at the lens or the little rubber ducky on top of the camera.  About the time I’m trying to sit up straight, the flash goes off.  I’m doomed.  The license bureau lady says “Not bad.”  Now I KNOW I’m doomed . . .

Imagine my shock when this is what I find on my license.  I can’t believe the lady didn’t delete it and try to do worse . . .

A Special Offer for the Novi Crowd This Weekend

We’re going to have something special in our booth in Novi, Michigan this weekend – a very limited supply (that would be less than ten each) of 24 of the new dies that Spellbinders just released at CHA last week!  A month before they’ll actually ship to distributors!  The show starts at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 7 – so you’ll want to be in that line that snakes around the Rock Financial Showplace plenty early!

I’d love to take the credit, but it all goes to Sue Nelson, the Queen of Beckett Expression Cardstock.  She made all of the arrangements with Stacey Caron at Spellbinders.  I didn’t know a thing about it until Stacey asked me if we wanted to play along.

So here are the ground rules.  First come, first served; no advance orders or reservations; no discounts or special pricing; limit one of each new die per customer.  When they’re gone, we’ll take preorders to be filled when Spellbinders ships in late August or early September.

Those of you in the hinterlands can place preorders now on our website at www.marcopaper.com – I put all 30 of the new dies on the website two days ago.

So you can start anticipating, here are graphics of all 30 of the new dies.  The first 24 are the ones that we’ll have in Novi.

And if I did this right, you can hover your cursor over each picture and the code number and name of the die will pop up!