Rubber Stamp Convention

This past week-end was the rubber stamp convention in Collinsville, IL. Almost everybody who frequents the Artfull Hand in some capacity was committed to some other activity on Saturday. So few of us got there on Saturday.
But Barb and I were able to go on Sunday. Since I wasn't there on Saturday I can't described how many people were there. On Sunday the rubberstampers attending were far and few - it seemed to me. I am sure the vendors felt the same way.
There were fewer vendors then last year as well. And several who had big double booths last year, downsized to single regular sized booths. Is rubberstamping dying? Or is it the economy?
I had wanted to make contact with one particular company who was in attendance to set up an wholesale account. I did make contact but walked away shaking my head. This particular company told me in so many words that I was going to have to sell my first born in order to have the privilege to sell their stamps....!!!!!! Geeeezzzzz!!!!! In this economy????? you treat a prospective client like this???? There is plenty of other rubber in the world and several companies were showing at this convention. So I made contact with albeit smaller and less known rubber manufacturers who were very happy to take my money on the spot!
I came home with stamps from Heartfelt Creations. Besides having a line of really nice mounted images they have precut images that match up to several of the Nestabilities die sets. So all you have to do is stamp and use the matching die and cut out your image by rolling it through one of the machines....... I am really anxious to give it a try. Maybe at stamp club.....
I also bought a book on using punches to make 3 dimensional flowers. The book had flowers from Anemones to Zinnias. Barb and I oooohhed and aaaawed over several in the book...
So come by for a visit and check out the new stuff. Besides the flowers stamps,, I did get more guy stuff and added to the Christmas line....Remember it is going to be Christmas in July soon.....

Fun with the hobbit

My daugher in law has a really good time poking fun at me. We recently spent a few days with them. In the following picture she used her child's playschool drawing toy to capture a likeness. I think she did a very good job of it. Oh.... The glass that I am holding is called 'grandma juice'....aka gin and tonic! They call me grandma hobbit.

June Newsletter

~The Artfull Hand~

June 2010 Newsletter



First I want to tell you all that we have two new stamp companies in the store. Craft Lounge-they have clear and un-mounted rubber. And Layers of Color Art Stamps-their stamps are clear acrylic. We also have new stamps in from Penny Black.

June 4 - Dorothy $1.00 Make ‘n Take Father’s Day Aloha Shirt 11:30 - 3pm
June 5 - ATC Swap 12:30
Aloha Shirt make ‘n take 1:00 - 4 pm
June 8 - Barbs Rubberstamp Tapestry Card & Book Mark $8:00 11:30m & 2
June 12 - Vicky(New Instructor!) Black & White “Sweet” 2 page scrapbook
Layout Class $10 10:30 Only. Sign up 24 hours in advance.
June 12 & 13 Collinsville Rubberstamp Convention. Tickets on Sale now.
June 14 - Night Stamp Club. Bring your favorite stamp, product or idea
From the convention to share with us.
June 15 - Donna’s 3 for $6 11:30 & 2 pm
June 18 - Dorothy’s 3 for $6 11:30 & 2Pm
June 22 - Linda’s 2 or $6 11:30 & 2 pm These are oversized cards
June 24 - Donna’s Fan Card Class $6 11:30 & 2pm
June 30 - Day Stamp Club 11:30 & 2 pm $1. Fourth of July Card.
　
COMING IN JULY


Christmas in July returns - Everything we will be doing will be Christmas related. And…………………….ACES will be here. Aces? What are Aces?
Artfull Hand Card Exchange Society!

It will be a new group that meets monthly. We will make cards to exchange with members of the group. At each monthly meeting we will make a group card or do a specific technique. We also will socialize, eat, drink and be merry! Joining fee will be $10. For that you will get a storage box for your cards, a stamp and a special welcome gift. The monthly meetings will have a nominal fee to cover costs.

May Newsletter

Hasn't May been wonderful so far???? At least the weather has been great. This is what we are doing at the shop this month.

