Change No Change 2007

It's nearly 2007.

We've changed the store around, and we're making some changes to store structure as well.

Hours: We're dropping the last hour of the day, so Mon-Fri we will be open 10-6. Sat stays at 10-5 and Sun also stays the same at 12-4. Expect to see periodic late nights (with themes and specials) and ongoing Friday and/or Saturday crops that keep us in the store late and sometimes later.

We're adapting our stellar 40% off one item with any competitors coupon (C3 Tuesdays) to shake up more inventory and prepare us for our January Winter-CHA order. Instead of just Tuesdays, since we know some of our customers cannot always make it in on that day, we're swapping days and specials. Some specials will be blog-only: if you see it on the blog and tell us that when you shop, we'll pass along special savings to you. Some will be gift with purchase. And some days we'll just calendar things all over the place. (Yes, I am using "calendar" as a verb. Stay with me.) So beginning in January, check out the store, the calendar, and the blog for the special savings.

We love change. We'd love it more if you'd join us in staking a claim on all the fabulous change that we know 2007 will bring. Including using nouns as verbs when we feel like it. Now dance!

Air Quotes

Buckets of 7 Gypsies stamps arrived yesterday, and now you'll have to wait 2 full days until we open again to purchase your share. Our selections include brackets, quote marks, photo, writers block, and balloon. (I say brackets, you say parenthesis. But that is because I am not sure whether "parenthesis" is a multiple of "parentheses" or if "parenthesis" in multiples is parenthesi" so I thought I'd avoid the entire issue by bringing you "brackets" instead. Or {brackets} if you prefer.) Anyhoo, along with the brand spanking new stamps, we've also restocked some of our favorite 7G stuff, including 97% complete tags, binding rings, and other such findings. Come find yours. But please wait until we reopen at 10am on 12/26. Otherwise, you'll just be at the door, knocking in vain, wishing for a key.

Flowers for You and You and You

Prima has sent many more lovely colors and collections, just so you can use them everywhere. Decorate your pages. Add flowers to your package decorations. Plant them on every little piece of altered art. Hoard them in your scrap area and just admire them daily. Come to think of it, that's what I love about flowers. They grow on you. Well, maybe not ON you. Unless you really, really need a shower. Heh.

After the Disaster

It's amazing what some people can accomplish, floods and plagues of locusts notwithstanding.

The store has been rearranged, resorted, reorganized, and restyled. We've moved the classroom area so you can all be on display as you create your gorgeous works of art. We've freshened the product so you can discover some long-lost goodies as you sort through the new arrivals.

And we bow down to Tammy and her supporting cast of thousands. Why? Because it was really Tammy's vision that you see when you walk into the store. So please join me in thanking everyone:

• Tammy, her beloved DH, and Elsa, who worked into the wee hours to ensure the store would reopen. I never imagined saying these words, but thanks for trimming my floor.
• Gail, whose engineering expertise rescued the computer and lab at minimum, and everything else at maximum.
• Natalie, who came for support and conquered something, I am sure.
• Elle, who stayed late on Sunday to more fully organize lock, stock, and paper trays.
• Sara, who worked to inventory and organize the new with the old
• And Heather, our new manager, who started just in time to weather this new storm, kept her crown intact and was perfectly patient throughout.
• Shout outs also to Mindy, MaryLeigh, and Melissa, who worked around everything to take care of customers. It's nice to stay afloat.

Apologies to the one customer who came in and expressed her extreme dissatisfaction with the new layout of the store. We promise we did not make the water heater next door explode and leak onto our floor and then destroy things just to make it difficult for you to shop with us. We're just trying to maintain our sense of humor throughout a very trying period and get things in enough order so people can shop.

And massive thanks to all our customers who complimented the new look of the store, those who pitched in to help, and those who are continuing to bring in new customers who make everything worthwhile.

On a side note, we are bursting with new stuff:

• Melissa Frances glitter chipboard shapes, paper mache boxes, foldouts, music box frames, and magnetic shadow boxes
• Prima flowers in all kinds of containers and color selections
• Basic Grey Blush, just in time for your Valentine. Yeah, for all you overachievers who are making Valentines in December.
• Every single color of the Adirondack Dabbers. We tested, you loved, we responded in kind. There are 38 colors, in case you are counting.
• New Rusty Pickle papers worth a joke or two. Still not sure why they sent us 256 of one particular paper, but we know they'll fix it for us.
• PVA and Diamond Glaze, but not in the same container. Can you imagine?
• Snowman paper mache boxes and 12x12 storage boxes in paper mache, perfect for a shadowbox decorative gift
• Doodlebug papers in all their happy colorful glory

So come see the fun, take a class in the new work area, cut some shapes with our fabulous die cut center, and prepare for a fabulous crop this Friday. Natalie really needs some love, so step up and, oh wait, she's already carrying around enough love for us all. But the crop will still be awesome; trust me.

Noah? Noah?

Due to a mishap in our neighbor's suite, our floor got more than a little soaked in the resulting flood. Bear with us as we part the multi-colored sea of cardstock (yes, I am mixing Biblical metaphors at this point) and repair the damages. In the most immediate future, we expect our doors will be closed, at least through late day Tuesday Dec 5th. In the less immediate but still relatively soon future, you may have somewhat of an obstacle course to navigate as you shop and crop for the holidays. And if you're not too busy, we'd welcome the help in restoring our neighborhood gathering spot to its former glory. No burning bushes, we promise.

And yes, I regret to say, that was probably me taking someone's name in vain. No one you know, though. Honest.

Look Here

Autumn Leaves idea book "The Look Book" arrived today and is now available for purchase. Come look, before you're out of luck. Hurry, Elaine, hurry.