Winner: Award For Exciting Surprise That Surprised Us The Least

Endlessly talented artist-in-residence Heather is at it again (still?) as Rusty Pickle announces its finalists for its Pickle Party with Lance "Story of..." . We are expecting high fives and beaucoup congratulatory visits (from our favorite customers, natch) to Heather. Remember that if (when, people, when) she wins the contest, she will invite 20 of her very "bestest friends forever" to a Pickle Party event to be held, ummm, well, somewhere convenient, let's just say. I mean, super-close.

Hecka Lotta Massive More Stuff

Space is at a premium with the ongoing CHA summer arrivals. And we gleefully welcome and open and savor every item in every box. If you spend too much time thinking about it, what you like is quite likely to be gone, so we suggest you make haste before it's too...late? OK whatever. Here's the itemized scoop:

• Autumn Leaves, starring clear stamps and bags o' buttons
• Basic Grey, starring kind of nearly everything
• Prima, providing a strong showing in the usual flowers but also chipboard, rhinestone flowers, and just bunches of cute fun
• Kraft Klub, bringing in a rustic antique charm to items perfect for altering to suit your every need, and unlike products you will find just about anywhere else
• 7 Gypsies, entirely a show in their own right, and not sure there is a thing from summer that we did not order
• Scrapbook at Play, crackling good humor that's still Simple Scrapbooks accessible

It's going to be a super-busy weekend, so stop on by and share in the fun and frolic of checking out everything new.

Wading In It

If you tried to shop last Friday, you might have stumbled into the challenge of the 18 boxes that were delivered by our favorite men in brown. Now that everything has been inventoried, ticketed, and displayed to fill every nook and cranny, you might want to make haste before it all is claimed by others who are more prompt. Which would quite likely exclude me.

Examples? Well, I know there was new Heidi in there, and I am thinking along the lines of her new masks and some flippin' fun bling. I also saw lots of Cropper Hopper vertical storage, while not exactly new, might be just the thing to move you up in space. So to speak. Our favorite Crop-o-Dile hole punch and eyelet setter tool is also back in stock, and we picked up the lime shade in addition to the traditional pink one. If you don't have this tool, get it. Now. We also brought in more Anthopologie AKA Bay Boxes because we keep getting more requests for this most perfect album. Apparently, we are the only store in on the secret of the best album around. Shhh. There's hecka more stuff as well, like the new Flair line in all the months of the year for calendar-making, Daisy Bucket Designs papers and embellishments that we expect you'll crave as much as we did, and some fun Remininsce papers in a variety of fun and funky themes.

We hope you caught Heather's follow-up Sonoran Living performance. She created a fabulous canvas project that anyone can do. Some PVA, your favorite papers, a special photograph, and a touch of layering is all it took to make a timeless work of art for your wall. Nice for the wall, easy on the wallet, and we have everything you need to make it work. Heather's got more of her work being published in some upcoming magazines, so you might want to get her autograph now before a line develops. Or before she develops her own line, hmmm.

Turn the Corner with Heidi's Clear Stamps

It's only seemed like a decade since we ordered these corner stamps. We loved them in February and now that they are finally here, we really love them still. We have every hope that what we ordered in July will ship a wee bit sooner than next January, but in the meantime, pick these corner sets up for just a song. OK, a song and the regular retail price, but even that won't really cost you much. Six styles at last count, so you can collect them all.

Summertime Class Projects

Get out of the heat and into our store with some fun and totally different mini-book classes.

Check out Heather's Paradise Found class on Monday from 11-2 and get a little tropical. This darling project in encased in a summertime surprise container. It might be a bit nutty, but we think you'll love displaying this treasured project. No sunscreen required.

Follow up with Jaime's Sandcastle Book class on Thursday evening from 6-8pm. Making this charming book is the best way to keep the sand between your toes all year 'round.

Twixt the two, you'll have a set of fun and truly extraordinary ways to savor your favorite summertime photos. Seating is limited, so sign up now to hold your spot.

Designing With: the Saga Continues

All new Autumn Leaves. 'Nuf said.

Pencil This In

A super mega assortment of Carolee's Creations is out and about. Check out this adorable shaker box filled with sweet treats, a perfect welcome-back gift for your favorite teacher. Decorated here in traditional pencil-looking garb, we know your individual creativity will run wild as your alter your own to coordinate with your school colors. As in, Horizon Blue (and silver), anyone, anyone? Bueller?

We're also psyched that CK's new idea book is focused on scrapbooking your 4x6 pictures, using more than one on a page. Now that's progress. I mean, when you're trying to finish an album, can you really get far making detailed page after detailed page with just one photo per page? You can? Well, of course you can, but it's still nice to have the ideas for getting more to a page without having to resize, make enlargements, print index sizes, and do other random calisthenics just to finish a page. Boffo pages in mass quantities. Sounds like a solution to me.

Next time, Alaska. No, really, I promise.