May 1 - ATC swap - 12:30
May 8 - Bloom on Class - $10.00 10:30 Only
May 9 - Mother's Day
May 10 - Evening Stamp Club 7 pm $1 We're working on Dominoes
May 12-Blooming Medallion Class $5 11:30 & 2 PM
May 13 - Donna's 3 for $6 11:30 & 2 pm
May 18 - Rubberstamp Tapestry Card & Book Mark 7PM , $8 RSVP Please
May 19 - Linda's 3 for $6 11:30 & 2 pm
May 21- Dorothy's 3 for $6 - 2 Pm ONLY
May 22-Barb's 3 for $6 10 :30 am Only
Dorothy's 3 for $6 - 2 PM only
May 26 - Day Stamp Club $1 11:30 & 2 PM Dominoes!
May 29- Blooming Medallion Class $5 10:30

May Newsletter

The Newsletter for May will be delayed. The computer at the shop has a serious viral infection again. It may not pull through. I am trying to get a substitute computer to work on.

Copic Certified

Well Sunday was the certification class in St. Louis. There were quite a few people there. It was an interesting class and I did learn some nifty things. I all ready knew some of the techniques. But there were a few ah-ha moments. I can't wait to employ some of the new things. And I really can't wait to share what I have learned.

Stuff

Well April is starting off on a mostly good note. The weather has been very nice. A lot of flowers are blooming and the grass has greened up. Last Tuesday my son Mike arrived home from Afghanistan safe and sound. James & Sarah were sure happy to see him. A baby Cole finally got to meet his daddy. John is feeling and doing better. The shop is limping along. The yellow bunny sale is doing well and my visiting customers seem to enjoy the bunny hunt. The copic markers are flying out the door. I am having a hard time keeping them in stock.
Speaking of copic markers I go to St. Louis on Sunday for the certification class. Am looking forward to that.
Right now I am in the middle of doing taxes. I hate it - hate it - hate it. I will be so glad when it is done and over with......

April Newsletter

Happy Spring Every Body!!!!!!

I have two fun things for you during the month of April. We will have find the Yellow Bunny Sale and a Bugawump Challenge.
First - Find the Yellow Bunny Sale. There are little yellow bunnies hidden throughout the store.(in the retail area- not the classroom, office or bathroom)
Each one has a discount written on its tummy. Find the bunny get a discount on your total purchase on that day. One discount per person per day. Cannot apply discount to all ready discounted items. Happy Hunting! And shopping!!!!!!


The Bugawump Challenge: Use any Bugawump stamp with any dimensional product that I sell to create a card. Examples of dimensional product would be embossing powder, stickles, brads, liquid applique, fantasy fibers, pedal puffs, punched shapes or embossing paste. Anything that would be raised above the surface of the card. So popping up an image with foam tape would count too. Put your name and contact info on the back of the card. Bring your finished creation to the Artfull Hand for display. You will receive a coupon for 10% off of your total purchase for that day. You may bring me one card per day and receive a discount for that day. During the month of April ALL Bugawump stamps will be on sale for 33% off of price marked. You may use any bugawump stamp that you all ready own. You don't have to buy a new one. But that would be nice if you did.

Now for the schedule.

April 3 - ATC swap 12:30
April 7 - Linda Spring Pocket Card $2 11:30 & 2pm
April 9 - Free Make 'N Take Celebrate the start of baseball by making a cardinal from punch shapes.
April 10 -Bev's Holly Berry Treasure Box 10:30 $10 or buy the stamp and the class is free
April 12 - Stamp Club 7 PM $1
April 15 - TAX DAY_yuck Donna's 3 for $6 11:30 & 2pm
April 17th - Barb 3 for $6 10:30 & 1:30
April 19 - Donna's Surprise tower box $20 7 PM RSVP
April 21 - Bev make 'n take $1 11:30 & 2 PM
April 24 - Intro to Copic markers 11:00 $10
Stampscapes 1:30 $10
April 26 - Lana's 3 for $6 7 PM RSVP
April 28 - Day stamp club 1:30 & 2 PM $1

