You Have Been Warned . . .

One message – short and sweet . . .

Last day – don’t delay – tomorrow will be too late! www.marcopaper.com

Something to Keep You Busy After the Thanksgiving Meal . . .

If your family is like mine, we do the Thanksgiving meal at lunchtime.  Then we have time between that and desserts with my brother’s family in the evening.  How to fill that time wisely depends on the individual – there is (of course) football, or visiting, or napping.  And for some of you, I hope you will spend some time today – or some time through the weekend into early next week – shopping on our site during our Annual 25% Off Sale.

From now through Wednesday, November 30 at www.marcopaper.com – we’re combining all of the holiday weekend events into one.  So whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, or any other event – everything on our site is 25% off.  There are a few exceptions – classes, gift certificates, Spellbinders Closeout Dies (those are already 50% off) and previous purchases.  And we’ll ship your order free in the Continental U.S. if it’s over $50 (and for only $5.95 if it isn’t).

Have a great weekend!

A Weekend of Nostalgia . . .

Spent the weekend in “Half Hot, Half Cold, Gets Dark Way Too Early, But Thankfully Not Snowing” Madison, Wisconsin.  When I got there on Thursday, it was 72 glorious degrees outside – but at 4:00 in the afternoon it was already starting to get dark outside (and by 4:30 it was pitch black).  It stayed in the 60s most of the way through setup on Friday.  Then the wind machine turned on – and by Saturday morning, it was in the 20s and stayed there the rest of the weekend.  But unlike last year, there was no snowstorm to scare off our customers and friends.

 
 

This was one of the highlights of my weekend.  These sentries were protecting our friend Chris Mode’s booth, the product of the talented (and retired) mind of Denise Pernetti.  This is my kind of art.

Here is another that’s even better – I looked up from setting up the booth on Friday and saw Jerry and Jane Stevens setting up their own booth.  Hadn’t seen them in at least four or five years, since they gave up the show circuit to concentrate on Jane’s fight with cancer.  She is doing well and they are back among us

My favorite t-shirt of the weekend – spotted during setup on Friday.

 

Spotted on the doors leading onto the convention floor . . .

One of those evenings that makes traveling worthwhile . . . when I first met Roy and Tyra Smith, their kids were all ten and under... now their daughter Kara has her own little family and lives in Madison.  Made more memories with seven members of their family and introduced them to a favorite board game of mine.   This is one of those great situations in life where you get to choose to be family . . .

 

I was greeted on Sunday morning by a mysterious Christmas Tree of Rolos.  I am more of a Nestle chocolate person, but Rolos are pretty good and when splitting the promoter’s goody bag with my demo person, I kept the Rolos and she got the Kisses.  But I ate mine during the day, so the origin of these was a mystery.

I accused a couple of friends of being the culprits before Jenny from The Hobby Home ‘fessed up.  She had heard me when I was splitting the Rolos and Kisses, and decided the tree was a nice payback for the clipboard I loaned her to use during the show.  I agree . . .

 

Show Promoter Ann Lee brought a photo album by on Sunday, and thought I might want to take a look.  It had lots of pics from the first three years of the show, including this one taken 14 years ago when the vendors had a picnic on Saturday evening.  I was deep into my walk down Memory Lane when I felt a tap on my shoulder . . .

. . . and saw our friend Zana Clark (Stamp Zia), who retired from the show circuit years ago and decided to stop in for a visit.  It was great to see her.

Last pic, completely unrelated – taken last night as the sun set perfectly between a house and garage a block or so over from mine . . .

Free Shipping, Gift Ideas for the Young’uns, and Another New Tim Holtz Item . . .

It seems to happen every year about this time (at least for the past several years) – but it seems to take an inquiry from a customer every year to make us think about it.  So it was again this year . . .

I flipped all of the necessary switches on our site this morning – for a limited time, we’ll ship free in the Continental U.S. on orders over $50.00 – make sure to choose the “free shipping” option at checkout.

  
   

Here are just a handful of nineteen great gift ideas for the kids from Faber-Castell, ranging from $5.99 to $49.99 (most are under $20.00).  Quantities are limited on some of these – and from what we can tell so far, the Tassel Bracelets are incredibly popular.

And here’s another new release from Tim Holtz (again, brought to my attention by a customer – I love it when you folks serve as my eyes and ears) -- Tim Holtz® Kushgrip Nonstick Micro-Serrated 5" Mini-Snips are coming very soon and have the same great features as the other three sets of snips introduced previously.  As usual, 20% off the MSRP with free shipping in the Continental U.S. until the first shipment arrives.

New Tim Holtz Items and a Catch-Up . . .

Most important things first – because as much as it might seem otherwise at times, this is a business blog . . .

Several new Tim Holtz items from Ranger were announced late last week – including Distress Crayons Sets #6 & #7, and three styles of Distress Mixed Media Heavystock (110#) – these are coming very soon and, as usual, until the first shipment arrives advance orders are 20% Off the MSRP with Free Shipping in the Continental U.S.  Click on this link and take a look!