What a week

Well as you may know last Saturday was the used stamp sale. It was a huge success. We had the most stuff ever! And the buyers bought! So everybody was happy. It takes some doing to get ready for the sale and then the big day. I was looking forward to Sunday and a day to relax. Saturday night right after I got home my husband called me from work to say that he was on his way to the hospital. He thought he was having a heart attack!!!!! Oh brother!!!. Well the lab work confirmed that it was a heart attack... So he was schedule on Monday for a cardiac cath. That showed that his arteries were clean and wide open. Okay.... we say what is going on? After many more tests they finally decided that one of his cardiac arteries had gone into a spasm causing a lack of blood flow to the left side of his heart. The syndrome is called takotsubo. A Japanese doctor named it in the 1990s. The name means octopus pot. The bottom left of the heart swells out. When it does it looks like one of these pots that Japanese fishermen use to catch octopus!!!! The good news is that he will not have any negative effects from this. And it rarely happens twice. Whew! The funny thing is that it happens to menopausal women 90% of the time...And about 97% of the time it is seen only in Asian and Caucasian people.
I finally got to take him home last Tuesday. For the last two days I have been trying to catch up on the 4 days I spent in the hospitals(2 different ones).
It has been a week!

New stuff

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.
My trip to visit the grand kids was great. Trying to get home was trying....to say the least. The day I was to return, Charlotte got a snow storm. Most of the flights were cancelled. That was all right with me as that gave me one more night with the kids. The following day was just as trying. Only on that day it was mechanical problems.
The big news at the shop is we finally got in Ciao markers......they are the less expensive version of the Copic markers. I am on the list to be certified. So as soon as I am, I will be offering classes. I have been playing with them on my own. I am beginning to get the feel of them. And I must say the colors are wonderful.
We also have a small selection of cuttlebug embossing folders. I will be getting more. I also have pedal puffs. They are similar to flower soft and a whole lot cheaper. Besides all of that we have shimmer mist from tattered angels in various colors, new 12 x 12 papers,more stamps from Hero Arts and I now have some House Mouse stamps!!!!!
So even though I haven't posted, I have been busy.
I also want to remind you of the Spring Used Stamp Sale this coming Saturday, the 20th. 10 AM to 5 PM. We have gotten in some wonderful stuff all ready. You have till 5 PM Friday the 19th to drop off your items. Hope to see you soon.

March Newsletter

March Newsletter

March of the Flamingos Sale Returns



I'm taking off a few days to go visit Toddler James and Baby Brother Cole. So I got myself and the girls in gear and got the March Calendar finished. But first I'll tell you about the March of the Flamingos Sale.....

Come in wearing Flamingo Pink (not cotton candy, florescent or breast cancer awareness pink) and you will recieve 10% off of your total purchase. (Only one discount per person per day) Or...

bring me a flamingo related item and recieve 25 % off total purchase. (Again one discount per person per day and does not include all ready discounted items, consignment or gift items.)



BIG NEWS~~~~ BIG NEWS~~~~BIG NEWS~~~~BIG NEWS~~



Cuttle Bug embossing folders should be instock sometime during the first week of March!!!!! I am striving to stock a better selection then my competitors.



MORE BIG NEWS~~~~



Copic markers are on their way. I finally have broken down and decided to stock them. My supply at first will be small and I will be getting in the Cioa line. They are a bit cheaper then the sketchers.



AND FINALLY~~~~~

I will be stocking a product called Petal Puffs which is very similiar to Flower Soft. It will be less expensive then Flower Soft but will work just the same. Colors will be limited. Due in - in the beginning of the month.



Also we have expanded our 12 x 12 papers and more will be coming in soon.



Whew!!! Hope all that gets you all excited enough to come and see us.



Now to the schedule:

March 4th Donna's 3 for $6 11:30 & 2pm

March 6th- ATC Swap 12:30 Theme: Green

Bleaching Class $5 1 :30

March 8th - Evening Stamp Club 7 PM $1 Project TBA

March 10th - Easter Layer Card Class $8 11:30 & 2

March 12th - Beginner Stamping Class $5 1:30

March 13th - Barb's 3 for $6 10:30 only

Stampscapes Class $10 1:00

March 16th - Bev's 3 for $6 7 PM Please RSVP

March 17th - St. Patrick's Day Come in and make a FREE card

March 18th - Easter Layer Card Class $8 11:30 & 2 pm

March 19th - Sue B's 3 for $6 11:30 & 2 Pm

March 20th - Spring Used Stamp Sale 10:00-5pm today only

March 24th - Linda's 3 for $6 11:30 & 2 pm

March 26th - Dorothy's 3 for $6 11:30 & 2 Pm

March 27th - Holly Berry Treasure Box Class $10 10:30 & 2 pm

Buy the stamp and get the class FREE

March 31st- Day stamp club 11:30 & 2 pm project TBA

Puppy & Kitty Card

These two cards are made from punched shapes. Aren't they adorable? Barb will be leading this class. Check the schedule and then call the shop to sign up.
636-239-5995

Dolly Card Class

This is the dolly card. I think it is a hoot. Donna will be leading this class. Give the shop a call to sign up.

February Newsletter

February Newsletter

Feb 4th Scrapbookin class with Donna 11:00 $10.
Feb 6th - ATC Swap 12:30
Barb's 3 valentine cards class $8 1:30
These 3 cards are made with punched shapes. Come and be inspired.

Feb 7th- SUPER BOWL SUNDAY STAMP OUT! $8 11:00 to 4 pm. You get a bowl of
Dorothy's venison chili, a spot at the table to work on your own project, access to the classroom supplies and materials, some games and prizes. The store will be open to the public this day and there will be discounts given throughout the day.....So stop by and shop even if you don't want to spend the day with us.....

Feb 8th night time stamp club.... Lana will be doing her 3 for $6 on this night. SO......if you want to do the three cards the fee will be $6 instead of the usual $1.
Feb 10th Donna's 3-D flower card class. $5 11:30 Three D is the biggest thing in the movies right now. Come and make a 3-d card for someone special.
Feb 11th Donna's 3 for $6 11:30 & 2 pm
Feb 12 Barb's Kitty and Puppy cards class. $6 1:30 I am proclaiming Barb as the Punch Queen.
These two adorable card are again made from punched shapes.
Feb 13th- Sub B's pyramid gift box class. $6 1:30
Feb 14th - Valentines Day
Feb 17th - The Dolly card Class. $7 11:30 & 2 pm. This card is a hoot.
Feb 20th - Basic stencilling with Dorothy. $10 1:00 We will be doing dry stencilling and embossing paste with a few other hints thrown in.
Feb 23 - Linda's Bargello Card Class. $5 11:30 & 2 pm
Feb 24th - Day stamp club 11:30 & 2 pm project TBA
Feb 26 th - Dolly Card Class 11:30 & 2 pm
Feb 27th - Bev's Easel Card Class. $5 11:00

The Spring Used stamp sale will be March 20th. On Saturday Only. Forms will be available soon to be picked up.

Okay this is enough all ready!

Well our fingers at the Artfull Hand have been frost bitten!
This is enough all ready! Where is global warming????
Besides being frostbitten, I've been down and out with the flu(again). Just the regular kind. In mid December I went to North Carolina to help daughter-in-law after she gave birth to Cole, my second grand son. Grandson #1, James had some germs that he gladly shared with his grandma. I came home with an upper respiratory cough. Over Christmas Husband and I flew back to North Carolina to spend Christmas. I again came home with some germs. I don't think I can blame James this time. I probably caught something on the planes. I am feeling much better now. But still have a slight cough.
Had a lot of help on January 1 to do inventory of the store. Everything is counted but I am still crunching numbers.
The girls have delighted in moving the store around. Things are not where you are used to seeing them.
Because of being sick and doing inventory the January newsletter is still not finished. I'm trying.
I do have orders pending from Hero Arts, Rubber Stamp Tapestries and a new company Shirley's 2 Girls.
Also want to let you know that there WILL BE NO STAMP CLUB THIS COMING MONDAY NIGHT,January 11. It is just too cold and nasty to stay out. Try to catch Stamp Club the last Wednesday of the month.
If the nasty weather continues, do call the shop before you make a trip out to see us. There is an off chance that I will tell whom ever is working that day just to go home.
Stay warm.