Now one or two of you might be asking why it took me five or six days after they were announced to get around to getting them on the website and blog.  I was at a show in Birch Run, Michigan – and the pace of the week left no time or energy to get on my computer until after I got home.  So I didn’t find out about them until late on Monday.

But I did see a few things of note in Birch Run . . .

 

At left, what the boys did while Mom shopped in our booth – at right, a perfect t-shirt for a boy (and a button that adds a touch from Mom).

Our friend John Eberly from Purple Daisy Designs approached me during teardown with a prayer request.  He is scheduled for hip replacement surgery on January 6 – even though he knows this is a very common procedure these days (and even though he has been in pain for a long time), even two months away he is more than a little concerned.  Your prayers would be appreciated.

Quite the sunrise, the morning I left for Birch Run . . .

It seems that there was this little presidential election yesterday – Zoe and her family took advantage of early voting.  Even though the media is convinced that she didn’t win, Zoe remains committed to uniting our nation.

 

Scenes from our annual pumpkin carving night – a family tradition that lives on . . .

 

The pumpkins came in handy on our front porch on Halloween.  Zoe had quite an evening – there are lots of little kids on our street, and Zoe thinks there is nothing better in the world when they come to visit.

Addition to the Show Schedule . . .

Most of the time, our show schedule for the year is pretty much finalized by August or September of the year before.  But for one reason or another, there are occasionally exceptions – and this is one . . .

Last year, we went back to the One of a Kind Rubber Stamp & Scrapbook Show in Madison, Wisconsin for the first time in several years.  Our absence had nothing to do with the show – it always had something to do with my schedule.  But apparently our presence upset the weather gods, as six inches of white death fell from Friday night into Saturday morning (farther south it was more like 18” near Rockford, which really deterred the Chicagoland crowd).

Our friend Chris Mode started this show about 15 years ago along with her friend Ann Lee.  Then Ann took about a 12-year sabbatical before returning last year – and then Chris retired after last year, leaving Ann in charge.  And for a multitude of reasons, Ann and I had talked a couple of times, but as of this morning I still hadn’t gotten around to officially signing up to be a vendor at this year’s show.

Which led to the following exchange today . . .

Me:

“I think I told you when you called me (what was it, two months ago?) that I would get back to you within a few days.  Which obviously didn’t happen.  I have a large number of excuses, most of which are actually valid but none are worth relating here.  I can’t even claim “I forgot” – because it did cross my mind occasionally in the strangest places.

The last of which was yesterday, when Chris Mode’s birthday came up in my Facebook feed and I had one of those “Oh $#&*%^” moments . . .

Gary and I sat down this morning and hashed it out – unlike most vendors, in our company the decision is ultimately mine but the money is ultimately his.

So if you have 30-feet of prime location booth space available, I would love to come and freeze in Madison in 3 1/2 weeks. 

However, if at all possible I would prefer to avoid last year’s situation where six inches of snow fell in Madison overnight on Friday – along with eighteen inches in Rockford, preventing the Chicagoland crowd from attending.  I blame Chris for this, and assume you have more clout with the local weather gods.

Can you tell that I am in a strange mood this morning?  I have no excuse for that . . .

When you have a chance, please let me know if you have space available for us.  And if so, please e-mail the vendor packet – if I have one, I long ago misplaced it.”

Ann:

“You crack me up. Thank you for putting a smile on my face as I read this.

I am happy to welcome you with open, gloved hands to Madison in November and have already put an order in for an unseasonably balmy weekend.

Attached is the aforementioned and aforeforgotten vendor packet. You can email it back at your earliest convenience.”

Me:

“I am pleased that my attempt at humor reached receptive eyes.  Life is too short to be serious all of the time . . .

Will go through the vendor packet and get the necessary pages back to you as soon as I can.  I think it took me forever last year, but I told Chris then that I come from a time when “I’m coming” was as good as a contract anyway.

I’m coming . . .”

And so, we will look forward to seeing those of you from Wisconsin and Northern Illinois and Iowa and Indiana and Minnesota at the Alliant Energy Center on November 19-20.  For more show info, go to http://www.stampscrapmadison.com

Space Becomes Available . . .

Update from late last week, when I announced that Darlene, Picasso and Fred from Stampland would be in our booth next weekend in Sevierville, Tennessee . . .

This is not an x-ray of my hand – or of Darlene, Picasso, or Fred’s hand.  But it is significant to them – this is Linda Malcom’s hand (Lost Coast Designs).  She slipped and fell at Fred Meyer (one of what seems like thousands of supermarket chains owned by Kroger) – and if you look at the little finger and follow it down into her palm, you’ll find the break.  Since Linda is left handed, that means no shows for a while – so her space in the Sevierville show is now going to Stampland, and they will have their usual full-sized booth (at least it was “usual” until they retired).

So you won’t get to listen to Darlene and me go at it – we live to torment each other.  But you are now invited to visit both booths – and all of the others – at the show this weekend.

Go to www.toomuchfunpromotions.com for more info . . .